Independent, business sale tax planning financial advisors in Palo Alto, 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 recently sold a business, you need an advisor who understands how to manage the complex tax implications that come with that event. Without expertise in business sale tax planning, you risk missing opportunities to reduce your tax burden and protect your proceeds.

  • Tax timing strategies. Ask how they help you decide when to recognize income or capital gains to minimize taxes over multiple years.
  • State tax nuances. California’s high income taxes and Proposition 13 property tax limits can affect your planning; confirm they incorporate these local rules.
  • Independent advice. Being independent means these advisors aren’t tied to specific products, which can help keep recommendations focused on your goals.
  • Integration with other plans. Check how they coordinate your sale tax planning with retirement, estate, and investment strategies to avoid costly gaps.

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

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Adam G

CFP®, Series 65

Palo Alto, CA

Frank, Rimerman Advisors LLC

Adam Gensler is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience and is currently a financial advisor at Frank, Rimerman Advisors LLC in Palo Alto, CA. He has been a tax partner at Frank, Rimerman & Co. LLP, a public accounting firm, since 2012. Frank, Rimerman Advisors LLC provides financial planning, wealth management, and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals, qualified investors, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and select limited liability companies. The firm employs a long-term, individualized investment approach with diversified portfolios and conducts ongoing client reviews.

Wealth management Passive / index investing
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Lavina N

CFP®, Series 65

Palo Alto, CA

Maya Advisors, Inc.

Lavina Nagar is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. She has been with Maya Advisors, Inc., an independent firm based in Menlo Park, CA, since 2008. Maya Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as charitable organizations, offering investment and portfolio management, financial planning, and advisory services for donor-advised funds through Schwab Charitable. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes long-term fundamental analysis, utilizing low-cost diversified mutual funds and ETFs, and provides a notable client-managed program for self-directed investors.

General retirement planning
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Kanaka S

CFP®, Series 63

Los Altos, CA

Gates Pass Advisors, LLC

Kanaka Szabo Cummings is a CFP® with 27 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has been with Gates Pass Advisors, LLC since 2015. Gates Pass Advisors, LLC provides comprehensive financial planning and ongoing wealth management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes financial-planning-driven asset allocation, diversification, and tax-aware management, typically implementing strategies through third-party independent managers on a turn-key platform.

General retirement planning Income planning General tax planning Wealth management Founder/Business Owner Executive HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) Established Professionals
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Nicholas R

Series 63, Series 65

Los Altos Hills, CA

The Raffin Group LLC

Nicholas Raffin is a financial advisor at The Raffin Group LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Merrill from 2016 to 2020. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an advisor and strategic partner to Rowzzy, an AI startup focused on Natural Vision Understanding technology. The Raffin Group is an independent advisory firm that provides tailored portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a range of investment approaches, including model allocations with low-cost ETFs and mutual funds, and offers discretionary portfolio management, standalone financial planning, and a wrap-fee program.

Options & derivatives strategies Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet)
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Jacques S

Series 66

Palo Alto, CA

J.P. Morgan Securities

Jacques Shepherd is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Palo Alto, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank since 2021 and previously held positions at UBS Financial Services and UBS. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program, combining quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework in its investment recommendations.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Ethan S

Series 65

St. Louis, MO

Focus Partners Wealth, LLC

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.

Options & derivatives strategies Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business sale tax planning Dentist Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Established Professionals Approaching retirement Values-based investing
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Brian M

Series 65

Watkinsville, GA

Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Business sale tax planning Retirement income strategy Executive Founder/Business Owner Retired HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) Mid-Career Professionals
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Rodney L

Series 63, Series 66

Boston, MA

Flagship Harbor Advisors, LLC

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.

Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management Business sale tax planning Founder/Business Owner Executive

Matthew A

Series 66

Florham Park, NJ

Merrill

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.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Business sale tax planning
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William F

CFP®, Series 63

San Diego, CA

Sovran Advisors, LLC

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.

Business sale tax planning Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

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.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

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.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

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.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner

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