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Top Financial Advisors in Los Angeles, CA

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This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Los Angeles, California

A search for the top financial advisor firms in Los Angeles can pull up an overwhelming number of options. SmartAsset determined the top firms in L.A. In the tables and reviews below, we explain what sets these firms apart to better help you figure out which financial advisor will suit your needs.

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Rank Financial Advisor Assets Managed Minimum Assets Financial Services More Information
1 Lido Advisors Lido Advisors logo Find an Advisor

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$13,102,066,742 $1,000,000
  • Financial planning
  • Investment management 
  • Tax planning
  • Estate planning and trusts

Minimum Assets

$1,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Investment management 
  • Tax planning
  • Estate planning and trusts
2 SEIA SEIA logo Find an Advisor

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$11,665,897,705 Varies based on account type
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Educational seminars/workshops

Minimum Assets

Varies based on account type

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Educational seminars/workshops
3 Advanced Research Investment Solutions, LLC Advanced Research Investment Solutions, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$14,734,866,934 $10,000,000
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting services
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)

Minimum Assets

$10,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting services
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)

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4 Aspiriant, LLC Aspiriant, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$13,118,061,000 No set account minimum
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Pooled investment vehicle management
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Publication of periodicals
  • Educational seminars

Minimum Assets

No set account minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Pooled investment vehicle management
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Publication of periodicals
  • Educational seminars
5 Churchill Management Group Churchill Management Group logo Find an Advisor

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$7,150,126,857 $750,000
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management

Minimum Assets

$750,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
6 Evoke Wealth, LLC Evoke Wealth, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$10,205,202,435 No set account minimum
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Publication or periodicals
  • Educational seminars/workshops

Minimum Assets

No set account minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Publication or periodicals
  • Educational seminars/workshops
7 Miracle Mile Advisors, LLC Miracle Mile Advisors, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$4,130,634,134 $500,000
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting services
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)

Minimum Assets

$500,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting services
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
8 Westmount Asset Management, LLC Westmount Asset Management, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$3,565,626,032 $5,000,000
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management 
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)

Minimum Assets

$5,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management 
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
9 Oakmont Corporation Find an Advisor

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$2,117,866,832 No set account minimum
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors

Minimum Assets

No set account minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors
10 JSF Financial JSF Financial logo Find an Advisor

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$1,245,416,388 $250,000
  • Financial planning
  • Investment management
  • Private wealth management

Minimum Assets

$250,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Investment management
  • Private wealth management

What We Use in Our Methodology

To find the top financial advisors in Los Angeles, we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the city. Next, we filtered out firms that don't offer financial planning services, those that don't serve primarily individual clients and those that have disclosures on their record. The qualifying firms were then ranked according to the following criteria:

  • AUM
    Firms with more total assets under management are ranked higher.
  • Individual Client Count
    Firms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher.
  • Clients Per Advisor
    Firms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher.
  • Age of Firm
    Firms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
  • Fee Structure
    Firms with a fee-only (as opposed to fee-based) compensation structure are ranked higher.

All information is obtained through public records and is updated annually after the firms’ form ADV filing. This list may include firms that have a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals. Such relationships have no impact on our rankings, and firms are included and ranked based strictly on the above criteria. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms, and did not receive compensation for including any of the firms on the aforementioned list.

Lido Advisors

Lido Advisors is a fee-based firm that generally requires a $1 million account minimum.

The firm predominantly serves high-net-worth individuals, but it also works with non-high-net-worth clients, banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, charities, insurance companies, corporations and ERISA pooled plans.

Certifications earned by advisors at the firm include certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA), certified investment management analyzt (CIMA) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), among other designations.

Certain Lido representatives are also representatives of a securities broker-dealer and those individuals may receive commissions or fees for the sale of these products in a client’s advisory account.

Lido Advisors Background

Lido Advisors was founded in 2001. According to the firm's brochure, "Lido is majority-owned by certain pooled investment vehicles advised by affiliates of Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC," which is "a middle-market private equity firm." The firm's chief executive officer Jason Ozur, president Ken Stern, chairman and founder Gregory Kushner and other Lido employees own directly or indirectly the substantial remainder of Lido.

The firm’s namesake is an island reef called a lido that separates the lagoon of Venice, Italy, from the Adriatic Sea. The firm, like the lido, sees itself as a protector against tumultuous, sometimes troubled waters. Its services include investment management and asset allocation, financial planning, retirement planning and estate planning. 

Lido Advisors Investment Strategy

Lido Advisors goes beyond using just stocks and bonds. As a way to manage volatility and to work toward clients’ goals, the firm aims to invest in assets that are not highly correlated.

The firm offers clients investment management, asset allocation and financial planning, among other services.

SEIA

SEIA (Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC) is a fee-based firm, which means that certain advisors are licensed to sell insurance and investment products, and could earn commissions on those transactions. However, the firm’s advisors have a fiduciary duty that requires them to act in the best interests of their clients.

Account minimum depends on the account option. Its lowest account minimum, for its equity/blended portfolios, is $250,000. For the fee-based firm’s fixed-income portfolios, it’s $500,000.

SEIA's financial advisor team holds many certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs), accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs), chartered mutual fund counselors (CMFCs), chartered financial consultants (ChFCs) and chartered life underwriters (CLUs).

SEIA Background

SEIA was founded in 1997. According to the firm's brochure, "SEIA is wholly owned by Signature Financial Service Group, LLC, which is owned primarily by a consortium of employees and investors through Reverence Capital Partners Opportunities Fund V, L.P." 

The firm offers five different types of wealth management services: 

  • Signature Elite: A six-step investment management process that helps clients identify their financial goals. 
  • Signature Allocation Series, a discretionary service based on client needs.
  • Financial planning, either modular or comprehensive
  • Investment consulting
  • Retirement plan consulting 

SEIA Investment Strategy

SEIA’s Department of Investment Management and Economic Strategy (DIMES) heads up the firm’s research and development of its asset allocation strategies for portfolios. The team is guided by the principles of strategic macro asset allocation, which considers asset class and style and tactical micro allocation, which looks at business cycles, global and domestic economic conditions and event-driven opportunities.

SEIA portfolios are primarily composed of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, closed-end mutual funds, exchange traded funds, trusts, certificates of deposit, and options, among other investments.

Advanced Research Investment Solutions

Advanced Research Investment Solutions is a fee-only firm with a very high minimum investment of $10 million.

The financial advisor team works mostly with high-net-worth indviduals, and institutional clients that include pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, guilds and health plans.

Team advisors hold multiple certifications, including chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered life underwriters (CLUs) and chartered financial consultants (ChFCs).

Fees are based on a percentage of assets under management.

Advanced Research Investment Solutions, Background

ARIS was founded in 2014. As of 2020, it is wholly owned by another firm on this list -- Evoke Holdings, LLC, which is in turn owned by David Hou through trusts

Services at the firm include investment management, retirement plan consulting and investment consulting.

Advanced Research Investment Solutions Investment Strategy

Clients of ARIS will work with advisors to determine the appropriate asset allocation, and the advisor will then build a portfolio with a mix of active and passive strategies.

Common investments include stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

Aspiriant

Aspirant is a fee-only firm that charges clients directly for services and does not collect commissions for trades or the sales of products.

The financial advisor team manages assets for both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as investment companies, pensions and profit sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations.

Aspirant generally charges clients annual management fees that are assessed as a pecrentage of assets under management, ranging from 0.2% to 0.85%.

The firm has a minimum annual fee of $14,000, and while it doesn't impose a minimum requirement for investment portfolios, Aspirant typically works with client accounts worth $1.5 million or more.

Aspirant’s advisors hold multiple certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), and certified investment management analysts (CIMAs), among other designations.

In 2017, Barron’s ranked the firm as one of the top 10 independent registered investment advisor firms.

Aspiriant Background

Aspiriant was founded in 2008. The firm is owned by holding companies, and more than 30% of the Aspiriant’s employees have an ownership stake in the firm.

Aspiriant Investment Stategy

Aspiriant can help you with far more than just financial planning and investing. The firm provides divorce financial consulting through its on-staff certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), who will work with you and your attorney to develop budgets and conduct a financial analysis.

The firm can also help with things like buying or remodeling a house and philanthropic planning. One of its unique offerings is its assistance with preparing kids for college.

Churchill Management Group

Churchill Management Group is a fee-based firm, which means that certain advisors could earn commissions from selling insurance and investment products. Nevertheless, the firm’s advisors have a fiduciary duty that requires them to act in the best interests of clients.

Annual management fees are assessed as a percentage of the client’s assets under management, ranging from 0.60% to 1.25%. The firm also has a minimum accouint requirement of $750,000.

Churchill's advisor team manages assets for high-net-worth individuals, as well as other individual accounts. Institutional clients include pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations and nondiscretionary accounts.

In 2016, Barron's named the firm's CEO, Fred Fern, the No. 1 independent financial advisor in the nation. He ranked among the top financial advisors for the state of California in 2017.

Churchill Management Group Background

Fred Fern founded Churchill Management Group in 1963. He remains the firm’s CEO and chairman, as well the chair of the Churchill Management Group Investment Team, which manages all of the firm’s investment accounts. Fern is also the firm’s controlling owner.

Churchill Management Group Investment Strategy

Churchill’s investment philosophy is centered on the belief that financial markets and economic environments move cyclically.

The firm believes that different investments provide different results depending on the point of the market cycle. Thus, Churchill views the market cycle as a reference point for its investment decisions. 

The firm primarily invests its clients in equity and equity-related securities that are publicly traded.

Evoke Wealth

Evoke Wealth is a fee-only firm, which means that advisors do not earn commissions for selling insurance or securities. The firm works primarily with high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients that include pooled investment vehicles, retirement funds, charities and corporations.

While Evoke does not have a minimum fee or account requirement for clients, asset management fees are generally based on a percentage of assets under management, which range between .75% and 1%.

Evoke Wealth Background

Evoke is a limited liability company that is wholly owned by Evoke Holdings, LLC, which is principally owned by David Hou and Mark Sear, the managing partners at the firm. Evoke also owns another firm on this list, ARIS.
 
Services at Evoke include financial planning and consulting, cash flow analysis, investment planning, retirement planning and investment management.

Evoke Wealth Investment Strategy

The main investment choices used by Evoke advisors are:
  • Equities
  • Corporate bonds
  • U.S. government and muncipal debt securities
  • Mutual funds
  • CEFs
  • ETFs
  • Structured products

Miracle Mile Advisors, LLC

Miracle Mile Advisors typically requires clients engaging investment services to have at least $500,000 under management with the firm. 

The advisor team works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, insurance companies and businesses.

As a fee-based firm, advisors may take commissions for trades and the sales of products. While this could be a potential confilct of interest, Miracle Mile has a fiduciary obligation to put the interests of clients first.

Miracle Mile Advisors Background

Founded in 2007, Miracle Mile Advisors is a wholly owned subsidiary of Miracle Mile Advisor Holdings LLC.

As part of the firm’s commitment to open communication, its advisory team meets with its clients regularly and the firm also routinely publishes portfolio updates, research and notes to keep clients in the loop.

Miracle Mile Advisors Investment Strategy

Miracle Mile Advisors strives to customize the allocation of assets according to each client’s risk tolerance and investment goals.

The firm uses fundamental and technical analysis to develop investment strategies for clients. Research and analysis comes from numerous sources, including financial media companies, third-party research materials, Internet sources and the review of company activities.

 

Westmount Asset Management

To be a client of this fee-only Los Angeles firm, you’ll need at least $5 million. 

The firm works primarily with high-net-worth indviduals and other individuals. Institutional clients include pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations.

The Westmount Asset Management advisor team holds multiple certifications. These include certified financial planners (CFPs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs), among other designations.

The firm is fee-only, so clients can only pay fees based on their investments and services. No commissions are paid to advisors at this firm.

Westmount Asset Management Background

Westmount Asset Management was founded in 1990. According to the firm's brochure, "the current operating entity, Westmount Asset Management, LLC was established in 2011 and is owned by Westmount Asset Management, Inc. (majority owner) and Temperance Partners (minority owner)." And James Berliner is the principal owner of the firm through Westmount Asset Management Inc.

In addition to its investing services, the firm also offers financial planning services including retirement planning analysis, cash-flow modeling, Monte Carlo projections and guidance on Social Security claiming strategies. 

Westmount Asset Management Investment Strategy

Westmount Asset Management doesn’t limit itself to the conventional. While the firm uses traditional investments like stocks and bonds, it has an open mind toward complementing those with a range of alternative investments. Similarly, while the firm primarily opts for long-term investing, it will also take advantage of any short-term opportunities that may arise.

Clients also have the flexibility to shape their portfolios as they wish. Westmount allows clients to place restrictions on their accounts, such as on specific holds or cash minimums or maximums.

Oakmont Corporation

Oakmont Corporation is a fee-only firm, which means it does not collect commissions on trades or the sale of certain products.

The firm’s advisors manage assets for high-net-worth individuals. Other clients include pooled investment vehicles, charities and corporations. 

Oakmont generally charges clients annual management fees that are assessed as a percentage of the assets, ranging from 0.75% to 0.85%. The firm may also charge additional or stand-alone fixed annual fees based on specific services, but these could be negotiated or waived.  

Clients typically are not required to have account minimums at Oakmont.

Oakmont Corporation Background

Formed in 1980, the firm is owned by Robert Day, who is also the chairman and co-manages the firm’s portfolios with Andrew Katz. 

Oakmont provides a variety of client services, including investment and financial planning, as well as a variety of administrative services.   

Oakmont Corporation Strategy

Clients generally have long-term investment horizons with a focus on long-term capital appreciation. The firm relies on fundamental research and analysis to measure the value of its investments. It’s philosophy prioritizes individual investment selection over market timing.

JSF Financial

JSF Financial is a fee-based advisory firm that works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. Institutional clients also include retirement plans, charities and businesses.

The firm imposes a minimum account size of $250,000 for investment supervisory services. For these services, the firm will generally get charged an annual advisory fee that is based on 1% of the client’s assets under management.

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors at JSF Financial can sell financial products on a commission basis. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm’s fiduciary duty requires them to act in the clients’ best interests.

JSF Financial Background

Headquartered in Los Angeles, JSF Financial is an investment advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The firm was founded in 1996. JSF is structured as a limited liability company and the principal shareholders are managing member Jeffrey S. Fishman and chief compliance officer Shari Fishman.

JSF Financial Investment Strategy

As with other firms, JSF Financial says that it makes financial recommendations based on a client’s specific investment goals, financial situation, liquidity, time horizon, risk tolerance and tax needs.

According to the firm’s brochure, JSF Financial’s investment strategy generally advises on the following securities:

  • Exchange-listed securities
  • Securities traded over the counter
  • Corporate debt securities (other than commercial paper)
  • Certificates of deposit
  • Municipal securities
  • Variable life insurance
  • Variable annuities

JSF Financial offers clients a variety of services, including financial planning, investment management and private wealth management.

How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research