Top planning for children with special needs financial advisors in Irvine, 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.

When you have a child with special needs, planning for their lifelong financial security is crucial. Without careful preparation, you might overlook key benefits or protections that can support your child's unique needs.

  • Government benefits navigation. Confirm how the advisor helps you understand and preserve eligibility for programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.
  • Special needs trusts. Ask about setting up trusts that protect your child's assets without jeopardizing benefits.
  • Long-term care planning. Ensure the advisor considers future care costs and housing options tailored to your child's needs.
  • Coordination with professionals. Look for advisors who work closely with attorneys and therapists familiar with special needs planning.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Scott S

Series 63

Irvine, CA

Centaurus Financial, Inc.

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.

Wealth management Private / alternative investments Annuities Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) General tax planning Founder/Business Owner
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Steven H

Series 63, Series 65

Irvine, CA

CWM, LLC

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.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Spencer J

Series 66, Series 63

Irvine, CA

CWM, LLC

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.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Richard L

CFA®

Irvine, CA

White Stork Asset Management LLC

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.

Active portfolio management
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William O

Series 63

Irvine, CA

Applied Financial Planning, Inc.

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.

General tax planning Tax-loss harvesting
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Amanda Q

Series 66

Richmond, VA

Wells Fargo Advisors

Amanda Quicke is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 18 years of industry experience. She has worked at various Wells Fargo entities since 2009. Amanda is a Series 66 license holder and has partial ownership in an investment-related business, Granite Wealth Management, LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing investment and fee-based financial planning services. The firm offers a broad range of planning options using proprietary research and tools, with services tailored to clients who meet specific net-worth criteria.

Divorce financial planning Planning for children with special needs Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting Founder/Business Owner

Rudenca B

Series 66

Livingston, NJ

Merrill

Rudenca Blloshmi serves as a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this role, she helps clients develop personalized wealth management strategies tailored to their individual financial goals. She provides access to Merrill’s investment insights alongside the banking and lending solutions offered by Bank of America. Rudenca focuses on client areas including family wealth management, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, tax minimization, retirement income, special needs planning, managing new wealth, and women and wealth. Rudenca holds multiple professional designations, including Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA), CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA), and Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (SE-AWMA). She attended Pace University without earning a degree and conducts business in both English and Albanian. Rudenca is involved with the Global Albanians Foundation and enjoys baseball, biking, golfing, music, and photography in her personal time.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy General retirement planning Charitable giving & philanthropy Planning for children with special needs Women Professionals Women's Finance

Matthew S

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 63, Series 66

Baytown, TX

Edward Jones

Matthew Seale is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Baytown, TX, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and registered Series 63 and Series 66. He has 21 years of industry experience, all with Edward Jones since 2004. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, managing approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a network of more than 23,700 financial advisors.

Divorce financial planning Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Planning for children with special needs Wealth management Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Lanis W

Series 66

Laguna Niguel, CA

G. A. Repple & Company

Lanis Webb is a financial advisor at G. A. Repple & Company with 25 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with G. A. Repple & Company since 2012. In addition to his advisory role, Webb works as an independent fixed insurance sales agent. G. A. Repple & Company provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including retail individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate entities, employing various analytical approaches to portfolio construction and offering multiple investment program options.

Planning for children with special needs Divorce financial planning General retirement planning
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Evan H

CFP®, CFA®, Series 65, Series 63

Los Altos, CA

Mok Capital Management

Evan Hirano is a CFP® and CFA® with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Mok Capital Management since 2015 and at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments since 2017. Mok Capital Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, living trusts, charities, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm employs a value-oriented investment approach combining fundamental and technical analysis, managing portfolios primarily of stocks, bonds, and ETFs with periodic rebalancing aligned to client objectives.

Planning for children with special needs Elder care planning General estate planning guidance Charitable giving & philanthropy Options & derivatives strategies
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