Today we’d like to introduce you to Bill Hastie.
Hi Bill, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Raised in Glendale, CA, I attended high school in La Crescenta, CA and thereafter attended Glendale Community College. I had a strong interest in economics, so I attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA and earned a BS degree in Economics, with a concentration in Finance. One year later I was accepted into Golden Gate University’s MBA – Financial Planning program, and completed the program in 1984. I officially began my practice in 1987.
I am married to Terri Hastie f0r 44 years, have three adult children, four grandchildren and two more on the way.
We live in Salinas, CA which is famous for being the Salad Bowl of the World.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a Financial Planning in a small town where no one knew at was a major challenge, especially being only age 23. It was very difficult to gain clients, but they came in one at a time. I began writing a weekly column in our local newspaper, and did so for 11 years. This turned a somewhat struggling practice into one that grew substantially over the years.
Now my son, Ryan, has become my business partner, and I am so glad that our business will stay in the family. Ryan came to financial planning and investment management after earning a doctorate degree in Physical Therapy. Now he enjoys fixing people financially.
We’ve been impressed with Hastie Financial Group, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We have been truly blessed at Hastie Financial Group. We rank in the top 6% of the 3,000 advisors at Commonwealth Financial Network, our broker/dealer firm.
My partner and write monthly Financial articles in the Salinas Business Journal, and quarterly financial articles in Coast Grower magazine. We were recently published in Financial Services Review.
For 2024, Hastie Financial Group was rated the top investment advisor by the Monterey Herald Reader’s Choice.
For 2025, Hastie Financial Group was rated the top investment advisor by the Monterey Herald Reader’s Choice, Salinas Valley Edition, and I was rated the top investment advisor.
I have been invited by Institutional Advisor magazine to speak at their annual Retirement Advisor’s Summit again this year, and will speak on developing to be both a wealth advisor and a retirement plan advisor.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up with four older sisters in a fairly low income family. We were a Catholic family, and attended church every Sunday.
Our neighborhood was situated in a horseshoe canyon, so we played “in the hills” my entire childhood.
I was very into sports, playing baseball and football in high school. I later raced motocross before leaving the area to go to college.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hastiefinancialgroup.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-hastie-mba-cfp%C2%AE-cima%C2%AE-rma%C2%AE-aifa%C2%AE-c-k-p%C2%AE-cpfa-19266236/
