CFP®-certified, passive / index investing financial advisors in Palo Alto, CA

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Thomas Trefzger is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Hantz Financial Services, Inc. since 2018 and previously held roles at Sprint and Cleveland State University. Hantz Financial Services, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business owners. The firm offers financial planning and wealth management primarily through ETF-based model portfolios across five risk levels, supplemented by third-party managers and Direct Indexing, and combines advisory, broker-dealer, mortgage, and insurance activities under one platform.

Matthew Mc Bride is a CFA® charterholder and Series 65 licensee with three years of industry experience. He has worked at One Day In July LLC since 2023 and previously held positions at the University of Vermont and Saint Michael's College. Outside of financial advising, he is involved in a self storage business focusing on facility valuation and market research. One Day In July LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and pension plans. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach centered on passive, low-cost ETFs, supplemented by periodic rebalancing and limited short-term trades, and offers an optional environmental investing strategy.

Timothy Egan is a financial advisor at First Manhattan Co. LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. First Manhattan Co. LLC provides investment management and financial planning primarily for high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, private investment vehicles, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on long-term, research-driven, value-oriented management of equity and fixed-income portfolios, combining active management with passive fund investments and integrated wealth planning.

Ryan Vollweiler is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory Inc., having worked there since 2021, and has been affiliated with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. since 2017. His prior experience includes roles at VOYA Financial Advisors, Cetera Advisors LLC, Equitable Advisors, and Valic Financial Advisors. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning primarily to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients. The firm uses proprietary asset-allocation models and internal research tools to tailor recommendations to client goals and risk tolerance, while trades are executed only with client authorization.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.