Top Financial Advisors in Irvine, CA

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A fee-only firm, Index Fund Advisors' team includes two female senior vice presidents, both of whom are Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®). The firm's overall team of wealth advisors includes CFPs and accredited investment fiduciarys (AIFs).

You’ll need at least $100,000 to access the investment advisory services at this firm. Index Fund Advisors provides services to individuals with and without a high net worth, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charities. The firm has clients all over the U.S., but it is based in Irvine.

Keep in mind that the firm may recommend taxes services through its tax division, IFA Taxes, for a separate fee. If you end up pursuing those services, Index Funds Advisors will earn additional compensation from the transaction. This creates a conflict of interest because the firm has a financial incentive to make certain recommendations to you. Then again, the firm is a fiduciary and must always act in your best interests.

Services offered by the firm include financial planning, retirement planning, college planning and charitable giving. 

Most portfolios at this firm are invested in index mutual funds or passively managed mutual funds. These portfolios also generally include indexes of fixed-income and real estate investment trusts (REITs). 

Your exact portfolio will correspond with your time horizon, cash-flow needs, net income, risk tolerance, investment knowledge and net savings. You can opt for a glide path portfolio if you’d like your investments to become more conservative over time (as you near retirement).

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First Foundation Advisors is a large fee-only firm. Founded in 1985, the firm is the oldest on our list. First Foundation is a regional bank in California and, in addition to investment management and wealth planning, it also offers retail banking products such as checking accounts, savings accounts, loans and consumer credit cards.

The private wealth management section of the organization includes advisors, planners, trust advisors and more. To become a client you’ll need at least $500,000 in investable assets. The firm's clients include individuals, businesses, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and at least one bank.

As a fee-only firm, advisors do not earn third-party sales commissions on financial products like securities or insurance policies. Instead, the firm and its advisors are compensated only through the fees that clients pay for advisory services.

The firm offers clients investment advisory services and standalone financial planning and consulting services, although only to the extent requested by the client.

The investment committee at First Foundation follows an investment philosophy that includes rigorous analysis to identify investing strategies, stewardship of your portfolio, valuation discipline, partnership with firms that share similar values, risk control and finding opportunities in inefficient markets.

If you become a client, you’ll have asset allocation portfolio options to choose from depending on your financial objectives and situation. These portfolio options include growth, moderate, conservative, emphasis on growth, emphasis on dividends, emphasis on income and fixed income. Each of these strategies corresponds with an asset mix. For example, emphasis on growth will include allocation among equities, fixed income, cash and with a primary emphasis on equities including private investment funds. 

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This fee-based firm, which also goes by Trilogy Financial, has more individual clients than the nine other firms on our list – combined. Trilogy also has the lowest account minimum ($5,500) of all the firms that require one. As a result, the vast majority of its clients are individuals, but the firm also works with high-net-worth individuals, pensions, profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations.

With offices throughout Southern California, Arizona, Massachusetts and Colorado, Trilogy's advisory staff includes advisors with the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designation. 

However, Trilogy is considered a fee-based firm because its advisors sell insurance and financial products on a commission basis. This may create a conflict of interest, but the firm is a fiduciary and is required to act in the client's best interests. 

Today, Trilogy offers clients asset management services, financial coaching, retirement planning, college and education planning and insurance services. Trilogy manages portfolios on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis, meaning some clients give their advisors autonomy to manage and invest their assets. The firm also sponsors a wrap fee program, which bundles management and transaction fees into one consolidated fee. 

While Trilogy advisors will tailor portfolios to their clients' specific needs, the firm invests in a wide range of securities from individual stocks and bonds, mutual funds and ETFs to real estate investment trusts and alternative investments. Trilogy uses both fundamental and technical analysis in researching and evaluating potential investments.

Advisors also strive to diversify portfolios with non-correlating assets and global companies, strike a balance between growth and value styles and rebalance portfolios as markets change. The firm also offers four different risk-based strategic portfolios.

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Cooper McManus Wealth Management is a fee-based firm whose advisors can receive third-party compensation in addition to the fees that clients pay. This additional compensation, which creates a conflict of interest, can include commissions from the sale of certain financial products. The firm is still a fiduciary, requiring it to always act in clients' best interests.

Cooper McManus requires different minimums depending on the services clients utilize. For example, the firm's asset management program has no minimum, whereas its WealthPort wrap fee program has a $5,000 minimum initial investment. The firm primarily offers investment advice to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans.

Members of the firm's advisory team hold the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), the certified private wealth advisor (CPWA) and chartered financial analyst (CFA) designations. 

The firm's services include investment management, financial planning and business consulting. The firm can also help you with your estate plan, tax strategy and insurance needs.

Though Cooper McManus' specific investment strategies are tailored based on each client's risk tolerance and long-term objectives, the firm is generally focused on capital preservation. In addition to navigating market fluctuations, the firm also places an emphasis on tax efficiency, another way to ensure clients preserve their assets. Additionally, the firm integrates clients' investment strategies with estate, tax, insurance and retirement planning.

Once a portfolio is constructed, the firm uses its performance reporting to track clients' progress in achieving their long-term objectives. The firm will revisit a portfolio's investment strategy when necessary. 

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Benefit Financial Services Group is a financial advisor firm with offices in both Irvine and Phoenix. The firm's team of financial advisors holds a wide range of certifications. There are Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), qualified 401(k) administrators (QKAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs), accredited investment fiduciaries (AIF) and accredited investment fiduciary analysts (AIFA) on staff. 

The firm serves institutional investors through its BFS Institutional Services division and individual clients through its BFS Wealth Management division. The firm's clients include non-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, as well as charitable organizations.

The firm requires a $5,000 minimum investment for its robo-advisor service called Wealth Accumulator and a $100,000 minimum for portfolio management services. Aside from these two minimums, the firm does not impose a universal minimum requirement. It is a fee-only firm, so it's advisors don't earn sales commissions.

Benefit Financial Services Group uses each client's personal investment policy to shape their asset allocation and the subsequent management of their portfolio. Specifically, the firm looks at objectives, time horizons, risk tolerance and liquidity needs, but it also considers a client's prior investment history as well as their family framework and background. Tax implications are also taken into account when monitoring portfolios. 

Generally, the firm seeks to both satisfy client's individual needs and goals while increasing their capital. Strategies are typically centered on multi-capitalization publicly listed stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds. For more socially conscious investors, the firm offers Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) portfolios.

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Apriem Advisors' advisory team includes members with the accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and chartered financial consultant (ChFC) designations. In addition to Irvine, you can find Apriem offices in San Diego and Torrance, California.  

To become a client of this firm, you'll need at least $500,000 in investable assets. The firm reserves the right to waive or adjust this minimum requirement.

Apriem Advisors is a fee-based firm, as it is also a licensed insurance agency that earns commissions from the sale of insurance products. This represents a potential conflict of interest, though it is still legally bound by fiduciary duty.

The firm offers investment management, wealth management, family wealth management and an industrial retiree practice. The latter is a retirement account service that Apriem offers to large industrial companies like ExxonMobil.

Depending on the services you require, Apriem Advisors will manage your investments on a customized basis or according to one of the firm's proprietary strategies: tactical index or passive index strategies. The tactical index strategy relies on technical analysis, which is applied to a diversified mix of ETFs. The passive index strategy, meanwhile, typically calls for investing in a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, as well as open and closed-end funds. 

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West Wealth Group is a fee-based firm, as some advisors can earn commissions for selling insurance. While this represents a potential conflict of interest, all must act in the best interest of the client when acting as an advisor. There is no minimum account size at West Wealth.

The overwhelming majority of West Wealth clients are individuals without a high net worth, although several dozen have reached the high-net-worth threshold. The only institutional clients at the firm are pension and profit-sharing plans.

Services include asset management, model portfolios and financial planning.

After meeting with you to discuss your financial circumstances, investment goals and risk tolerance, the firm will allocate your assets to model portfolios developed by third-party asset managers. The firm uses a range of investment strategies, including fundamental, technical and cyclical analysis, modern portfolio theory and targeted asset allocation.

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Tempus Wealth Planning is a fee-only registered investment advisory firm headquartered in Irvine, California.

The firm works with a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, corporate executives, physicians, retirees and business entities. There are no minimum investment requirements to engage the firm’s services.

Tempus Wealth Planning is led by a team that includes certified professionals such as Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®). As a fee-only firm, it does not earn commissions from the sale of investment or insurance products, which helps minimize potential conflicts of interest. As a fiduciary, the firm is legally obligated to act in the best interests of its clients at all times.

The firm offers customized investment advice based on a client’s financial goals, time horizon, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. Its portfolio management process is grounded in a blend of charting, cyclical analysis, fundamental analysis and technical analysis. 

Common strategies include asset allocation and fixed-income planning, with an emphasis on long-term security selection and diversification. Investments may include individual stocks and bonds, ETFs, mutual funds and, in some cases, fee-based annuities. Portfolios are monitored regularly and rebalanced as needed to remain aligned with each client’s objectives.

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Warren Street Wealth Advisors, LLC is a fee-based firm headquartered in Irvine, California.

The firm serves a variety of clients including individuals (both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth), corporate executives, business owners, retirees, charitable organizations and corporate retirement plans. While there is no formal investment minimum to become a client, the firm reserves the right to terminate relationships if account sizes fall below a level it deems too small to manage effectively.

Warren Street’s advisory team includes professionals who are licensed insurance agents and real estate brokers. The firm also maintains an affiliated tax preparation entity, Next Street Tax, LLC. As a fee-based firm, some advisors may receive commissions for the sale of insurance products or other non-securities offerings, creating potential conflicts of interest. However, Warren Street operates under a fiduciary standard and is legally required to act in the best interests of its clients at all times.

Warren Street tailors its advisory services to each client’s goals, risk tolerance, liquidity needs and time horizon. Its investment strategies incorporate technical, cyclical and fundamental analysis, as well as modern portfolio theory. The firm typically uses a blend of long- and short-term holdings including equities, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and annuities. 

Portfolios may be built using proprietary model allocations or customized plans, and are monitored and rebalanced as needed. Warren Street may also engage third-party money managers when appropriate, and assists clients with financial planning, retirement plan consulting and tax-efficient strategies where applicable.

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Wealth Teams Alliance is a fee-based firm offering investment management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients.

The firm’s typical clients include retirees, small business owners, physicians, executives and other professionals seeking personalized portfolio oversight and strategic financial advice. While there is no formal account minimum, fees and service complexity can vary based on assets under management and client needs.

Wealth Teams Alliance includes professionals with certifications such as Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and maintains affiliations with two licensed insurance agencies. As a fee-based firm, it may receive commissions on insurance products sold through these entities. In such cases, this dual compensation presents a potential conflict of interest. However, as a registered investment advisor, the firm is held to a fiduciary standard and must act in clients’ best interests.

Wealth Teams Alliance builds and manages portfolios tailored to each client’s investment goals, time horizon, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. Advisors may incorporate both strategic and tactical asset allocation, using a mix of long- and short-term investment strategies. Individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs are commonly used in client portfolios. 

While the firm primarily relies on technical analysis to guide investment decisions, it also considers fundamental factors. In some cases, it may engage third-party sub-advisors to manage all or part of a client’s portfolio.