Three years into living in Portland, Charles Schwab Vice President and branch manager Erick Ibarra’s feet seem to be planted in the right soil. More specifically, Erick is flourishing in the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood. From a brick Tudor-style house on N.E. Alameda that’s home to his family of four, he exudes happiness with the decision to make the shift from the San Francisco area to the Pacific Northwest. While Erik is not a native Oregonian, his wife Jennifer is (hailing from Eugene; working for Nike), and their decision to return to Oregon was a mutually-agreed-upon move to escape the hectic lifestyle of the Bay Area. Since landing in Portland, their family has grown from just the two of them to include daughters Alice, 2½ years, and Julia, three months.
“People here are so welcoming and nice,” says Erick. “I love knowing my neighbors and that they watch out for each other. And we really enjoy that we can walk to local stores and restaurants.”
Although living in the Northwest is new to Erick, working for Charles Schwab is not. He has a total of 20 years in the financial services industry, 13 of which have been with Schwab, a company that specializes in wealth management and retirement planning. As a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Erick no longer carries a client portfolio of his own. Instead he manages 26 Schwab advisers and assists them with their clients as necessary. He is enthusiastic about his employer and the people with whom he works: “I have a fantastic team that takes the time to understand client needs versus worrying about the next hot stock. It is so rewarding to help our clients achieve their financial dreams. We’re big on setting a path to success via a plan, and everyone’s plan is different. And I love that Charles Schwab always, always puts the client first; the client is in the driver’s seat in making investment decisions.”
In addition to busy work schedules and Erick’s MBA studies at University of Oregon’s downtown Portland facility, the couple makes time for each other and the girls. The four of them are engaged in learning about music as well as experiencing worldwide travel together, most recently to Costa Rica and Italy.
Erick has been advertising Charles Schwab in this newsletter since settling in Beaumont-Wilshire three years ago. For additional information about Charles Schwab, contact Erick by phone (503-721-2426), by e-mail (Erick.ibarra@schwab.com), or visit him at the company’s Portland office (820 SW Morrison St.).