Find an Investment Advisor in Denver, CO

What does an investment advisor in Denver charge?

Three models cover most firms. Here is each one priced on the same hypothetical $300,000 portfolio, so the dollar gap is easy to see.

• Percentage of assets. At 1 percent a year the advisor collects $3,000.
• Flat fee. A $2,000 yearly retainer equals about 0.67 percent of the account, and it stays the same if the balance grows.
• Hourly. Six hours at a hypothetical $250 an hour is $1,500 for a one-time portfolio build, with no ongoing charge.

A percentage fee gets more expensive as you save more, while a flat or hourly fee does not. That is the main reason people with larger balances ask for a flat price. Whatever the model, the number you want is the total yearly cost in dollars for your account, written down.

Fund costs sit on top of the advisory fee

Every fund charges an expense ratio, taken out of the fund’s returns. On the same $300,000, a broad index fund at 0.05 percent costs $150 a year, and an actively managed fund at 0.75 percent costs $2,250. The difference is $2,100 a year before any advice. Add a 1 percent advisory fee to a 0.10 percent fund mix and the total is 1.10 percent, or $3,300. If the balance stayed flat for 20 years, that would be $66,000, which is why the all-in figure matters. The investing basics guide explains how to read an expense ratio.

Account types an advisor will sort out

Denver savers often hold several accounts at once, and the order of contributions matters.

• A workplace 401(k), taking at least enough to earn the employer match.
• A Roth or traditional IRA, depending on income and tax bracket.
• A health savings account, if you have a qualifying health plan.
• A 529 account for children’s schooling, covered in the college savings guide.
• A taxable brokerage account for goals before age 59 and a half.

An advisor decides which investments go where, since bonds that pay taxable interest usually sit better in a retirement account. Our tax planning guide covers the logic.

Robo-advisor or human investment advisor?

An automated service charges a small percentage, often a fraction of what a person charges, and builds a diversified portfolio from your answers to a short questionnaire. A human advisor adds judgment about taxes, stock plans, a spouse’s accounts and what to do in a panic. If your finances are simple and you stay calm in a downturn, automation may be enough. If you have equity pay, a business, rental property or a nervous streak, a human can earn the fee. Some firms offer both, which lets you start small.

Risk and rebalancing, with numbers

Risk is how much loss you can sit through without selling. Take a hypothetical $300,000 account split 70 percent stocks and 30 percent bonds: $210,000 and $90,000. If stocks rise 20 percent, they become $252,000, the account is $342,000, and stocks are now 73.7 percent. Rebalancing back to 70 percent means selling $12,600 of stocks and buying bonds. The rule keeps you from drifting into more risk after a rally. Many advisors rebalance once or twice a year, or when a holding drifts a few points off target.

What Denver’s numbers say about investors

Denver’s per capita income is $64,163, 56.5 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and unemployment is 4.9 percent (2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, ACS). For residents paid partly in stock, concentration in one company is a common issue an investment advisor in Denver sees. Housing eats into savings too: owners with a mortgage report a median $2,466 a month. Retirement planning inside an IRA or 401(k) is often the largest invested pool a household has.

Check what you already own

Pull the expense ratio from each fund in your 401(k) and IRA, then bring the list.

Schedule a review →

Before investing: cash and a steady savings rate

An advisor will usually ask about cash first. Money you may need within three years belongs in savings or short-term holdings, since a stock drop can arrive just before a roof replacement. At the median income of $94,718, six months of cash is about $47,359. Once that exists, a monthly transfer into the portfolio matters more than clever fund picks. Saving 10 percent of the median income is $9,472 a year, or $789 a month, and the budgeting and saving guide shows how to make the transfer automatic. Investing on a schedule, whatever the market is doing, removes the pressure to guess a good moment.

How to check an investment advisor in Denver

Start with the SEC adviser search (IAPD), which shows registration, fees, conflicts and disciplinary history in the firm’s Form ADV. For people who sell securities, FINRA BrokerCheck shows licenses and complaints. Colorado also has a securities regulator, the Division of Securities, where you can ask about a firm. Look for a clean record, a clear fee schedule and plain answers. Avoid anyone who promises a return, pushes a product on the first call or cannot say how they are paid.

Who needs an investment advisor in Denver?

Someone with more than a few funds and a goal that has a date on it. A couple saving for a house in five years, an engineer with vested shares, a retiree drawing down a portfolio. People with a single target-date fund in a 401(k) may not need one yet. Our estate planning guide is a good next read for anyone whose portfolio has grown past a house and a retirement account.

Questions to ask before you hire

• How do you charge, and what is my yearly cost in dollars? Look for a written figure that includes fund expenses.
• What do you recommend for someone like me, and why? Listen for reasoning about your goals.
• How often will we meet, and who handles trades? Expect a regular schedule.
• What conflicts of interest do you have? A clear answer names any product commissions.

Frequently asked questions