Best Online Financial Advisors of March 2025

For this list, we didn’t consider online advisors that match clients and advisors for comprehensive financial planning services, such as Zoe Financial or Facet Wealth. Instead, we focused on tech-driven firms where you can access an automated and personalized portfolio and consult a professional for advice when needed.

Here are our top picks for the best online financial advisors as picked by Business Insider editors in 2025.

Best Online Financial Advisors

Open an Investing Account

SoFi: Best for Beginners

Advisor type: Hybrid module

SoFi® is a comprehensive active and passive online brokerage suitable for all kinds of investors. While mainly an investment platform, SoFi provides CFP access well-matched for younger and less experienced investors.

SoFi’s financial planners are held to a fiduciary standard, meaning they are legally and ethically required to put you first. Although you can’t meet in person, SoFi planners offer advice and guidance for investing, borrowing, budgeting, and saving.

A SoFi membership gets you a complimentary 30-minute chat with a CFP. You must be a SoFi Plus member to get unlimited access to financial planners.

You can become a SoFi member by opening a SoFi checking or savings account, or you can become a SoFi Plus member by setting up direct deposits.

Pros:

• SoFi Members get access to a 30-minute complimentary chat
• Beginner-friendly financial planning services
• Doesn’t charge monthly, AUM, or annual fees for advisory services

Cons:

• Must be a SoFi Plus member for unlimited access to CFPs. However, membership doesn’t cost anything

SoFi Invest review

Vanguard: Best for Retirement Planning

Advisor type: Hybrid module

Vanguard is a leading financial advisory firm with over $8.6 trillion in assets under management. The brokerage offers a wide range of investment opportunities and advisory services, including a robo-advisor and a professionally managed account option.

With Vanguard’s Personal Advisor account, you get the best of both worlds. It offers hybrid automated portfolio management and access to professional oversight and financial planning from a fiduciary. There is a higher minimum requirement, which may not be accessible for some investors. That said, the higher $50,000 minimum may suit retirees (or those nearing retirement) who already have that much saved and seek more professional guidance and oversight.

The financial advisory firm offers advice on various money-related topics, including debt management, tax strategies, healthcare costs, and spending in retirement. However, Vanguard Personal Advisor does not allow you to invest in individual stocks, bonds, or options.

Pros:

• Features both robo-advisory features and access to fiduciary advisors
• Holistic wealth management and financial planning services for a wide range of topics
• Provides access to a wide range of retirement strategies and tools

Cons:

• High $50,000 minimum makes this account inaccessible for those with fewer savings
• There is a 0.30% management fee for account balances under $5 million

Vanguard Personal Advisor review

Betterment: Best for Large Account Balances

Advisor type: Hybrid module

Betterment Investing is a robust trading platform offering unlimited access to CFPs through phone or email through Betterment Premium. You can also use the platform’s robo-advisory services, such as tax-smart strategies and automatic portfolio rebalancing.

Betterment CFPs create custom plans for investing, retirement savings, and tax strategies.

To become a Betterment Premium member and unlock ongoing financial planning and guidance, you must have at least $100,000 in your account. Premium members can also access additional perks, such as prioritized customer support and 20% off estate planning with Trust & Will (an online estate planning platform).

Those who transfer at least $20,000 are eligible for a free one-time conversation with a Betterment Financial Advisor to help set up your account and discuss financial goals.

Betterment’s financial planning services are a good option for those who can easily deposit $100,000 in a brokerage account and unlock Premium trading features and financial planning services. If you’re not seeking CFP access, Betterment is one of the best robo-advisors for beginners to access low-cost trading and accessible investment strategies.

Pros:

• CFPs are fiduciaries
• Multiple financial planning services are available, including tax strategies
• Premium members get discounted pricing on estate planning services with Trust & Will

Cons: 

• A one-time free consultation requires a $20,000 minimum account balance
• Must have an account balance of $100,000 to unlock ongoing advisor access
• Premium members have a higher 0.65% annual fee

Betterment review

Ellevest: Best for Women

Advisor type: Hybrid advisor

Ellevest is a comprehensive financial planning and wealth management platform built around women’s unique needs and challenges. Although it is not exclusively for women, its investing solutions take gender discrepancies into account.

Ellevest provides comprehensive automated investing, financial planning, and wealth management services. All Ellevest CFPs are women. Consultations start at $250 per session ($1,000 per package for Ellevest clients).

A complimentary consultation is available without signing up for an Ellevest account. During this meeting, an Ellevest financial planner will provide the next steps and resources based on your financial situation.

Ellevest also has a robo-advisory service for automated portfolio management and recommended investment selection. However, it costs $12 a month (or $129 annually), which is more expensive than other robo-advisors. Ellevest financial planning one-on-one services are 50% for investors with an automated investing account.

You also get access to an extensive library of content and advisor-led workshops.

Pros:

• Women-focused investment and advisory solutions
• Free complimentary consultation available prior to account opening
• Wide range of financial planning, retirement, and wealth management services

Cons:

• Financial coaching costs extra (but members get 30%- 50% off).
• Access to retirement account management requires an upgrade

Ellevest review

Ameriprise Financial Investments: Best for Retirement Saving

Advisor type: Human advisors

Ameriprise Financial Investments is one of the largest registered investment advisors in the US and is best for experienced investors looking for advanced charting and investing features. You’ll get access to fiduciary financial advisors for consultations or account management.

It is our top pick for retirement saving and planning due to its extensive library of retirement planning resources, portfolio management services, and access to fiduciary advisors.

The following management account options are available for IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s:

• Client-directed: Work alongside a financial advisor to build your portfolio. You approve each investment selection.
• Manager-directed: An investment manager of your choosing (from a list) provides continuous management and trading discretion.
• Advisor-directed: A financial advisor has discretionary authority over your investment selection and asset allocation but receives authorization from you to build and manage your portfolio.

Different investment advisory styles have different minimums and investment options. It’s not a great options for beginners.

Pros:

• Offers various levels of account management from advisors
• Offers multiple goal-building tools, like fund screeners and financial calculators

Cons:

• Ameriprise’s managed account fees are high and complex
• Website is difficult to navigate compared to others on this list

Ameriprise Financial Services review

Wealthramp: Best for Finding CFPs

Advisor type: Human advisors

Wealthramp is a personalized advisor matching service that helps people find reliable money advice. After answering a series of questions about your financial situations and goals, Wealthramp generates advisor matches based on your preferences. 

Wealthramp’s fiduciary advisors are fee-only and offer various general investing and estate planning services. You can find specialized financial planning, like tax, divorce, estate, and legacy, LQBTQ+ financial planning, and special needs planning. 

Pros:

• Free to use
• Simplifies the process of finding a financial advisor

Cons:

• Wealthramp is not a brokerage and does not directly offer trading or investment services. 

Wealthramp review

What Are Online Financial Advisors?

A financial advisor is a catch-all term that includes financial planners and investment advisors. Most online advisors offer investment management — whether it’s carried out by a human or a sophisticated computer algorithm — and financial planning services or tools.

Types of Online Advisors

The main types of online financial advisors are:

• Robo-Advisors: Automated investment platforms (aka robo-advisors) use algorithms to generate a custom investment portfolio based on an individual’s risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. Robo-advisors typically offer low-cost ETFs as a cost-effective way to instantly diversify an investor’s asset allocation and mitigate risk.
• Human Advisors (Virtual): Financial advisors that offer personalized financial planning and investment advice online through virtual meetings, email, and other virtual communication channels.
• Hybrid Models: Some online brokerages offer hybrid financial advice, combining automated investment advice and management through a robo-advisor and one-on-one consultation from a human advisor.

How Much Do Online Financial Advisors Cost?

Financial advisors providing financial advice often charge by the hour, typically between $100 to $300. Advisors creating a comprehensive financial plan tend to charge a flat rate between $1,000 and $3,000. 

If you hire an advisor to manage your investment portfolio, you’ll be charged a percentage of your account balance, typically between 1% and 3% annually.

In comparison, that’s much higher than the fees that the best robo-advisors charge; you get the added benefit of building a relationship with a trusted source who can adjust your strategy as needed, provide personal recommendations, and answer questions when they arise.

How to Choose the Best Online Financial Advisors

The best online financial advisor for you depends on your goals, risk tolerance, investments, and time horizon. If you’re a new investor interested in passive investing, an online robo-advisor is likely a good place to start.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for professional insight and a customized financial plan, you’re better off with access to a human advisor through phone or video calls. 

You can also meet with an expert in person for financial guidance. So if you prefer to meet face-to-face, here are some tools to find some in your area:

Benefits of Using Online Financial Advisors

Online financial advisors allow you to ditch the in-person hassle and access expert financial guidance from your phone or home computer. Online financial advisors leverage investment technology and are generally low-cost compared to traditional in-person consultants.  

Not only does it make investing more affordable for many individuals, but clients can more easily adjust and monitor their investments on their own time. Robo-advisor and hybrid online advisors typically offer online dashboards and tools for convenient managing and monitoring. 

Why You Should Trust Us: Our Methodology

We reviewed the best online financial advisors using Business Insider’s methodology for rating investment platforms. We compared a long list of Registered Investment advisors (RIAs), considering fees, investment selection, access, ethics, and customer service. The best online advisors have top marks in all five categories. Investment platforms are given a rating between 1 and 5.

FAQs