Independent, income planning financial advisors in Ventura, CA

Ankita Maitra is a financial advisor at Merrill, holding a Series 66 designation with four years of industry experience. She has previously worked at Bank of America and has been with Merrill since 2021. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, offers managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using model-based and discretionary strategies developed by internal and third-party investment teams.

Eric Smith is a CFP® professional with 27 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cornerstone Wealth Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2018, and has prior experience at LPL Financial and Lifetime Planning, Inc. He is also a practicing attorney who provides estate planning services through his own legal practice. Cornerstone Wealth Management serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a comprehensive investment approach combining fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative analysis, offering tailored account supervision and a variety of advisory programs through the LPL platform.

Shannon Irwin is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 32 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at firms including UBS Financial Services, Partnervest Advisory Services, and Sorrento Pacific Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in direct sales with Le-Vel. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services through a large network of advisors, utilizing model portfolios, third-party subadvisors, and customized investment strategies.

Eric Brandenberg is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank since 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he works as a consultant for Westlake Village Inn, providing guidance on food and beverage menus. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC offers institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, focusing on asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting delivered through a select group of Wealth Advisors. As a subsidiary of J.P. Morgan, the firm combines advisory services with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Richard Jeffery is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 44 years of industry experience. He has been associated with various Cetera entities since 1994 and currently operates out of Ventura, CA. In addition to advising, he works as an insurance agent selling life, health, disability, annuities, and long-term care insurance. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individual investors, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a nationwide network of independent advisors and employs a multi-manager platform featuring affiliated and third-party model portfolios.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Vandana Devi is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where she has been serving since 2025. She began her career at Fidelity Investments in 2023, progressing through roles including Financial Service Representative, Financial Representative, and Relationship Manager before assuming her current position. Prior to joining Fidelity, she worked as a Personal Banker at Fremont Bank from 2020 to 2022. Her professional experience encompasses client relationship management and financial planning, with a focus on empowering clients to make informed decisions and maintain confidence in their financial goals. Vandana holds a California Insurance License, supporting her expertise in insurance-related financial services. Outside of her professional work, Vandana engages in activities such as cooking and baking, outdoor adventures, parenthood, reading, traveling, and writing.

Kayla Wheeler is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Madison, WI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and one year of industry experience. She has worked at Primerica Advisors since 2024 and has prior experience with Spectrum Brands and Lakeside Foods. Outside of advisory work, she is involved in sales of loan products and home-related services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors provides discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and limited discretionary separately managed account options. The firm curates third-party asset managers and delegates trading responsibilities to BNY Mellon Advisors, operating primarily on a tiered wrap-fee basis.

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Cassandra Sanchez is a financial advisor at Financial & Tax Architects, LLC with seven years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Fisher Investments, TIAA, US Health Advisors, and various other firms. Sanchez also had involvement with Drunken Donkey, reflecting experience outside the financial sector. Financial & Tax Architects provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on those nearing or in retirement. The firm offers proprietary “Private Wealth Strategies” that use ETFs, individual securities, and trend-aware rebalancing, with accounts reviewed monthly and customizable strategies to meet client needs.

Jared Fruth is a financial advisor at Northwest Asset Management with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., Oppenheimer Funds, and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Northwest Asset Management is a registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.6 billion for nearly 3,000 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, and corporations. The firm employs a customized, fiduciary approach using Modern Portfolio Theory and strategic asset allocation, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios with periodic rebalancing.

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.

Craig Mcdaniel Jr. is a financial advisor with Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Capital Investment Group, Inc. and The McDaniel Corporation since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in life insurance sales and serves as an independent agent for annuities and related products. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, using a blend of analytical methods with ongoing portfolio monitoring.

David Hart is a financial advisor with Martin Wealth Management, LLC in Irvine, CA. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 15 years of industry experience. Hart previously worked with Safeguard Investment Advisory Group and LifePro Asset Management. He is also a Certified Financial Fiduciary and volunteers as an instructor with the Foundation for Fiduciary Education, providing unbiased fiduciary financial education to the public. Martin Wealth Management offers investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients by co-advising and directing accounts to a third-party money manager, Matson Money. The firm focuses on client onboarding, documentation, and ongoing review of third-party manager accounts rather than direct asset management.

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.