Top financial advisors working with gen x clients in Santa Clara, CA

Steven Duffy is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 1992 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the Lay Pension Board, Investment Committee, and Finance Council for the Diocese of San Jose, overseeing and reviewing the management of their investment pool. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm operates a nationwide network of more than 23,700 financial advisors and offers a range of advisory programs, tax-efficient services, and affiliated investment products under a fiduciary standard.

Hongze Chen is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at MassMutual Investors Services since 2017 and has been affiliated with MassMutual Life Insurance Company since 2016. Prior to that, he spent 18 years at Metlife Securities Inc. MassMutual 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, and educational seminars, with planning engagements structured as annual collaborative relationships using firm-approved analytical tools.

Syed Ali is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., J.P. Morgan Securities, Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, and Wells Fargo Bank NA. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting through a team of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Dan Wang is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 28 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has held roles at several firms, including Dream Builder Financial and Silicon Valley Enterprise, where he serves as treasurer. Wang is also involved in insurance product sales affiliated with his primary firm. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers advisory and broker-dealer services with proprietary and third-party model portfolios, providing discretionary and non-discretionary investment options.

Hanyu Zhao is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. Zhao's career includes multiple roles at Charles Schwab Bank and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. since 2016, as well as prior experience with JP Morgan Chase Bank and JP Morgan Securities. 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 combines non-discretionary advisory guidance with access to discretionary separately managed accounts, supported by centralized custody and operational infrastructure.

Michelle Vargas, Certified Financial Planner™ is the President of Waymaker Financial Planning, a Fee-Only firm that provides transparent and accessible financial guidance. She enjoys helping clients navigate and plan all aspects of their financial life so that they will worry less about their future and free up more time to spend doing what they love. After earning a degree in Finance from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1990, she moved to Florida and started her career with Harcourt Brace Publishing. Her journey into personal finance began when she signed up for her 401K and wanted to learn about additional options to plan for retirement. This eventually led to working as a financial advisor and completing the extensive education requirements for becoming a CFP® in 1998. She believes her experience as a young professional searching for unbiased advice enables her to better serve Gen XY professionals because she remembers what it was like being in their shoes. As a former homeschool parent and the wife of a federal employee, she is passionate about helping women, homeschool families, and federal workers plan wisely for a comfortable financial future. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in Colorado, barbecuing with family, and working in her garden.

Many blue-collar business owners spend years building successful companies but struggle with inconsistent cash flow, high taxes, and uncertainty about how to turn their business into a secure retirement. Unlike most financial firms that focus primarily on investments, I take a planning-first approach that connects your business strategy with your personal financial goals. As a CFP® professional and fee-only fiduciary advisor with 10+ years of experience, I help business owners integrate cash flow planning, tax strategies, risk management, retirement planning, and investments into one coordinated plan. Having experienced the challenges of business ownership firsthand and growing up in a family business, I understand that your business is often your largest asset. My goal is to provide the guidance and strategy business owners need to protect what they've built and create financial freedom beyond their business.

I believe that everyone should have access to a professional advisor who understands their needs and can help them achieve the lifestyle they desire. As a financial advisor, I am dedicated to learning about your personal goals and using them to build a retirement plan tailored to your unique situation. NexJenn Financial Services was founded in response to the demand for financial planning from my tax clients. Often squeezed between spending for their kids’ education, caring for an elderly relative and saving for their own retirement, many were anxious about their financial future. I have enjoyed helping my clients find a balance and focus on building a strong financial future. I am a CPA® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional®, as well as a Retirement Income Certified Professional®. Additionally, I am a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors and the XY Planning Network. In my spare time, my husband and I volunteer at a homeless shelter. I also love to bike and travel and am an aspiring photographer. I have been married for 30 years and together with my awesome husband, we’ve raised three awesome kids.

I'm a fiduciary & CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER living in Indianapolis, Indiana but serving clients nationwide. For years I've helped individuals and families plan for retirement and other imporant financial decisions. In college, I studied economics with a concentration in finance. After college, I worked for large wealth management firm in Indiana and then a boutique financial advising office specializing in retirement planning. That firm was later acquired and after a few years working for the acquiring firm I left to start WealthGuides. As an advisor I've worked with clients age 22 to 92. While I've worked with a wide range of people, I've always found my passion was with working with people to create a plan for retirement. As an advisor I provide guidance to my clients on taxes, their investment portfolios, estate planning, & charitable giving amongst others areas. I show people where they can save on taxes and I give clarity and strategies for how my clients can maximize the potential for what they can spend on themselves and give to others. On the personal side I'm a runner, a reader, a cat dad, and a traveler. I also enjoy sipping on a nice glass of wine or whiskey.

I am a seasoned technology professional and an entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. I have experience starting and running a software company that was venture-funded and subsequently acquired by a public company. During my high-tech career, I got intrigued by money matters such as savings, investments, insurance, taxes in order to achieve my family's financial goals. Out of curiosity, I spent time reading and researching various aspects of personal finance. I realized that there are a growing number of financial options available with increasing complexity in these choices. My passion towards financial planning ultimately resulted in pursuing formal education in financial planning, subsequently completing the CFP Board requirements to be a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional. I launched Encover Personal Finance in 2018, primarily to help technology professionals achieve their financial life goals based on my own experience. I believe in serving clients honestly and transparently in a conflict-free manner. https://www.encoverpersonalfinance.com/about