California RIA Landscape — 2026

A data-driven overview of SEC-registered wealth advisory firms headquartered in California, including growth trends, succession risk analysis, and M&A opportunity signals.

Source: SEC Form ADV · Updated July 2026

Total Firms

2,516

Total AUM?

$82.1B

Median AUM

$90M

13F Filers

401

AUM Tier Distribution

Under $100M518

$100M–$500M1141

$500M–$1B352

$1B–$5B398

$5B+103

State Snapshot

Total Firms2,516

Total AUM$82.1B

Median AUM$90M

13F Filers401

High Succession Risk233

Elevated Succession Risk203

Succession Risk Breakdown

High

233 firms (23%)

Elevated

203 firms (20%)

Moderate

0 firms (0%)

Lower

564 firms (56%)

Growth Leaders — Wealth Advisory Firms

Firm	City	AUM	3Y CAGR	Succession
GOLDEN STATE EQUITY ADVISORS, LLC	SOUTH COAST METRO	$405M	+146.2%	Lower
PACIFIC POINTE ADVISORS LLC	SANTA BARBARA	$173M	+138.3%	Moderate
AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS, LLC	FOSTER CITY	$1.7B	+110.1%	Lower
FLIGHT DECK CAPITAL, LP	SAN FRANCISCO	$359M	+106.8%	Lower
CARBON COLLECTIVE INVESTING, LLC	OAKLAND	$348M	+102.2%	Lower
QUIET CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC	SAN FRANCISCO	$5.4B	+100.0%	Lower
AIRE ADVISORS, LLC	BEVERLY HILLS	$1.0B	+97.4%	Elevated
PENSION ARCHITECTS ADVISORY GROUP, LLC	PASADENA	$716M	+97.1%	Lower

M&A Opportunity Signals

🎯

404Acquisition candidates

Firms with elevated/high succession risk and AUM $100M–$5B

📈

175Growing but vulnerable

Positive 3Y CAGR with high succession risk — attractive for acquirers

📉

65Mid-market shrinking

AUM $100M–$1B with negative 3Y CAGR and elevated+ succession risk

🔒 Top 25 Acquisition Targets — Ranked by Composite Score

Rank	Firm	AUM	Score
1	G.W. SHERWOLD ASSOCIATES, INC.	$572M	61.4
2	ALPHA ANALYTICS INVESTMENT GROUP LLC	$253M	51.4
3	WEINBERGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC	$504M	49.6
4	SUMMIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS, LLC	$519M	48.2
5	WIMMER ASSOCIATES I, LLC	$476M	46.3
6	BRIAN D. LOWDER, INC.	$388M	46.1

🔒

Acquisition Target Rankings

Full ranked list of 25 acquisition targets with composite scores based on succession risk, growth trajectory, and peer benchmarking.

Methodology. This report covers SEC-registered investment advisers classified as wealth advisory firms (filter: is_wealth_advisory = true) headquartered in California. AUM figures are drawn from the most recent Form ADV filing. Succession risk tiers are computed using a proprietary 5-pillar model incorporating founder tenure, ownership concentration, AUM dependency, team depth, and filing recency. Growth CAGR is calculated from the three most recent annual filings where available. Acquisition scores blend succession risk (40%), AUM growth trajectory (35%), and national peer rank (25%). Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.