About Us

Mike Chamberlain

Hello and thanks for spending some time visiting our website. My name is Mike Chamberlain and I have been helping people to make better financial decisions to improve their lives since the 1980’s.

Chamberlain Financial Planning was established in 2007 to assist people on a fee-only basis – here there is no high-pressure sales pitch because there are no product sales, and that means no conflicts of interest that typically come with traditional sales orientations.

My education includes both Bachelors and Doctorate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. Accredited Investment Fiduciary course work was from The Center for Fiduciary Studies- University of Pittsburgh and CFP® course work was from Boston University.

I live in Santa Cruz with my life partner, Patty, but most of my family is based in Sacramento. My daughter Cathi, her husband and three kids, my two brothers and Mom and Dad are all living in the Sacramento area. In 2009, I opened a branch office there so that I could visit with my family more frequently and without a doubt it was one of the best decisions I ever made! My son Mitch lives in Austin, TX with his wife and two little girls but no, I will not be opening a branch there.

Now, this is probably going to sound a bit corny but I really do like helping people to make better financial decisions and improve their lives. Yes, I enjoy my work, but I am also a firm believer in balance in all things and always try to make time for fun. Sailing is another of my life’s passions. I think it is a great way to get in touch with nature and I am fortunate enough to have a sailboat moored at the Santa Cruz harbor. While I love sailing, my next favorite thing to do on the boat is sleep – especially when it’s raining… talk about relaxing!

Over the past few years, I have served on the board of directors of a local charity including one term as treasurer but find it more fulfilling helping my clients. Several years ago, I participated in Team in Training to raise money for the fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma, and I am currently listed as a donor on the National Marrow Donor Program.

Gary Cohen

Gary Cohen started with the firm after completing his CFP® course work from University of California, Santa Cruz. Prior to that, with a Bachelor of Science degree from MIT and a Masters from Stanford (both in engineering), he spent more than 30 years working almost exclusively with computers. We are fortunate he decided to change direction and careers and work directly helping people. Gary lives in Sunnyvale with his wife Debbie and has two kids in college. His outside interests are traveling, hiking, and volleyball (and he’s still playing after 35+ years).

Richard Morgan

Richard Morgan has joined the firm to follow his passion, which is to help people be good stewards of their financial lives. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Richard obtained a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has passed the CFP^® Certification Examination. He also works for a local high tech firm in a management role. Richard lives in Santa Cruz with his wife Nancy and has one son in college. His outside interests are photography, going to car and air shows, hiking, traveling and being available to serve.