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.

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.

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

Our outlook for 2026 is cautiously optimistic, driven by fiscal stimulus from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act boosting consumer spending, a likely pause in trade policy tensions ahead of midterm elections, and solid corporate fundamentals despite limited room for further equity valuation expansion.

Ralph Coutant

Senior Principal

Individuals and Families

Is the Stock Market Overvalued? What Investors Can Do

The last few years have been a good time for U.S. equity investors. But lately, people are questioning if we’re in another stock market bubble just waiting to burst.

Paul Chmielewski

Partner

Estate Planning

Simple Ways to Help Avoid Probate: Revocable Living Trusts and More

Probate is the legal process through which a deceased person’s estate is administered and distributed. While it serves an important function, it can also be time-consuming, expensive, and emotionally taxing. Fortunately, several strategies can be employed to help avoid probate and ensure a smoother transition of assets to loved ones.

Mariella Foley

Partner

Individuals and Families

Retirement Planning for Single Women: How to Prepare

Women already face gender-specific financial planning challenges. These include a longer life expectancy and a pay gap that results in lower salaries and lower lifetime savings unless they save a greater percentage of their salary.

Adam Sandler

Senior Principal

Individuals and Families

Private Placement Life Insurance

The concept behind PPLI is simple: by investing inside a life insurance policy, you take advantage of the favorable tax treatment granted to life insurance. Learn more.

Individuals and Families

The Year-End Financial Planning Checklist

The end of the year is the perfect time to review your financial plan with your advisor. The following checklist will help you take stock of your savings, investments, retirement planning, tax exposure, and risk management, so you can make more informed decisions about your strategy for the year to come.

Family Office

Webinar Recording: Tax Optimization and Thoughtful Wealth Planning for Liquidity Events

A liquidity event—whether from a business sale, IPO, merger, or other transaction—creates a unique opportunity to design plans that minimize tax exposure and shape a lasting legacy. Watch our webinar to learn more.

Constantine Mulligan

Partner

Corporations

The Role of Private Markets in Defined Contribution Plans

Defined contribution plans have attracted growing interest and media coverage amid recent U.S. Department of Labor actions and a noticeable shift in tone from Washington, D.C., regarding the role of private markets.

Mariella Foley

Partner

Individuals and Families

Splitting Retirement Accounts in Divorce

When going through a divorce, the process of dividing assets can be a frustrating and confusing one. Retirement assets are an important issue in any divorce proceeding, since, after the marital home, they often represent the largest category of marital assets to be divided in a divorce settlement.

Andrejs Pilajevs

Principal

Cross-Border Planning

A Comprehensive Guide for U.S. Expats in France

Few countries capture the imagination quite like France. From sipping coffee at a Parisian café to cycling through Bordeaux’s vineyards to retiring under the Provençal sun, France offers a rare blend of culture, history, cuisine, and quality of life. Relocating, however, involves more than a one-way ticket and a charming apartment. France has one of the world’s most sophisticated tax and legal systems.

Select your specialty

Our weekly “What's on Our Minds” provides a comprehensive overview of key market developments, economic data, and the Investment Office’s perspective.

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.

Our integrated retirement plan solutions effectively balance the unique perspectives of your HR and benefits teams, plan fiduciaries, senior leaders, and employees, helping all of them achieve their objectives.

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.