CFP®-certified, charitable giving tax strategies 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 have significant assets and want to support causes you care about, charitable giving tax strategies can help you maximize your impact while managing your tax bill. Without careful planning, you might miss opportunities to reduce taxes or unintentionally limit your giving potential. CFP® certification means these advisors have formal training in financial planning, including tax considerations related to charitable gifts.

  • Gift timing and tax impact. Ask how they recommend scheduling donations to balance your tax benefits with your cash flow needs.
  • Donation vehicle choices. Confirm whether they discuss options like donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, or direct gifts, and how each affects your taxes.
  • Integration with estate plans. Check if they coordinate charitable giving strategies with your will or trust to align with your long-term goals.
  • Local tax considerations. Since California has high income taxes but limits on property tax increases, ask how they tailor strategies to your state tax situation.

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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Keith E

CFP®

Pittsburgh, PA

Keith L. Eliou, CFP

Keith Eliou is the principal of Keith L. Eliou, CFP, an investment management firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. He holds the CFP® designation and has one year of experience as a financial advisor. In addition to his advisory role, he practices law focusing on elder law and real estate and is involved in insurance, mortgage lending, and real estate brokerage businesses. The firm primarily serves pooled vehicles and institutional accounts, offering portfolio management, retirement plan services, and financial planning. It utilizes an open-architecture investment approach with third-party money managers and employs multiple analytical methods and strategies, conducting annual account reviews.

Social Security optimization Retirement income strategy Cash flow / budgeting Charitable giving tax strategies Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner
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Mark K

Series 63, Series 65

Mandeville, LA

Meridian Wealth Management, LLC

Mark Kebodeaux is a financial advisor at Meridian Wealth Management, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. He previously worked for First Financial for 10 years before joining Meridian in 2023. Kebodeaux holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Meridian Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing equities, ETFs, mutual funds, fixed income, and alternative investments with ongoing monitoring and rebalancing.

Retirement income strategy Charitable giving tax strategies Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Mark P

Series 66

Conneaut Lake, PA

Lakeland Investor Services, Inc.

Mark Petro is a financial advisor at Lakeland Investor Services, Inc. in Conneaut Lake, PA, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at the firm since 2002. He is also president of Lakeland Insurance Services, LLC, a business he established to handle insurance sales and related operations. Lakeland Investor Services provides fee-based wealth advisory and investment management services to individuals, multi-generational families, high-net-worth clients, small non-profit organizations, small businesses, and qualified retirement plans. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, portfolio management, and uses a variety of analytical approaches including fundamental, technical, and Monte Carlo modeling.

Social Security optimization Retirement income strategy Annuities
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Kaylin O

Series 65

Pittsburgh, PA

Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, LP

Kaylin Olster is a financial advisor at Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors, LP with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Corient, Odyssey Capital Advisors, and has an academic background from Temple University. Schneider Downs Wealth Management Advisors serves high-net-worth individuals, families, trustees, endowments, and qualified retirement plan sponsors and trustees. The firm employs a committee-driven investment process to manage diversified portfolios and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management along with retirement plan consulting and tax-aware planning strategies.

Tax-loss harvesting Charitable giving tax strategies Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Wealth management Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner Retired
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Angelo R

CFP®, Series 65

Hunt Valley, MD

SC&H Wealth

Angelo Romano is a CFP® with six years of experience in the financial services industry, currently serving as an advisor at SC&H Wealth. His prior experience includes roles at MECU, ADP, and APGFCU. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed insurance agent involved in the sale of insurance-related products. SC&H Wealth serves individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, small businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a team approach combining CPAs and CFP® professionals to provide tailored financial planning, asset management, retirement consulting, and tax preparation services.

General tax planning Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Charitable giving tax strategies Wealth management Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) Mid-Career Professionals
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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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Elanna G

CFP®, Series 66

Cleveland, OH

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

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.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Annuities Self-Employed
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Ethan S

CFP®, Series 65

Auburn Hills, MI

Plante Moran financial advisors

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.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jace H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 66

Rockwall, TX

Rockwall Wealth Management

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.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

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.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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