# William Allan Wealth Management > Independent, fee-only fiduciary wealth management. An investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (CRD 133147), serving individuals, families, business owners, and institutions since 2004 from offices in Long Beach, California and Fort Collins, Colorado. William Allan is a fee-only registered investment adviser and a fiduciary, which means the firm is required to act in its clients' best interest and to disclose material conflicts of interest. Tax work is CPA-led and coordinated with portfolio and estate planning rather than handled separately. - Website: https://www.willallan.com - Email: info@willallan.com - Phone: (800) 677-5309 - Offices: 100 Oceangate, Suite 1200, Long Beach, CA 90802 and 3711 John F Kennedy Pkwy, Suite 420, Fort Collins, CO 80525 - Services: portfolio management, tax planning and preparation, estate planning - Clients served: individuals, families, business owners, and institutions ## Services - [Fee-Only Portfolio Management](https://www.willallan.com/portfolio-management): Fee-only fiduciary portfolio management in Long Beach, CA and Fort Collins, CO. Built around your goals, with disciplined risk and tax-aware execution. - [CPA-Led Tax Planning & Preparation](https://www.willallan.com/tax-planning): Year-round CPA-led tax planning and preparation in Long Beach, CA and Fort Collins, CO: capital gains management, RMD strategies, and tax-loss harvesting. - [Estate Planning & Legacy Protection](https://www.willallan.com/estate-planning): Estate planning in Long Beach, CA and Fort Collins, CO: wills, trusts, beneficiary reviews, and charitable giving, aligned with your tax and investment plan. - [CPA Financial Advisor & Wealth Manager](https://www.willallan.com/cpa-financial-advisor): Work with a CPA-led, fee-only fiduciary: investment advice and tax planning from one in-house team. Offices in Long Beach, CA and Fort Collins, CO. SEC-registered since 2004. - [Investment Strategies](https://www.willallan.com/strategies): Three tailored investment strategies: Core Equity for long-term growth, Income+ for dividend income, and Complex Scenarios for concentrated positions. - [Individual Stocks vs. ETFs](https://www.willallan.com/why-stocks): Individual stocks vs. ETFs: where direct ownership helps with tax control and customization, where pooled funds win on cost and breadth, and how we decide. ## Firm - [About and contact](https://www.willallan.com/): Firm overview, team, approach, and office locations. - [Commentary index](https://www.willallan.com/blog): All published articles. - [Privacy policy](https://www.willallan.com/privacy): How William Allan Wealth Management collects, uses, and protects your personal information. ## Commentary - [The Spouse Who Doesn't Handle the Money](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-spouse-who-doesn-t-handle-the-money): Not because anyone decided it. It happens the way most household divisions happen. Someone was slightly more interested, or slightly better at it, or had more time during a... - [The Phone Call That Sounds Exactly Like Your Grandson](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-phone-call-that-sounds-exactly-like-your-grandson): The oldest version of this scam is decades old. Someone calls an older person, claims to be a grandchild in trouble, and asks for money fast. It worked often enough to persist,... - [You Inherited Money. What Should Happen in the First Year?](https://www.willallan.com/blog/you-inherited-money-what-should-happen-in-the-first-year): Most financial planning content about inheritance is written for the person leaving it. Far less is written for the person receiving it, which is strange, because that is the... - [How Much Cash Should You Actually Be Holding?](https://www.willallan.com/blog/how-much-cash-should-you-actually-be-holding): Most financial questions people bring us are about what to buy. This one is the opposite, and it comes up more often than any of them: how much money should be sitting in the bank? - [The Decision Most People Get Wrong Without Realizing It: When to Claim Social Security](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-decision-most-people-get-wrong-without-realizing-it-when-to-claim-social-security): Why Social Security timing is one of the most permanent decisions in retirement, and how it connects to withdrawals, taxes, and Medicare premiums. - [The Hidden Risk in Your Portfolio: When One Stock Becomes Too Much of It](https://www.willallan.com/blog/concentrated-stock-position-risk): If a large share of your net worth sits in one company's stock, you're carrying a risk most diversified investors never think about. Here's how it builds up unnoticed, and the... - [How an Advisor Gets Paid Changes Everything: Understanding the Fee-Only Fiduciary Model](https://www.willallan.com/blog/how-an-advisor-gets-paid-changes-everything-understanding-the-fee-only-fiduciary-model): How an advisor is paid will not tell you everything, but it tells you a great deal about the incentives surrounding the advice you receive. The fee-only fiduciary model is built... - [Understanding Risk Tolerance: What It Really Means for Your Portfolio](https://www.willallan.com/blog/understanding-risk-tolerance-what-it-really-means-for-your-portfolio): When most people hear the phrase "risk tolerance," they think of a questionnaire. A few multiple cho - [Inflation: The Silent Tax on Your Portfolio](https://www.willallan.com/blog/inflation-the-silent-tax-on-your-portfolio): Most investors think about risk in terms of losing money. A stock drops. A company disappoints. A ma - [The Enemy in the Mirror: How Emotions Quietly Sabotage Investors](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-enemy-in-the-mirror-how-emotions-quietly-sabotage-investors): Markets have produced extraordinary long-term wealth for patient investors. That is not a controvers - [The Quiet Power of Compounding Income: Why Dividends Deserve a Seat at the Table](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-quiet-power-of-compounding-income-why-dividends-deserve-a-seat-at-the-table): What Dividends Actually Represent - [Building a Legacy: A Practical Guide to Generational Wealth Planning](https://www.willallan.com/blog/building-a-legacy-a-practical-guide-to-generational-wealth-planning): Generational wealth planning is about more than passing along assets. It is about creating a durable framework that transfers purpose, values, and financial stewardship across... - [Compounding and Direct Ownership: The Quiet Engine Behind Long-Term Wealth](https://www.willallan.com/blog/compounding-and-direct-ownership-the-quiet-engine-behind-long-term-wealth): Why compounding rewards patience above almost everything else - [It's Never Too Early - or Too Late - to Think About Retirement](https://www.willallan.com/blog/its-never-too-early-or-too-late-to-think-about-retirement): Start with a picture of what you want - [Old 401(k)s From Previous Jobs? It's Time to Bring Them Home.](https://www.willallan.com/blog/old-401ks-from-previous-jobs-its-time-to-bring-them-home): If you've changed jobs over the years, chances are you have retirement accounts scattered across multiple former employers. It's more common than you think, and it could be... - [The Architecture of Efficiency: Navigating the 2026 Tax Landscape with Direct Ownership](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-architecture-of-efficiency-navigating-the-2026-tax-landscape-with-direct-ownership): A look at how direct ownership, tax-aware planning, and long-term portfolio discipline can shape after-tax outcomes in the 2026 tax environment. - [The Day After: Navigating the Emotional and Financial Gravity of Significant Financial Change](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-day-after-navigating-the-emotional-and-financial-gravity-of-significant-financial-change): Planning after major financial transitions requires more than math. This piece explores the emotional and strategic side of wealth change. - [Wealth is a Tool, Not a Destination: The Case for Alignment](https://www.willallan.com/blog/wealth-is-a-tool-not-a-destination-the-case-for-alignment): A thoughtful perspective on aligning money, decision-making, and long-term purpose rather than treating wealth as an end in itself. - [Decisions, Habits, and Long-Term Control: Mastering Tax Season](https://www.willallan.com/blog/tax-season-is-not-just-about-taxes): Tax season can be a catalyst for broader financial control when it is used to revisit habits, planning opportunities, and long-term decision-making. - [Sometimes Doing Nothing is the Smartest Investment Decision](https://www.willallan.com/blog/why-doing-nothing-is-often-the-smartest-investment-decision): Patience can be a powerful investment discipline when markets are noisy and emotion pushes investors toward unnecessary action. - [He Was Doing Everything Right. It Still Didn't Feel Like Enough.](https://www.willallan.com/blog/he-was-doing-everything-right-it-still-did-not-feel-like-enough): A reflection on the gap between outward financial progress and inner confidence, and why planning has to account for both. - [The IRS Is Eliminating Paper Refund Checks. Here's What That Means for Taxpayers](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-irs-is-eliminating-paper-refund-checks-heres-what-that-means-for-taxpayers): What changing IRS refund processes can mean for planning, expectations, and the practical side of tax administration. - [The "Scholarship Safety Net": Turning Unused 529 Funds into a Retirement Head Start](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-scholarship-safety-net-turning-unused-529-funds-into-a-retirement-head-start): A look at how unused education funds may fit into longer-term planning when circumstances change. - [Why the Calendar Doesn't Matter](https://www.willallan.com/blog/why-the-calendar-doesnt-matter): A reminder that strong planning is built on discipline and time horizon, not arbitrary calendar milestones. - [Volatility Is the Price of Admission](https://www.willallan.com/blog/volatility-is-the-price-of-admission): An investment perspective on accepting market volatility as part of long-term return seeking rather than a sign that the plan is broken. - [The Hidden Risks of Private Equity — And Why We Stay Away](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-hidden-risks-of-private-equity-and-why-we-stay-away): A commentary piece on liquidity, complexity, and risk transparency in private-market investing. - [Concentration Creep: The Quiet Risk Investors Ignore](https://www.willallan.com/blog/concentration-creep-the-quiet-risk-investors-ignore): An examination of how concentration risk can build gradually and why regular review matters. - [2026 Will Look Different than 2025, And That’s a Good Thing](https://www.willallan.com/blog/2026-will-look-different-than-2025-and-thats-a-good-thing): As we wrap up 2025, it’s natural to look at the past twelve months and try to project them forward. Markets delivered strong returns, volatility stayed unusually quiet, and most... - [2025: Strong Markets, Narrow Leadership, Familiar Lessons](https://www.willallan.com/blog/2025-strong-markets-narrow-leadership-familiar-lessons): As we enter November, the market has once again delivered strong returns — and once again, it has done so in a way that doesn’t always feel strong. Pullbacks have come and gone,... - [Quantitative Easing May Return: What the Fed’s Latest Signal Means for Investors](https://www.willallan.com/blog/quantitative-easing-may-return-what-the-feds-latest-signal-means-for-investors): Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested that the Fed’s balance-sheet reduction — better known as quantitative tightening (QT) — may soon come to an end. That... - [The Cost of Waiting to Invest](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-cost-of-waiting-to-invest): Why starting early matters more than timing perfectly When it comes to building lasting wealth, the most valuable resource an investor has isn’t luck — it’s time. Yet for many,... - [Protecting Your Legacy — Estate Planning in Today’s Environment](https://www.willallan.com/blog/protecting-your-legacy-estate-planning-in-todays-environment): Estate planning is one of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of financial health. Many people assume it’s only for the wealthy, but the truth is simple: if you own... - [Year-End Tax Planning — Don’t Leave Savings on the Table](https://www.willallan.com/blog/year-end-tax-planning-dont-leave-savings-on-the-table): The final months of the year bring busy schedules filled with family, holidays, and business wrap-ups. But it’s also the most important window to revisit your tax and investment... - [Tax Saving Tips for Seniors: Making the Most of Charitable Giving](https://www.willallan.com/blog/tax-saving-tips-for-seniors-making-the-most-of-charitable-giving): For many retirees, giving back to the community is a core value. What some may not realize is that certain forms of charitable giving can also provide significant tax advantages.... - [Artificial Intelligence: From Hype to Proof](https://www.willallan.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-from-hype-to-proof): Artificial Intelligence (AI) has dominated the headlines for the past two years. From boardrooms to dinner tables, few topics have captured as much attention — or driven as much... - [Investing Through Uncertainty: The Only Constant in Markets](https://www.willallan.com/blog/investing-through-uncertainty-the-only-constant-in-markets): If there’s one thing markets have taught us in recent years, it’s this: the only certainty is uncertainty. Over the last five years, investors have faced a pandemic, inflation... - [How the Employer Contribution Credit Can Benefit Your Business](https://www.willallan.com/blog/how-the-employer-contribution-credit-can-benefit-your-business): The SECURE 2.0 Act introduced a range of incentives for small and mid-sized businesses to make retirement savings more accessible. Among them is the Employer Contribution Credit —... - [How Families Can Prepare for the Wealth Transfer of Our Time](https://www.willallan.com/blog/how-families-can-prepare-for-the-wealth-transfer-of-our-time): Over the next 20 years, more than $80 trillion will be passed down from one generation to the next. It’s the largest shift of wealth in history. For many families, that transfer... - [Stop Leaving Your 401(k) on the Table: Why Unclaimed Retirement Accounts Can Cost You Thousands](https://www.willallan.com/blog/stop-leaving-your-401k-on-the-table-why-unclaimed-retirement-accounts-can-cost-you-thousands): Every year, millions of Americans walk away from jobs — and leave their 401(k) plans behind with them. Whether it’s because of a career change, a move, or simply forgetting about... - [What the Average American Needs to Retire](https://www.willallan.com/blog/what-the-average-american-needs-to-retire): When it comes to retirement, there’s no one-size-fits-all number — but understanding what the average American needs can help you set your own personal benchmark and adjust course... - [Your Portfolio Is Like Your Golf Game](https://www.willallan.com/blog/your-portfolio-is-like-your-golf-game): Most golfers don’t need new clubs. They need to stop overcorrecting. Pulling out driver when it should’ve been a 4-iron. Chasing the pin instead of hitting the middle of the... - [The Power of Dividends (Especially In A Nine-Year Bull Market)](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-power-of-dividends-especially-in-a-nine-year-bull-market): There is an old saying on Wall Street… “Profits are a matter of opinion, but dividends are a matter of fact.” As we are coming up on a decade long bull market that is coinciding... - [The Opportunity Of The (In)Efficient Market](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-opportunity-of-the-inefficient-market): As stocks of large to small companies trade for a fraction of what they did last year, a question surfaces: Is the stock market accurate in its valuations? More to the point, does... - [An Executive’s #1 Job: Capital Management](https://www.willallan.com/blog/an-executives-1-job-capital-management): In the news of late is the idea put forth by a few Congressmen to put a limit on how much stock a company can buyback. In essence, these politicians feel it is unjust for the... - [Corrections, Bear Markets, Etc… Should We Care?](https://www.willallan.com/blog/corrections-bear-markets-etc-should-we-care): There’s the old saying, “All good things must come to an end.” For most people a slowing bull market (in other words a rising stock market) invoke this sentiment when the tide... - [The Free Loan To The IRS (Aka Your Tax Refund)](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-free-loan-to-the-irs-aka-your-tax-refund): Tis the season to discuss taxes! More specifically, the average taxpayer’s need to do the exact opposite of what they should do regarding tax withholdings and subsequent... - [Thankful For Perspective](https://www.willallan.com/blog/thankful-for-perspective): As investors, our ability to picture a future that is brighter than the present largely comes from never forgetting the past. A belief that is strengthened in our everyday life…... - [The FTX Dumpster Fire: A Harsh Investment Reminder](https://www.willallan.com/blog/the-ftx-dumpster-fire-a-harsh-investment-reminder): For most of us, the motivation to invest is the same… grow our money. Unfortunately, when seeking to expedite that growth, many are destined to play a supporting role in FTX-like... - [Why Most Investors Fail in the Stock Market (And How You Can Avoid It)](https://www.willallan.com/blog/why-most-investors-fail-in-the-stock-market-and-how-you-can-avoid-it): The stock market is often portrayed as a golden ticket to wealth — a place where disciplined savers can watch their money grow exponentially over time. Yet, the reality is far... - [How Quickly We Forget The Recent Past… Why?](https://www.willallan.com/blog/how-quickly-we-forget-the-recent-past-why): In early 2009, the S&P 500 Index (S&P) bottomed out after the Great Financial Crisis (GFC). As a refresher, the GFC was the period that culminated with the S&P shedding nearly... - [Elon’s Twitter Buyout Offer… The Market Top (Or At The Least A Sign Of What Was To Come)](https://www.willallan.com/blog/elons-twitter-buyout-offer-the-market-top-or-at-the-least-a-sign-of-what-was-to-come): On April 4th, the S&P 500 Index (S&P) closed at 4,582, less than 5% off its historic highs. At the time, this somewhat benign drop could have been viewed as 1) A short-term blip,... - [Higher Education… A Day Of Reckoning Sooner Than Later](https://www.willallan.com/blog/higher-education-a-day-of-reckoning-sooner-than-later): For as long as we have been investors, there is one statistic that has occupied a tiny space in my brain. There are two industries that have forever grown at a rate that outpaces... - [What If Stock Market Investing Was Gambling… Sin City Would Go Out Of Biz Quickly](https://www.willallan.com/blog/what-if-stock-market-investing-was-gambling-sin-city-would-go-out-of-biz-quickly): Over the past few decades, more than once have I heard comments that allude that investing in the stock market is akin to gambling… a game of chance per se. Needless to say, this... - [Investing In The Stock Market Is Not Some Parlor Game](https://www.willallan.com/blog/investing-in-the-stock-market-is-not-some-parlor-game): Recently I participated on a panel where we fielded investment/finance related questions from members of a small business owners’ networking group. There were three professionals:... - [Stock Market History Is On Your Side… But Does It Really Matter In The Long-Run](https://www.willallan.com/blog/stock-market-history-is-on-your-side-but-does-it-really-matter-in-the-long-run): With the turn of the calendar, it is standard practice for the world’s numerous investment professionals to roll out their thoughts for all things financial, leading to the big... - [Inflation Explained… And The Future Opportunities It Foreshadows](https://www.willallan.com/blog/inflation-explained-and-the-future-opportunities-it-foreshadows): For the past year or even a bit longer, the topic of inflation and anything related has led the evening news. In fact, it’s led the morning and daytime news, and if you still read... ## Disclosures - William Allan is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not constitute an endorsement by the SEC, nor does it imply any particular level of skill or training. - Firm disclosures are filed with the SEC: [Form CRS](https://www.willallan.com/form-crs) and [adviser records](https://adviserinfo.sec.gov). Bare URLs are avoided here so a trailing sentence period is never read as part of the address. - Content on this site is general information and commentary. It is not investment, tax, or legal advice, is not personalized to any individual's circumstances, and is not an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security. - Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. No strategy assures a profit or protects against loss. - Article commentary is published under a house byline and reviewed by Jason Crawshaw, CPA.