Mitchell Elliott Kauffman,
CFP®
Managing Director
Financial Advisor, RJFS
Pasadena Office:
975 South Fair Oaks Avenue / Pasadena, CA 91105 / 626.795.6874
Mitchell Kauffman, as managing director, offers a broad, multifaceted approach to investment planning. He has been serving the financial needs of professionals, business owners and families for more than 40 years. He strives to develop long-term relationships with his clients with the objective of understanding their goals and providing viable solutions for every life phase and transition.
Mitchell graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in business economics and political science. He went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration from the Drucker Management Center at Claremont Graduate University and a master’s degree in financial planning from the College for Financial Planning.
Mitchell is adjunct faculty in the economics and religious studies departments at the University of California, Santa Barbara, teaching undergraduate courses that combine investment theory and ethics with real world application.
Mitchell lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and dog, Olive, and is fortunate to live near to his daughter, son-in-law and twin granddaughters. He enjoys exercising and staying active and spending as much time as possible with his family.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
The 2026 Forbes ranking of America’s Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 3/31/2024 to 3/31/2025 and was released on 01/07/2026. Advisor teams that are considered must have one advisor with a minimum of seven years of experience, have been in existence as a team for at least one year, have at least 5 team members, and have been nominated by their firm. The algorithm weights factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients.Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 12,787 team nominations, 6,149 advisor teams received the award based on thresholds. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please see https://www.forbes.com/lists/wealth-management-teams-best-in-state for more info.
