Independent financial advisors working with retirees in Ontario, CA

Saad El Hajjaoui is a CFP® certificant and financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He is currently with Xel Wealth Management, Inc. and has prior experience at Falcon Wealth and JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. Outside of financial advising, he is a partner in Olve Branch Medical Corp, a medical billing and practice consulting business. Xel Wealth Management, Inc. offers portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities without account minimums. The firm employs a range of analytical methods and strategies, and it integrates tax preparation and planning into its offerings while utilizing artificial intelligence tools and sponsoring a wrap fee program uncommon among similar-sized independent advisors.

Kimberly Neal is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise since 2005 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Outside of her advisory role, she is employed by Mission Partnership Group LLC. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service aimed at individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets, providing written Recommendation Reports that address income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored, non-discretionary recommendations through a centralized consulting team.

Patricia Garcia is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Ontario, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. She has previously worked at Corkys, Mifflin Dunder Inc, and Primerica Financial Services. Outside of her advisory role, Patricia works as an independent delivery driver for Uber Eats. Primerica Advisors sponsors a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual, corporate, and charitable clients, primarily through model-delivery strategies managed by third parties. The firm operates at scale with thousands of advisors and offices, offering a range of portfolio models including strategic, tactical, and tax-managed approaches.

Hal Burns is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Ontario, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Avantax Advisory Services and related firms from 2015 to 2021 and currently operates Burns Tax & Wealth Management and Hal Burns & Associates, providing tax preparation and accounting services. Burns also provides investment advisory services through Verus Capital Partners, LLC, an independent registered investment advisor. LPL Financial offers advisory and brokerage services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm supports its advisors with in-house research and a variety of investment solutions, combining advisory capabilities with non-advisory products such as insurance and lending services.

Omar Nasir is a financial advisor at Pierpont Investment Group, LLC in Ontario, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Pierpont Investment Group since 2011. Pierpont Investment Group serves individual and high-net-worth clients by offering discretionary investment portfolio management as well as financial planning and consulting. The firm uses a customized, long-term approach to portfolio construction, employing ETFs, individual equities, fixed income securities, and, when appropriate, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and covered call options.

Omar Esparza is a financial advisor at VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with VOYA Financial Advisors and its affiliates since 2010, including prior roles at Principal Financial Services. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services through a large network of advisors, utilizing model portfolios, third-party managers, and technology-enabled tools across non-discretionary and discretionary account arrangements.

Daniel Esquirell is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC since 2022 and previously worked for Asset Planning Services, Ltd for 15 years. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC provides wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, foundations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporations. The firm employs an open-architecture, multi-manager investment approach combining passive and active strategies within a tax-sensitive, disciplined process.

William Hurt is a financial advisor at Arax Advisory Partners with 26 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked at firms including U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors and Sanders Morris LLC. Arax Advisory Partners provides wealth management and advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients, family offices, institutions, and businesses. The firm employs a fiduciary approach, utilizing in-house portfolio teams, independent managers, and a blend of traditional and alternative investments.

Jeffrey Meenes is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with 15 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Meenes Wealth Partners in Shrewsbury, MA, and has worked at Blueprint Financial Planning, LLC since 2010. Meenes Wealth Partners provides flat-fee, fiduciary wealth management and comprehensive financial planning services primarily to pre-retiree and retiree households. The firm follows an evidence-based investment approach emphasizing global diversification, cost efficiency, and tax-aware portfolio management, operating on a non-discretionary basis with a small, hands-on client base.

Scott Pinheiro is a Senior Consultant with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing extensive experience to his role since joining the firm in 2015. He has been involved in the financial services industry since 1979. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University and professional designations including Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) from the American College of Financial Services. Scott specializes in working with executives and retirees from major banks and insurance companies, managing client accounts typically ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000. His expertise encompasses a disciplined financial process tailored to clients’ unique situations, including college education planning, family wealth management, retirement income, tax minimization, and socially responsible investing. As a Senior Portfolio Advisor, he also builds and manages customized investment strategies utilizing Merrill model portfolios and third-party investments. In addition to his professional work, Scott is committed to community involvement through his participation with the local Optimist Club. He resides near Princeton, New Jersey with his wife of 40 years and their Yorkshire terrier. Personal interests include cooking, fishing, golfing, reading, and traveling.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.