Ryan A. Hughes
MBA
Bull Oak Capital
Founder
Ryan A. Hughes
MBA
Bull Oak Capital
Founder
HELPING YOU PURSUE TRUE WEALTH. As a fiduciary financial advisory firm, we provide financial planning & investment management services to retirees, professionals, and business owners. - Ryan A. Hughes, MBA
Fee-Only financial planner located in San Diego, CA, serving clients locally and across the country

Ryan Hughes is a San Diego, CA fee-only financial planner.
He is the Founder and CEO of Bull Oak Capital, an investment advisory firm in San Diego, CA. He started the firm in 2014 after graduating from the UCLA Anderson School of Business, where he was awarded the J. Fred Weston Finance Award for academic excellence, was nominated as a GAP Fellow (the top 5% of program thesis participants), and he was the ASAM Chief Investment Officer.
While at UCLA, he completed an in-depth independent graduate research project where he wrote an original whitepaper on Risk-Contribution Analysis and Value Investing as a basis for portfolio management. In addition to his current role, he also has equity analysis experience at Wedbush Securities and personal finance experience at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Charles Schwab.
Ryan completed his B.S. degree in Entrepreneurial Studies from the USC Marshall School of Business.
PROFESSIONAL BIO
I am Ryan Hughes, the Founder and CEO of Bull Oak Capital, a financial advisor in San Diego. I started the firm in 2014 after graduating from the UCLA Anderson School of Business, where I was awarded the J. Fred Weston Finance Award for academic excellence, was nominated as a GAP Fellow (the top 5% of program thesis participants), and I was the ASAM Chief Investment Officer. While at UCLA, I completed an in-depth independent graduate research project where I wrote an original whitepaper on Risk-Contribution Analysis and Value Investing as a basis for portfolio management. In addition to my current role, I also have equity analysis experience at Wedbush Securities and personal finance experience at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Charles Schwab.
I completed my B.S. degree in Entrepreneurial Studies from the USC Marshall School of Business. If you are wondering whether I root for the Trojans or the Bruins, I support both schools, except when it comes to football. I support the Trojans. Fight On!
PERSONAL BIO
I live in San Diego, the greatest city in the world, I have a fantastic wife that supports all of my endeavors, and I have two amazing kids.
WHERE I’M FROM
I was born and raised by my grandparents in Pueblo, CO. I graduated from Pueblo County High School in 2000 and had a very strong desire to serve my country. Two months after receiving my high school diploma, I enlisted in the United States Navy.
THE U.S. NAVY
I served onboard the USS Jarrett and was deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. When I achieved the rank of Second Class Petty officer, I joined the command’s Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team. We boarded numerous ships in the Persian Gulf to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, smuggling, and conduct customs. In April 2004, I safely returned to our homeport in San Diego.
GOING TO SCHOOL
After separating from the Navy, I got accepted to the USC Marshall School of Business. During my senior year, I interned at Merrill Lynch & Co. at their flagship office in Beverly Hills. Using the discipline I obtained in the Navy, I turned the internship into a full-time job.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF FINANCE
My first day on the job was in mid-2007, where I joined a very large and successful corporate retirement planning team at Merrill Lynch as a Junior Partner. However, by October 2008, the Great Financial Crisis was at its height, and Bank of America acquired Merrill Lynch. As a result, my team disbanded. As the lowest member on the team, I was left in a difficult situation without much help.
Shortly thereafter, I joined Morgan Stanley as a traditional Financial Advisor and built a small book of business over several years. I was recruited by Charles Schwab in 2010 and joined with the promise that I would be “making more money and working fewer hours.” While true, the sales culture and the high churn rate made me miserable. This was when I began to realize the importance of financial expertise and fiduciary responsibility.
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
I quit my job in 2012 after getting accepted to the UCLA Anderson School of Business. I studied Investment Management and immersed myself in the academic world of finance. While there, I completed a yearlong graduate research project studying the feasibility of passive investing and risk-weighting for retail investors. This ultimately led to the creation of Bull Oak Capital.
STARTING SOMETHING NEW
I started Bull Oak Capital in San Diego in March 2014. The firm was created to fill a much-needed void: better wealth management services to the mass affluent. I wanted to create a fiduciary investment advisory firm specializing in smarter money management and comprehensive financial planning.
Bull Oak Capital is a top-rated financial advisory company recognized as one of the fastest-growing firms in the nation. We provide wealth management services to retirees, working professionals, and business owners in the San Diego region.
OUR APPROACH SETS US APART
Bull Oak Capital is different because we take the time to design multiple financial scenarios to help you achieve true financial independence.
We take a comprehensive, retirement planning led approach that considers your income, net worth, taxes, family, passive income sources, and more. By creating multiple financial planning scenarios, we can identify which decisions drive optimal outcomes. We feel that this is the only way to make well-informed financial decisions.
We construct our client portfolios based on rigorous market research, not client goals. At first, this may sound counter-intuitive as many financial advisors will construct a portfolio around a client’s life. However, their approach has a major flaw – the markets are completely extraneous to investor goals and needs. Put simply, the stock and bond markets are indifferent whether or not you plan to retire soon or if you intend to leave a legacy. The markets will do what they must without any concern for your life goals. Furthermore, those advisors that build a customized portfolio for each of their clients will soon have a major problem on their hands – they will not be able to effectively manage hundreds of unique portfolios.
We firmly believe that an approach based on research is better suited to client needs. Our investment portfolios are built on decades of market study and time-tested approaches. We can then offer 5 risk-tolerance versions of that portfolio based on the needs of your financial plan, ranging from the Aggressive Portfolio to the Conservative Portfolio.
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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Ryan A. Hughes is a NAPFA Associate Member
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.
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Ryan A. Hughes Named to Investment News 2021 40 Under 40 Winners
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Ryan A. Hughes and Bull Oak Capital In the Press
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Ryan A. Hughes is Featured in RIA Biz: "20 months in: A field dispatch from an advisor who started an RIA in a strange city with no clients"
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Ryan A. Hughes is a Guest on The Human Advisor Podcast: "Ryan Hughes – The key to successful financial planning for clients"
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Ryan A. Hughes is Featured on UCLA Anderson Think In The Next: "One Year Later: Ryan Hughes ’14 and Bull Oak Capital"
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Ryan A. Hughes is a Guest on the Investment Uncut Podcast: "Manager Selection in Private Wealth with Ryan Hughes"
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Ryan A. Hughes is Featured in SD Voyager: "Meet Ryan Hughes of Bull Oak Capital in Little Italy"
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Ryan A. Hughes is a Five Star Professional as noted in San Diego Magazine
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Ryan A. Hughes is Featured on YOURSASH Blog's Entrepreneur Series
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Ryan A. Hughes is Featured on WealthManagement.com: "Advisors Tweet Up a Guide to Holiday Gift Giving"
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Ryan A. Hughes Names to Wealth Management's 2019 Thrive Awards
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Ryan A. Hughes is Quoted on CNBC: "5 ways you can trim your monthly expenses right now if you’re struggling financially"
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Ryan A. Hughes is Quoted in US News and World Report: "8 Best Mutual Funds for Retirement"
Contact Ryan A. Hughes
Office Locations:
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4747 Executive Drive
Suite 1010
San Diego, CA 92121