Ray Lucia Sr

Ray Lucia Sr. is an American retired Certified Financial Planner, author, and media personality best known for creating the Buckets of Money® retirement strategy, a time-segmented approach to retirement income planning. Over more than three decades in financial services, he served as President and CEO of Raymond J. Lucia Companies, Inc. for over fifteen years. He earned recognition as one of the nation’s leading independent advisors and as the most visible retirement commentator on radio and television.

Born April 3, 1950, in Philadelphia, Ray moved to Poway, California, at age ten and grew up in San Diego County. He excelled academically and athletically, playing quarterback at Palomar Junior College before transferring on scholarship to Western Illinois University. He later attended San Diego State University, but consecutive knee injuries there and at Cal Western ended his football career and redirected his professional path.

Ray earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from United States International University and began his career teaching and coaching at the high school level. With a growing family and strong entrepreneurial drive, he developed an interest in economics and investing and transitioned into financial services. He founded Raymond J. Lucia Companies, Inc., and RJL Enterprises, Inc., building an advisory business focused on education, disciplined planning, and client-centered retirement-income strategies.

As a business leader, Ray grew his firm into a billion-dollar enterprise with assets under advisement in roughly seven years. His leadership emphasized practical education, conservative risk management, and solutions designed for long retirements. His influence was formally recognized in 2004 when Registered Rep. magazine named him a recipient of the Outstanding Broker Award, and again in 2008, when he was listed among the Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors in America.

Ray developed the Buckets of Money® strategy to address the sequence-of-returns risk and long-term income sustainability. The method divides retirement portfolios into short-, mid-, and long-term buckets aligned with different time horizons and objectives. Retirees spend from safer assets first while allowing growth-oriented investments more time to recover, a structure Ray argued offered greater psychological and financial stability than traditional withdrawal rules.

In 1991, Ray launched The Ray Lucia Show, blending retirement education with classic rock, live audience interaction, and both. By 2000, the program was nationally syndicated on radio and television. His engaging style led to frequent appearances on CNBC, Fox Business, Fox News, NBC, and Good Morning America, and Talkers magazine later named him one of the 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America.

Ray Lucia Sr. is also the author of several influential books, including Buckets of Money, Ready, Set, Retire!, and The Buckets of Money Retirement Solution, co-written with Dale Fetherling. He retired from daily broadcasting in 2019 to focus on writing and mentoring. Married to his wife, Jeanne, for over 50 years, he remains active in music, church, and family life in San Diego, where his legacy continues through Lucia Capital Group.