Maili Bergman

Financial Life Advisor    |    RFC®
CA Insurance License #4154185

(310)-643-7472 maili@cradvisors.com

Maili Bergman understands that juggling a career, a life, and complex financial decisions can be tough, because she’s done it.

“After 25 years in different industries across corporate America, I realized just how many ways women leave money on the table. While I loved helping companies succeed, I found more satisfaction helping individuals take control of their finances. So, I became a financial planner. Whether you’re kicking butt at a startup in flip flops or making deals in stilettos on Wall Street, I’ve walked a mile in your shoes. And when women work together, it sparks something. Suddenly the slog up the corporate ladder feels more like a hill we’re on together."

Maili chose to work with California Retirement Advisors because she saw the value in how collaborative the group is as a team. “You’re getting decades of experience” she says, “and I trust in the extremely high standards we hold for one another, providing the highest level of service and expertise.”

Who Maili Serves

Maili specializes in helping professional women navigate life’s transitions. In complex situations like divorce, marriage, or a major career change, women often neglect to keep their financial interests a priority.

“I left corporate America to become a financial advisor because I am passionate about empowering professionals with financial knowledge and that gives them the confidence they need to achieve their life goals. Like many individuals, I did not have the benefit of a strong financial education that often comes from family to guide me through important financial and career decisions.

My mission is to share my expertise and provide the guidance I wish I had received earlier in my own life. By helping women make informed decisions about their finances and careers, I believe I can help to create a community of empowered and financially independent women who can confidently navigate the challenges of today's complex world.

I am dedicated to providing personalized and holistic financial planning that supports my clients' unique aspirations and priorities. Through collaboration and education, I aim to help women make the best possible choices for themselves and their families, while creating a strong and secure financial foundation for their future.

As a financial advisor, I am driven by a desire to help others achieve their full potential and create a life of purpose, fulfillment, and financial freedom.”

She is an expert in managing and strategizing for equity compensation and building tax-efficient, long-term wealth strategies. As a woman who has often been the only woman in the room, she is passionate about empowering her clients to achieve financial confidence and independence.

Her Perspective

Maili had a global view instilled in her at a very young age. Being born and raised in Hawaii where she enjoyed being barefoot the majority of the first 18 years of her life. Beginning in junior high, when her father moved to Malaysia, she spent the summers visiting him in Malaysia and had the opportunity to travel throughout Asia. Having been exposed to different cultures at a young age, she developed a deep rooted passion for travel and she thrives on new experiences, meeting new people and being exposed to new cultures. When it came time to go to university she chose to move to California to attend the University of Southern California. Over the course of the next 25 years of her career as a corporate executive she lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City but ultimately ended up back in Manhattan Beach, California.

“I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to learn how to connect with people from diverse backgrounds early in life. I believe that this opened my perception of the world around me. My career has exposed me to many unique challenges but I have stayed grounded in my roots. I am equally comfortable walking into a boardroom in heels or enjoying a concert in high tops.”

Her unique childhood was formative. At age nine, Maili’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a year and a half to live. She saw her mother survive—she is alive and thriving today.

"I understand the roadblocks that happen in life,” she says. “You’ve got to take care of yourself and those around you." It’s her strength and this unique perspective that drive her.

When she’s not crunching numbers and working on financial strategy, you can find her on the slopes, dominating on the tennis courts, or scuba diving in tropical locations. When she has a few minutes of quiet time, she’s passionate about well-researched historical fiction.

Maili’s Clients

Maili coaches her clients holistically taking a broad view that with their retirement and career holistically: whether negotiating employment agreements, equity comp, or benefits, she is both a mentor and a partner. She’s not intimidated to recommend smart, bold strategic decisions about a career move, negotiation, or a financial opportunity if it is right for her clients.

“One of the things I love about this job is the connections I build with my clients,” she says. “This job is so personal – that’s what attracted me to make a career shift to this industry.”

Maili’s expertise allows her to maneuver through the constantly shifting financial terrain so that her clients optimize their wealth. She’s a strategist first and foremost: she looks holistically at lifestyle, options, goals, and tax opportunities. She works collaboratively to help clients understand their money, make it work for them, and make the most of it.

Maili’s clients trust her as a private wealth manager, career counselor, financial planner, and sounding board for all of life’s major decisions, because let’s face it, they all impact our financial life.

Schedule a meeting with Maili