Gary Brooks CFP®, CSRIC™

Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor

Based in Gig Harbor, Gary provides tailored financial planning, investment management, tax strategy, and risk management for business owners, professionals, retirees, and established client families throughout the Puget Sound region.

Ways to Connect

In-person visits
Video Meetings
Phone Meetings

Request an introduction

Who Gary Typically Helps

Business owners, professionals, pre-retirees and retirees, multigenerational families, socially responsible investors, relatives of existing clients, select referrals connected to established relationships.

Serving Clients in

Seattle • Tacoma • Gig Harbor • Bellevue • Friday Harbor • Communities throughout the Puget Sound region

Available nationwide through virtual meetings

Questions Gary Helps Answer

How can I coordinate investments, taxes, and risk management?
How can I prepare for and live confidently in retirement?
How can charitable giving fit into my plan?
How can I align investments with my social or environmental values?

Gary Brooks is a Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor at Mission Wealth, serving the Puget Sound area. He provides tailored financial planning, investment management, risk management, and tax strategy solutions to business owners, professionals, and retirees. Gary’s commitment to building long-lasting relationships with his clients is reflected in his personalized approach to wealth management. He leverages his expertise to help clients achieve their financial objectives, by taking the time to understand their unique needs and goals.

Gary joined Mission Wealth in July 2023 when BHJ Wealth Advisors, the independent advisory firm he co-founded, became part of Mission Wealth. The integration preserved the personalized relationships clients valued while expanding access to Mission Wealth’s broader services and expertise.

I believe that helping people improve their financial security and making smart decisions about money is personally fulfilling and professionally challenging. There is no template or one-size-fits-all solution to financial advice and its relationship to personal goals. Every client brings a new mix of interests and preferences for their wealth which keeps the work interesting and rewarding.

—Gary Brooks, Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor

Gary’s Frequently Asked Questions

What should I expect when I begin working with Gary as my financial advisor?

Clients can expect a thoughtful, personalized relationship centered on understanding their goals, priorities, and concerns. Gary helps coordinate financial planning, investments, tax strategy, and risk management into a clear approach, with ongoing guidance as circumstances and needs evolve.

Will I work directly with Gary, and who else may support my financial plan?

Gary will serve as your primary advisor, supported by a coordinated team that may include an associate advisor and other experienced advisors. Mission Wealth specialists in investments, tax planning, estate planning, and other areas may also contribute based on your needs.

Mission Wealth is a fiduciary. What does that mean?

As a fiduciary, Mission Wealth is required to act in your best interest and not place our interests ahead of yours when providing investment advisory services. Our recommendations are guided by your goals, circumstances, and overall financial needs.

How often will we meet and review my financial plan?

Meeting frequency is tailored to your planning needs and the scope of your relationship with Mission Wealth. You and Gary will establish a review schedule, with additional conversations as important decisions, opportunities, or life changes arise.

Can I work with Gary if I live outside Gig Harbor or my situation is not listed above?

Yes. Gary meets with clients locally in person and works with clients across the United States by video and phone. The audiences and questions highlighted above reflect areas of experience, not requirements for working together.

Professional Background

Prior to becoming a partner at Mission Wealth, Gary owned an independent financial advisory firm from 2008 to 2023. He previously worked at Russell Investments (creators of the Russell indexes and investment funds) from 2000-2008. Before entering the investment world, primarily as a writer of investment content, Gary was the Major League Baseball editor at CBSSports.com and a sportswriter at the Tacoma News Tribune. Upon changing his career focus, he decided to educate himself by completing the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ curriculum. This led him to realize how common it is that even well-educated, successful people have difficulty with the basic tenets of financial literacy and investing. To help address this challenge, he decided he would prefer to act in an advisory role, working directly with individual clients.

From 2008 through August 2024, Gary wrote a monthly personal finance column in the Tacoma News Tribune. He also wrote a book with financial advisor coach Steve Moore titled Ineffective Habits of Financial Advisors (and the Disciplines to Break Them). The book was published by Wiley & Sons in 2010.

Gary graduated with his Bachelors in Communications from the University of Puget Sound. He furthered his education by earning the Chartered SRI Counselor™ designation focused on sustainable and socially responsible investing.

Personal Pursuits

Outside the world of personal finance, Gary has been a professional baseball official scorer since 2006. He is also an active volunteer and committee member for the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Museum and the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. He enjoys kayaking in Puget Sound, throwing the frisbee for his labrador retrievers, and spending time with his wife and daughters.

Community Impact

Gary is the chairperson of the Investment Committee for theGreater Tacoma Community Foundation, where he was a Board of Directors member from 2012-2018. Through a variety of charitable funds, the GTCF Investment Committee steers the investment of over $200 million.