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Top Financial Advisors in Sausalito, 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 The Top Financial Advisor Firms in Sausalito, California

Just researching financial advisors in Sausalito, California, can be difficult and time-consuming. That’s why we did the work for you, digging though regulatory filings and reading the fine print. The result is the top four firms in Sausalito, described below. To make your search even easier, use SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool. It connects you with up to three advisors who serve your area.   

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Rank Financial Advisor Assets Managed Minimum Assets Financial Services More Information
1 Main Street Research, LLC Main Street Research, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$1,963,324,024 $1,000,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management 
  • Consulting

Minimum Assets

$1,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management 
  • Consulting
2 Karp Capital Management Corporation Karp Capital Management Corporation logo Find an Advisor

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$993,781,743 $1,000,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management 
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors

Minimum Assets

$1,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management 
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors
3 Abbrea Capital, LLC Abbrea Capital, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$1,174,561,221 $5,000,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management 

Minimum Assets

$5,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management 
4 Verity Wealth Advisors, LLC Verity Wealth Advisors, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$201,933,158 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

What We Use in Our Methodology

To find the top financial advisors in Sausalito,, 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.

Main Street Research

At the top of the list, Main Street Research (MSR) is the oldest of the four firms profiled here and has the most advisors on staff. MSR works with high-net-worth individuals, individuals without a high net worth, pensions, profit-sharing plans, as well as trusts, estates and charities. 

To receive investment advisory services from MSR, you generally need a minimum investment of $1 million. To be in the firm’s performance-based fee program, though, clients must have a minimum net worth of $2,210,000 or must already have at least $1 million under management by MSR. 

As a fee-only firm, MSR advisors do not work for commissions or sell third-party financial products. Instead, the firm earns money from only asset-based fees, hourly charges and performance-based fees. MSR has certified financial planners (CFPs) on staff, as well as accredited portfolio management advisors (APMAs) and more.

Main Street Research Background

James E. Demmert launched MSR in 1993. Prior to that, he worked at LF Rothschild and Lehman Brothers. He is the majority owner, while some employees have minor stakes.

The firm’s primary business is providing discretionary asset management services. It also offers financial planning and consulting that can cover:

  • Cash-flow analysis and tax implications
  • Insurance policy evaluation including health, life and long-term care
  • Estate planning around living trusts, wills and more

Main Street Research Investment Strategy

MSR conducts meetings with clients to gather in-depth information about their financial life. The firm analyzes everything from income to investments and estate matters. The firm also considers personal factors like tolerance for risk and long-term investment goals. MSR uses this information to build diversified investment portfolios. 

The firm doesn’t limit investment recommendations to a particular asset class or product. That said, it typically doesn’t invest client assets in mutual funds, though it may offer advice about them if a client already owns them. Portfolios may consist of domestic and foreign stocks, bonds, exchange-traded real estate investment trusts, master limited partnerships and preferred stock.

Karp Capital Management Corporation

Karp Capital Management is the only firm on this list that does not work on a fee-only basis. Several of its advisors are registered brokers and licensed insurance agents, who can earn commissions on the sale of certain products. While the potential conflict of interest these products may cause qualifies Karp Capital as a fee-based firm, its advisors are bound by the fiduciary duty to always act in their clients best interests.  

To open an account, potential clients generally need a minimum investment of $1 million. Karp Capital mostly works with individuals, both with and without a high net worth. It also offers its services to pensions and profit-sharing plans, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations and insurance companies. There is one accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) on staff, as well as two chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

Karp Capital Management Corporation Background 

Peter Karp founded his namesake firm in 2004. He and Leah Karp have controlling interests through a family trust.

Karp Capital offers discretionary investment advisory services, including a wrap-fee program that bundles a suite of services for a one fee. Financial planning is included as part of its services, and may cover insurance analysis, estate planning and individual retirement planning. The firm also provides services to corporate retirement plans such as 401(k)s and pensions. 

Karp Capital Management Corporation Investment Strategy

Taking into account such individual factors as risk tolerance and time horizon, Karp Capital devises asset allocations for each client’s portfolio. In implementing them, the firm considers all types of securities, though it emphasizes individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs and specialty mutual funds. The firm takes into account global and local market trends, as well as expectations for a variety of market variables when choosing investments and building portfolios.

Abbrea Capital

Abbrea Capital, the next firm on our Sausalito list, operates as a fee-only financial advisor. It does not list on-staff financial advisor certifications on its website.

Requiring a minimum of $5 million to open an account, it's no surprise that the firm primarily works with high-net-worth individuals. It also serves some non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as businesses, trusts, endowments and employee benefit plans. 

Abbrea Capital Background 

Abbrea has been in business since 2015. Steven Cutcliffe and William Osher are the current managing directors and primary portfolio managers at the firm.

The firm primarily offers customized portfolio management services through separately managed accounts. At the request of the client, the firm may also provide financial planning advice on such topics as debt management. Additionally, the firm may recommend third-party professionals such as accountants and insurance agents. 

Abbrea Capital Investment Strategy 

A follower of the modern portfolio theory, Abbrea seeks to reduce risk through diversification and disciplined management. It generally invests clients in equity and debt securities that are traded publicly in U.S. markets.

As a client, you will select the investment strategy that best suits your individual needs. Abbrea seeks to develop appropriate weights among asset classes, which may include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cash and alternative investments.

Verity Wealth Advisors

Last but not least is Verity Wealth Advisors. Evan Oliver is the fee-only firm's founder and one of its two advisors. He has an MBA and is a certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA).

While Verity primarily works with high-net-worth individuals, you don’t need a minimum investment to open an account. The firm also offers limited services to entities such as corporate retirement plans. 

Verity Wealth Advisors Background 

Oliver founded Verity Wealth Advisors in 2003 after working at Merrill Lynch and Salomon Brothers. The point of contact for clients is Ryan Beckler, who has more than 10 years of experience in the industry, including at Washington state behemoth Fisher Investments

The firm primarily provides customized investment management services on a discretionary basis, meaning clients give Verity full authority to manage their accounts. These services include financial planning, but can come without it. The practice also offers financial consulting at the client’s request.

Verity Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

As the firm states, it believes that "the single most important determinant of the risk of loss within a given client’s portfolio is the target percentage devoted to fixed-income.” As a result, the firm tends to allocate a significant portion of client assets among fixed income securities, depending on the client’s risk tolerance. (Generally speaking, the higher the client’s risk level, the more exposure to equity the portfolio will have.)

The firm typically relies on index or "index-like" securities, but will sometimes opt to execute a target allocation using other types of investments, including actively managed funds.

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