Independent, life insurance needs analysis 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.

You need a life insurance needs analysis advisor when you're unsure if your current coverage matches your financial goals or family situation. Without a clear assessment, you might pay for unnecessary coverage or leave gaps that expose your loved ones to risk. Independent advisors here operate without ties to insurance companies, aiming to provide advice based solely on your needs.

  • Comprehensive risk evaluation. Look for advisors who assess your income, debts, and future expenses to recommend the right coverage amount.
  • Policy type guidance. Confirm they explain differences between term, whole, and universal life insurance and why one fits your situation.
  • Cost versus benefit balance. Ask how they help you weigh premiums against coverage benefits to avoid overpaying or underinsuring.
  • Integration with financial plan. Ensure they consider how life insurance fits with your retirement, estate, and tax strategies.

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 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
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Aden P

CFP®, Series 65

Greenville, SC

Foundations Investment Advisors LLC

Aden Partee is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with two years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Foundations Investment Advisors LLC and Alloy Investment Management, having previously worked at JEHM Wealth & Retirement, LPL Financial, and other positions. Foundations Investment Advisors is a multi-advisor registered investment adviser managing approximately $10.1 billion for nearly 30,000 clients through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm serves individuals, trusts, estates, and registered investment companies, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan support using a range of investment products and third-party sub-advisers.

Private / alternative investments ESG / Sustainable investing Concentrated stock management Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Don L

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66, Series 65

Mesa, AZ

Larson Wealth Management, LLC

Don Larson is a CFP® with 20 years of experience in the financial advisory industry and has operated Larson Wealth Management, LLC since 2011. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and also manages Larson Business & Tax Solutions, providing bookkeeping and tax preparation services. Additionally, Larson serves as secretary and treasurer for AEM International (US) Ltd. Larson Wealth Management offers investment supervisory and consulting services to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and employee benefit plans. The firm employs customized strategic asset allocation with a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, managing portfolios primarily through mutual funds and ETFs across multiple asset classes.

Business succession planning Cash flow / budgeting Debt management Life insurance needs analysis Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive
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Malissa M

Series 65

Hot Springs, AR

Black Knight Wealth Management, LLC

Malissa Mc Nanna is a financial advisor with Black Knight Wealth Management, LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. She has four years of industry experience and has previously worked at Optivise Advisory Services, LLC, OnPointe Advisory and Financial Services LLC, and Vision Advisors, Inc. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Vision Advisors, Inc., where she recruits agents, conducts product training, and provides sales support for annuity and life insurance products. Black Knight Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and coordination with other professional advisors. The firm employs a range of investment strategies and prepares individualized Investment Policy Statements, managing accounts primarily on a discretionary, asset-based basis while reviewing portfolios monthly.

Concentrated stock management Retirement income strategy Annuities Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Gregory S

Series 63, Series 66

Atlanta, GA

Smarr Financial Services Inc.

Gregory Smarr is the sole advisor at Smarr Financial Services Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. He has operated Smarr Financial Services since 2004. Outside of advisory work, he has been involved in selling various insurance products through multiple agencies. Smarr Financial Services provides financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, high net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm also functions as an insurance agency, offering life, disability, long-term care, group life and health products, and fixed annuities. Its investment approach emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term buy-and-hold strategies supplemented by moderate trading across a range of asset classes.

Life insurance needs analysis Disability insurance Long-term care insurance
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Jacob B

Series 63, Series 66

Forsyth, GA

Binnerinvestments

Jacob Binner is a financial advisor at BinnerInvestments with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and previously worked at Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, and E*Trade Securities. BinnerInvestments provides ongoing portfolio management and standalone financial planning for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm’s investment approach combines multiple analytical methods to construct diversified portfolios and typically manages discretionary assets while delivering quarterly reports and written investment policy statements.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Life insurance needs analysis Cash flow / budgeting
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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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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
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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
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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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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
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