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Tara Marie Lavarias

Advisor at Empower Advisory Group — Bakersfield, CA

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63, Series 65

Experience

25 years

Location

Bakersfield, CA

Empower Advisory Group logo

Empower Advisory Group

Enterprise

Total advisors

1,981

Across 1,066 offices

Clients per advisor

148 Very High

Avg AUM per client

$565,063 High

HNW client ratio

7% Low

About

Tara Lavarias is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 25 years of industry experience. Her background includes roles at Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Lavarias also serves as an agent on a power of attorney for her father, assisting with personal financial and medical inquiries. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services closely with affiliated entities for recordkeeping and investment products.

Client services

Based on Empower Advisory Group

Financial planning Portfolio management Educational seminars or workshops

Expertise

Based on Empower Advisory Group

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Debt management College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)

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Fee options

Fixed

One-time fees: $199, $299, $399, or $499 depending on enrollment and plan; Monthly subscription fees: $15 or $29 depending on enrollment

Subscriptions

Monthly subscription fees of $15 or $29 depending on enrollment; One-time fees as noted above

Location

See office

Bakersfield, CA

Bakersfield CA

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

California

Work history

25 years of industry experience

Empower Advisory Group

2026 - Present • 1 year

Greenwood Village, CO

Empower Financial Services, inc

2026 - Present • 1 year

Greenwood Village, CO

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation

2024 - 2026 • 2 years

Columbus, OH

Prudential Insurance Company of America

2024 - 2024 • 1 year

Bakersfield, CA

PRUCO Securities, LLC

2024 - 2024 • 1 year

Bakersfield, CA

Empower Financial Services, inc

2023 - 2024 • 1 year

Greenwood Village, CO

Health Ins Independent Various Carriers Unique Health Ins, Servi

2018 - 2023 • 5 years

Walnut, CA

Purium

2018 - 2023 • 5 years

Long Beach, CA

WealthWave

2016 - 2023 • 7 years

Bakersfield, CA

Essante Organics

2014 - 2018 • 4 years

Phoenix, AZ

Debtmerica Relief

2012 - 2023 • 11 years

Santa Ana, CA

Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc

2012 - 2023 • 11 years

Bakersfield, CA

Mapss

2011 - 2024 • 13 years

Bakersfield, CA

Wfg

2001 - 2023 • 22 years

Bakersfield, CA

Disclosures

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

Business activities & affiliations

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Lance H

Series 65

Bakersfield, CA

Howard Financial

Lance Howard is the principal advisor at Howard Financial with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has operated his own insurance services firm since 1995. He manages an independent financial advisory practice based in Bakersfield, CA. Howard Financial provides fee-based financial planning, consulting, and portfolio advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm follows a non-discretionary approach with documented client goals and uses third-party money managers alongside multi-tier planning services.

Real estate investing
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Jack F

Series 63, Series 65

Bakersfield, CA

Visionary Wealth Planners LLC

Jack Fawcett is the principal advisor at Visionary Wealth Planners LLC in Bakersfield, CA, with 8 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has operated Fawcett Financial and Insurance Services Inc. since 1988, where he serves as president and insurance agent. Visionary Wealth Planners LLC serves individual clients, including high-net-worth households, and provides advisory services to employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis in portfolio construction and offers discretionary management, written financial planning, and ERISA 3(21) plan advisory services.

Options & derivatives strategies Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Cash flow / budgeting General retirement planning
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Victoria G

Series 65

Bakersfield, CA

Gomez Financial Planning

Victoria Gomez is the sole advisor at Gomez Financial Planning in Bakersfield, CA. She holds a Series 65 registration and has recently entered the financial advisory field, with no prior industry experience. Gomez is employed full-time as a high school math teacher and provides investment advisory services outside of her teaching hours. Gomez Financial Planning offers non-discretionary, fee-only financial planning and investment advice to individuals, families, educators, retirees, young professionals, and small business owners. The firm follows an evidence-based, passive investment approach focused on broad diversification, low-cost index funds and ETFs, and client-aligned asset allocation, providing advice without managing or custodying client assets.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting Educators, Teachers, and Academics Founder/Business Owner Young Professionals
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Stanley G

Series 63

Bakersfield, CA

Sierra Capital Management

Stanley Garrison is a financial advisor at Sierra Capital Management in Bakersfield, CA, with 37 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Sierra Capital Management since 1999. Sierra Capital Management provides comprehensive financial planning and consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, corporations, and other business entities. The firm focuses on fundamental analysis and a long-term, asset-allocation approach, offering customized investment plans without managing client assets or accepting custody.

Annuities Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k)
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Laurence M

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Bakersfield, CA

WealthTarget Investment Advisors, LLC

Laurence Menna is a CFP® professional with 23 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with WealthTarget Investment Advisors, LLC since 2003, serving clients from Bakersfield, CA. WealthTarget Investment Advisors, LLC serves individual investors as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm provides customized portfolio allocations focused on strategic asset allocation, combining actively managed and lower-cost funds, and offers specialized plan-level services including ERISA-focused 401(k) consulting and technology integrations.

General tax planning General estate planning guidance Cash flow / budgeting
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Daniel P

Series 66

Bakersfield, CA

Mestmaker & Petrey Wealth Advisors

Daniel Petrey is a financial advisor at Mestmaker & Petrey Wealth Advisors with 23 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with the firm since 2009. Outside of advisory work, he is a co-owner of a real estate holding company. Mestmaker & Petrey Wealth Advisors provides asset management, pension consulting, and 401(k) participant services to individuals, trusts, corporations, and employer retirement plans, offering tailored portfolio reviews and educational resources for clients and plan sponsors.

Options & derivatives strategies
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