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 99.
As part of our monthly process, our data team reviewed and scrubbed this month’s raw file of new filings, identifying 38 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 February 2026
1. Financial Planning Hawaii, Inc.
- AUM: $382.4M
- Metro Area: Honolulu, HI
Financial Planning Hawaii, Inc. is a Honolulu-based SEC-registered investment adviser founded by John H. Robinson, a veteran financial planner with more than 30 years of experience serving individuals and families in Hawaii and across the United States. The firm is distinguished by its "treasure hunt" approach to comprehensive financial planning, conducting deep-dive reviews of client finances to uncover mistakes, overlooked opportunities, and tax or estate planning gaps across as many as 20–30 distinct findings per engagement. Its investment management is delivered under a tiered asset-based fee structure, with all client assets custodied at Charles Schwab, and supplemented by proprietary tools including the Nest Egg Guru retirement planning software and an Advyzon-powered performance reporting portal.
2. Safebridge LLC
- AUM: $205.3M
- Metro Area: Charlotte, NC
Safebridge LLC is a fee-only, fiduciary registered investment adviser headquartered in the Charlotte metro area, founded and led by Jack Zarinsky. The firm's investment philosophy centers on ultra-low-cost passive index funds as the foundation of every portfolio, rejecting high-cost actively managed products and commission-based conflicts of interest in favor of a single flat annual fee ($7,500/year) based solely on the work performed. Safebridge further distinguishes itself by personally completing and filing most clients' income tax returns—integrating proactive tax planning with retirement income modeling that uses real-world scenario analysis rather than static return assumptions or Monte Carlo simulation.
3. J. Freeman & Associates, Inc.
- AUM: $175M
- Metro Area: Greenville, SC
J. Freeman & Associates, Inc. is an independent South Carolina–based registered investment advisor operating as JFA Advisors, LLC, serving individuals and businesses across upstate South Carolina and nationally for nearly 20 years. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management across a broad range of vehicles including mutual funds, ETFs, equities, fixed invomce, alternatives, REITs, and annuities with portfolios tailored to each client’s goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, and tax situation. Its investment process emphasizes continual monitoring and ongoing portfolio adjustments, with recommendations driven by client-specific objectives and diversification principles rather than proprietary product mandates.
4. Trailwise Financial Partners
- AUM: $144.8M
- Metro Area: Denver, CO
Trailwise Financial Partners is a Colorado–based independent RIA co-founded by Nick Rose and Emily Biehler, built around what the firm calls "accountable financial planning" for individuals, small business owners, and retirees. The firm's planning process follows a phased client journey beginning with goal discovery and plan delivery, progressing through regular accountability check-ins, and covering investment analysis, cash flow management, retirement, tax, risk, estate, and college funding strategies. Client accounts are custodied through LPL, with portfolios constructed to align with each client's financial plan and adapted to current market conditions rather than applied from a static model.
5. Dorato Capital Management
- AUM: $138.8M
- Metro Area: Denver, CO
Dorato Capital Management is a Denver-based boutique RIA founded in April 2000 by Steve Teselle, built around the premise that portfolio management and financial planning must be integrated rather than treated separately. The firm manages individually customized separate-account equity portfolios for individuals and families, with a minimum account size of $100,000, employing a domestic stock–focused, low-turnover investment strategy designed to minimize both costs and tax consequences. Each client engagement begins with a detailed Client Profile/Suitability Questionnaire that drives a bespoke Investment Policy Statement, with long-term asset allocation anchored to historical risk and return characteristics rather than short-term market timing.
6. Tumolo Wealth Management LLC
- AUM: $134M
- Metro Area: Hartford, CT
Tumolo Wealth Management LLC is a Connecticut–based SEC-registered investment adviser operating under the Tumolo Financial brand, founded by Kenneth Tumolo, and his son Nick as a retirement-specialist firm serving clients across Connecticut and Rhode Island. The father-son practice centers on tax-conscious retirement draw planning, helping pre-retirees and retirees coordinate Social Security, pension, investment accounts, and tax strategy into a cohesive income plan. Portfolios are constructed around clients' specific retirement objectives and overseen through a process that integrates ongoing tax planning with investment management under a fiduciary framework.
7. Wealth Ease Wealth Management
- AUM: $132.2M
- Metro Area: East Lansing, MI
Wealth Ease Wealth Management is a fee-based, fiduciary RIA serving high net worth individuals and families, headquartered in Marshall, Michigan and operating in the East Lansing market. The firm delivers investment portfolio management and strategic financial planning through a consultative approach that emphasizes tax efficiency, retirement readiness, and long-term wealth preservation across multiple financial disciplines including estate, college, and 401(k) planning. Portfolios are built to client objectives using a diversified mix of equities, fixed income, ETFs, and other vehicles, with a fiduciary obligation to prioritize client interests in every recommendation.
8. Pasqua Wealth Solutions
- AUM: $129.7M
- Metro Area: New York, NY
Pasqua Wealth Solutions is a New York–based registered investment adviser operated by the father-and-son team of Thomas Pasqua and Jonathan Pasqua, bringing over 50 years of combined financial services experience to a practice exclusively focused on business owners. The firm's integrated model combines strategy consulting, investment advisory, and ERISA retirement plan services, addressing the full spectrum of business owner wealth considerations including exit and succession planning, tax strategy, trust and estate planning, and personal retirement income. Portfolios are developed through personalized investment policy discussions with approximately 130 clients, with all client assets custodied independently and the firm holding New York State RIA registration.
9. Western Reserve Capital Management LLC
- AUM: $120.2M
- Metro Area: Cleveland, OH
Western Reserve Capital Management, LLC is a fee-only, fiduciary RIA based in Ohio, specializing exclusively in serving retirees and pre-retirees, typically those within five years of retirement with at least $1 million in accumulated assets. The firm delivers integrated retirement-focused wealth management covering investment management, retirement income planning, tax planning, estate planning coordination, and insurance analysis, all coordinated around a client’s specific retirement readiness and income needs. Advisory fees are assessed as a percentage of assets under management, and the firm follows a structured discovery-to-implementation process with ongoing portfolio monitoring and periodic plan reviews to keep clients on track through retirement.
10. Intellicapital Advisors LLC
- AUM: $118.9M
- Metro Area: Jacksonville, FL
Intellicapital Advisors LLC is a Jacksonville, Florida–based RIA founded and led by Michael McAlpin, serving retirees and pre-retirees aged 55–70 with $1–$10 million in investable assets who want a coordinated, relationship-driven wealth plan. The firm delivers an integrated service model that includes portfolio customization through Adhesion/AssetMark TAMPs, providing access to hundreds of managers and thousands of models, alongside tax return preparation for advisory clients at no additional charge, and estate document facilitation via Wealth.com. Its planning framework is organized around eight core pillars covering vision, measurement, tax efficiency, risk-aligned account structure, legacy, digital security, protection from catastrophic expenses, and plan adaptability, with flat-fee planning available by arrangement.
To view all wealth management RIAs in Dakota Marketplace and access key contact information, book a demo here!
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