Russel J Upton

Advisor at Merrill — Rancho Santa Fe, CA El Tordo

Updated today

Credentials

Series 66

Experience

24 years

Location

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Merrill logo

Merrill

Institution

Total advisors

25,630

Across 3,282 offices

Clients per advisor

70 Very Low

Avg AUM per client

$860,085 Very High

HNW client ratio

29% High

About

Russel Upton is a Wealth Management Advisor with over 24 years of experience serving wealthy families and institutional investors across the United States, including in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco. He represents Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and directs financial strategy, asset allocation, manager evaluation, and liability management for senior business executives as well as select clients in the entertainment, sports, legal, and technology sectors. His practice includes a broad range of wealth management services for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, such as trust and estate planning management, cash management, single and restricted stock risk management, retirement planning, aviation, art and marine lending, derivatives trading, and alternative investments.

Mr. Upton holds multiple professional designations, including the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® certification administered by the Investments & Wealth Institute in conjunction with The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor™ certification, administered by the College for Financial Planning Institutes Corp. He also holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA) designations. Russel earned both his Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Business Administration from the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge, and has completed an Accredited Certificate Program from the University of Chicago.

Prior to his current role, Russel served as Senior Vice President for U.S. Trust (now Bank of America Private Bank) and City National Bank in Los Angeles and San Diego, and worked in the entertainment industry as Manager of Finance for New Regency Productions and Senior Accountant for Morgan Creek Productions in Los Angeles. His community involvement has included serving on the Board of Directors and as Trustee for the San Diego Zoo Foundation Board, the San Diego Sports Commission Board, and the San Diego Opera Board.

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 Trust structures (GRAT, IDGT, revocable) Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management

Occupation focus

Executive

Demographic focus

Established 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

Rancho Santa Fe, CA El Tordo

6006 El Tordo, Pwm

Rancho Santa Fe CA 92067

Advisors at this office

22

Most active in

California · Texas

Work history

24 years of industry experience

BANK of AMERICA, N.A.

2012 - Present • 14 years

Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Merrill Lynch,Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.

2012 - Present • 14 years

Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Merrill

2009 - 2009 • 1 year

San Diego, CA

Banc Of America Investment Services, Inc.

2007 - 2009 • 2 years

San Diego, CA

Merrill

2001 - 2007 • 6 years

CA

Disclosures

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

Business activities & affiliations

Skyler S

Series 66, AIF®, Series 7

Cardiff, CA

Aloha Wealth Partners

Aloha! I'm Skyler Stokes, CEPA®, AIF®, and founder of Aloha Wealth Partners, based right here on the coast in Cardiff, CA. With over a decade in the industry, I built my practice around a simple idea: financial advice should feel like a conversation with someone who actually has your back, not a sales pitch. I work closely with real estate professionals, high income business owners, and accredited investors, helping them think through 1031 exchanges, Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) investments, pre-IPO access, and private credit opportunities. Much of my work is planning and consulting focused, built around your goals rather than a product. Outside the office, you'll find me experimenting with wood-fired pizza, chasing down a good Calabrian wine, or just enjoying the surf, which makes this part of San Diego home. If you're looking for a partner who brings clarity, honesty, and a little bit of aloha to your financial life, I'd love to talk story.

Real estate investing General tax planning Private / alternative investments General estate planning guidance Liquidity event planning Real Estate Professional Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) Established Professionals Retired

Kevin M

Series 63, Series 65, Series 7

Carlsbad, CA

Stirlingshire Investments

Kevin Meyer is a financial advisor at Stirlingshire Investments with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Equitable Advisors, Morgan Stanley, and Ameriprise Financial Services. Outside of his advisory role, he occasionally sells annuities as a sole proprietor. Stirlingshire Investments provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, trusts, and other entities, serving both non‑high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a range of investment strategies combining quantitative, fundamental, technical, and modern portfolio theory, offering access to diverse investment types and model strategies through its Advyzon marketplace.

Options & derivatives strategies Active portfolio management Private / alternative investments Annuities
user avatar

Frederick P

Series 65

Poway, CA

Pearson, Frederick, Norman Jr.

Frederick Pearson is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He operates as a self-employed advisor through his independent firm, Pearson, Frederick, Norman Jr., based in Poway, CA. His firm provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual investors, focusing on IRA accounts. The investment strategy centers on income through dividend-paying stocks and ETFs, with a smaller allocation to growth equities managed under a strict money-management framework.

Income planning Active portfolio management
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Terrence G

CFP®, Series 63

Oceanside, CA

Gustafson Financial Solutions

Terrence Gustafson is a CFP® with over 22 years at Gustafson Financial Solutions and five years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 designation and operates his independent firm in Oceanside, CA. Gustafson also prepares client tax returns as an Enrolled Agent. Gustafson Financial Solutions provides fee-only financial planning and tax services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes quantitative screening of mutual funds and ETFs, asset allocation, diversification, and low-expense investments while focusing significantly on tax preparation and broader financial planning.

General retirement planning General tax planning College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Debt management
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John O

Series 65

Carlsbad, CA

O'Reilly Wealth Advisors

John O'Reilly is the sole advisor at O'Reilly Wealth Advisors in Carlsbad, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with 19 years of industry experience. He has been the principal of O'Reilly Financial Services, LLC since 2006. In addition to his advisory role, Mr. O'Reilly is a licensed insurance agent affiliated with various companies. O'Reilly Wealth Advisors serves individuals, corporations, and pension/profit-sharing plans, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement advisory, and insurance services. The firm employs a risk-tolerance questionnaire to construct diversified model portfolios primarily using low-expense mutual funds and reviews accounts quarterly.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) General retirement planning
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Clair L

Series 63, Series 65

Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Leedom Asset Management, Inc.

Clair Leedom is the principal of Leedom Asset Management, Inc., an independent firm based in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 20 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Leedom Asset Management in 2007, he has been involved with California Equity Research since 2003, where he also serves as chairman of the board. Leedom Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management for individual investors, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm manages equity and fixed-income portfolios, operates a private pooled investment vehicle, and employs a growth-oriented strategy focused on small- to mid-cap emerging-growth stocks using a proprietary strength indicator and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.

Active portfolio management Concentrated stock management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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