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2024

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Best Financial Advisors in Lake Forest, CA

Our Recommended Top 8

We did the research for you!

  • Licensing
  • User Reviews
  • Mystery Shopping Calls

Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Lake Forest Financial Advisors on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

26Reviewed

18Curated

8Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider
SmartAdvisor by SmartAsset logo

SmartAdvisor by SmartAssetExpertise.com

Lake Forest, CA
Free Consultation

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

SmartAsset's free, five-minute tool makes it easy to find qualified financial advisors in your area. The exclusive tool uses a quick survey to help SmartAsset's exclusive algorithm match you with up to three advisors based on your specific financial needs. Each advisor is a fiduciary, legally bound to work in your best interest, and rigorously vetted by SmartAsset. You can speak with each for free, sometimes within a matter of minutes, and choose whom you want to work with. Hundreds of thousands of smart investors and retirees have already used SmartAsset's simple, no-cost service to find the right financial advisors for them.

  • Estate Planning
  • Financial Planning
  • Investment Management
  • Retirement Planning

Lake Forest, CA

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Need help contacting a Financial Advisor in Lake Forest? Call our Concierge team at 848-Book-Pro (848-266-5776 from 6 am - 4 pm PT | Mon - Fri). They are standing by to help you get the service you need.

22954 El Toro Rd., Lake Forest, CA 92630

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Dale A. Wood, CFP, is a registered representative of Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., serving the Lake Forest area. She has been selling securities and insurance since 1984. Dale offers wealth management advice in the form of building a comprehensive investment strategy based on financial research. Her additional services include risk management, retirement, estate, and tax planning. She earned her certification as a Certified Financial Planner in 1994. Her goal is to help customers develop an investing strategy that would help them reach their objectives.

9481 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Provence Wealth Management Group is a firm serving Lake Forest. It guides individuals and families in coordinating their financial lives through complexities by providing counseling across different factors. These include investing, life transitions, retirement planning, and benefits and compensation. For employers, its team of professionals assists with retirement plan consulting and investment management. One of the firm's founding partners, Mike S. Sheets, is a Certified Financial Planner and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor who supports children's care organizations.

  • Certified Financial Planner (CFP)

23201 Mill Creek Drive, Suite 110, Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Olivieri & Rowlands Partners is a financial services company that caters to clients in Lake Forest. It develops financial strategies to help individuals reach various goals, involving areas like retirement and insurance. The company also coordinates with legal and tax advisors to help clients with estate planning. It advises business owners on issues related to employee benefits packages and funding partnership agreements. Its owner and president, David Olivieri, has spent over 40 years in the financial services industry.

  • Estate Planning

9070 Irvine Center Drive Suite 230, Irvine, CA 92618

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

WealthWise Financial Services is a female-owned business serving Lake Forest and the surrounding areas. The firm provides guidance on income tax strategies, charitable giving, Social Security analysis, and goals-based retirement planning. It also helps clients protect their families through life insurance analysis, disability income, long-term care, and wealth replacement. Founder and CEO Loreen Gilbert has over 25 years of experience creating comprehensive wealth strategies. She has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Top Women Wealth Advisors in 2021.

  • Retirement Planning
  • Tax Planning

9890 Research Dr. Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92618

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Precision Wealth Financial & Insurance Services Inc. is an advisory and planning company serving clients in Lake Forest. As part of the planning process, the firm's advisors outline the clients' goals and objectives. These enable them to develop a plan, which incorporates proper structuring, diversification, tax planning strategies, risk tolerance, and asset allocation. Dennis J. Cunningham II, one of the firm's wealth management directors, has been training both his clients and other financial and insurance professionals for over two decades. Cunningham holds CHFC, CLU, and AIF designations.

  • Estate Planning
  • Tax Planning
  • Retirement Planning

23201 Lake Center Dr. Suite 215, Lake Forest, CA 92630

Why choose this provider?

O'Neill Financial Management offers comprehensive financial planning solutions to clients in and around Lake Forest. Its financial advisors assist in planning and preparing for short-term or long-term financial goals, working with a team of professionals such as CPAs and estate attorneys to help clients achieve success in all areas of their financial lives. Services include education funding, tax planning and tax efficiency review, retirement planning, charitable giving, and estate planning. O'Neill Financial Management has been in the business since 1998.

  • Tax Preparation
  • Tax Planning

Compare our Top Financial Advisors

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
SmartAdvisor by SmartAsset
Lake Forest, CAFree Consultation
Dale A. Wood, CFP
22954 El Toro Rd., Lake Forest, CA 92630
Provence Wealth Management Group
9481 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618
Olivieri & Rowlands Partners
23201 Mill Creek Drive, Suite 110, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
WealthWise Financial Services
9070 Irvine Center Drive Suite 230, Irvine, CA 92618
Precision Wealth Financial & Insurance Services Inc.
9890 Research Dr. Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92618
O'Neill Financial Management
23201 Lake Center Dr. Suite 215, Lake Forest, CA 92630

FAQs

  • Introduction

    There are many titles for financial professionals, so it's challenging to track what each one means. A financial advisor is probably the term you've heard most often. Financial advisor is a broad term for a professional who helps individuals or companies manage their finances, including investment choices. There are over 100 certifications that financial advisors can obtain.

    • Financial planners, wealth managers, and investment advisors are all financial advisors with different focus areas.
    • A financial planner helps an individual or a company make a plan to achieve long-term financial goals.
    • A wealth manager helps individuals maintain their wealth through various disciplines and services, such as taxes, estate planning, and investment advice.
    • An investment advisor offers investment advice and recommendations to individuals or organizations.
    There’s a misconception that you have to be extremely wealthy to use a financial advisor. In reality, they can be beneficial for people from any income level. Keep reading to find answers to the most commonly asked questions about financial advisors, so you know which type can fit your specific needs.

  • How much should you keep for emergency fund in Lake Forest?

    There is no standard amount in Lake Forest that works for everyone when it comes to putting money aside for emergencies. The appropriate amount may change over time due to changes in income, expenses, and spending habits. Set an initial savings goal that you can realistically achieve, such as $1,000, and then gradually increase it. You can put the money in a traditional savings account and earn interest on it. Money market accounts are another option, but they come with the risk of investment loss.

  • What type of costs for education are covered by 529 saving plans in Lake Forest?

    A 529 savings plan in Lake Forest can be used to pay for educational expenses such as tuition, room and board, and special needs equipment and services. Paper, pens, textbooks, personal computers, software, and internet services are examples of school supplies and electronics that may qualify as a 529 distribution expense.

  • What are the sources of your retirement funds in Lake Forest?

    Many retirees in Lake Forest rely on various sources for funding their senior years, including personal savings, investments, individual retirement accounts, traditional pensions, and social security benefits. Employees who participate in defined-contribution plans, such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457, defer a portion of their salary before taxes, with payouts available beginning in the year the employee reaches 73. Some retirees also choose to continue working to augment their income.

  • What actions can you take independently to manage your finances in Lake Forest?

    Keeping detailed financial records can help you gain control of your financial situation in Lake Forest. After you have accounted for your monthly income and expenses, you can begin analyzing your financial situation by determining where you can cut costs, better allocate your budget, and redirect the remaining funds toward your financial priorities and goals, such as savings, investments, or debt payments. You must review your income and expenses on a regular basis and make necessary adjustments.

  • What can you do with your 401(k) account when you leave a job in Lake Forest?

    When you leave your job in Lake Forest, you have four options regarding your 401(k) account: -Leave your account in your former employer's 401(k) plan until you reach age 59, at which point you may begin making penalty-free withdrawals; -Invest the assets into a new or existing traditional individual retirement account; -Transfer the account to your new employer's 401(k) plan; -Cash-out the account, although you may be required to pay ordinary income tax on the balance and an early withdrawal penalty.

  • Are financial advisors worth it?

    Whether or not a financial advisor is worth it depends on your personal situation. If your finances are fairly straightforward, then you may be better off handling it on your own. But if you have substantial assets or a complex investment portfolio, then hiring someone to handle it for you can be well worth the cost.