Best Financial Advisors in California

Between ski mountains, wine country and blue beaches, Californians have the world at their fingertips. 

A financial advisor or financial planner can help you invest and manage your money so you can enjoy all life in California has to offer. Find California’s best financial advisors with our guide to the best financial advisors in the state. 

Best for Global Portfolio Management: Ascend Financial Advisers, Inc.

A fee-only independent advisory firm, Ascend Financial Advisers offers financial planning and investment management. Individuals and families profit from its expertise — Ascend offers services to any entities related to an individual or family client, including trusts, estates and family businesses. 

Ascend divides its client services into financial planning and investment management. Its financial planning services may be comprehensive or target 1 issue. Financial planning segments focus on the following areas:

• Retirement planning 
• Estate planning 
• Risk management
• Cash management 
• Tax planning and coordination
• Stock option analysis 
• Post-divorce planning
• College funding consulting

Ascend’s investment management strategy is described as balanced and global. Ascend balances your profile by diversifying asset types across various risk profiles, using global assets, not just ones within the U.S. economy. This means your returns aren’t tied to 1 nation’s market.

Best for Comprehensive Service: Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC

Beacon Pointe Advisors is a registered investment advisory firm headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The firm has 14 offices across the U.S. with over 160 employees nationwide. It serves over 4,000 clients and has managed over $10.5 billion in assets.

The firm offers financial guidance to institutions, individuals and families. Services include private wealth management, institutional consulting, advisor partnerships and retirement planning.

Beacon Pointe also has a women’s advisory institute to help female clients meet financial goals and navigate major life transitions. The corporate leadership team is over 50% women. 

Best for Independent Women: Klein Financial Advisors Inc. 

Klein Financial Advisors is a financial advisory firm that serves independent women and their families. Founder and President Laurel Klein has multiple financial certifications like CFP®, CDFA®, MBA® and EA. 

This boutique financial planning and wealth management firm offers unbiased advice with no commissions or referral fees. You can receive wealth management services in 4 areas — financial planning, investment management, tax strategies and transition planning. 

Best for Risk Management: Sierra Investment Management

Sierra Investment Management is a fiduciary headquartered in Santa Monica, California with offices in Irvine.

Operating on the principles of conservative, long-term investments meant to protect wealth from the ups and downs of the stock market, Sierra integrates risk management into every aspect of its advisory approach.

By diversifying across a wider range of asset classes, your wealth isn’t tied to the success or failure of a single type of investment. Sierra chooses asset classes that consistently follow positive trends and picks mutual funds that have a proven record of being top-tier performers in their class. The firm then keeps an eye on your portfolio, watching its daily performance and making risk-minimizing adjustments as needed.

Best for Personalized Approach: SEIA

Signature Estate & Investment Advisors (SEIA) is an independent investment advisory firm that has been in operation since 1997. The firm offers wealth counseling, business advisory services, estate planning, tax planning, risk management, investment solutions and more. There are offices in Pasadena, Newport Beach, Redondo Beach and San Mateo, California.

The firms’ financial advisors take a 6-step plan approach to help you meet your financial goals. This includes determining your needs, assessing your risk tolerance, reviewing your asset allocation, implementing a strategic plan, rebalancing your portfolio and communicating the results back to you. 

Fees are charged as an annual basis of assets under management and can be negotiated with your advisor. 

Best for Life Transitions: EP Wealth Advisors

EP Wealth Advisors specializes in wealth management and financial planning services. The firm has offices and financial advisors in Torrance South Bay, Northern California’s Bay Area, Southern California’s Orange County, San Diego, Valencia and West Los Angeles. There are also out of state offices in Washington, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and Arizona.

When you work with EP Wealth Advisors, you’ll have access to a team of Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) to help you outline your financial goals and the best methods for reaching them. They can help you with tax planning, charitable gifting, estate planning, education planning, retirement planning and other life transition planning. 

Your investment portfolio will be managed by a team of Chartered Financial Analysts® (CFA®). Portfolio management fees range from 0.65% to 1% annually of assets under management. 

Best for Long-Term Investing: Hall Capital Partners

Located in San Francisco, Hall Capital Partners has built portfolios since 1994. The Hall Capital Partners investment strategy focuses on global, multi-asset portfolios with a long-term investment horizon. Clients include individuals, high-net-worth individuals and families.

Its advisors believe in incorporating financial planning with wealth management. Advisors also take into account environmental considerations, social issues and corporate sustainability. Fees are generally negotiable, but the firm will never charge you over 1% for services. 

Best Educational Resources: Allworth Financial

Allworth Financial has been a registered financial advisor since 1996. The firm has numerous locations throughout California as well as offices in Michigan, Georgia, Texas, Kentucky, Colorado and Ohio. 

Allworth Financial offers both asset management and personalized financial planning. The firm also sends out newsletters periodically and hosts financial educational seminars.

Allworth Financial offers a wrap fee program for asset management services. This means your financial advisor will monitor your account and make necessary trades without charging you extra fees for their services. There is a minimum annual fee of $5,000.

Best for High-Net-Worth Individuals: Aspiriant

Aspiriant has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Silicon Valley and Orange County. There are also numerous offices in different states throughout the country. Aspiriant offers investment management, financial planning and family office services. 

Advisors will evaluate your goals and priorities and create an investment strategy and financial plan in accordance with that evaluation. The firm’s advisors can also help you optimize your cash flow, taxes, retirement plan, education funding and more.

Standard fees range from 0.2% to 1% annually with a minimum annual fee of $14,000.

Best for Range of Services: CIBC Private Wealth Advisors Inc. 

CIBC Private Wealth Advisors is an advisory firm that caters to those with investment, wealth planning and private banking needs. The firm has 19 offices in the U.S. with a 16:1 client to employee ratio. It has managed over $72 billion in assets and has a 97% retention rate.

CIBC Private Wealth Advisors offers:

• Investment management
• Wealth strategies
• Trustee services
• Private banking

Work with a Financial Advisor

Working with a financial advisor can improve the way you manage your money. They can help you get the most out of your 401(k) or IRA, help plan your family’s financial future and even help you get out of debt. 

It’s never too late or too early to begin working with an advisor. No matter where you are in life, a financial advisor can help you prepare for the next step.

 
Methodology

To determine the top financial advisors in California we pored through all SEC-registered advisory firms who have an office in California. To winnow down the list we only included advisors who were registered fiduciaries, had no past disclosures and have minimal personal conflicts of interest. To further break down the list to the true top advisors in the area, we gave weight to advisors that offered both investment management and planning, had no conflicts of interest, had offices in multiple states, have a wrap fee program and have over $50 million in assets under management.