Top financial advisors working with gen x clients in Santa Monica, 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 in your Gen X years, you might be juggling peak earning, saving for college, and planning for retirement all at once. Without advisors who understand these overlapping priorities, you risk missing opportunities to balance growth and protection effectively.

  • Tax-aware planning. Look for advisors who consider California's high income taxes alongside Proposition 13's property tax limits to optimize your overall tax strategy.
  • Midlife cash flow management. Ask how they help manage expenses like education costs and mortgage payments while still funding retirement goals.
  • Retirement timing insight. Confirm they model Social Security and retirement account withdrawals to fit your unique Gen X timeline.
  • Investment risk calibration. Ensure they adjust portfolios to reflect your stage in life, balancing growth potential with risk tolerance.

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

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Robert J

Series 66

Santa Monica, CA

Victus Capital Wealth

Robert Jones is a financial advisor at Victus Capital Wealth with 21 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Victus Capital Wealth since 2014, as well as Beverly Hills Wealth Management, LLC since 2011. Victus Capital Wealth serves individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and business entities by providing portfolio management and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across various investment strategies while maintaining a fiduciary standard in monitoring and rebalancing portfolios.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments
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Skip Z

Series 66

Santa Monica, CA

Ocean Avenue Wealth Management

Skip Zwahlen is a financial advisor at Ocean Avenue Wealth Management in Santa Monica, CA, with 19 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Ocean Avenue Wealth Management since 2010. Zwahlen is also a licensed insurance agent and occasionally offers clients commissionable insurance products. Ocean Avenue Wealth Management provides ongoing portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs multiple analytical methods and implements a range of strategies without accepting investment discretion, maintaining client authorization for trading and execution.

Options & derivatives strategies Real estate investing Annuities
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Ravin W

Series 63, Series 66

Santa Monica, CA

Thrivent Investment Management

Ravin Walters is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has previously worked at firms including Royal Alliance Associates, Bank of America, Merrill, and Charles Schwab. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, offering both one-time and ongoing planning engagements. The firm delivers holistic, goal-based analyses across a broad range of planning topics and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account services under a consolidated billing option called WealthPlan.

Business ownership considerations
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Michael H

CFP®, Series 66

Santa Monica, CA

McDonald Hartman Wealth Advisors

Michael Hartman is a CFP® professional with 12 years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal of McDonald Hartman Wealth Advisors, an independent firm he joined in 2022. His prior roles include positions at Mutual Advisors, LLC, Kaye Capital Management, WealthSource Partners, LLC, and Reilly Financial Advisors LLC. McDonald Hartman Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $26.3 million in assets. The firm focuses on tailored advice based on client objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance, employing various strategies including asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, and technical analysis.

Wealth management
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Devon G

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 65

Santa Monica, CA

Serenus Wealth Advisors, LLC

Devon Galindo is a CFP®, ChFC®, and holds a Series 65 license with 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Serenus Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2024 and previously spent 10 years at Camden Capital, LLC. Serenus Wealth Advisors is an SEC-registered firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive portfolio management and standalone financial planning. The firm employs a diverse investment approach that includes fundamental and technical analysis, quantitative models, and third-party manager due diligence, emphasizing asset allocation, duration management, and periodic rebalancing.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments

Michelle V

CFP®

Fort Worth, TX

Waymaker Financial Planning

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.

General retirement planning Tax strategies for small businesses Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Government Employee Christian Faith Based Gen X (Born 1965-1980) Women Professionals

Marc L

CFP®

Waterford, CT

In the Money Retirement Planning Limited Liability Company

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.

Business ownership considerations Business Financial Management Business exit / sale strategy Gen X (Born 1965-1980)

Maggie B

CFP®, CPA, RICP®

Naperville, IL

NexJenn Financial Services

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.

General retirement planning Elder care planning Sandwich Generation Gen X (Born 1965-1980)

Sam W

CFP®

Indianapolis, IN

WealthGuides LLC

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.

General retirement planning General tax planning Inherited wealth Gen X (Born 1965-1980)

Sri K

CFP®

Fremont, CA

Encover Personal Finance

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

Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Self-Employed Technology Professional Mid-Career Professionals Gen X (Born 1965-1980)

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