John Takara

While John has been helping people to manage their finances for over 30 years, he has lived most of his life according to principles of sound financial management.  He entered the workforce at age 10 delivering newspapers and by age 16 began working in a restaurant. He conscientiously saved his earnings, learning as a youth how to achieve his financial goals through planning and discipline.  In this way he was able to buy his first car when he was only 16, and provide for most of his expenses through college and graduate school.  At age 19, John lost his father to sudden illness. Fortunately, life insurance provided for his family, a major lesson learned.

After earning a PhD degree in 1981, John joined the Hawaii State Department of Agriculture as a research statistician. In 1985 while researching investment opportunities, he was offered a career with Aetna (now ING), and after several months investigating the opportunity made a career change that would allow him to share his life-long interest in financial management. He subsequently earned the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation, an insurance and financial planning certification through the American College in Bryn Mawr, PA. With Aetna, John provided investment and retirement planning advice for employees of the City and County of Honolulu, University of Hawaii, Queens Medical Center, Kapiolani Medical Center, and many other smaller employers.

Today, John manages over $50 million in assets.  He is a member of the Financial Planning Assn of America and a self-employed, independent Financial Planner. His pension plan clients have benefited because John is able to help plan not only for retirement, but for all their financial concerns. John can offer his clients objective advice and a broad range of financial options, being able to place client accounts in any of dozens of financial service companies.  Although John met many of his clients through their retirement plans, he accepts referrals of family members, friends and associates.

Out of the office, John enjoys sports and community activities with Liane, his wife of over 30 years. They have two adult children, Jonathan and Christine.