Quick Look: Best Financial Advisors in Scottsdale
- Best for Retirement Planning Services: ARQ Wealth Advisors
- Best Robo-Advisor: M1 Finance
- Best for Wide Array of Services: Pinnacle Peak Private Client Group
- Best for Comprehensive Wealth Management: MSH Capital Advisors
- Best Portfolio Analysis: Personal Capital
- Best for Long-Term Planning: Trajan Wealth
- Best for Personalized Asset Management: Galvin, Gaustad & Stein
Scottsdale, Arizona, is known for its great weather, golf courses and luxurious spa resorts. Another fun fact, the city is also home to top financial advisors. If you’re on the lookout for financial professionals to advise you, then look no further. Benzinga has compiled a list of advisors that can help you manage your finances and ease your burden.
Best for Retirement Planning Services: ARQ Wealth Advisors
ARQ Wealth Advisors is an established retirement planning firm in Scottsdale. It is a fee-only fiduciary, which means that it has a legal duty to put its clients first. The firm provides unbiased strategies and products to help you financially.
ARQ Wealth has 2 retirement planning specialties — Wealth Apex™ and Wealth Builder™.
Wealth Apex deals with wealth management and financial planning for those who are further along in their careers and financial life. Wealth Builder is for the young professional looking for investment and financial planning guidance to become more financially secure.
- Customizable Auto Investing
Best Robo-Advisor: M1 Finance
M1 Finance is a smart money management platform that allows you to make, save and invest your money. The platform is extremely popular and trusted with over 14,000 5-star ratings and 150,000 users.
With M1 Finance you can build your investment portfolio and deposit money weekly, biweekly or even monthly. Get access to a flexible portfolio line of credit when your portfolio reaches $10,000. You can also use your integrated M1 Spend checking account to repay your loan on your schedule.
M1 Finance has 2 types of accounts — M1 and M1 Plus. M1 account does not charge management fees, trading commissions and checking account fees. The M1 Plus account is available for $125 per year, where you can receive additional benefits like 1% cash back on qualifying debit card purchases and 1% annual percentage yield (APY) checking.
Best for Wide Array of Services: Pinnacle Peak Private Client Group
Pinnacle Peak Private Client Group is a registered investment advisor (RIA) in Scottsdale. The firm operates in an open architecture environment, which means you’ll have access to a full range of investment options.
Pinnacle Peak offers a wide range of services that include:
- Wealth accumulation and preservation
- Investment consultation and management
- Women's financial strategies
- 529s/education planning
- Defined benefit and distribution planning
- Retirement planning
- Estate planning
- Insurance and annuities
- Charitable giving
The firm has a client-focused philosophy, making sure that you have personal, direct access to the team. You can also get 24/7 online access to account statements, progress reports and market reports so that you are always updated.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Pension consulting services
Address
18867 N. THOMPSON PEAK PARKWAY STE #225SCOTTSDALE AZ, 85255
Phone number
480-771-4301
Best for Comprehensive Wealth Management: MSH Capital Advisors, LLC
MSH Capital Advisors is a registered investment advisory firm in Scottsdale. The firm specializes in providing comprehensive financial strategies — whether you are a business owner, single parent, retiree or college student. The most common services provided by the firm include:
- Retirement planning
- Post-retirement planning
- College education planning
- Caring for elderly parents
- Business planning
- Major purchase planning
MSH insists on helping its clients understand their finances better. The firm helps you learn about fundamental concepts that could affect your financial life such as dollar cost averaging, tax efficiency, legacy planning, risk management and market fluctuation.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Pension consulting services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
Address
20555 N PIMA ROAD SUITE 100SCOTTSDALE AZ, 85255-7153
Phone number
480-563-2007
- High Net Worth Individuals
Best Portfolio Analysis: Personal Capital
Personal Capital is a comprehensive personal finance service and robo-manager. You can use their investment management tools free of charge. To qualify for managed services, you must have a minimum account balance of $100,000.
Managed services give you access to a dedicated advisor who gives you tax optimization strategies and a comprehensive plan to help you achieve your long- and short-term goals. If you’re looking for one platform to handle your budgeting and investment management, Personal Capital is a great fit.
Best for Long-Term Planning: Trajan Wealth
Trajan Wealth is a fee-only fiduciary. The firm looks at a longer time horizon when creating your portfolio. It takes into account the economic cycle and aligns the more stable asset classes to be the foundation of your portfolio. The main goal is to prevent any major hiccup to your long-term planning goals.
Trajan Wealth mainly focuses on 2 services — tactical wealth management and retirement income planning. In addition to these, it also provides services such as wills and trusts, life insurance, tax planning, IRA and 401(k) planning.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Financial planning services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
- Educational seminars/workshops
Address
7702 E. DOUBLETREE RANCH ROAD SUITE 100SCOTTSDALE AZ, 85258
Phone number
480-990-3300
Best for Personalized Asset Management: Galvin, Gaustad & Stein, LLC
Galvin, Gaustad & Stein (GGS) is a registered investment advisory firm that provides personalized asset management, wealth management and financial planning services. The firm is in compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®), which are ”ethical standards for calculating and presenting investment performance based on the principles of fair representation and full disclosure” that are recognized worldwide.
GGS makes sure that your investment portfolio is based on your personal beliefs, ideals and goals. In addition to the advisors, there is a team of CFA charterholders who closely monitor your progress and perform in-depth research on new investment ideas.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Pension consulting services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
Address
7377 E. DOUBLETREE RANCH ROAD SUITE 250SCOTTSDALE AZ, 85258
Phone number
480-776-1445
Frequently Asked Questions
Which certifications should my financial planner have?
When you look for credible financial experts, the main designations include certified financial planner (CFP®) and chartered financial analyst (CFA). Professionals earn these credentials through a rigorous examination and other stringent requirements that make them qualified to tackle complex situations.
How can I research the background of my financial advisor?
You can research the background of your advisor in 2 ways: the Investment Advisor Public Disclosure website and BrokerCheck website. Both websites have a complete list of advisors registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You can see if the advisor is still active, whether it has any disclosures and more.
What’s the difference between financial planning and retirement planning?
Retirement planning can be looked at as a facet of financial planning. The difference lies in the area of focus. Financial planning is all about how you can grow your wealth and plan for your short- and long-term goals. This could be planning for a college education fund, mortgage, wedding and even retirement. Retirement planning is in-depth planning on how you can use your accumulated wealth to make sure that it lasts through your post-work years and beyond.
Choose the Right Financial Advisor in Scottsdale
You know your advisor is a good one when they pay careful attention to your personal financial goals and strive to achieve them. There are also other requirements you need to check before you make a decision, such as if they are fiduciary or are advisors with credible credentials. Ask a lot of questions so that you can learn more about their philosophy and offerings.
Methodology
To determine the top financial advisors in Scottsdale, Arizona, we pored through all SEC-registered advisory firms who have an office in Scottsdale. To winnow down the list we only included advisors who were registered fiduciaries, had no past disclosures and have minimal personal conflicts of interest. To further break down the list to the true top advisors in the area, we gave weight to advisors that offer both investment management and planning, have no conflicts of interest, have offices in multiple states, have a wrap fee program and over $50 million in assets under management.