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AdvisorCensus / Financial advisors / California / Los Angeles / First Foundation Advisors

First Foundation Advisors

Irvine, CASEC-registered investment adviserCRD 106075

Filed as FIRST FOUNDATION ADVISORS

First Foundation Advisors is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm in Irvine, CA, registered since 1990, reporting over $5 billion in regulatory assets under management in its Form ADV filing dated July 29, 2026.

36 years
registered since 1990
$5,063,713,129
assets under management
4 arrangements
Percentage of assets, Hourly and more
None
disclosure items (Item 11)

Quick answers

From the filing

How is First Foundation Advisors compensated?

On its Form ADV (Item 5.E, October 2026), First Foundation Advisors reports these compensation arrangements: a percentage of assets under its management; hourly charges; fixed fees (other than subscription fees); performance-based fees.

Where is First Foundation Advisors located?

First Foundation Advisors' principal office is in Irvine, CA, according to its Form ADV; the August 2026 filing also lists 11 other offices (Schedule D, Section 1.F).

Is First Foundation Advisors registered with the SEC or a state?

First Foundation Advisors is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm, registered since 1990. Status as filed: Approved. CRD 106075.

How much does First Foundation Advisors manage?

First Foundation Advisors reports $5,063,713,129 in regulatory assets under management in its Form ADV filing dated July 29, 2026 (98% discretionary).

How have First Foundation Advisors' assets and staff changed since 2021?

In the Form ADV data for First Foundation Advisors: Regulatory assets under management: $4,926,790,498 in the October 2021 data and $5,063,713,129 in the October 2026 data, up 3%. Total employees: 63 in October 2021 and 57 in October 2026. Assets under management move with markets as well as with clients coming and going.

What types of clients does First Foundation Advisors serve?

By number of clients on Form ADV Item 5.D: high net worth individuals (623); individuals (other than high net worth individuals) (430); banking or thrift institutions (157).

Which custodians does First Foundation Advisors use?

First Foundation Advisors' most recent Form ADV filing (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3)) lists Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. as a custodian holding 10% or more of its separately managed account assets.

Does First Foundation Advisors report any disciplinary disclosures?

Reports no disclosure items on Form ADV Item 11. The detail of any item is on the firm's SEC record: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/106075

Does First Foundation Advisors state an account minimum?

Its Form ADV Part 2A brochure dated July 15, 2026 says: "The Registrant generally requires a minimum asset base of $500,000 for investment advisory services."

What changed in First Foundation Advisors' recent Form ADV filings?

In the August 2026 filing data: Added the business name Sunflower Wealth Advisors. Added the business name Firstsun Advisors. Employees performing advisory functions went from 25 to 28. Added an office in Denver, CO.

From the Form ADV filing

Every figure below is as the firm filed it with regulators, as of October 2026.

How the firm is compensated

Item 5.E
  • A percentage of assets under your management
  • Hourly charges
  • Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
  • Performance-based fees

Item 5.E lists how the firm is compensated for its advice; Items 5.B, 6.A, and 7.A show whether its people or related companies can also earn commissions. Percentage of assets, fixed, hourly, subscription, and performance-based fees come from clients (a performance-based fee depends on investment results); commissions come with a sale or a trade, often from the company behind the product. How fees, commissions, and other arrangements differ

Fees and minimums

Form ADV Part 2A

The brochure lists different fees for different services or strategies; see the brochure for them.

Account minimum: $500,000

The brochure's wording
The Registrant generally requires a minimum asset base of $500,000 for investment advisory services.

As stated in the firm's Form ADV Part 2A brochure dated July 15, 2026. Fees can differ by service and may be negotiable; the brochure is the complete statement. Read the brochure on the SEC's IAPD site

Regulatory assets under management

Item 5.F
$5,063,713,129

$5,063,713,129 as of October 2026, filing dated July 29, 2026.

Discretionary: $4,982,355,218.Non-discretionary: $81,357,911.

A measure of scale, not skill or returns. Discretionary means the firm decides trades; non-discretionary means clients approve each one. What assets under management means

Who the firm serves

Item 5.D
Individuals (other than high net worth individuals)
Clients 430 Assets $234,699,826 (5%)
High net worth individuals
Clients 623 Assets $3,495,124,098 (69%)
Banking or thrift institutions
Clients 157 Assets $483,258,029 (10%)
Investment companies
Clients 1 Assets $143,736,116 (3%)
Charitable organizations
Clients 30 Assets $314,755,558 (6%)
Corporations or other businesses not listed above
Clients 57 Assets $345,037,381 (7%)
Other
Clients 18 Assets $47,102,121 (1%)

A firm with no individual clients is an institutional manager even if it manages billions; the mix tells you whom the practice is built around.

Advisory services

Item 5.G
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management for individuals and/or small businesses
  • Portfolio management for investment companies (and business development companies)
  • Pension consulting services
  • Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)

Registration and firm details

Items 1, 2, 5
Also doing business as
FIRSTSUN ADVISORS, SUNFLOWER WEALTH ADVISORS
Registration
SEC-registered investment adviser. Status as filed: Approved.
Registered since
1990 (36 years)
Employees
Total: 57. Performing investment advisory functions: 28.
Wrap fee program participation
No.
Custodians (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3))

Custodians holding 10% or more of the firm's separately managed account assets, as filed on Form ADV (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3)). A custodian holds client assets; it does not endorse or supervise the firm. AdvisorCensus has no relationship with any custodian.

Other offices (Schedule D, Section 1.F)
11 other offices, as of the August 2026 filing
Denver, COHonolulu, HIIndian Wells, CALas Vegas, NVLos Angeles, CANaples, FLOakland, CAPalos Verdes Estates, CAPasadena, CARolling Hills Estates, CASan Diego, CA
States registered or notice-filed
33 states or jurisdictions
AKALAZCACOCTDCFLGAHIIDILKSLAMAMDMNMONCNENHNJNMNVNYORPASCTNTXUTVAWA

SEC-registered investment advisers are examined by the SEC. SEC, state, and exempt registration

Disclosures

Item 11

None Reports no disclosure items on Form ADV Item 11. View on IAPD.

Item 11 asks about criminal, regulatory, and civil events involving the firm and its advisory personnel. The detail of each yes answer is on the IAPD record. Reading a firm's disclosures

Assets and staff over time

Items 5.A, 5.F
$4.93B 2021 $5.68B 2022 $4.99B 2023 $5.25B 2024 $5.45B 2025 $5.06B 2026
Data periodAssets under managementEmployeesFiling dated
October 2026$5,063,713,12957July 29, 2026
October 2025$5,445,880,08862June 16, 2025
October 2024$5,249,948,14067March 28, 2024
October 2023$4,985,277,44469July 5, 2023
October 2022$5,680,605,80566April 6, 2022
October 2021$4,926,790,49863April 6, 2021

Regulatory assets under management: $4,926,790,498 in the October 2021 data and $5,063,713,129 in the October 2026 data, up 3%.

Total employees: 63 in October 2021 and 57 in October 2026.

As filed in each year's data for the same month. Assets under management move with markets as well as with clients coming and going; they measure scale, not skill or returns. Most firms update these figures once a year.

Changes in the filing

Last 12 months
  1. August 2026
    • Added the business name Sunflower Wealth Advisors.
    • Added the business name Firstsun Advisors.
    • Employees performing advisory functions went from 25 to 28.
    • Added an office in Denver, CO.
  2. May 2026
    • Updated its list of owners and control persons (Schedule A).
  3. April 2026
    • Employees performing advisory functions went from 33 to 25.
  4. March 2026
    • Registered or notice-filed in KS.
  5. December 2025
    • Updated its list of owners and control persons (Schedule A).

Compared month to month from the SEC's monthly adviser data and the state compilation feed. Owners and control persons are summarized, never named.

Websites listed on Form ADV

Item 1.I
ff-inc.com

Source: Form ADV, as of October 2026. Values appear as filed; a value the firm did not report is shown as "Not reported."

Cite this page

AdvisorCensus. First Foundation Advisors (CRD 106075): Form ADV filing data as of October 2026.
https://advisorcensus.com/firm/first-foundation-advisors-irvine-ca-106075