Pacific Wealth Management is a financial advisor firm located in San Diego, California with hundreds of millions of dollars in client assets under management. The firm's entire client base is made up of individuals above and below the high-net-worth threshold. The firm relies on its proprietary asset management strategy to help its clients reach their financial goals.
As a fee-based firm, Pacific Wealth earns compensation from both client-paid fees and third-party sales commissions. A fee-only firm, conversely, avoids third-party payments altogether.
Pacific Wealth Management Background
Mark C. Hill and James C. Kuntz founded Pacific Wealth Management in 2001. Both Hill and Kuntz had entered the field as financial consultants in the early 1980s. They each wanted to create a firm that serves high-net-worth clients through research and a proprietary asset management model. Kuntz serves as managing director of the firm today, and Hill no longer works here.
Almost every financial advisor at this firm is a certified financial planner (CFP). The firm also employs one certified investment management analyst (CIMA) and one chartered retirement plans specialist (CRPS).
Pacific Wealth Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Pacific Wealth Management works with around 200 clients, all of them individuals with and without a high net worth.
Pacific Wealth Management has a $250,000 account minimum for individuals seeking asset management services. The minimum is $500,000 for institutional clients, like pension plans. For individuals looking for stand-alone financial planning or consulting, there is no minimum account size.
Services Offered by Pacific Wealth Management
Pacific Wealth Management offers a good range of services for a firm of its size, including the following:
- Asset Management Services
- Proactive Asset Management
- Financial Planning
- Cash flow strategies
- Retirement distribution planning
- Disability and long-term-care protection
- Estate planning
- Charitable giving
- Divorce planning
- 529 plan management
- Consulting services
Pacific Wealth Management Investment Philosophy
Pacific Wealth Management works to find the asset allocation strategy that’s the best fit for each client’s risk tolerance, time horizon and financial goals. The firm uses its own proprietary asset management model, Proactive Asset Management, to help come up with these asset allocation strategies. Pacific Wealth Management also uses a number of methods when analyzing securities, including fundamental, technical, cyclical and charting analysis. When choosing securities for client accounts, the firm will also consider the client’s objectives, sensitivity to taxes and risk tolerance.
Fees Under Pacific Wealth Management
For asset management services, Pacific Wealth Management’s fees will typically adhere to the following schedule:
| Fee Schedule for Individual Accounts | |
| Assets Under Management | Fee Percentage |
| $250,000 - $499,999 | 1.50% |
| $500,000 - $999,999 | 1.30% |
| $1,000,000 - $2,999,999 | 1.00% |
| $3,000,000 - $4,999,999 | 0.80% |
| $5,000,000 - $9,999,999 | 0.70% |
| $10,000,000 and above | Negotiable |
The table below shows how Pacific Wealth Management's fees come out in actual dollar amounts:
| Estimated Investment Management Fees at Pacific Wealth Management* | |
| Your Assets | Pacific Wealth Management Annual Fees |
| $500K | $7,500 |
| $1MM | $14,000 |
| $5MM | $50,000 |
| $10MM | $85,000 |
| *Estimated investment management fees do not include brokerage, custodial, third-party manager or other fees, which can vary in amount. | |
For financial planning services, Pacific Wealth Management will charge either a fixed fee of between $2,500 and $5,000 or an hourly fee of between $200 and $400 per hour.
What to Watch Out For
Pacific Wealth Management doesn’t have any disclosures on its SEC record.
Pacific Wealth employs advisors who are licensed as insurance agents. If clients were to purchase insurance products from advisors in their capacity as insurance agents, then those advisors would receive customary commissions from those products. This creates a potential conflict of interest, though the firm is bound by fiduciary duty to always act in its clients' best interests.
Opening an Account With Pacific Wealth Management
To start the process of working with Pacific Wealth Management, you’ll need to get in touch with the firm. The firm’s website provides a fillable form on its Contact page, so you can supply your name, email address and phone number and then ask any questions you may have. You can also try calling (858) 509-9797.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
Tips for Finding a Financial Advisor
- If you’re unsure where to start planning for your finanical future, don’t hesitate to talk with a financial advisor. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- When investing, it's important to consider how much risk you’re willing to take. Your risk tolerance will play a big role in determining your asset allocation. If you're a cautious investor or you're new to investing, a conservative portfolio consisting primarily of investments like cash and bonds might be best.
