Top financial advisors working with independent contractors in California

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

John Gallagher is a ChFC® credentialed advisor with Integrated Wealthcare, LLC, where he has worked since 2023. He has one year of financial advisory experience and concurrently practices emergency medicine with Hawaii Emergency Physicians Associated. Integrated Wealthcare is an SEC-registered wealth management firm that primarily serves physicians and medical professionals, alongside high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, utilizing documented risk assessments and globally diversified model portfolios with regular rebalancing.

Paul Monax is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience and is the principal advisor at Agile Wealth LLC, an independent firm based in Littleton, CO. His previous experience includes roles at Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. and World Financial Group, Inc., as well as entrepreneurial work with Object Designs, LLC. Outside of advisory services, he performs seasonal tax-preparation work. Agile Wealth serves individual clients, high-net-worth individuals, and small businesses by providing financial planning and investment management services. The firm’s approach focuses on goal-based portfolio construction, tax-aware asset location, and a combination of low-cost index ETFs and selected active funds, with an emphasis on fee-for-service planning products and tailored offerings for solopreneurs.

You deserve simple, straightforward financial advice that you understand and trust. I’m the son of two master plumbers. When it came to plumbing, “master” is the right word. They were good at what they did. And, like all contractors and tradesmen, their business went through highs and lows. When times were good, we took amazing vacations and enjoyed life together. When times were tough, like going through bankruptcy to avoid losing everything, we had to bear the burden. This is a story told all too often, and it’s why I started Forthright Financial Services. I received a Bachelors Degree in Accounting, Masters Degree in Taxation, and a Certification in Financial Planning on my way to becoming a Certified Financial Planner® professional. I worked for 4 years at a CPA firm, where I became the lead tax associate for individuals and small partnerships. I switched careers to my original passion and worked for a great financial planning firm for 5 years. While there I became the director of financial planning and helped create and implement the entire financial planning process. Throughout my journey, I helped my dad in many different ways. After my dad passed away, I left my job and started my business with the mission to help other hard-working business owners, like him, understand their finances in order to minimize taxes, maximize cashflows, increase profits, and grow their business efficiently. As a contractor, your business and your personal financial situations are so connected that I believe you need special advice to address both of those areas simultaneously. That special guidance is exactly what we provide. Straightforward advice for all circumstances, goals, and seasons of life – that’s always a phone call away. If you’re ready to offload the stress and worry around your money and your business, now and for when your working days are done, let’s talk. Also help with: Small Business help Family Business Planning Self-Employed Individuals & Consultants planning Tax Planning Charitable Giving Business Planning Holistic Financial Planning Entrepreneurs Startup Founders Retirement Planning Cryptocurrency Financial Life Planning & Financial Coaching Family Financial Planning Social Security Optimization Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y/Millenials, Gen Z Christian Business Owners

In 2009 I founded Game Theory Academy, a nonprofit that teaches financial skills to teenagers through the lens of strategic decision-making. My favorite part of that work has been guiding young people to set their own goals outside of what their grownups want for them and then align their day-to-day decisions with those goals. I bring that same strategic curiosity to financial planning for you. Prior to Game Theory Academy, I was CFO of a news media organization. I hold an MBA from Yale and a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. I am a CFP® professional, and a member of the XY Planning Network and National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. I have a lifelong interest in economics and am excited to work with you to do the heavy lifting of financial planning so you can focus on what you love to do. When I’m not creating financial plans, I’m the mother of a child with avid and ever-changing interests. I love to play guitar and sing bluegrass, roots, and old-time music, with a pop twist.

Jugalkishor Malpani is a financial advisor with Chanakya Business Ventures LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and five years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at Nesco Resources and IBM. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in information-technology contracting. Chanakya Business Ventures LLC provides portfolio management services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as charitable organizations and corporate clients. The firm focuses on fundamental analysis and investment strategies centered on equities and exchange-traded funds, offering tailored investment programs with documented client goals and risk tolerance.