How we ranked
Carson City, Minden and Gardnerville have far fewer advisory offices than Reno. We looked for any firm with a street office in those three towns, on its own site, a branch page or a company announcement. Four qualified. We did not pad the list with Reno firms that merely say they serve the area.
Scoring formula
- 25 points, fee model. Fee-only with no commissions scores in full, fee-based with a no-commission statement about half, fees plus commissions or brokerage zero, fee basis not stated one fifth.
- 20 points, disclosures. Zero Item 11 events on the latest Form ADV Part 1 scores in full, one event 40 percent, anything else zero. Branches of broker-dealers score zero because their disclosure counts are firm-wide.
- 15 points, office verification. A street office verified on the firm's own site or branch page scores in full; an office confirmed only through the regulator filing scores about half.
- 15 points, designations. CFP, CRPC, ChFC or RICP named on the site or in the brochure scores in full; CFA or CPA only about half; none named zero.
- 10 points, account minimum. A stated minimum of $250,000 or less, or a minimum fee of $5,000 or less, scores in full; mid-range minimums 60 percent; $1 million or more 20 percent; not disclosed 40 percent.
- 15 points, depth. Regulatory AUM of $100 million or more and 100 or more clients scores in full, AUM of $25 million or more about half.
Same formula as the Reno guide. Ties break on regulatory AUM. "Not disclosed" means the ADV or site does not state it.
Comparison table
All 4 firms, ranked by the formula above.
| Firm | Office | CRD | Registered | Regulatory AUM (ADV filed) | Accounts / clients | Fee model | Minimum | Disclosures | Since | Designations | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Aljian Capital Management | 600 E William Street | 167381 | SEC | $628 million (2026-03-03) | 1,049 / 436 | No commissions on securities in advisory accounts (ADV 2A) | Not disclosed | 0 | 2013 | None named on site | 66.0 |
| 2. Edward Jones (Gardnerville) | 1483 U.S. Highway 395 North | 250 | SEC | $1014 billion† (2026-09-25) | 5,630,517 / 4,069,320 | Brokerage and advisory fees | Not disclosed | Yes, firm-wide | 1963 | ChFC named on the advisor page | 49.0 |
| 3. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management (Carson City) | Carson City, NV | 7691 | SEC | $1782 billion† (2026-09-24) | 3,253,265 / 1,838,984 | Brokerage and advisory fees | Not disclosed | Yes, firm-wide | 1978 | CRPC, CFP, ChFC and CFA named in the directory listing | 46.0 |
| 4. D.A. Davidson (Minden) | 1644 U.S. Highway 395 North | 199 | SEC | $41.8 billion† (2026-07-30) | 92,146 / 70,118 | Brokerage and advisory fees | Program minimums from $5,000 (ADV 2A) | Yes, firm-wide | 1994 | None named in the announcement | 37.0 |
† Branch or office of a national firm. AUM, accounts, clients, employees and disclosures are for the parent entity named in each firm's Data line, not for the local team.
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1Aljian Capital Management
Carson City RIA, SEC-registered since 2013, with $628 million across 436 clients and three advisory employees. The largest independent with a Carson City office.
Office: 600 E William Street, Suite 208, Carson City, NV 89701.
Data: CRD 167381; SEC-registered, first registration 2013; regulatory AUM $628 million as of ADV filing 2026-03-03; 1,049 accounts, 436 clients; 3 employees, 3 advisory; fee model: No commissions on securities in advisory accounts (ADV 2A); minimum: Not disclosed; disclosure events (Item 11): 0; designations: None named on site.
Best for: retirees with $500K or more who want an independent RIA in Carson City
Profile: See Aljian Capital Management on ProCloser, including client reviews
2Edward Jones (Gardnerville)
One-advisor Edward Jones branch in Gardnerville. Data below is the national broker-dealer.
Office: 1483 U.S. Highway 395 North, Suite C, Gardnerville, NV 89410.
Data: CRD 250 (Edward Jones (national)); SEC-registered, first registration 1963; regulatory AUM $1014 billion as of ADV filing 2026-09-25; 5,630,517 accounts, 4,069,320 clients; 36317 employees, 20304 advisory; fee model: Brokerage and advisory fees; minimum: Not disclosed; disclosure events (Item 11): Yes, firm-wide; designations: ChFC named on the advisor page.
Best for: Carson Valley savers who prefer a one-advisor local branch
Profile: See Edward Jones on ProCloser, including client reviews
3Merrill Lynch Wealth Management (Carson City)
Merrill branch listed for Carson City. Data below is the national broker-dealer.
Office: Carson City, NV (branch listed in the Merrill advisor directory).
Data: CRD 7691 (Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. (national)); SEC-registered, first registration 1978; regulatory AUM $1782 billion as of ADV filing 2026-09-24; 3,253,265 accounts, 1,838,984 clients; 32960 employees, 25721 advisory; fee model: Brokerage and advisory fees; minimum: Not disclosed; disclosure events (Item 11): Yes, firm-wide; designations: CRPC, CFP, ChFC and CFA named in the directory listing.
Best for: clients who want a wirehouse and its banking services in Carson City
Profile: See Merrill Lynch Wealth Management on ProCloser, including client reviews
4D.A. Davidson (Minden)
Employee-owned Montana broker-dealer that opened a three-person Minden branch in 2020. Data below is the national firm.
Office: 1644 U.S. Highway 395 North, Suite 1B, Minden, NV.
Data: CRD 199 (D.A. Davidson & Co. (national)); SEC-registered, first registration 1994; regulatory AUM $41.8 billion as of ADV filing 2026-07-30; 92,146 accounts, 70,118 clients; 990 employees, 410 advisory; fee model: Brokerage and advisory fees; minimum: Program minimums from $5,000 (ADV 2A); disclosure events (Item 11): Yes, firm-wide; designations: None named in the announcement.
Best for: Minden and Douglas County clients who want a regional broker-dealer
Profile: See D.A. Davidson on ProCloser, including client reviews
Carson City and Carson Valley specifics
No state income tax. Carson City, Douglas County and Lyon County residents pay no Nevada personal income tax, per the Nevada Department of Taxation. That includes pension, IRA and Social Security income at the state level. Federal tax, Medicare premiums and required minimum distributions still shape the plan.
Retirees arriving from California. Many Carson Valley households moved from the Bay Area or Sacramento. If that is you, the California Franchise Tax Board will test where your closest connections are, so an advisor matters less than your own record of days, address and licenses.
Small market, long drive. Reno is about 30 miles north. GK Wealth Management's site lists Carson City among the areas its Reno office serves, and its Form ADV shows $259 million across 1,330 accounts, but it also shows the one disclosed 2019 state action covered in the Reno guide. A Reno firm is a fair alternative to the four ranked above if you will take a video call.
Why the short list matters. With only one independent advisory office in the three towns that we could verify, the choice is often between that independent and a national branch. The data above lets you compare them on the same fields: Aljian Capital Management is SEC-registered since 2013, reports no commissions in advisory accounts, and shows zero disclosure events. The three branches inherit firm-wide records.
Registered in Carson City, not ranked
These firms appear in directories with a Carson City address but we could not verify an office or a working website, so they are shown for completeness.
| Firm | CRD | Registered | Regulatory AUM | Employees | Disclosures | Why not ranked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Wealthcare Advisors, LLC | 150689 | State of Nevada, 2009 | not disclosed | 1 | 0 | No working firm website found; IAPD shows no regulatory AUM |
Wealth Strategies by Bayliss & McAninch and Niemann Capital Management are listed in third-party directories for Carson City; neither returned a record in our IAPD name search, and neither has a website we could find, so we show no data for them.
How to choose
- Ask where the advisor sits. A Carson City mailing address is not a staffed office.
- Compare an independent with a branch. Aljian shows zero events; the national branches show firm-wide counts.
- Price the fee. Aljian does not state a minimum in its ADV; ask.
Related guides
- Best financial advisors in Reno. Eleven Reno firms ranked on ADV data for retirement planning.
- Best wealth managers in Lake Tahoe and Incline Village. North Shore and Incline Village firms, with the $2 million portfolio question.
- Best DST and 1031 exchange advisors in Nevada. Nevada advisors who can place a 1031 exchange into a Delaware Statutory Trust.
- Best wealth management firms in Reno for high net worth families. Northern Nevada firms ranked on assets per client, with California-to-Nevada and tax questions.
- Wealth managers hub. How wealth management firms win AI search visibility.
- Wealth manager directory. AI visibility directory for wealth management firms.
- All ProCloser rankings. Every guide, by industry.
Frequently asked questions
Which financial advisors in Carson City or the Carson Valley, Nevada do retirement planning?
Four offices verified on public pages: Aljian Capital Management in Carson City, the Merrill Lynch branch listed for Carson City, the D.A. Davidson branch in Minden and the Edward Jones advisor in Gardnerville. Aljian is the only independent. Its Form ADV shows $628 million, 1,049 accounts, 436 clients and zero disclosure events. The other three sit inside broker-dealers, so their Item 11 counts are firm-wide.
Is Aljian Capital Management the only independent RIA in Carson City?
No. Strategic Wealthcare Advisors (CRD 150689, 503 N. Division Street) is registered with the State of Nevada, but its IAPD record shows no regulatory AUM and no working website. Wealth Strategies by Bayliss & McAninch and Niemann Capital Management also turn up in directories. We could not read their Form ADV or find sites, so they are not ranked.
Do I need a Carson City advisor, or can a Reno firm serve me?
A Reno firm can. GK Wealth Management's site lists Carson City among the areas its Reno office serves, and it is fee-only with $259 million of regulatory AUM, but it has one disclosed 2019 state action. The Carson City drive to Reno is about 30 miles, so remote meetings are common.
What does a Minden or Gardnerville branch of a national firm offer?
Product breadth and custody, not independence. D.A. Davidson opened its Minden branch in 2020 with a three-person team; Edward Jones lists a single advisor in Gardnerville who holds the ChFC designation. Both file Form ADV under national firms that report firm-wide disclosure events, so a branch inherits a record you should read.
How do Carson Valley retirees avoid state income tax?
Nevada has none, so the lever is residency rather than an advisor. If you moved from California, keep records for the California Franchise Tax Board's closest-connections test. An advisor then handles Social Security timing, Medicare surcharges and withdrawals.
Sources
- Aljian Capital Management: IAPD firm summary, CRD 167381, Form ADV Part 1 PDF
- Edward Jones: IAPD firm summary, CRD 250, Form ADV Part 1 PDF
- Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated: IAPD firm summary, CRD 7691, Form ADV Part 1 PDF
- D.A. Davidson & Co.: IAPD firm summary, CRD 199, Form ADV Part 1 PDF
- Aljian Capital Management office: http://aljiancapital.com/
- Edward Jones (Gardnerville) office: https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en/financial-advisor/michael-l-miller
- Merrill Lynch Wealth Management (Carson City) office: https://advisor.ml.com/sites/nv/carson-city
- D.A. Davidson (Minden) office: https://dadavidson.com/News/ArticleID/2853/Minden-Nevada-Branch-Opening
- Nevada Department of Taxation
- California Franchise Tax Board Publication 1031, Guidelines for Determining Resident Status
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure
- FINRA BrokerCheck
- Nevada Secretary of State, Securities Division
- IAPD firm summary, Strategic Wealthcare Advisors, CRD 150689
Disclosure
ProCloser.ai operates a matching network and may connect people with some of the firms named on this page. ProCloser is not an investment adviser, broker-dealer or financial planner, and nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice. Ranking uses the printed formula and public regulator data only; it does not reflect payment from any firm. Verify any advisor on the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site and FINRA BrokerCheck before you sign an agreement. Form ADV figures are self-reported by each firm and change with each filing.