Ivan M. Illan

Ivan bought his first stock at 13, which began a lifelong passion. His grandfather, former Undersecretary of the Treasury of Cuba for the Castro Revolutionary Government, and his tales of economic betrayal inspired an early interest. As a kid, Ivan thought everyone discussed monetary policy at family dinners! Since 1996, Ivan’s raised and/or managed over $1Billion assets, in both senior portfolio manager and institutional sales roles with Fortune 100 companies and startups. Since 2012, he’s been Founder & Chief Investment Officer of an SEC registered investment adviser, which serves HNW retail and institutional clients from Hollywood to Wall Street. Ivan’s bestselling book, “Success as a Financial Advisor For Dummies” (©️2018, John Wiley & Sons), is a must-have reference and manual for anyone seeking a successful financial career or life. His first book, “How to Hire (or Fire) Your Financial Advisor: Ten Simple Questions To Guide Decision-Making” (©️2015, iUniverse), was critically-acclaimed by The Washington Post. Ivan is a Founding Member of CFA Society Los Angeles Wealth Management League, a Forbes thought-leader and frequent contributor to business media on capital markets, economics and financial career topics. Awards & Recognition: Official Member of Forbes Finance Council (2016-22); Financial Times Top Financial Adviser (2016); Five Star Wealth Manager (2018-22); Investopedia Premier Advisor (2016); Inc. 5000 Honoree (2019); InvestmentNews Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion “See It, Be It” Role Model Award (2019); Financial Times 500 Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies (2020) Education: B.A. Philosophy, B.S. Finance from Boston College; Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®️); Certified Fund Specialist (CFS®️); Member, CFA Institute; Member, American Economic Association