Top Financial Advisors in New York, NY

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Cerity Partners takes the No. 1 spot on our list of the top financial advisors in New York City, as well as our list of the top financial advisors in the state of New York. Cerity is a large firm, working with a wide range of clients. These mainly include individuals both with and without a high net worth. Other clients are pensions, profit-sharing plans, government entities, businesses, insurance companies and investment funds. While Cerity technically doesn't have an investment minimum, it's services are clearly built for the affluent.

Cerity Partners is a fee-based firm that may receive additional compensation if you purchase an insurance policy or fixed annuity through its subsidiary, CP Risk Management Services LLC. While this creates a conflict of interest, as an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Cerity Partners has a fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests.  

Cerity Partners Background

Cerity Partners was founded in 2009. It's ownership is deep, as the firm is controlled by Cerity Partners Equity Holding LLC. This holding company is controlled by Cerity Partners EOE, LLC, which is owned by employees of Cerity Partners and funds affiliated with private equity firms Genstar Capital Partners LLC and Lightyear Capital LLC.

Kurt Miscinski serves as the president and CEO of Cerity Partners. He works in the firm's Chicago office. Along with New York and Illinois, the firm has offices in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming.

The firm provides a variety of financial services to clients, such as comprehensive wealth management, which encompasses investment solutions, financial planning, tax planning, trust services and estate planning, among others. The firm also offers family office services, business owner advisory services, executive financial counseling and retirement plan services.

Cerity Partners Investment Strategy

Cerity Partners works to determine the investment objectives of each client so that advisors can provide customized investment strategies to the best of their ability. Through conducting meetings with clients, advisors determine, on a more granular level, a client's risk tolerance, liquidity needs, time horizon, investment restrictions and any other pertinent information.

The firm seeks to create a unique asset allocation strategy for each client and invests in a combination of equities, fixed income, cash and cash equivalents, specialty and private markets and sub-asset classes. Cerity Partners typically allocates clients assets among third-party managers "who specialize in managing assets according to Cerity Partners' asset classes," the firm states in its brochure. In some cases, though, the firm may recommend individual securities, private equity funds or hedge funds. 

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Summit Rock Advisors claims the second spot on our list of the top financial advisory firms in New York. This firm has an incredibly high minimum asset requirement, as you'll generally need at least $100 million to open an account. As a result of this level of exclusivity, the firm has fewer clients than some of the other firms on the list. It's no suprise that all individual accounts at Summit Rock belong to high-net-worth individuals. Other clients include pooled investment vehicles and charitable organizations.

Summit Rock is a fee-only firm, as advisors do not receive third-party commissions from selling securities or insurance. A fee-based compensation structure is different, allowing firms and advisors to collect commissions on certain transactions. As a result, fee-only advisors are typically subject to fewer conflicts of interest than their fee-based counterparts. 

Summit Rock Advisors Background

Summit Rock was founded in 2007. CEO David Dechman and chief investment strategist Nancy Donohue are the co-founders and principal owners.

The firm aims to provide clients with holistic wealth management services. This involves rolling together investment management and financial planning to help clients reach their financial and investment goals. 

In addition to its spot on this list and our list of the top firms in the Empire State, Summit Rock Advisors is recognized among the top 10 advisors in the U.S.

Summit Rock Advisors Investment Strategy

Summit Rock's investment strategies are based around the individual wants, needs and financial goals of each client. Advisors take into account all aspects of a client's financial situation before taking action. They use information about a client's investment history, tolerance for risk, liquidity needs and a handful of other factors before creating an investment management plan that works for the client.

Advisors place significant emphasis on preserving capital, reducing volatility and increasing the long-term purchasing power of all of their clients. The following six factors also play an incredibly important role in helping advisors craft investment strategies:

• Asset allocation with broad asset class diversification
• Access to investment managers
• Due diligence
• Liquidity management
• Investment implementation advice and support
• Integration of legal, governance and other factors that impact financial results

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First Manhattan is a fee-based firm that provides professional investment management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals but also to trusts, estates, charitable organizations, partnerships, private investment vehicles, educational institutions, retirement accounts, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations and other types of business entities.

For separately managed accounts, the firm typically institutes an account minimum that it may occassionally adjust. The advisory team at First Manhattan holds a number of certifications. These include Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

Keep in mind that First Manhattan Co. portfolio managers are also registered representatives of First Manhattan Securities, a registered broker-dealer. This dual role and "the use of an affiliate broker-dealer unders the same parent company" constitute a conflict of interest. However, the firm is registered as an investment advisor and must abide by fiduciary duty. 

First Manhattan Co. Background

First Manhattan Co. was originally founded in 1964 by David Gottesman. However, First Manhattan Co., as it exists today, was formed in 2022 as a subsidiary of its newly formed parent company, FMC Group Holdings LP.

Today, the firm employs 45 advisors and has over 5,000 clients investing more than $20 billion in assets under management. Separately managed accounts are offered through a wrap fee program, which rolls both advisory and brokerage servicse into one fee. 

For fixed-income portfolios, the firm charges up to 0.375% of assets under management (AUM), while the asset-based fee for equity portfolios can reach up to 1.20% of AUM. 

First Manhattan Co. Investing Strategy

The advisors at First Manhattan tailor their advice to the individual needs and interests of their clients based on detailed financial information and other personal and family considerations. Clients may impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities in discretionary accounts. The firm provides advice to fund clients that is consistent with their respective offering documents, which may include certain investment restrictions. 

First Manhattan Co. manages assest for the stated purpose of long-term capital appreciation. To do this, the firm invests client assets in publicly traded equities and fixed-income securities. 

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Wealthspire Advisors is up next on our list of the top financial advisory firms in New York. The advisory team here is quite large, and Wealthspire's client base comprises thousands of individuals and high-net-worth individuals. Other clients include pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations. The firm also requires varying minimum assets, depending on specific circumstances for each account.

This firm is fee-based, due to the fact that one of its employees can earn compensation when advisory clients purchase insurance policies from an unaffiliated company that he runs. However, the firm is a fiduciary and its representatives otherwise do not receive commissions for the sale of any securities.

Wealthspire Advisors Background

Wealthspire was founded in 1995 by Howard Sontag, and has been wholly owned by NFP Corp. since 2015. At various points in time, the firm had previously gone by the names Sontag Advisory and Bronfman Rothschild. In 2024, NFP Corp. was acquired by Aon PLC. 

Mike LaMena serves as the firm’s CEO, while Eric Sontag is the firm’s president and chief operating officer. Several advisors at the firm have various designations, including the certified public accountant (CPA), Certified Financial planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) desigations. 

Wealthspire Advisors Investment Strategy

The firm aims to help clients achieve medium-to-long-term financial goals. To that end, Wealthspire continuously researches new opportunities and monitors and evaluates existing investments.

The firm relies on a diversification strategy in asset allocation to reduce investment risk, and offers a comprehensive range of financial services that include portfolio management, financial planning, tax reporting, pension consulting and a selection of other advisors.

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Silvercrest Asset Management Group's account minimum is not set at any amount, though the majority of the firm's clients are high-net-worth individuals. In fact, it doesn't work with any individuals or families with less than a high net worth. The firm also has an institutional client base comprising banks, investment companies, investment funds, retirement plans, charities, government entities, insurance companies, corporations or businesses.

This fee-only firm has Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified public accountants (CPAs) on staff.

Silvercrest Asset Management Group Background

Silvercrest Asset Management was founded in 2001, but its managing directors average over 30 years of wealth management experience. The firm handles issues including business succession planning, estate and tax planning and investing for retirement. It also works with family offices and endowments, and helps clients diversify from concentrated stock holdings or privately held assets.

Each Silvercrest senior portfolio manager is a shareholder in the firm. The company says the goal of this is to add an extra incentive for advisors to perform optimally. The firm also regularly conducts peer reviews to ensure that its clients are receiving the best possible advice and input.

Silvercrest Asset Management Group Investment Strategy

Silvercrest Asset Management employs a variety of investment strategies focused on delivering value and growth across multiple market capitalizations and asset classes. Their U.S. Large Cap Value Equity and U.S. Small Cap Value Equity strategies use a bottom-up approach, targeting companies with strong returns on capital, minimal leverage, and attractive valuations. They emphasize buying high-quality companies at a discount and meeting with company leadership before making initial purchases. The firm also offers U.S. Equity Income and U.S. Multi Cap Value strategies that follow similar value-oriented methodologies, aiming to generate excess cash flow and reinvestment opportunities.

In addition to equity strategies, Silvercrest provides specialized investment options, including U.S. Real Estate Investment Trusts, U.S. Small Cap Growth, and U.S. SMID Cap Growth. These strategies are designed to capture opportunities in specific sectors and asset classes. 

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Tiedemann Advisors is a fee-only firm, which means all of its compensation comes from client-paid fees. Among the firm's advisors are Certified Financial Planners™(CFPs®), chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), chartered alternative investment analysts (CAIAs) and certified investment management analysts (CIMAs).

The firm doesn’t impose any explicit account minimum. However, certain funds or sub-advisors may have independent account minimums that may affect where the firm can allocate your assets.

The firm works mostly with high-net-worth individuals. Its other clients also include charitable organizations and investment funds.

Tiedemann Advisors Background

The firm, which opened in 2008, is under the leadership of CEO Mike Tiedemann, whose father Carl founded Tiedemann Wealth Management and Tiedeman Trust Company. 

In January 2023, the parent company of the firm finalized a merger with TIG Trinity Management, LLC, an alternative investment management firm; Alvarium Investments Limited, a global multifamily office based in London; and Cartesian Growth Corporation, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. Following this merger, the firm is now under the ownership of AlTi Global, Inc., a publicly traded company.

The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services, as well as investment consulting services and other general consulting services. Typically, Tiedemann will act as a manager of managers, allocating some or all of a client’s portfolio to be managed by a third-party sub-advisor.

Tiedemann Advisors Investment Strategy

As mentioned above, Tiedemann Advisors typically uses third-party money managers to allocate its clients’ assets, whether it be directly through managed accounts or indirectly through mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded notes (ETNs) or private investment funds.

The firm’s investment process typically begins with broad, macroeconomic research and fundamental analysis in order to come up with broad asset allocations that may bring about an attractive potential return. The firm then uses a proprietary risk optimization tool to formulate more specific asset allocation frameworks that make sense for each client’s investment objectives and risk tolerance.

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BBR Partners is a fee-only advisory firm with a very high account minimum of $50 million, making it one of the most exclusive on this list. While the firm may be willing to waive this requirement, its client base indicates its very unlikely. In fact, the vast majority of BBR’s clients are high-net-worth individuals. However, the firm also works with some non-high-net-worth individuals in spite of the high account minimum, as well as pooled investment vehicles, investment companies, charitable organizations and corporations.

The firm has a very large team of advisors, including Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified public accountants (CPAs).

BBR Partners Background

BBR Partners has been registered with the SEC since 2000. Brett H. Barth and Evan M. Roth are the principal owners of the firm through a separate entity called BBR Partners Holdings, LP. There are 26 other equity partners who hold stakes in BBR Partners Holdings too.

The firm provides investment advisory services and gives advice on non-investment matters such as estate planning, tax planning, insurance planning, family education and philanthropic planning, among others.

BBR Partners Investment Strategy

BBR Partners centers its investment strategies around each client’s investment objectives, wealth management needs and risk tolerance. The firm seeks to develop an asset allocation that secures steady growth while also meshing well with those factors specific to each client.

The firm typically allocates client assets among a range of equity and fixed-income third-party managers, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded notes (ETNs) and private investment funds.

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Founded in 1983, TAG Associates is one of the oldest firms on this list. While there isn't a set account minimum for new clients, all of its individual clients have a high net worth. Other clients include investment funds and retirement plans.

TAG is a fee-only firm, which means all of its compensation comes from client-paid fees. This differs from a fee-based firm which can receive third-party commissions in addition to client-paid fees, creating conflicts of interest.

TAG's team of advisors includes Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), certified public accountants (CPAs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

TAG Associates Background

TAG Associates’ senior management group averages around 30 years of experience in the finance and investment industries. TAG takes a team approach, and each client is served by the firm’s managing directors.

TAG is registered as a commodity trading advisor and a commodity pool operator. The firm says that, when appropriate, it will pool clients’ assets to gain better access and diversification.

TAG’s goal is to preserve and grow its clients’ wealth from one generation to the next, and says that it stays on the forefront with the tools it uses to achieve this goal. TAG states that advisors are routinely considering how the latest developments in investment strategy, tax law and estate planning may impact its clients.

TAG Associates Investment Strategy

TAG Associates is a recognized leader in the alternative investments space. The firm has allocated more than a third of its assets under management to alternative investments. It also uses separately managed accounts (SMAs), mutual funds and the short-term purchase of securities.

TAG Associates has an in-house research team that performs all investment manager and strategy due diligence. Before the firm selects any manager, its team conducts manager visits and evaluates their portfolio management, strategy and performance, as well as examining their past performance and experience.

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Snowden Capital Advisors is a fee-based firm that caters to family offices, individuals above and below the high-net-worth threshold, companies and business entities, foundations, and charitable organizations.

While Snowden Capital Advisors typically requires a minimum deposit of $100,000 to open an account, the firm may choose to accommodate clients with lower investable assets or initial account sizes.

As a fee-based advisory practice, advisors may earn third-party compensation on the sale of securities and/or insurance. While this is a conflict of interest – advisors have a financial incentive to recommend certain products and services over others – the firm is a fiduciary and must act in clients’ best interests.

Snowden Capital Advisors Background

Snowden Capital Advisors was founded in 2011. The firm is under corporate ownership, with SCP Intermediate Holdings LLC being its sole proprietor.

The firm's comprehensive suite of services encompasses estate planning goals, retirement planning, education planning, insurance planning, risk management investments, portfolio management, investment consulting, asset allocation, cash management and wealth management. The firm offers its portfolio management primarily through wrap fee programs, which bundle advisory and brokerage services into one fee.

Snowden Capital Advisors Investment Strategy

The firm employs a comprehensive investment approach that includes value investing, international diversification (with a focus on emerging market securities), and fixed income investing. When crafting investment strategies, the firm considers each client's current financial status, future goals, attitude towards risk, investment needs and objectives, risk tolerance and overall investment goals. This tailored approach ensures that each portfolio aligns with the unique circumstances and aspirations of the client.

The firm typically invests in mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments and other securities.

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Summit Trail Advisors rounds out our list of the top financial advisors in New York. While this fee-based firm typically does not enforce a minimum relationship size, certain strategies may necessitate a minimum asset amount to optimize returns, which can be waived at the firm's discretion.

Summit Trail Advisors primarily works with high-net-worth individuals, as well as institutional clients like retirement plans, corporations and businesses and charitable organizations. However, a small percentage of the firm’s individual clients do not have a high net worth.

As a fee-based practice, some advisors on staff may earn third-party compensation when recommending or selling investment products or insurance. While third-party compensation incentivizes advisors to make certain recommendations over others, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in its clients’ best interests.

Summit Trail Advisors Background

Summit Trail Advisors was founded in 2015. The firm is under the corporate ownership of Summit Trail Holdings, LLC and operates primarily out of its headquarters in Manhattan. There are also branch offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Seattle and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The firm's comprehensive suite of services encompasses estate planning, tax planning, insurance needs, active estate management, advisor coordination, and detailed reporting. Additionally, they offer philanthropy guidance, cash management, tax management and benefits consultation.

Summit Trail Advisors Investment Strategy

Summit Trail Advisors employs a diverse range of investment strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. These strategies include long-term purchases, where securities are held for at least a year, and short-term purchases, involving the sale of securities within a year. Additionally, the firm engages in margin transactions, utilizing borrowed assets to acquire financial instruments, and options trading, which involves contracts for buying or selling securities at predetermined prices within specific timeframes.

The firm typically invests client assets in a broad range of financial instruments, including individual equity securities, fixed-income securities, mutual funds and ETFs. The firm also collaborates with independent managers and offers separately managed accounts and limited partnerships.