Top financial advisors working with educators, teachers, and academics in Tustin, 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 work in education or academia, your financial planning needs often include managing irregular income cycles and planning for retirement with public pension systems. A common mistake is overlooking how your unique income patterns and benefits affect your long-term financial goals.

  • Pension integration. Confirm how the advisor incorporates your public pension benefits into your overall retirement plan, not just investment accounts.
  • Income timing strategies. Ask how they handle summer breaks and sabbaticals that affect your cash flow and savings potential.
  • Tax considerations. California's high income taxes and Proposition 13 property tax limits can impact your planning; see how they navigate these rules for educators.
  • Education-specific benefits. Inquire about their experience with loan forgiveness programs and other educator-related financial perks.

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

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Tu T

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Tustin, CA

Crosspoint Financial, LLC

Tu Tran is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 27 years of industry experience. He is the founder and principal of Crosspoint Financial, LLC, where he has worked since 2017, and he previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. from 2005 to 2017. Tran is also affiliated with Alexander Capital, LP and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Crosspoint Financial, LLC provides asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm manages $138.4 million in discretionary assets and serves 264 client relationships, using a broad investment toolkit and a fiduciary advisory approach.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Concentrated stock management
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Michael S

CFA®

Tustin, CA

21 West Wealth Management LLC

Michael Silane is a CFA® charterholder with six years of industry experience. He has worked at 21 West Wealth Management LLC since 2019 and previously spent sixteen years at BNY Mellon. 21 West Wealth Management LLC is a registered investment adviser serving affluent individuals, multi-generational families, trusts and estates, as well as select institutional and retirement-plan clients. The firm manages discretionary, diversified portfolios with a focus on integrated financial planning and maintains a small client roster to support coordinated tax planning alongside portfolio management.

Wealth management General retirement planning Founder/Business Owner
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Mary F

Series 63, Series 65

Tustin, CA

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors

Mary Foft is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Tustin, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 38 years of industry experience. She has worked with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors since 2014 and has operated as an independent professional since 1995. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on multiple nonprofit and philanthropic boards and works as a freelance writer. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and trusts through independent financial professionals. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services using a variety of portfolio management strategies and custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Wealth management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Retirement income strategy Annuities Self-Employed
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Christopher K

Series 66

Tustin, CA

Equitable Advisors

Christopher Keys is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Tustin, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors and its predecessor, AXA Advisors, since 1999. Outside of his advisory role, Keys is the owner of an accounting practice and serves as Director and Treasurer for Friends of the Sea Lions, a marine mammal center. Equitable Advisors serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management. The firm delivers its services through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and relies on third-party asset managers and advisory programs for model implementation.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business exit / sale strategy Concentrated stock management Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Long-term care insurance Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Sandwich Generation
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Shao L

Series 63

Tustin, CA

The Financial Advisors

Shao Lin is a financial advisor at The Financial Advisors with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with the firm since 1991. Shao Lin holds a Series 63 designation and is the 100% shareholder of TFA. The Financial Advisors provides discretionary investment management to individuals, retirement accounts, trusts, pension plans, and small businesses, typically serving high-net-worth and individual clients. The firm emphasizes growth investing using both fundamental and technical analysis, managing portfolios on a discretionary basis tailored to client needs.

Active portfolio management Options & derivatives strategies General tax planning
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Arjun S

Series 66

Frisco, TX

TIAA-CREF

Arjun Swarup is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Frisco, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and has an academic background from NYU College of Arts and Sciences. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing managed account services within a fiduciary framework, including acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

General estate planning guidance Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Educators, Teachers, and Academics Founder/Business Owner Approaching retirement Mid-Career Professionals
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Kevin H

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Birmingham, AL

RFG Advisory, LLC

Kevin Harper is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 29 years of industry experience. He is currently with RFG Advisory, LLC in Birmingham, AL, where he has worked since 2015, including prior roles at LPL Financial and Ameriprise. Harper is a co-owner of LHP Capital LLC, a commercial real estate business. RFG Advisory provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and select institutional clients. The firm employs discretionary investment strategies through model portfolios, third-party platforms, and serves as a sub-adviser to multiple ETFs, with additional specialized services for retirement accounts and alternative investments.

Options & derivatives strategies Private / alternative investments Tax-loss harvesting Founder/Business Owner Executive Retired Women Professionals Mid-Career Professionals

Jacob H

Series 63, Series 66

Charlotte, NC

Edward Jones

Jacob Heinz is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Charlotte, NC, with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His previous positions include roles at Fidelity Investments and E*TRADE Capital Management. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory solutions, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of thousands of financial advisors and branch offices.

Divorce financial planning Retirement income strategy Wealth management Real estate investing Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Lindsey E

Series 63, Series 65

Cambridge, MN

EFS Advisors

Lindsey Egan is a financial advisor at EFS Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at First Republic Securities and First Republic Investment Management from 2016 to 2019. Outside of her financial advisory role, Lindsey is the owner of Women Who Explore, a community offering outdoor adventures and small group travel experiences for women. EFS Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a broad client base, including individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a client-centric suitability scoring process combined with technology tools to recommend model portfolios and supports clients through discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Options & derivatives strategies Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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Scott S

Series 63, Series 65

Farmington, CT

Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC

Scott Stevens is a financial advisor at Medallion Wealth Advisors, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at firms including Morgan Stanley and American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. Stevens is also the proprietor of Stevens & Associates, LLC, a separate business. Medallion Wealth Advisors serves individuals, families, and retirement plans for educators and nonprofit organizations. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting with a long-term investment approach that includes discretionary and non-discretionary account management and may utilize third-party managers when appropriate.

General retirement planning Educators, Teachers, and Academics
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