Wealth Management for Those Who’ve Come into Money

Occidental works with people navigating new wealth, whether from an inheritance, a business sale, a lottery win, crypto gains, or a career windfall, such as a major contract or breakout year. Because this kind of wealth often changes a financial picture overnight without changing how someone thinks about money, our approach combines financial planning with financial psychology. Clients typically come to us with $5 million or more in investable assets and want a long-term relationship with an Advisor who understands both the numbers and the mindset behind them.

Our services are comprehensive and include financial planning, investment management, estate planning, career planning, and legacy planning, with each designed around the realities of coming into new wealth. Many Clients also work with us on financial psychology coaching, including a Money Scripts® assessment to identify the beliefs and habits that shape their financial decisions. Family communication and governance support is also available for Clients who want help navigating conversations about wealth with the people they love.

We offer both, integrated into a coordinated plan rather than two separate services. For Clients navigating new wealth, this means that investment strategy, tax planning, and estate planning move together rather than in isolation. Occidental also layers financial psychology throughout the process, since we believe the numbers and the mindset behind them are part of the same plan.

A fiduciary is a financial professional who is legally and ethically required to act in a Client's best interest, rather than simply recommending what's suitable. Yes, Occidental is a fee-only, fiduciary firm, which means we're paid only by our Clients and not by commissions on products we recommend. For someone navigating new wealth and unsure who around them has their best interests at heart, this distinction can matter.

Occidental is a fee-only firm, so our compensation comes directly from our Clients rather than commissions on products or investments. This structure is designed to keep our guidance focused on what's right for the Client, not on selling any particular solution. Fee details are discussed individually, since they depend on the scope of a Client's financial plan and investment management needs.

Occidental builds portfolios around a Client's long-term goals, informed by both financial planning and an understanding of how that Client thinks about risk and money. We pay close attention to the behavioral side of investing, since decisions made during periods of significant change, such as coming into new wealth, are often shaped as much by emotions as by the numbers. Portfolios are managed with attention to tax efficiency and disciplined, long-term decision-making.

Occidental typically works with Clients who have $5 million or more in investable assets, which reflects the scale and complexity we often see following a significant wealth event. That said, we evaluate each Client's situation individually rather than applying that number as a strict cutoff.

Occidental believes wealth management works best as an ongoing relationship, not a one-time engagement, so we generally work with Clients on that basis. New wealth tends to raise questions and decisions over time, not just once, and an ongoing relationship allows the plan to evolve with it.

With offices in California, Colorado, Florida, Washington, and Hawaii, Occidental works with Clients nationwide both remotely and in person.

Yes. We offer an introductory conversation to learn about your situation and determine whether Occidental is the right fit, with no obligation to move forward. This is often the first step for someone navigating new wealth who wants to understand their options before committing to a plan.

Occidental has offices in Burlingame and San Francisco, California; Boulder, Colorado; Altamonte Springs, Florida; Bellevue, Washington; and Lihue, Hawaii. We also serve Clients virtually, working with people who are navigating new wealth wherever they live.

A Money Script® is a core belief about money, often formed in childhood, that shapes how someone thinks, feels, and makes decisions around money as an adult. Occidental's Advisors use the Money Scripts® assessment, developed by Dr. Brad Klontz, to help Clients understand the beliefs driving their financial decisions, especially during a period of significant change like coming into new wealth. Recognizing these patterns is often the first step toward making decisions that feel right, not just look right on paper.

Inheriting wealth often carries emotional weight that other windfalls don't, since it's tied to loss and to relationships rather than achievement or luck. At Occidental, we help Clients navigate both sides of an inheritance: the practical work of managing the assets and the more personal work of deciding what the wealth should mean going forward. The same is true for other windfalls, like a business sale, lottery win, crypto gains, or a career payout, each of which brings its own version of this adjustment.

Yes. Occidental works with athletes, entertainers, and others whose income arrives in a concentrated window, such as a major contract or a breakout year. This kind of windfall often requires different planning than a steady paycheck, including attention to cash flow, taxes, and the shorter timeline many Clients have to make it last.

Normalizing a wealth event means understanding what happened, where it came from, and the range of reactions people commonly have afterward, so a Client knows that their response is a typical one, not a sign that something is wrong. It's the first step in Occidental's process, before moving into a full assessment of a Client's financial and personal picture. For many Clients navigating new wealth, this step alone brings meaningful relief.