CFP®-certified, business sale tax planning financial advisors in Irvine, CA

Scott Schiffer is a financial advisor at Centaurus Financial, Inc. with 28 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Centaurus since 1998. In addition to his advisory role, Schiffer is a senior partner at Kieckhafer Schiffer LLP, a certified public accounting firm where he oversees client tax matters and supervises accounting staff. Centaurus Financial, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, families, businesses, corporations, trusts, and foundations. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan consulting, and specialized services, employing a variety of investment analyses and both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements.

Steven Henningson is a financial advisor at Carson Wealth with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 41 years of industry experience. He has held positions at firms including Cetera, Creative Planning Institutional Advisors, and Citigroup Global Markets. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the advisory board of a community church focused on recovery ministries and is involved with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library. Carson Wealth is an enterprise platform managing approximately $50.6 billion through a network of over 650 advisors. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, using an Investment Committee to construct and monitor model portfolios and providing tailored solutions that integrate custodial and technology partnerships.

Spencer Johnston is a financial advisor at Carson Wealth with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has held roles at firms including Thrivent Financial and Ameriprise Financial Services. Johnston’s prior work includes a 15-year tenure at EWI Worldwide. Carson Wealth operates an enterprise platform overseeing approximately $50.6 billion through more than 650 advisors. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, with an investment approach guided by an Investment Committee that manages model portfolios and provides tailored solutions including custom indexing and alternative investments.

Richard Lewis is a CFA charterholder with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at White Stork Asset Management LLC since 2018 and previously at Raj Vasudevan LLC from 2016 to 2018. He is based in Irvine, CA. White Stork Asset Management provides discretionary investment management to individuals, non-profit organizations, and institutions, focusing mainly on equities and U.S. Treasury securities. The firm’s bottom-up, fundamental investment approach emphasizes undervalued market leaders for long-term holding, active allocation, and risk controls at the position level, serving a client base that includes a notable share of non-U.S. investors.

William Oconnor is a financial advisor with Applied Financial Planning, Inc. in Irvine, CA, holding a Series 63 designation and over 40 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at LPL Financial and Midland National Life, and he currently owns and operates several financial and tax-related businesses. He also hosts a radio program called The Money Guys, which promotes local news and financial planning ideas. Applied Financial Planning, Inc. provides tax preparation and tax planning services to individuals, institutions, and various organizations, focusing on tax-efficiency and long-term investment considerations. The firm bills on a fixed-fee or hourly basis and does not manage client investment accounts directly.

Ethan Singer is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at The Colony Group, LLC and Buckingham Strategic Partners, LLC. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a comprehensive range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Brian Moore is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Advisory Services Network, LLC, and Precision Capital Management. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in several non-investment business activities including ownership roles in insurance commissions and land ownership ventures. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in regulatory assets. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional clients such as pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory and financial planning services.

Rodney Laurenz is a financial advisor with Flagship Harbor Advisors, LLC in Boston, MA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Flagship Harbor Advisors and LPL Financial since 2011. Laurenz teaches several investment-related classes annually through the Cambridge Centre for Adult Education. Flagship Harbor Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $3.42 billion in discretionary assets and employs a range of investment strategies including mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and third-party managed accounts.

Matthew Armendinger is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations. He specializes in helping individuals and families with various financial strategies including employee benefits planning, family wealth management strategies, investment consulting for defined contribution plans, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, tax minimization, and retirement income. Matthew earned his Bachelor's Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and remains actively engaged with his alma mater through the Fairleigh Dickinson Young Alumni Association. His professional involvement extends to volunteering as a guest speaker with ALPFA NJ and supporting the Lupus Foundation for America, New Jersey Chapter. Outside of his professional work, Matthew enjoys baseball, basketball, football, golfing, reading, running, spending time with his family, and practicing yoga. He participates in activities such as running with his run club in Jersey City and competing in indoor golf leagues.

William Frankenstein is a CFP® with 42 years of industry experience, currently serving as an investment advisor representative at Sovran Advisors, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Co., and MetLife Securities Inc. He is also involved with the Foundation for Senior Services, where he discusses financial planning with seniors. Sovran Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable and corporate entities, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $1.78 billion in client assets through a team of about 53 advisors, offering customized portfolio management and diversified investment strategies.

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.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.