Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Colorado
Finding a financial advisor firm that fits your needs across a massive state like Colorado is easier said than done. So SmartAsset spent hours digging through data to determine Colorado’s top financial advisor firms. Based on the detailed information in this review, including each firm’s investment philosophy, fee structure and more, you should be able to make an informed decision as to which firm suits your needs. SmartAsset's financial advisor matching tool is an automated alternative that you can use to get paired with up to three advisors who serve your area.
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We match more than 50,000 people with financial advisors per month. Get connected to an advisor that serves your area today.Rank | Financial Advisor | Assets Managed | Minimum Assets | Financial Services | More Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mercer Global Advisors, Inc. Find an Advisor | $45,350,198,548 | Varies based on account type |
| Minimum AssetsVaries based on account typeFinancial Services
|
2 | Crestone Asset Management, LLC Find an Advisor | $ 3,616,260,964 | $25,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$25,000,000Financial Services
|
3 | Johnson Financial Group, LLC Find an Advisor | $2,476,192,497 | $30,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$30,000,000Financial Services
|
4 | SRS Capital Advisors, Inc. Find an Advisor | $1,438,586,845 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
|
5 | IWP Wealth Management, LLC Find an Advisor | $3,575,824,101 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
|
6 | Wealthgate Family Office, LLC Find an Advisor | $472,789,562 | $10,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$10,000,000Financial Services
|
7 | Regis Management Find an Advisor | $2,868,918,920 | $25,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$25,000,000Financial Services
|
8 | GHP Investment Advisors, Inc. Find an Advisor | $2,436,575,373 | $500,000 |
| Minimum Assets$500,000Financial Services
|
9 | Cherry Creek Family Offices Find an Advisor | $1,639,395,473 | $40,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$40,000,000Financial Services
|
10 | Transform Wealth, LLC Find an Advisor | $2,514,306,619 | $500,000 |
| Minimum Assets$500,000Financial Services
|
What We Use in Our Methodology
To find the top financial advisors in Colorado, we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the state. Next, we filtered out firms that don't offer financial planning services, those that don't serve primarily individual clients and those that have disclosures on their record. The qualifying firms were then ranked according to the following criteria:
- AUMFirms with more total assets under management are ranked higher.
- Individual Client CountFirms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher.
- Clients Per AdvisorFirms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher.
- Age of FirmFirms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
All information is obtained through public records and is updated annually after the firms’ form ADV filing. This list may include firms that have a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals. Such relationships have no impact on our rankings, and firms are included and ranked based strictly on the above criteria. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms, and did not receive compensation for including any of the firms on the aforementioned list.
Mercer Global Advisors
Mercer Global Advisors takes the first spot on our list of top Colorado financial advisors. It's a fee-based firm headquartered in Denver, but it has offices throughout the U.S. In addition to its spot atop these rankings, Mercer Global Advisors is also one of the top 10 financial advisors in the U.S., according to our metrics.
The firm's massive team of advisors includes more than Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified public accountants (CPAs). The team works with both individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charitable organizations and businesses. The firm doesn't have a single account minimum or minimum annual fee. Instead, these will vary based on the type of account or service a client receives.
As a fee-based firm, some advisors at Mercer have the ability to sell insurance or securities for a commission. This creates a potential conflict of interest. However, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests at all times.
Mercer Global Advisors Background
Mercer Global Advisors was opened back in 1985. Initially, the firm's founder, Kendrick Mercer, started a law practice focused on estate planning. But after seeing an unmet need, he decided to launch an investment advisory firm with the mission of helping its clients achieve "economic freedom."
While headquartered in Denver, Mercer Global Advisors has ranch locations in New Mexico, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Hawaii, California, Wisconsin, New York and more.
The firm offers its clients comprehensive investment management, financial planning, family office services, tax planning, estate planning and retirement plan design and administration.
Mercer Global Advisors Investment Strategy
Mercer Global Advisors focuses on creating globally diversified portfolios that span across and within major asset classes. Their investment strategy incorporates academically validated factors such as value, size, momentum, profitability and low-beta, aiming to capture incremental returns. Systematic rebalancing and advanced tax and distribution management are key components of their approach.
The firm emphasizes broad asset class and multi-factor diversification to help manage risk, and it often uses low-cost investment vehicles like ETFs, index funds and institutional funds. They also include private investments, such as private equity and real estate, through interval or private funds.
Crestone Asset Management
Crestone Asset Management takes the second spot on our list of the top financial advisor firms in the state of Colorado. The Boulder-based financial advisor firm has by far the steepest account minimum on this page, as it calls for a minimum initial investment of at least $25 million.
The firm primarily serves high-net-worth individuals and pooled investment vehicles, as well as smattering of charitable organizations, corporations and other businesses. Considering the minimum account size requirement, it's no surprise that Crestone does not work with any individual clients who are under the high-net-worth mark.
Crestone Asset Management Background
Although Crestone Asset Management has been in business since just 2001, its history can be traced back as far as the early 1990s. In fact, its predecessor, the Eric J. Kramer Company, was formed in 1991. In April 2024, the firm was acquired by Pathstone Family Office, LLC, which in turn is owned by Kelso & Company investment funds.
Crestone Asset Management is a full-service wealth management firm that caters to ultra-high-net-worth clients and their families, offering comprehensive investment advisory and family office services. These services include portfolio construction, asset allocation, investment management, and access to specialized investment strategies through third-party managers. Crestone also acts as an outsourced chief investment officer, providing tailored investment policies and ongoing management.
Clients may receive estate and tax planning, philanthropic advising and cash flow management. Additionally, Crestone offers exclusive access to private and special-purpose investment vehicles, alongside reporting and financial planning services to meet the unique needs of each client
Crestone Asset Management Investment Strategy
In order to create investment plans best suited for its clients, Crestone Asset Management has a demonstrated history of working within both the traditional and alternative investment markets. To be more specific, these alternative classes could be real estate, private equity or even hedge funds.
Crestone has made it clear that just because your money is invested doesn't mean your portfolio requires active management. The firm maintains a strict "buy and hold" strategy, meaning that securities are likely to remain in your portfolio for the long-term. Due to this, earnings from these securities can throw off your asset allocation. To stop this from happening, your Crestone advisor will step in and rebalance your portfolio when needed.
Johnson Financial Group
Johnson Financial Group is a family office and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals almost exclusively. The firm, which works with a handful of other clients, requires each new client to have at least $30 million in investable assets, though this minimum can be waived at the firm's discretion.
As a fee-only operation, all of Johnson Financial Group's compensation comes from client-paid fees. A fee-based firm, on the other hand, can receive commissions from sources like insurance and securities sales. Johnson Financial Group also charges a minimum annual fee of $250,000.
Johnson Financial Group Background
Johnson Financial Group was founded in 2002. Brandon C. Johnson and Wendy M. Johnson own the firm through an entity called B&W Holdings LLC. Brandon Johnson is also the firm's president and CEO.
This firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, advisor selection and family office services. The firm’s family office services include bookkeeping, expense management, bill-pay, private foundation administration and advisor coordination. The family office services are separate from, and in addition to, the firm’s main advisory services.
Johnson Financial Group Investment Strategy
Johnson Financial Group says it applies a total return approach to portfolio management and that its investment strategies focus on building globally diversified portfolios that are tax- and cost-efficient. To do so, the firm may invest in a combination of domestic and foreign equities, fixed-income securities, CDs, options, mutual funds, separately managed accounts, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), private placements and alternative investments.
SRS Capital Advisors
SRS Capital Advisors is a fee-based firm headquartered in Denver. The firm works with mostly non-high-net-worth individuals, though their high-net-worth counterparts make up the second-largest percentage of SRS' client base. It also has retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations and other businesses as clients.
While there is no set account minimum, the firm says it primarily provides financial planning and investment advisory services to clients with at least $1 million investable assets. Then again, the vast majority of clients don't have a high net worth, so it's best to check with the firm directly to see if you qualify for its services.
The adisory staff here holds a variety of certifications. These include chartered life underwriter (CLU), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and more. Certain advisors here can receive commissions from the sale of insurance products. Although this represents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interests at all times.
SRS Capital Advisors Background
The predecessor of SRS Capital Advisors was founded in 2006. The firm is principally owned by Cavalier Investment Holdings MIV, LLC and Arax Business Trust, LLC.
The firm's services include investment management, investment advisory services to trusts, pension consulting, seminars and financial planning. The latter can cover retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning, cash management planning, insurance planning and more.
SRS Capital Advisors Investment Strategy
The object of SRS Capital Advisors' overarching investment philosophy is to provide clients with an investment plan and portfolio that's specific to their personal needs and situation. In turn, the firm will take into account various factors like your risk tolerance, time horizon, income needs, financial goals and more. If you're interested, you can also impose some restrictions on investments made in your name.
The firm uses two main, proprietary strategies when trading client assets: trending and quanitative market timing. The former divides the stock market into six distinct categories that focus on market capitalizations and growth/value characteristics, with ETFs being the main investments. The latter follows a similar category structure, with the money divided evenly between all six categories, though this can vary based on market conditions.
IWP Wealth Management
IWP Wealth Management is a fee-only financial advisor firm based in Denver. It actually ranks on SmartAsset’s list of the top financial advisor firms in Denver as well. The firm's team includes several advisors who hold the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) credential.
While IWP does not have an account minimum, it primarily serves high-net-worth individuals and several private funds. However, the firm claims to have services available for trusts, estates, retirement plans, pension and profit-sharing plans and charitable organizations. IWP also has several non-high-net-worth individuals as clients.
This firm utilizes a “family office” structure, meaning that it focuses on the complete financial needs of a particular family and their associated professionals, trusts or holding companies. According to the firm, it applies this holistic approach on a case-by-case basis, allowing clients to customize what they want.
IWP Wealth Management Background
President Charlie Willhoit founded the firm in 2004 and remains one of its owners. Willhoit has a background in financial research and previously spent more than eight years at J.P. Morgan. Other owners of IWP include Tamara Ward, Kevin McCabe, Stephanie Bowers, Christopher Hunter, Darryl LaRue, Jaye Everland and Paul Custer. Ken O'Brien, former New York Jets quarterback, is also an owner and strategic advisor at the firm.
This firm has some of the most extensive financial advisory services on this list. These consist of daily asset management (like insurance and tax reviews), investment planning, wealth creation strategies, paperwork reviews, net worth reporting, budget planning and accounting. In addition, you'll also find stock, bond, cash and real estate investment management, customized portfolio creation, business consulting, tax planning, long-term care planning and estate planning.
IWP Wealth Management Investment Strategy
IWP primarily invests its clients’ assets in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, fixed-income securities, mutual funds and private investments. These investments are diversified according to the client’s specific risk tolerance. The firm also factors a client’s time horizon, future potential inheritance and liquidity needs into its investment decisions.
Aside from traditional investment management, IWP also provides bill pay, document storage, tax coordination and constant account reporting as necessary.
Wealthgate Family Office
Wealthgate Family Office is an extremely exclusive financial advisor firm. In fact, the firm's minimum investment requirement is quite high for most at $10 million. The firm serves only a handful of individual clients, as well as one trust company.
This is a fee-only firm. That means all of the firm's compensation comes from client-paid fees and not from third-party sales commissions.
Wealthgate Family Office Background
Wealthgate Family Office was founded fairly recently in 2020. The firm's founder and CEO, Alexander Paul, principally owns the firm.
Investment management services are available at Wealthgate, as are an extensive set of financial planning services. The firm divides these services between family and legacy planning, business consulting, risk management, administrative support and lifestyle management.
Wealthgate Family Office Investment Strategy
At the dawn of your client-advisor relationship, Wealthgate Family Office will work with you to develop an investment policy statement (IPS). This document will be the basis for your entire investment portfolio plans, as it will detail your risk tolerance, time horizon, income needs and short- and long-term goals.
Through these insights, an asset allocation will be built for you. As your portfolio begins earning returns, the firm will send you reports on how things are going and what, if anything, your advisor plans to change about your portfolio. Generally, the firm may invest your assets in a mix of stocks, fixed-income securities, mutual fund shares, ETFs and private funds, including hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.
Regis Management, a fee-based firm in Denver, is next on our list of the top advisors in the Centennial State. The firm has a $25 million account minimum, so it's no surprise its small client base exclusively comprises high-net-worth individuals and charitable organizations.
As a fee-based firm, some advisors may receive compensation from third parties for the sale of insurance products like annuities. However, as fiduciaries all Regis advisors are obligated to put clients' best interests first, at all times.
The firm has one chartered financial analyst (CFA) on staff.
Regis Management Background
While the firm's legal name is Regis Acquisition Inc., it conducts business as "Regis Management, a Mercer Advisors Company." Founded in 2003, the firm is owned by Mercer Advisors Intermediate Holdings Inc., the same parent company of our top-rated firm, Mercer Global Advisors.
The firm concentrates its services on asset management, but can also provide fianncial planning and related consulting services on topics like tax and estate planning when requested by clients.
Regis Management Investment Strategy
The firm's goal is long-term capital appreciation, which it pursues by constructing globally diversified multi-asset portfolios.
Regis Management believes that superior risk-adjusted returns can be achieved by the proper combination of strategic asset allocation, portfolio management and security selection. This strategy requires both “top down” macroeconomic analysis as well as a “bottoms up” fundamental evaluation of asset class valuations, economic growth rates, industry themes and company-specific issues.
The firm typically recommends that clients invest in individual stocks, bonds and fixed-income securities, as well as mutual funds and/or ETFs and private investment funds.
GHP Investment Advisors
GHP Investment Advisors is a fee-only firm that also holds spot on SmartAsset’s list of the top financial advisor firms in Denver. The firm’s typical clientele includes both non-high-net-worth individuals and high-net-worth individuals, corporations, pooled investment vehicles and retirement plans.
GHP’s advisors have a relatively wide range of certifications, including the certified public accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and personal financial specialist (PFS) designations.
The firm generally requires a minimum investment of $500,000, including for its general supervisory services. GHP does charge clients performance-based fees. However, these fees are only applicable to investments in the GHP International Reform and Development Fund and solely apply to earnings over a high-water mark.
GHP Investment Advisors Background
GHP Investment Advisors has been around since 1995, making it one of the older firms on this list. Brian J. Friedman, the firm’s president and chief investment officer (CIO), is the principal owner and a co-founder along with Robert Hochstadt. Friedman has accrued nearly three decades of experience in the financial services industry.
The manner in which your funds are invested depends on what services you’re in need of. The firm provides the following services:
- Retirement and estate planning
- Education fund planning
- General investment management
- Risk management
- Income tax planning
GHP Investment Advisors Investment Strategy
GHP Investment Advisors builds portfolios based on clients' financial plans. Rather than adhering to a certain number of investments, GHP likes to keep its options open. In its client portfolios, the firm may use exchange-listed securities, warrants, certificates of deposit (CDs), mutual funds, options, variable annuities, municipal securities, corporate debt securities and foreign issuers.
The firm typically invests for the long term. When crafting an investment strategy, it takes into account a client's goals, time horizon, liquidity needs and risk tolerance, as well as tax impact, economic conditions and international exposure.
Cherry Creek Family Offices
Cherry Creek Family Offices, a family office based in Denver, has a very high minimum investment requirement of $50 million. As you might expect, the firm's client base is small, with all of its individual clients coming in above the high-net-worth threshold. The firm several institutional clients, which are pooled investment vehicles.
The staff here includes several certified public accountants (CPAs). It is also a fee-only firm.
Cherry Creek Family Offices Background
Cherry Creek Family Offices, which was founded in 2011, is principally owned by Timothy J. Ulfig, Kevin W. Burke, Corey McKeirnan and Chris McPartlan, either individually or through their respective trusts or other legal entities.
The firm offers investment management, financial planning and strategic family services, which may address estate planning, insurance and legal considerations, lifestyle management and family passions.
Cherry Creek Family Offices Investment Strategy
Because it's a family office, Cherry Creek works closely with you to ensure your investment portfolio incorporates all of your needs and accounts for all of your goals. This involves doing a deep dive into your and your family's short- and long-term financial goals. The firm primarily invests in equity and debt securities, with specific investment decisions depending on your investor profile.
The firm uses fundamental analysis and technical analysis to evaluate individual investments and strategies for its clients. Assets are typically held for at least a year.
Transform Wealth
Transform Wealth is a fee-only firm that rounds out our list of top financial advisors in Colorado. The firm requires that clients have minimum portfolio size of $500,000 for wealth management services. However, the firm will accept clients with less than $500,000 but charges them a higher asset-based fee.
Transform Wealth's advisory team comrpises a number of credentialed professionals holding the certified private wealth advisors (CPWAs), certified investment mangaement analyst (CIMA), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified public accountant (CPA) designations.
As a fee-only firm, neither Transform Wealth nor its advisors accept compensation or commissions for recommending securities or insurance products.
Transform Wealth Background
Founded in 2011, Transform Wealth is a part of Focus Financial Partners and is owned by Focus, LLC. The firm remains under the management of CEO Nathan J. Kubik and president David J. Kubik.
The firms offers personalized wealth management financial planning and consultation services. Additionally, the firm provides fiduciary services for ERISA plans and IRAs.
Transform Wealth Investment Management
Transform Wealth takes a personalized approach to investment management, tailoring strategies to each client’s unique goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Their investment approach blends fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, alongside a diversified asset allocation strategy.
While market timing is not a focus, they prioritize cash flow, financial obligations and long-term objectives. When appropriate, Transform Wealth may employ hedging strategies such as covered puts and calls to manage risk.
The firm invests in a diverse range of assets, including individual equity securities, bonds, ETFs, no-load mutual funds, corporate debt, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, municipal and government debt securities, as well as real estate. They also utilize partnership investments through a fund of funds, private equity and credit. Additionally, the firm provides advice on warrants, options on securities and commodities, variable life or annuity products, and both public and private partnerships.