Pleasanton, CA · Independent RIA since 2018
For Tri-Valley business owners and high-bracket households: portfolios built around after-tax results, California municipal bond ladders, and retirement plans that work for the owner — managed by one accountable fiduciary. No hand-offs. No commissions.
Three short questions. A personal reply from Samah within one business day.
The problem
Returns are reported before tax. You live on what's left after it. For a Californian in the top brackets, the gap between the two is often larger than any fee, and it compounds every year it goes unmanaged.
Rates shown are 2026 statutory top marginal rates for illustration only; your effective rate depends on your full tax picture. Some municipal bonds are subject to the alternative minimum tax. Pleasanton Wealth does not provide tax advice; we coordinate with your CPA.
The alternative
Large firms spread your relationship across teams, platforms and product shelves. A boutique RIA built around one CFA® charterholder keeps the analysis, the decision and the accountability in the same place.
| Typical large firm | Pleasanton Wealth | |
|---|---|---|
| Who manages your money | A rotating team; junior associates handle day-to-day | Samah Naguib, CFA®, personally |
| Portfolio construction | Model portfolios and in-house products | Built for your tax bracket, cash needs and business |
| Fixed income | Bond funds by default | Individual California municipal bonds in laddered maturities, when appropriate |
| How the firm is paid | Often a mix of fees, commissions and product revenue | Advisory fees from clients only |
| Decision speed | Committees, tickets and call centers | One decision-maker. Direct email and phone. |
| Custody | Often the firm itself | Independent custodian: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. |
Strategic pillars
Every decision is measured after tax, not before.
Individual California general-obligation bonds, laddered by maturity, owned directly in your Schwab account.
Plans designed around the owner's savings goals and the business's cash flow.
Allocation philosophy
Our starting framework holds roughly 70% in diversified global equities for long-term growth and 30% in high-grade fixed income, often California municipal bonds, for scheduled income and stability. The fixed-income side is built as a rolling ladder: as each bond matures, the proceeds fund withdrawals or buy a new bond at the long end.
The mix is a starting point, not a template. Your actual allocation is set in writing around your cash needs, time horizon, tax bracket and tolerance for risk, and reviewed at least annually.
Run the math
What a taxable bond would need to yield to match a tax-exempt California municipal bond, after federal and state income tax.
A taxable bond would need to yield about this much to match, at a combined marginal rate of 54.1%.
Simplified illustration: combined rate = federal + NIIT + California, ignoring deductions, AMT and the SALT cap. Not a quote or recommendation. Yields and tax treatment vary by bond.
How we operate
Pleasanton Wealth is deliberately small. That is the point: the person who analyzes your portfolio is the person who makes the decision and answers for it.
Your review meetings, your questions and your trades go through one person: a CFA® charterholder with more than 20 years in investments, including advisory roles at Charles Schwab. There is no relationship manager relaying messages to an investment team you never meet.
At large firms, clients are often reassigned as advisors are promoted, leave or rebalance their books. Here, the context you share once stays with the person managing your money: your business, your CPA's strategy, the reason behind each position.
Our fees are simple and transparent: generally based on assets under management (AUM), and always disclosed in writing before you sign.
When markets move, tax-loss harvesting windows and bond pricing opportunities can close quickly. With no committee to convene, decisions within your written guidelines are made and executed by the person who already knows your file, and every change is documented.
Safeguarding your assets
Pleasanton Wealth never holds client funds. Assets are held by an independent, qualified custodian: Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., through Schwab Advisor Services, one of the largest custodians serving independent advisers.
Fiduciary duty & transparency
As a registered investment adviser, Pleasanton Wealth owes its clients a fiduciary duty: a legal obligation to act in your best interest, put your interests ahead of our own and disclose any conflicts.
Being fee-only means the firm is compensated solely by its clients. We are not a broker-dealer, we do not sell insurance or commissioned products, and we receive no payments from fund companies. The only way we earn more is if you choose to keep working with us.
For business owners
| 2026 | CalSavers | Your own 401(k) |
|---|---|---|
| Employee savings limit | $7,500 | $24,500 + catch-up |
| Age 50+ / 60–63 total | $8,600 | $32,500 / $35,750 |
| Employer match or profit sharing | Not allowed | Yes, you design it |
| Federal startup tax credits | No | May qualify |
One hypothetical example: a six-person dental practice adopts a SIMPLE IRA.
The owner earns $180,000; five employees each earn $50,000 and contribute enough to receive the full 3% match.
The owner puts $22,400 toward retirement, the team receives $7,500 in matching dollars, and potential federal credits can offset a large share of first-year cost.
Once the plan is running, the same CFA® charterholder manages the owner's personal portfolio, so business and household decisions are made with one view of the whole balance sheet.
Review my businessHypothetical 2026 illustration only — not a quote, projection, or tax recommendation. The potential $6,250 assumes a $1,250 startup-cost credit plus a $1,000 employer-contribution credit for each of five eligible employees, and that the employer, plan, employees and costs qualify under current federal rules. Credits are not guaranteed and cannot also be deducted. Confirm eligibility with a qualified tax adviser.
The engagement
A complimentary conversation about your goals, accounts and tax picture.
Statements, tax returns and plan documents reviewed line by line for tax drag, concentration and cost.
Allocation, fixed-income ladder and tax strategy, with fees disclosed in writing before you sign.
Accounts opened at Schwab, portfolio implemented, then monitored and reviewed with you at least annually.
The adviser
Samah founded Pleasanton Wealth after more than two decades in investments. She previously held financial advisory roles at Charles Schwab, co-founded Profit Brokerage Inc., and began her career with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in finance and economics.
Her work centers on the parts of wealth management where analysis matters most: fixed-income construction, tax-aware portfolio decisions and retirement plan design for business owners. She works directly with each client and coordinates with their CPA and estate attorney.
Candid guidance, no pressure. If Pleasanton Wealth isn't the right fit, Samah will tell you, and suggest what is.
Yes. Pleasanton Wealth LLC is a California-registered investment adviser and acts as a fiduciary to its advisory clients, which means advice must be in your best interest. The firm is fee-only: it is compensated by its clients, not by commissions on products.
In your own name at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., an independent qualified custodian. Pleasanton Wealth does not hold client money. You receive statements directly from Schwab and can log in at any time.
Interest on bonds issued by California and its municipalities is generally exempt from federal and California income tax for California residents. Some bonds can be subject to the alternative minimum tax, and gains on bonds are taxable. We coordinate with your CPA.
A ladder holds individual bonds maturing on a set schedule, so each bond's principal is scheduled to be repaid at maturity if the issuer does not default, and cash flows are known in advance. A bond fund has no maturity date and its share price moves with interest rates. Read how a California muni ladder works.
Our fees are simple and transparent: generally based on assets under management (AUM), and always disclosed in writing before you sign. Our Form ADV brochure is public.
The CFA® charter is a graduate-level credential focused on investment analysis, portfolio management, fixed income and ethics, and requires passing three exams plus qualified work experience. The CFP® certification focuses on broad personal financial planning.
Since January 1, 2026, California employers with at least one W-2 employee must either offer a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k), SIMPLE IRA or SEP IRA, or register with the state CalSavers program. If you already sponsor a plan, you still need to file an exemption with CalSavers.
Business owners, professionals and families in Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville and across California, along with small businesses of 1 to 100 employees that need a retirement plan.
A short, data-first read each week on rates, markets and what they mean for taxable investors and business owners.
Weekly market commentary: the Fed's quarter-point hike, a 10-year Treasury yield near 5%, mixed stock returns, and what it means for business owners and plan participants.
Read this week's commentaryPrecise, plain-English guides for business owners and investors.
Every decision, setup step and annual review a California owner should know — on one printable page. Enter your email and we'll open it for you right away.
Samah will review your answers personally and reply within one business day.
Prefer to pick a time now?
