Jacqueline Duran Key to your Finances

Jacqueline Duran knows money – but more than helping you make cash – she wants to help her clients plan for their futures with confidence and integrity.

“I didn’t start out wanting to be in finance,” Duran explains, “I went to college for biology and pre-med and was on track to go to med school. But then I got into some business classes and took a left turn!” That left turn led her to buying a flower business in Carpinteria she owned and managed for five years.

“I loved it, and I loved working with people, but I didn’t like the hours and being gone on the weekends.”

She met someone who worked for Merrill Lynch Financial and started to take an interest in investment management classes and learning opportunities.

Duran has been in Santa Barbara since she was 12. “My family moved here from Mexico City and I didn’t speak a word of English – it was a little overwhelming.”

Fortunately, she had an amazing mentor in a math teacher at La Cumbre Junior High, who encouraged her to take more math classes and get involved in MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement). “When you don’t speak the language, it’s hard… but that’s why math is great. I didn’t know what the teachers were saying, but I could figure out math problems and so that became my focus.”

Now, after more than 12 years in financial planning with big box companies, she is excited to be branching off on her own.

“I learned so much from Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. But it was time for me to create my own path. Fortunately, all my clients decided to follow me as well and so now I am looking forward to this new chapter.”

This chapter includes personalized service, and most of all, really listening to her clients’ needs.

“Because I am on my own, I can be a true fiduciary and put my client’s interest first and not have to use specific services; I can find what is best for each client and really tailor a financial plan to their needs.”

She goes on to explain: “Whether someone has two million or twenty, many people want the same overall goal: To make and sustain their investments and also to plan for the future. I meet with a client’s lawyer, or trust attorney, along with their CPA, to make sure we are all on the same page.”

Duran knows that the biggest part of her job is instilling trust and confidence in her clients. “Sometimes if you have multiple people running different aspects of your wealth, then they don’t know what you have, and you could be putting yourself at risk or underinvesting. My goal is to understand the full picture.”

That trust Duran knows only comes with time: “My first clients were people who knew me since I was a teenager. Now, most of my clients are referrals and that makes me happy because I want to focus on the highest level of quality for my clients.”

Managing a new business along with her family (husband Alex, and kids, Henry and Bradley), means there is a lot of work. And she is involved in our community: she serves on the Montecito School District Board and she works with several nonprofits including the Santa Barbara School of Squash, which helps underserved students through sport, squash, and education. Jacqueline is also a Rotarian and a member of the Women’s Fund.

Duran still finds time to relax: “My perfect day in Montecito is going for a jog across town, bringing a beach chair and sitting down at Miramar Beach, and a dinner at Loquita!”

If you want to get in touch with Jacqueline Duran, you can reach her at (805) 284-2037 or her website: www.durancapitalmanagement.com