Vista Q&A with James Knight

What do you enjoy most about Vista?

I love that everyone we have hired cares about our clients and that we have a culture that supports that ideal.

What do you feel is the biggest value Vista brings to its clients?

People are so busy these days with work, family, children and friends. I think the biggest value Vista brings is the ability to help families navigate through all of the financial decisions given today’s complex investment choices, tax regulations, and estate tax rules. We can help prioritize what needs to happen and then help make sure it all gets done.

Which quality makes you best suited to provide wealth management services?

I genuinely care about our clients and want the best for them. I will always put their interests first before our firm, and I wouldn’t give any advice that I wouldn’t give to my own family.

How should people think about their wealth?

To me, wealth is just a means to accomplish what you want in life. It isn’t a number we strive for, or a specific annual return. Wealth is an opportunity to help others, whether that is your family, friends, or through philanthropy.

Who in history (living or not) would you most want to meet?

John F. Kennedy has always intrigued me.

What is the biggest challenge in providing advice?

The biggest challenge I see in providing advice is trying to understand the clients’ point of view and comprehend why they would not implement the advice or plan. From a planner’s point of view, it always seems to make financial sense, but there are so many personal elements that factor into making a decision.

James has twenty-two years' experience in investment, tax, and financial planning.

He previously served as vice president of a local registered investment advisory firm. While there, he spent six years as a portfolio manager providing tax and financial planning advice to clients. He is licensed to provide investment advisory services in the State of California.

James is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and PFS (Personal Financial Specialist). He spent seven years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in their Personal Financial Services practice where he provided clients with financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning. James was instrumental in the startup of Asset Management Consulting, the division of PwC that provided investment advisory services exclusively to the firm's clients.

James is a graduate of California State University, Hayward. He also has a master's degree in finance from Golden Gate University.