Chris Wentzien
CFP®, CPA, MBA
Natural Bridges Financial Advisors
President, Financial Advisor
Chris Wentzien
CFP®, CPA, MBA
Natural Bridges Financial Advisors
President, Financial Advisor
Natural Bridges is a local, independent, fee-only fiduciary financial planner in Santa Cruz with an emphasis on tax planning. We help give you peace of mind with honest, expert advice and comprehensive financial planning that focuses on your goals. Call us and see if we'd be a good fit to help you with the financial questions you have! - Chris Wentzien, CFP®, CPA, MBA
Fee Only Financial Planner Located in Santa Cruz, CA and Serving Clients Nationwide
Chris Wentzien is a Santa Cruz, CA fee-only financial planner. Natural Bridges Financial Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning, tax planning, and retirement planning to help clients organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Chris Wentzien is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Hello, my name is Chris Wentzien and my firm is Natural Bridges Financial Advisors. I provide comprehensive financial planning for clients primarily in the Santa Cruz, Monterey and Santa Clara County areas. I founded Natural Bridges Financial Advisors on the premise that people should have access to competent, objective financial advice. As a client, you will be confident that you are receiving unbiased advice tailored to your needs. My compensation is not dependent on any investment product purchases.
Most of my clients had limited access to unbiased comprehensive financial planning. Many were turned-off by traditional wealth management firms or dealt with a stock broker, insurance agent, banker or financial advisor sales person who did not take a comprehensive view of their family finances and had conflicts of interest.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MBA from Westminster College. I am also both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner. Before starting my firm in 2008, I worked at a leading wealth management firm in Silicon Valley. I’m a member of the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP), National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). I have also served on the Board of Directors for the Silicon Valley Financial Planning Association.
My wife and I live in the beautiful coastal city of Santa Cruz, California. I have two adult children and one grandson. I'm a former professional soccer player and one of the founders of the Santa Cruz County FC Revolution, a non-profit premier youth soccer club that targets underserved children in Santa Cruz County.
Chris Wentzien is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Natural Bridges Financial Advisors LLC, based in downtown Santa Cruz, CA, is a fee-only financial planning firm serving Santa Cruz County, Silicon Valley and Monterey County. We specialize in providing ongoing objective financial planning advice and investment management to help clients, build, manage, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions.
When you work with us, you can expect:
- Straight talk. We don’t sell any financial products nor do we receive any commissions. As fee-only financial advisors, our only compensation is what you pay for our professional advice. Our complete focus is on what is best for you.
- All-inclusive approach. Together we evaluate all aspects of your finances and design a strategy where each part works in harmony with the others. You’ll see that we pay a lot of attention to areas of your financial life that are often overlooked or ignored by other “financial planners.”
- Access. Life is constantly changing. For one annual retainer fee, you can meet with us or speak to us often as is necessary to help you accomplish your financial goals.
- Value for your money. We are committed to providing value that exceeds our fee. It’s a concept that is virtually non-existent in the financial planning profession. But doesn’t it make sense that your financial advisor should work to save you more than he charges you?
- The highest professional standards. We are committed to the Cambridge Pledge to Clients—your assurance of receiving the ethical and professional treatment you deserve.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Chris Wentzien is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Chris Wentzien is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Chris Wentzien is a Member of the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP)Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP) is the community of tax-focused financial planners that operate under the retainer model. Passionately dedicated to superb client service, ACP planners’ only source of income is client retainer fees – not commissions. With an ACP planner, you can be confident you’re getting experience, knowledge, research, and most importantly, advice that is tailored just for you.
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Chris Wentzien is a Certified Public Accountant (Learn More)A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a professional accountant who has met the education and experience requirements set by their state's Board of Accountancy and has passed the Uniform CPA Exam. CPAs are licensed to provide a wide range of accounting services, including financial statement preparation, tax planning and preparation, auditing, consulting, and other financial advisory services.
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Chris Wentzien is Quoted in US News and World Report: "Tax Deductions for Financial Advisor Fees"
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Chris Wentzien is Quoted in ThinkAdvisor: "Finding Big Tax Savings in the ‘Bridge Years’ Between Retirement and RMDs"
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Chris Wentzien is Quoted in Financial Planning Magazine: "As Schwab gets bigger, what’s ahead for TD’s much smaller RIAs?"
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Chris Wentzien is a Featured Guest on Practical Wisdom from ACP Financial Advisors: "Greater Together: Dual Membership in AICPA & ACP"
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Chris Wentzien Presented "Building a Tax and Financial Planning Advisory Business Workshop' at the AICPA & CIMA Conference
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Chris Wentzienis Interviewed by Marie Swift of Impact Communications at the ACP 2018 Annual Conference in Miami
Contact Chris Wentzien
Office Locations:
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627 Center Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
