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Evanson Asset Management
Evanson Asset Management was founded in Carmel, California in 1995 by Steven Evanson. The firm established itself as an early adopter of fixed-fee investment...
Evanson Asset Management
Evanson Asset Management was founded in Carmel, California in 1995 by Steven Evanson. The firm established itself as an early adopter of fixed-fee investment advisory services, distinguishing its practice from industry-standard percentage-of-assets billing. This structural decision aligned the firm's incentives directly with client outcomes rather than asset accumulation. The firm operates as a registered investment advisor, positioning itself to serve individual investors, multi-generational families, and trust accounts. The firm deploys capital primarily across publicly traded equities and fixed-income instruments, constructing diversified portfolios tailored to individual client mandates. Evanson Asset Management emphasizes index-based and factor-tilt strategies rather than active stock selection, reflecting a cost-conscious investment philosophy. Client portfolios typically include domestic and international equity exposure, bond ladders, and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. The firm does not operate proprietary commingled funds, instead building separate accounts and employing third-party vehicles from providers including Dimensional Fund Advisors and Vanguard. Based in Carmel, the firm maintains a lean, centralized operation without additional branch offices. Evanson Asset Management does not disclose total regulatory assets under management, making external size calibration impossible without direct confirmation (Altss estimate). Steven Evanson remains the firm's senior investment officer and primary public-facing principal. The firm does not operate affiliated philanthropic foundations, spin-out venture arms, or club-deal co-investment vehicles. In May 2025, the firm continued to maintain its original flat-fee pricing model as detailed on its website (per the firm's official communications, 2025). Evanson Asset Management's structural differentiator is its long-standing commitment to flat-fee billing, a posture it adopted nearly a decade before the broader fee-compression wave reshaped the RIA industry. While many advisors have since migrated toward hybrid or capped-percentage models, Evanson's full separation from asset-based charges represents an unusually durable commitment to transparent pricing architecture.
General information
Firm type
Bank / Wealth / Trust
Year founded
1995
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Carmel
Corporate office
Carmel, CA, United States
Principals
Steven Evanson
Founder & CEO
Frequently asked questions
How does Evanson Asset Management charge for its services?
Evanson Asset Management uses a flat-fee billing structure rather than the more common percentage-of-assets-under-management model. The firm adopted this approach at its founding in 1995, making it an early adopter of transparent pricing in the registered investment advisor space. Fees are fixed and not tied to portfolio size, which the firm argues reduces conflicts of interest around asset-gathering and trading activity.
Who makes investment decisions at Evanson Asset Management?
Founder and CEO Steven Evanson serves as the firm's senior investment officer and primary decision-maker. Evanson established the firm in 1995 and continues to oversee portfolio construction and client strategy. The firm does not publicly detail a broader investment committee structure, consistent with its centralized, lean operating model.
What investment approach does the firm use for client portfolios?
Evanson Asset Management emphasizes low-cost, diversified portfolios built primarily through index-based and factor-tilt strategies. The firm favors separate accounts and third-party vehicles from managers such as Dimensional Fund Advisors and Vanguard over proprietary funds. Portfolio construction is customized to each client's circumstances, spanning domestic and international equities, fixed-income ladders, and inflation-protected securities.
Is Evanson Asset Management affiliated with any larger financial institution?
No. Evanson Asset Management operates as an independent registered investment advisor headquartered in Carmel, California. It is not a subsidiary of a bank, insurance company, or broker-dealer. The firm has maintained its independent structure since Steven Evanson founded it in 1995.
Does Evanson Asset Management disclose its assets under management?
The firm does not publicly disclose its regulatory assets under management. No recent Form ADV summary or press release provides a figure (Altss estimate). This is not unusual for smaller registered investment advisors with predominantly individual and family clients who do not market to institutional allocators.
What types of clients does Evanson Asset Management typically serve?
The firm serves high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, and trusts. Its flat-fee model tends to attract cost-sensitive clients who prefer transparent billing over the percentage-of-assets structures common among larger wealth management practices. The firm does not publicly target institutional investors, pension funds, or endowments.
Where does Evanson Asset Management invest client capital geographically?
Client portfolios include both domestic and international equity exposure, with a bias toward broad-market index strategies that capture global diversification. The firm does not concentrate investments in any single country outside the United States. Fixed-income allocations also span US Treasury and inflation-protected securities, with international bond exposure available where appropriate for client mandates.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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