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Financial Planners in Des Moines, IA: 2026 rankings

71 financial planners ranked by RFA ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →

The short answer

  1. 1

    Highest RFA Score in Des Moines: Tax Doctor, RFA Score 78/100; 4.8★ from 297 Google reviews.

  2. 10

    Most-reviewed: Principal Financial Group, 170 Google reviews at 3.5★, the most of 71 ranked after Tax Doctor; ranked #10.

Rankings can't be bought. Financial advisors can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank

71 Des Moines financial planners are ranked here by RFA Score, from eight published factors. 6 open Saturdays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 5.0★ across 71 rated firms.

Top 10 financial planners in Des Moines at a glance

Ranked by RFA Score from public data such as Google reviews, not by investment performance; sponsored listings are paid, shown separately and never change rank.

Top 10 financial planners in Des Moines at a glance
RankBusinessRFA ScoreGoogle ratingBased inHoursNotable for
1Tax Doctor784.8★ (297)Des Moines—Top score
2Gremler Wealth Management735.0★ (57)West Des Moines, 6 mi away——
3Financial Plus Credit Union734.5★ (145)West Des Moines, 7 mi awaySat—
4Foster Group725.0★ (59)Urbandale, 10 mi away——
5Merkle Retirement Planning715.0★ (48)Grimes, 10 mi away——
6Integrity Wealth Management705.0★ (15)Des Moines——
7Conley Capital Management705.0★ (13)Des Moines——
8Financial Partners Group695.0★ (29)West Des Moines, 11 mi away——
9Benson Wealth Management - Northwestern Mutual694.5★ (35)Ankeny, 7 mi away——
10Principal Financial Group693.5★ (170)Des MoinesEveningsMost reviews

All 71 financial planners in Des Moines, in rank order

Ordered by RFA Score, a 0–100 score from eight published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.

Ranked by RFA Score from public data such as Google reviews, not by investment performance; sponsored listings are paid, shown separately and never change rank.

Scores below: based on 6 of 8 factors; registration and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.

  1. Ranked #1 in Des Moines

    #1 Tax Doctor

    Based in Des Moines

    78/100RFA Score

    Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 4.8★ from 297 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 4.8★ from 297 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    3512 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
    View profile for Tax Doctor(515) 883-1955

  2. #2 Gremler Wealth Management

    Based in West Des Moines, 6 mi away

    73/100RFA Score

    Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 5.0★ from 57 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 5.0★ from 57 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4 PM · Fri 8:30 AM–3 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    405 Railroad Pl, West Des Moines, IA 50265
    View profile for Gremler Wealth Management(515) 644-7700

  3. #3 Financial Plus Credit Union

    Based in West Des Moines, 7 mi away

    73/100RFA Score

    Ranked #3 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 4.5★ from 145 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 4.5★ from 145 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Thu 9 AM–5 PM · Fri 9 AM–6 PM · Sat 9 AM–12 PM · Sun closed
    Address
    1831 25th St, West Des Moines, IA 50266
    View profile for Financial Plus Credit Union(515) 224-1222

  4. #4 Foster Group

    Based in Urbandale, 10 mi away

    72/100RFA Score

    Ranked #4 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 5.0★ from 59 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 5.0★ from 59 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–4:30 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    12421 Meredith Dr Suite 200, Urbandale, IA 50323
    View profile for Foster Group(515) 226-9000

  7. #7 Conley Capital Management

    Based in Des Moines

    70/100RFA Score

    Ranked #7 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 5.0★ from 13 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 5.0★ from 13 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–5:30 PM · Fri 8:30 AM–4 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    6000 Grand Ave Ste C, Des Moines, IA 50312
    View profile for Conley Capital Management(515) 421-8900

  8. #8 Financial Partners Group

    Based in West Des Moines, 11 mi away

    69/100RFA Score

    Ranked #8 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 5.0★ from 29 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 5.0★ from 29 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    7601 Office Plaza Dr N #126, West Des Moines, IA 50266
    View profile for Financial Partners Group(515) 223-9200

  21. #21 Carson Wealth

    Based in West Des Moines, 10 mi away

    68/100RFA Score

    Ranked #21 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 5.0★ from 16 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 5.0★ from 16 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    1080 Jordan Creek Pkwy Ste 300 North, West Des Moines, IA 50266
    View profile for Carson Wealth(515) 410-9140

  24. #24 Financial Integrators

    Based in Des Moines

    67/100RFA Score

    Ranked #24 because of its Google rating and specialty focus: 4.8★ from 5 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Financial planner”.

    • 4.8★ from 5 Google reviews
    Hours
    Mon–Thu 8 AM–5 PM · Fri 8 AM–4 PM · Sat–Sun closed
    Address
    4140 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
    View profile for Financial Integrators(515) 453-2222

Financial planners ranked #26 to #50

#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in RFA Score order; each links to its profile. We publish the top 50 of 71 ranked financial planners here; the rest are on their profiles.

financial planners in Des Moines, ranks 26 to 50
RankBusinessRFA ScoreGoogle ratingDistance
26Legacy Financial Group674.2★ (5)In Des Moines
27TRJ Financial Services675.0★ (8)7 mi
28R2 Financial Strategies674.7★ (12)9 mi
29Syverson Strege674.9★ (9)8 mi
30Insight Wealth Group664.4★ (14)10 mi
31Peterson Financial Group665.0★ (3)In Des Moines
32Longenecker Financial Services665.0★ (3)In Des Moines
33Total Wealth665.0★ (9)9 mi
34Premier Payee662.9★ (24)In Des Moines
35WealthCharter Retirement Planning + Tax665.0★ (7)8 mi
36Midwest Financial Network, LLC665.0★ (5)6 mi
37Vision Financial Services LLC664.4★ (7)7 mi
38West Financial Advisors663.7★ (3)In Des Moines
39Black Mammoth663.7★ (3)In Des Moines
40Custom Wealth Planners665.0★ (8)10 mi
41Sara Velander - COUNTRY Financial representative665.0★ (7)9 mi
42Triangle Financial Services Inc665.0★ (5)7 mi
43Gretchen Schrock - COUNTRY Financial Representative654.7★ (14)17 mi
44CG Financial Group655.0★ (6)11 mi
45Merrill Lynch Wealth Management654.6★ (7)11 mi
46Capital Financial Planning655.0★ (3)5 mi
47BMO Bank N.A Branches652.5★ (30)In Des Moines
48DV Financial655.0★ (5)10 mi
49Principal Financial Group653.6★ (12)10 mi
50Edelman Financial Engines655.0★ (4)8 mi

Also serving Des Moines

20 more financial planners within 25 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a specialty we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.

Unranked financial planners serving Des Moines
BusinessGoogle ratingDistance
Brighton Financial Group5.0★ (4)In Des Moines
Cracking Cryptocurrency4.8★ (22)In Des Moines
Dale R Whiting & Associates4.0★ (1)In Des Moines
Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Connor Hogan, CFP®|ChFC®|CLU®|CRPC™5.0★ (4)In Des Moines
Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Patrick J Franke, CFP®3.4★ (5)In Des Moines
Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Tammie L Schroeder, CFP®|AAMS®5.0★ (2)In Des Moines
Focus Financial - Jay Ennis, ChFC, RICP, TPCP, ChFEBC4.0★ (1)In Des Moines
Fox Tax Service4.9★ (121)In Des Moines
Global Atlantic Financial Group2.3★ (16)In Des Moines
Goldfinch Financial Group4.9★ (47)In Des Moines
Iowa Center for Economic Success4.6★ (60)In Des Moines
McLaughlin Investment5.0★ (1)In Des Moines
Principal Global Investors LLC3.0★ (2)In Des Moines
Public Financial Management1.0★ (1)In Des Moines
Ryan "Woody" Klyn Financial5.0★ (3)In Des Moines
SA3 Wealth5.0★ (1)In Des Moines
Smith+Co Financial5.0★ (2)In Des Moines
The Financial Specialists5.0★ (1)In Des Moines
U.S. Small Business Administration - Des Moines4.1★ (8)In Des Moines
Wells Fargo Advisors3.6★ (5)In Des Moines

How we ranked Des Moines financial planners

We scored 71 Des Moines financial planners on eight factors, weighted as shown. A firm is ranked when its specialty is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 9, 2026.

Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Sponsored businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.

Read the full method: formula, sources and exclusions

RFA Score factors and weights
FactorWeightComputed fromIn Des Moines data
Reputation30%Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it (client experience, not investment results)Measured
Registration20%Active SEC, state or Canadian securities registration matched in public records (not yet measured)Not yet collected
Review volume10%Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the listMeasured
Recency5%Share of reviews from the last 12 monthsNot yet collected
Specialty focus15%How clearly the firm offers this specialty (its Google category and name)Measured
Proximity5%Based in the city scores highest, less the farther away it isMeasured
Claimed profile10%The firm has claimed its Ranked Financial Advisors profile (free or paid earn the same)Measured
Partnered5%The firm links to Ranked Financial Advisors from its own website with our badge, checked periodicallyMeasured

How to choose a financial planner

  1. Confirm the financial planner and the firm are registered: Investor.gov and FINRA BrokerCheck in the US, the CSA National Registration Search in Canada. Read any disclosure events.
  2. Ask whether they act as a fiduciary on your account at all times, and get the answer in writing.
  3. Ask how they are paid: a percentage of assets, flat or hourly fees, a retainer, commissions, or a mix. Each creates different conflicts of interest.
  4. Read the firm’s Form CRS and Form ADV Part 2A brochure (fees, services, conflicts, disciplinary history) before you sign.
  5. Check designations with the body that grants them, such as the CFP Board for CFP® professionals.
  6. Ask about account minimums and who holds your money: your assets should sit with an independent custodian in your name.
  7. Compare at least two or three firms, and be wary of anyone who promises returns or pushes you to decide quickly.

Questions to ask a financial planner

  • Are you a fiduciary for all of the advice you give me, and will you put that in writing?
  • How are you paid, in total dollars per year for an account like mine? Do you earn commissions or other payments from product providers?
  • Which registrations and designations do you hold, and where can I verify them?
  • Who will hold my assets, and how will I see statements directly from that custodian?
  • What services are included in your fee, and what would cost extra with you as my financial planner?
  • Do you have a minimum account size or minimum fee?
  • Have you or your firm had any complaints or disciplinary actions? Where would I see them?
  • How often will we meet, and who will I work with day to day?
  • What happens to my plan or accounts if you retire or leave the firm?

Terms explained

Fiduciary
Someone legally required to act in a client’s interest. In the US, registered investment advisers owe their clients a fiduciary duty of care and loyalty under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Registered investment adviser (RIA)
A firm registered with the SEC or a state securities regulator to give investment advice for pay. Most firms managing $100 million or more register with the SEC; smaller firms usually register with their state.
Investment adviser representative (IAR)
A person who gives advice on behalf of a registered investment adviser, usually registered with the states where they work.
Broker-dealer
A firm that buys and sells securities for customers. US broker-dealers are members of FINRA; their registered representatives typically earn commissions.
Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI)
The SEC rule, in force since June 30, 2020, requiring broker-dealers to act in a retail customer’s best interest when recommending a security or account type.
Form ADV
The registration form every investment adviser files. Part 1 holds facts about the firm; Part 2A, the brochure, describes services, fees, conflicts of interest and disciplinary history in plain English.
Form CRS
A short relationship summary that advisers and broker-dealers give retail investors, covering services, fees, conflicts, standard of conduct and disciplinary history.
CRD number
The Central Registration Depository number FINRA and the SEC assign to each firm and registered person; use it to look them up on Investor.gov or BrokerCheck.
Assets under management (AUM) fee
A yearly fee set as a percentage of the money an advisor manages for you. Advisor surveys have put the median around 1% on accounts up to $1 million, lower on larger accounts.
Fee-only
An advisor paid only by clients, with no commissions or other payments from product providers.
Fee-based
An advisor who charges client fees and may also earn commissions on some products. It is not the same as fee-only.
CFP® professional
A person certified by the CFP Board after meeting education, exam, experience and ethics requirements. The CFP Board requires them to act as a fiduciary when giving financial advice.

Financial planners in Des Moines: frequently asked questions

Which financial planner has the highest RFA Score in Des Moines?

By RFA Score, the highest-ranked financial planner in Des Moines, IA is Tax Doctor with an RFA Score of 78/100. It has 4.8★ from 297 Google reviews. Gremler Wealth Management (#2) and Financial Plus Credit Union (#3) follow. We ranked 71 financial planners on eight factors, last updated November 9, 2026.

How many financial planners are there in Des Moines?

RankedFinancialAdvisors ranks 71 financial planners serving Des Moines, IA. 16 of them are based in Des Moines; the rest serve it from nearby towns. Another 20 within 25 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.

Which financial planners in Des Moines work on weekends?

6 of 71 ranked financial planners post Saturday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are Financial Plus Credit Union (#3) and Bank of America Financial Center (#17). Many advisors meet by appointment, including evenings or by video, outside their posted office hours.

What Google rating do Des Moines financial planners have?

The median Google rating among 71 rated financial planners in Des Moines is 5.0★, with a median of 9 reviews. Tax Doctor has the most, 297 reviews, and ranks #1. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.

How does RankedFinancialAdvisors rank financial planners?

Each financial planner gets a 0–100 RFA Score from eight published factors, led by reputation (30%), specialty focus (15%), review volume (10%) and claimed profile (10%). A firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only firms with a confirmed specialty and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.

Do financial planners outside Des Moines count in this ranking?

Yes, if they are within 25 mi of the Des Moines city center, our service radius for financial planners. Each listing shows where the firm is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 5% of the RFA Score, so a nearby firm gets a small edge.

Can financial planners pay to rank higher on RankedFinancialAdvisors?

No. The RFA Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured firms may appear above the list, labelled Sponsored and showing their honest rank.

What does a financial planner do?

Financial planners build a written plan across a client’s goals: cash flow, savings, investments, insurance needs, taxes, retirement and estate. Many charge a flat or hourly fee for the plan, an ongoing retainer, or a share of the assets they manage.

How are financial planners in Des Moines ranked?

By RFA Score: public signals such as the Google rating and review count, how clearly the firm offers financial planning and how close it is. Paid placements never change the order, and the score does not measure investment performance.

How do I check a financial planner’s registration and record?

Search the person and the firm on Investor.gov (the SEC’s adviser search) and on FINRA BrokerCheck. A firm’s Form ADV and any disciplinary history are public there.

Is every financial planner in Des Moines a fiduciary?

Not necessarily. Investment adviser representatives owe a fiduciary duty on advisory accounts; broker-dealer representatives follow Regulation Best Interest when they recommend a security. Ask which applies to your account and read the firm’s Form CRS.

How much do financial planners charge?

Fees depend on the firm and the service: a percentage of assets managed each year, a flat or hourly planning fee, a retainer, or commissions. Ask for the fee schedule in writing and read the firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure or, in Canada, its relationship disclosure.

Update log for Des Moines

  1. November 2026: RFA Scores recalculated for 71 financial planners serving Des Moines.
  2. November 2026: 1 duplicate listing merged.

More financial planners and Des Moines pages