Advanced Tax Planning Strategies for Every Aspect of Your Life

Announcement: Cerity Partners welcomes Fishman Block + Diamond, a full-service accounting, tax, and business advisory firm based in Encino, California. This partnership will deepen Cerity Partners’ tax planning and preparation services, while providing high-net-worth clientele with an expanded suite of tax, family office, and business management strategies. Learn more about our partnership with Fishman Block + Diamond here.

Taxes are a crucial part of almost every major financial decision, from buying a home to planning your retirement. Failing to take them into account can result in overpayment of taxes and diminished investment returns. Our tax planning and financial advisors help you preserve your wealth by identifying and minimizing potential tax liabilities before you act.

Our seasoned tax planning and preparation specialists understand the relationship between taxes, financial planning, and investment management.

Our expertise includes:

  • Tax projections
  • Tax optimization strategies
  • Personal and trust tax returns
  • Business tax returns
Steve Walker

Partner / Steve Walker

Comprehensive Tax Planning
Services that Help Reduce
Liability Year-Round

Many financial decisions have tax implications that you may not be aware of—but we are. The most effective financial plans are the ones that include tax-planning strategies custom-made for high-net-worth individuals. Working together, we help you:

  • Proactively identify ways to reduce your taxes based on your goals and circumstances
  • Make sound decisions based on quarterly and annual tax projections
  • React in real-time to new tax regulations
  • Incorporate dynamic planning that evolves with your personal and professional life

Reduce Your Taxes. Preserve Your Assets. Grow Your Wealth.

You don’t need a tax historian. You need a tax and financial planner who sees your financial life as integrated events that impact your future. We implement tax strategies tailored to your goals.

01

Estate Planning

Without proper planning, inheritance, trusts, and estate taxes can erode your legacy. Our wealth transfer strategies are designed to help reduce, and in some cases, eliminate estate taxes.

02

Philanthropy

You make charitable gifts because you care about making a difference locally, nationally, or globally. Low cost-basis securities, charitable lead trusts, and charitable remainder trusts are a few ways we help minimize the tax implications of your gifts.

03

Investment Management

Your investments, their value, and your cost basis can all affect your tax bill. Our tax and financial advisors help you create tax-efficient investment portfolios and harvest investment losses to reduce your obligations.

04

Business Management

Should you establish your business as a sole proprietorship? An S Corp? Or C Corp? Our tax advisors help you analyze the tax implications of different business structures so you can pick the one that’s right for you and your financial situation.

Reduce Your Taxes. Preserve Your Assets. Grow Your Wealth.

You don’t need a tax historian. You need a tax and financial planner who sees your financial life as integrated events that impact your future. We implement tax strategies tailored to your goals.

01

Estate Planning

Without proper planning, inheritance, trusts, and estate taxes can erode your legacy. Our wealth transfer strategies are designed to help reduce, and in some cases, eliminate estate taxes.

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Estate Planning

Which Is Better-A Will or Revocable Trust?

A common decision when creating an estate plan is whether to use a will or a revocable living trust. There is a lot of confusion about when one should be used over the other. The answer is heavily dependent on which state you live in and what type of assets you own. In other words, […]

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Estate Planning

Which Is Better-A Will or Revocable Trust?

A common decision when creating an estate plan is whether to use a will or a revocable living trust. There is a lot of confusion about when one should be used over the other. The answer is heavily dependent on which state you live in and what type of assets you own. In other words, […]

02

Philanthropy

You make charitable gifts because you care about making a difference locally, nationally, or globally. Low cost-basis securities, charitable lead trusts, and charitable remainder trusts are a few ways we help minimize the tax implications of your gifts.

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Estate Planning

A Guide to Charitable Gifting Options

Discover the power of purposeful giving with our guide on current charitable gifting options. Explore Private Foundations, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Donor Advised Funds to tailor your strategy for maximum impact. Begin your journey towards meaningful philanthropy and manage your wealth effectively with us.

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Estate Planning

A Guide to Charitable Gifting Options

Discover the power of purposeful giving with our guide on current charitable gifting options. Explore Private Foundations, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Donor Advised Funds to tailor your strategy for maximum impact. Begin your journey towards meaningful philanthropy and manage your wealth effectively with us.

03

Investment Management

Your investments, their value, and your cost basis can all affect your tax bill. Our tax and financial advisors help you create tax-efficient investment portfolios and harvest investment losses to reduce your obligations.

Doug Garrison

Partner

Individuals and Families

The Benefits (and Limitations) of Tax-Loss Harvesting

“Sell a position for less than what I paid? Why would I want to do that?” How do we take advantage of a down market to save on taxes? There are times when selling an investment for less than what you paid for it makes sense.

Doug Garrison

Partner

Individuals and Families

The Benefits (and Limitations) of Tax-Loss Harvesting

“Sell a position for less than what I paid? Why would I want to do that?” How do we take advantage of a down market to save on taxes? There are times when selling an investment for less than what you paid for it makes sense.

04

Business Management

Should you establish your business as a sole proprietorship? An S Corp? Or C Corp? Our tax advisors help you analyze the tax implications of different business structures so you can pick the one that’s right for you and your financial situation.

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Corporations

When It Comes to LLCs, Pay Attention to Liability Direction

When properly structured, the use of SMLLCs in conjunction with an MMLLC provides important upward and downward liability protection benefits while reducing the number of tax returns that need to be prepared.

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Corporations

When It Comes to LLCs, Pay Attention to Liability Direction

When properly structured, the use of SMLLCs in conjunction with an MMLLC provides important upward and downward liability protection benefits while reducing the number of tax returns that need to be prepared.

We believe in people, encourage diverse perspectives, and foster a culture of excellence.

Explore Our Offerings for Individuals and Families

Joseph Matus

Principal

Economic and Market Outlooks

What’s on Our Minds This Week?

Despite a rare simultaneous sell-off in U.S. Treasuries, U.S. stocks, and the U.S. dollar that is raising fears of capital flight from dollar-denominated assets toward safer global alternatives, the United States may still remain the most attractive option in the long run with notably higher growth estimates, higher-yielding sovereign bonds, and reliance on domestic consumption.

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Estate Planning

Estate Planning Documents Everyone Should Have

The basic message is that most people think estate planning is important but are often confused about how to get it done. So, what are the basic estate planning documents every adult should have?

Frederic Behrens

Partner

Cross-Border Planning

Guide to Financial Planning for Non-U.S. Citizens Living in the United States

Those living (or soon to be living) in the United States on a green card or U.S employment visa face many financial, tax and legal issues that average American citizens do not. Unfamiliarity with the U.S. tax and legal environment often leads to poor long-term financial planning decisions and costly mistakes. To make cross-border financial […]

Ayisha Tahir

Principal

Individuals and Families

Harnessing the Power of Health Savings Accounts

HSAs offer more than a way to manage healthcare costs; they are a vital wealth-building tool that utilizes tax advantages and growth opportunities to bolster financial security.

Doug Garrison

Partner

Individuals and Families

The Benefits (and Limitations) of Tax-Loss Harvesting

“Sell a position for less than what I paid? Why would I want to do that?” How do we take advantage of a down market to save on taxes? There are times when selling an investment for less than what you paid for it makes sense.

Devon Ruttenberg

Partner

Family Office Services

Why Your Family Office May Need an Advisor

With great wealth comes great responsibility. Families with legacy wealth that want direct control over investment policy decisions often establish a family office to oversee, directly or indirectly, the financial affairs of the family.

Brett Dearing

Partner

Corporations

Is Your Business Sellable?

Many owners run their businesses without an exit plan in mind. Then when the time comes to sell, they find out that the way they’ve been running their company isn’t attractive to prospective buyers or that they will only buy the business at a meaningful discount.

Vonny Carrington, Kathryn Kennedy and Ekaterina Klimentova

Financial Planning

Managing Money as a Couple

In a Relationship? So are Your Finances. Learn practical financial tips for managing money as a couple.

Andrew Fisher

Partner

Cross-Border Planning

Why Major U.S. Brokerage Firms Are Closing Accounts Owned by Foreign Residents

Many expats and multi-national residents are working with investment firms that are increasingly abandoning this service. We explore why firms are discarding these complex clients, and what people should do next.

Select your specialty

Investing is a long-term commitment to your financial well-being. It’s about growing and safeguarding your wealth. Our disciplined, goal-oriented approach ensures your portfolio remains resilient in the face of market and economic fluctuations.

Our sophisticated estate and wealth transfer strategies help you preserve your legacy while minimizing tax burdens. Every recommendation is tailored to your specific needs, leveraging our extensive knowledge of estate, trust, gift, and tax regulations.

Successfully navigating the financial challenges that come with wealth necessitates planning, relevant advice, and a financial advisor who’s always in your corner. Cerity Partners provides all three.

Safeguard the financial security you and your loved ones have built. We assess your current risk exposure and develop customized strategies designed to protect the most vulnerable areas of your financial life.

We design and implement tax optimization strategies, including the creation of detailed tax projections and the preparation of personal, trust, and business tax returns.

Our family office services free you to focus on what matters most, providing a coordinated team of specialists dedicated to preserving, growing, and protecting your family's prosperity.

We work with owners of privately held businesses to help them create and execute transition plans that provide a seamless and successful exit for themselves, their families, and other stakeholders.

Divorce marks the end of marriage but also the start of your new life. We can help you navigate the financial challenges of divorce and embrace the opportunities for building a thriving, secure future.

Just because your professional life is international doesn’t mean your financial life has to be complicated. Cerity Partners has extensive knowledge of U.S. and global tax laws and regulations, and we will work with you to preserve and grow your wealth here and abroad.