Top general estate planning guidance financial advisors in Salinas, CA

Mary Myles is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Seaside, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 36 years of industry experience. She has worked with Primerica Advisors since 1989 and Primerica Financial Services since 1991. Prior to this, she was employed by the State of California from 2001 to 2017. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a retail store in Blytheville, Arkansas, called Hudson's Corner. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, providing model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed account options primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm curates third-party asset managers and employs a tiered wrap-fee structure rather than fixed fees.

George Wehrfritz is a financial advisor at Saratoga Research & Investment Management with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Saratoga Research & Investment Management since 2009. Saratoga Research & Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and various institutional clients such as pension plans, endowments, and registered investment companies. The firm employs a long-only, concentrated large-cap equity approach using quantitative and qualitative analysis, managing approximately $2.5 billion across about 2,800 clients.

John Madonna is a financial advisor at Momentum Independent Network Inc. with 42 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and previously worked at Hilltop Securities, Inc. for 38 years. Momentum Independent Network serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, charitable, corporate, institutional, and banking clients. The firm offers advisory and brokerage services through a platform model that integrates third-party managers and specialized municipal bond strategies sponsored by Hilltop affiliates.

David Jenkins is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Salinas, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Jenkins serves on the board of directors for Partners for Peace, a local nonprofit organization. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services targeted at individuals nearing or in retirement with significant investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver personalized, non-discretionary recommendations and offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions.

Ian Edwards is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior work experience with Monterey One Water and the United States Air Force Reserve. His current roles also include positions at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors through its Institutional Consulting Services program. The firm combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and applies an ESG eligibility framework when developing investment recommendations.

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

Kayla Santos is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Warwick, RI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services since 2017 and previously at MetLife Securities. In addition to her advisory role, Santos is an independent insurance agent, offering life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance products. Mass Mutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, wrap and money-manager programs, and educational seminars, structuring engagements as annual collaborative relationships focused on goal analysis and written recommendations.

Gordon Brown III is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2008. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment options, operating under a fiduciary standard.

William Soltow is a financial advisor at Smith & Wyatt with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at CoreCap Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he is the founder of Frontier Wealth Management and serves as an independent insurance agent with Goosehead Insurance. Smith & Wyatt serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and corporations, managing approximately $207 million across 724 clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, estate-planning consulting, and specialized educational programs, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs as primary investment vehicles.

Thaddeus Phelps is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC since 2019 and previously spent 14 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Phelps owns a tax preparation business and an accounting support service, and he serves in fiduciary roles such as trustee and executor. Advance Wealth Management Service, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management through a wrap asset management program and emphasizes an individualized approach with asset allocation supported by fundamental, sector, and technical analysis, including risk management strategies such as put options and conservative cash instruments.