Kathy Costas
CDFA®
EP Wealth Advisors
Vice President
Kathy Costas
CDFA®
EP Wealth Advisors
Vice President
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Kathy Costas, CDFA®
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Kathy Costas is a West Los Angeles, CA and Westlake Village, CA fee-only financial planner. EP Wealth Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning, divorce planning, tax planning, and investment management to help individuals, couples, families and small businesses organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Kathy Costas is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Informed Investor Reports, Client Education Webinars, Articles and Checklists
EP Wealth Youtube Channel with additional commentary
Kathy Costas is a Vice President and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA® ) at EP Wealth Advisors. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Miami University with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies and a minor in Business. Kathy has been working in the financial services industry since 1987. She started her career in commercial lending at NatWest Bank PLC in New York and later moved to Los Angeles as a Vice President in the Public Finance division. In 2008, Kathy joined FMB Wealth Management and later moved on to Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management. She eventually returned to FMB in 2015 as a Partner and Investment Advisor specializing in working with men and women going through a divorce. Kathy was appointed by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts as the chair of the Southern California chapter of the Divorce Alliance, a group for divorce professionals. She is also the leader of the Conejo Divorce Resources Professionals group. She is also the leader of the Conejo Divorce Resources Professionals group and is a member of the NADP (National Association of Divorce Professionals). Kathy is an active volunteer with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is a member of the local chapter of the nonprofit fundraising group Dining For Women.
Kathy’s approach has always been to work as a trusted partner with her clients. Her greatest reward is the knowledge that she has helped them achieve what is important to them. In her free time, Kathy enjoys hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, tennis and spending time with her 3 children and dog Tanner.
EP Wealth Advisors is a fee-only registered investment advisory and financial planning firm headquartered in Torrance, California. EP Wealth manages over $16.1 billion in AUM as of December 31, 2022. With offices from coast to coast, EP Wealth combines the resources of a large firm with a local approach to provide client-centric financial planning, wealth management and investment management services to individuals and businesses. EP Wealth continues to grow and enrich the lives of our clients and team and has been recognized as a leader in the RIA space by multiple financial and industry publications, including Barron's 2022 list of top RIA’s, Financial Planning’s top firms of 2022, and many more at both the national and regional level. The firms Torrance headquarters has been named a Best Place to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and several advisors and functional leaders have been named to varied "Best", "Rising Star" and "40 Under 40" lists.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
- Divorcees
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Kathy Costas is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Kathy Costas is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®)
A CDFA® professional is a financial professional skilled at analyzing data and providing expertise on the financial issues of divorce. The role of the CDFA® professional is to assist the client and his or her attorney to understand how the decisions he or she makes today will impact the client’s financial future. A CDFA® can take on many roles in the divorce process: Financial Expertise and Strategy, Data Collection and Analysis, Expert Presenter and Litigation Support. In some cases, CDFA® professionals are called upon to act as expert witnesses in court or in mediation proceedings.
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Kathy Costas Contributes to Rethinking 65 with Her Article: "‘In Sickness and in Health’ Shouldn’t End with Divorce"
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Kathy Costas is Quoted on WBTV: "What is gray divorce and why is there an increase?"
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Kathy Costas Contributes to Rethinking 65: "There’s No Such Thing as ‘Forever’ with Spousal Support"
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Kathy Costas is Quoted in Financial Advisor Magazine: "The Tax Consequences Of Pandemic-Era Divorces"
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EP Wealth - Awards and Recognition
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Free Resources From EP Wealth Advisors
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Kathy Costas Appointed as Chair of the Southern California Chapter of the Divorce Alliance
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Kathy Costas has Presented for Second Saturday Workshops
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eWomenNetwork Spotlight: Kathy Costas - From abused wife to trusted divorce adviser: "How to Plan Your Financial Success After a Divorce"
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Kathy Costas is a Guest on Chats with Susan Berrell: "Sue chats with Divorce financial planner, Kathy Costas, about discovering your worth after divorce"
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Kathy Costas was a Guest Speaker for a Meetup: "Divorce & Money: What Are My New Goals?:
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Kathy Costas is Mentioned on AP News: "EP Wealth Enhances Core Business Units and Suite of Services for Clients"
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Kathy Costas is Quoted on Yahoo Finance: "EP Wealth Enhances Core Business Units and Suite of Services for Clients"
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Kathy Costas is Co-Author of Your Amazing Itty Bitty® Divorce Handbook: 15 Essential Tips to Help You Make the Best Decisions During the Worst of Times
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Kathy Costas Talks About Wealth Management and Financial Planning on the Kim Pagano Show
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Kathy Costas is a Featured Advisor on DivorceMagazine.com
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Kathy Costas is a Member of the Local Chapter of Dining for Women
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EP Wealth Advisors is Named to Financial Planning Magazine's RIA Leaders 2020: High Touch, High Tech
Contact Kathy Costas
Office Locations:
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11400 W. Olympic Blvd.
Suite 170
Los Angeles, CA 90064 -
21515 Hawthorne Blvd
Suite 1200
Torrence, CA 90503 -
27441 Tourney Rd
#260
Valencia, CA 91355 -
18301 Von Karman Ave.
Suite 410
Irvine, CA 92612 -
3655 Nobel Drive
Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92122 -
5743 Corsa Avenue
Suite 224
Westlake Village, CA 91362