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About EQ

Built around a single belief.

"Keep an even keel, and your hands on the wheel."

We built EQ around a single belief: that every client deserves an advisor who sees their complete financial picture — and who brings the depth, coordination, and personal attention of a family office to every relationship. Financial clarity is what makes a life well lived possible. That's what we're here to create.

Our vision
"Equanimity — the discipline of maintaining calm, composure, and evenness of temper, especially when facing difficult, uncertain, and challenging situations."
EQ stands for this. It guides everything we do.

Personal Communication

Personal communication is the one true differentiator in our industry. You reach us directly — not a call center, not an assistant, not an algorithm. We believe in the irreplaceable value of human connection.

The Complete Picture

Most advisors see a piece of your financial life. We see all of it. Your taxes, your investments, your estate, your business — all held together in one integrated, coordinated view. Every decision informed by every other.

Calm in Complexity

We balance emotion and instinct with logic and reason. We don't let bad times get our clients down, and we don't let good times breed overconfidence. When currents shift, we stay vigilant, clear-headed, and ready.

Sean Khaligh, CFP®
Founder & Managing Director
CFP® Fee-Based Fiduciary 20+ Years
A note from the founder

Why I left a big firm to build something different.

After twenty years at Wells Fargo Advisors, I understood something that kept nagging at me: large firms are built to serve the firm, not the client. Advisors are pushed toward proprietary products, quarterly targets, and models that treat every client the same regardless of who they actually are.

I founded EQ because I believed there was a better way — one built entirely around the client's life, not the firm's interests. Fee-based. Fiduciary. Personal. A practice where clients trust me with everything, and where I earn that trust every single day.

The name says everything. EQ stands for Equanimity — calm composure in the face of uncertainty. It also reflects emotional intelligence, the human element no algorithm can replicate. And it represents equity — the belief that every client deserves advice built around their unique situation, not a generic template.

If that sounds like the kind of relationship you've been looking for — I'd like to hear your story.

— Sean
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Our institutional partnership

Why EQ partners with LPL Financial

LPL Financial is the nation's largest independent broker-dealer — a publicly traded company serving approximately 32,000 financial advisors* and overseeing more than $2.3 trillion in total brokerage and advisory assets serviced and custodied*. It is a member of FINRA and SIPC, the regulatory bodies that protect investors and ensure the integrity of financial markets.

Securities offered through LPL Financial. This relationship means our clients benefit from institutional-grade regulatory oversight, account protection, and compliance infrastructure — while EQ remains fully independent in the financial guidance we provide. We are never influenced by LPL to recommend any particular product.

Investment advice is offered through Private Advisor Group, a registered investment advisor. Private Advisor Group and EQ Private Wealth Advisors are separate entities from LPL Financial.

Visit LPL Financial → FINRA BrokerCheck →
Disclosures

* As of March 2026.

As reported by Financial Planning magazine, 1996–2025, based on total revenue.

Frequently asked questions

Questions we hear from clients
on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

EQ Private Wealth Advisors is a fee-based, fiduciary registered investment advisory firm based in Rolling Hills Estates, California. Our advisors hold CFP® credentials and are legally obligated to act in your best interest at all times. Unlike large wirehouses or commission-driven models, our compensation is primarily derived from the fees clients pay directly — disclosed transparently and in writing before any engagement begins. We operate as a financial director for a select group of clients, meaning we coordinate every dimension of your financial life — taxes, investments, estate planning, and business decisions — rather than managing just one piece in isolation.

EQ operates as a fee-based fiduciary practice.

Being a fiduciary means that when we provide investment advice and financial planning, we are legally required to act in your best interest at all times — not merely to recommend options that are "suitable."

"Fee-based" describes our core compensation model: the primary driver of our revenue comes directly from transparent advisory fees paid by our clients for ongoing guidance and portfolio management. To offer comprehensive wealth strategies, any potential compensation structures or custodial relationships are fully disclosed in writing before any engagement begins.

Why it matters: It provides total clarity on how we are compensated, ensuring every strategy, tax plan, and investment recommendation is driven solely by what is right for you and your long-term goals.

Equity and liquidity planning is specialized financial planning for individuals whose significant wealth is tied up in illiquid assets — a privately held business, stock options, RSUs, or an equity-concentrated position. Yes, it includes pre-IPO planning. If your company is approaching an IPO, the decisions made before the lockup period expires — around taxes, diversification, and cash flow — are among the most consequential of your financial life. We work with clients before, during, and after liquidity events to ensure every decision is made with the complete financial picture in view.

Pre-IPO planning is the process of preparing financially for a company going public — before the IPO occurs and before lockup restrictions expire. If you hold stock options or equity in a company approaching an IPO, several critical decisions must be made in advance: when and how to exercise options, how to manage tax implications, what to do when the lockup period ends, and how to build a diversification strategy around a concentrated position in a newly public company. At EQ Private Wealth Advisors, we guide clients through every stage of the pre-IPO journey from initial planning through the lockup period and into a long-term post-IPO wealth strategy.

Yes — business owner exit planning is one of EQ's core specialties. We work with business owners before, during, and after an exit. Before the event, we help you understand the personal financial implications — after-tax proceeds, retirement income, estate considerations — before you sign anything. During the process, we coordinate with your M&A attorney and CPA to ensure the structure is as tax-efficient as possible. After the close, we help you deploy proceeds thoughtfully, update your estate plan, and build an investment strategy aligned to your new financial reality. We primarily serve businesses with $3 million or more in annual gross revenue across medical practices, manufacturing, professional services, and aerospace and defense sectors.

At EQ Private Wealth Advisors, we understand every client's situation is different, so we work together in a variety of ways. Depending on what you need, that might mean a full, customized financial plan; an hourly or defined-scope engagement for ad hoc projects and questions; or ongoing management on an asset-based (AUM) fee. Because the right approach depends entirely on your unique situation, we don't publish a flat rate — instead, we get to know what you're looking for and provide a customized quote. The best way to find out what that looks like for you is to schedule a complimentary introductory call.

EQ Private Wealth Advisors is located at 501 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 202, Rolling Hills Estates, California 90274. We primarily serve clients on the Palos Verdes Peninsula — including Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates — and the broader South Bay Los Angeles area including Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance. We also work with clients virtually regardless of location. Whether you have relocated, travel frequently, or are based outside of California, we are fully equipped to serve you remotely with the same depth of engagement as our local clients. Geography is not a barrier to working with EQ.

Equanimity is the discipline of maintaining calm, composure, and evenness of temper — especially in uncertain or challenging situations. At EQ, it is not just a philosophy; it is a practice. Sound financial decisions require balancing emotion with logic. We do not let bad markets drive reactive decisions, and we do not let good markets breed overconfidence. Our goal is to be the steady, informed voice behind every major decision our clients face — so they can move forward with clarity regardless of what the market or life brings.

The first step is a 30-minute introductory call — no obligation, no pitch. We use this conversation to understand your situation, share how EQ works, and determine whether we are the right fit for each other. If we decide to move forward, we begin with a thorough discovery process to map your complete financial picture. To schedule your introductory call, visit our contact page, call our office at 424-394-0800, or email us at contact@eqpwa.com. Virtual meetings are available for clients anywhere in the world.

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