5 Best Financial Advisors in New Jersey

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Contributor, Benzinga
April 17, 2024

Sometimes, managing your finances requires support. Benzinga readers often choose SmartAsset and Personal Capital as the best financial advisors in New Jersey.

With its proximity to New York and major financial centers, New Jersey has long been a strong center for wealth. New Jersey has the highest percentage of millionaire residents in the country, with 7.12% of New Jersey households having $1 million or more liquid or investable assets. Whether you are in that category or growing your wealth, a skilled financial advisor in New Jersey can help you. Read on about the solid financial advisor options in New Jersey to choose the advisor to help you reach your goals.

Quick Look: Financial Advisors in New Jersey Near You

  • Best for Personalized Solutions: SmartAsset
  • Best for Retirement Income Planning: Paradigm Wealth Planning
  • Best for Education Planning: Red Oak Planning
  • Best for Portfolio Analysis: Empower
  • Best for Comprehensive Planning: Hallmark Capital

Best Financial Advisors in New Jersey

Choosing a financial advisor is an important decision. You'll want to look for an advisor with fiduciary responsibility. In addition, preparing yourself with questions to ask a financial advisor, understanding the difference between financial advisors and investment advisors, and learning about the common mistakes people make when choosing a financial advisor can help you make an informed decision. Then, the five options below of financial advisors in New Jersey can offer exceptional value to help you reach your goals. 

1. Best for Personalized Solutions: SmartAsset

SmartAsset is an excellent starting point for anyone new to the world of financial advisors. As the first comprehensive solution for easily and securely pairing investors with financial advisors, SmartAsset provides free and secure access to the financial advisor marketplace and sources advisors who are right for you based on your location, assets and personal preferences. 

If you’re looking for customized solutions from a New Jersey financial advisor to reach your personal goals, consider SmartAsset. SmartAsset's platform connects investors, soon-to-be-retirees and retirees with financial advisors nationwide. You can find a financial advisor who specializes in your needs. 

To get started, you’ll need to complete a brief survey regarding your preparedness for retirement, investment style and contact information so SmartAsset’s algorithm can match you with the best financial advisor for you. While this service works nationwide, residents of New Jersey can find excellent solutions with a few clicks. 

2. Best for Retirement Income Planning: Paradigm Wealth Planning

Paradigm Wealth Planning in Bridgewater specializes in planning for predictable income during retirement, helping you build stable returns through your golden years. 

The firm uses RealNumber to calculate the monthly income necessary to sustain your preferred lifestyle. Paradigm will help you develop a strategy to maintain this number and protect your money against market risks and inflation. Paradigm can also weave riskier investment options into your portfolio depending on your investment objectives. 

The annual advisory fee for management services falls between 0.50% and 1.75%. There are no account minimums, and in some cases, you may be charged fixed fees or hourly rates for advisory services. 

3. Best for Education Planning: Red Oak Planning

Red Oak Planning in Basking Ridge focuses on helping clients with college planning, comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Red Oak can help you prepare for college funding from every angle. It offers a free one-hour college planning workshop. 

The firm’s Max Aid Service is for families whose yearly income is less than $250,000. This advising package analyzes your current finances against projected college spending. Your financial planner can recommend the best ways to reduce this figure. This plan can also help guide your application for government and institutional aid. 

4. Best for Portfolio Analysis: Empower

Empower (formerly Personal Capital) is a free, comprehensive financial manager and robo-advisor that analyzes all your finances. Its comprehensive financial planning services include investment assessment, 401(k) fee analysis and spending tracking. You can also link your individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and others.

If you want to consult a real person and get tax optimization strategies and other benefits, you need an account minimum balance of $100,000. There's a 0.89% fee for the first $1 million, and fees are reduced to 0.49% for larger account amounts. 

5. Best for Comprehensive Planning: Hallmark Capital

Hallmark Capital has operated in Wayne since 1999. It offers modular and all-inclusive advising and operates as a fee-only investment management firm. 

Hallmark Capital offers balanced equity and fixed-income portfolios and a wide range of financial planning services. Managers build portfolios using asset allocation and investment analysis. The firm can help with:

  • Income planning
  • Debt management
  • Executive planning
  • Compensation and benefits analysis
  • Retirement advising 
  • Estate plan analysis
  • Legacy planning

It has an account minimum of $500,000 and charges a percentage of assets under management. 

Do You Need a New Jersey Financial Advisor?

Financial advisors aren't for everyone. It can be worthwhile to educate yourself before hiring a financial advisor. If you're just starting out on your investment journey, you can check out Benzinga's investment guides and tools. You can also consider investing in low-cost index funds or using robo-advisors to build your portfolio

However, these financial advisors in NJ offer unique insights into wealth management and can help you reach customized goals. Whether you want to save for your children’s college or ensure you have enough for retirement, the right financial advisor can help you build a diversified, risk-balanced strategy to reach your goals. Just be sure to choose a fiduciary financial advisor to protect your interests.

Need more ideas? You can find the best online financial advisors, the best overall financial advisors or the best financial planning software. You can also learn more about the difference between a financial advisor vs. financial planner to choose the right financial planning solution for you.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

How much does a financial advisor cost in NJ?

A

Financial advisor costs in New Jersey vary by payment structure. Average hourly fees range from $120 to $300. The percentage of assets under management fees ranges from 0.5% to 2.0%. Flat fees typically range from $1,000 to $3,000.

Q

Is it worth paying for a financial advisor in New Jersey?

A

New Jersey financial advisors can help you reach big and small financial goals and structure long-term wealth-building habits. As you grow your net worth or try to reach your goals faster, it can be worth consulting a financial advisor with fiduciary responsibility. If you have specific needs, like college savings or retirement cash flow planning, a specialized financial advisor can help you more effectively hit those goals.

Q

How much money should you have to see a financial advisor in New Jersey?

A

There is no set dollar amount you need to start seeing a financial advisor in New Jersey. How much money you should have to see a financial advisor depends on your individual situation and whether you need help with specific goals. Some financial advisors require clients to have a minimum of $500,000 or $1 million, while others don’t have a stated minimum.

Alison Plaut

About Alison Plaut

Alison Plaut is a personal finance and investing writer with a sustainable MBA, passionate about helping people learn more about sustainable investing and long-term wealth building for financial freedom. She has more than 17 years of writing experience, focused on investments, business, personal finance, and real estate. Her work has been published in The Motley Fool, MoneyLion, and regularly appears on Benzinga.