We are pleased to present the Monthly Report of Recently Registered RIAs - April 2026.
We are continuously blown away by the large number of newly independent wealth management RIAs and investment firms from the SEC report with a total of 153.
As part of our monthly process, our data team reviewed and scrubbed this month’s raw file of new filings, identifying 108 wealth manager RIAs. We then researched the appropriate contacts and related information before uploading everything to Dakota Marketplace.
Over the past decade, the RIA market has grown fivefold, and Dakota’s real-time database of 17,000+ RIAs delivers the insights and connections firms need to stay ahead in a rapidly expanding investment landscape.
In this article we’re giving you 10 noteworthy and newly independent RIAs that we’ve added to our marketplace.
To view all newly independent wealth management RIAs and key contact information, book a demo of Dakota Marketplace here.
Top 10 RIAs from April 2026
1. URS Advisory
- AUM: $175.8M
- Metro Area: West Palm Beach, FL
URS Advisory’s investment philosophy is built around two core pillars: a three-bucket retirement structure that segments client assets by time horizon, separating short-term stability from mid-term growth and invoice and long-term growth allocations, and a reverse equity glidepath strategy that gradually increases stock exposure as clients move past the most vulnerable early years of retirement. This philosophy is deliberately designed to address sequence-of-returns risk, which URS identifies as a primary threat to retirement outcomes.
2. Quantitative Financial Strategies LLC
- AUM: $156.2M
- Metro Area: Denver, CO
Quantitative Financial Strategies brings a data-driven, systematic approach to portfolio construction. Founded by Samuel Harnisch, the fee-only firm combines modern portfolio theory with fundamental analysis to set asset allocation targets, then constructs portfolios using a blend of passive and active strategies across mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities, with a notable emphasis on Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) products. The firm specializes in advanced tax strategies and serves business owners, high-net-worth individuals, and families seeking to reduce taxes through the same methods historically available only to the ultra-wealthy.
3. Trails Edge Wealth Advisers
- AUM: $153.7M
- Metro Area: Tampa, FL
Trails Edge Wealth Advisers’ co-founding partners bring a blend of investment advice, market understanding, and disciplined trading experience to client relationships. The firm employs a multi-method investment process combining fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis alongside third-party money manager evaluation to construct highly customized portfolios. Its strategy spans equities, fixed income, private equity, hedge funds, structured notes, real estate opportunity zones, and other alternatives, with custody and reporting consolidated through GeoWealth’s platform. Structured notes are a specific tool in the firm’s arsenal, used to optimize income and growth while providing asset protection.
4. Think Different Financial Planning, LLC
- AUM: $141.5M
- Metro Area: San Francisco, CA
Think Different Financial Planning, founded by CFP William Steinberger, serves approximately 45 clients, all of them Silicon Valley technology professionals at public and private companies. The firm’s investment approach is grounded in the Efficient Market Hypothesis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a preference for passive, index-based strategies using mutual funds and ETFs. For clients with more complex situations, the firm implements third-party customized index portfolios through providers such as GeoWealth, SmartHarvest, and Aperio. One of the firm’s most distinctive features is its flat-fee pricing model: rather than charging a percentage of AUM, the firm charges a fixed annual fee, which it positions as a structural alignment of interests with clients whose portfolios may concentrate heavily in a single employer’s stock.
5. Larson Williams Wealth Advisors, LLC
- AUM: $140M
- Metro Area: Salt Lake City, UT
Larson Williams Wealth Advisors serves approximately 509 clients across individuals, high-net worth clients, charitable organizations, and businesses in the Salt Lake City region. The firm’s investment process blends fundamental, technical, and modern portfolio theory analyses, constructing portfolios across a broad range of instruments including equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, REITs, variable annuities, and insurance products. The firm uses both custom portfolios and third-party model managers depending on client needs, and carries no stated account minimum, reflecting its commitment to serving clients across the wealth spectrum.
6. Crystal Cove Asset Management
- AUM: $135.2M
- Metro Area: Los Angeles, CA
Crystal Cove Asset Management’s investment philosophy centered on finding market dislocations, which the firm believes offer asymmetric risk/reward and a margin of safety. Rather than assuming uniform pricing efficiency across all markets, the firm actively seeks areas of mispricing, pairs those positions with diversifying asset classes to hedge exposure, and manages cash positions prudently throughout the cycle. The firm also manages portfolios for businesses and institutional clients, not just individuals, giving it a broader remit than a typical wealth-focused RIA.
7. Rechter Wealth Management, LLC
- AUM: $133.5M
- Metro Area: Washington, DC
Rechter Wealth Management, founded by CFP Peter Rechter and CPA Sean Palmer, combines financial planning and tax expertise under one advisory relationship. The firm’s investment philosophy is built around customized asset allocation strategies tied to each client’s objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs, with no-load mutual funds serving as the primary investment vehicle. Assets are held in custody at Fidelity Institutional. The pairing of a CFP and a CPA at the firm’s founding is deliberate: clients receive integrated tax planning alongside investment management rather than treating the two disciplines separately.
8. Lee-Way Financial Services, Inc.
- AUM: $132.1M
- Metro Area: Jackson, MS
Lee-Way Financial Services manages approximately 108 client families across nearly a dozen states, with separately managed portfolios invested primarily in publicly traded securities. Founded and majority-owned by Chad Edmonson, a 1999 graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the firm is deeply rooted in its local community and has a stated commitment to sound, responsible management and a time-tested investment approach designed to hold up through economic stress. With an average client size of approximately $1.2M, Lee-Way serves a concentrated, relationship-driven client base rather than a high-volume model.
9. Laminar Wealth, LLC
- AUM: $131.8M
- Metro Area: St. Louis, MO
Laminar Wealth, founded by CPA/PFS David Oransky and his wife Mary, is a fee-only fiduciary practice serving individuals and couples in or near retirement exclusively. The firm requires clients to have saved at least $2M toward retirement and targets those who withdraw less than 3% of their portfolio annually, a profile that reflects a deliberate focus on wealth preservation over accumulation. Rather than charging a percentage of AUM, Laminar charges a fixed annual fee, which starts at $18,000 for clients with $2-5M in investable assets, positioning itself as a better-value alternative to traditional AUM pricing at that asset level. David's background as a Big Four CPA means tax planning is fully integrated into the investment management process, not treated as a separate service.
10. Sterling Bridge Financial Group LLC
- AUM: $94.7M
- Metro Area: Tampa, FL
Sterling Bridge Financial Group, co-founded by Anthony Landi and Frank Diana, serves 827 clients, giving it one of the broadest client bases relative to AUM in this cohort with an average account size of approximately $158,000. The firm specializes in retirement planning and wealth management with a particular emphasis on asset protection, income strategies, legacy planning, and annuities alongside traditional investment management. Sterling Bridge operates as a community-oriented independent practice, actively engaging with local organizations and positioning itself as a neighbor-first advisory firm.
To view all wealth management RIAs in Dakota Marketplace and access key contact information, book a demo here!
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