Broker Check

Meet The Team

IWM Partners is all about personal service and really knowing who you’ve entrusted with your financial future. The most important aspect in choosing a financial advisor is trust and we invite you to discover more about who we’ve chosen to build our team.

Michael Hernandez, CFP®

LPL Wealth Advisor

714.962.8000

714.962.7853

mhernandez@iwmpartners.com

I have been a registered financial advisor and certified financial planner for over 25 years. I enjoy working in every aspect of the industry. When first starting my career, I was a financial compliance officer. My expertise flows to many aspects of the financial world which makes me reliable and knowledgeable to handle such an important part of everyone’s lives and futures. With that said, there are certain areas of finance I find that play to my financial vitality. Investments, retirement, insurance and estate planning are my top four strengths and strategies for financial confidence. Each area is important singularly but when you can collectively manage them all together it can be the key to unlock the door of your financial health. My planning methods are aimed at helping my clients invest efficiently, reduce tax exposure, retire comfortably, address insurance needs and provide a strategic plan to transfer wealth to loved ones.

As a father, who has had to plan for the financial future of my children and myself, I take pride in helping my clients address their financial challenges. My son and daughter inspire me to work hard as a role model and for their future success. I strive to preserve my client’s assets as I would my family’s by assessing and managing risk, creating a budget for short-term and long-term goals, evaluating economic conditions and developing strategies to increase financial efficiency.

I enjoy being active and am constantly on the go, whether it is researching new strategies, going to a meeting out of the office, watching my son play soccer or volleyball, hiking with my daughter or golfing with friends. Overall health is my way of living; financially, mentally and physically. No one can predict what the future holds but being prepared is something that everyone wishes they could do. I started as an eager financial apprentice and have worked hard in gaining my financial education to become the branch manager and partner to our IWM Partners firm family. IWM Partners is a reflection of our consolidated dedication and pride to the industry and our clients.


“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

             - Phil Jackson, Former Player & NBA Head Coach

Shawn Hochuli

LPL Wealth Advisor

714.962.8000

714.962-7853

shochuli@iwmpartners.com

As a registered financial advisor, I started my career at Morgan Stanley in 2000 and transitioned to IWM Partners (and LPL Financial) in 2005. I specialize in capital preservation and growth strategies for individuals, families, and business owners as part of my full-service approach to comprehensive financial planning. The areas of investment management, such as, insurance, tax, estate planning, cash flow analysis, risk management, and investor psychology are integral parts of that comprehensive financial strategy.

In 2014, I outkicked my coverage by marrying a superhero named Cristina. We have been blessed with three beautiful children who help fill our home with love at every turn. The joy and inspiration my family gives me is like nothing else I have experienced in life.

As I began my career as a financial advisor after college, I also began officiating the sport which has always been a passion of mine; football. In 2014, I was hired to officiate in the National Football League, where I have been a head Referee since 2018. My path in the officiating world has long been paralleled to that of my financial planning world, as so many of the same qualities of character, integrity, accountability, and work ethic are necessary to be successful at either.

 

“Character is doing the right thing all the time, even when nobody is looking, and especially when it is hard.”

            -Someone who inspires me.


Barbara Stowell

LPL Wealth Advisor

714.962.8000

714.962-7853

bstowell@iwmpartners.com

My passion is to help my clients strive to reach their financial goals. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, I have a deep understanding of the financial markets. My mission is to earn and maintain an established reputation of being a reliable well-seasoned advisor. I personalize and tailor solutions to each client’s unique needs. I am always in pursuit of expanding my knowledge in the financial markets by continuing my education with courses, and regularly attend conferences. Throughout my career, I have helped clients of all ages and backgrounds. My clients can range from young professionals, just starting out, to retirees, looking to strive for consistency in their retirement income.

In understanding that there is not a “one size fits all” approach to financial planning, I have learned that taking the time to get to know each client’s values and ambitions, gives you a full understanding of what is needed to reach the financial goal. Whether it is retirement planning, investment management or estate planning, I work closely with my clients to develop a comprehensive financial strategy. I empower my clients to make informed financial decisions while I take a holistic approach. I not only look at the numbers but look beyond them to assist clients in reaching their targeted goals.

The passion I have for my clients has stemmed from a wholesome place. I was married at a very young age and have stayed married for over 40 years. We have four beautiful daughters and I am the grandmother of 13 grandchildren, my life has never had a dull moment. As fortunate as I am to be a wife, mother and grandmother to a loving family, it is rewarding to be able to bring that kindness and care to my clients every day.


 

Jim Jones

LPL Wealth Advisor

714.962.8000

714.962-7853

jtj@iwmpartners.com

I began my career in financial services over 40 years ago and I have enjoyed the privilege of working with a myriad of clients. Many of my clients I now consider friends, and often their children too. For me that’s success! The relationship is what it’s all about. I enjoy the opportunity to help with their family planning in areas of investment, college funding, life insurance, retirement plans, and estate planning. I endeavor to address sophisticated financial topics with straight talk, common sense, and basic principles. At the beginning of my career, I focused on planning for family-owned businesses. This included the unique issues of estate planning, business succession, qualified plans, executive compensation, buy-sell plans, and life insurance for owners and their families.  Shortly thereafter three partners and I founded TriEqua Group and expanded our services to included 401(k) plans, profit-sharing, and pension services.

I have been fortunate to live in Laguna Beach for several years and have always embraced community service as a former 20-year trustee of the Laguna Schoolpower Endowment Fund and also 25 years of coaching Little League Baseball. Life has brought me fulfillment in many ways. Today, with talented partners and the support of a great staff, I look forward every day to the practice and the rewards of the client advisor partnership.

Clifford Neill

LPL Wealth Advisor

714.962.8000

714.962.7853

cneill@iwmpartners.com

I joined LPL Financial as a Registered Principal and LPL Investment Advisor Representative in March 2019. I began my career in the financial services industry 43 years ago and have served for the last 25 years as an investment advisor representative. Prior to my LPL Financial affiliation, I was associated with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC for more than 31 years. During that time, I served as a Registered Principal, an OSJ Supervisor, and the Branch Manager for the Chico Regional Office. In 1988, I co-founded Asset Management Group and subsequently served as a Co-Regional Director. I have been a resident of Chico, California for over 51 years where I began my career in the financial services industry. My wife, Julia, and I have been married for 47 years and have two children and four grandchildren. For relaxation I enjoy visiting my children and grandchildren, playing golf, fly fishing and traveling. I served on the Chico Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee between 1990 and 1995 and was a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors from 1995 to 2000.

My approach to the investment process begins by assessing each client’s unique risk tolerance and investment objectives. These two factors form the foundation for a custom-tailored portfolio, using Asset Allocation. Each portfolio is distinct and is based on independent, objective, client-oriented investment services. I believe that by specializing in risk evaluation and portfolio management, we can design unique investment portfolios generated to meet each of the client’s comfort levels, investment objectives (“goals”), risk tolerance, and financial situation.

Nicholas Lupo

LPL Wealth Advisor

714.962.8000

714.962.7853

nlupo@iwmpartners.com

I joined the IWM Partners family in June of 2019 as a Paraplanner before settling into the role of LPL Wealth Advisor. Licensed and active in the financial industry for over 5 years, I have built a skillset of working with advisors to help their clients better understand their finances, utilizing internal research to provide relevant and unique education, while striving to position them for holistic financial success. My exposure to modern contemporary investment options allows the firm to be well versed and enhance the capacity to which we service our clients. I strive to assist in personalizing the financial education to best fit the needs and wants of clients by addressing the entire picture of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Plattsburgh State University, located in upstate New York.  In addition to academics, I also played baseball for the Cardinals, patrolling the outfield for 4 years.

I moved from Saratoga Springs, New York 5 years ago to Newport Beach, California where you will find me enjoying the warmer weather, golfing, and surfing.  

Vienna Gusha

Operations Manager

714.962.8000

714.962-7853

vgusha@iwmpartners.com

I grew up in San Pedro, California where I spent my younger years in our family owned and operated bookstore.  There, I had my first job at age 8 earning a quarter an hour straightening shelves and dusting books.  Like all of my family before me, I learned the importance of hard work, personal responsibility, and developed a lifelong love of reading.  As a young adult stretching my wings, I moved to Davis, California where I worked as an administrative assistant for 6 years at an LPL branch office.  However, in 2011, the desire to be near my family brought me back to southern California where I also joined another family, IWM Partners.

With over 18 years of experience working with LPL advisors, I offer a consistently reliable source of information and customer service for our clients.  I bring my genuine desire to help people to the office every day and my attention to detail is valuable when supporting our advisors and clients. I assist with the advisors in opening new accounts and take special care in helping maintaining them because I believe our clients are equally important and all deserve the finest service. In addition, I work behind the scenes to keep the office running as efficiently as possible and serve as the go-to tech person for both clients and advisors.

In my free-time, I enjoy socializing with my five siblings and our extended family and spoiling my cats, Arora and Merlyn. I try to spend as much time as I can reading just about any book I can get ahold of and practicing various computer programming languages. I am also trying to learn Spanish and Japanese and am indulging my childhood fascination with astronomy, geology, and oceanography in self-study courses.  Just like my newest passion, caring for the kitchen garden on my balcony, I am always looking to show my compassion.

Lucy Sandoval

Administrative Associate

714.962.8000

714.962.7853

lsandoval@iwmpartners.com

IWM Partners is a family I wasn’t expecting to gain. I received my start here in 2022 and was immediately welcomed from each person here. I carry that tradition of compassion over to serving our client’s needs. Everyone here holds many different positions to collectively make customer service one of our top achievements. I have learned, and am still learning, many things about the retirement industry that I never knew could be so important. Planning for the future is key for the wellbeing of you and your loved ones. I have many responsibilities here, such as assisting the advisors with new and existing account maintenance, client customer service, marketing and media content strategies.

Living in Southern California, with mostly favorable weather all year long, I have always enjoyed being active throughout my life. For my undergraduate education I moved to Nevada and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2012. On an athletic scholarship, I ran cross-country and track and field all throughout my school years. Though I am no longer a runner, I make sure to make time to go on a hike with my husband, walk our dogs or fit in a gym session. I carry the hard earned values of hard work and kindness with me everyday and thrive with new challenges.

Suzie Wallace

Administrative Assistant

714.962.8000

714.962.7853

suzie.wallace@lpl.com

I have been in the financial services industry since 2006 and joined LPL Financial in 2019.  Providing our clients with the attention and service they deserve has always been my highest priority. I assist with a wide variety of tasks and am always available to be of service to our team and our clients. In my spare time I stay busy with my husband, 3 children and 5 grandchildren.

Aubriana Hernandez

Receptionist

714.962.8000

714.962.7853

ahernandez@iwmpartners.com

I have been an Administrative Assistant at IWM Partners since 2021. It has been such a privilege to be a part of such an astounding team and work alongside such established individuals in the industry.

I graduated this past year with my degree in business from the University of La Verne, and am now attending Dental Hygiene school to further pursue my passion in the dental field. With my heavy school load, I’ve learned the importance of finding new hobbies that allow me to feel at peace. I heavily enjoy working out and playing soccer in my free time, as well as spending time with my family and friends. 

I am beyond thankful to be a part of the IWM team and help each of you! Looking forward for what’s to come and to get to know you all on a personal level.