Large-firm, inheritance planning financial advisors in Walnut Creek, 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.

You might need an inheritance planning advisor if you’re preparing to receive or manage a significant estate, especially when navigating complex tax implications in Walnut Creek. Without focused expertise, it’s easy to overlook how property tax limits like Proposition 13 affect long-term estate costs.

  • Estate tax navigation. Confirm how they address California’s high income taxes alongside federal estate rules to minimize your tax burden.
  • Property tax strategy. Ask how they incorporate Proposition 13’s protections to preserve your inherited property’s value.
  • Large-firm resources. Advisors here leverage extensive firm support, which can provide access to specialized legal and tax professionals.
  • Legacy planning integration. Check how they coordinate inheritance plans with your broader financial goals, ensuring your legacy aligns with your wishes.

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

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Nathan S

Series 65

Walnut Creek, CA

Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors, Inc.

Nathan Sadowski is a financial advisor at Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Walnut Creek, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. for six years and has been associated with Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors since 2013. Nathan is also the owner of Pacific Excel Insurance Services, Inc., an investment-related business offering various insurance products. Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, pooled vehicles, and charitable organizations. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis with diversified investment vehicles and offers tailored service tiers that include advanced planning and portfolio management.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Roth conversion strategy Tax-loss harvesting Equity compensation tax strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive Values-based investing SRI/ESG (Socially Responsible Investing/Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance)
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Gary G

CFP®, Series 63

Walnut Creek, CA

OneAscent Financial Services LLC

Gary Gardner is a CFP® with 49 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently with OneAscent Financial Services LLC and has previously worked at Life & Wealth Advisors, Inc. and Chauner Securities, Inc. Gardner has also operated his own firm, Gary Gardner & Company, since 1975. OneAscent Financial Services LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and institutions through multiple advisory teams. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, Unified Managed Account solutions, consulting, and back-office support for other RIAs.

Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Options & derivatives strategies Real estate investing Executive
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Timothy O

CFP®, Series 63

Walnut Creek, CA

ACCLARO Wealth Management

Timothy Oshima is a CFP® with 13 years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal advisor at Acclaro Wealth Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2015, and he is also a co-owner of Simplera Benefits & Insurance Solutions. Outside of advising, he provides input on user interface and other aspects for a financial software development project. Acclaro Wealth Management offers investment management and financial planning to individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, and small businesses. The firm uses a disciplined approach that includes written Investment Policy Statements, ongoing monitoring, and a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, with implementation methods that may involve model portfolios, independent money managers, and wrap-fee arrangements.

Options & derivatives strategies Tax strategies for small businesses Wealth management
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William L

Series 66

Walnut Creek, CA

Casilio Leitch Investments

William Leitch is a financial advisor at Casilio Leitch Investments with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Casilio Leitch Investments since 2014. The firm provides discretionary investment management and integrated financial planning to individuals, trusts, and estates. Casilio Leitch Investments focuses on portfolio construction using a combination of top-down global economic analysis and bottom-up security evaluation, guided by Modern Portfolio Theory, primarily serving larger household portfolios.

Wealth management
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William H

CFP®, Series 66

Walnut Creek, CA

LPL Financial

William Harvey is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with LPL Financial in Walnut Creek, CA. His prior roles include positions at Lincoln Financial Advisors, Charles Schwab, Wells Fargo Investments, and Morgan Stanley DW Inc. Harvey operates Harmonic Wealth Management alongside his work with LPL Financial. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm provides a range of financial planning and investment management services utilizing various model portfolios and third-party subadvisors, supported by advanced operational tools.

Wealth management Retirement income strategy College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Tax-loss harvesting Annuities Retired Founder/Business Owner Executive

Sean A

Series 66

Boulder, CO

Edward Jones

Sean Alexander is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Boulder, CO, holding a Series 66 designation. He joined Edward Jones in 2025 and has prior experience in mortgage lending and residential mortgage companies, as well as a role at The Fitter and time at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Retirement income strategy Business ownership considerations Business exit / sale strategy Business succession planning Inheritance planning Founder/Business Owner

Steve S

CFP®

Eldersburg, MD

ABEL Financial Management Co.

Hi, I'm Steve. I've loved financial planning ever since I was a kid watching the ticker tape on CNBC as my mom, a homemaker learned about finances herself. I grew up in a very frugal household who taught me about working hard and saving for the future. My mother was a homemaker or "domestic engineer" as she calls it and my father was a federal employee. I was fortunate to be introduced to Rita Abel and become the owner of her small, family owned financial planning firm in 2019. Today we work with approximately 60 families. What makes us unique is our passion to be "accountability partner's" for our clients to ensure they take care of the important financial matters in their lives. We are part financial advisors and party financial therapists for our married couples but most importantly we are organized, proactive and have a passion for financial planning. Looking forward to meeting and if you want to know more, I encourage you to read our google reviews online. Just search "Abel Financial Reviews" in google.

Roth conversion strategy Early retirement planning General tax planning Inheritance planning Wealth management Retired Executive Military & Veterans Government Employee Biotech Professional Established Professionals Approaching retirement Retired
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

Incline Village, NV

Merrill

Scott Macdonald is a financial advisor with Merrill, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 38 years of industry experience. He has been with Merrill since 1987 and concurrently associated with Bank of America since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Chair of the Tahoe Fire Helicopter Steering Committee, coordinating community outreach and efforts to establish a regional fire base and helicopter rescue program. Merrill serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients, offering a range of managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage services. The firm is noted for its integration with Bank of America affiliates and its focus on manager selection and tax-efficient investment strategies.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management

Clayton D

Series 65

Sonoma, CA

Sonoma Wealth Advisors

Clayton Dunkle is a financial advisor at Fermata Advisors in Sonoma, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Sonoma Wealth Advisors and Enso Wealth Management, as well as experience outside the financial sector at Cline Family Cellar and Mule Head Growers. Fermata Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting primarily to individuals, small businesses, and plan fiduciaries. The firm employs a coaching-centered client relationship model and uses a combination of behavioral, charting, cyclical, fundamental, and technical analysis to guide portfolio allocation.

General retirement planning Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Business succession planning Inheritance planning Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Maris G

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Seattle, WA

Mg Financial, Inc.

Maris Galins is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Mg Financial, Inc. Based in Seattle, WA, Galins has led the firm since 2008. Mg Financial, Inc. provides personalized financial planning and advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm focuses on non-discretionary asset allocation and utilizes SEI model portfolios and third-party money managers, emphasizing planning and adviser selection rather than direct portfolio management.

General retirement planning Inheritance planning Business Financial Management
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Jeffrey P

Series 66

Dacula, GA

Merrill

Jeffrey Park is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill and affiliated firms since 2011, including roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a sole owner and co-owner of family rental properties in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Wesley P

Series 63, Series 66

Fort Worth, TX

Wells Fargo Clearing

Wesley Pool is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC for seven years. Outside of finance, he has been involved with #TagMeBro LLC and Fry Street Public House. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

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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