Fee-only adviser · San Diego, CA
Gradient Capital Advisors, LLC
Gradient Capital Advisors, LLC is a fee-only investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, with its main office in San Diego, California. On its latest Form ADV, filed October 12, 2026, it reports $742M in regulatory assets under management, 462 individual clients and 5 employees who give investment advice. It reports no commission compensation, is not registered as a broker-dealer and does not act as an insurance agent.
Key facts from Form ADV
| Registration | SEC-registered |
|---|---|
| Firm CRD number | 168912 · SEC file 801-78917 |
| Office | 2125 Poinsettia Drive San Diego, CA 92107 |
| Phone | (619) 255-0700 |
| Website | www.gradientcapital.com |
| Regulatory assets under management | $742M ($648M discretionary) |
| Individual clients | 205 non-high-net-worth, 257 high-net-worth |
| Financial planning clients | 11-25 |
| How it charges | Percentage of assets, Hourly, Fixed fee |
| Services | Financial planning, Portfolio management, Pension consulting |
| Employees | 7 |
| Disciplinary disclosures | None reported |
| Latest Form ADV filing | October 12, 2026 |
Source: the firm’s Form ADV Part 1A as published by the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database, data as of November 6, 2026. Figures are self-reported by the firm.
What this means for you
- It offers hourly or fixed-fee arrangements, so you may be able to pay for a plan without handing over your investments.
- It also charges a percentage of assets managed for ongoing investment management.
- Most of its individual clients are high-net-worth, which on Form ADV means they meet the SEC’s qualified-client or qualified-purchaser test: broadly, more than $1 million managed by the adviser or a net worth above $2 million, with the thresholds indexed for inflation.
- It provides financial planning services, not only portfolio management.
- It sponsors or manages a wrap fee program; ask what the bundled fee covers.
- It reports no disciplinary history on Form ADV.
Before you hire any adviser
Read the firm’s Form ADV Part 2 brochure on its SEC record: it sets out fees, minimums, conflicts of interest and who will manage your money. Ask whether the firm acts as a fiduciary for all of your accounts, how it is paid in total, and who holds your assets. Our guide to choosing a financial adviser lists the questions to ask.
Other fee-only advisers in San Diego
- Pure Financial Advisors, LLC $11.1B
- Nectarine Not reported
- Telos Capital Management, Inc. $1.6B
- Tidemark, LLC $463M
- Wilsey Asset Management Incorporated $768M
- Premier Wealth Advisors, LLC $695M
See all 106 fee-only advisers in San Diego →
Nearby
- La Jolla 23 firms
- Del Mar 6 firms
- La Mesa 2 firms
- Solana Beach 4 firms
- Coronado 4 firms
- Rancho Santa Fe 7 firms
- El Cajon 1 firm
- Poway 1 firm
Comparing several firms? Tell us what you need and we will suggest fee-only advisers that fit. Work at Gradient Capital Advisors, LLC? Update this listing.