Top financial advisors working with engineering professionals in Irvine, CA

Scott Schiffer is a financial advisor at Centaurus Financial, Inc. in Irvine, CA, with 27 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 accountants. Centaurus Financial, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, businesses, and foundations. The firm provides financial planning, portfolio management through the CLASSIC Plus platform, retirement-plan consulting, and specialized advisory services, employing both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements supported by a mix of fundamental and technical analysis.

Steven Henningson is a financial advisor with CWM, LLC in Irvine, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Cetera and Applied Financial Planning. Outside of his advisory work, he volunteers on the advisory board of The Effect Recovery Ministry and supports the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth families, foundations, endowments, corporations, and institutional clients through a large network of partner offices. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, sub-advisory, and retirement plan services using model portfolios, a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, and access to alternative investments.

Spencer Johnston is a financial advisor with CWM, LLC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 designations and five years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Thrivent Financial and Ameriprise Financial Services, among others. Johnston serves as a relationship manager providing operational support, paraplanning, and client service. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth families, foundations, endowments, corporations, and institutional clients through a network of over 600 advisors. The firm employs a discretionary investment approach using model portfolios overseen by an in-house Investment Committee and offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan solutions.

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.

Erik Pelletier is a Financial Advisor with the Carcieri & Bock Group at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Providence, Rhode Island. He transitioned into financial advising after a career as an engineer in the automotive and aerospace & defense industries. Erik applies engineering principles such as system analysis, evaluating tradeoffs, and planning for uncertainty to help clients achieve their financial goals in a structured and thoughtful way. He specializes in assisting executives, STEM professionals, business owners, and families with complex financial decisions. His areas of focus include executive compensation planning, tax-efficient strategies, equity compensation and concentrated stock planning, business exit strategy, retirement planning, and multi-generational wealth and legacy planning. His clientele often face decisions related to executive compensation, equity awards, stock positions, tax planning, retirement, business ownership, and legacy considerations. Erik holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in German Language from the University of Rhode Island. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He remains active in professional communities as a member of the German American Business Council of Boston and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.

Adam Nobs is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2024, he held positions at Traylor Bros and Sensors Inc, and attended the University of Denver from 2020 to 2024. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of investment solutions, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

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.

Focused on creating an organization that could provide comprehensive and integrated investment management, financial, tax and estate planning, and business advisory services. Today, Hoeven Wealth has a comprehensive network of partners to ensure continuity and consistency across your financial life. Though originally from the Netherlands, Brennain is nearly a lifelong native of the Northwest. He completed his undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Business Administration at University of Washington and postgraduate in Financial Strategy at University of Oxford, graduating with Distinction.

On her website, it states, “I love what I do, but I also very much enjoy warmth, good conversation, wine tastings, and volunteering. New York is extraordinary in the summer and fall, but so is Florida in the winter.” In 2018, she decided it was time to take the stigma out of finances by combining her passion for finances and wine. She started a podcast called “Wine and Dime,” which highlights a different wine and financial topic each week, and she released her book combining those same two passions, titled, “Uncork Your Finances.” Many know her as one of the co-founders of the Southern Tier Women’s Financial Conference – a day of collaboration and financial education, which will be hosting its sixth year! Education and Experience: - Amy holds a Master’s Degree in financial planning - Certified Financial Planner TM - Enrolled Agent - Certified College Financial Consultant - Certified Financial Therapist TM - Over 30 years of financial planning and industry experience. She is the Founder and owner of Rooted Planning Group, (Formerly known as Irvine Wealth Planning Strategies LLC) who uniquely, at the age of 44, decided to not only start her only company, but to act on what she defined as her perfect life and she splits her time between Parrish, Florida and Jasper, New York.