Top 10 Financial Advisors in Raleigh, NC

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CAPTRUST is not just the top-rated financial advisory firm in Raleigh, it's also the No. 1 firm on SmartAsset's list of the top 10 advisors in United States. You’ll need at least $50,000 to be a client, although the firm may waive this minimum. CAPTRUST works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as banking institutions, investment companies, retirement plans, charities, government entities, insurance companies and businesses.

At CAPTRUST, some in-house advisors have the potential to earn commissions from selling insurance. Although this could lead to a conflict of interest, the firm is obligated by a fiduciary duty to prioritize your best interests. For individual clients, the firm provides investment advisory services, financial planning services and estate planning services. The firm offers a wide range of services to institutional clients, primarily retirement plans. 

CAPTRUST begins formulating its investment strategies with the goals of its clients, making sure to factor in each client’s investment objectives and risk tolerance. Then, the firm develops an asset allocation based on equities, fixed income, strategic opportunities, commodities and real estate with a risk profile that’s appropriate to the client. For security analysis, the firm uses fundamental, technical, quantitative and qualitiative analysis. As a client, you may receive a custom asset allocation or see your assets invested in a pre-built model portfolio. 

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Founders Financial Alliance (FFA) is a fee-based firm that serves many clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations and businesses. The firm itself does not impose any minimum account requirements on clients.

In addition to asset management, financial planning and on-going wealth management consulting, the firm offers what it calls its FlatFeeCIO program, which is a "family office style service" provided for a flat fee. FlatFeeCIO includes investment management and financial planning services, insurance review, risk analysis, tax review, as well as coordination among the various fiduciaries, agents and trustees working on behalf of a client.

FFA provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to clients based on various factors such as individual goals, objectives, time horizon, needs and risk tolerance. Investment strategies and recommendations by investment advisor representatives (IARs) are tailored to the individual needs of each client.

The firm emphasizes regular account supervision. Portfolios consist of individual stocks or bonds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), options, mutual funds and other public and private securities or investments. It uses hard evidence and resarch to create tailored portfolios. Analysis methods include fundamental analysis, technical analysis and cyclical analysis, as well as modern portfolio theory and third-party manager analysis.

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Financial Symmetry is a fee-only firm with the second-most assets under management on this list after CAPTRUST. The firm works almost exclusively with individual clients who are both above and below the high-net-worth threshold. However, the firm also has at least one charitable organization as a client, as well. 

As a fee-only firm, Financial Symmetry's revenue comes solely from the fees that advisory clients pay. Its advisors do not earn third-party compensation for recommending certain products and services, which would constitute a conflict of interest. Alongside financial planning and investment management, Financial Symmetry also offers retirement planning, tax planning, Social Security analysis, college planning and other services.

Financial Symmetry Inc. has an investment committee that meets monthly to evaluate the firm’s long-term investment outlook. The investment committee aims in its research to find any broad mispricings that it may be able to use to its clients’ benefit. The firm applies a long-term approach to its investment process. The firm primarily recommends mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for its clients, and it says it chooses asset classes according to each client's risk tolerance and risk capacity. 

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Capital Investment Counsel is a fee-based firm that has a minimum account size requirement of $100,000, but it retains the right to waive this minimum. The firm works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans and corporations. As a fee-based firm, Capital Investment Counsel advisors may earn a commission from recommending certain investments. Despite this potential conflict of interest, the firm is still a fiduciary and must legally act in the best interests of its clients.

Capital Investment Counsel specializes in individually tailored portfolios of equities and fixed-income securities, and it also provides financial planning services.

Capital Investment Counsel relies on a five-part investment philosophy: emphasizing financially strong, cash-rich companies selling at discounts historically; reinvesting dividends and interest; emphasizing additional contribution to the portfolio; striving to minimize tax liability; and “multiplying” positions in companies that have grown significantly beyond their value. The firm offers four general types of portfolios – growth, growth and income, balanced, and income – that can be customized to meet a client's investment objectives. 

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Oak Harbor Wealth Partners is a fee-only firm that serves both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities and businesses. Oak Harbor provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services, institutional consulting services, and financial planning and consulting services to its clients.

For clients engaging in portfolio management, advisors may impose a flat fee based on a percentage of assets under management that will not exceed 1.50%. Institutional clients, however, are required to have a minimum account balance of $2 million with a maximum fee of 1%.

Oak Harbor's investment strategy starts by establishing a strategic asset allocation tailored to each client's specific circumstances, objectives, and risk tolerance. The allocation covers various asset classes, including equity, fixed income, alternative investments and cash equivalents. Once the allocation is set, the firm selects specific investments to meet these targets.

The firm evaluates investments primarily using fundamental analysis, which examines a company's financial health to determine its value, utilizing sources like annual reports and SEC filings. This approach acknowledges that the realization of value may take time as market prices adjust to reflect the company's intrinsic value. To complement this, Oak Harbor also incorporates technical analysis to understand short-term market trends and determine optimal investment timings and transaction points, such as when to buy or sell.

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Cardinal Capital Management is a fee-based advisory firm that serves both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities and corporations. The firm charges an annual investment advisory fee based on a percentage of assets under management. While the firm does not impose a minimum account size requirement, clients engaging in investment advisory services will get charged a minimum annual fee of $2,500.

Also, keep in mind that members of Cardinal Capital’s advisory team can receive commissions for the sale of financial products. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm’s fiduciary duty requires them to act in the clients’ best interests.

The firm primarily offers investment advisory services, however, it may provide financial planning and non-investment consulting services if the client requests it. Cardinal Capital offers both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. The firm offers four distinct portfolios: U.S. large cap equities, non-U.S. equities, U.S. small cap equities, and a balanced portfolio that combines U.S. large cap equities with individual bonds. 

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Cook Wealth is a fee-only firm that works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pensions and profit-sharing plans. Cook Wealth says that it generally does not impose a minimum account size requirement. For investment management services, the firm charges a fee that's based on a percentage of assets under management. However, clients who receive financial planning services will typically pay an initial or ongoing retainer fee. 

As with other firms, Cook Wealth works with clients to develop a portfolio strategy that is based on their investment goals and objectives, risk tolerance and financial situation. The firm primarily relies on a long-term investment strategy, but in some cases, it may buy, sell or rebalance positions that have been held for less than a year. 

The firm builds client portfolios with mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Cook Wealth's advisory team may also include individual stocks and bonds to meet client needs.

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Collegiate Capital Management (CCM) is a fee-based firm with a focus on serving people who work in higher education. CCM does not have a set an account minimum. But the firm’s brochure points out that portfolio management services likely won’t be beneficial for clients with less than $100,000 in investable assets.

CCM works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. Institutional clients also include retirement plans and corporations. CCM says in its brochure that it offers guidance across a wide variety of financial-related areas that include financial planning, charitable giving, estate planning, insurance planning, portfolio management, tax planning and more. 

The firm invests client assets in mutual funds, exchange-traded stocks (ETFs), U.S. government securities, stocks, U.S. corporate debt, money market funds, municipal securities and certificates of deposit (CDs), among other financial investments.

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TradeWinds is a fee-only firm that provides financial advisory and investment management services to individual investors to help them achieve their financial goals and needs. More specifically, these services include investment planning, retirement planning, college planning, wealth management and more. 

The firm fees are fee-only and will vary on the types of advisory services we offer and may be negotiated at our sole discretion. For its advisory services, the fees can range from 0.75% - 2.25%. The firm works with high-net-worth individuals, individuals, small businesses and corporations. 

The firm works with its clients to find the right investment strategies for them. Advisors at the firm use a variety of strategies that include charting analysis, risk analysis, digital assets, valuation risk, fundamental analysis and more. The firm determines investments and allocations based upon the client's predefined objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other various suitability factors. 

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Townsend Asset Management does not have a set account minimum.This fee-based firm primarily serves non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension plans, charitable organizations and corporations. However, some employees can earn third-party compensation when a client purchases insurance or annuities through them. This is a conflict of interest because these employees have a financial incentive to recommend certain products and services over others. However, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in its clients' best interests. 

As for services, the firm offers clients investment managemnet, financial planning, tax preparation and planning, as well as consulting. Townsend's wealth management service combines and delivers all four of those services for one fee. The firm can also help clients with retirement plan rollovers.

The firm may invest client assets in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), options and alternative investments. Townsend Asset Management normally makes long-term purchases but also does short-term. Its primary analysis methods are fundamental and technical analysis. The firm builds portfolios using asset allocation, which spreads the client's investments across different asset classes, including cash equivalents, bonds of varying durations, small- or large-cap stocks, foreign stocks and bonds, mutual funds and other assets.