Chad Smith
CFP®
Financial Symmetry, Inc.
Partner
Chad Smith
CFP®
Financial Symmetry, Inc.
Partner
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Chad Smith, CFP®
Fee-Only Financial Planner located in Raleigh, NC and serving the greater Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill area

Chad Smith is a Raleigh, NC fee-only financial planner. Financial Symmetry, Inc. provides comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax planning, and retirement planning to help high and middle income clients organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Chad Smith is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Chad Smith is a Partner and Certified Financial Planner™ with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, he enjoys serving clients that are close to retirement as a fiduciary, to find the unique tax savings strategies available to them. He also specializes in helping employees and executives of technology companies in the triangle like SAS, Red Hat, Lenovo and Cisco make the best decisions with their corporate benefit programs.
He is the co-host of the Financial Symmetry podcast and a member of NAPFA. He’s been a contributor to Money Magazine and has been quoted and appeared in the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg, Financial Planning Magazine, Triangle Business Journal and the News and Observer.
Chad was born and raised in Hudson, North Carolina. He moved to Raleigh to attend North Carolina State University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance and business management. Chad joined Financial Symmetry in 1999 as the company’s first intern. After graduating in 2000, he joined the firm full-time as a Financial Planning Associate and later earned his Certified Financial Planner designation and has been helping clients make smart financial decisions ever since.
Chad’s in-depth knowledge of financial planning and his strong family values allow him to connect with clients on a personal level while providing valued advice. He enjoys working with families and professionals who prefer to delegate their financial management to an expert because they don’t have the time or patience to do it on their own. In addition to tax and retirement planning, Chad specializes in helping busy professionals take advantage of their corporate benefit payments. He helps retired and former employees better understand their benefit packages and focuses on the best choices to make for stock options, RSUs and ESPPs. Read some of Chad’s most popular writing here:
- ‘Am I Saving Enough?’ Here’s How to Tell
- Five Things to Know Before Exercising Your Stock Options
- Is Can I Retire Early the Right Question?
- What I Was Reminded of by Taking My Daughter on a Date
Chad cherishes spending time with his wife, Andriena and their two daughters, Presley and Emmie. Chad and his oldest daughter participate in the YMCA YGuides program where parents and their children participate in outdoor activities together. As a North Carolina State alumnus, Chad is a supporter of the Wolfpack and likes watching NC State athletics and is long-time football season ticket holder. He also volunteers and teaches on various financial stewardship topics for Hope Community Church in Apex, NC.
Chad Smith is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Financial strategies for every phase of life.
We are an independent, employee-owned financial advisory firm in the Triangle area of North Carolina that provides financial services on a fee-only basis. Our team of financial advisors put your interests first by helping with financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, tax planning, social security analysis, college planning, 401k allocation and estate planning.
We would love to help you with your financial planning questions and create a plan to help you reach your goals. Find out how we take a different approach to managing your finances.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Chad Smith is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Chad Smith is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification
CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Financial Symmetry Named One of Investment News' Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers
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Chad Smith is Quoted in Forbes: "Financially Fit Cities: Where Keeping Up With These Joneses Is A Good Thing"
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Chad Smith Contritubtes to Advisorpedia: "How Do You Invest at All-Time High Prices?"
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Chad Smith is Featured on the Stacking Benjamins Podcast: "5 Tales of Financial Horror with CFP Chad Smith"
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Chad Smith is a Guest on the Podcast You're a Financial Planner, Now What?: "Don't Be Afraid to Try Things"
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Chad Smith is Quoted on Minster Bank's Blog: "Don’t Let Emotions Get in the Way of Your Investment Decisions"
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Chad Smith Named Investopedia Top Financial Advisor 2020
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Chad Smith is Quoted on WRAL.com News: "Eligible recipients split on how to spend stimulus checks"
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Chad Smith is Mentioned in NC State University's Poole College of Management News:"Personal Finance Club Hosts Guest Speakers, Prepares to Start Investment Competition"
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Chad Smith is Featured on The Retirement Answer Man Podcast: "Better Retirement Decision Making - The Retirement Choices You Have To Make"
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Chad Smith is a Featured Guest on Retirement Starts Today Radio: "Whats the Worst Investment You’ve Ever Seen? 4 Advisors Weigh in"
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Chad Smith Appeared as a Panelist for Experian's Credit Chat: "Death & Finances: What to Do After a Loved One Passes Away"
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Chad Smith is Quoted on Kiplinger: "How to Raise Money-Smart Kids"
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Chad Smith is a Contributing Author to Iris
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Chad Smith is Quoted on GoBankingRates.com: "How to Get Over Your Fear of Investing"
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Chad Smith is Quoted on 401K Specialist Magazine :"Client Appreciation Events: The Instant Relationship-Builder"
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Chad Smith is a Contributing Author to Money
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Chad Smith is Quoted on CNBC: "It’s not too late to save for retirement"
Contact Chad Smith
Office Locations:
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1511 Sunday Drive
Suite 300
Raleigh, NC 27607