Top financial advisors working with educators, teachers, and academics in California

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

If you work in education or academia, your income and benefits often follow a unique schedule and structure that can affect your financial planning. A common mistake is treating your compensation and retirement options like those of a typical corporate employee, which can lead to missed opportunities or unexpected tax consequences.

  • Benefit timing awareness. Confirm how the advisor accounts for school-year pay cycles and summer breaks in your cash flow planning.
  • Retirement system knowledge. Ask how they handle public pension plans and 403(b) accounts common to educators.
  • Tax impact of Proposition 13. Since California limits property tax increases for homeowners, see how they factor this into your long-term housing and estate plans.
  • Education-specific deductions. Check if they consider deductions and credits unique to teachers, such as classroom expense write-offs.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Alan T

Series 63, Series 65

Los Angeles, CA

Regal Investment Advisors LLC

Alan Toman is a financial advisor with Regal Investment Advisors LLC in Los Angeles, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Regal Investment Advisors since 2018 and has prior experience with Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation and Bankers Life. Outside of his advisory role, Toman is active in the insurance sector, offering accident and health insurance, fixed and indexed annuities, and traditional life insurance products through American Senior Benefits and as an insurance agent. Regal Investment Advisors LLC provides discretionary investment management services to independent advisers and other registered advisers, serving a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers proprietary and third-party model portfolios across various asset classes, with advisers selecting allocations and granting Regal authority to implement and manage strategies.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies
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Mher K

Series 63, Series 65

Los Angeles, CA

Morgan Stanley

Mher Khukoyan is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing, Bank of America, Merrill, and J.P. Morgan Securities. Khukoyan is based in Los Angeles, CA. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a range of advisory services to individuals and institutions, offering tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and delivers both direct and employer-based financial planning programs.

General estate planning guidance
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Taylor R

Series 63, Series 65

San Francisco, CA

Oppenheimer

Taylor Reed is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at NYLIFE Securities LLC, New York Life Insurance Co, and Atlas Capital Advisors LLC. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers a range of programs including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, managing both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts across diverse portfolio strategies.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy General retirement planning Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Arjun S

Series 66

Frisco, TX

TIAA-CREF

Arjun Swarup is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Frisco, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and has an academic background from NYU College of Arts and Sciences. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing managed account services within a fiduciary framework, including acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

General estate planning guidance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Educators, Teachers, and Academics Founder/Business Owner Approaching retirement Mid-Career Professionals
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Kevin H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Birmingham, AL

RFG Advisory, LLC

Kevin Harper is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 29 years of industry experience. He is currently with RFG Advisory, LLC in Birmingham, AL, where he has worked since 2015, including prior roles at LPL Financial and Ameriprise. Harper is a co-owner of LHP Capital LLC, a commercial real estate business. RFG Advisory provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and select institutional clients. The firm employs discretionary investment strategies through model portfolios, third-party platforms, and serves as a sub-adviser to multiple ETFs, with additional specialized services for retirement accounts and alternative investments.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Women Professionals Mid-Career Professionals

Jacob H

Series 63, Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Edward Jones

Jacob Heinz is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Charlotte, NC, with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His previous positions include roles at Fidelity Investments and E*TRADE Capital Management. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory solutions, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of thousands of financial advisors and branch offices.

Divorce financial planning Retirement income strategy Wealth management Real estate investing Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Lindsey E

Series 63, Series 65

Cambridge, MN

EFS Advisors

Lindsey Egan is a financial advisor at EFS Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at First Republic Securities and First Republic Investment Management from 2016 to 2019. Outside of her financial advisory role, Lindsey is the owner of Women Who Explore, a community offering outdoor adventures and small group travel experiences for women. EFS Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a broad client base, including individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a client-centric suitability scoring process combined with technology tools to recommend model portfolios and supports clients through discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Options & derivatives strategies Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Scott S

Series 63, Series 65

Farmington, CT

Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC

Scott Stevens is a financial advisor at Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at firms including Morgan Stanley and American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. Stevens is also the proprietor of Stevens & Associates, LLC, a separate business. Medallion Wealth Advisors serves individuals, families, and retirement plans for educators and nonprofit organizations. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting with a long-term investment approach that includes discretionary and non-discretionary account management and may utilize third-party managers when appropriate.

General retirement planning Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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