Hi, I’m Chris Ramsby
I'm the founder of Cascara Financial Planning, a fee-only fiduciary practice in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I've been working directly with clients on financial planning for 10+ years, getting my start in 2009.
I started Cascara in 2026 because I wanted to run my practice the way I always thought it should be run. A small book of clients who actually get my attention. A commitment to fee only planning with a strong fiduciary standard, putting my clients needs above all else. No commissions. No products being sold to you. No advice that's been bent by what's in it for me.
Most of the people I work with are professionals in their 30s and 40s, often in tech, healthcare, or education. They're earning well, thinking about what comes next, and want someone to tell them honestly whether they're on track or whether they're not.
A Bit About Me
I grew up in the Portland area and never really left. Outside of work I'm usually outside, with my wife, our kids, and our dogs, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
That same patience shows up in how I work. The plans I build are meant to last decades, not quarters.
The name Cascara comes from a tree native to the Pacific Northwest. A friend came up with it when I was looking for something rooted and regional that didn't sound like every other financial firm. It stuck.
How I Got Here
I started in financial services right after college, in 2009, at a small Portland firm. My title said administrative assistant. The reality was different, I ended up being one of the main contacts for our clients, sitting in on their planning meetings, and figuring out how to keep things moving for our clients. I did that for five years. It was 2009 to 2014, basically the slow climb out of the financial crisis, and it taught me a lot about how people actually think and talk about money when they're scared.
After that, I took a detour. From 2015 to 2023 I worked as a manufacturing sales rep. It was a real career, not a side gig. I had territories, accounts, the whole thing, plus a lot of plane rides to Asia and New York. The job taught me how to run my own book of business and how to handle hard accounts. It also, eventually, made me realize what I missed was sitting down with families and helping them figure out their money.
In early 2021 a former colleague reached out. Their planning workload had grown bigger and they asked if I had time to help, I did. I started part-time, alongside my sales job. Then COVID started taking a chunk out of my sales accounts, I had 1 kid and another on the way, and by 2023 I'd dropped the sales work and was doing financial planning full-time.
I was there for four and a half years. It was a four-person office, and I was the main support for the senior advisors. I built the cash-flow models, ran the retirement projections, dug into clients' tax situations, worked through their equity compensation, and was in most of the planning meetings. I sat with clients through the 2022 bear market, when a 60/40 portfolio had one of its worst years on record. I sat with them through the SVB scare in 2023 and through every Fed meeting since.
In June 2025 I left and started Cascara. The reason was simple. I wanted to do the work my way, with my own clients, on my own terms.
Credentials
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Economics, minor in Business Administration. University of Oregon, 2009.
- Certificate in Financial Planning. University of Portland, 2011.
Licensing & Registration
- Series 65 licensed Investment Adviser Representative.
- Investment Adviser Representative, CRD #8188482.
- Cascara Financial Planning, LLC. State Registered Investment Adviser in Oregon, CRD #339300.
My Fiduciary Commitment to You
The word "fiduciary" gets thrown around in this industry without anybody actually explaining it. Here's what it means at Cascara. Your best interest come first in all decisions. Nothing I recommend or do is for my own benefit, it will only to benefit you as a client.
Oregon and the SEC require me to put your interests ahead of my own. That's a regulatory standard, not a marketing slogan, and advisors who violate it face real consequences.
I'm also fee-only. The only people who pay me are clients. I don't earn commissions. I don't sell insurance, annuities, or any investment product. I don't take referral fees from other professionals.
Your money is held at a trusted account custodian, not by me. They're independent and unaffiliated with my firm, so you see your accounts and your statements directly. If something ever looks wrong you can call the custodian directly without going through me.
Every advisory relationship has conflicts of interest, mine included. The honest question is whether they get disclosed in plain English or quietly buried in a fifty-page document. I'd rather tell you about mine up front.
I'll tell you when you don't need me. A real fiduciary has to be okay with losing a fee in order to give honest advice. If our work gets to a point where you're set and don't need to keep paying me, I'll say so.
How I Help Clients
As life evolves, financial decisions naturally become more complex. The people I work with are thoughtful and intentional; they come looking for clarity and perspective to ensure their decisions are aligned and moving in the right direction.
My work is holistic and plan-driven, focusing on the full picture of your financial life. Together, we bring clarity to areas like:
Buying or planning for a home
Raising kids and balancing family priorities
Managing and reducing debt
Building confidence around investing
Understanding whether you’re truly on the right path
We’ll organize your finances, define clear priorities, and build a plan that connects today’s decisions to your long-term goals. The result isn’t just a list of recommendations, it’s a roadmap you understand and trust.
What It’s Like to Work With Me
There’s a quiet confidence that comes from seeing the full picture. In my work, I often see people feel more grounded once their financial life feels clear, connected, and aligned with what matters most to them.
You can expect a process that is:
Structured and thoughtful, with clear next steps
Collaborative, built around your real life
Transparent, so you understand the “why” behind every decision
Grounded and judgment-free, no matter where you’re starting
My goal is for you to walk away feeling confident, not just in the plan, but in your ability to make good financial decisions moving forward.
Here's a recent example, lightly anonymized.
A couple in their late 30s walked in feeling like they were behind. Combined household income over $300,000. Around $250,000 saved across their 401(k)s. Two kids, a college savings goal, plus an inherited IRA neither of them fully understood. They'd been aggressively saving, to the point of cutting back on trips, home projects, and time off they actually wanted to take. They came in wanting me to tell them what else they should cut.
I told them the opposite. After running the numbers, they were already on track. The inherited IRA had distribution rules that were going to hit in a few years and needed to be planned around. Some of their 401(k) allocations didn't fit where they actually were in life. They could ease up on the savings rate, take the trip they'd been putting off, and still hit every goal they cared about.
The point wasn't finding new things to cut. It was helping them see what they already had, and giving them permission to enjoy it.
That's what most planning at Cascara looks like. The work isn't dramatic. It's running the actual numbers, explaining what they mean, and giving you something you can act on.
Memberships & Standards
I'm a member of:
NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors)
FPA Oregon & SW Washington (Financial Planning Association local chapter)
XY Planning Network (XYPN)
