Financial advisors for small business owners in San Diego, California
Which financial advisor should I talk to as a small business owner in San Diego?
For small business owners in San Diego, talk to a fee-only planner who treats the business and the household as one balance sheet. Look for someone who can speak to entity choice, owner pay, and retirement plans for the company, not only your personal accounts. Records to start with include Michael Randall of Oak Summit Wealth Management, David Lyon of Lyon Wealth Advisory and Matthew Showley of Creative Capital Management Investments LLC.
Where to start
Chosen from what each record shows: credentials that fit this work and fees on file, one advisor per firm.
- Michael Randall Oak Summit Wealth Management, San Diego City Holds the EA and CFP. Fees on file: ongoing planning fee.
- David Lyon Lyon Wealth Advisory, San Deigo Holds the EA and CFP. Fees on file: flat fee or retainer, ongoing planning fee.
- Matthew Showley Creative Capital Management Investments LLC, San Diego City Holds the CPA and CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets, hourly.
- Daniel Cadena Cadena Financial Planning & Tax Services, San Diego City Holds the CFP. Fees on file: hourly, one-time planning fee.
- Emily Nilsson Brava Financial, LLC, San Diego City Holds the CFP. Fees on file: one-time planning fee, hourly.
- Victor Gersten Cross Border Wealth Advisors, San Diego City Holds the CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets, ongoing planning fee.
How many fee-only financial advisors in San Diego work with small business owners?
The Wellspent public graph lists 32 fee-only advisors for small business owners in San Diego, at 17 firms. We counted every advisor record that lists this work, as of October 2026.
How do fee-only advisors for small business owners in San Diego charge?
The most common fee among fee-only advisors for small business owners in San Diego is a percentage of assets, used by 59% of the 32 with fees on file. Many use more than one: 44% charge fixed fees and 38% charge an ongoing planning fee.
How much do fee-only financial advisors charge in San Diego?
Fee-only financial advisors in San Diego charge a median of $5,500 a year for ongoing planning. We found this across the published prices of 14 San Diego firms.
How much does a one-time financial plan cost in San Diego?
A one-time financial plan from a fee-only firm in San Diego has a median price of $1,950. We found this across the published prices of 11 San Diego firms.
What credentials should a financial advisor for small business owners have?
For small business owners, look for the CPA, EA and CFP. In San Diego, 69% of the 32 advisors listed hold the CFP.
- CPA3% in San Diego
- CPAs understand entity structure and business books.
- EA6% in San Diego
- Enrolled agents help with owner pay and business tax.
- CFP69% in San Diego
- The CFP keeps the business in the wider plan.
How do San Diego advisors for small business owners compare with the rest of the US?
59% of fee-only advisors for small business owners in San Diego charge a percentage of assets, compared with 88% of the 2,851 listed across the US. That's the largest difference in the Wellspent public graph between the two groups.
Dark bars are San Diego. Light bars are all US advisors for small business owners.
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 should I ask a financial advisor as a small business owner in San Diego?
- Which retirement plan would you set up for my business, and why?
- How would you set my salary against distributions?
- How much of my net worth should stay in the business?
- How do you plan for an eventual sale or succession?
- How will you plan for California tax alongside federal tax?
How current is this list of fee-only advisors for small business owners in San Diego?
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 32 advisors
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Nilsson Hourly, project or ongoing planning that centers the person, helping clients build a healthier, more personal relationship with money. | Brava Financial, LLC | San Diego | CDFA, CFP, JD | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| David Lyon | Lyon Wealth Advisory | San Deigo | CFP, EA, CRPC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Showley | Creative Capital Management Investments LLC | San Diego | CFP, MBA, BFA, CeFT | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jake Taylor | Astra Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Randall | Oak Summit Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP, CFA, EA | Ongoing planning fee |
| Taylor Schulte Tax-smart retirement planning for investors with a $2MM+ nest egg. | Define Financial | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| 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 |
| Christine Skoczek | Vistica Wealth Advisors | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| David Kim | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sara Gawick | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Victor Gersten | Cross Border Wealth Advisors | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Zachary Benton | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Cadena | Cadena Financial Planning & Tax Services | San Diego | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Andrew Drennan | D'Arcy Capital Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Simpson | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Krysta Kelly | D'Arcy Capital Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyrone Ross The right now adviser for the next-gen investor. | 401 Financial | San Diego | CFP | Hourly, Subscription |
| Philip Maravilla | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Wesley Read | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Benjamin Rinkey | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher D'Arcy | D'Arcy Capital Management | San Diego | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Rinkey | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Brandon Hobson | PracticeCFO | San Diego | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Russell | Tempus Pecunia | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sheldon Goldman | Goldman Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anders Norrman | Spreckels | San Diego | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cameron Smith | PracticeCFO | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Drew Phillips | PracticeCFO | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Justin Read | PracticeCFO | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Lipcius | PracticeCFO | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jaime Boyer | Kachkovsky & Fisher | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
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