David Machacek has been a member of the Ambassadors' Council of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce since 2011. As part of the "welcoming arm" of the Chamber, David especially enjoys networking functions and the opportunity to mingle with other business leaders in the community. "My role is to show up and be happy to see people," he says. "Santa Barbara is a wonderful place to live and to do business. We want to make sure that our members-especially our new members-know that we're glad they're here."

 

Professionally, David is a financial advisor at Independent Capital Management and team leader in the Santa Barbara branch. He joined the firm in 2010. "I learned that there is an impending retirement crisis, especially among middle class professionals-people like me. Most of us won't have pensions. Social Security replaces only a small part of our income. We're living longer, but we're saving less. In 1980, the personal savings rate among U.S. workers was close to 10%, about where it needs to be to create a comfortable retirement. Today, it's less than 4%. With the financial crisis still fresh in our memories, a lot of us are skittish about investing and uncertain about what to do with the money we do save. So, there's both a savings deficit and an education deficit. As a former educator, that called my name."

 

With an office conveniently located in downtown Santa Barbara, Independent Capital Management offers services for individuals and employers.