Financial advisors for tech employees in California
Which financial advisor should I talk to as a tech employee in California?
For tech employees in California, talk to a fee-only planner who already works with RSUs, options, and ESPPs, and who has seen a company go public. Pay that's mostly stock can look large and still be risky, so concentration is often the first problem to solve. Records to start with include Greg Crofton of Adap Tax Financial, Inc., Annette Di Bello of Di Bello Financial and Ethan Pepper of Orchard City Wealth Management, LLC.
Where to start
Chosen from what each record shows: credentials that fit this work and fees on file, one advisor per firm.
- Greg Crofton Adap Tax Financial, Inc., Pleasanton Holds the EA and CFP. Fees on file: hourly, flat fee or retainer.
- Annette Di Bello Di Bello Financial, Mission Viejo Holds the CPA and CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets.
- Ethan Pepper Orchard City Wealth Management, LLC, Los Gatos Holds the EA and CFP. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, ongoing planning fee.
- Matthias Giezendanner San Francisco Wealth Planning LLC, Petaluma Holds the EA and CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets, ongoing planning fee.
- Stan Himeno-Okamoto DRS Financial Partners, San Francisco Holds the EA and CFP. Fees on file: hourly.
- Matthew Showley Creative Capital Management Investments LLC, San Diego Holds the CPA and CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets, hourly.
How many fee-only financial advisors in California work with tech employees?
The Wellspent public graph lists 182 fee-only advisors for tech employees in California, at 97 firms. We counted every advisor record that lists this work, as of November 2026.
Where are fee-only advisors for tech employees in California located?
Of the 182 fee-only advisors for tech employees in California, 28 are in San Francisco, followed by 13 in San Diego and 9 in Irvine.
Plus 116 in other cities.
How do fee-only advisors for tech employees in California charge?
The most common fee among fee-only advisors for tech employees in California is a percentage of assets, used by 82% of the 182 with fees on file. Many use more than one: 43% charge by the hour and 34% charge fixed fees.
How much do fee-only financial advisors charge in California?
Fee-only financial advisors in California charge a median of $6,000 a year for ongoing planning. We found this across the published prices of 112 California firms.
How much does a one-time financial plan cost in California?
A one-time financial plan from a fee-only firm in California has a median price of $2,500. We found this across the published prices of 111 California firms.
What credentials should a financial advisor for tech employees have?
For tech employees, look for the EA, CPA and CFP. In California, 52% of the 182 advisors listed hold the CFP.
- EA2% in California
- Enrolled agents help with AMT and withholding gaps.
- CPA2% in California
- CPAs model exercise and sale decisions.
- CFP52% in California
- The CFP puts stock pay in the whole plan.
How do California advisors for tech employees compare with the rest of the US?
43% of fee-only advisors for tech employees in California charge by the hour, compared with 33% of the 510 listed across the US. That's the largest difference in the Wellspent public graph between the two groups.
Dark bars are California. Light bars are all US advisors for tech employees.
Does California tax income on top of federal tax?
Yes. California has a state income tax, so a financial plan for a California resident should project it alongside federal tax.
What happens to stock pay if you move to or from California?
States often tax stock pay based on where you worked between grant and vesting, so a move to or from California can split that income across states. Tell any advisor about moves during a vesting period.
What should I ask a financial advisor as a tech employee in California?
- How many clients do you have at companies like mine?
- Should I sell RSUs when they vest?
- How would you handle a tender offer or IPO lockup?
- How do you charge if most of my wealth is unvested?
- How will you plan for California tax alongside federal tax?
- If I move before my grants vest, which states can tax them?
How current is this list of fee-only advisors for tech employees in California?
Wellspent last checked these records against SEC records in October 2026 and firm websites in October 2026. Each advisor's page shows the date for that record.
All 182 advisors
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annette Di Bello Member | Di Bello Financial | Mission Viejo | CFP, CPA, PFS™ | Percentage of assets |
| Al Faber Collaborative, do-it-with-you hourly or flat-fee planning for people who want to stay in control, with no product sales or ongoing fees. | DIWY Financial Planning | Los Angeles | CFP, ChFC, CLU, MBA | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Michal Skowronski Comprehensive Wealth Planning for High-Income Professionals and Retirees | Skylark Wealth, LLC | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Shannon Fleener Bilingual, values-based planning for first-generation wealth builders and progressive clients who want their money to do good too. | Sage Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Aaron Hatch | Woven Capital | Redding | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Charles Stermetz | Equity For The Win (EquityFTW) | San Jose | CEP, CFP | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Glen Monroe | Monroe Wealth Management | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Greg Gorski | Owl & Ore Wealth Planning | Pleasant Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jirayr Kembikian | Citrine Capital | San Francisco | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Showley | Creative Capital Management Investments LLC | San Diego | CFP, MBA, BFA, CeFT | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Praveen Krishnamurthy Advice-only planning for tech professionals on equity compensation, taxes and diversification, from a former Google engineering leader. | Empower Financial | Fremont | CFP | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Sheila McGinn | Brightview Financial Solutions, LLC | Redwood City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tommy Lopez | Coffeehouse Capital LLC | Financial Planning and Wealth Management | Fresno | CFP, CRPC | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Alan Nelson | Measured Money Maneuvers LLC | Solana Beach | CFP, ChFC, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Ariadne Horstman | Tamarind Financial Planning | Palo Alto | CFP, RLP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Emilie Goldman | Tamarind Financial Planning | Palo Alto | CFA, CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ethan Pepper | Orchard City Wealth Management, LLC | Los Gatos | CFP, EA, RLP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Greg Crofton | Adap Tax Financial, Inc. | Pleasanton | CFP, EA | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Gustaf Rounick | Westlight Wealth | Venice | BA, CFP, MSC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthias Giezendanner | San Francisco Wealth Planning LLC | Petaluma | CFP, EA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Said Israilov | Israilov Financial | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Sridhar Krishnan | Encover Personal Finance LLC | Fremont | BS, CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Will Steinberger | Think Different Financial Planning | Menlo Park | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Aaron Brickley | Brickley Wealth Management | San Mateo | CFP, CPWA | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Canning | Brave New Wealth | Westlake Village | AIFA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Deirdre Hegarty | Branch & Bloom Financial Planning, LLC | Menlo Park | CFP | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Garber | Michael Garber Financial Planning | Cupertino | CFP, CRTP, MSEE | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Paul Saad | Collabria Capital, Inc | San Ramon | CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Heather Comella | Folsom Wealth Advisors | Folsom | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James McDougal Project-based, advice-only equity compensation planning for professionals who want plain-English analysis while staying in control of their decisions. | HiFi Planning | Long Beach | CFP, ECA | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Kimberly Keesler Herrera | Tessara Wealth | Burlingame | MBA, CFP, ChFC, RICP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Meredith Schneider | Schneider Wealth Management | Palo Alto | BA, CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Natalie Taylor | The Goodland Group | Goleta | CFP, TPCP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Sarah Maitre | Camriel Advisors | Mount Shasta | CFP, CFA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Bridget Grimes | WealthChoice LLC | Coronado | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Larry Koeppel | Digital Wealth, LLC | Marina Del Rey | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Stebnicki | Stebnicki Financial Planning LLC | San Francisco | CFP, MBA | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Rick Valenzi | The Financial Zen Group, Inc. | San Francisco | CFP, CRPC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Scott Frank | Stone Steps Financial | Cardiff | CFP, CFA, RLP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stan Himeno-Okamoto | DRS Financial Partners | San Francisco | CFP, CFA, EA | Hourly |
| Tom Lo | Vested Financial Planning, LLC | San Carlos | CFP, MBA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Andy Moran Ad Astra Financial Planning specializes in helping tech professionals navigate RSUs, stock options, tender offers, IPOs, and financial independence. We are a flat-fee, fee-only, fiduciary firm - we don't receive commissions or kickbacks or charge based on a percentage of your assets. | Ad Astra Financial Planning | Santa Rosa | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Subscription |
| Jiayi Xu | Global Wealth Harbor, LLC. | Danville | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Rob Lyman | Johnson Lyman Wealth Advisors | Los Altos | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Hughes You work hard for your money. We’ll work hard to help you capitalize on what you’ve earned. Bull Oak is a full-service financial advisory firm. We provide investment management, financial planning, tax strategy, tax preparation and filing, and estate planning. Our all-inclusive service frees up your time and gives you an optimal wealth management experience with harmony between all aspects of your financial life. | Bull Oak | Rancho Santa Fe | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Bugra Bakan | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Erin Hadley | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Faruk Jaffer | Index Gurus | Concord | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| James Griffin | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jane Yoo | Jane Financial, LLC | Oakland | CFP, MBA | Fixed fees |
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