Alec Zari, CFP®

Alec Zari specializes in helping high-income and high-net-worth individuals, families, corporate Technology/Engineering/Architecture/Insurance executives, and medical professionals navigate complex financial decisions with greater clarity and confidence. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Alec takes a comprehensive and highly personalized approach to wealth management, helping clients align investment strategy, tax planning, retirement planning, risk management, and long-term goals into one coordinated financial framework.

In Alec’s view, financial planning is like a web. While many families naturally focus on the investment strand, true financial success comes from understanding how every financial decision affects the bigger picture. Areas such as cash flow and lifestyle, tax strategy, risk protection, estate and legacy planning, equity compensation, retirement income, and behavioral decision-making are deeply interconnected. When one strand is pulled, the entire web moves. This philosophy helps Alec proactively identify opportunities, uncover blind spots, and prepare clients for each phase of life with greater efficiency and intentionality.

Where Alec differentiates himself is through a more modern approach to financial planning — one rooted in behavioral decision-making. He believes financial planning should not be one-size-fits-all because no two individuals process risk, stress, or financial decisions the same way. Even within the same family, emotional and psychological responses to money can differ significantly.

By understanding how clients think, what motivates them, and how they are likely to respond during periods of uncertainty, Alec helps design financial strategies clients can confidently stick with over the long term. His goal is not simply to create a technically sound financial plan, but to build one that aligns with each client’s personality, priorities, and decision-making style.

Alec has particular expertise in helping clients maximize workplace retirement opportunities, including self-directed brokerage account (SDBA) options such as Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account (PCRA) and Fidelity Brokeragelink, as well as advanced strategies like the Mega Backdoor Roth when available through employer-sponsored plans.

He also works extensively with corporate executives and professionals who have concentrated stock positions, helping them evaluate tax-efficient diversification strategies designed to reduce risk while preserving long-term wealth. Having witnessed the impact of overconcentration firsthand, Alec prioritizes building resilient portfolios that support financial independence and long-term stability. Additionally, Alec assists physicians and medical professionals throughout Southern California in navigating complex retirement systems and maximizing the benefits available through university and healthcare institutions.