Finding the Best Christian Financial Advisors in San Diego
A quick Google search of financial advisors in San Diego yields hundreds of thousands of results, making it incredibly difficult to narrow down who might be a good fit for you especially if you are aiming to find the best Christian Financial Advisors in San Diego.
While we at One Degree Advisors would love to help everyone, the simple truth is we aren’t the right fit for everyone.
One Degree Advisors specializes in helping folks in or close to retirement reduce their income tax bill, invest wisely, and optimize income in retirement.
More specifically, we do our best work for Christians who want their money managed according to biblical principles and are interested in more than just return on investment. In other words, they want a return on life that blesses their family.
We have a thorough process when getting to know families interested in trusting One Degree Advisors with their wealth. If we lack the expertise to help someone, we often suggest other solutions that may better fit someone’s needs, including other financial advisors.
We understand that finding the right financial advisor can be challenging. So, we put together a list of the best Christian financial advisors in San Diego to consider in 2024.
This guide also provides free resources to help local retirement savers find a qualified professional.
So, if you need help finding a financial advisor in San Diego with shared values and the right expertise, this guide is for you!
IMPORTANT: THIS COMPILATION IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS SUCH. THE LIST IS SOLELY THE OPINION OF ONE DEGREE ADVISORS AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A TESTIMONIAL OR ENDORSMENT OF THE ADVISORS MENTIONED.
The 5 Best Christian Financial Advisors in San Diego to Consider in 2024
Given that finding a financial advisor with your shared values and the right expertise is challenging, here is a list of the best Christian advisors in San Diego for you to consider in 2024.
David R. Bretz
Dedicated to the advancement of the financial planning industry, David has been a frequent speaker to employee groups at many national firms including Callaway Golf, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Baxter Healthcare Corporation and the San Diego Chargers. He has also taught finance and investment classes at the University of California at San Diego and San Diego State University. One of his workshops, “Women As Independent Investors”, was televised to promote continuing education classes. He has been quoted numerous times in the San Diego Union Tribune and appeared on KPRZ radio to discuss financial planning issues.
Kurt Spackman
Kurt serves as Lead Advisor and a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner. He joined Capital Resource Management (CRM) serving as a Financial Planner in June 2013 after serving 20 years as an officer in the U. S. Marine Corps. He brings with him a wealth of complex planning, problem solving, and management experience from his years as a CH-46E Sea Knight and UC-12W Super King Air pilot, college instructor as well as Director of Marine Corps Advertising.
Michael Brown
Mike is a Partner, Wealth Advisor in Corient’s San Diego office. He has more than 25 years of professional experience advising clients on strategic financial matters, including business exit planning, tax planning, generational wealth transfers and estate planning, investment management, charitable giving and retirement planning. Mike joined legacy firm Dowling & Yahnke in 2012 and was a partner at Deloitte prior to that. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certifications, is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Mike completed his undergraduate work at Oakland University (Michigan), where he majored in accounting and graduated summa cum laude. He grew up in Michigan and enjoys outdoor activities such as golf and skiing. Mike has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for more than 25 years and has two daughters.
Jerod Fenton
For as long as Jerod can remember Jerod has had a passion for building, whether it’s restoring old cars, remodeling houses, or developing a financial plan, He loves the challenge and satisfaction in designing and building. Often, clients show up in his office with a box of “financial parts” and he has the privilege of sorting through them to determine what is missing, what should be replaced, and what can be used to build a financial plan that accomplishes their goals. The technical skills required of a financial planner along with the creative flexibility needed to assemble the many parts of a financial plan continually challenge him. Since 2003, Jerod has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of families and businesses. Over that time, he has developed some wonderful client relationships and finds great satisfaction in knowing that he has helped many of his clients make financial decisions that have lifelong positive impact.
Blake Gallion
Blake Gallion grew up in Poway, CA and graduated from UCSD with a degree in Economics. He is an independent Certified Financial Planner™ and Kingdom Advisor that partners with families at all stages of retirement planning. He is passionate about helping people steward their finances and reach their financial goals.
How We Are Different from Other Christian Financial Advisors in San Diego
Four primary factors separate One Degree Advisors from other firms you may be considering:
1. Every financial advisor at One Degree Advisors must hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Kingdom Advisor® designations. While many may have the former, few advisors can call themselves a Certified Kingdom Advisor®. This designation demands rigorous training and credibility standards such as a commitment to integrate biblical wisdom in financial counsel and commitment to ethical practice, biblical stewardship, and professional excellence.
2. We focus on the family. There are two kinds of legacies—the one you inherited and the one you will leave behind. While you have little control over the former, you have a great deal of influence over the latter. We have built unique programs, Money Smart Families and Family Legacy Planning, to help you pass on wisdom and values to the next generation to create a thriving family legacy.
3. We focus heavily on tax planning, since for many retirees, taxes will likely be your biggest lifetime expense. Some are even surprised when we show how they could have a higher tax bill in retirement than their working years!
4. We help our clients give. It might seem counterintuitive, considering that when we help clients give money away it means less money that we manage for them. But one of our favorite things we get to do is show clients how to give in unique and strategic ways that not only meet their goals, but in many cases, save them massive amounts of taxes.
What Do the Best Christian Financial Advisors Have in Common?
While not every advisor may hold themselves to the exact same standards we do, there are four things we believe are important when looking for a Christian financial advisor:
1. They adhere to the Fiduciary Standard 100% of the time. Put simply, they put your interests ahead of their own.
2. They clearly outline a transparent fee schedule for you. We often hear people say that either they don’t know how their financial advisor charges fees, or their financial advisor does not charge any fees. The reality is that all financial services companies are in business to earn money. You should work with a firm or advisor that clearly communicates what they charge and uses a method that minimizes any conflicts of interest.
3. They are a CFP® Professional. CFP® Professionals must have a college degree, pass a rigorous exam, meet certain experience criteria, and complete continuing education.
4. They love Jesus and exhibit fruits in their own life. How can you make sure a Christian financial advisor isn’t another sheep in wolf’s clothing? Look for the fruit in their life. Is there evidence of them practicing what they preach? How involved are they with their church, and does church leadership speak highly of them?
Free Resources For Finding a Christian Financial Advisors Near You
Here is a free video we’ve created to help you make an educated and informed decision on who to work with: 9 Best Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor
In addition, below are a few reputable directories to help you find a financial planner with the right expertise. We suggest filtering for those that share your values and have the right expertise (i.e. retirement planning, debt consolidation, etc.)
- Kingdom Advisors
- National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
- XY Planning Network
- Garrett Planning Network
Top 3 Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor Before Hiring Them
There are lots of questions you want to ask an advisor you’re considering hiring. When people are considering working with One Degree Advisors, we provide them with a list of questions they should ask every financial advisor they are considering.
Here are the top three questions, with our answers for reference:
1. Are your recommendations in my best interest? (Are you a fiduciary?) Yes. We take our fiduciary duty seriously to always act in our clients’ best interest. Our firm is built on a foundation of placing clients’ interests before our own. We recommend for clients the same investment strategies used in our personal accounts. Our commitment to honest and ethical behavior has allowed us to build a successful firm.
2. Will your recommendations be comprehensive or focused on one area? For our clients, we serve as a single point of contact for your financial needs. Every client has a financial plan and bullet point checklist detailing the actions needed to achieve unique financial goals. These action items are coordinated with accountants, attorneys, and other professionals, as needed.
3. Do you have the knowledge and experience necessary to help me? Each of our financial advisors is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), which is widely regarded as the premier level of certification for financial planners. CFP® professionals are required to pass a rigorous exam covering investments, taxes, retirement and income planning, risk management, and estate planning. CFP® professionals must also adhere to a strict code of ethics and participate in ongoing educational courses. We spend significant time and money to ensure our firm stays up to date on the latest financial, legal, and tax planning developments.
Finding the best Christian financial advisors in San Diego (and hiring one!) is a major life decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Ask good questions, interview multiple professionals, and take your time during the evaluation process to ensure you find the right advisor for you.
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