Large-firm financial advisors working with educators, teachers, and academics in Cypress, CA

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 and face unique income patterns or retirement timelines, you need an advisor who understands those specifics. A common mistake is treating your financial planning like a standard career path, which can overlook key benefits and risks.

  • Income cycle awareness. Educators often have seasonal or contract-based pay; ask how advisors plan cash flow around these cycles.
  • Retirement system knowledge. Confirm they understand your pension or state retirement plan details, not just general retirement accounts.
  • Education-related benefits. Look for advisors who consider loan forgiveness programs and tax breaks specific to teachers.
  • Large-firm resources. Advisors here can tap into extensive research and support teams, which may offer broader options but check how personalized their approach is.

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

Travis I

Series 65

Cypress, CA

Ivanoff Wealth Management Inc.

Travis Ivanoff is a financial advisor at Ivanoff Wealth Management Inc. with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Tucker Asset Management LLC and Ivanoff Wealth Management since 2017. Outside of advisory services, he is president of Travis Ivanoff Insurance Services Inc., where he sells insurance products. Ivanoff Wealth Management provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, corporate and institutional investors, and other registered investment advisors. The firm primarily uses third-party sub-advisors and co-advisors to manage portfolios tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Debt management Cash flow / budgeting
user avatar

Tim F

Series 63, Series 65

Cypress, CA

Bcn Financial, Inc.

Tim Formica is a financial advisor with BCN Financial, Inc. in Cypress, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has held roles at firms including LPL Financial and Crown Capital Securities, and has operated his own lending business. Formica is also involved with Arbor Financial/The Turnkey Foundation, providing mortgage and real estate services. BCN Financial provides retirement plan advisory and financial planning services primarily to employer-sponsored plan participants and members of over 200 Police and Fire Department associations. The firm’s investment approach includes mutual funds and ETFs with a mix of fundamental, technical, and sentiment analysis combined with market-timing strategies, focusing largely on non-discretionary advice within plan investment options.

Active portfolio management Public Service Employee
user avatar

Frank P

Series 63, Series 66

Cypress, CA

Calton & Associates, Inc.

Frank Parlato is a financial advisor at Calton & Associates, Inc. in Cypress, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Calton & Associates since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a director for the Breslauer - Soref Foundation, a charitable family foundation focused on identifying nonprofit organizations for support. Calton & Associates serves individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and other retail clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money managers. The firm combines fee-based advisory services with commissionable brokerage and insurance products, tailoring investment recommendations to client goals and utilizing multiple program structures and analytic approaches.

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

Trevor P

Series 63, Series 66

Cypress, CA

J.P. Morgan Securities

Trevor Pitzak is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked within various J.P. Morgan entities since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework in its investment recommendations.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Patrick B

CFP®, Series 63

Cypress, CA

LPL Financial

Patrick Bivona is a CFP® with 39 years of industry experience, currently with LPL Financial since 2020. His prior experience includes roles at Sagepoint Financial, Inc. and Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he has served as a professor for the American Dental Education Association. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm provides a range of advisory and brokerage services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

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
user avatar

Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
user avatar

Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
user avatar

Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
user avatar

Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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 introductions are provided by FinanceHQ LLC (“FHQ”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warmer and an SEC-registered investment advisor. We receive compensation from certain participating advisors for introductions or referrals. This creates a conflict of interest because we have an incentive to recommend advisors who compensate us, including those who pay us more. You pay no fee to use our matching service, and advisor fees are not increased because of a referral or introduction. We do not review the ongoing performance of advisors, manage or hold assets, guarantee performance, or provide advice about specific investments.

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

© 2026 Warmer Holdings Inc. (“Warmer”)