Top private / alternative investments financial advisors in Salinas, 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 outside traditional stocks and bonds, like private equity or hedge funds, you need an advisor who understands these complex investments. Without that expertise, you might face hidden risks or miss opportunities unique to private and alternative assets.

  • Risk assessment nuances. Private and alternative investments often lack liquidity and transparent pricing; ask how the advisor evaluates and manages these risks.
  • Tax implications. These investments can have complicated tax treatments, especially in California with its high income taxes; confirm how the advisor plans around these.
  • Portfolio integration. Effective advisors explain how private assets fit with your overall portfolio goals and cash flow needs, not just their standalone merits.
  • Due diligence process. Inquire about their approach to vetting private investment opportunities to avoid pitfalls and align with your risk tolerance.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Mary M

Series 63, Series 65

Salinas, CA

Primerica Advisors

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting Income planning
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George W

Series 65

Salinas, CA

Saratoga Research & Investment Management

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.

Wealth management Active portfolio management Charitable giving & philanthropy
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John M

Series 63

Salinas, CA

Momentum Independent Network Inc.

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.

Tax-loss harvesting Wealth management Retirement income strategy Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive
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David J

Series 66

Salinas, CA

Ameriprise

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.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Ian E

Series 66

Salinas, CA

J.P. Morgan Securities

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.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

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.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Thomas T

Series 66

Independence, OH

Hantz financial Services, Inc.

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.

Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Tax-loss harvesting Business ownership considerations Retirement withdrawal strategies Founder/Business Owner Executive
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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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Richard B

Series 63, Series 66

Austin, TX

Charles Schwab

Richard Brandi is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank ssb since 2003 and 2005, respectively. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary investment guidance, leveraging multi-asset model portfolios and research from its Schwab Center for Financial Research.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Multi-state taxation College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Geoffrey T

Series 66

Chicago, IL

Sanctuary Advisors, LLC

Geoffrey Tomes is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Noyes Advisors LLC for 11 years and David A Noyes & Company for 26 years. His other business activities include involvement in fixed life and health insurance and fixed annuities. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of over 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services employing various analytical approaches and maintains distinctive features such as negotiated performance-based fees for large institutional clients and affiliations with specialized asset management firms.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Cash flow / budgeting General retirement planning
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