For banks, fintechs, and wealth-management firms, juggling FINRA or FCA compliance while scaling lead gen, nurturing trust, and proving ROI can overwhelm even seasoned teams—especially when every marketing misstep risks fines or reputational hits.
By hiring a fractional CMO for financial services, firms gain C-suite strategic vision, minus the full-time, six-figure salary. In the article that follows, you’ll find a ranked list of the top agencies and talent marketplaces that are already driving compliant growth for industry peers.
What Is a Fractional CMO for Financial Firms?
A fractional CMO for financial services is a part-time, senior marketing executive who designs compliant go-to-market strategies, mentors teams, and drives growth for banks, fintechs, and wealth managers, without the full-time overhead. They blend regulatory know-how with data-driven planning on a flexible retainer.
How We Chose the Leaders
Before naming names, we applied a rigorous vetting framework to make sure every company on our list can genuinely move the needle for a highly regulated financial brand. We examined case studies, compliance credentials, executive résumés, and client references to separate true specialists from general-purpose agencies.
Our five evaluation pillars:
- Regulatory literacy – Demonstrated mastery of FINRA, SEC, FCA, GDPR, and other watchdog rules that shape financial-services marketing.
- Proven fintech track record – Documented wins such as deposit growth, CAC reduction, or AUM increases backed by hard numbers.
- C-suite pedigree & leadership style – Former CMOs or VPs with board-level communication skills and change-management experience.
- Integration with in-house / remote teams – Clear processes for embedding seamlessly into existing martech stacks and cross-functional squads.
- Pricing transparency & flexibility – Up-front fees, tiered retainers, and no-surprise scopes that align with budget cycles and compliance reviews.
Top 10 Fractional CMO Companies for Financial Services
Ready to see which partners actually deliver C-suite firepower without the full-time price tag? Below, we spotlight ten standout providers whose fractional CMO for financial services expertise turns regulatory roadblocks into growth runways.
1. GrowTal
GrowTal is a remote-first marketplace that matches companies with pre-vetted marketing leaders, often in under 48 hours, thanks to a streamlined questionnaire and hand-selection process.
Founded by former Facebook executive Bryan Karas, GrowTal serves a broad mix of sectors, including fast-growing fintech and wealth-tech firms that need executive guidance without adding full-time headcount.
Founded: 2019
HQ: Los Angeles, CA
Bench Size: 10–50 employees (LinkedIn)
FinServ Focus: Digital banks, payments, wealth-tech
Core Services: Fractional/Interim CMO placement, growth marketing talent
Engagement Model: Month-to-month retainer; remote U.S. talent
Explore the GrowTal marketing experts roster now and see how quickly you can get a seasoned CMO in seat.
2. Chief Outsiders
Chief Outsiders fields more than 120 ex-Fortune 500 CMOs and CSOs who plug into mid-market banks, insurers, and PE-backed lenders. Clients also gain access to the firm’s AI-enabled GrowthGears OS, which benchmarks KPIs and surfaces best practices throughout an engagement.
Founded: 2009
HQ: Houston, TX
Bench Size: 120+ CMOs/CSOs
FinServ Focus: Regional banks, broker-dealers, PE portfolios
Core Services: Fractional CMO/CSO, growth strategy, board facilitation
Engagement Model: Rolling 90-day retainers (from c.$15 k / mo)
3. Authentic
Minneapolis-based Authentic (formerly Authentic Brand) pioneered the Authentic Growth® operating system and pairs each client with a community-backed fractional CMO. Financial-sector wins include Objective Investment Banking, where Authentic built a strategic roadmap that tightened brand positioning and boosted qualified leads.
Founded: 2017
HQ: Minneapolis, MN
Bench Size: 30+ fractional CMOs
FinServ Focus: Investment banking, RIAs, PE funds
Core Services: Fractional CMO, Authentic Growth® activation, peer communities
Engagement Model: 6–12 month retainers with step-down advisory
4. Marketri
Marketri is a woman-owned firm offering strategist-led roadmaps and ABM execution pods for middle-market financial institutions. Its M³ Momentum Model converts revenue targets into measurable channel plans and quarterly dashboards.
Founded: 2004
HQ: Philadelphia, PA
Bench Size: 11–50 employees
FinServ Focus: Regional banks, insurers, PE, investment advisors
Core Services: Fractional CMO/CGO, ABM, analytics, content ops
Engagement Model: Three-month pilot then quarterly retainer
5. NoGood
NoGood blends CRO, growth design, and data science to repair leaky fintech funnels. A public case study shows Merlin Investor achieved a 300 % jump in new user sign-ups and a 50 % month-over-month conversion-rate lift after NoGood’s rapid-experimentation program.
Founded: 2017
HQ: New York, NY
Bench Size: 50+ growth specialists
FinServ Focus: Trading apps, neobanks, crypto platforms
Core Services: Fractional CMO, CRO, SEO, paid media
Engagement Model: Flat monthly “growth-squad” retainer
6. Digital Authority Partners
Chicago-based DAP pairs fractional CMOs with reg-tech expertise, offering GDPR/FCA audit support alongside growth programs. Its CreditShop mobile-app project surpassed 10,000 Google Play installs and holds a 3.9-star rating.
Founded: 2016
HQ: Chicago, IL
Bench Size: 50–249 staff
FinServ Focus: Fintech apps, credit, insure-tech
Core Services: Fractional CMO, UX/product, demand gen
Engagement Model: Strategy sprint then retainer or build-operate-transfer
7. Moving Minds
Moving Minds delivers “Growth as a Managed Service,” bundling a pod-based fractional CMO with martech engineers and creatives. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in West Palm Beach, the agency reports a 35.7 % reduction in ER visits for healthcare client GuideWell via an AI-enabled kiosk rollout.
Founded: 2006
HQ: West Palm Beach, FL
Bench Size: Not disclosed
FinServ Focus: Crypto exchanges, fintech SaaS, PE-backed scale-ups
Core Services: Fractional CMO, GTM pods, demand gen
Engagement Model: 90-day runway then rolling monthly
8. Able & Howe
Vancouver boutique Able & Howe champions the In-Source Marketing™ model—fractional CMOs embed, document, and train client staff so skills remain in-house. The firm targets credit unions and community lenders looking to build sustainable internal capability.
Founded: 2019
HQ: Vancouver, BC
Bench Size: 2–9 employees
FinServ Focus: Credit unions, community lenders
Core Services: Fractional CMO, strategy, team training
Engagement Model: Hourly or scoped retainers; on-site or remote
9. SIX Marketing
SIX Marketing began in 2011 and specialises in community-bank growth, marrying fractional CMOs with local-SEO, RevOps, and accessibility audits. A recent project for Greenfield Community College identified nearly 50 WCAG 2.1 issues, helping the institution strengthen compliance.
Founded: 2011
HQ: Saratoga Springs, NY
Bench Size: 11–50 employees
FinServ Focus: Community banks, credit unions, credit-card issuers
Core Services: Fractional CMO, ADA/WCAG audits, RevOps
Engagement Model: Project or retainer; HubSpot-led reporting
10. CMOx
CMOx, founded by Casey Slaughter Stanton, trains every executive in its Functional Marketing® Framework and delivers a 30-60-90-day roadmap before ongoing oversight. The company operates from suburban Philadelphia and publishes extensive educational content for PE-backed firms and SaaS providers.
Founded: 2017
HQ: West Conshohocken, PA
Bench Size: Not disclosed
FinServ Focus: Fintech SaaS, specialty finance, PE holdings
Core Services: Fractional CMO, strategy mapping, coaching
Engagement Model: 10–20 hrs/week; 90-day roadmap + oversight
Choosing the Right Partner for Your Firm
Before you sign anything, run each prospective agency or marketplace through this quick-fire due-diligence checklist—rooted in the evaluation pillars we outlined earlier:
- Regulatory fluency: Can they cite FINRA / SEC / FCA precedents relevant to your products?
- Quantified track record: Do case studies show hard numbers (AUM growth, CAC cuts, compliance-review pass rates)?
- Executive pedigree & fit: Will the CMO be senior enough to influence the board yet hands-on enough to mentor marketing managers?
- Seamless integration: Ask how they plug into existing martech stacks, reporting cadences, and remote workflows.
- Transparent, flexible pricing: Request a menu of hours, deliverables, and opt-out clauses.
Temporary vs. long-term leadership
A temporary CMO is ideal when you’re bridging an unexpected vacancy, steering a merger, or pressure-testing a new product line. Engagements often run 3–6 months and focus on stabilising strategy. If you need continuous stewardship—annual planning, multi-cycle ABM, ongoing talent coaching—opt for a rolling fractional retainer.
Budget & compliance considerations
Plan to invest $10,000–$30,000 per month for an experienced fractional CMO. The lower end covers roughly 10–15 hours weekly; the upper tier supports a full growth-pod and board-level reporting. Allow a 3- to 6-month ramp for discovery, strategy formation, execution, and first optimizations. Finally, make security audits (SOC 2, ISO 27001) and robust data-protection clauses non-negotiable to keep both IT and regulators satisfied.
Why GrowTal Stands Out
GrowTal combines speed, quality, and flexibility in a way few marketplaces can match:
- Fast, no-hassle start: A simple two-minute questionnaire triggers GrowTal’s hand-selection process, often surfacing a shortlist within days.
- Zero recruiting fees: Clients pay no upfront costs and can walk away during the refundable-deposit trial if the match isn’t perfect.
- Deep FinServ bench: Marketers in the network have scaled campaigns for brands such as Personal Capital and Acorns, bringing built-in compliance awareness.
- Flexible engagement: Work hourly, part-time, or full-time and scale capacity up or down as market conditions shift, without hidden fees.
- California-based, expert-led: GrowTal vets every candidate through multi-step interviews and live project tests to ensure enterprise-grade talent.
Ready to inject C-suite marketing leadership into your financial-services growth plan? Boost your brand with an Interim CMO and book your 15-minute discovery call today.
FAQ
How much should a fractional CMO charge?
Most seasoned fractional CMOs charge a monthly retainer of about $8,000 to $25,000 (or roughly $150 – $350 per hour) depending on scope, sector complexity, and time commitment. Engagements at the higher end usually include 30–40 executive-level hours plus access to an extended growth team.
What is a fractional CMO for financial advisors?
For RIAs, broker-dealers, and wealth-management firms, a fractional CMO is a part-time marketing executive who builds compliant growth strategies, oversees content and lead-nurture programs, and ensures every campaign meets FINRA and SEC advertising rules. They deliver C-suite insight without adding a full-time salary burden.
Is a fractional CMO worth it?
If your organization needs senior-level guidance but can’t justify a $250K–$300K full-time CMO, the fractional model often pays for itself through faster GTM execution, sharper KPI tracking, and lower customer-acquisition costs. You also gain on-demand flexibility to scale hours—or roll off—without long-term payroll risk.
What is a fractional CMO for Fintech?
In a fintech context, a fractional CMO is a contract-based marketing leader who blends product-led-growth tactics with deep knowledge of banking, payments, and data-privacy regulations. They craft user-acquisition funnels, optimize activation metrics, and liaise with risk/compliance teams to keep growth initiatives audit-ready while the company scales.
