About John Pak

My name is John Pak

A Certified Financial Planner™ and founder of Otium Advisory Group, a fee only financial planning firm based in Los Angeles

Meet John

Although I was raised twenty blocks from the fictional Mcdowell’s in Queens, New York (for those who are not familiar with the location and restaurant, you must see the movie ‘Coming to America’), I’ve been a resident of Southern California for the past 37 years.

I have been married to my better half, Jenny, for nearly two decades and together with our daughter, we enjoy the wide breadth of activities that Angelenos can take advantage of: hiking in the San Gabriel mountains, exploring multicultural culinary options, and visiting world class museums. But my family also shares the same challenges and concerns like everyone else – how do we best take care of our current financial needs (hello! daycare costs), and also prepare for our family’s long term future (when can we retire and relax already?).

I often get asked the question of how I got started in the financial advisory industry

My watershed moment came in 1997, when my father—the sole breadwinner in our family—closed the business he had poured 15 years into building.

Like many first-generation immigrant families, my parents were focused on the immediate—putting food on the table and keeping the lights on. Planning for the future wasn’t just overlooked; it felt almost foreign. Financial planning might as well have been written in hieroglyphics.

Two years out of school, I had earned and saved enough money to go back and attain what I had started: a finance degree.
I graduated with no debt.

As a sophomore in college, I made the difficult decision to step away from school to help support my family. It wasn’t easy, but instead of letting fear or self-pity take hold, I leaned into the experience. I learned firsthand what it means to face financial hardship with limited resources and no trusted guide.

At 19, I made a promise to myself: I would become that guide. A reliable, trustworthy resource for others navigating tough financial decisions—someone people could lean on when it matters most.

I Look Forward To Share My Vision of How We Can Get You To The Finish Line.

Drop me a line at jpak@otiumag.com

For my professional profile, click here