Financial advisors in New York for Tax Planning

David Lopez is an International Wealth Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He joined Merrill Lynch in 2021 after over 20 years of experience leading a tax, consulting, and cross-border business practice at BeachFleischman PC, one of Arizona’s largest accounting firms, where he was a partner. At BeachFleischman, David established the firm’s international tax practice, growing it into one of its fastest expanding segments. Prior to that, he worked at Ernst & Young LLP. In his current role, David collaborates with a team of experienced financial advisors to deliver comprehensive financial guidance, with a focus on serving high net worth and ultra-high net worth families. His approach emphasizes coordination with clients’ other advisors, such as attorneys and accountants, to provide a family office–style service. While David is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he does not provide tax or legal advice in his wealth management role. His areas of expertise include education planning, family wealth management strategies, liquidity management, retirement planning, portfolio management, and individual and corporate investment strategy. David holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Arizona and is a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He is bilingual in English and Spanish. He has been active in community leadership roles with organizations including Ronald McDonald House of Southern Arizona, Carondelet Foundation, Salpointe Foundation, Kino Border Initiative, Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, and Nexus Executives. His personal interests include basketball, biking, skiing, tennis, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Jori Guzhuna is a financial strategist and founder of Guzhuna Asset Management, an independent registered investment advisory firm serving a select clientele of entrepreneurs, executives, and multi-generational families. His philosophy is rooted in a disciplined bottom-up approach to wealth management. Every client engagement begins with risk management and asset protection—ensuring the foundation is secure—followed by strategic tax mitigation. From there, planning expands into investment strategy, capital deployment, and long-term legacy design. Operating under a fiduciary standard, Jori provides objective, conflict-free advice with no proprietary products or commission-driven incentives. His work integrates institutional-grade investment access with advanced planning techniques, enabling clients to preserve, grow, and transfer wealth with precision. He is also recognized for implementing sophisticated investment approaches typically reserved for institutional environments. These strategies are designed to enhance efficiency, manage downside exposure, and create more controlled outcomes across varying market conditions—while remaining aligned with each client’s overall risk profile and objectives. Known for discretion and strategic clarity, Jori architects comprehensive financial structures designed to withstand complexity and deliver enduring results across generations.

Wallis Tsai is the founder and CEO of AboveBoard Wealth Management, LLC, an independent firm based in New York, NY. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 14 years of industry experience. Tsai also founded AboveBoard Financial Inc, where he creates and supervises educational financial content, and AboveBoard Ins Svcs LLC, an insurance business where he analyzes policies and makes recommendations. AboveBoard Wealth Management provides financial planning, investment management, and limited financial consulting to individual clients, focusing on retirement planning, education funding, equity compensation, insurance analysis, and estate/tax coordination. The firm offers non-discretionary investment advice emphasizing long-term asset allocation, cost-conscious use of passive index strategies combined with selective active managers, and a fact-based approach grounded in quantitative analysis and academic research.

Margaret Browning is a financial advisor at MBB Advisory LLC in New York, NY, with 10 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley & Co LLC for four years before joining MBB Advisory in 2019. MBB Advisory LLC is a solo-registered investment adviser serving individual and high-net-worth clients with tailored financial planning, investment consultation, and portfolio management. The firm uses a blended investment approach combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to construct diversified portfolios that include passive core holdings, active managers, and satellite positions.

Erika Safran is a CFP® and Series 63 licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Safran Wealth Advisors, LLC, where she has worked since 2009. The firm provides integrated wealth management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension plans, business entities, and charitable organizations. Safran Wealth Advisors manages approximately $120 million in client assets, focusing on long-term, strategic asset allocation using broadly diversified, low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, supported by institutional research and resources.

Hi, I'm Zach! I'm a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and the founder of ZZ Planning. Before becoming a financial planner, I was a litigator. I graduated from law school with a ton of debt, clerked, and worked in New York for two biglaw firms for more than a decade. I know what it's like to rush to meet a midnight filing deadline, or to be on call on vacation. But I also know how to be smart with money, and create a plan that will allow you to reach your goals. Now that I've left the law, I'm here to share my experience. Everything you are going through, or are going to go through, I've gone through it too. I can help.​

Danielle Wauchope is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with Paradiem, LLC, where she has worked since 2014 and has 11 years of industry experience. She is involved in community activities including coaching basketball and teaching Sunday School, and serves as an alumni mentor for the DeVoe Division of Business at Indiana Wesleyan University. Paradiem, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, and charitable organizations with investment management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm emphasizes customized portfolio construction, ongoing client communication, and coordinated planning for complex households and business clients through a multi-advisor team approach.

Edward Stellingwerf is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill, a division of Bank of America. He combines the global resources of Bank of America and Merrill with personalized guidance to assist individuals and families in addressing daily financial priorities while focusing on their long-term goals. Edward's approach emphasizes understanding each client's unique circumstances to build relationships founded on trust and discretion, aligning wealth management strategies with their purposes and priorities. With more than twenty-five years of experience, Edward's expertise includes wealth management banking services, trust and estate planning, investment management, custom lending and mortgage solutions, as well as retirement and financial planning. He also has experience with private business sales, ESOP transactions, aircraft and real estate financing, and wealth transfer strategies. Edward leverages Merrill's goals-based wealth management process and collaborates with dedicated specialists to offer a broad range of solutions aimed at supporting liquidity, preserving and growing wealth, and preparing clients to meet future financial objectives. Edward holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation, administered by the Investments & Wealth Institute™ in conjunction with The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University–Newark. In addition to his professional credentials, Edward has served on the Town of Westfield, NJ Board of Adjustments from 2013 to 2016 and the Town of Westfield Board of Communications from 2008 to 2009.

Kyle Rugg is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a member of The Kiefel Group. He joined The Kiefel Group in 2013 and focuses on in-depth wealth planning to assist individuals and families in achieving their financial goals and facilitating wealth transition for future generations. Kyle holds a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Portland State University. With over seven years of experience in the finance industry, Kyle specializes in family wealth management strategies, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, tax minimization, and retirement income. He and his team emphasize operating with trust and integrity, employing a rigorous wealth management process, and providing open architecture and objective advice to clients. Outside of his professional work, Kyle is involved in the community through organizations such as Charbonneau Golf Club and Silverton Hospital. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, and in his personal time, he pursues interests including golfing, fishing, hunting, and supporting sports teams like the Oregon Ducks, Portland Trailblazers, and Seattle Seahawks.

David Lopez is an International Wealth Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch in 2021, he was a partner at BeachFleischman PC, one of Arizona’s largest accounting firms, where he led the firm’s international tax practice and developed its cross-border business and consulting services over more than 20 years. Before that, he worked at Ernst & Young LLP. At Merrill Lynch, David collaborates with a team of financial advisors to provide comprehensive, multi-faceted wealth management services tailored to high net worth and ultra-high net worth families, coordinating closely with clients’ attorneys, accountants, and other advisors in a family office style approach. David holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). While he has a background in tax, he does not provide tax or legal advice in his current role. His client focus areas include education planning, family wealth management strategies, liquidity management, retirement planning, portfolio management, investment strategy, tax minimization, and retirement income. In addition to his professional work, David has served in leadership positions with various community organizations, including Ronald McDonald House of Southern Arizona, Carondelet Foundation, Salpointe Foundation, Kino Border Initiative, Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, and Nexus Executives. He continues to serve as a member of Nexus Executives and remains involved with the Kino Border Initiative. Outside of work, David enjoys basketball, biking, skiing, tennis, traveling, and spending time with his family.