Fee-only financial advisors in Palo Alto, CA

18 fee-only investment advisers have offices in Palo Alto, California, according to their Form ADV filings with the SEC and state regulators. 12 offer hourly or flat-fee arrangements, 5 charge only a percentage of the assets they manage, and 12 provide financial planning. 14 are SEC-registered, which generally means at least $100 million under management; the rest are smaller state-registered practices. 1 firm reports disciplinary history and is listed last.

Data from Form ADV filings as of November 6, 2026. Listings are factual and unpaid. Default order puts firms offering financial planning first and high-volume platforms after advice practices; how ordering works.

Fee-only advisers near Palo Alto

Another 91 fee-only firms have offices within 30 miles.

• Menlo Park 18 firms · 2 mi
• Mountain View 7 firms · 6 mi
• Los Altos 16 firms · 6 mi
• San Carlos 1 firm · 8 mi
• Woodside 1 firm · 8 mi
• Redwood City 6 firms · 8 mi
• Redwood Shores 3 firms · 8 mi
• Sunnyvale 3 firms · 9 mi
• Cupertino 6 firms · 10 mi
• Foster City 6 firms · 10 mi
• Santa Clara 4 firms · 11 mi
• San Mateo 20 firms · 12 mi

How to choose between them

1. Decide how you want to pay. Hourly and flat-fee planners suit people who want a plan and will implement it themselves. A percentage-of-assets fee buys ongoing investment management; on $1 million at 1% that is $10,000 a year, every year.
2. Check the SEC record. Each listing links to the firm’s page on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site, where you can read the Form ADV Part 2 brochure (fees, minimums, conflicts) and any disciplinary history.
3. Ask who you will actually work with and what credentials they hold. The advisor versus consultant guide explains which titles are regulated and which are marketing.
4. Ask about minimums. Form ADV Part 1 does not record account minimums, so they are not shown here. Many asset-based firms require $500,000 or more; hourly planners usually have none.
5. Get the fee in writing before you sign, including fund expenses and any platform or custody charges on top.

Frequently asked questions

What does fee-only mean?

A fee-only adviser is paid only by its clients, through hourly charges, flat fees, subscriptions or a percentage of the assets it manages. It does not earn commissions on products it recommends. In this directory the label is applied from each firm’s own Form ADV: the firm reports no commission compensation, is not a broker-dealer or registered representative of one, does not act as an insurance agent, and reports no related broker-dealer or insurance agency.

How much does a fee-only financial adviser cost in Palo Alto?

Form ADV records how firms charge, not what they charge. Of the 18 firms listed here, 12 offer hourly or flat fees and 18 charge a percentage of assets. Each firm’s Form ADV Part 2 brochure, linked from its profile, gives its actual fee schedule. Nationally, asset-based fees commonly run around 1% a year on the first $1 million and fall above that.

How were these Palo Alto advisers selected?

Every registered investment adviser with an office in Palo Alto that serves individuals, offers financial planning or portfolio management, and reports no commission or insurance compensation on its Form ADV is listed. Inclusion is free and automatic; no firm pays to appear. The methodology page has the full rules.

Are these advisers fiduciaries?

Registered investment advisers owe their clients a fiduciary duty under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 for the advice they give. Ask any firm to confirm in writing that it acts as a fiduciary at all times and for all of your accounts.