Certified Annuity Specialist
Retirement Planner

While this site is public, available to anyone on the world wide web, it’s really designed for those interested in learning more about retirement planning, and anyone who might be interested in learning more about me and DaVinci Wealth, my retirement planning and advisory practice, but who aren’t quite ready, just yet, to approach me directly.

Most folks who find this site already know a little bit about me.  Perhaps you have heard me on the radio?

If you don’t know me, here is a brief synopsis of the road that has brought me here.

Meet Darren

• I was born in Southern California into a military home, my father retired from a career in the Army as a Major.
• The summer before I started the 4^th grade, my mother and her new husband, moved with my brother and me, to Eastern Tennessee, a very rural town called Ooltewah.  We lived on a farm and raised our own vegetables and livestock.  At the time I hated living out in the middle of nowhere. Now, with experience, and wisdom, I look back on those years as some of the best times of my life.  Roaming the countryside, fishing, hunting, farming, and always being outdoors. There is also something to be said for the country education I received there as well. By necessity, I learned resourcefulness, and about being grateful for what I had, no matter how meager. We lived in a mobile home, 12 feet wide by 60 feet long, in the middle of the pastures where our cattle grazed. It took several years before we got a telephone.  What I wouldn’t give to be back there for a summer of fun, not a care in the world, and acres and acres of open lands to amuse me. Only limited by my imagination.
  • In 1980, after my freshman year in high school, I moved back to California to live with my father.
  • After graduating Covina High School in 1983 I attended junior college, but was quickly bored and began looking to start a business.
  • In 1988 I got married and began working for Big 5 Sporting Goods. Next, I was blessed with 2 beautiful children, Sarah and Darren Jr.
  • I took college courses in the evenings and looked to improve my situation with education in finance and securities.
  • In 1997 I was recruited by Bank of America and began my career in finance as a Vice President.
  • Merrill Lynch came calling in 1999 and I joined their rigorous training program, which included many visits to their campus in Princeton, New Jersey as well as Wall Street.
  • After successful tenures as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, and U.B.S., I felt something was missing from my advisory model and indeed my life.  I resigned and started my own independent advisory firm in Southern California, Inland Retirement Advisors.
  • From 2012 thru 2014 I also hosted a live, daily radio show heard throughout Southern California.  The radio show focused on financial news, current economic events and their impact on investments and retirement planning.
  • In the summer of 2012 my daughter Sarah received her Bachelor’s degree form the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and my son began attending UCSB in the fall of that same year.
  • Sadly, In 2013 my marriage of almost 25 years ended.
    • This transition gave me a chance to really think about what I wanted from the next chapter of my life, both personally and professionally.
    • Late in 2014, with the encouragement and support of my new partner, Michelle, I decided to move my home and my business to Prescott, Arizona.  I created DaVinci Wealth, my new advisory firm.  DaVinci wealth is solely focused on retirement planning and retirement income planning. Our only goal is a happy and financially successful retirement for our clients.
    • Moving closer to my father, a longtime Prescott resident, in his later years and being able to enjoy the natural beauty of the Northern Arizona mountains has been a wonderful blessing.

Michelle and I love being on the water in our kayaks, hiking the local trails, camping in the local mountains, bird watching from the patio, or just walking around the courthouse square on a beautiful crisp day. If you see us, please don’t hesitate to say Hi!

That’s what I call full disclosure!

DaVinci Wealth was started as a result of that self-reflection that occurs when life changes in dramatic and unexpected ways.  It occurred to me that although I had been successful in my career; I made a good living, provided well for my family, drove a nice car, had the big house with a pool in the suburbs, etc. I had fallen short of some of my earliest beliefs, and one of the biggest reasons I got into the financial services business… To help more people avoid the hardships and disappointments of a retirement that was at risk due to circumstances seemingly beyond their control.

I’ve decided to pursue those original passions and goals, to strive to make an impactful difference in the lives of clients and all those who will listen. This firm, DaVinci Wealth, is just one way I hope to make an impact, to give back, and be part of the change that I hope to see in my industry.

Sincerely,
Darren

Darren's dedication, as a retirement planner, shows a specific set of skills and attention to complex, interconnected issues which he uses to help  Arizona residents retire more successfully. Contact him today at (928) 237-3411.