Find a Financial Advisor in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County at a glance

Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the United States, and it behaves less like one place than like a collection of regions that share a name. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, the county has about 9.8 million residents, a median household income of $90,112, a per capita income of $45,792 and a median home value of $834,200. The median age is 38.2, about 15.2 percent of residents are 65 or older, and 36.0 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Only 45.9 percent of households own their home, which is well below the national pattern, and the median gross rent is $1,954 a month.

Those numbers describe a county where rent is a major line in the budget for half of all households, where a modest house costs far more than the income figures suggest, and where a financial plan has to account for ownership in a way it does not in most of the country. This page is about the county as a whole: the 88 cities, the unincorporated communities, the valleys, the beach towns, the high desert and the harbor. If you live in the city of Los Angeles itself, we also have separate pages for that city.

Financial advisors in Los Angeles County

A financial advisor in this county is a professional who helps you decide how to use money you earn, save and own. The title is loose. It can describe a certified planner who charges a flat fee, an investment manager paid on assets, an insurance agent, or a broker at a large firm. The work you want determines which kind fits.

Advisors who serve the Los Angeles County area work by phone or video, so you do not have to pick someone based on a freeway exit. A household in Lancaster can speak with the same advisor as a household in Santa Monica. What matters is whether the advisor understands the county’s specific pressures: expensive housing, equity pay from entertainment and technology employers, wildfire and earthquake exposure, and a state tax system that treats high earners harshly.

Here is a typical range of reasons people call:

• A couple in Torrance, both age 52, wants to know if they can retire at 62 while still paying a mortgage.
• A screenwriter in Burbank has irregular income and needs a savings system that works in a lean year.
• A nurse in Pomona has a pension and a 403(b) and wants to understand how they fit together.
• A family in Altadena is rebuilding after a fire and needs help sorting insurance proceeds, mortgage terms and tax questions.

How to choose a financial advisor in Los Angeles County

Start with the problem, then look for the person. A few steps keep the search short.

1. Write down the one or two decisions weighing on you. Examples include when to leave a job, how to invest a home sale, or whether to buy more life insurance.
2. Ask each candidate how they are paid and to give you the total yearly cost as one number, covering advice, funds and any insurance products.
3. Ask whether they act as a fiduciary at all times, and ask them to put that in writing. Educate yourself on what the term means before you ask.
4. Look the person up in the SEC adviser database and on FINRA BrokerCheck. California also licenses smaller advisory firms through the state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
5. Favor advisors who have worked with people in your situation, such as entertainment workers, public employees, small business owners or retirees on a fixed income.
6. Talk to two or three before choosing. The one who explains the tradeoffs in plain language is usually the one you can work with for years.

Wealth management in Los Angeles County

Wealth management coordinates the whole balance sheet: investments, taxes, estate documents, insurance and sometimes a business. It tends to suit households with substantial assets or complicated pay. Plenty of Los Angeles County residents fit that description without feeling wealthy, because a home bought in the 1990s in Santa Monica, Pasadena or Manhattan Beach can be worth well over a million dollars by itself.

Common clients include:

• Entertainment professionals. Income from residuals, royalties, production deals and loan-out companies arrives unevenly and carries unusual tax questions.
• Physicians and academics. Doctors at large hospital systems and faculty at the area’s universities often start saving late and juggle several retirement plans.
• Business owners. Owners of import firms near the ports, restaurants, medical practices and manufacturers face succession and sale decisions.
• Long-time homeowners. Equity built over decades raises questions about downsizing, property tax rules and passing the home to children.

Many firms set an account minimum, so ask early to save time.

Financial planners in Los Angeles County

A financial planner builds the written roadmap: where you stand now, where you want to go and the steps between. The scope usually covers budgeting, debt, saving, insurance, investing, taxes and estate documents. Some planners hold the CFP designation, which involves coursework, an exam, work experience and ethics standards. Others do not, so ask.

Questions that come up often in this county:

• How much house can I afford, or keep? With prices where they are, a planner can model renting against buying, or paying a mortgage into retirement.
• How do I save for college? California has the ScholarShare 529 plan, and the University of California and Cal State systems are the in-state options many families price out.
• How do I handle a variable paycheck? Freelancers and gig workers can build a reserve that covers lean months.
• How do I plan around California taxes? Planning for the state income tax can shape account choices and timing.

Retirement planning in Los Angeles County

Retirement here is a question of cost and location. Some residents plan to stay in the county they know, paying high housing costs on a fixed income. Others plan to sell and move to Nevada, Arizona, Oregon or Idaho, taking their equity with them. Both paths are reasonable, and each needs a different plan.

Points worth working through:

• Public pensions. Many county, city and school employees have defined benefit pensions through systems such as CalPERS, CalSTRS or the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association. Understanding survivor options and health benefits matters.
• Social Security timing. Claiming at 62, full retirement age or 70 changes lifetime income, and the decision interacts with a spouse’s benefit.
• State tax on retirement income. California does not tax Social Security benefits, but it does tax pension and IRA withdrawals as ordinary income. Moving to a state with no income tax can change the math, though cost of living elsewhere also counts.
• Health costs before 65. People who retire early need coverage until Medicare begins, and Covered California is one route.
• Long-term care. Assisted living in coastal areas can cost far more than in the Antelope Valley or the Inland Empire.

Our guide to retirement planning basics is a good starting point before your first call.

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Life insurance in Los Angeles County

Life insurance replaces income or pays debts if the person who earns or runs the household dies. With home prices as high as they are here, a mortgage alone often drives the amount of coverage a family needs. Add childcare and college, and the figure grows.

The main choices are these:

• Term insurance covers a set period, such as 20 or 30 years, and costs the least for the amount of coverage. A couple in their 30s with a young child and a mortgage often start here.
• Permanent insurance lasts for life and builds cash value. It can serve estate planning, special needs planning or business purposes, though it costs more.
• Coverage through work is helpful but usually ends if you leave the job, so check whether it is enough on its own.

Ask an advisor to compare quotes from several carriers, and to explain whether the person recommending a product earns a commission. A stay-at-home parent still has economic value and can need coverage.

Investment advisors in Los Angeles County

An investment advisor focuses on the portfolio: what you own, how it is spread and what it costs. Registered investment advisers are held to a fiduciary standard under the law, while brokers follow a different standard when they recommend products. Ask which one applies to each recommendation.

Topics to raise:

• Concentrated stock. Employees at entertainment, aerospace and technology companies often hold a large share of their wealth in one employer.
• Tax-aware investing. California taxes capital gains as ordinary income, so placing assets in the right accounts and harvesting losses can help.
• Fees. An annual charge of about 1 percent on managed assets is common, with lower rates on larger accounts. Compare it with flat-fee and hourly options.
• Real estate. Many households hold rental property, so an advisor should view the portfolio as a whole. Our investing basics guide explains diversification.

Economy and major industries

The county’s economy is large enough to be compared with that of a mid-sized country, and it is varied. Film, television and music production are the most familiar sectors, with studios and production companies in Burbank, Culver City, Santa Monica and Hollywood. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, together among the busiest container gateways in North America, support trucking, warehousing and logistics jobs across the South Bay and the Inland corridor. Aerospace has a long history in El Segundo, Torrance, Long Beach, Palmdale and Lancaster. Health care is a major employer, and the county is home to large research universities, including UCLA, USC and Caltech, plus the Cal State campuses.

Tourism, fashion, apparel, small manufacturing, restaurants and the gig economy round out the picture. One result is a high share of self-employed workers and project-based earners, who need to plan for irregular income, quarterly taxes and their own retirement accounts. Another result is that a layoff in one industry, such as a strike or a slow year in production, ripples through neighborhoods quickly, so a solid emergency fund matters.

Housing and cost of living

With a median home value of $834,200 and a median gross rent of $1,954, housing is the biggest factor in most budgets. The median owner cost for a household with a mortgage is $3,160 a month, according to the same Census survey. Because fewer than half of households own, many people hold wealth in retirement accounts and investments rather than a house, while owners may be house-rich and cash-tight.

Proposition 13 limits how fast the assessed value for property tax can rise for as long as you own the home, which rewards long ownership. Proposition 19 changed the rules for passing a home to children and for homeowners 55 or older who move, so it is worth checking before a transfer or sale. Confirm the current rules with the county assessor or a tax professional. Mello-Roos charges and special assessments also appear on tax bills in newer neighborhoods.

State and local tax rules that matter

California has a progressive income tax with high marginal rates for upper earners, and it taxes capital gains at the same rates as wages. There is no separate state estate tax or inheritance tax, though federal rules still apply. California is a community property state, so most assets earned during a marriage are owned equally by both spouses, which affects divorce, death and estate planning. Retirement account withdrawals are taxed by the state, while Social Security benefits are not.

Sales taxes in the county are among the higher rates in the state, and some cities add local levies. The state also runs the CalSavers program for workers whose employers do not offer a plan. None of this is tax advice. Confirm current rules with the California Franchise Tax Board or a tax professional before acting.

Wildfire, earthquake and other risks

Risk planning is not optional here. The county sits among active faults, and a serious earthquake would damage homes and utilities. A standard homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage, so owners decide whether to buy separate coverage, often with a high deductible. Wildfire is another concern in the foothills and canyons, including areas of the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountains. After the January 2025 fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, many owners reviewed their coverage, and some insurers have limited new policies in high-risk zones. The California FAIR Plan is a last-resort option that covers fire but usually requires a supplemental policy for other perils.

Flooding and debris flows can follow wildfires in burned hillsides, and extreme heat affects the valleys and high desert. An advisor can help you check whether your coverage matches your home’s replacement cost, and whether an umbrella policy and an emergency reserve make sense.

Unincorporated areas, commutes and communities

About one million residents live in unincorporated areas, which are governed by the county rather than a city. Examples include East Los Angeles, Florence-Firestone, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, Altadena, Marina del Rey, Castaic and Topanga. Services, property tax bills and local rules can differ from those in a neighboring city, and the county Board of Supervisors makes many decisions affecting these areas.

Commute patterns shape where people live. Households in the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley often accept long drives for lower prices. Others pay a premium to live near the Westside, downtown or the South Bay. A planner can compare the true cost of a long commute, including fuel, time and vehicle wear, with the extra housing cost near work.

Retirement and migration patterns

Many longtime residents have watched children move out of the county for cost reasons, and some retirees follow. Others stay for family, health care and weather. If you are weighing a move, run the numbers on taxes, housing, health care access and distance from family before listing your home, since the sale itself may trigger capital gains tax above the federal exclusion.

Areas we serve in Los Angeles County

We connect residents across the county with advisors who serve the area by phone or video, including Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Carson, Cerritos, Claremont, Compton, Covina, Culver City, Diamond Bar, Downey, El Monte, Gardena, Glendale, Glendora, Hawthorne, Huntington Park, Inglewood, La Mirada, La Puente, La Verne, Lakewood, Lancaster, Lawndale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lynwood, Manhattan Beach, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Norwalk, Palmdale, Paramount, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Gabriel, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, South Gate, South Pasadena, Temple City, Torrance, Walnut, West Covina, West Hollywood and Whittier, along with unincorporated communities across the county.

Frequently asked questions