Financial planning is important because it helps one wisely manage their finances in order to achieve their goals and dreams. Whether it’s buying a new house, sending kids or grandkids to college, or putting together a good retirement plan, it’s crucial to develop a wealth management plan that matches your priorities and ensures the security of your financial assets, now and for future generations.
Pillar Pacific Capital Management, LLC was founded in 1997 and is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides investment management services to institutions, and broad wealth management services to individuals, families, onshore/offshore companies, and trusts. The company prides itself on both its investment track record and high standard for client service.
“We know our clients and their long-term investment needs, so we help create customized portfolios for them,” said Mindy Ying, President and CEO. “Our minimum for an investment account is one million dollars, and typically our clients need other financial services as well, so we offer a range of services including investment management, lending counseling, estate planning, educational planning, retirement planning and tax planning.”
Ying, formerly a Managing Director for Barclays and Vice President for First Interstate Bank, has 38 years of investment, financial and wealth management experience. She oversees Pillar Pacific’s Southern California office, located in San Marino, while her business partner and Chief Investment Officer, Arthur French, runs the Northern California office in Pacifica, California. There are also remote offices in Cupertino, California and Houston, Texas.
Pillar Pacific has an experienced staff that includes CFA charterholders, a CFP® certificant, a CIPM certificant, a CPA, MBAs and senior executives with vast financial advisory experience. Another unique aspect of the company is its multilingual staff, which includes Mandarin, Taiwanese and Cantonese speakers—enhancing the cultural connection that the company shares with clients.
“When clients come in, I work with them and the portfolio managers to take care of their entire wealth, and whatever is needed to help them manage it,” said Jeremy Chang, a financial consultant at Pillar Pacific. “We have four CFA charterholders, while a typical firm might only have one, so our experience is extensive. Another thing that sets us apart from other places is that we are fiduciaries, and we are legally obligated to do what’s best for our clients—it’s what we strive to do every day.”
In addition to working with individual clients, Pillar Pacific also manages institutional equity portfolios for pension funds, insurance companies and institutional investors. It works with small businesses as well, and its strategy is to build broadly diversified, low turnover, risk-managed portfolios that will generate consistent excess returns over time. The company implements an active, bottom-up investment process that is efficient, systematic and scalable.
Approximately 70 percent of Pillar Pacific’s business comes through client referrals, and Ying pointed out that when she works with an individual, she often manages the portfolios of his or her family members as well. The firm also hosts private workshops, an annual spring event in Northern California, and annual fall events in Los Angeles and San Diego, to further educate clients. The events feature Ying and other speakers who share wealth management solutions and give talks on different topics such as investments and financial planning.
“When you build relationships with clients, they become friends,” said Ying. “And our vision is for them to have a greater security and peace of mind when it comes to their finances. We want to educate our clients, because the more we empower them to understand, the more they appreciate the true value of the services we bring to them.”
Pillar Pacific Capital Management is located at 2650 Mission St., Suite 205, in San Marino. It is open Mon. – Fri. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (626) 286-4029 or visit pillarpacific.com.
Pillar Pacific Capital Management Business Spotlight appeared in the print edition of the South Pasadena Review on 12.7.18. Support Local Business.
