Darnel J. Bentz Senior Wealth Advisor
Los Angeles, CA & Southwest
- LA Times Banking and Finance Magazine: Visionaries: Leaders in Banking and Finance 2026
- LA Business Journal: Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers 2026
- LA Business Journal: Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers 2025
- LA Times Banking and Finance Magazine: Visionaries: Leaders in Banking and Finance 2025
- LA Times Banking and Finance Magazine: Visionaries: Leaders in Banking and Finance 2024
- LA Business Journal: Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers 2024
- Investment News: Top Advisors 2024
Highlights
Industry: 2000
KAR: 2013
EDUCATION
- MBA, Finance & Strategy,
the University of California, Los Angeles,
UCLA Anderson School of Management - B.S., Marketing, Arizona State University
PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE
- Equity Research Associate – KeyBanc Capital Markets
- Vice President-Financial Consultant – Charles Schwab & Co.
CERTIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS*
- Series 7, 63, 65, 86, 87
RECOGNITION
- 2022-2026 Banking & Finance Visionary, L.A. Times B2B Publishing
- 2024-2026 Leaders of Influence – Wealth Management, Los Angeles Business Journal
| Q: | What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job? |
| A: | My primary concern is earning the trust of my clients. Our clients look to us to help them with their investments, their wealth, and their financial well-being now and over time. Obviously, trust doesn’t happen overnight, but with the kind of assistance and advice that we give them and the high level of investment management we provide, I hope to earn their trust over time and that’s what I find most gratifying.
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| Q: | What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA? |
| A: | I love what I do at KAR because I get to see people achieve their retirement goals and dreams, save for their children’s education, support their families, and contribute to charitable organizations. It’s really satisfying to be able to give clients peace of mind and confidence in what they’re doing. |
| Q: | How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently? |
| A: | We’ve seen the ups and downs of the market and I believe we have great experience managing volatility by investing in high-quality companies, along with fixed income and select alternative strategies. We strive to play great defense during difficult market environments, and I believe this approach provides our clients with more opportunities to achieve better returns. |
| Q: | What Do You Hope to Achieve for Your Clients? |
| A: | I want my clients to experience the highest-quality service. I also want clients to gain valuable peace of mind and to have trust and confidence that we are doing the right things to help them achieve the goals that they have for their wealth.
I hope to allow them to retire confidently and not worry about their investments or market volatility. I strive to provide a comprehensive financial plan paired with a customized investment plan to keep my clients on the path to long term success. |
| Q: | What Are You Involved in Outside of Work? |
| A: | I love spending time with my family. My wife Tamany and I have two children, Blaise and Nora, and we currently reside in Manhattan Beach. We support the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, among other organizations. I also enjoy traveling, reading, skiing, golf and basketball. |
Contact Form for Wealth Management
*If you have any questions regarding a particular professional’s credentials or for more information regarding each credential’s requirements and qualifications, please contact KAR to receive a copy of your professional’s Form ADV Part 2B.
The 2026 “Banking & Finance Visionaries” honor was given by LA Times Studio in March 2026 and covers the year 2026. KAR has not paid fees to LA Times Studio to obtain or participate in the award. KAR sponsored an ad in the 2026 Banking & Finance publication but doing so was not a prerequisite to winning the award.
The 2026 “Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers” recognition was given by LA Business Journal in March 2026 and covers the year 2026. KAR has not paid fees to LA Business Journal to obtain or participate in the award. The firm does not anticipate it will pay fees to re-license the award.
The 2025 “Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers” recognition was given by LA Business Journal in March 2025 and covers the year 2025. KAR has not paid fees to LA Business Journal to obtain or participate in the award. The firm does not anticipate it will pay fees to re-license the award.
The 2025 “Banking & Finance Visionaries” honor was given by LA Times Studio in March 2025 and covers the year 2025. KAR has not paid fees to LA Times Studio to obtain or participate in the award. KAR sponsored an ad in the 2025 Banking & Finance publication but doing so was not a prerequisite to winning the award.
The 2024 “Banking & Finance Visionaries” honor was given by LA Times Studio in March 2024 and covers the year 2024. KAR has not paid fees to LA Times Studio to obtain or participate in the award. The firm does not anticipate that it will pay fees to re-license or market the award.
The 2024 “Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers” recognition was given by LA Business Journal in March 2024 and covers the year 2024. KAR has not paid fees to LA Business Journal to obtain or participate in the award. The firm does not anticipate it will pay fees to re-license the award.
The 2024 “Top Advisor” award was given by InvestmentNews in November 2023 and covers the year 2024. KAR has not paid fees to InvestmentNews to obtain or participate in the award. The firm has paid a fee to license use of the award logo and market the results of the award.