Independent, equity compensation tax strategy financial advisors in Watsonville, 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 have equity compensation like stock options or restricted stock units (RSUs), you need an advisor who understands how to minimize the tax hit when you exercise or sell. A common mistake is treating equity compensation like regular income, which can lead to unexpected tax bills.

  • Tax timing strategies. Ask how they plan the timing of exercises and sales to reduce your overall tax burden.
  • Alternative minimum tax (AMT) awareness. Confirm they know how to manage AMT, a separate tax calculation that can affect incentive stock options.
  • State tax nuances. California’s high income taxes and Proposition 13 property tax limits can impact your strategy; see how they incorporate these factors.
  • Independent advice. Being independent means they aren’t tied to specific products, which can help keep recommendations focused on your tax goals.

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

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Abraham R

Series 66

Watsonville, CA

Merrill

Abraham Rivera is a financial advisor with Merrill in Watsonville, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He has worked at Bank of America, N.A. since 2024 and was previously employed at Hartnell College for 14 years. 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 individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients.

Tax-loss harvesting Active portfolio management Wealth management

Diana B

Series 66

Watsonville, CA

Edward Jones

Diana Brenneise is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Watsonville, CA. She has nine years of industry experience, all with Edward Jones. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, tax-efficient services, and affiliated mutual funds, supported by a nationwide network of over 23,700 financial advisors.

Charitable giving & philanthropy Multi-generational wealth transfer Retirement income strategy Wealth management Technology Professional Intergenerational Families
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Jose C

Series 63, Series 66

Watsonville, CA

J.P. Morgan Securities

Jose Cerda is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Watsonville, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and six years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2019. Prior to his current roles, his work history includes positions at Target Corporation, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., and San Jose State University. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm delivers its program on a non-discretionary basis, combining institutional advisory operations with affiliated brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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Matthew L

Series 66

Soquel, CA

OSAIC

Matthew Lopez is a financial advisor with OSAIC who holds a Series 66 designation and has 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Securities America Advisors and Questar Asset Management. Outside of advising, Lopez is a member of Rotary International, where he participates in community service activities. OSAIC serves a broad mix of retail and institutional clients through a large network of affiliated advisers, offering integrated brokerage and investment advisory services, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers and wrap programs. The firm uses various asset-allocation tools and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Annuities Wealth management Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Jacqueline C

Series 66

Freedom, CA

LPL Financial

Jacqueline Carrillo is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Bay Federal Credit Union, Edward Jones, RBC Capital Markets, Merrill, B|O|S, and National Planning Corporation. She currently provides investment services in connection with Bay Federal Credit Union as part of her practice at LPL Financial. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment solutions, including model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by advanced advisor tools and oversight of substantial discretionary assets.

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

Series 63, Series 65

Pasadena, CA

UBS Financial Services

Lee Chen is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has been with UBS since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, Chen serves on the board of directors for the San Gabriel Country Club. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining proprietary capital market research with a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management solutions.

General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting Equity compensation tax strategy Executive Founder/Business Owner Mid-Career Professionals Approaching retirement
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James C

Series 65

Eagle, ID

Cannon Wealth Group LLC

James Cannon is a financial advisor at Cannon Wealth Group LLC in Eagle, Idaho, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has led his independent firm since 2014. Cannon Wealth Group LLC is a fee-based financial planning and investment management firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment programs, comprehensive planning, and specialized pension consulting, including ERISA advisory and discretionary investment manager services.

Equity compensation tax strategy
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Joseph N

CFA®, Series 63

New York, NY

Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC

Joseph Niehaus is a financial advisor at Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license. Prior to joining Jefferies in 2023, he worked at Golden 1 Credit Union and SAFE Credit Union. He also serves as a part-time lecturer at California State University, Sacramento, teaching a graduate-level financial markets course. Jefferies Investment Advisers LLC provides fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, foundations, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities through a customized planning process that includes balance sheet reviews, tax and estate planning, executive compensation, and philanthropic planning.

General retirement planning Income planning Equity compensation tax strategy Concentrated stock management Charitable giving & philanthropy
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Seth H

Series 66

Dallas, TX

Goldman Sachs Wealth Services

Seth Halley is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied and Tyson Foods/GDH Consulting. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base ranging from individual investors to institutional clients, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized services such as Private Family Office and Executive Wealth programs. The firm integrates strategic allocation models, manager selections, and advanced analytics within the broader Goldman Sachs network to tailor solutions for client objectives.

Wealth management Equity compensation tax strategy Tax-loss harvesting Executive Founder/Business Owner Intergenerational Families
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Eldin F

Series 63, Series 65

Southfield, MI

Sterling Advisory Group LLC

Eldin Foco is a financial advisor at Sterling Advisory Group LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including CIG Capital Advisors and Cco Investment Services Corp. since 2012. Sterling Advisory Group provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, families, trusts, foundations, businesses, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm manages client accounts on a tailored basis and also serves institutional clients, offering a range of strategic investment models that emphasize asset allocation, diversification, and Shariah-compliant selection.

ESG / Sustainable investing Private / alternative investments Equity compensation tax strategy Business succession planning Retirement income strategy Founder/Business Owner Executive Values-based investing
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Jared F

Series 65

Huntington Beach, CA

Northwest Asset Management

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.

Retirement income strategy Wealth management Active portfolio management Founder/Business Owner
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Edwina M

Series 65

Cincinnati, OH

Waverly Advisors, LLC

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.

Private / alternative investments Real estate investing Options & derivatives strategies Tax-loss harvesting Multi-generational wealth transfer Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Craig M

Series 63, Series 65

Columbia, SC

Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC

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.

Active portfolio management Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Annuities Options & derivatives strategies Founder/Business Owner Retired
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David H

Series 65

Irvine, CA

Martin Wealth Management, LLC

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.

Medicare planning Annuities
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

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.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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