As fiduciaries, we work to build brighter futures with smarter insights and a thoughtful plan toward superior financial outcomes.
Montecito Capital Management has been advising clients with personalized wealth management services since 2004 and the firm's founder, Kip Lytel, CFA, has been an investment leader and contributing author on financial topics for over two decades. We are a Registered Investment Advisory ("RIA") firm offering conflict-free counsel to individuals, families, trusts and entities during the accumulation of asset phase, or for families in retirement. We often tell prospective clients that there can be plenty to worry about, but the fact that they have decided to consult with a professional advisor on any financial matter, then that in effect is taking an instrumental risk management step. This is why we offer prospective clients an initial complimentary advisory consultation where we convey insightful guidance on both financial and investment considerations. Simply put, customized advice is crucial to realizing better outcomes for financial assets.
It is our philosophy to work with most anyone who is sincere in the prospects of improving their assets, retirement lifestyle and estate given they value advice and guidance from an advisor. Our relationship objective is to meet the client’s investment and financial goals by providing direction, eliminating dangers, focusing on opportunities and implementing effective strategies. We are also actively engaged in creating better outcomes for clients through effective portfolio management, including portfolio construction, thoughtful investment selection, rebalancing, cost containment and tax efficient investing. We focus in on what really matters to clients, and for us that has been to spend a good deal of time identifying what is the best planning approach for their unique goals, followed by actionable advice. We frequently assist in assembling the right team of CPAs, estate lawyers, tax experts and accounting processes for the particular needs of a client.
Montecito Capital Management has been advising clients with personalized wealth management services since 2004 and the firm's founder, Kip Lytel, CFA, has been an investment leader and contributing author on financial topics for over two decades. We are a Registered Investment Advisory ("RIA") firm offering conflict-free counsel to individuals, families, trusts and entities during the accumulation of asset phase, or for families in retirement. We often tell prospective clients that there can be plenty to worry about, but the fact that they have decided to consult with a professional advisor on any financial matter, then that in effect is taking an instrumental risk management step. This is why we offer prospective clients an initial complimentary advisory consultation where we convey insightful guidance on both financial and investment considerations. Simply put, customized advice is crucial to realizing better outcomes for financial assets.
It is our philosophy to work with most anyone who is sincere in the prospects of improving their assets, retirement lifestyle and estate given they value advice and guidance from an advisor. Our relationship objective is to meet the client’s investment and financial goals by providing direction, eliminating dangers, focusing on opportunities and implementing effective strategies. We are also actively engaged in creating better outcomes for clients through effective portfolio management, including portfolio construction, thoughtful investment selection, rebalancing, cost containment and tax efficient investing. We focus in on what really matters to clients, and for us that has been to spend a good deal of time identifying what is the best planning approach for their unique goals, followed by actionable advice. We frequently assist in assembling the right team of CPAs, estate lawyers, tax experts and accounting processes for the particular needs of a client.
We are honored by the many accolades received, including Forbes Magazine the Top 10 Most Dependable Wealth Managers in Southern California by Goldine Research and a coveted "Five Star" advisory ranking by Paladin Registry, reserved for the nation's elite ranked advisors based on an extensive advisor screening evaluation of credentials, ethics, business practices and quality of services. Montecito Capital Management has also been recognized by Expertise.com in 2022 as Top 25 Financial Advisors out of 903 advisory peer firms in Los Angeles after a rigorous examination of 25 variables across five categories: Reputation, Credibility, Experience, Availability and Professionalism. Moreover, Expertise.com also bestowed "Best Financial Advisors in Santa Barbara" award for 2023. Wealth & Money Management Award once again bestowed upon Montecito Capital Management for 2019 with the Wealth Management Firm of the Year award for Southern California. Most recently, our advisory practice was recognized with the Global 100 Award for Financial Planning in 2023 and by Corp Today Magazine in its 2022 Awards issue as the "Best Wealth Management Practice" for Southern California region.

Kip Lytel, CFA
Managing Wealth Advisor
· Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA), Economics Major
· Master of Business Administration (MBA)
· Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA)
· Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)
· Member, CFA Institute
· Member, Paladin Registry
· Member, RIA Board of Advisors for WealthManagement.com
Kip Lytel has over 25 years of investment finance experience, with expertise in client portfolio management, financial advisory, complex wealth strategies, retirement planning and diverse investments, including equities, stock valuation & ratings, fixed-income, alternative asset classes, bond credit analysis, private illiquid assets and diverse real estate matters. His prior institutional work experience with private funds and investment houses include Pegasus Group, Pacific Strategic Fund Group and ML Stern Securities where he was involved with portfolio management covering bonds, stocks and other diverse asset classes. Kip Lytel received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) as an honored Fellowship Recipient from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. He also received his undergraduate Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics from The Claremont Colleges. Kip holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, is an active volunteer member of CFA Institute and has been a Regional Expert for CFA Institute's Advisory Panel on investment management. He also has served as a Board of Director for a number of entities, both private and publicly traded.
Managing Wealth Advisor
· Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA), Economics Major
· Master of Business Administration (MBA)
· Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA)
· Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)
· Member, CFA Institute
· Member, Paladin Registry
· Member, RIA Board of Advisors for WealthManagement.com
Kip Lytel has over 25 years of investment finance experience, with expertise in client portfolio management, financial advisory, complex wealth strategies, retirement planning and diverse investments, including equities, stock valuation & ratings, fixed-income, alternative asset classes, bond credit analysis, private illiquid assets and diverse real estate matters. His prior institutional work experience with private funds and investment houses include Pegasus Group, Pacific Strategic Fund Group and ML Stern Securities where he was involved with portfolio management covering bonds, stocks and other diverse asset classes. Kip Lytel received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) as an honored Fellowship Recipient from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. He also received his undergraduate Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics from The Claremont Colleges. Kip holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, is an active volunteer member of CFA Institute and has been a Regional Expert for CFA Institute's Advisory Panel on investment management. He also has served as a Board of Director for a number of entities, both private and publicly traded.

Kip Lytel is active with speaking engagements at investment finance conferences and academic universities, while also authoring investment articles in publications. He participates in investment-related interviews where he frequently shares his expertise on the capital markets and has been cited and/or published in Wall Street Journal, Barron's Magazine, Forbes Magazine, BusinessWeek Magazine, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg Wealth Magazine, Financial Planning Magazine, Investment News Magazine, Advisor Perspectives, Seeking Alpha, Santa Barbara News Press, among others.
Kip enjoys spending time with his wife & two young children while also pursuing a range of outdoor personal activities, such as fly fishing, hiking, kiteboarding and tennis. He is active in many charitable organizations and supports Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, Direct Relief Humanitarian, Girls Rock Santa Barbara, Hillel, Women's Economic Ventures (WEV, Santa Barbara), Kiva.org, Africare, Baal Dan Charities, UNICEF, J/P Haitian Relief Organization, International Justice Mission, Calm4Kids, Humane Farming Association, among others.
Kip enjoys spending time with his wife & two young children while also pursuing a range of outdoor personal activities, such as fly fishing, hiking, kiteboarding and tennis. He is active in many charitable organizations and supports Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, Direct Relief Humanitarian, Girls Rock Santa Barbara, Hillel, Women's Economic Ventures (WEV, Santa Barbara), Kiva.org, Africare, Baal Dan Charities, UNICEF, J/P Haitian Relief Organization, International Justice Mission, Calm4Kids, Humane Farming Association, among others.
More about our comprehensive advisory services
Our client advisory services are all-encompassing from portfolio management, financial planning, retirement solutions, philanthropy and unique asset "type" considerations, such as real estate and businesses. The term "pure" translates into a more holistic, independent and fiduciary-driven advisory practice where we are not in the business of 'selling' investments products, nor do we have outside incentive conflicts given we do not accept commissions. It is our goal to deliver transparency on fees, costs, actions and rationale for recommendations to our clients. Our wealth management practice is also geared toward inclusiveness by encompassing a wide scope of asset sizes from the mass affluent ($250,000 -$1 million) to the high net worth individual (> $1 million). Moreover, our clients benefit from a fee structure that is considered "pure" fee-only, which means the firm's sole compensation is derived from a fixed-rate on assets in which we actively advise. Indeed, this fee-only approach often aids clients with a sliding fee scale of 1.0%-0.6% of advised assets where the incremental declining rates are tied to corresponding higher asset bracket sizes.
One of the many advantages of working with a boutique Registered Investment Advisory ("RIA") firm like Montecito Capital Management is we are 'hands-on' and this enables us to take our advisory services beyond investment decisions with counsel that encompasses all aspects of a client's personal financial profile. We start with a discussion about personal, business and family considerations within the framework of financial goals, then we determine how best to maximize your success, on your terms. We tailor our services to each client's unique circumstances, such as complexity of assets, income, work stability, age, health, life goals, charitable intent & family dynamics.
Unlike large turnkey advisory companies associated with banks or brokerages, you do not have to go through a Committee for approval to make investment changes to meet your desired objectives, nor do you receive a 'cooker cutter' one-fit-all approach. Rather, we customize our strategic plan to meet your goals, which in turn help you better achieve the optimal investment portfolio outcome. Our passion for excellence means we won't rest until we've done all we can to solve your financial matters, with a strong commitment to responsive and cost-effective client services. Also, serving clients as an "Independent" RIA translates into greater flexibility of choices for competitive options available in the marketplace, along with a significant higher level of personal service. For example, we don't take shortcuts with time spent with clients and we believe advising is a highly communicative process and it is essential that clients understand the process: why we are recommending certain actions and what specifically are we trying to accomplish with our strategies?
Why we are honored to be rated as an elite "Five Star Advisor" by Paladin Registry since 2004? The Registry's founder (Jack Waymire) is an industry oversight leader and an acclaimed author, including Who’s Watching Your Money?, Five Steps for Selecting the Best Financial Advisor and 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor. His books and research have identified problems and solutions in the two major markets for advisory services: 1) baby boomers who suffered severe losses in their retirement accounts during recent bear markets and 2) current retirees. Both groups have been flocking to advisors because they believe the professionals’ expertise will help them win back losses, preserve retirement assets, and produce better results in the future. What they don’t know, based on Paladin research, is that at least 75% of advisors are sales representatives who use expertise as a sales tactic to win investor assets. Waymire said, “That’s why millions of investors change advisors every year. At some point they realize they didn’t hire a real expert for their assets. This usually occurs after their results don’t match the excessive expectations that they were sold.” This is why Waymire created Paladin Registry as a neutral, third-party advisor evaluation service to help investors evaluate and select qualified financial advisors.
Our independence means clients have the freedom to choose the best-of-breed investment options, many of which render cost savings with the potential of superior risk-adjusted returns. Our goal is a long-term partnership that is a fixed fee-based relationship, generating no conflict of interest such as hidden fees, commissions, fund loads or account churns. This sets us apart from large bank wealth management services and brokerages, where there are often inherent conflicts of interest with proprietary funds and products being recommended to clients.
Our firm's offices are conveniently located to serve most major Central & Southern California markets: San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County and Orange County.
One of the many advantages of working with a boutique Registered Investment Advisory ("RIA") firm like Montecito Capital Management is we are 'hands-on' and this enables us to take our advisory services beyond investment decisions with counsel that encompasses all aspects of a client's personal financial profile. We start with a discussion about personal, business and family considerations within the framework of financial goals, then we determine how best to maximize your success, on your terms. We tailor our services to each client's unique circumstances, such as complexity of assets, income, work stability, age, health, life goals, charitable intent & family dynamics.
Unlike large turnkey advisory companies associated with banks or brokerages, you do not have to go through a Committee for approval to make investment changes to meet your desired objectives, nor do you receive a 'cooker cutter' one-fit-all approach. Rather, we customize our strategic plan to meet your goals, which in turn help you better achieve the optimal investment portfolio outcome. Our passion for excellence means we won't rest until we've done all we can to solve your financial matters, with a strong commitment to responsive and cost-effective client services. Also, serving clients as an "Independent" RIA translates into greater flexibility of choices for competitive options available in the marketplace, along with a significant higher level of personal service. For example, we don't take shortcuts with time spent with clients and we believe advising is a highly communicative process and it is essential that clients understand the process: why we are recommending certain actions and what specifically are we trying to accomplish with our strategies?
Why we are honored to be rated as an elite "Five Star Advisor" by Paladin Registry since 2004? The Registry's founder (Jack Waymire) is an industry oversight leader and an acclaimed author, including Who’s Watching Your Money?, Five Steps for Selecting the Best Financial Advisor and 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor. His books and research have identified problems and solutions in the two major markets for advisory services: 1) baby boomers who suffered severe losses in their retirement accounts during recent bear markets and 2) current retirees. Both groups have been flocking to advisors because they believe the professionals’ expertise will help them win back losses, preserve retirement assets, and produce better results in the future. What they don’t know, based on Paladin research, is that at least 75% of advisors are sales representatives who use expertise as a sales tactic to win investor assets. Waymire said, “That’s why millions of investors change advisors every year. At some point they realize they didn’t hire a real expert for their assets. This usually occurs after their results don’t match the excessive expectations that they were sold.” This is why Waymire created Paladin Registry as a neutral, third-party advisor evaluation service to help investors evaluate and select qualified financial advisors.
Our independence means clients have the freedom to choose the best-of-breed investment options, many of which render cost savings with the potential of superior risk-adjusted returns. Our goal is a long-term partnership that is a fixed fee-based relationship, generating no conflict of interest such as hidden fees, commissions, fund loads or account churns. This sets us apart from large bank wealth management services and brokerages, where there are often inherent conflicts of interest with proprietary funds and products being recommended to clients.
Our firm's offices are conveniently located to serve most major Central & Southern California markets: San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County and Orange County.

Reliable Asset Custody & Full Account Transparency at Charles Schwab:
We offer access to the Institutional Service Group at Charles Schwab where we have a dedicated service team with advanced trading and research options. Charles Schwab was recently ranked in 2023 as #1 for Full-Service Investor Satisfaction by JD Powers.
Montecito Capital Management's goal is to provide the highest level of reliable asset custody, trade execution and transparency, at the lowest cost through Charles Schwab. Client assets are held in custody at Charles Schwab where the account(s) remain in the client’s direct ownership as non-discretionary assets. Moreover, client assets are further safeguarded by limitations on our control - we can only work within the investment parameters set by the client. Having the highest level of transparency, accountability and asset safeguards is all to better serve our clients.
Our clients have 24/7 online access to their Charles Schwab "discount brokerage" account which has absolutely no commission or trade fees for stock/ETF trades; clients also receive statements directly from a trusted third-party.
We offer access to the Institutional Service Group at Charles Schwab where we have a dedicated service team with advanced trading and research options. Charles Schwab was recently ranked in 2023 as #1 for Full-Service Investor Satisfaction by JD Powers.
Montecito Capital Management's goal is to provide the highest level of reliable asset custody, trade execution and transparency, at the lowest cost through Charles Schwab. Client assets are held in custody at Charles Schwab where the account(s) remain in the client’s direct ownership as non-discretionary assets. Moreover, client assets are further safeguarded by limitations on our control - we can only work within the investment parameters set by the client. Having the highest level of transparency, accountability and asset safeguards is all to better serve our clients.
Our clients have 24/7 online access to their Charles Schwab "discount brokerage" account which has absolutely no commission or trade fees for stock/ETF trades; clients also receive statements directly from a trusted third-party.
To best serve at the convenience of our clients, advisors also regularly travel within 120 mile radius of both the Central & Southern California offices to meet clients at their homes, businesses or for lunch advisory meetings at privacy-appropriate restaurants.
Prospective clients outside our region are also welcome to contact our firm.
Wealth Management Team Leader:
Kip Lytel, CFA®, MBA
Click Here to Email & schedule a no obligation complimentary initial advisory meeting & portfolio review:
SERVING SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, VENTURA COUNTY & SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Montecito Capital Management Group
225 East Carrillo Street, Suite 203
Santa Barbara CA 93101
(805) 965-7955
SERVING LOS ANGELES COUNTY, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY & ORANGE COUNTY
Montecito Capital Management Group
522 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 207
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Email Us: ContactUs@McapitalMgt.Com
Disclaimer: The website provides general information regarding our business along with access to additional investment related information. Material presented on this website is believed to be from reliable sources and is meant for informational purposes only. The intent is to provide helpful information, which should NOT be construed as investment advice. We do not guarantee its accuracy, nor completeness, and it is not intended to be the primary basis for investment decisions. We do not make personal investment recommendations to people or entities except to those who have engaged us expressly for the purpose of providing professional investment advisory services. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Montecito Capital Management Group’s ADV filing is available online at http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov and current FORM ADV Part 2, which describes the services offered, fees charged and detailed company information, among other things, is available upon request free of charge. To a certain degree we are limited in our fiduciary capacity by the firm's non-discretionary client relationship, whereby the client dictates the investment parameters and contractually agrees to accept sole responsibility for their choices.
Prospective clients outside our region are also welcome to contact our firm.
Wealth Management Team Leader:
Kip Lytel, CFA®, MBA
Click Here to Email & schedule a no obligation complimentary initial advisory meeting & portfolio review:
SERVING SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, VENTURA COUNTY & SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Montecito Capital Management Group
225 East Carrillo Street, Suite 203
Santa Barbara CA 93101
(805) 965-7955
SERVING LOS ANGELES COUNTY, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY & ORANGE COUNTY
Montecito Capital Management Group
522 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 207
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Email Us: ContactUs@McapitalMgt.Com
Disclaimer: The website provides general information regarding our business along with access to additional investment related information. Material presented on this website is believed to be from reliable sources and is meant for informational purposes only. The intent is to provide helpful information, which should NOT be construed as investment advice. We do not guarantee its accuracy, nor completeness, and it is not intended to be the primary basis for investment decisions. We do not make personal investment recommendations to people or entities except to those who have engaged us expressly for the purpose of providing professional investment advisory services. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Montecito Capital Management Group’s ADV filing is available online at http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov and current FORM ADV Part 2, which describes the services offered, fees charged and detailed company information, among other things, is available upon request free of charge. To a certain degree we are limited in our fiduciary capacity by the firm's non-discretionary client relationship, whereby the client dictates the investment parameters and contractually agrees to accept sole responsibility for their choices.