Brent Kessel

From a very young age, Brent Kessel has been fascinated with money, yet knew there was more to life. He studied economics, psychology, meditation and Ashtanga yoga, and wanted to provide holistic financial advice. Since 1989, Kessel has counseled multi-millionaires as well as people of modest means to create a balanced and fulfilling relationship to their wealth.

Brent is Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Abacus Wealth Partners which focuses on inspiring the super-affluent to create a more balanced and fulfilling relationship to their wealth. He is also Co-Founder and CIO of Abacus Portfolios, a portfolio management company for clients who want a low-cost, professionally managed way to invest. Both companies invest in socially responsible investment portfolios. Both companies, as well as Brent’s home, are carbon neutral due to the carbon offsets he’s purchased. Abacus is also the largest investment advisor to invest in microfinance equity funds. “Being green continues to grow, from the motor vehicles we buy to the foods we eat,” says Kessel. “Our experience in socially responsible investment portfolios, and the solid returns they have garnered, demonstrates that investors can help both the environment and their portfolio at the same time by investing in green funds.”

Brent earned his economics degree from UCLA and holds the CFP® designation. Dubbed a “Financial Soul Searcher” by Research magazine, Brent has been widely quoted in BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Sun Tribune, The Journal of Financial Planning, and other publications. He is the exclusive money columnist for Yoga Journal. His book, It’s Not About the Money will be published by HarperCollins on April 1, 2008.