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Armor is something that the military takes very seriously, protecting its personnel from injury in dangerous situations. But how does that make the crossover to retirement wealth protection? With a strong drive towards service, protection, and community, retired U.S. Army Armor officer Roy Gagaza chose to use his business degree from San Jose State University to help those approaching and in retirement to protect their retirement savings and assets while reducing risk. Starting with public seminars, his concept grew into Journey Wealth Management, based in Manteca California and Oahu, Hawaii. He now provides ongoing financial information on a variety of topics through his Wealthwize series webinars and resource library.
Below is our recent interview with Roy Y. Gagaza, President and CEO at Journey Wealth Management:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to your company?
A: Journey Wealth Management was started when I was about 10 years into my military career. I knew that it would take time to develop my business concept, and that I wanted to grow it organically, using references from current clients. I also knew that the longer I was in the military, the less relevant I would be in the business market, so I wanted to start early so that I had time to build that relevancy with my clients. I started and continue to provide a series of educational seminars. I added online webinars to reach a wider audience. This allowed me to start educating individuals who may want to use my services in the future, building a community of retirees and those approaching retirement who needed support.
Q: Can you give us more insights into what makes your company unique?
A: Unlike many financial planning firms, I’m focused on protecting clients from excessive risk. Many clients are stuck in the aggressive investment phase, and are concerned because they don’t know what to do next. I help them move to a preservation phase so that they’re protected. I want to help clients keep their money as opposed to having too much at risk. It’s all about preservation of principal. I’ve always believed in preservation of principal, but now I emphasize that more than ever and I emphasize the risk in the market.
Q: Can you give us insights into your services?
A: I take a multi-faceted approach to protecting assets and reducing risk. This includes tax, insurance, income, long-term care, and estate planning, helping clients address issues with inflation and principal protection, and providing them advice on how to improve their situation with Social Security before they’re dependent on it. I enjoy working with individuals, because it allows me to get to know them on a personal level and create a plan that will work well for their specific situation, customizing it to their needs.
Q: What is the best thing about your company that people might not know about?
A: As a retired military veteran, I understand how difficult the transition can be back into civilian life, and so one of the top charities I support, matching client contributions, is U.S. Vets. This organization supports veterans, including mental health and wellness, housing support, workforce support, and individualized support, such as helping homeless veterans who cannot manage on their own. Veterans have given so much to our country that supporting them and their families during their time of need is important.
Q: You’re licensed in California and Hawaii. How did that come about?
A: While in the service, my wife and I visited Hawaii several times and fell in love with the people and culture there. Upon retiring, we decided to try one seminar in Hawaii to see how it would go, and the response was overwhelming! This has resulted in us building a large clientele in the Aloha state, regularly commuting to the islands every two weeks to assist clients on an ongoing basis. Who wouldn’t want to work in paradise?
Q: Is there anything you’d like to leave with our readers?
A: Retirement is a journey, not a destination, and it can take some education to understand how to get there. We’re always happy to help interested parties learn more about protecting wealth and assets while reducing risk.
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