Award-Winning Financial Advisors Serving Communities in Santa Barbara & Los Angeles
Welcome, we have endeavored to provide relevant information for your advisor evaluation, along with an array of financial expertise & helpful insights.
Montecito Capital Management has been dedicated to advising clients with personalized wealth management 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 an award-winning Registered Investment Advisory ("RIA") firm offering conflict-free financial advice to individuals, families, trusts and entities during the accumulation of asset phase, or in retirement. Our "fiduciary oath" as investment advisors is to uphold the highest duty of care standard with only "best interest" financial advice.
The firm's financial advisory practice is all-encompassing from portfolio management, financial planning, retirement considerations, tax-efficient strategies, income streams, estate planning, philanthropy, educational saving plans, to private asset holdings, such as real estate, private transactions and business matters. We strive to keep our clients fully informed on the status of their finances at every step of their investment journey, ensuring a comprehensive understanding on all aspects impacting their wealth.
We craft financially secure futures by focusing on specific goals: liquidity, sustained growth, guaranteed income, portfolio risk containment, all within the context of the client’s objectives and resources. Since we emphasize that the understanding of risks embedded in a portfolio is central to providing value to our clients, we actively manage and build diverse, multi-asset portfolios to capture long-term positive returns while having resilient portfolios that may help weather market volatility. Indeed, we are actively engaged in robust wealth enhancing strategies designed to shield client financial assets from potential risks, and unforeseen adversities, through comprehensive asset management, portfolio construction, investment security selection, rebalancing, cost containment and tax efficient investing. Whether clients are looking for enhanced growth, income protection, tax deferral or reassurance in volatile markets, our customized portfolios (for each client) are not only innovative, but are designed to offer superior risk management, strength and stability.
For those seeking, or are interested in exploring, a new relationship with a financial advisor, we offer a complimentary initial advisory meeting & portfolio review. 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. Drawing from years of experience working with a range of clients, we have concluded that client relationships are built not on performance alone, but also on empathy, clarity of direction, structural approach, and shared purpose. Further, it has been our experience that a personal advisor relationship can enable superior financial outcomes with an integrated financial strategy and professional asset management. This is why we offer prospective clients a no obligation free initial advisory consultation where we look to convey insightful guidance on both financial and investment considerations.
It is our philosophy to work with most anyone who is sincere in the prospects of improving their asset prosperity, retirement lifestyle and estate given they value advice and guidance from an experienced financial 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. Our successful long-lasting client relationships don't happen by chance, but rather from hard work, depth of experience, earned trust and positive results. We focus on what really matters to clients, and for us that has been to spend a good amount of time identifying what is the best planning approach for each client's unique financial and personal circumstances, followed by actionable advice for improvements.
Montecito Capital Management has been dedicated to advising clients with personalized wealth management 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 an award-winning Registered Investment Advisory ("RIA") firm offering conflict-free financial advice to individuals, families, trusts and entities during the accumulation of asset phase, or in retirement. Our "fiduciary oath" as investment advisors is to uphold the highest duty of care standard with only "best interest" financial advice.
The firm's financial advisory practice is all-encompassing from portfolio management, financial planning, retirement considerations, tax-efficient strategies, income streams, estate planning, philanthropy, educational saving plans, to private asset holdings, such as real estate, private transactions and business matters. We strive to keep our clients fully informed on the status of their finances at every step of their investment journey, ensuring a comprehensive understanding on all aspects impacting their wealth.
We craft financially secure futures by focusing on specific goals: liquidity, sustained growth, guaranteed income, portfolio risk containment, all within the context of the client’s objectives and resources. Since we emphasize that the understanding of risks embedded in a portfolio is central to providing value to our clients, we actively manage and build diverse, multi-asset portfolios to capture long-term positive returns while having resilient portfolios that may help weather market volatility. Indeed, we are actively engaged in robust wealth enhancing strategies designed to shield client financial assets from potential risks, and unforeseen adversities, through comprehensive asset management, portfolio construction, investment security selection, rebalancing, cost containment and tax efficient investing. Whether clients are looking for enhanced growth, income protection, tax deferral or reassurance in volatile markets, our customized portfolios (for each client) are not only innovative, but are designed to offer superior risk management, strength and stability.
For those seeking, or are interested in exploring, a new relationship with a financial advisor, we offer a complimentary initial advisory meeting & portfolio review. 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. Drawing from years of experience working with a range of clients, we have concluded that client relationships are built not on performance alone, but also on empathy, clarity of direction, structural approach, and shared purpose. Further, it has been our experience that a personal advisor relationship can enable superior financial outcomes with an integrated financial strategy and professional asset management. This is why we offer prospective clients a no obligation free initial advisory consultation where we look to convey insightful guidance on both financial and investment considerations.
It is our philosophy to work with most anyone who is sincere in the prospects of improving their asset prosperity, retirement lifestyle and estate given they value advice and guidance from an experienced financial 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. Our successful long-lasting client relationships don't happen by chance, but rather from hard work, depth of experience, earned trust and positive results. We focus on what really matters to clients, and for us that has been to spend a good amount of time identifying what is the best planning approach for each client's unique financial and personal circumstances, followed by actionable advice for improvements.
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We are honored by the many "Best Investment Advisor" accolades received, including Forbes Magazine the Top 10 Most Dependable Wealth Managers in Southern California by Goldline 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 the 2022-2025 period as one of the Top 18 Financial Advisors in Los Angeles after a rigorous examination of 10 variables across five categories: Reputation, Credibility, Experience, Availability and Professionalism. Moreover, Expertise.com further bestowed "Best Financial Advisors in Santa Barbara" award for the past three consecutive years. Wealth & Money Management presented Montecito Capital Management with the Wealth Management Firm of the Year award for Southern California twice in a row. The final round of accolades come from two publications, Global 100 Award and M&A Today Award for Leading Financial Planner in 2024, followed by Corp Today Magazine in its 2024 Awards issue, with the "Best Wealth Management Practice" for Southern California region.
Kip Lytel, CFA
Founder, Managing Wealth Advisor
· Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA), Economics
· Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance
· Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA)
· Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)
· Member, CFA Institute
· Member, Paladin Registry
· Member, RIA Board of Advisors for Wealth Management
· Member, Financial Advisor Magazine
Kip Lytel has over 25 years of investment finance experience, with expertise in client portfolio management, complex wealth strategies, retirement planning and diverse investments, including equities, fixed-income, alternative asset classes, private illiquid assets and diverse real estate matters. His prior institutional work experience with private funds and investment houses includes Pegasus Group, Pacific Strategic Fund Group and ML Stern Securities where he was involved with directing portfolio investments, including bonds, stocks and other diverse asset classes. Kip Lytel received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) as an honored Fellowship Scholar 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, has frequently served as a volunteer for the CFA Institute as a Senior Exam Grader, and has been a Regional Expert for CFA Institute's Advisory Panel on investment management. He also has held leadership positions 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, Business Week Magazine, Bloomberg News, Bloomberg
Wealth Magazine, Financial Planning Magazine, Investment News Magazine,
Advisor Perspectives, Seeking Alpha, and Santa Barbara News Press.
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, golf and tennis. He is a French wine enthusiast and is a founding member of the Sous-Commanderie de Santa Barbara of the
Confrérie de Chevaliers du Tastevin. Kip financially supports and, and at times, is active in many charitable organizations: Santa Barbara Rescue
Mission, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Direct Relief Humanitarian, Girls
Rock Santa Barbara, Pacific Pride Foundation, Hillel, Women's Economic Ventures, Kiva.org, Africare, Baal Dan Charities, UNICEF, J/P Haitian Relief Organization, International Justice Mission, Storyteller, CADA, Calm4Kids, Humane Farming Association and CFA Institute Research Foundation.
More about our comprehensive advisory services
As a "pure" advisor our approach is more holistic, independent and fiduciary-driven where we are not in the business of 'selling' investments products, nor do we have outside incentive conflicts given we do not accept commissions. We bring the highest duty to care with transparency on fees, costs, actions and rationale for financial 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, our clients do not have to go through a committee for approval to make investment changes to meet their desired objectives, nor receive a 'cooker cutter' one-fit-all proposal. 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.
"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?
Our 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. The accumulation of all these Independent advisory advantages sets us apart from large bank wealth management services and brokerages, where there are often inherent conflicts of interest with proprietary funds, commissions and products being recommended to clients.
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, our clients do not have to go through a committee for approval to make investment changes to meet their desired objectives, nor receive a 'cooker cutter' one-fit-all proposal. 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.
"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?
Our 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. The accumulation of all these Independent advisory advantages sets us apart from large bank wealth management services and brokerages, where there are often inherent conflicts of interest with proprietary funds, commissions and products being recommended to clients.
Asset Custody & Transparency with 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.
Client assets are further safeguarded by limitations on our advisory 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. Moreover, as another layer of "checks and balances," our clients receive their brokerage statements directly from a trusted third-party, Charles Schwab Institutional, where they can elect either email or USPS delivery.
While we always can schedule an available time to counsel our clients in our offices, there is also a convenient full-service Charles Schwab office available to clients in Santa Barbara at 900 Chapala Street at the corner cross street of Canon Perdido Street, and six locations in Los Angeles.
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, including a professional advisor risk review of portfolios.
SERVING SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, VENTURA COUNTY & SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Montecito Capital Management
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
522 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 207
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(805) 965-7955
Email Us: [email protected]
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, including a professional advisor risk review of portfolios.
SERVING SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, VENTURA COUNTY & SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Montecito Capital Management
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
522 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 207
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(805) 965-7955
Email Us: [email protected]
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.