About Roy Gagaza

Roy Gagaza is president and CEO of Journey Wealth Management, LLC, where he leads a firm focused on helping individuals and families prepare for retirement through clear, practical strategies for income, savings, and legacy planning. He entered the financial services field after completing a long career as an officer in the military, bringing a steady sense of duty and organization to his work. The company serves clients from offices in Manteca, California, and in Aiea and Honolulu, Hawaii, where he and his team meet with people who want guidance, education, and support for their financial futures as they move toward life after work.

Military Career

Roy began his military path in the U.S. Army Reserve before transitioning to active duty as an Armor Officer, ultimately serving for 20 years in uniform. He became Airborne- and Ranger-qualified and led a tank platoon with the 1st Armored Division during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, working closely with soldiers under demanding conditions. He later commanded a cavalry troop in South Korea. He served as an operations and training officer, helping units from company through brigade level prepare for deployments in support of primary overseas missions.

Transition to Financial Services

Gagaza completed multiple combat deployments and received the Bronze Star for his service during Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, reflecting many years of responsibility under pressure. In the middle of his military career, he began preparing for a new chapter by drawing on his Bachelor of Science degree in business marketing from a public university in San Jose, California, and his growing interest in financial education. While still on active duty, including a year-long deployment to Kuwait in 2004, he met with clients, hosted educational seminars, and earned professional designations in estate planning and financial consulting.

Financial Career and Services

Roy Gagaza retired from the Army in 2008 and moved fully into the financial services profession, carrying forward habits of discipline, planning, and accountability learned over two decades of service. In his leadership role at Journey Wealth Management, he focuses on retirement planning, investment and wealth management, tax strategies, health care planning, and support for legacy and estate goals. National financial and insurance organizations have recognized his work with clients through hall of fame honors, ongoing elite advisor awards, and recognition for helping households place significant levels of retirement-focused premiums.

Approach with Clients

Roy approaches each client relationship as a long-term partnership based on trust, clear communication, and realistic expectations rather than quick decisions. He helps people picture what they want their post-career life to look like, then designs strategies to protect assets, build dependable income streams, and leave room for goals that may change over time. His military background shapes a calm, adaptable style as he guides clients through transitions, uncertainty, and unexpected events, and he values the long-lasting relationships that emerge as he gets to know clients and their families.

Community Engagement and Giving Back

Gagaza is also committed to building financial confidence in the broader community, working with public safety agencies, school districts, tax professionals, business organizations, and residents to provide educational seminars for pre-retirees and retirees. He uses these events to share information on preserving assets, creating retirement income strategies, and using tax-efficient approaches that align with individual circumstances. He and his firm also support organizations that serve veterans, fight hunger in California and Hawaii, rescue German Shepherd dogs, and protect backcountry trails and natural spaces through conservation, education, and advocacy.

Personal Life

Roy Gagaza values his personal life as profoundly as his professional calling, staying grounded in family and time outdoors. He grew up in a community on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area and is married to a spouse who is both his life partner and the firm's co-founder and chief financial officer. Together, they have adult children who are building careers in finance, education, and business, as well as grandchildren they enjoy watching grow. He spends his free time traveling, reading, golfing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, diving, and being in or near the water.