# Financial advisors for founders in Scottsdale, Arizona > For founders in Scottsdale, talk to a fee-only planner who has worked through a liquidity event, ideally well before you sign anything. The most valuable decisions, like QSBS eligibility and gifting shares, usually have to be made ahead of the sale. Records to start with include Lucas Wennersten of 49th Parallel Wealth Management, LLC, Heather Townsend of Townsend Financial, LLC and William Lee of ARQ Wealth Advisors. Page: https://find.wellspent.co/specialties/founders-pre-exit/arizona/scottsdale/ 25 fee-only advisors listed; data last updated October 30, 2026. Fee-only means paid only by clients, never by commissions. ## Which financial advisor should I talk to as a founder in Scottsdale? For founders in Scottsdale, talk to a fee-only planner who has worked through a liquidity event, ideally well before you sign anything. The most valuable decisions, like QSBS eligibility and gifting shares, usually have to be made ahead of the sale. Records to start with include Lucas Wennersten of 49th Parallel Wealth Management, LLC, Heather Townsend of Townsend Financial, LLC and William Lee of ARQ Wealth Advisors. - [Lucas Wennersten](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/lucas-wennersten/), 49th Parallel Wealth Management, LLC, Scottsdale City. Holds the CFP and CFA. Fees on file: percentage of assets, hourly. - [Heather Townsend](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/heather-townsend/), Townsend Financial, LLC, Scottsdale City. Holds the CPA and CFP. Fees on file: ongoing planning fee. - [William Lee](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/william-lee/), ARQ Wealth Advisors, Scottsdale City. Holds the CFP and CFA. Fees on file: percentage of assets, fixed fees. - [Dale Shafer Ii](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/dale-shafer-ii/), Life Moves Wealth Management, LLC, Scotttsdale. Holds the CFP. Fees on file: ongoing planning fee. - [Gary Ferguson](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/gary-ferguson/), John Moore Associates, Scottsdale City. Holds the CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets, fixed fees. - [David Rosenthal](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/david-rosenthal/), Wealth Management Solutions, Scottsdale City. Holds the CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets, hourly. ## How many fee-only financial advisors in Scottsdale work with founders? The Wellspent public graph lists 25 fee-only advisors for founders in Scottsdale, at 11 firms. We counted every advisor record that lists this work, as of October 2026. ## How do fee-only advisors for founders in Scottsdale charge? The most common fee among fee-only advisors for founders in Scottsdale is a percentage of assets, used by 92% of the 25 with fees on file. Many use more than one: 88% charge fixed fees and 16% charge by the hour. ## How much do fee-only financial advisors charge in Arizona? Fee-only financial advisors in Arizona charge a median of $4,800 a year for ongoing planning. We found this across the published prices of 18 Arizona firms. ## How much does a one-time financial plan cost in Arizona? A one-time financial plan from a fee-only firm in Arizona has a median price of $1,650. We found this across the published prices of 14 Arizona firms. ## What credentials should a financial advisor for founders have? For founders, look for the CPA, CFP and CFA. In Scottsdale, 52% of the 25 advisors listed hold the CFP. - CPA (4% of advisors listed): CPAs can model deal structure and the tax on proceeds. - CFP (52% of advisors listed): The CFP covers life after the exit, not only the sale. - CFA (16% of advisors listed): The CFA helps with investing a large sum at once. ## How do Scottsdale advisors for founders compare with the rest of the US? 88% of fee-only advisors for founders in Scottsdale charge fixed fees, compared with 57% of the 3,000 listed across the US. That's the largest difference in the Wellspent public graph between the two groups. ## Does Arizona tax income on top of federal tax? Yes. Arizona has a state income tax, so a financial plan for a Arizona resident should project it alongside federal tax. ## What happens to stock pay if you move to or from Arizona? States often tax stock pay based on where you worked between grant and vesting, so a move to or from Arizona can split that income across states. Tell any advisor about moves during a vesting period. ## What should I ask a financial advisor as a founder in Scottsdale? - How many clients have you taken through an exit, and at what size? - How would you check whether my shares qualify for QSBS? - What should I do before a term sheet that I can't do after? - How would you invest the proceeds in the first year? - How will you plan for Arizona 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 founders in Scottsdale? 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. ## Advisors | Advisor | Firm | Location | Credentials | Fees | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Heather Townsend](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/heather-townsend.md) | Townsend Financial, LLC | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP, CPA, BBA, RLP | Ongoing planning fee | | [Lucas Wennersten](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/lucas-wennersten.md) | 49th Parallel Wealth Management, LLC | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly, One-time planning fee | | [Dale Shafer Ii](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/dale-shafer-ii.md) | Life Moves Wealth Management, LLC | Scotttsdale, Arizona | CFP, APMA, CDFA | Ongoing planning fee | | [David Rosenthal](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/david-rosenthal.md) | Wealth Management Solutions | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP, MBA | Percentage of assets, Hourly, Fixed fees | | [Gary Ferguson](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/gary-ferguson.md) | John Moore Associates | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Julie Kern](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/julie-kern.md) | Bridge Financial Strategies | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Zakriah Gardezy](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/zakriah-gardezy.md) | Wealthstone Private Wealth Management | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Carl Mariner](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/carl-mariner.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP, ChFC, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Cole Leonida](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/cole-leonida.md) | John Moore Associates | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Rebecca Wagner](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/rebecca-wagner.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Richard Siegel](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/richard-siegel.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Tristen Sheffler](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/tristen-sheffler.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [William Lee](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/william-lee.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Zachary Potter](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/zachary-potter.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Jeffrey Shiffra](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/jeffrey-shiffra.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Carly Denial](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/carly-denial.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Az 85260, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Corbin Hixson](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/corbin-hixson.md) | Alpha Squared Capital | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Hourly, Fixed fees | | [Jake Crosby](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/jake-crosby.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [James Robinson](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/james-robinson.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Jerad Rosburg](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/jerad-rosburg.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Joseph Gilligan](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/joseph-gilligan.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Kaitlin Krozel](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/kaitlin-krozel.md) | Krozel Capital | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Tracy Riordan](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/tracy-riordan.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [William Lynn](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/william-lynn.md) | ARQ Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Amanda Wray](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/amanda-wray.md) | Next Up Wealth Advisors | Scottsdale, Arizona | | Percentage of assets, Hourly, Fixed fees | ## Related - [Tax planning in Scottsdale](https://find.wellspent.co/specialties/tax-planning/arizona/scottsdale.md) - [Retirement planning in Scottsdale](https://find.wellspent.co/specialties/retirement-planning/arizona/scottsdale.md) - [Estate planning in Scottsdale](https://find.wellspent.co/specialties/estate-planning/arizona/scottsdale.md) - [Retirees in Scottsdale](https://find.wellspent.co/audiences/retirees/arizona/scottsdale.md) - [Pre-retirees in Scottsdale](https://find.wellspent.co/audiences/pre-retirees/arizona/scottsdale.md) - [Divorce financial planning in Scottsdale](https://find.wellspent.co/specialties/divorce-planning/arizona/scottsdale.md) ## About this data Sources and verification: https://find.wellspent.co/methodology/ Query the directory programmatically: https://api.wellspent.co/mcp (MCP, read-only, no auth).