A group of wealth managers who had worked in a business that was part of Wells Fargo have created their own RIA in a desire to be truly independent, they say.

A new registered investment advisor firm, Guardian Financial Partners, has been launched in Orange, California. 

Its founders are Patrick C Guinet, CIMA® Hung Nguyen, CFP®, and Casey Bartels, CFP®, who previously practiced as Guinet & Nguyen Wealth Advisory Group, part of Wells Fargo Advisors.

“We did not come to this decision lightly or without extensive research,” said Guinet. “The wealth management industry has changed immensely over the years and it was becoming ever more difficult for us to serve our clients as true fiduciaries under a broker/dealer model. We realized that the best way forward was to become an independent wealth management firm. As Guardian Financial Partners, we are now able to conduct business in a way that is more authentic and true to our core values,” he said.

Guinet and Nguyen began working together in 1999, and were joined by Bartels in 2008. 

Guardian Financial Partners serves individuals and families, as well as institutions, non-profits and ERISA plans.