Canter Wealth Ranks Amongst America’s Best RIAs (Registered Investment Advisors) in Financial Advisor Magazine
In Financial Advisor Magazine’s latest ranking of America’s Top Registered Investment Advisors, Canter Wealth placed among the top 1.65% of all SEC- and state-registered RIAs nationwide.¹ In California, the firm rose to #47, up from #60 last year, reflecting significant year-over-year growth and upward momentum.
Beyond statewide recognition, Canter Wealth has become a top-ranked wealth management firm in both San Diego and La Jolla by San Diego Magazine and USA Today, delivering trusted financial guidance to individuals and families seeking expert, fiduciary advice backed by national credentials.
Financial Advisor Magazine ranks firms based on assets under management (AUM), growth rate, client retention, team credentials, compliance records, and overall quality of practice.
“We’re honored to be recognized among the top registered investment advisors nationwide. This achievement reflects the dedication of our advisors and entire team, whose unwavering commitment to a client-first approach drives us to continually innovate and deliver excellence in everything we do.” – Babak Gahvari, Managing Partner
The upward shift in their rankings year-over-year underscores consistent asset growth performance and expanding trust from clients and industry peers.
How Clients Can Benefit from Choosing a Top‑Ranked RIA
- Fiduciary Standards & Transparency: As a fee‑only fiduciary, Canter Wealth operates under a strict client-first framework.
- Local Expertise with National Credentials: Clients in San Diego and La Jolla can benefit from award‑winning local service embedded within a nationally recognized firm.
- Demonstrated AUM Growth: Inclusion in the rankings reflects sustained firm growth and disciplined asset management based on years of Nobel-prize winning research.
Canter Wealth’s placement among California’s top RIAs, along with its recognition as a leading wealth management firm in San Diego and La Jolla, further strengthens its reputation as a trusted partner for families seeking comprehensive financial planning and investment management.
This national honor adds to Canter Wealth’s growing list of accolades, including being named:
- Best Wealth Management Firm in San Diego by San Diego Magazine
- Best Financial Planner in San Diego by San Diego Magazine (2024 & 2025)
- Top RIA Firm by USA Today (2025)
Together, these distinctions reaffirm Canter Wealth’s position as a top financial advisor for San Diego and La Jolla residents, delivering client-focused advice with measurable results.
To view Financial Advisor Magazine Rankings, click here.
Sources:
- SEC Investment Adviser Statistics (2024) ~21,669 SEC-registered RIA firms, ~20,483 Rias surveyed in Top RIA ranking Financial Advisor Magazine
Disclosures
Neither rankings and/or recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, nor the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, job promotion, license, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Canter Wealth is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized adviser. Rankings are generally limited to participating advisers (see participation criteria/methodology below). Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, Canter Wealth did not pay a fee to be included on any such ranking. No ranking or recognition should be construed as a current or past endorsement of Canter Wealth by any of its clients.
Methodology:
*2024 AUM data is as of February 2025. The data was compiled by Financial Advisor magazine through the information provided by the firms that completed and submitted a survey. FA‘s RIA survey is a ranking based on assets under management at year end of independent RIA firms that file their own ADV with the SEC. FA‘s RIA ranking orders firms from largest to smallest, based on AUM reported to us by firms that voluntarily complete and submit FA‘s survey by our deadline. We do our best to verify AUM by reviewing ADV forms. To be eligible for the ranking, firms must be independent registered investment advisors and file their own ADV statement with the SEC and provide financial planning and related services to individual clients.
USA Today Methodology: Each year USA Today Partners with Statista to rank the top 500 registered investment advisory firms (RIAs) in the country, after evaluating over 30,000. The rankings are based on the growth of the firms’ assets under management (AUM) over the short term (1 year) and long term (5 years), as well as the number of recommendations they received from clients and peers. The 2025 USA Today Best Financial Advisory Firms list was published 4.23.25. Recommendations were collected
San Diego Magazine, “Best of San Diego 2025: Reader’s Picks – Financial Planning”. Voting: February 21 – March 24, 2025. Awarded August, 2025. This was a readers’ choice award where the public nominated financial planning firms then the winners went through the next voting round for final votes.through a survey of 30,000 individuals.
San Diego Magazine, “Best of San Diego 2024: Reader’s Picks – Financial Planning”. Nominations: March 11 – 24, 2024, Voting: March 25 – April 14, 2024, Awarded June, 2024 & Voting Window April 18-May 8, Awarded July 21, 2023. This was a readers’ choice award where the public nominated financial planning firms then the winners went through the next voting round for final votes.
