Name: Frank Reilly
Title: President
Company, city: Reilly Financial Advisors; San Diego, Calif.
Number of employees: 40
Recent project: Entering the institutional retirement plan space, expanding into our European office and offering free financial education to the public
First job: I was a dishwasher at a barbecue restaurant when I was 16.
Little-known fact about you: I’ve taken more than 20 around-the-world flights, and I serve as an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church.
Your Business
What innovations or initiatives do you foresee in the industry over the next years? I expect significant change in the retirement plan industry, driven by clearer fee disclosure and stronger fiduciary standards. Regulators will increasingly require financial professionals who advise on investments to put clients’ interests first. As a result, advisors who cannot demonstrate transparent, client-centered practices will likely exit the market. At the same time, there will be a growing need to help heirs and beneficiaries who inherit wealth but lack experience managing it, creating new opportunities for advisors who focus on education and transition planning.
Best career advice you’ve received: Under-promise and over-deliver.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the field? The industry today is very different from when I started 30 years ago, and it will continue to evolve. Be adaptable, embrace new technologies and regulations, and prepare to operate in a different environment three decades from now.
Frank Reilly as a Traveler
Favorite travel memory or story: For our honeymoon, my wife and I received two first-class around-the-world tickets. We enjoyed many luxury moments, but one memorable experience was driving a five-year-old manual Fiat Panda from Rome to Geneva—fun, unpredictable and entirely unforgettable.
One travel tip you cannot live without: Pick one airline alliance and one hotel program and use them consistently. Consolidating your travel through preferred partners helps you build status and points faster, which leads to more perks and cost savings on future trips.
Best advice for business travelers: Always pack a change of clothes in your carry-on. Luggage can be delayed or lost, and having essentials on hand avoids unnecessary disruptions.
About Reilly Financial Advisors
What services does Reilly Financial Advisors offer?
Reilly Financial Advisors provides tailored services across the wealth spectrum. For those still building portfolios, we offer wealth-building strategies focused on accumulation. For clients who have accumulated significant assets, we provide wealth management solutions that address complex financial needs and personalized planning. For clients facing wealth transfer and legacy issues, our wealth legacy services focus on transition planning, tax considerations and preserving multigenerational wealth. Additionally, we deliver corporate retirement services, designing and managing retirement plans that meet the needs of both plan sponsors and participants.
Tell our readers about the history of RFA.
Although RFA was formally established with the SEC in 1999, our family’s involvement in financial services stretches back to the 1970s. My parents began helping Americans who returned from working abroad with newly acquired savings and a desire to invest. In 1975 they traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet clients and build relationships, laying the foundation for what would grow into a multi-decade family business. That early commitment to personal service and cross-border relationships shaped our firm’s values and client-first approach.
As a frequent traveler yourself, what are some of your travel tips and favorites?
My travel philosophy is simple: keep moving and plan ahead. Before your feet hit the ground in a new destination, have your next two trips already planned. That outlook keeps travel exciting and ensures you continue to explore while maximizing opportunities to earn travel benefits.