Financial advisors for flat-fee planning in California
Which financial advisor should I talk to about flat-fee planning in California?
For flat-fee planning in California, talk to a fee-only planner who charges a set price rather than a percentage of your assets. That suits people who want advice without moving their accounts, or whose assets would make a percentage fee expensive. Records to start with include Andy Moran of Ad Astra Financial Planning, Sara Gawick of Illumination Wealth Management and Adam Wilkins of Boldin.
Where to start
Chosen from what each record shows: credentials that fit this work and fees on file, one advisor per firm.
- Andy Moran Ad Astra Financial Planning, Santa Rosa Holds the CFP. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, subscription.
- Sara Gawick Illumination Wealth Management, San Diego Holds the CFP. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, ongoing planning fee.
- Adam Wilkins Boldin, Mill Valley Holds the CFP. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, ongoing planning fee.
- Giovanna Leyva Tidemark Financial Partners, San Diego Holds the CFP. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, percentage of assets.
- Justin Waller Waller Financial Coaching, Folsom Holds the CFP. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer.
- Will Steinberger Think Different Financial Planning, Menlo Park Holds the CFP. Fees on file: ongoing planning fee.
How many fee-only financial advisors in California work on flat-fee planning?
The Wellspent public graph lists 58 fee-only advisors for flat-fee planning in California, at 35 firms. We counted every advisor record that lists this work, as of October 2026.
Where are fee-only advisors for flat-fee planning in California located?
Of the 58 fee-only advisors for flat-fee planning in California, 17 are in San Diego, followed by 7 in Mill Valley and 3 in Los Angeles.
Plus 26 in other cities.
How do fee-only advisors for flat-fee planning in California charge?
The most common fee among fee-only advisors for flat-fee planning in California is a flat fee or retainer, used by 90% of the 58 with fees on file. Many use more than one: 69% charge an ongoing planning fee and 38% charge a one-time planning fee.
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 flat-fee planning have?
For flat-fee planning, look for the CFP. In California, 66% of the 58 advisors listed hold the CFP.
- CFP66% in California
- The CFP is the common standard for comprehensive planning.
How do California advisors for flat-fee planning compare with the rest of the US?
38% of fee-only advisors for flat-fee planning in California charge a one-time planning fee, compared with 47% of the 350 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 flat-fee planning.
What should I ask a financial advisor about flat-fee planning in California?
- What exactly does the flat fee include, and what costs extra?
- Will the fee rise as my assets grow?
- Do you manage investments, or advise on accounts I keep?
- How often do we meet?
How current is this list of fee-only advisors for flat-fee planning 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 58 advisors
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Halper Flat-fee fiduciary planning for individuals and families, covering retirement, taxes, investments, stock options and digital assets. | Strateon Intelligent Wealth | Simi Valley | CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| Michael Rodriguez Flat-fee, advice-only planning for first-generation wealth builders and young families buying homes, merging finances and raising kids. | Equanimity Wealth | Glendale | CFP | Subscription, One-time planning fee |
| 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 |
| David Lyon | Lyon Wealth Advisory | San Deigo | CFP, EA, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Gerardo Garcia Jr | Confianza Wealth Management | Vista | CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Patrick Yaghoobians | Noor Financial Services | Los Angeles | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| 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 |
| Ryan Miyamoto | Derive Wealth | Pasadena | CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Stephen Nelson | Birchwood Capital LLC | Carlsbad | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Will Steinberger | Think Different Financial Planning | Menlo Park | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Cynthia Jabr | Brand New Day Wealth Planning | Los Angeles | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| John Pak | Otium Advisory Group | El Segundo | BA, CFP, EA, MST | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Lorne Abramson | Abramson Financial Planning, LLC | Burlingame | CFA, CFP, CTEC, EA | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Mike Farrow | FlightPath Financial Planning | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Charles Malsbury | ThinkPlanSave, LLC | Daly City | CFP, MBA | Flat fee or retainer, 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 |
| Justin Waller | Waller Financial Coaching | Folsom | CEPA, CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Matthew Etzler Etzler Financial Advisors is a fee-only fiduciary firm providing comprehensive, conflict-free financial planning on a time-based model, helping clients make informed decisions and achieve peace of mind without sales or asset-based fees. | Etzler Financial Advisors, LLC | Red Bluff | CFP | Hourly, Subscription |
| Christian Litscher | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christine Papelian | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| David Kim | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Kenny | Illumination Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Norman Mangina | Illumination Wealth Management | Palm Springs | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sara Gawick | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Zachary Benton | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Nicole Peterkin | Peterkin Financial | Encinitas | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Samantha Vient | Ellevest | Costa Mesa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Anithah Neelakanda-Pillai | AP Investment Management | Mountain View | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Daniel Huffman | Cornerstone Financial Planning | Other | ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Giovanna Leyva | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Simpson | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tyler Abney | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Adam Wilkins | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Adrienne Stark | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Barton | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brianna Black | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Edward Williams | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Lyndon Lorenz | Boldin | Mill Valley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Shopes | Favrile Financial | Del Mar | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sylvia Kwan | Ellevest | San Francisco | CFA | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Benjamin Rinkey | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Rinkey | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Pablo | Agile Financial Planning | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ryan Melnyk | Manzanita Wealth Management | West Sacramento | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kristian Blom | Blom Levy & Co | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Anthony McLean | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Brad Duerks | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Frank Alvarez | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Legorreta | Loam Advisory | Los Angeles | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jared Redfield | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
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