Financial Advisor for Ocala, FL

Financial planning for Ocala families, retirees, and equestrian owners.

Ocala has a financial profile that doesn’t look quite like anywhere else in Florida. It’s the Horse Capital of the World, with a working equestrian economy that runs from small training operations to large breeding farms. Since the World Equestrian Center opened in 2021, the area has also drawn a wave of high-net-worth relocations, retirees, and second-home buyers from the Northeast and Midwest. Add in the long-time Marion County families and the spillover from The Villages to the south, and the planning conversations get interesting.

Mike Garcia, AAMS, is a financial advisor with BRIA Capital Group serving Ocala and the surrounding Marion County area.

Who we typically work with in Ocala

• Retirees and pre-retirees relocating from higher-tax states, often near the WEC, On Top of the World, and the Marion Oaks corridor
• Equestrian-business owners running training, boarding, and breeding operations across Marion County’s farm country
• Long-time Marion County families with land, multi-generational assets, and businesses to plan around
• Households adjacent to The Villages who don’t quite fit a 55+ community plan and want something tailored

Local context that shapes financial decisions

Ocala has a few realities that shape almost every plan:

• No state income tax and no state estate tax. Florida is one of nine states with no individual income tax. For retirees moving from New York, New Jersey, Illinois, or Massachusetts, the relocation alone can meaningfully change retirement-income math.
• Equestrian businesses are real businesses. Training, boarding, breeding, and farm operations carry payroll, depreciation schedules, equipment financing, and often significant land value. Retirement plans for owners (SEP IRAs, solo 401(k)s, defined benefit plans) and succession planning for the land itself are core conversations.
• Land, conservation, and homestead. Marion County has agricultural classification rules and homestead opportunities that change the property-tax picture significantly. Filing correctly in year one matters.
• Distance from Tampa and the medical question. Ocala is roughly 90 minutes north of Tampa. For retirees, planning around access to Shands at UF, AdventHealth Ocala, and HCA Florida Ocala is often part of the long-term plan, including how long-term care coverage fits.

Common planning topics we cover for Ocala clients

• Retirement planning for relocating retirees and for equestrian and small-business owners
• Investment planning coordinated with Florida tax treatment and post-relocation account placement
• Estate planning, including updates to wills and trusts drafted in another state and planning for land and business assets
• Business planning for equestrian operations, farms, and Marion County family businesses
• Risk management, including life, long-term care, umbrella, and farm and property coverage

How meetings work

Ocala clients are typically served through a mix of virtual meetings on Zoom or phone and periodic in-person visits. For new clients, we usually start with a 30 to 45 minute virtual conversation, no obligation, and schedule an in-person follow-up when it makes sense. Email and voicemail are typically answered within one business day.

A note on Florida

Florida is one of nine states with no individual income tax, no state estate tax, and no state-level tax on Social Security or qualified retirement plan distributions. For Ocala retirees relocating from high-tax states, that’s often the single largest financial change of the move, and it deserves a deliberate plan rather than a default one. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 each year, and while Ocala’s inland location reduces storm-surge risk, wind, flooding, and power-outage planning still matter, especially for farms with livestock and equipment. We review property and farm insurance, umbrella limits, and emergency reserves annually alongside the financial plan.