Chris’ trading career began at age 11, when he invested in a pack of promising turtles. While he nurtured closely held aspirations of becoming a doctor until midway through his college years, HBA Wealth’s managing partner and senior financial advisor took a call one summer that led him down a dramatically different path.
A burgeoning desire to help hardworking professionals protect and grow their money led Chris to finish his undergraduate studies at Xavier University with a dual major in Economics and Chemistry. After a summer internship on Wall Street, Chris began working as a financial advisor with IDS/American Express. In 2004, he left that company to form HBA Wealth with co-partner Ricky Biel.
Chris relies on more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry to help clients improve cash flow, benefit from unique pension strategies and enjoy optimized investment selection and portfolio design. He specializes in pension and retirement planning, tax efficiency and goal, portfolio and investment analysis.
In addition to an MBA in International Business and Finance from the American Graduate School of Management, Chris is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and holds series 7, 66, 24 and California Life and Health licenses. Chris is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP) and is active in the local community as the co-founder of the Daniel M. Barker foundation committed to equality in music education, Altadena Heritage, Tranquil Lotus Sangha and the Yoga Alliance.
When Chris isn’t helping clients gain greater financial literacy and security, he enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, cycling, meditation, gardening and spending time with his wife, Pilar, and son, Santiago.
Favorite food: Shrimp and grits; oysters, truffles and avocado
Best piece of financial advice: “Mr. Market is there to serve you, not to guide you. An investor is free to either ignore him or take advantage of him, but it will be disastrous if you fall under his influence.” – Benjamin Graham
Favorite quote: “In all the world, hate has never conquered hate; only love conquers hate. This is a truth, simple and eternal.” – Buddha
Hidden talents: Cooking and writing
Favorite author: Too many to name; Emerson, Shakespeare, Platt, Poe, Twain, Weil, Voltaire, Tolstoy, Anais Nin, Pablo Neruda and on and on.
Favorite holiday: Mardi Gras
Something on Chris’ bucket list: Help build roads in Africa