For Lee Stipp, financial planning is about freedom. The freedom to explore our interests, to spend time with our loved ones, and to live life with financial confidence. Over the years in the business, he’s aimed to give his clients some of that freedom, unburdening them from the stresses of managing money.
As a kid, Lee wanted to be a cowboy—half because he grew up around cattle, and half because their independence and self-sufficiency fascinated him. While studying Ag Business at Cal Poly in his hometown of San Luis Obispo, he worked as a loan officer, providing a glimpse into the consequences of credit decisions. It planted seeds of empathy that would germinate as he spent the next several years building successful California wine brands from the ground up. And after his twins were born, he had two goals: spend more time with his family, and help people.
Over the next decade, he accomplished both. Using expertise in retirement planning, estate strategies, employee benefit services, business continuation, and trust services, he’s taken great joy in helping clients recognize potential pitfalls, discover resources, and embrace previously unknown opportunities.
Lee has a son who loves golf, a daughter who loves music and acting, and the whole family loves going to the beach—even when it’s cold and windy. He enjoys hiking and biking (specifically gravel cycling), and as an expert enophile, he judges wines and helps fledgling wineries with the technical aspects of their craft. From investments to family, career, hobbies, or art, he aims to help his clients cultivate well-being in their entire lives. Because in the end, he believes wealth doesn’t just mean money. It means anything you work hard for.
