Karen Shahinian

Advisor at Merrill — Irvine, CA Spectrum Center Dr

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63, Series 65

Experience

26 years

Location

Irvine, CA 92618

Merrill logo

Merrill

Institution

Total advisors

25,588

Across 3,189 offices

Clients per advisor

70 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$860,085 Very High

HNW client ratio

29% High

About

Karen Shahinian is a Senior Financial Advisor and Vice President at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, co-founder of the Shahinian & Associates team based in Irvine, California. She works closely with individuals, families, business owners, and multi-generational households to provide customized wealth management strategies. Her approach focuses on understanding each client’s unique priorities to help streamline and organize their financial lives, supporting steady progress toward meaningful long-term goals.

With over 23 years of experience in financial services, Karen has particular expertise in retirement planning, investments, insurance, legacy planning, and cash-flow management. Since joining Merrill Lynch in 2012, she has broadened her ability to connect clients with a wide range of enterprise resources. She holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) designation and other industry accreditations. Karen earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts from Rancho Santiago College.

Karen is active in her community as a longstanding member of the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club and a volunteer at both the Shea Therapeutic Riding Center and JSerra Catholic High School. She is involved with the Southern California Disability Advocacy Network and the Oasis Sailing Club. Outside of work, Karen enjoys boating, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, gardening, and spending time with her family.

Client services

Based on Merrill

Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers Educational seminars or workshops
Performance measurement reports, allocation modeling, ips, research reports and services, see schedule d

Expertise

Wealth management Annuities Medicare planning General retirement planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)

Demographic focus

Approaching retirement Parents Women Professionals

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Fee options

Commissions

SEC-reported: Commissions on certain transactions, including foreign securities and fixed income; mark-ups, markdowns and dealer spreads may apply to some trades.

Location

See office

Irvine, CA Spectrum Center Dr

100 Spectrum Center Dr

Irvine CA 92618

Advisors at this office

51

Most active in

Alaska · California · Texas

Work history

26 years of industry experience

BANK of AMERICA, N.A.

2012 - Present • 14 years

Laguna Hills, CA

Merrill

2012 - Present • 14 years

Laguna Hills, CA

Concourse Financial Group Securities, Inc.

2000 - 2010 • 10 years

Ladera Ranch, CA

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Samuel S

Series 66

Lake Forest, CA

Solid State Wealth Advisory Group

Samuel Sharples is a financial advisor at Solid State Wealth Advisory Group with 12 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at LPL Financial, LLC for 11 years and Waddell & Reed for one year. Solid State Wealth Advisory Group is an SEC-registered wealth management firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting with investment strategies tailored to clients’ goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon, utilizing a variety of analytical methods and may appoint sub-advisors to manage client accounts.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses

Justin K

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial, Inc.

Justin Klein is a financial advisor with Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial, Inc. in Irvine, CA, holding a Series 65 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Klein Pavlis & Peasley since 2003. Klein Pavlis & Peasley provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, combining model-based asset allocation with estate-planning education and management of held-away accounts. The firm also offers fee-based publications and public educational programming alongside its investment services.

Options & derivatives strategies Active portfolio management General estate planning guidance Income planning Retirement income strategy Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Harmon K

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Irvine, CA

Apriem Advisors

Harmon Kong is a Certified Financial Planner® with 28 years of industry experience at Apriem Advisors, where he has worked since 1998. He is also an independent insurance agent for Apriem Insurance Services, advising on insurance matters and managing renewals. Apriem Advisors serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, 501(c)(3) non-profits, and plan participants by providing wealth management, customized portfolio management, retirement plan advisory, and charitable investment services.

Wealth management Charitable giving & philanthropy Multi-generational wealth transfer Inheritance planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Nickolaos S

Series 66, Series 7

Irvine, CA

Equitable Advisors

Nickolaos Sigas is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 66 designation and is affiliated with a firm that employs over 4,600 advisors. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, charities, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs, operating through a combination of advisory and brokerage solutions.

Wealth management Annuities Tax-loss harvesting Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner Retired Self-Employed Military & Veterans Professional Athlete Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) Young Professionals Established Professionals
user avatar

Gary M

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Laguna Niguel, CA

Trusted Financial Advisors

Gary Miller is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Trusted Financial Advisors, an independent firm located in Laguna Niguel, CA, and previously worked at Noble Wealth Management, Inc. from 2016 to 2021. Trusted Financial Advisors serves primarily individuals and families, managing approximately $61 million in assets across 46 client relationships. The firm provides fee-only financial planning and discretionary portfolio management, using a bottom-up fundamental investment approach that incorporates both fundamental and technical analysis.

General retirement planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Active portfolio management

Mark W

CFP®

Irvine, CA

Mile Wealth Management

Thanks for your interest in my firm! I’m Mark Wilson, APA, CFP®, a proud father of two and lucky husband of one. I founded MILE Wealth Management to provide real wealth management to families and “Make It Look Easy” (MILE). Providing integrated financial planning and investment management is hard. This is the reason why most financial advisors do bare minimum planning or no planning at all. Those that do financial plans intentionally make it look complex to justify their fees. The industry is full of jargon, acronyms, fine print and disclosures. It’s no wonder that their “customers” are not meeting their goals or sleeping well at night. My goal is to use my experience, teaching background, wise use of technology and smarts to make it look easy. I’ve found that families that understand their financial situation, set their personal targets and see their next steps will be able to achieve their short and long-term goals and make adjustments as necessary. I want you to be relaxed about your finances, focus on what’s really important and make it look easy. Have a look at our website (www.milewealth.com) or call 949-441-4410 to find out more.

General retirement planning Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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