Meet the Team
The team behind California Retirement Plans is made up of qualified financial professionals who are passionate about helping individuals and families achieve their ideal retirements.
Andy Barkate, M.S.
President
Andy Barkate is dedicated to helping retirees and pre-retirees achieve their financial goals with personalized retirement strategies designed for lasting confidence. With over 40 years of experience in financial planning, Andy creates custom solutions that focus on income stability, tax reduction, and asset protection—providing clients with clarity and reassurance as they plan for a secure future.
Motivated by a passion to guide others to financial security, Andy was drawn to financial planning early in his career. He is known for simplifying complex financial concepts, so his clients feel informed and empowered as they prepare for retirement.
Andy holds a master’s degree in financial planning as well as certification in tax planning and is widely recognized as a leader in his profession. He hosts the “Retiring in America” radio show every Saturday on KNZR 1560 AM & 97.7 FM, and anchors “Retiring in America,” a TV segment featured on KBAK and KGET, Bakersfield’s major network affiliates, every weekend. Andy is the author of two books, “Retiring in America” and “Retiring in America 2.0,” where he shares practical retirement advice, and is a member of the Forbes Financial Council.
A proud resident of Bakersfield for over 40 years, Andy has served as chairman of the Bakersfield Dream Home Committee for 23 years, supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Family is central in Andy’s life—he and his wife, Tracey, have enjoyed 38 years of marriage and cherish time with their two sons, daughter, and three grandchildren.
CA insurance license #0803635
Patrick Birchfield, CPA
Patrick was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. At 20, he graduated from college and went to work at the international accounting firm KPMG LLP in San Francisco. In 2018, he moved back to Bakersfield to start his own CPA firm to provide tax planning and preparation to his ever-growing client base.
661-325-2339 [email protected]
Timothy Swanson, Estate Planning Attorney
Timothy Swanson has been in solo practice since 2002 in the areas of Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning, Medi-Cal/Medicaid, Probate, Guardianships and Conservatorships, and Family Law. He currently teaches Wills and Trusts at Kern County College of Law as well as consumer-oriented estate planning at the Levan Institute. A resident of Kern County since his teens, he also has been a member of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra since 1996, and performs in various ensembles in Kern and Tulare Counties.
Timothy takes pride in providing personalized estate plans, including asset planning for long term care and Special Needs Trusts to protect the benefits of disabled heirs.
661-396-0141 [email protected]
Duncan Harris, Medicare & Insurance Planning
Duncan specializes in healthcare coverage for seniors, individuals, and businesses. Since the beginning of his insurance career in 2009, Duncan has been committed to providing comprehensive and tailored solutions to meet the diverse needs of his clients.
Duncan is the founder of Insurance Savings Group, a pioneering savings group and third-party administration company. Through this venture, he empowers individuals and businesses to navigate and alleviate the financial burdens associated with out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses. Duncan thrives on helping people and dedicates himself to ensuring optimal outcomes for every client he serves.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Duncan finds joy in spending time with his family. Married with two children, he cherishes moments shared hiking and fishing in the great outdoors.
661-432-1474 [email protected]
Tim Kounter, Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
Tim Kounter, a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® and founder of Bakersfield Senior Placement, has been helping individuals and families locate the right independent and assisted living options for themselves and their loved ones locally since 2010.
When living at home is no longer the best option, call Tim. He is intimately familiar with over 100 local licensed board & care homes and each large licensed assisted living community and independent retirement community. Have a loved one struggling with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia? Call 661-326-2416 where his intake/office manager Judy Snyder will get you started.
For more information, go online to www.BakersfieldSeniorPlacement.com, or click this link to fill out their “Let’s Get Started” form for a response within 24 business hours.
This is no time to go it alone. At no cost to you, let Tim be your advocate for one of the biggest financial decisions you may ever have to make.
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