Top financial advisors working with engineering professionals in Palo Alto, CA

Adam Gensler is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as 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 primarily 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 maintains a close operational relationship with its parent accounting firm.

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.

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.

Nicholas Raffin is the principal advisor at The Raffin Group LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Los Altos Hills, CA. He holds the Series 65 and Series 63 designations and has 11 years of industry experience, including four years at Merrill prior to founding his firm in 2020. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as an advisor and strategic partner to Rowzzy, an AI startup, and is an independent licensed insurance agent. The Raffin Group provides tailored portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, quantitative, technical, and modern-portfolio approaches, favoring low-cost, diversified ETFs and mutual funds, and sponsors a wrap-fee program.

Jacques Shepherd is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with five years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at UBS Financial Services. Shepherd is based in Palo Alto, CA. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with broker-dealer and investment adviser registrations.

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.