Strategies for W2 Earners to Maximize Take-Home Pay
Financial planning for W2 high earners
You earn well.
California still takes most of it.
When your paycheck is your primary income source, the details matter more than you think. I help California W2 earners cut through the tax complexity, invest with intention, and build real financial clarity, not just a portfolio that sits there.
Schedule a conversationThe problem
High income doesn't automatically mean
financial clarity.
California's state income tax is the highest in the country. Add in a top federal bracket, equity comp events, and a cost of living that rarely gets cheaper, and your financial picture is more complex than most advisors account for.
You might recognize this:
Your employer withholds taxes, but you still end up with a surprise bill every April
You have RSUs, stock options, or a bonus and no clear plan for how to handle them
You max your 401(k) and assume that's enough, but you're not sure what comes next
You're earning more than ever, but it doesn't feel like you're actually getting ahead
Why this is different
A CFP and a CPA
working from the same plan.
Most financial advisors aren't tax experts. Most CPAs aren't financial planners. I'm both, which means your investment strategy, your tax picture, and your long-term goals aren't siloed. They're coordinated.
"The goal isn't to minimize taxes in isolation. It's to make decisions that optimize your entire financial life and keep them working together year after year."
California-specific tax strategy
From state income tax brackets to equity comp timing to the 0.9% Medicare surtax, I work with CA earners specifically, so none of the complexity catches us off guard.
Equity compensation planning
RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, ESPP, each one has a different tax profile and a right and wrong time to act. We plan before events happen, not after.
Proactive, not reactive
Tax planning happens in the fall, not April. We model your year in advance so we can make decisions that actually affect the outcome.
One advisor, full picture
Your investment accounts, savings rate, tax liability, and financial goals all connect. You shouldn't need three different people to get one coherent answer.
Two paths forward.
Both designed for you.
Depending on where you are and what you need, we can work together in one of two ways. Both include the same quality of thinking and expertise. The difference is depth of involvement and how your assets are managed.
Advisory
Year-Round Advisory
Expert guidance, on your schedule.
Flat annual fee billed quarterly
- Comprehensive financial plan built around your life
- California-specific tax strategy and planning
- Equity compensation analysis and timing
- Retirement account contribution analysis, withholding, and savings rate guidance
- Quarterly check-ins plus on-demand access year-round
- Coordination with your existing investment accounts
Comprehensive
Wealth Management
Full-service, fully integrated.
AUM-based annual % of assets managed
- Bi-annual meetings plus on-demand access year-round
- Discretionary investment management of your portfolio
- Tax-loss harvesting and asset location strategy
- Ongoing rebalancing tied to your plan, not market noise
- Annual tax projections and proactive planning meetings
- Priority access and deeper ongoing relationship