Independent financial advisors working with the sandwich generation in Walnut Creek, CA

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tracey Hayes is a ChFC® and Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones in Albemarle, NC since 2011. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

Michael Plesh is a Wealth Management Advisor specializing in retirement planning and tax-efficient wealth management services. He works primarily with successful professionals approaching retirement, helping them assess their readiness and develop strategies to generate income, manage Social Security benefits, and minimize taxes. His expertise centers on the Personal Wealth Analysis® process, which he developed to help clients piece together their financial puzzles and create straightforward, understandable plans. Michael holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation and the Personal Investment Advisor credential. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Southern Maine. Additionally, he has been named to the Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. Based in Gilbert, AZ, Michael serves clients nationwide through Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Outside of work, he enjoys camping, golfing, and spending time with his family.

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.

Charles Lee is a financial advisor at Lexington Avenue Capital Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Lexington Avenue since 2020, following seven years as a self-employed advisor. Lexington Avenue Capital Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and pension-consulting services to individuals, trusts and estates, small businesses, retirement plans, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach using low-fee passive mutual funds and ETFs, while incorporating behavioral finance insights and tailored recommendations based on clients’ broader life circumstances.

As a Certified Financial Planner®, my goal is to help you take charge of your finances without the lecture, just practical advice. My approach provides the tools and know-how to handle your money like a pro, no spreadsheets required (unless you’re into that sort of thing). You’ll walk away making confident financial decisions without second-guessing yourself. You’ll get a custom financial plan made just for you by a CFP® professional, but we don’t just hand it over and wish you luck. We’ll help you actually put it into action, so it doesn’t just gather digital dust.

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.