Independent, FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) financial advisors 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're aiming to retire early and live off your investments, you need an advisor who understands how to balance saving aggressively with smart spending. Without this focus, you might run out of money too soon or miss opportunities to grow your nest egg efficiently. Independent advisors here operate without ties to big firms, which can mean more personalized attention to your unique path.

  • Withdrawal strategy clarity. Ask how they plan your spending to make your savings last through early retirement.
  • Tax-efficient planning. Confirm they consider how to minimize taxes on your income and investments before and after retiring.
  • Savings rate focus. See if they emphasize boosting your savings rate alongside investment choices to reach financial independence faster.
  • Flexibility for life changes. Check how they adjust plans if your goals or circumstances shift before or after retiring early.

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

Want help finding the right advisor?

Answer a few questions to see advisors matched to you.

user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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 worked at firms including Atlas Capital Advisors LLC, New York Life Insurance Company, and NYLIFE Securities LLC. He is based in San Francisco, CA. Oppenheimer serves a broad client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm provides advisory and brokerage services such as discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, consulting, retirement services, and financial planning, utilizing a range of asset allocation and investment strategies.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management Active portfolio management Executive Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Aubrey W

Series 65

Goleta, CA

Open Path Financial

Aubrey Williams is a financial advisor at Open Path Financial with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He has a background in defense technology, having worked as an Associate Director of Program Management at Raytheon Technologies from 2021 to 2025 and previously at Lockheed Martin Corporation for 17 years. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in an affiliated education business focused on public financial education and workshop content. Open Path Financial provides fee-only financial planning and advisory services primarily on an hourly or fixed-project basis, serving individuals, families, businesses, and trusts. The firm emphasizes long-term, diversified investment strategies using low-cost index funds and ETFs and operates without managing assets or charging percentage-based fees.

Early retirement planning Retirement income strategy General tax planning ESG / Sustainable investing College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Founder/Business Owner Executive FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)

Kevin B

CFP®

Jacksonville, FL

HCP Wealth Planning, LLC

Do you plan to make work optional before age 65? I will use my tools and expertise to educate and empower you to be your own retirement hero, rather than try to convince you that you need to pay me or any other advisor year after year. While I provide investment advice, I do not offer ongoing portfolio management as a service and my only objective is to give you the best advice possible. My planning engagements typically consist of three to four meetings and span one to three months. We will work together to create a detailed plan for early retirement that doesn't ignore what you need to feel fulfilled in the present. You will be given free ongoing access to my planning software upon completion of our engagement and I will teach you how to navigate it. Visit my website today to learn more and don't forget when you are there to sign up to receive my free guide, The Top 10 Critical Mistakes People Make When They Plan To Retire Early.

General retirement planning FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)
user avatar

Travis H

CFP®, EA

Boulder, CO

Downshift Financial

I graduated from Texas A&M’s Mays Business School in 2008 (perfect timing for a job hunt!) and quickly discovered a passion for investing. During my eight years working in real estate, I devoured everything I could find on investing and personal finance. This led to the realization – far too slowly, my wife points out – that my true passion is helping others craft their best lives through real financial planning. Appalled by the status quo within the industry, and determined to serve families the way they truly deserve, I set out to found Downshift Financial with Eddie. We founded Downshift Financial to deliver real financial planning to regular people through a service model that actually makes sense: Flat quarterly fees. No commissions. No sales pressure. No BS. Our goal is to help clients maximize their lifetime fulfillment through financial independence. Often, that means working less to free up time for family and hobbies.

Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Technology Professional FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) Gen Y/Millennials (Born 1980-1995)
user avatar

John M

Series 65

Poway, CA

Engineering Financial Independence, Inc.

John Malaney is a financial advisor at Engineering Financial Independence, Inc. with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has a background as a Program Manager at General Atomics, where he worked for fourteen years. Engineering Financial Independence, Inc. provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $5.0 million across a small number of relationships. The firm offers a free subscription service featuring general investor commentary, and employs an investment approach that includes fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, quantitative methods, long-term equity strategies, options trading, mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income.

Options & derivatives strategies Active portfolio management Technology Professional

Cameron F

CFP®

Missouri City, TX

Folse Financial

My name is Cameron Folse, and I am the founder of Folse Financial. I believe that professional financial advice should be simple and streamlined. Our focus is on flat fees, a modern digital experience, and fiduciary advice. After over 6 years in the financial services industry, I realized that the industry has a transparency problem. Many clients do not know how much they pay their advisor, either through insurance commissions or through investment management fees. Whether the fees are high, low, or just right, people should know exactly how much they are paying so they can be able to decide for themselves if what they are paying for is worth it. That is why Folse Financial is founded on flat, clear fees that are based on the complexity of your situation, not how much you decide to invest with us. I also pride myself on giving fiduciary advice. One thing many people don't know is that some advisors are not always fiduciaries. Some advisors wear several hats, and are only legally fiduciaries when making certain types of recommendations. With the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification, we are required to be fiduciaries at all times. In today's world, it's not enough to have transparent fees and give excellent advice. Clients also deserve a digital experience as well. We have set up systems to allow clients to view their entire financial picture in one place and allow them to track their progress towards their planning goals. The process of opening accounts and signing paperwork is entirely digitalized, saving hours of time for my clients and for myself. These are our 3 focuses for our business. Let us know if there's a way we can help you!

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Income planning Founder/Business Owner HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) Gen Y/Millennials (Born 1980-1995)
user avatar

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
user avatar

Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

Edwina Martin is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience, currently with Waverly Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at 9258 Wealth Management for five years and was employed at Teradata Corp for eleven years. Martin also serves as assistant director of tax planning at 9258 Tax and Planning, a non-investment related business. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
user avatar

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
user avatar

Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
Warmer team member

Not sure where to start?

We'll help you think it through—whether you ultimately need an advisor or not. Warmer helps you compare advisors clearly, so you can choose with confidence.

Find your advisor

For advisor listings, we rely on sources including public filings and data provided by advisors, and we cannot guarantee that all information is current or accurate. Advisors are independent and may not have reviewed or updated this information. Please review an advisor's Form ADV and do your own diligence before deciding whether to work with them.

Advisor matching and referrals are provided by FinanceHQ LLC ("FHQ"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment adviser. We may be compensated by participating advisors. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral. We do not supervise advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

By using our service, you agree to the Warmer Terms of Service and FHQ Advisory Agreement, and acknowledge Warmer's Privacy Policy. Please review FHQ's ADV Part 2A and Form CRS. Logos provided by Logo.dev

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. ("Warmer")