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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: First Foundation Advisors is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser (CRD #106075, confirmed ACTIVE this session via SEC IAPD). Per its own current fee brochure, a $500,000 account would run $5,000 a year under its published fee schedule. Already a client and thinking about leaving? Budget $50 at Schwab. This review covers what its own fee brochure and current SEC registration confirm today; it does not assess fiduciary status or account minimums.
First Foundation Advisors at a glance
| Fact | What First Foundation Advisors’ own pages say |
|---|---|
| Legal entity | First Foundation Advisors |
| Registration | First Foundation Advisors is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser (CRD #106075, confirmed ACTIVE this session via SEC IAPD). |
| Fee on a $500,000 account | $5,000 a year, per its own current brochure |
| Minimum to open an account | Not assessed in this review; see Item 5 of its Form ADV Part 2A |
| Cost to leave (exit fee) | $50 at Schwab |
What First Foundation Advisors’ own fee schedule charges
The registrant is First Foundation Advisors of Irvine, California, which the SEC record also lists under the names FirstSun Advisors and Sunflower Wealth Advisors. The priced schedule is the annual advisory fee for individual clients, whom the brochure lists among its clients along with families, trusts and institutions, and the brochure states a generally required minimum asset base of $500,000.
“Equity and Balanced Accounts Program On the First $3,000,000 1.00% Annual Fee On the Next $2,000,000 0.75% Amount over $5,000,000 0.50%”
The brochure states the fee as a percentage of the assets under management “on the first” and “on the next” bands, so each balance is priced marginally, with each band’s rate applied only to the dollars inside it. Every balance shown here falls inside the first $3,000,000 band and is priced at 1.00%. The brochure discloses no minimum annual dollar fee, so no floor applies. The schedule is a starting point that the brochure says is negotiable, not a guaranteed charge.
What the same brochure says about fees charged on top of this schedule: “Please Note: The investment management fee charged by any Independent Managers is separate from, and in addition to, Registrant’s advisory fee as set forth in the fee schedule at Item 5 below.” The table below is the firm’s own advisory fee schedule and does not include any such additional fee.
| Account balance | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| $250,000 | $2,500 |
| $500,000 | $5,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $10,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $20,000 |
These figures come directly from First Foundation Advisors’ own current fee brochure, cited in Sources below.
Registration
First Foundation Advisors is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser (CRD #106075, confirmed ACTIVE this session via SEC IAPD).
This is a registration confirmation only, not a fiduciary-standard verdict (a registered investment adviser can still be a dual registrant with a broker-dealer, which changes which standard applies in each capacity).
What it costs to leave
First Foundation Advisors’s Form ADV Part 2A states “Upon termination, the Registrant shall refund the unearned pro-rated portion of the advanced advisory fee paid based upon the number of days remaining in the billing quarter.” First Foundation Advisors names exactly one custodian in its brochure: Charles Schwab. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.’s own published fee schedule states “Full transfer (out) of assets”
The general mechanics of switching financial advisors and a dated termination letter apply regardless of firm.
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- Form ADV Part 2A (July 15, 2026): https://files.adviserinfo.sec.gov/IAPD/Content/Common/crd_iapd_Brochure.aspx?BRCHR_VRSN_ID=1051893
- SEC IAPD firm summary (CRD #106075, checked September 28, 2026): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/106075
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, drawing directly on First Foundation Advisors’ own current fee brochure, cited in Sources below, and a fresh SEC IAPD registration check run the same day. Where exit-fee facts are cited, they trace to the named custodian’s own published schedule. Any fact we could not independently confirm is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading First Foundation Advisors’ own Form ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. We have not used First Foundation Advisors as a client. First Foundation Advisors did not pay for, review, or influence this content. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.