John R Bauer, CFP^®

A late Spring afternoon meeting in 1985 at the UCLA Career Center with the recruiter from the John Hancock office in Beverly Hills has led to a great career in the financial services business, now entering its 37th year.

After 6 years with John Hancock, a world-class education, a Certified Financial Planner™ degree, and a great group of existing clients, John left Wilshire Blvd. for Ventura Blvd. and became an independent Financial Advisor starting his own firm in his hometown of Encino.

While at John Hancock, John worked with professionals and small businesses setting up insurance and financial plans for their families and businesses. The move form John Hancock to LPL Financial helped grow the Wealth Management side of his practice.

In an era of putting every client into a “box” based on age or risk tolerance and then scrambling to find the next one, John prides himself on individualized plans and portfolios. “Every client has different needs and brings their own unique experience to the table."

It’s not often in life that you can work less than a mile from your childhood home, where your mother still lives, but John can claim this distinction: His current office location on Ventura Blvd. is more meaningful than just a place to work. “My drive to work from Woodland Hills to Encino every day is often filled with memories from my childhood. I can’t think of a better place for me to run a business.”

Although they met at UCLA, John and his wife Debbie, are avid University of Michigan fans. His daughter Anna who lives in New York City graduated from Michigan in 2018 and their son Harrison, who also lives in New York City, graduated from Michigan in 2021. Currently, John and Debbie live in Woodland Hills and are “empty nesting” it with their Australian Shepherd, Rosie.