Benjamin Dunbar, CFP® CPWA®

Ben Dunbar, CFP®, CPWA® is a Managing Partner at Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management and a leading financial advisor serving the South Bay of Los Angeles. Ben’s roots are tied to Palos Verdes, where he maintains a strong relationship with the local community and understands the financial priorities of families in the area.

As both a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, Ben specializes in investment management, retirement planning, tax-efficient wealth strategies, estate planning coordination, concentrated stock management and multi-generational wealth planning.

Ben’s passion for investing started early. At just thirteen years old, he worked six days a week as a Little League umpire, saving aggressively and building what most teenagers would consider a small fortune. By fifteen, he had accumulated enough to make his first major stock investment after personally researching companies and evaluating their business fundamentals. That early curiosity turned into a lifelong dedication to understanding markets, identifying opportunity, and managing risk with discipline.

Today, Ben applies that same analytical mindset to helping clients grow and protect their wealth. His approach begins with a thorough evaluation of each client’s financial picture, including cash flow, assets, liabilities, tax exposure, and long-term goals. From there, he designs customized investment strategies and financial plans aligned with each client’s evolving life circumstances. Recognized for his investment expertise and leadership, Ben has appeared on major financial media outlets including CNBC and Bloomberg TV. 

When he’s not managing portfolios or mentoring advisors at Gerber Kawasaki, Ben can be found surfing along the South Bay coastline, snowboarding in the winter, or spending time with his growing family throughout Palos Verdes and the surrounding communities. He remains actively involved as a part-time professor and alumni resource at his alma mater CalPoly, San Luis Obispo, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance.

If you are searching for a financial advisor in the South Bay of Los Angeles who offers disciplined investment management, personalized wealth planning, and a long-term partnership approach, Ben Dunbar provides the experience and local insight to help you build lasting financial security.

​

CA Insurance Lic:#0K02824

​

Designation Disclaimers

​

Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification is an advanced professional certification for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients. It's designed for seasoned professionals who seek the latest, most advanced knowledge and techniques to address the sophisticated needs of clients with a minimum net worth of $5 million. Unlike credentials that focus specifically on investing or financial planning, the CPWA® certification program takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.

Minimum qualifications to obtain and maintain the CPWA® certification include: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or one of the following designations or licenses: CIMA, CIMC, CFA, CFP, ChFC or CPA license; A satisfactory record of ethical conduct, as determined by IMCA's Admissions Committee; Five years of professional client-centered experience in financial services or a related industry; Six-month pre-study educational component; In-class program at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, or online program through Yale School of Management; Final exam for in-class portion (online, proctored); and continued education training of 40 hours every two years.

​

https://www.finra.org/investors/professional-designations/cpwa

​

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.

For more than 30 years, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification has been the standard of excellence for financial planners. CFP® professionals have met extensive training and experience requirements, and commit to CFP Board's ethical standards that require them to put their clients' interests first.

​

Candidates for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification must have a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university and three years of full-time personal financial planning experience or the equivalent part-time experience (2,000 hours equals one year full-time). Designation training requirements for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification include completion of a CFP-board registered program, or hold one of the following: Certified Public Accountant (CPA); Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC); Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU); Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA); Ph.D. in financial planning, finance, business administration or economics; Doctor of Business Administration; or attorney's license. Following completion of the course requirements, applicants must complete a proctored final certification exam and continuing education of 30 hours every two years.

​

https://www.finra.org/investors/professional-designations/cfp