We’ve specialized in the tech space since 2007. We have a deep expertise in the benefit structures at pre-IPO startups as well as many publicly-traded companies with a presence in the Bay Area, including Google, YouTube, Meta, Instagram, Apple, NVIDIA, Netflix, Instacart, Shopify, Airbnb, Pinterest, Tesla, Roblox, Salesforce, Stripe, Block, Okta, Coinbase, Adobe, Oracle, NetApp, Gilead, Genentech, Visa, and more.
We invest heavily in professional education, with 6 current CFP professionals and 1CFA professional on our team, and a culture of ongoing learning and certification.
We are backed by the financial strength of Northwestern Mutual’s Wealth Management Company, and as a member of their Private Client Group, we can access scale, tools, and resources on a national level that would be difficult to create as a smaller independent firm.
CFP® - Certified Financial Planner
What It Is: The CFP® designation is a formal recognition of expertise in the areas of financial planning, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and retirement, certified by the CFP® Board of Standards, Inc.
What it Means: The CFP® designation is widely considered the standard of excellence for financial planners. CFP® professionals have met extensive training and experience requirements and commit to CFP® Board’s code of ethics and fiduciary standards to always put their clients' interests first. Read the code of ethics here.
What it Requires: The CFP® designation is one of the toughest to earn in this industry. It typically requires more than 6,000 hours of experience and 250 hours of study, and on average takes 12-18 months to complete. Only 29% of financial advisors are CFP® professionals.
CFA® - Chartered Financial Analyst
What it is: A chartered financial analyst (CFA) is a globally recognized designation given by the CFA Institute that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts.
What it Means: Charter holders must demonstrate expertise in financial research, portfolio management, investment consulting, risk analysis and risk management to earn the title of CFA.
What it Requires: CFA candidates are required to pass three levels of rigorous exams covering areas such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis.
ChFC® - Chartered Financial Consultant
What it is: ChFC is a comprehensive and distinguished financial planning certification from the American College of Financial Services.
What it Means: The ChFC certifications verify a financial professional's knowledge, expertise, and commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards. The ChFC program provides financial services professionals with in-depth knowledge of the skills needed to perform comprehensive financial planning for their clients.
What it Requires: Candidates must pass a total of eight courses covering all facets of financial planning, including financial planning, investing, retirement planning and insurance planning.
RICP® - Retirement Income Certified Professional
What it is: The RICP® designation is a formal recognition of specialized expertise in retirement income planning.
What it Means: An RICP® has the deep, specialized expertise to help retirees and near-retirees use the assets they have accumulated for retirement sustainably. They have extensive knowledge on utilizing social security, creating financial action plans for long-term care and health-care needs, securing housing and planning for income taxes, legacies, and distributions, among other retirement essentials.
What it Requires: Earning this designation requires 3 years of experience, over 180 hours of study, and on average takes one year to complete. Only 7.5% of financial advisors have earned the RICP® designation.
CLU® - Certified Life Underwriter
What it is: The CLU® designation is a formal recognition of expertise in and extensive applied knowledge of life insurance and estate planning.
What it Means: The CLU® designation is widely considered to be the most respected insurance designation in the industry. A CLU® advisor has in-depth knowledge of life insurance underwriting concepts and law within the context of overall risk management. It also provides the necessary knowledge to help address clients’ estate planning needs and the life insurance underwriting needs of business owners and professionals.
What it Requires: Earning this designation typically requires 3 years of experience, 400 hours of study, and can take 15-24 months to complete.