Lisa Gerstner
About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.
The survey results, which we’re sharing here in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, offer valuable insight into which providers shine when it comes to your everyday interactions and experiences with them. Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps. For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.
By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: Wealth Managers
These firms take a holistic look at your finances and offer advice tailored to you. Beyond assisting with investment strategies, advisers may help you manage credit and debt, savings, estate and tax planning, and more. Readers rated wealth managers based on the quality of financial advice they received, the trustworthiness of the advisers, how likely they would be to recommend the firm to others and their overall satisfaction with the wealth manager.
OVERALL WINNER: Fidelity Wealth Management
Outstanding for:
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
- Quality of advice
- Trustworthy advisers
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
Fidelity Wealth Management earned high ratings in all of the surveyed categories. Readers like that Fidelity’s dedicated advisers are easy to reach and offer individualized attention.
“I have a wonderful local wealth manager at a nearby Fidelity office. Very pleased with him,” says one satisfied reader. Says another, “I’ve used Fidelity Wealth Management since I retired. They’re very responsive have done well managing my portfolio.”
The wealth-management offerings, which include financial planning, investment management and tax-smart strategizing, come in tiers. Fidelity Wealth Management, which requires minimum investments of $500,000 (excluding 401(k)plans) in eligible Fidelity accounts, charges a fee of 0.2% to 1.5% of the assets under management.
Fidelity Private Wealth Management clients must have a minimum investment of $2 million with Fidelity and $10 million or more in total investable assets. Fees range from 0.2% to 1.04%, and clients get access to a dedicated team of financial professionals.
Ameriprise Financial
Outstanding for:
- Quality of advice
- Trustworthy advisers
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
Readers who take advantage of Ameriprise’s services noted many positive, longtime relationships with their advisers. One survey respondent assessed the firm’s financial planning services as “truly objective” with “sound recommendations” that are guided by the client’s best interests in mind.
Ameriprise serves more than 3.5 million clients with a network of more than 10,000 financial advisers. Advisers offer personalized financial guidance tailored to clients’ goals, whether they pertain to retirement, education, a major purchase or estate planning. Planning services also include cash-flow management, tax strategies, insurance and even small-business planning.
Bank of America/Merrill Wealth Management Services
Outstanding for:
- Quality of advice
- Trustworthy advisers
- Overall satisfaction
The wealth services from Bank of America and Merrill, the bank’s brokerage unit, rose in the ranks this year, earning high marks for most of the surveyed criteria. Readers raved about the quality of service. “I sleep well at night knowing my adviser has our back. She keeps in touch just the right amount of time,” says one reader.
One option for customers is Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, through which you work with a dedicated adviser. Or, with Merrill Guided Investing, investment pros build and manage your portfolio, and you have the option to work with an adviser. Bank of America also offers wealth management for high-net-worth clients through its private bank.
UBS
Outstanding for:
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
UBS Wealth Management provides advice and investment strategies tailored to help you reach your financial goals as well as custom asset allocation and portfolio management. UBS helps you organize your finances with three strategies: wealth for now (liquidity), wealth for later (longevity) and wealth for others (legacy).
Readers had many kind words to say about their UBS advisers, commenting that their advice is both “thoughtful” and guided with clients’ “best interests at heart.”
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Outstanding for:
- Trustworthy advisers
In addition to virtual consultations, Morgan Stanley provides traditional in-person advisory services. These services are typically available to clients who maintain at least $500,000 in investable assets.
Whether you choose virtual or in-person services, your adviser will customize a plan for you in such areas as retirement and college savings, tax efficiency, generational wealth, and philanthropy.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards Categories
- Readers' Choice Full-Service Brokers
- Readers' Choice Cash-Back Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice Hotel Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice National Banks
- Readers' Choice Internet Banks
- Readers' Choice Auto Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Homeowners Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Annuity Providers
- Readers' Choice Tax Software
- Readers' Choice Peer-to-Peer Payment Services
-
Electric Car Owners Can’t Avoid Road Taxes in 2025New Taxes Hawaii launched its new EV road usage fee in July. Here’s why some states are implementing similar new electric vehicle taxes across the nation.
-
Social Security Email About 'Big Beautiful Bill' Tax Changes Sparks ConfusionTax Changes Here’s what’s really happening with taxes on Social Security benefits under Trump’s new tax plan.
-
Here's Why Walmart Deals is Better Than Amazon Prime DayWith sales for Walmart Deals and Amazon Prime Day running comparable on price, one factor separates them.
-
How to Get Rid of the Things Your Kids Don't Want While DownsizingWhether moving by necessity or choice, downsizing means deciding what to do with your stuff. Here's what to do if the kids and grandkids don't want it all.
-
When It's Worth Spending Money on Beauty and Skincare — and When You Can SaveSmart Shopping Experts agree that while you don't have to spend three figures on your products, some higher-priced items have value.
-
How to Find the Best Alternatives to Popular Travel DestinationsYou don’t have to bust your budget or battle big crowds to enjoy pristine natural beauty, rich culture, authentic cuisine and more.
-
My First $1 Million: Retired Self-Employed Attorney, 75, Coast of WashingtonEver wonder how someone who's made a million dollars or more did it? Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series uncovers the answers.
-
Walmart Takes on Prime Day With Competing July Deals EventWalmart is launching its own multi-day sales event to rival Amazon Prime Day — and it could be a smart time to shop, even if you're not a member.
-
7 Golf Course Destinations to Vacation Away from the CrowdsBeat the growing crowds of new golfers at these golf course destinations off the beaten path.
-
A Financial Expert's Three Steps to Becoming Debt-Free (Even in This Economy)If debt has you spiraling, now is the time to take a few common-sense steps to help knock it down and get it under control.
