Merit Financial Advisors Review

Pros and Cons of Merit Financial Advisors

Types of Clients

Merit Financial Advisors serves a variety of clients, including individuals and entities, such as corporations or pensions. Per its Form ADV Brochure 2A, the firm may set a minimum account size for asset management services, but it doesn’t list a specific number for potential clients to be ready for.

Financial Advisor Services

With Merit Financial Advisors, you can access several discretionary and non-discretionary financial advisory and wealth management services. More specifically, the firm provides investment management and financial planning solutions, which are typically customized to fit the individual needs of a given client.

Below is a breakdown of how each service works:

Asset Management

In its asset management program, Merit Financial Advisors will seek to understand your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Then, it will build or recommend a portfolio consisting of a variety of securities matching your preferences, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The firm also manages several model allocation portfolios, which it may use for your account if necessary.

As a client, you’ll work closely with an investment advisor representative (IAR) as they manage your portfolio. This may be a discretionary or non-discretionary arrangement. In the former, the IAR has full power to invest and rebalance your portfolio on your behalf. The latter, however, requires you to sign off in advance before a professional invests or makes changes.

Financial Planning and Consulting

Merit Financial Advisors offers holistic financial planning and consulting services designed to help individuals, families, and entities navigate complex financial decisions. Their approach begins with a comprehensive review of your goals and current financial situation. Then, you’ll receive a customized written or verbal financial plan based on your preferences.

Planning advice may cover a variety of areas, including:

• Investment and retirement planning
• Estate planning and charitable giving
• Education planning
• Tax planning
• Cost segregation analysis
• Corporate structure assessments
• Insurance planning
• Debt management

The firm’s recommendations include specific next steps, such as revising your investment strategy, updating wills or trusts, or establishing a savings plan. While a verbal summary is available, more comprehensive plans are typically in writing, according to the firm’s Form ADV Brochure 2A.

Fee Structure and Cost

Merit Financial Advisors charges clients differently depending on the services you receive. For its asset management solution, the firm notes that it requires you to pay up to 2.50% of your assets under management (AUM). However, per its Form ADV Brochure 2A, advisory fees are negotiable with your IAR based on a variety of factors, including:

• Complexity of financial situation
• The market value of the account
• Asset types
• Level of trading activity
• Future assets

Financial planning and consulting fees, however, require a flat fee. According to the firm, the amount you pay depends on the complexity of your financial situation but will not generally exceed $80,000. You may also pay for these services on an hourly basis.

Investment Philosophy

Merit Financial Advisors’ primary investment philosophy and strategy is to tailor a custom portfolio and financial plan according to each client’s needs and risk tolerance. When you begin working with the firm, an advisor will gather details and build an understanding of your preferences. Then, they’ll structure your portfolio or recommend assets that align with your goals.

Additionally, Merit Financial Advisors lists six core investment management principles as it works with clients:

1. Objective and Independent. Relying on facts and independence is key to ensuring clients receive reliable and high-quality advice.
2. Diversification. The firm prioritizes proper diversification and “building wealth by being concentrated.”
3. Invest with Goals in Mind. Advisors must invest based on a client’s goals, rather than other benchmarks for success.
4. Invest with a Margin of Preservation. The firm must minimize or limit the risk of downside by investing in securities with a margin of preservation.
5. Invest with Flexibility. Investing with adaptability to unexpected circumstances is key.
6. Invest with Humility. Predicting the future is difficult, so it’s important to eschew arrogance and invest with a degree of humility.

It’s also important to note that, because of its status as an RIA firm, Merit Financial Advisors and its IARs must adhere to a fiduciary duty at all times. This means that, when an advisor recommends an investment or purchases securities on your behalf, it must be in your best interest.

Disclosures

Merit Financial Advisors is registered as an investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This status requires it to report any conflicts of interest or disciplinary history as disclosures on its annual Form ADV filing.

As of 2025, Merit Financial Advisors has no disclosures on file with the SEC. You can regularly verify a firm’s disclosure history via the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database.

Customer Service and Becoming a Client

If you need to contact Merit Financial Advisors for any reason, you can do so by:

• Calling (866) 967-0208.
• Filling out its online contact form.
• Directly contacting your advisor or scheduling a consultation.

To become a client, you must schedule an initial consultation with an advisor. These are typically one hour and complimentary. They give you an opportunity to get to know a professional, build a rapport, and gain top-level clarity on some of your financial goals or concerns.

Methodology

This review is based on publicly available information directly from Merit Financial Advisors’ website and the SEC. Neither the firm nor its representatives have any say on what we’ve included on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do you need for Merit Financial Advisors?

Merit Financial Advisors doesn’t publish specific account minimums or asset requirements to open an account. Instead, account minimums are likely determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the complexity of your financial situation and the scope of services you’re seeking. That said, it’s reasonable to expect minimums in line with industry standards, which often range from $20,000 to $500,000 or more, depending on the firm and service level.

Is Merit Financial Advisors good?

Merit Financial Advisors appears to be a reputable and well-rounded advisory firm. It provides investment management and financial planning services, giving it a comprehensive range of solutions. It also emphasizes a client-centric approach and adheres to a fiduciary duty.

The firm doesn’t have any disciplinary disclosures on file with the SEC, and its fee structure is transparent, with negotiable advisory fees and flat or hourly rates for planning services. While it doesn’t list specific account minimums, its flexible, client-first approach may make it accessible to a broad range of investors.

Whether the firm is right for you depends on your needs and the advisor you work with. If you’re interested in becoming a client, we recommend scheduling an initial consultation and using it as an opportunity to see if it’s a good fit.

How does Merit Financial Advisors make money?

Merit Financial Advisors primarily makes money by charging fees for its investment management and financial planning services. Clients typically pay a percentage of their AUM for asset management, which can be up to 2.50%. The exact rate, however, is negotiable based on factors like account size and complexity.

The firm also earns revenue by charging flat and hourly fees for financial planning and consulting. These also depend on the scope of services but generally don’t exceed $80,000.