Scott Colton
CFP®, CPA/PFS, MS-TAX
Colton Wealth Management
President & Founder
Scott Colton
CFP®, CPA/PFS, MS-TAX
Colton Wealth Management
President & Founder
We work only for you. We accomplish this by being completely independent & conflict free in the advice we give. We offer customized financial advice that takes into consideration your unique circumstances in order to provide coordinated financial, tax & investment management. - Scott Colton, CFP®, CPA/PFS, MS-TAX
Fee-Only financial planner located in Arcadia, CA, serving clients locally and across the country
Scott Colton is an Arcadia, CA fee-only financial planner. Colton Wealth Management provides comprehensive and objective financial planning to help clients organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Scott Colton is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Scott Colton founded Colton Wealth Management with the purpose of helping clients meet their financial goals. With more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry, Scott has the experience necessary to handle the complex problems that preparing for retirement can present. Starting his career as a CPA specializing in tax at Deloitte and Touche, Scott learned the intricacies of taxes and tax planning. Although Scott found success as an tax accountant, he realized early on that it was not his passion.
While continuing to work as a traditional CPA, many clients and friends would come to Scott for personal financial advice. Scott found that answering their questions and providing sound financial advice was something that he was passionate about as he could use his financial skills to make a real difference in their lives. In time, Scott came to realize that this could be something he could see himself dedicating his working life to. Making a career change wasn’t easy and his first foray into offering financial advice had a few missteps.
In 1999, Scott left his career working at an international CPA firm to start a financial planning practice in Pasadena, CA. Scott was a managing partner in the new firm and in connection with that earned life insurance and investment security licenses which allowed for him to offer personal financial advice for a commission. It took only a short time for him to realize that commission based financial advising was something he could not do as there were simply too many conflicts to provide financial advice that was truly in his client’s best interest. After being introduced to NAPFA (an association of fiduciary fee-only advisors) and attending a NAPFA conference, he realized he could do what he loved and join in with thousands of other advisors who were also dedicated to offering unbiased advice to their clientele. In 2009, Scott founded Colton Wealth Management and continues to find joy in each client’s journey to retirement and living their retirement to the fullest.
Scott graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation. Like his father, Scott is a CPA and he also earned the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation awarded by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for CPAs who specialize in providing financial advice to individuals and families. Scott is a member of NAPFA, an association of strictly fee-only financial advisors.
Scott grew up in Pasadena and graduated from St. Francis High School. Prior to graduating from college, he took a leave from school to serve for two years as a missionary for his church in Brazil. Within months of returning home from Brazil, Scott met his future wife Jane. Now, 6 kids and 3 decades later, Scott feels deeply grateful for the many blessings and opportunities he and his family have been given and hopes to pay it forward by helping others find their way in life both temporally and spiritually. Over the last few years, Scott has taken up golf. Scott is determined to one day break 80 on the golf course. On many Saturdays and perhaps a few nights a week, you might find him at the local driving range trying to perfect his game.
Being active in his church and involved in the community through volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America takes up most of his time outside of work. He has served on the board of directors for his local Little League Baseball and AYSO sports organizations.
Scott Colton is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
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.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Colton Wealth Management is an independent, fee-only, Registered Investment Advisor that serves clients with a fiduciary standard of care. For more than two decades, our passion has been to help clients implement strategies to help them realize their financial goals.
CWM’s investment approach is grounded in economic theory and backed by decades of empirical research. Our investment approach is based on a belief in markets. Rather than relying on futile forecasting, stock picking, market timing or trying to outguess others, we utilize a more systematic and solid academic approach to investing—an approach we can implement consistently, at a low cost and one investors can understand and stick with, even in challenging market environments.
At CWM, we view the creation of a sound written financial plan as the foundation for financial success. Knowing where you are and the steps you need to take to get to where you want to go is the critical first step to reaching your financial goals.
At CWM, we are with you for the long-term and expect that client relationships will last a lifetime. Our goal is to help you obtain financial independence through smart and informed personal financial decisions and help you through all life and retirement stages.
Clients want unbiased advice. We believe that unbiased advice is best given when a fiduciary relationship exists. As fiduciary advisors, we are required to act in your best interest at all times. Unlike firms who collect commissions and remunerations for recommending specific financial products, we have no incentive to pick one investment over another. As a fee-only financial advisor, we are independent and paid by the client – not from commissions on product sales.
We are committed to working with you and for you. Our customized financial advice is tailored to help you succeed in your unique situation. As fee-only advisors, we are here to help. We will build a plan based on your goals. Our process starts with you.
Our investment philosophy is simple:
- Be transparent. Our fees for services are clearly stated and agreed to upfront and there are no hidden costs. Our experience has been that most clients have limited knowledge as to what they are actually paying for their financial advice or are aware of the conflicts of interest that arise based upon how their financial advisor gets paid.
- Evidence-based advice. Our goal is to leverage academic research and prudent investment strategies to help you make sound financial decisions that will give you the highest probability of achieving your financial goals. We do not speculate in private placements or other risky and high-cost investments.
- Low-cost solutions. We use low cost, registered funds from investment companies whose philosophies match our passion for putting our client’s best interests first.
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
Working Together
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Scott Colton is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe 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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Scott Colton is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Scott Colton is a Certified Public Accountant (Learn More)A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a professional accountant who has met the education and experience requirements set by their state's Board of Accountancy and has passed the Uniform CPA Exam. CPAs are licensed to provide a wide range of accounting services, including financial statement preparation, tax planning and preparation, auditing, consulting, and other financial advisory services.
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Scott Colton is a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS)The Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) credential is granted solely to CPAs (Certified Public Accountants) with considerable personal financial planning education and experience. All areas of personal financial planning—including estate, retirement, investments, and insurance—have tax implications, and the PFS professional has the experience, ethics, and expertise to get the job done right.
Contact Scott Colton
Office Locations:
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25 E Huntington Dr
#104
Arcadia, CA 91006
