Top business succession planning financial advisors in San Diego, 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're preparing to transfer your business ownership or retire, you need an advisor who understands the complexities of business succession planning. A common mistake is overlooking how tax laws and property valuations affect the timing and structure of your exit.

  • Tax impact awareness. Confirm how they navigate California's high income taxes alongside Proposition 13, which can limit property tax increases, to optimize your succession plan.
  • Ownership transition strategies. Ask how they balance keeping the business operational with your personal financial goals during the handover.
  • Stakeholder coordination. Effective succession involves aligning interests of family, partners, and employees; check how they manage these relationships.
  • Valuation expertise. Ensure they can accurately assess your business's worth to inform fair and strategic succession decisions.

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

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Vincent N

Series 63, Series 66

San Diego, CA

Commonwealth Financial Network

Vincent Neal is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in San Diego, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Sagepoint Financial, Independent Financial Group, and multiple Cetera entities. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and managing approximately $213 billion in client assets. The firm offers a broad range of adviser support, including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Tax-loss harvesting Wealth management Retirement income strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired
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Sanford F

Series 66, Series 65

San Diego, CA

integrity Advisory Solutions

Sanford Fisch is a financial advisor at Integrity Advisory Solutions with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has been involved in the legal field as a partner at Armstrong, Fisch, and Tutoli Law Firm since 1989. He is also CEO of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, a membership organization focused on estate planning. Integrity Advisory Solutions serves individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and other business clients through a network of about 100 independent advisors, managing approximately $1.1 billion in client assets. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and other services, utilizing asset allocation frameworks and third-party platforms to tailor investment strategies.

Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jack H

Series 63, Series 65

San Diego, CA

Centurion Counsel Inc

Jack Heilbron is a financial advisor at Centurion Counsel Inc with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has held leadership roles in various companies, including serving as president of Puppy Toes, Inc., a non-investment related holding company. Centurion Counsel offers a discretionary Strategic Asset Allocation wrap-fee program for individual and institutional investors, managing approximately $57.4 million with a focus on broad asset-class diversification and risk management guided by Modern Portfolio Theory. The firm serves a small client base including trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations.

Wealth management Passive / index investing
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Kevin S

CFP®

San Diego, CA

Pacific Capital Associates

Kevin Stone is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with Pacific Capital Associates in San Diego, CA, since 1991. Pacific Capital Associates serves individual clients, trusts, retirement plans, and business entities, providing portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and account monitoring. The firm employs a valuation-driven, value investing strategy with global diversification and emphasizes cost control through low-cost index ETFs alongside selective use of actively managed funds.

Active portfolio management Passive / index investing Options & derivatives strategies
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Vi L

Series 63, Series 66

San Diego, CA

Transamerica Financial Advisors

Vi Lieu is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 21 years of industry experience. She has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2017, with a brief interval, and has been associated with Wfgia since 2011. Her other business activities include the sale of insurance and non-insurance products affiliated with Transamerica Financial Advisors. Transamerica Financial Advisors, LLC serves a broad client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, through a large network of advisors and multiple program platforms. The firm’s advisory model primarily utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers, offering services such as the Transamerica ONE and TFA365 Advisory Programs, with regulatory assets under management around $1.7 billion.

ESG / Sustainable investing Concentrated stock management Wealth management Founder/Business Owner
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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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Michael I

Series 63, Series 65

Livingston, NJ

Raymond James Financial

Michael Ipp is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors since 2010 and serves as an independent contractor for 1792 Wealth Advisors. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and uses analytical tools to support client decision-making, while also maintaining specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and SIMPLE IRA Employer Advisory & Consulting Services.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jeffrey M

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Greenville, DE

Investment Management & Planning LLC

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.

General retirement planning Business succession planning Tax strategies for small businesses Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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Patrick F

Series 66

New Market, MD

Intentional

Patrick Ferguson is a financial advisor at Intentional with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Commonwealth Financial Network, and LPL Financial. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Intentional provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm offers pension consulting, estate planning support, business exit planning, and due diligence on alternative investments, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis within a fiduciary framework.

Business exit / sale strategy Multi-generational wealth transfer Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner
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Jerald L

Series 63

San Antonio, TX

Frost Investment Services

Jerald Liesman is a financial advisor at Frost Investment Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. and Frost Bank since 1993 and 1987, respectively. Frost Investment Services is a retail-focused, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and managed account programs that integrate model portfolios from its affiliate with third-party managers, utilizing a research-driven investment process and providing optional tax and ESG overlay services.

Tax-loss harvesting ESG / Sustainable investing Retirement income strategy General estate planning guidance Business succession planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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