Bay Area Businessman on List of Nation’s Top NextGen Financial Advisors

Nathan Bennett of Pleasanton, California is one of the nation’s most successful financial advisors under 40, according to Rep. magazine.

In its January edition, Rep. published its list of Top 50 NextGen IBD Advisors, where Bennett ranks 29th. He has more than $226 million of assets under administration for his many clients throughout Northern California.

A native of Arroyo Grande, Bennett, 38, has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. He holds the Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Financial Consultant, Certified Fund Specialist and Chartered Life Underwriter designations.

Bennett started his career as a financial advisor intern in Minnesota. When he decided to move home to California, the managing partner at the Minnesota firm urged Michael Schmitz, CEO of SGC Financial and Insurance Services in San Mateo, to talk to Bennett.

“He told me that Nathan is a one in a million candidate and he was absolutely right,” said Schmitz. “At our first meeting, Nathan told me he lost his parents when he was young and knew firsthand why our business is so important. This clarity of purpose -- and his competitiveness -- spurred his success.”

Bennett practiced at Schmitz’ firm for six years. In 2006, he, Steve Wilcox and Don Ledoux co-founded Summit Financial Group, LLC in San Ramon. Bennett lives in Pleasanton with his wife and two children. SGC remains a strategic business partner with Summit Financial.

Summit Financial Group is a comprehensive financial planning and wealth management firm dedicated to providing insight and solutions that assist clients in the pursuit of financial independence.

SGC Financial and Insurance Services is a comprehensive financial services firm committed to helping clients improve their long-term financial success. SGC offers a wide range of quality financial products and the advice and expertise of some of the best financial professionals in the industry.

Rep. magazine, previously known as Registered Rep, is written to provide retail stockbrokers and registered investment advisors with the latest industry news and trend information needed for success and growth.

Advisors on the Top NextGen Independent Broker/Dealer Advisors list are ranked exclusively by total assets under management. To be eligible, advisors had to be under the age of 40 as of Jan. 1, 2015. We solicited nominations from the top 30 IBDs by headcount, sourced from Cerulli Associates. These are the firms that responded. Rep. magazine and WealthManagement.com do not receive any compensation from financial advisors, participating firms and affiliates, or the media in exchange for rankings.