Wealthtender Wealthtender

Financial Professionals

Sign In Or Sign Up

Individuals

Subscribe for Money Tips

Chad Kihm, CBEC®

Advising Business Owners with Families, Tech Entrepreneurs & Executives

Connect Cancel

Wealthtender Community Connect helps people discover the best financial advisors for their individual needs through their favorite blogs and podcasts.

Click Here to Learn More
Contact Me
IronBridge Wealth Counsel Chad Kihm, CBEC®
San Luis Obispo, CA

Serving Clients Nationwide

Advising Business Owners with Families, Tech Entrepreneurs & Executives

9 Certified Advisor Reviews™
5 out of 5 Stars
Jump to Reviews

(949) 874-0304

Website

Areas of Focus

  • Business Owners
  • Business Transitions
  • Exit Planning
  • Financial Planning
  • Investment Management
  • Retirement Income Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Tax-Efficient Planning

About Chad Kihm, CBEC®

Hi, I'm Chad Kihm, Private Wealth Advisor at IronBridge Wealth Counsel.

I know firsthand how easy it is, as a business owner, to become so focused on running and growing a company that important financial planning opportunities get overlooked.

Before becoming a financial advisor, I spent years building my own business, GamerSpeak, which I ultimately sold in 2021. It wasn’t until after the sale that I began to recognize how many opportunities I had left on the table along the way. One of those areas was my company’s retirement plan.

That experience ultimately helped lead me into financial planning. Today, I work with business owners to help them make more intentional financial decisions—for themselves, their families, their businesses, and their employees. My work with 401(k) plans is particularly personal because I want business owners to understand and take advantage of opportunities I wish I had understood when I was sitting on their side of the table.

I’m a Certified Business Exit Consultant (CBEC®) and Private Wealth Advisor with IronBridge Wealth Counsel. My clients also benefit from IronBridge’s team-based approach. When additional expertise is helpful, I can bring other advisors from the firm into the relationship, giving my clients access to the broader experience and resources of the IronBridge team.

I earned my degree in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. I live in San Luis Obispo with my wife and two sons. Outside of work, much of my time revolves around my family and enjoying the Central Coast community we call home.

Professional Designations

  • Certified Business Exit Consultant (CBEC)

Primary Location

San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

Meeting Options

  • Video Conference
  • In-Person
  • Phone
Book Intro Call

Compensation Methods

  • Fee Based

What to expect in the first meeting

Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above and complete the brief form to get in touch and schedule a free introductory conversation. We'll get to know each other and I'll listen to understand your unique circumstances so we can determine the best way to proceed. I look forward to speaking with you.

Offers Investment Management

Yes

About IronBridge Wealth Counsel

Founded in 2004, IronBridge Wealth Counsel is a national, independent wealth management firm built on an ensemble model that combines deep planning expertise with a collaborative, partnership-driven business structure. We draw inspiration from the historic Ironbridge, embracing boldness and ingenuity while blending a foundation of proven financial principles with creative, ever-evolving solutions for our clients.

Who We Serve

Our clientele is comprised of values-driven individuals who are described as honest and fair, and uphold integrity as a guiding principle in their life. Individuals with a strong desire for cognitive growth and a propensity to research and understand the endeavors they undertake. And charitable minded people who enjoy helping others and making the world a better place.

Our Mission

Our mission at IronBridge Wealth Counsel is to create a positive multigenerational impact on our colleagues, clients, and communities. We view ourselves as stronger together, with the sum of the whole being greater than the sum of the individual parts, and this team attitude helps us serve as professional advocates for our clients and champions for their financial well-being.

Our Services

We deliver comprehensive solutions spanning financial planning, investment advisory, and risk management strategies. Financial decisions today are complex and need to be modeled and stress-tested so that every what-if scenario is accounted for with confidence, and because our financial lives span the expertise of multiple professional advisors, we provide the proactive coordination our clients need.

Plans are only effective if they are followed through, so together we develop an implementation plan and facilitate its completion.

Securities and investment advisory services are offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. (Osaic), member FINRA/SIPC.

Education

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, Bachelor's Degree, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering | Munich University of Applied Sciences, Partial Bachelor of Science, Engineering/Industrial Management

Hobbies and Interests

  • Family
  • Golf
  • Rock Climbing
  • Running
  • Soccer
  • Video Games
  • Working Out

SEC Lookup

View Disclosure

Who We Serve

  • Business Owners
  • Corporate Executives
  • Engineers
  • Entrepreneurs
  • High Net Worth
  • Mid-Career Professionals
  • Startup Employees
  • Technology Professionals

Wealthtender® is a trusted, independent financial directory and educational resource governed by our strict Editorial Policy, Integrity Standards, and Terms of Use. While we receive compensation from featured professionals (a natural conflict of interest), we always operate with integrity and transparency to earn your trust. Wealthtender is not a client of these providers. Testimonials may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and do not guarantee future performance or success.

Write a Review


By clicking submit, you acknowledge this review is based on your own experience and reflects your genuine opinion. You also agree to our review policy, privacy policy, and terms and conditions, and give this financial advisor permission to publicly display your review on their website.

Avoiding Expensive Mistakes

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 25, 2026
I came to Chad after receiving an inheritance and having a very different amount of money in hand. I wanted integrated tax consideration with estate planning because I didn’t think it was possible to efficiently plan investments without also planning for taxation. My biggest concern was making an expensive mistake. With larger amounts of money moving around and different tax and regulatory considerations, even a small mistake could be costly. That made working with Chad worth it to me. Since working together, I feel more comfortable and confident. Chad has helped me think through the risks, options, and consequences of my changing financial situation. Even when that hasn’t resulted in a direct action, I feel like we’ve done a good job considering the things I was worried about. If you’re doing anything financially complicated, you should probably talk to Chad. Having someone help you think through the complexity and potential consequences can be extremely valuable.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of June 3, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Disclosure: May not be representative of all client experiences; no guarantee of future performance or success.
Avatar for Anonymous
Anonymous

We had savings but we didn’t have a real plan

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 25, 2026
We had done the appropriate things with saving for retirement and had some cash available, but we didn’t have a real plan in place. We didn’t really know how realistic our retirement was or what it would look like. As I got to know Chad better, I felt comfortable working with him and IronBridge. I felt like Chad would provide the attention I may not get from advisors at other firms. Now I feel really good about our financial situation. Chad put together a holistic financial picture of our savings and our plan and helped us understand how we can sustain our lifestyle through retirement. The icing on the cake has been identifying things we simply weren’t paying attention to, including opportunities to save money on our life insurance. Those things were literally throwing money away. For someone considering working with Chad, I’d say just talk to him. There’s no harm in having the conversation and seeing how he can help.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of May 11, 2026
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Disclosure: May not be representative of all client experiences; no guarantee of future performance or success.
Avatar for Brian R.
Brian R.

It’s Relationship-Based, Not Transactional

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 23, 2026
Before working with Chad, I didn’t feel like I had a good understanding of our overall financial situation or confidence in our positioning for retirement. I had a better understanding of the financial situation of my company than I did of my own household. I knew we could probably figure these things out ourselves, but it would take a lot more time, involve multiple people, and realistically, it probably wouldn’t get done. Now I feel so much better. Chad has identified gaps and even angles we realistically wouldn’t have come up with ourselves. But the biggest thing is that we wanted a trusted advisor—someone we know and trust and can have a long-term relationship with. It’s not a one-and-done engagement. It’s relationship-based, not transactional. My expectation is that we’ll still be working with Chad 10, 15, or 20 years from now. He’s a partner in helping us navigate the process and set ourselves up successfully.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of May 26, 2026
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Disclosure: May not be representative of all client experiences; no guarantee of future performance or success
Avatar for Luke T.
Luke T.

Chad Relieved a Lot of My Mental Stress

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 23, 2026
Things were growing in my business, and I wanted to make sure my family would be okay if something happened to me. I knew there were things I needed to take care of, but I didn’t have the time to research everything, and I wanted to trust that the money I was spending was actually worth it.   Working with Chad made sense because he explained things in a way I could grasp quickly and easily. Instead of having to figure out five different areas, both business and personal, and source solutions from different places, I could work with someone I already trusted.   Now I feel a lot of relief because I know things are growing and, if disaster happens, things are taken care of.   For another business owner, I’d point to how much mental stress it relieved for me. I didn’t have to research a whole bunch of different ways to solve these things myself.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Oct. 16, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: Advisor has equity stake client's business through an LLC.
Disclosure: May not be representative of all client experiences; no guarantee of future performance or success
Avatar for Trent Ellingsen
Trent Ellingsen

Overwhelmed Business Owner to CEO

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 21, 2026
When I first started working with Chad, I had lost my business partner and suddenly had to step up and become the sole person running the business. I was really stressed about taking on that extra responsibility and needed guidance. Chad helped me tackle the main thing that was causing me stress very quickly. What I really appreciate is that if he doesn’t have the direct answer, he’ll connect me with the best in the business to get that answer. In the two years we’ve worked together, I’ve transitioned from being kind of an employee of the company I own to really being the CEO and owner I want to be. I’ve also really appreciated Chad’s personalized, holistic approach. He listens to what I want to accomplish and helps me paint a picture of what I need to do to get there. It’s more than just financial guidance.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Sept. 20, 2024
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Disclosure: May not be representative of all client experiences; no guarantee of future performance or success
Avatar for Kyle Reis
Kyle Reis

We Didn’t Know What We Didn’t Know

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 16, 2026
Financially, we were in the best position we had been in our lives. We had a lot of positive things happening personally, professionally, and financially, but working with Chad and the IronBridge team allowed us to recognize gaps we hadn’t identified or focused on. The biggest was getting our family trust established before having our daughter. Through that process, we also identified other gaps around life insurance, umbrella insurance, our business buy-sell agreement, and tax strategy. Working with Chad really allowed us to analyze where we were, where we are, and where we’re going, and set a strong foundation to grow from. I’d say it’s always worth the conversation. At a minimum, you’re going to find aspects of your business or personal life that you need to focus on, whether you know it or not. That’s exactly where we were. We didn’t know what we didn’t know, and Chad and his team helped us identify it.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of July 12, 2024
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Alexander Henige
Alexander Henige

I Don’t Have to Make Decisions Alone Anymore

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 15, 2026
I’m not very knowledgeable about the markets, and I don’t want to have to watch them or make decisions about buying and selling. I wanted someone knowledgeable to guide me and help me invest in a way I felt comfortable with. With Chad, I don’t have to think about it. I’m comfortable knowing my investments are spread out and that I have someone looking out for me. I really didn’t have hesitations about working with Chad because he’s a very conscientious, reliable, and trustworthy person. I feel like he’ll do the best he possibly can for me, and that’s what I want. You need to have somebody you can trust. That’s why I don’t worry. I sleep at night now. I don’t feel like I have to make the calls or wonder what I should be doing. For someone considering working with Chad, I’d say at least have the conversation and get informed. Find out what he can do for you.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Oct. 21, 2024
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: Family member
Avatar for Wendy Lynne Terrell
Wendy Lynne Terrell

Very happy with how much value I received vs the time invested.

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 15, 2026
When it comes to financial planning for my company and my family, I thought there wasn’t much room for improvement. I felt like I was already in a pretty good place with my investments, my business, and other financial areas, but I knew there was always room for improvement. I was curious to see what Chad and the IronBridge team might find. My biggest hesitation was the time and effort it might take. I’m super busy and didn’t want another group creating more work for me. That’s actually been one of the best parts of working with Chad—he tees things up and takes care of as much as possible, which makes it easy on me. I was pleasantly surprised by how many ideas the team came up with, from improvements to our company 401(k) and adding a Roth option to analyzing different strategies around taxes and profit sharing. We’ve also saved on fees. A couple years into working together, I would highly recommend it. I didn’t have to do nearly as much work as I expected, and the things we’ve implemented have been really beneficial.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of June 6, 2024
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: Family member
Avatar for Tim Kihm
Tim Kihm

Finally Understanding Our Financial Picture

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Sep 10, 2026
When I first started working with Chad, I had recently retired and my husband had changed jobs, so we wanted to reassess our finances. Everything felt very abstract to me. I didn’t really know what we had or where everything was. Chad put us at ease and was very helpful in explaining everything. My husband has more financial knowledge than I do, and Chad was able to bridge that gap, not talking down to him and helping me understand. Now I feel much more comfortable about our financial situation. I know where everything is, I can access it, and I have a clear picture of our finances and how we can prepare for the future. What I appreciate most is that Chad is low-key, understanding, and really listens to our needs. He doesn’t just go through the motions and tell us to do X, Y, and Z. He let us tell our story, listened to it, and then helped us move forward.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of May 11, 2026
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Steffanie Rupp, M.Ed., BCBA
Steffanie Rupp, M.Ed., BCBA
Financial Advisors for Technology Professionals | Find Trusted Specialists + Read Reviews
Financial Advisors for Corporate Executives | Find Trusted Specialists + Read Reviews
Find a Retirement Financial Advisor Who Specializes in Helping You Make Your Money Last
Looking for a Financial Advisor in San Luis Obispo, California?