John is a Principal and Managing Director at Robertson Stephens’ San Ramon and Burlingame offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. John and his team specialize in helping individuals and families navigate the financial complexities of retirement through Retirement Income Architecture™, a comprehensive methodology he developed that coordinates investment management, tax planning, retirement income, estate planning, and legacy strategies into a unified retirement plan.
Prior to joining Robertson Stephens, John was CEO of LFS Wealth Advisors, an SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in San Ramon, California. His team also served Bay Area clients from an additional office in Burlingame.
John is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from California State University, Fresno, and his Master of Science in Taxation from Golden Gate University. John is a frequent speaker on retirement, tax, and wealth planning topics and is the author of Retirement Income Architecture, which introduces his holistic framework for coordinating the many financial decisions retirees face. He has also authored numerous financial books and guides, including Winning the Retirement Race Between Time and Money, Retirement Income Architecture, What Should I Do Before Anything Happens to Me?, Suddenly Single, IRA Survival Guide After the SECURE Act, and others.
John is a passionate advocate for financial literacy. He previously served as Co-Chair of the California Society of CPAs’ Financial Literacy Committee and founded Financial Aptitude Training (FiAT™), a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching financial literacy to adults and teens in underserved communities. John enjoys reading, music, and spending time with his pets. He and his wife reside in San Francisco, California.