Is financial planning worth the expense?

I am looking into getting some help with financial planning, but am wondering if the cost is worth it in the long run. I'm not looking for people who provide these services - I have a list and am shopping around. I want to hear from people who have used financial planning services. Did you establish a long-term relationship with one person who got an annual fee or did you use services on an hourly basis? Have there been any times when you looked back thinking how glad you were that you followed this or that advise and how it really saved you in the long run? Are there examples of when you really saw a return on your investment of time and money in these services or was it more just about having the piece of mind knowing things were taken care of without having to stress about all the details? I'd also like to know what you used financial services for - decreasing tax liability, picking insurance, preparing wills or trusts, investing in retirement, stocks, bonds, savings, education.... financially challenged

Financial Adviser for Domestic Partners

My partner and I are looking for a financial advisor to help us get our finances in better order - we own a house, have a baby, have educational debt, and we want to make sure we're set on retirement and planning for our child's future in the best way possible with the limited extra cash we have. Archives seem to focus on LGBT-''friendly'' tax preparers. We have a tax preparer, but want to be sure that our financial advisor understands the different legal and financial issues of being domestic partners/two moms and also just ''gets it.'' We want someone who can translate a lot of the financial lingo and concepts into basic, simple, but savvy and expert advice. In particular, we want a focus on best investment of limited money for child - 529, or non college account, etc. Want to pay a reasonable hourly rate, not interested in any attached investments etc. Thanks! finance 201 needed

My partner and I are approaching the stage of mingling more of our money and becoming domestic partners. We both have houses and credit card debt, there's one child, and we are in different places with our retirement. We'd like a fee-based financial planner who: knows about queer financial needs and the pros/cons of domestic partnership, can help us decide what to do with our homes, and get us on track with our retirement. G

Financial Planner who isn't super expensive

Can anyone recommend a good financial planner who isn't super expensive? agenni

I don't have stocks or investments, so I didn't seek that advice from her, but she advertises that she has that expertise on her website, and based on the help she gave me with getting a budget together, dealing with debt, refinancing my mortgage, and so forth, I would certainly take her advice on other matters financial as well. And she's just such a sensible, pleasant, level-headed person. Not a ''suit'' at all. Smart and kind are the two words I'd use to describe her. And with a real warm sense of humor. Located in Pinole, but makes house calls in the East Bay (and very accessible from Berkeley--only took me about 15 minutes to get to her home office from Berkeley).

http://www.lindysinclair.com/
MPB

Brandi has consulted us in a number of areas including investments, money management, business planning and managing our real estate assets. They have a wide range of knowledge and it's helpful because our money management run across these many different areas, including what kind of improvement to make to our house that will boost the resale value rather then just be a waste of money. My husband and I run a small business and we have very different approaches to money, etc. She has put an ease into our business relationship by giving us tools that make sense to both of us and that work.

Good luck and give these two a try... Catherine B

Help with basic financial planning & decision making

We need to work with a financial planner to get back on a track. Prefer one with experience in helping moderate income people getting a late start on retirement, solo business owners, and those sandwiched between aging parents and young children. Also prefer someone familiar with various insurance vehicles to help analyze what we already have. Prefer Alameda or East Bay location but will go anywhere for right person. And since I'm making a wish list, how about someone really friendly, supportive, easy to work with and with a great track record of success? :) Thanks for any help you can provide. Needs help!

We are looking for a financial advisor that can help us manage our money better so that we can save to move into a bigger house. We are looking for someone that will give us straight advice, we rather not have to deal with someone trying to sell us other stuff. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated it. thanks! Wanna move up

I am looking for a good financial planner or a good class about financial planning. Our tax preparer says we have bits and pieces and now need a more comprehensive strategy. I'm not so interested in managing money as putting it somewhere where it will earn something more than the current interest rate and not having to think about it much. I took a class through UC extension years ago when I didn't really know what deferred compensation was and, even though much of it was over my head, it helped - I learned the difference between stocks and bonds and a little about annuities but I am still very much a layperson and need things to be broken down for me. thanks in advance trying to be money savvy

I'm looking for someone who can take a look at our overall finances and help us figure out when wemll be ready to buy a house, and just how much house we can afford. We'd also like that person to help us figure out if we're investing our retirement funds appropriately. Thanks
Future Homeowner?

Hi, My husband and I are looking for a financial planner to help with general budgeting and debt management as well as some advice on investements. We're hoping to find someone with reasonable rates (otherwise we wouldn't need a financial planner!) but whose advice is also realistic and effective. Any recent recommendations and experiences would be greatly welcomed, the website doesn't seem to have anything current. Thanks!

Natalie Leininger CFP
3160 Castro Valley Blvd.
PO Box 2275
Castro Valley, CA 94546

natalie[at]leiningerfinancial.com

(510) 728-3578

Lisa A. Schneider
90 New Montgomery, Ste. 1020
San Francisco, CA 94105

Schneider.8[at]cullenfinancial.com

(415) 781-1181

Ira H. Fateman, CFP., M.Ed.
SAS Financial Advisors, LLC
582 Market Street Ste. 1604
SF, CA 94104
415 738-6452
fax 415 921-6528
ira[at]sasadvisors.com
www.sasadvisors.com

After several years of sporadic and ineffective discussions about how to budget and save money for big items (first house, retirement, daughter's college) we're ready to shell out money and meet with a professional to try and whip our finances into shape. We live within our (modest) means but have no master plan for when we'll be able to buy a house, or what our real plan is for retirement or college. We in our mid-30s and have a small amount of savings and investment, but I get spooked that most financial advisors are either about managing wealth (I wish!) or getting out of massive debt (thankfully not). Website recommendations from the past few years are focussed on different issues. Any recommendations for an advisor who can sit down for a reasonable fee for one or two meetings to go over income, current assets, and spending habits to help figure out a financial plan?
trying to be responsible

He is well-educated in his field and has excellent work experience--Political Science (BA) and Columbia Business School graduate (MBA); worked for Charles Schwab. He charges around $150/hour for consultation but is willing to do a flat fee for an overall plan.

What we appreciate about him: he is very insightful, doesn't beat around the bush or string you along. He describes his approach as ''big picture'' and ''investment-oriented''. We also appreciated his sense of humor (not a bad thing to have when working with finances). He took a look at our financials and made some concrete suggestions for how to realize our goals. We have checked back with him a couple of times regarding our progress and plan.

You can reach him at (415)927-7871 or email him at robert[at]rhmv.com. His website is www.rhmv.com. Good luck!
On a better financial track

I'm looking for advice about what kind of financial planner/advisor I need, as well as specific recommendations if you have them. I am new to this, so I'm uncertain about what the different categories of planners might be, where to find them, and how much I should expect them to cost. My husband and I will be finishing our educations soon and (hopefully) starting jobs in a new city. We need someone to help us with the basics, like how much house we can expect to afford on our anticipated salaries, saving for retirement, college (we have 2 kids under 3), etc. In addition, we were hoping to have my husband's mother move along with us to the new city - she currently lives in another state. We need advice about the different scenarios we are considering on her behalf, such as selling vs. keeping her home, moving in with us vs. buying her own place, taking care of our kids full-time vs. part-time vs. not at all, retiring early vs. continuing to work in the new city, and so on. I know this is a lot of advice we would need from 1 person, and I'm wondering who that person would be. In contrast to what (little) I know about some types of financial planners, we would not necessarily be needing to open specific investment accounts with the planner, and might not have an ongoing relationship with him/her in which s/he would be doing investing for us over many years (esp. if we move away from the Bay Area). However, it's possible we would make 2-3 visits if we could afford the fees. So, what type of person do I need? How much should I expect to pay? And whom do you recommend? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Signed, Graduating Soon!

Hello, I'm looking for any recommendations for a personal financial planner. My husband and I are trying to decide if I should go on to a Psy.D program, or if it would be financial suicide (we just bought a home, and we are wanting to have a child in the next year) for a young, middle class family. Investing isn't something we are doing much of at the moment, so an investment advisor wouldn't be of much help. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance!

I'm hoping to start a very expensive graduate program at UC Berkeley in the fall and would love to talk to a financial advisor that specializes in helping a student find loans and grants as well as navigate the process overall. I remember seeing someone years ago when I went to undergrad and with his help my parents ended up paying almost nothing for my costly school. MBA bound

We are seeking a financial counselor who can help us with personal financial decisionmaking including buying a house, planning for time off to raise children and balancing financial security with quality of family life issues. Someone with some real estate and tax background would be helpful. Investment advice, while also useful, is secondary to getting the big picture. Thanks. KD

We're looking for someone to help us develop our financial strategy regarding savings, investment, and retirement. I've checked the archives but don't see anyone who fits all our criteria. We want to find out which vehicles we should use, in what order of priority. We want to know which investment property (in our area, state, or out-of-state) is more favorable, and how to evaluate which investments in our own home---what kind of remodeling---will have a positive return. We're not looking for an ''advisor'' to invest our cool million (which we don't have), but for someone with deep experience to help us develop goals and a strategy that best fits our needs. Can one person do all this? Do you know her/him? Many thanks, Denise

Before he started his financial planning services, Rick was the chief financial officer of several small technology companies, but has expanded to be a ''CFO for families'' (he still acts as a CFO for a venture-backed technology company). He also has hands- on experience for advising on investment property, being a prior investment property owner (and has endured several remodels!).

Rick typically charges a flat fee of $500 to $1,500 for developing a comprehensive plan that you can implement yourself or you have him do it if the chemistry is good for everyone. Rick is an Investment Advisor with Financial Network, an ING Company and is studying to complete his Certified Financial Planner candidacy. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago, is very unassuming and is really a great people person. You can reach him at primer AT financialnetwork.com or 510/384-1009.

Good luck! cwilson

If you are interested in learning more about his practice, please call or email him: Jonathan DeYoe - DeYoe Wealth Strategies - jonathan.deyoe AT lpl.com - 510-898-0423
Proud Wife

We are looking for someone who can give us, for a moderate fee, a financial check-up. Not tax services, not stock picks, just someone who can help us define our goals, assess what we have, evaluate our current practices, and tell us whether we're on track to meet those goals, or do we need a radical fix or what. I have checked the website, and haven't found exactly what we're looking for, although I have noticed that in the past few months there have been similar requests posted. Have any of you who posted for this type of service found the perfect person?? RL

Heather Hutchinson
Hutchinson Financial Management
540 East First Street
Napa, CA  94559
Phone (707) 251-9712
Fax (707) 251-9716
heatherhutchinson AT sbcglobal.net

Looking for an easy-going, professional person (Oakland/Berkeley preferred) to help direct us in investing for retirement, our child's education, insurance and general savings. Someone that is familiar with the needs of a self-employed small business owner would be great. We just need someone who won't make us feel lamer than we already do for being so behind on this. Nic

i am looking for someone who can help me get our finances in order. I don't think this would be a financial planner, but it might be. It might even be an individual member of the digest that is good at making their money work. I know we make enough money, but I can't figure out how to use it effectively, and, every month, we barely have enough to get by. It's ridiculous! Can anyone suggest someone who could help us? Toby

I am looking for a financial planner who will not try to sell me things and can give me some good ideas about managing existingdebt and planning for the future.

Socially responsible investment advisor

I have inherited some money, enough that I don't want to stick it in the bank to earn no interest for the rest of my life, but not enough to buy a house. I'd like to find a financial advisor who specializes in socially responsible investing. I looked into this years ago, but I never had enough money to make it worth paying someone else to take care of it, and I don't know if the people I talked to back then are still in business. I checked the website and found very little on the subject. Any suggestions? anon

5100 Clayton Road
Suite B-1 #348
Concord, CA  94521
Phone: (925) 429-1819
Email: mail[at]thomashpayne.com

Fee-based and hourly financial advisors

Rather than buying a package of financial advice, I'd like to prepare a financial statement that gives a picture of my life and my plans and review it with an advisor who I would pay on an hourly basis rather than going with the bigger package. I have a house I am turning into a rental, two rental properties, a small IRA, life, disability and health insurance paid for privately, and fluctuating income because I am an adjunct teacher and office worker. Does anyone have any recommendations for who would be a good match for this service? anon

My husband and I need money management advice. We contribute the max to our 401K, but are not sure what to do otherwise: setting up our 529, how to reach our short term and long term goals, how much home can we really afford to move up to... After reading numerous books on the matter, we want help. We do not want to deal with someone whose motives might be divided (between helping us and ''selling'' product), so a fee based planner would be the best. Anyone have experience with a planner that they find honest, knowledgeable, experienced, educational? Thank you! Financially Fuddled

Has anyone used Buckley Financial planning in San Ramon? can you comment on your satisfaction with them or recommend someone else (preferably in Oakland). I don't need someone to manage assets but someone to hear our goals (on verge of buying bigger home, have baby, retirement and college planning) and help us determine how to make it all happen with our income. Thanks Melanie

Does anyone have a fee-based financial planner to recommend? We're looking for someone to do a financial plan for us, billed on an hourly or project basis. I've been through the archives and have contacted a few individuals, but so far everyone is either affiliated with a brokerage firm or requires at least $500,000 to invest--which we don't have. :) We're really just looking for someone who can, for a fee, evaluate what we've already invested to date in 401Ks, IRAs, and mutual funds, and then help us develop a strategy going forward. From looking online, we found Julie Asti and Jill D. Hollander in the Berkeley area--does anyone have experience with either of these individuals? Or perhaps someone else you would recommend? Any advice appreciated. Wendy

Financial planner to Advise about Debt and Credit Repair

April 2007

My husband and I have both been dealing with serious illnesses over the past five years. We've been living beyond our means and digging ourselves deeper into debt. We owe taxes, have damaged credit, and have credit card balances. We are both self-employed and not exactly raking in the dough, but we do have equity in our home and in some retirement accounts. We need help resolving our financial issues while holding onto as much of our investments as possible. Ideally, we'd like to find someone who has expertise in how to potentially settle with the IRS and credit card companies. In addition, we have a judgment against us as a result of a credit card debt, so some relevant legal experience/knowledge is needed. We feel on the mend physically and want our financial lives to follow suit. Any recommendations for an appropriate consultant? anon

I am trying to find out how to repair my credit in the most efficient way possible. I've read how-to books, but would like to work with a financial consultant to make sure that I am making the best choices. Any recommendations? Anon

Financial planner to manage assets & investments

Has anybody heard off and does anyone use an investment consultant who is a member of Progressive Asset Management (PAM)? http://www.progressiveassetmanagement.com/ Is any body familiar with The Camejo Group? http://www.camejogroup.com/team.htm We are interested in your thoughts and experiences. thank you, - Elyse

We need a trusted, successful portfolio/money manager to help us manage our investments. I should mention that we don't have millions of dollars to invest, but we do have a good amount of money that we need to be more proactive in investing. We live in Lamorinda, but location isn't a big deal. Thanks in advance for your consideration. Anon.

What I am looking for here is any recent recommendations for a TRUSTWORTHY Financial Advisor who can basicly take over on the accounts that I currently have (if that's possible) that include IRA's, a 529, mutual funds and life insurance. Certainly, I am interested in someone who can also ''advise'' for the future. Thanks in advance.

Hi, my husband has some stock options with a start up company and it might go public soon. Anyone has any suggestions on what to do about it? or, does anyone have any recommendations on a good financial advisor or tax accountat who specializes in this area? thanks in advance! sandy

I disclose that I'm married to him. He is very down-to-earth and unassuming, and with two children of his own, he has a real- life, contemporary understanding of the myriad of issues and choices families face as they plan beyond their own financial futures. You can reach him at primer AT financialnetwork.com or 510 384-1009. cwilson

We're looking for someone to evaluate what we've already invested to date in 401Ks, Roth IRAs, savings accounts, etc. and help us get a game plan for future retirement contributions and including college savings for our kids.

I checked the website and called a few of the folks that were recommended-- a number of them aren't available or won't work with us unless we have $500K or more to invest (we don't).

In introductory meetings with advisors at Merrill Lynch and Fidelity, I've been told I need to move over all of my money from all of our different accounts before they'll start to analyze our stuff and advise us-- this still won't include current 401K accounts (for which we need lots of help, as we've seen the principal on them dwindle greatly!), since those can't be moved over. How frustrating!

I feel like we're pretty saavy and really know how to save on our modest income, but need some help picking the specific investments (i.e. which exact mutual fund or bond), not just being told that we should do ''good asset allocation with some money in bonds and some in growth and income'', etc...

Last, but not least, I'm okay with paying a fee (as opposed to purchasing load funds), but how do I know I'm getting my money's worth? I have asked so many people if they can recommend a good financial planner, and all I ever get is a resounding ''no''. There's got to be somebody good out there that is willing to help investors that have $25k-$50K to invest!

I am a financial planner with Waddell & Reed and what we focus on is planning. We also do mutual fund investments (according to the most recent Morningstar and Lipper rankings we are the #2 fund family) and insurance, but we do not require you to invest with us. Many of my clients have their investments away from us (say, in their 401(k)), and that is okay. What we do is put them on a course to achieve their financial goals, whether it is retirement, saving for college, saving for a new home, knowing if they are properly protected, etc. We also make sure they and their portfolio are properly diversified according to their objectives.

For a written comprehensive financial plan, we charge $400. This covers virtually all of your financial needs (except, say, large estates or business valuation). You can also purchase an individual module (retirement, survivorship needs, education funding, accumulation goal, asset allocation) for $125 if all you need is help in one or two areas.

If you want more information (even if you do not end up working with me), please let me know. My mission is to help as many people as I can acheive piece of mind. pvgdad AT yahoo DOT com

There are many sensible books in the public library. On the web, two good resources are motleyfool.com and Vanguard.com.

Vanguard is hands down the best deal among the mutual funds -- on their big index funds, for instance, the expense ratio is about .28 of one percentage point -- a mere quarter of the fees that the next cheapest firms (e.g., Fidelity, T Rowe Price) charge. My Berkeley finance professor said, ten years ago, that it amazed him that everyone didn't put their money with Vanguard. If all you want is an index fund (stocks and/or bonds), and your focus is the long-term, why pay a penny more in fees than you have to? (I have no connection to Vanguard!)

You mention that you've watched your 401ks dwindle -- so have most people lately. If your true desire is do better than the overall market, no financial planner can deliver that, whatever their promises.

(Re that 401k: If you are holding shares of the company you work for, consider selling them. Nobody should have their job -- their biggest egg-- AND the rest of their eggs in the same basket.)

If you don't have Roth IRAs, you probably should -- but I won't go into the details here. Clear explanations of the Roth abound.

Given the amount of money you have to invest, it will be hard to place it in lots of different funds or accounts -- no matter who you go with, accounts below some minimum balance typically incur extra fees because they are relatively costly to manage.

Investing is a headache, but I wouldn't sweat too much about investment strategy. Decisions that affect the difference between what you earn and what you spend will almost certainly have a far bigger impact on the size of your eventual nest egg than any investment strategy you choose today. (Assuming that you don't take wild risks!)

So, surf/read (the cheapest way to find out about different types of tax-deferred or tax-free accounts), think long-term, think Roth IRA, and check out Vanguard once you decide how you want to allocate your money.

Good luck. eirik

Has anyone had experience with _______ as a financial planner? I would appreciate any feedback regarding her or anyone else with whom you have had good experience. I am looking for an all-around advisor regarding my investments, retirement planning, and saving for college. I am looking for someone who will pay attention and be proactive regarding my portfolio.

Seeking easy-going professional for investment advice

I have checked recent discussion and the archives and am hoping for additional recommendations. Looking for an easy-going, professional person (Oakland/Berkeley preferred) to help direct us in investing for retirement, our child's education, insurance and general savings. Someone that is familiar with the needs of a self-employed small business owner would be great. We just need someone who won't make us feel lamer than we already do for being so behind on this. Nic

Independent financial advisor

We were dumped by our financial advisor when he left AmEx and would like to use the opportunity to find a new one who is independent and in the Oakland/Berkeley area. There was a consistent recommendation in the archives for a guy named Rick Prime but someone said he charges $1800 which is more than we can afford (we're more in the $500 - $700 range). We aren't wealthy, but have found that financial planning has really helped us make the most of what we have so we'd really like to find someone we trust and would like to develop a long term relationship. Personally, we actually really liked our AmEx guy but he went independent and probably has some no-compete agreement and can't solicit us. Too bad. Lynn

From the description of what you're looking for, I'd recommend giving Julie a call. She let us have a free initial meeting to see if there was a fit, which I'd suggest you do. She's upfront about what she charges and never tried to sell us anything or push her advice. Good Luck ~ Formerly financially frustrated

Julie helped us organize our financial situation and ran various scenarios to see what the effect of my loss of income might be on taxes, budget, savings, etc. The information she provided helped us make informed decisions. Before we met with her, we were just doing 'back of the envelope' calculations that didn't cover the whole picture.

We are really pleased with the advice she gave us and will use her services again in the future. Heather

Financial Advisor for Elderly Parents

We are looking for someone who can offer financial planning advice to my 75 year old mother. She is single and lost a large portion of her modest savings in the stock market crash a few years back. After a series of poorly planned real-estate investments, we fear she is poised to make another mistake. Ideally, I would like for the two of us to meet with someone together. jessica

I'm looking for a financial advisor for my elderly parents who need immediate, short-term help sorting out their finances. My 74-year old father needs to enter 24h-care living center due to his progressing Parkinson's Disease. He doesn't know how to best arrange his assets to cover the cost of the senior care center, cost of living for Mom, write a will, etc. Can anyone recommend a good financial advisor? Or do we need some sort of attorney since writing a will is involved?

My parents are getting ready to retire, and are trying to figure out exactly when to stop working, when to begin drawing down their state and private pension(s) and social security, how to diversify their stock holdings in their 401K, and what the tax implications for all that will be...... and they are asking me what to do and there is NO WAY I am going to try and guess at what would be right for them. So I am trying to help them find a financial planner. We are interested in a **FEE BASED** rather than commission based financial advisor that has the Certified Financial Planner designation, that really specializes in retirement planning, evaluating various pension options, social security issues, and tax implications, etc. Any ideas??? People to call?? Thanks in advance for your help!

Financial planner for modest income family

We are looking for a reliable and knowledgeable finanical advisor who is expert, not only in retirement issues, but also in the broader range of financial issues that include planning projects, maximizing investment opportunities, and managing household cash flow. We are solidly middle class, and while we noted some recommendations in the archives, most are quite dated. Any recent recommendations?

Aaron Winer
aaron.d.winer[at]aexp.com
415-538-0010

I've read through most of the posts regarding financial planners, tax advisors, accountants, etc., but was wondering if anyone can recommend a good, honest, financial planner, accountant, or household budget advisor. I am NOT looking for someone that can turn our $50K in savings (which we don't have) into millions or sell us additional life insurance (which we do have). Rather, I'm looking for some basic advice ... how to develop and maintain a realistic household budget living in the Bay Area as a one-salary family. Ideally, this person could also offer advice at tax time, as well as offer advice on establishing savings plans for emergency funds, kids' education, stock options (have them, but they aren't worth anything as of yet), 401k and other retirement planning, mortgage refinancing options, etc. Basically, a ''handy person'' (Jane or Jack-of-all-trades) focused on finances. Any suggestions or recommendations, especially those based on personal experience, would be MUCH appreciated.
Anon - Good With Other Things, Not $$

Hello: We are a middle class family w/ 2 kids and both are self employed. Looking for a well respected, honest, reasonable, knowledgeable financial planner. We need help w/ retirement planning, college funds,and a road map for the next 10-15 years etc.. Thank you

In our situation we had the benefits through work to consider but Rob runs his own small business so will know a lot of what is available to you in your specific situation. It is a small firm but really great advice and guidance, http://www.cojobay.com Kara

My wife and I are looking for a financial planner (or an accountant???) to look over our shoulder and see if we are making any major gaffes in our retirement, household budgeting, tax, and college savings planning for one & maybe another child. If its useful information, our net worth makes us the poster children of ''middle class'' -- and so would like to work with someone who is comfortable with that.

We are looking for a some fresher recommendations than are currently posted on the archives. Based on some initital research, it would seem that we want a fee based planner -- that we compensate on an hourly or project basis versus having someone manage our assets or try to sell us financial products we don't want or need.

We live in Oakland, but would be willing to work with anyone good nearby. Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Steve

Advisor for someone w/ a very average income

Any recommendations for a good experienced financial advisor? Basic family goals with a very average income (nurse/single mom) re: retirement, college, IRA. Would like someone who is somewhat easy-going and will not gasp in horror that I have not done this yet (!) But competence would be the first choice quality. Thanks.

Financial Planner for Retirement Plans

I am looking for a financial advisor for retirement advice and college financing advice. My husband will be retiring at the same time that our daughter will be starting college and I have not worked outside the home since she was born. Thanks, Bonnie

Earlier Recommendations

My husband and I used Peter Morfin of Morfin Financial Services (510-525-0814). Last year we purchased a house, had a new baby, and had some other issues, and we found Peter to be very helpful and informative, and price was reasonable. Kristina

My husband, Michael Cullen, is a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch and has lots of experience doing financial planning. He is very conscientious, sensitive and mature. He is completing a Ph.D. in economics at Oxford and at the same time, a very down to earth, reliable guy. His office number is 415-955-3907.

I can recommend Damon Becker of Lincold Financial Advisors Corp. He acts as a 3rd party advisor and you pay a yearly fee based on a sliding scale -- it's affordable and worth every penny in my opinion. (I don't believe he does tax returns, though) He's at (510) 275-0300 ext 254. Alison

Anyone out there know of a financial advisor who is expert on socially responsible investment and won't charge the earth? I don't have a lot of IRA money, but think I should be making a better return on what I do possess, and investing ethically is equally important to me. Thanks for your help. Melanie