Starting to Build Our Financial Future: We were new to personal finance and had finally reached a…read moreposition where we could think about saving and investing. Katy offered packages that were perfect for our personal finance journey. She helped us understand the recommendations she was making, so we also learned along the way. She even broke up her recommendations into bite-size steps so we didn't feel overwhelmed and could actually start taking the steps to a stronger financial future. We saw the many benefits of her guidance and look forward to working with Katy and her team as we grow our family's financial security.

We have been working with Katy for about 7 years now and it has been the absolute best decision…read morewe've ever made. It was incredibly helpful to see all of our finances presented in her report and when she explains it all so clearly it's just so reassuring. We had been trying to buy a house for several years in a very competitive market. After we started working with Katy we were much more confident and finally able to make it happen without overstretching ourselves. We continue to have check-ins as needed for all kinds of questions, from stock and investment allocations, to college 529 plans, to retirement and she's very knowledgeable and responsive. She's extremely easy to talk to, honest, and straightforward. We've already recommended her several times to our friends and family.

I've worked with Jeff over the past year on both my IRA and individual portfolio. He recently…read morehelped me transfer some IRA funds to an insurance company in order to receive increased monthly annuity payments. That took awhile from the consultation and planning period to actual implementation. Jeff did research for me to figure out if this was a good move for my needs. After all the back and forth communication with the insurance company and endless paperwork to fill out, I can say that I'm a happy camper and I received my first annuity check from the company yesterday. We did it Jeff! He is a very patient and personable financial advisor and I cannot recommend anyone better than Jeff. He listens and hears what your specific needs are and goes to work from there. With the aid of computer data analysis and his personal research, he came up with a plan to fit my needs in retirement. I live in San Francisco and he made a special effort to meet at my house along with a Zoom meeting. I'm not tech savvy but he showed me how to prepare and sign documents online. He made things so simple and easy to understand. I can rest easy knowing that Jeff and Terra Blue have my back with financial affairs. For those of you who may question the need for a personal financial advisor I have to say that's it's worth every penny to give Jeff a call.

I know Jeff from Toastmasters, and have heard him speak knowledgeably about personal finance…read more Wanting advice about my own personal finances, I took advantage of the free first session he offers for consultation. He was able to be flexible regarding scheduling a meeting, too, which I appreciated. One thing that sets Jeff apart is how he takes into account the emotions/feelings we have about money into his advice. I really appreciated his help, as we went over my expenses and figured out what I could afford for rent. I appreciated your sound advice, Jeff. Thanks again!

I had a 15-minute call with Gary, and he was able to answer all of my questions and point me in the…read moreright direction based on my tax needs. I really value his honesty and his willingness to help. His knowledge and experience made me feel confident that I was getting the right guidance. I highly recommend Gary for anyone looking for a knowledgeable and trustworthy CPA.

Gary is extremely knowledgeable and stays up to date in his education which is extremely important…read moreto me. He listened and provided answers to immediate concerns and met all expectations (and then some!). Highly recommend Gary to anyone who is looking for an expert in the finance/tax planning field.

Exceptional! I…read morereached out to Kenny about multiple insurance products - long term care, term life, whole life. Let me step back and say this first - My family has a long history of buying all sorts of insurance over the last 30 years. In that time, we have met many people in the insurance industry across various roles. With that context in mind let me say this. Kenny is amongst the most thorough, knowledgeable, and helpful people I have ever met. He is not trying to just "sell you something." Instead he works hard to understand why it is that you think you need the insurance you have asked him about, he uses his intellect and creativity to suggest other options if they are appropriate (his feedback many times proved better than my own initial assumptions and work), and wants above all to help you. He is responsive, razor sharp, and high integrity. I started this review with the word "exceptional" - well, there is "exceptional" and then there is "truly exceptional" and then there is "rarely seen level of exceptionalism" - and for me, Kenny is just that.

Was overwhelmed with trying to figure out my financial future, and Kenny took the reins. He was…read morepatient, comprehensive, and extremely helpful in providing lots of options. Definitely a trusted provider that I can't recommend enough.

We're glad we connected with Faruk. His knowledge and insights have been very helpful and…read moreinformative. He's patient and takes the time to understand you and your financial situation before presenting recommendations. We would definitely recommend Faruk to anyone interested in planning for their financial future.

Faruk was a pleasure to work with! As we wanted to plan further for our future, our goal was to…read moreidentify areas where we are doing well and can improve upon. From the start, Faruk was personable and clear in communicating his services along with having a genuine interest in what our expectations were from this exercise. Fast forward a month, we have gained invaluable clarity and actionable next steps for our finances. Today, we still reference learnings and information shared by Faruk to help influence any financial decisions we may or will make. 100% would recommend Faruk to any family looking to understand their finances.

Vanessa is amazing. What more can I say. She's punctual, kind, knows her business and is always…read morewilling to do what it takes to continually add value to our working relationship. If I could give her 10 stars I would. Absolutely a master of her domain. Thanks Vanessa!

I feel it's important to review here because my experience was so different from what others have…read moresaid. Possibly, I'm a really different customer. If you're like me, and live month to month on a tight budget, then read on! Initially, Vanessa seemed motivated to help get me and my husband get on track with our budget, and financial picture. Quickly however, things went wrong when she developed a financial plan based on me working additional hours every week. Oddly, I don't have the option of working additional hours, so it was perplexing, to say the least. Why not go all out, and base a budget on me being the recipient of a multimillion dollar inheritance. Next, Vanessa was supposed to help me consolidate some retirement accounts from previous employers. This fell through, and I ended up using the free Fidelity representative, at my job, to do this for me. Lastly, after confronting Vanessa, she offered to refund less than a quarter of what we spent on her services. We hadn't yet done out mid-year review! Conclusion: Vanessa is very interested in selling insurance policies. If you are interested in buying expensive disability insurance, and want to stack life insurance polices, then Vanessa is for you. She will go on about this ad nauseam. If you need financial planning read Suze Orman, and save your money. Vanessa is not a certified financial planner,

Margie is a consummate professional. She recently decluttered and emptied a three unit building in…read moreSan Francisco, making sure that most items were sold, consigned, donated or given away. She and her crew were efficient, on target timewise, reasonably priced. I enjoyed working with Margie and highly recommend her.

Margie is a true asset to have on your team. Patient, professional, ambitious, creative, and…read moreskilled -- there's nothing to regret about this talented financial advisor. Working with Margie is worth your time.

Main Street Research has been our investment advisors since 1999. They have done a wonderful job…read moremanaging our investments, through thick and thin! They truly get to know each client and tailor their strategy for solid growth over time. I can't say enough good things about James Demmert and his team of experts.

I am not a fan. I gave MSR a bunch of money in December 2021, when I saw troubled waters ahead. I…read morefigured (wrongly as it turned out) that professionals were needed to navigate the market pressures of inflation and Putin's ominous presence on the Ukrainian border. All MSR did was lose a lot of my money. MSR lost no time buying AAPL at 173.98 on 12-27-2021. More mistakes followed, including AMZN at $3,412 on 12-30-21 and MSFT at 341.96 on 12-29-21. I was surprised and worried but didn't complain; they were the experts, I (wrongly) reasoned. Buying continued as the market dropped: COST at $564 on 12-30-21 and more COST at $520 on Jan 11 '22 -- down $44 in 10 days! Rather than sense the fear in the market, they piled in with more of my money! More MSFT at $318 on 1-5-22...more AAPL at $163 on 1-21-22. (NOTE: I am not cherry-picking examples --these are random samples of a large purchase spree.) On Jan 26, 2022, I wrote an email questioning a partial sale of SHOP at $898 (purchased at $1,033 on 1-20-22). Portfolio Manager Jacob responded saying they were "... likely to move soon on buying again since we see the market as highly oversold, providing us with good value opportunities in the market." I replied "... I am less enthusiastic than you that the market is oversold." That is when I should have closed my account. But, they were the experts. Throughout this time, communication from MSR was lacking. Oh sure, they always said, "Let us know if you have any questions." But there was little communication of their take on the latest market threats or their investment committee's leanings. High-buying and low-selling continued. When I complained on Apr 25, 2022 that this fiduciary arrangement was not working for me, James responded that "...we never suggested that we are clairvoyant about predicting short term market movements." and that I had "...checked the box that you could withstand market swings of up to 20%". James was correct. MSR was not down as much as the S&P 500 and I had checked the 20% loss box. Were these the assurances I needed to hear from my professional investment firm? There was no mention of MSR strategy being wrong and there was no apology for losing lots and lots of my money. I heard arrogance and I have no need for an arrogant money manager. Yes, he wasn't down as much as the S&P 500 but I didn't hire a bunch of blind monkeys (referring to the S&P 500) to grow my wealth. I hired MSR. I closed my account at the end of May, 13% lower than when I started. 30%+ of the account was still in cash and cash equivalents, so MSR's professional, fiduciary investment decisions on the other 60%+ resulted in a LOSS north of 18%. I find that incredible (not in a good way). I am not a fan and I do not recommend Main Street Research.

Akemi claims efficiency, but what really defines her approach is an unforgiving attention to every…read moredetail that too many so-called professionals miss. I don't praise easily, but she tore through our tangled financial mess like it was nothing, giving us clarity where there was chaos. Her speed is not a breath of fresh air; it's the baseline anyone should expect. If you want someone who will treat your financials like a personal challenge rather than a routine task, Akemi is who you call.

Akemi has helped me from the moment I incorporated my company in 2014 and has been an amazing…read morepartner throughout all those years. She is extremely capable, delivers very quickly and is just a joy to work with. On top of that, she is also incredibly thorough and doesn't make any mistakes. Akemi is always able to answer questions and take the time to explain things. I cannot rate her highly enough! Give her a call, you'll be happy you did!