Our Associates

The cummulative experience and knowledge of our office is maximized to provide the best possible solutions.  Our team approach allows us to provide advice and solutions from a variety of different perspectives to ensure our clients recieve the best advice, every time.

Keythe Ward-Aguilar, CFP®  is the founder and president of Ward Aguilar Financial, Inc. With over 20 years experience in financial services, Keythe is recognized for her expertise and professionalism in her approaches to wealth management,  succession planning, inter-generational wealth transfer, and estate planning.

Keythe began her career with a major wire house in Los Angeles in their institutional trading department.  Before starting her own NASD brokerage firm in Newport Beach, she was CFO for a regional brokerage firm with over 60 offices throughout the country.  After successfully selling her brokerage firm she joined a major global financial services company where she was a Divisional Vice President and was recognized for her achievements for several years in a row.  In 2006 Keythe decided to take her successful practice and start an independent firm offering advisory services and wealth management to her clients.

She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and currently is enrolled in the Charter Financial Consultant professional designation with American College.  Her credentials include Series 7, 24, 27, 53, 4, 63, and 65 securities registrations through Partnervest Division of Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC and holds a license in Life & Health Insurance for the State of California(CA Insurance License #0C50331).  Ms. Ward-Aguilar is an Investment Advisor Representative with Partnervest Advisory Services, LLC.

Keythe has taught financial planning courses with AXA Advisors and presented educational workshops for Marriott Corporation, NAFE, Taylor Woodrow U.S.A., Canon U.S.A., the Orange County Employees Association (OCEA) and various other women's organizations.  She has been a guest lecturer at California State University, Fullerton in their business school.

In addition, Ms. Ward-Aguilar is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the Financial Planning Association, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).  

Eric Marking, CFP®  is a financial advisor specializing in financial planning and investment management with a focus on wealth preservation and growth for families that need to balance retirement planning and college education.  He helps clients fully understand their financial situation by performing comprehensive reviews of a family's current financial state, their dreams and goals, and preparing a plan and investment strategy to help achieve them.  His goal is to help you meet your goals.

His investment focus is first and foremost on prudent wealth preservation and growth.  He believes that it is harder to make back what you have lost than to not lose it in the first place, so investment strategies are designed to reduce risk, consistent with client objectives.  This involves tactical asset allocation based on long-term economic and market conditions, employing funds with hedging strategies, and keeping focus on long-term results.  His objective is not to be the fastest race car around the track, but to get his clients to the finish line with no accidents.

Achieving this takes a long-term patient approach and Eric works with clients who want a long-term relationship with their advisor.

Eric holds a license in Life & Health Insurance for the State of California (CA Insurance License #0G11590).  He is a member of the Financial Planning Association.

Theodore W. Caldwell, Ph.D.,  has divided his professional career nearly equally between academia and business.  His first business experience came in his early twenties working in import and export, banking, credit and finance.  Prior to earning his first degree he worked for a regional NYSE member firm, at first as a clerk/wire-operator, later as a floor trader on the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange and finally as an OTC market maker.  After earning his post graduate degrees he held faculty positions at universities in Europe and the U.S.  In 1982 he resumed his stock market career as a broker with three different NYSE firms.  He also gained experience in investment banking, engaging in private placements, underwriting, and corporate financing.  From 1994 to 2005 he was an Adjunct Professor of Finance at California State University, Fullerton.  In recent years he has been a consultant and entrepreneur. Ted offers services through Partnervest Advisory Services, LLC and is not registered through or affiliated with Sorrento Pacific Finanacial, LLC.

Mark Ward-Aguilar focuses on our group health and disability and individual health products offered to our small business clients.  Mark is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a degree in business and is currently enrolled in classes to obtain his CFP® certification. As part of our team, Mr. Aguilar specializes in developing employer solutions as well as student programs for our younger clients.  He holds a California Insurance License for Life and Health(CA Insurance License #0F30025).  He has over 5 years experience working within the financial service industry.  

Allison Green Ward serves as our Business Operations Manager. Allison is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a degree in communications.  After graduation she worked with equipment leasing companies as the liaison between bank and client, drafted and reviewed documentation,  and funded transactions while working with the banks.  Prior to joining Ward Aguilar Financial, Inc., she was the business operations manager for Balboa Capital and oversaw the funding and documentation department while helping to start a new broker program.  She completed Six Sigma Green Belt Training.  She currently oversees our client service and business operations.