Advisor Spotlight: Jared
A Bit About Jared
Jared’s enthusiasm for helping clients understand and grow their wealth is tangible. With a detailed background in tax preparation, he’s a valuable asset within DiversiFi Capital for our clients. We asked him a few quick questions to highlight what makes him an invaluable financial advisor to have on your side.
Jared, tell us a bit about yourself!
I was born and raised in Northern California (spent about 10 years in San Francisco) and now live in San Diego. I’m your typical guy mixed with a few pounds of spice (I mean that literally). I love sports and being out on the golf course, albeit, my golf game isn’t as strong as my financial advising game.
This might sound a little funny, but I really do enjoy smiling and laughing. I’m the one you catch making random friends in the elevator or the stranger walking down the street. I guess that’s probably why I love being a financial advisor so much: I get to talk to amazing people all day, every day.
Also, don’t be shy about sharing your favorite hot sauces or spices. I’m constantly on a mission to find the next hottest thing. For any of my enthusiasts, I’m working on finishing The End: Flatline - ~6M Scoville.
What does “Financial Wellness” mean to you as an advisor?
“For me, financial wellbeing is having the competence to understand the decisions that are being made around me and in my life—and I aim for my clients to feel secure in their understanding as well.
I want my clients to have their financial tool belt packed—the more they know, the more they can make better financial decisions.”
If I were new to my financial wellness journey, what advice would you share?
Let’s not compare ourselves to others, no matter the situation. You are on your own journey—it doesn’t matter when you took the steps to get advice (from us or anyone else). What matters is that you took the steps to better your financial well-being.
Focus on creating good habits and a new mindset about your financial goals, which also means not being afraid to ask questions and challenge your advisor (me). Lastly, understand that things take time. It's okay to feel uneasy or uncomfortable. As an advisor, it’s our job to help reduce these emotions, and together, we need to remain focused on the big picture.
What are some of your favorite aspects of working with new clients?
I love getting to know someone’s story and helping them work towards achieving their goals. It's not just all about numbers and calculations; it's about understanding what drives you and what you want your future to look like.
Different strategies apply at different times in your life. It’s exciting to strategize together, implement, and see the rewards of our strategies.
Do you have an exciting client success story you can share?
One of my favorite stories has been assisting a family member within the DiversiFi circle. We value not only our daily client interactions but also the opportunity to assist friends and family.
In this specific case, the focus was on multiple debt pay-down strategies, ranging from the mortgage and HELOC to credit cards. Prior to working with a financial advisor, the client didn’t have any structured planning, which meant that despite regular payments, little progress was being made toward her key financial objectives like retirement planning and debt repayment.
We started with addressing interest rates: comparing the HELOC to optimizing credit card debts (through balance transfers). We also had serious conversations about lifestyle changes and what changes would be necessary to achieve different financial goals.
It has required several months of diligent work, but the effort has transformed her financial picture completely.
All outstanding debt has been restructured and shifted to the lowest possible interest rates. We’ve laid the foundation for creating more effective retirement savings— now it’s all about sticking to the plan. The most significant outcome is the newfound control and significant transparency over their financial landscape.