Independent, financial coaching / therapy financial advisors in Pasadena, CA

Wan Lin Liao is a financial advisor at Griffinest Asia Asset Management, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Griffinest Asia Management, LLC since 2019 and Griffinest Asia Securities since 2012. Griffinest Asia Asset Management serves high-net-worth and qualified individual investors, as well as corporations and institutional clients, providing discretionary portfolio management, investment advisory, and personal financial planning services. The firm customizes portfolios based on clients’ risk tolerances and objectives and manages approximately $10.27 million in assets across nine accounts.

G Miguel Alves is a CFP® with 21 years of experience in the financial industry, currently serving at Vida Private Wealth LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill Lynch and Cantella & Co., Inc. He is also a general partner of VIDA Vision Fund GP, LLC, a private fund. Vida Private Wealth serves high-net-worth individuals and families with private wealth management, multi-family office services, and financial life planning. The firm emphasizes fiduciary advice and multi-asset portfolios, offering tailored discretionary portfolio management and access to private fund investments for qualified clients.

Alex Chalekian is a financial advisor with Lake Avenue Financial LLC in Pasadena, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at Lake Avenue Financial and its predecessor firms since 2014 and previously spent 17 years at LPL Financial. Outside of advisory work, he is involved with Disrupter Labs, LLC, a real estate investment and consulting business. Lake Avenue Financial LLC serves individual clients, including high-net-worth and non-HNW individuals, as well as brokerage customers and financial institutions. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management using customized asset allocation and model-based strategies, combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis with ongoing supervision and rebalancing.

Mark Lechler is a financial advisor at Pacific Trust Wealth Management in Pasadena, CA, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at J.W. Korth & Company from 2011 to 2017. Pacific Trust Wealth Management is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser serving a small client base with tailored financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm focuses on qualified clients and employs a combination of asset allocation and fundamental analysis through strategies ranging from a Global Macro approach to more conservative risk-hedging methods.

David Hindi is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at OakGrowth Wealth Management LLC, an independent firm he founded in 2020. Prior to that, he worked at Avantax Investment Services, INC. and DH Advisors for 18 years. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed life and health insurance agent, providing related services since 2000. OakGrowth Wealth Management serves individual, high-net-worth, and business clients with investment management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm primarily uses passive investment strategies with non-discretionary account supervision, offering tailored advice on portfolios, cash flow, insurance, retirement, tax, and estate matters.

Darrin Chow is a Financial Consultant currently working at Fidelity Investments since 2022. He has held various roles in the financial services industry, including Senior Financial Consultant at E*TRADE Securities, LLC from 2014 to 2022, Financial Advisor at BancWest Investment Services, Inc. from 2013 to 2014, Financial Solutions Advisor at Merrill Edge from 2011 to 2013, and Paraplanner at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. from 2010 to 2011. His approach involves co-creating customized financial strategies focused on long-term goals, emphasizing individual definitions of financial independence. Darrin holds a California Insurance License. Outside of work, Darrin engages in personal interests such as hiking, movies, music, reading, tennis, and traveling.

David Gilchrist is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He works with a select group of high-net-worth families, executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals, providing comprehensive wealth-planning strategies that address complexity, preserve capital, and support long-term financial objectives. His approach is client-centric and emphasizes understanding clients' financial situations alongside their professional and personal lives to inform sound financial decisions. David specializes in areas including divorce transition planning, executive compensation, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, small business strategies, individual and corporate investment strategy, tax minimization, and retirement income. Prior to joining Merrill, he gained experience in accounting at an estate-planning law firm and as a tax auditor for the City of Los Angeles Office of Finance, applying this background to help clients with tax-aware strategies within their wealth plans. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Loyola Marymount University and a certificate in Accounting from UCLA. Additionally, he has earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation awarded by the Investments & Wealth Institute in conjunction with Yale University. Outside of his professional role, David enjoys golfing, hiking, pickleball, reading, running, soccer, spending time with family, tennis, traveling, and yoga.

We focus on providing honest and personalized life and financial guidance, as independent fiduciary advisors and coaches, to help you achieve your most abundant life. We are comprised of our CEO who is a CPA/PFS, CFP and have psychologists on board for financial and life coaching to accompany our technical advising. Our founder, Abel Soares III, had the vision to build a group of member firms where he would be able to share and utilize his knowledge to give back to those trying to better themselves and their lives. As a devoted husband and proud father of two boys, Abel set out to start a business where he could build a legacy for his family and be available for his family and clients. Abel is part Native Hawai'ian; and he grew up in Southern California, Idaho, and Oahu, Hawai'i. Abel obtained his Masters in Accounting Taxation from Boise State University and went on to work for regional and international CPA and Consulting firms for over 5 years. In these roles, he learned a great deal about various types of business models, industries and the secrets to success. He started his own successful tax and consulting business after obtaining his CPA (Certified Public Accounting License), and soon after discovered his true passion in personal financial planning. After a total of 8 years in the accounting and financial arena, his vision began to grow on how he could best serve clients. Once he obtained his CFP (Certified Financial Planner) and PFS (Personal Financial Specialist) designations, his vision for Hui Malama Advisors LLC and the member firms started coming into focus. Along the way, he noticed that the biggest factor of effective financial management, outside of being educated about finances, was the individual's mindset. This meant that someone with expertise in addressing the human psyche was necessary to provide a more holistic approach to financial planning. Abel set out to find business partners who could help him turn his dreams into a reality. He naturally started with his best partner of all – his wife, Sadé - who is currently completing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology. Together, they made Abel’s vision a reality by incorporating both financial and life coaching; and Hui Malama Advisors LLC was born. Abel has paved his own path into the world of entrepreneur-ism and has also invested in other businesses. He looks forward to using his years of experience in financial planning, consulting, and accounting to assist you in living your most abundant life through The Hui Malama Advisors LLC member firms.

John Foligno has 30+ years of professional work and coaching/mentoring experience, which includes over 10 years of running his own business. Through empathy, active listening and thoughtful counsel, he lives his personal mission by inspiring people to overcome the roadblocks that prevent them from accomplishing their goals, and helps them to find enlightenment, fulfillment, and financial well-being. He specializes in supporting high-net-worth households, although he enjoys working with all manner of people. As a business owner, John learned the hard way how much he would have benefited from a financial steward who understands the myriad challenges of running a business. That experience, coupled with his passion for financial planning, enables him to relieve business owners of the day-to-day concerns of reaching their financial goals, which frees them to focus on their growth and ultimate exit strategy. As a graduate of Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, John studied finance and marketing. John is a member of NAPFA, whose members completed a broad-based advanced education program in financial planning and are trained to provide coordinated advice on issues surrounding a client’s entire financial picture. When he is not fulfilling his fiduciary obligation of putting his client’s interest first, John is sharing time with his wife, Michelle, his daughter, Ruby, and their golden retriever, Honey. He enjoys a healthy lifestyle of strength conditioning and hiking as well as watching sports and reading. John is a first-degree black belt in Goju karate that guides his disciplined approach. He volunteers his time for the honor of helping people with limited financial education to make more informed decisions and has been featured in financial planning media journals to share his insights.

As a former Deputy U.S. Marshal and with a Master's degree in Financial Planning, Charlie brings decades of specialized financial experience to the private sector. His Federal Law Enforcement background gives him distinctive insight into the financial challenges and opportunities facing Federal Employees and specifically, Federal Agents. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Charlie is the Lead Financial Planner of Charles Michael Financial, a Fee-Only Financial Planning firm serving Federal Agent families nationwide. Charlie also founded and runs the MoneyArmor™ Membership at Charles Michael Financial, which focuses on financial coaching and educational resources designed specifically for Federal Agents & Heroes. As a Certified Financial Planner, Charlie follows the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. The complex knowledge required to obtain and maintain this professional designation helps Charlie develop extensive financial plans that hardworking people deserve. When he's not helping clients navigate their financial futures, Charlie embraces the "Work Optional" lifestyle by specializing in outdoor family adventures and enjoying great food and friends around the fire pit. He’s often found perfecting his ping-pong skills (where he claims an undefeated status), writing, and sharing amateur dog training tips with anyone willing to listen.

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.