We've been clients for almost 10 years and have worked with most of the firm as they've grown. Tessara (fka Ballast point financial planning) has been instrumental in guiding us as our income and net worth has climbed. Shawn has also been a trusted resource for referrals to other services we have hired in the Bay Area and we're so appreciative of him. Most recently, Vidalia is our lead planner and she is fantastic! She is knowledgeable, responsive and personable. I admire how she handles my questions in such a calm and composed way which I know can be challenging sometimes since I handle clients in my own career. We've "graduated" now that we have a stable financial plan but will have no hesitation becoming clients again if our planning needs change in the future. read more

Shawn with Ballast Point helped us do a one-time consultation of our finances. Shawn was incredibly thorough, looking over all of our financials then providing advice on specific questions we had (if we should keep our home as a rental vs selling, advising us on stock options, etc) as well as letting us know where we could make some adjustments to our savings and brokerage accounts. We got advice on our kids' 529 accounts and upping our life insurance policies and Shawn gave us the name of a fantastic law firm who handled creating our living trust. The Google spreadsheet with the breakdown of our finances and things for us to consider in the short and long term was also great and something we will absolutely be using in the future to track our assets. Very grateful for Shawn and BPFP! read more

We've had a really great experience with Ballast Point -- and we feel much more knowledgable about our finances. Drew and the team help us put together a budget, handled taxes, and plan for company stock. read more

Shawn was very knowledgeable and prepared when he worked with me on my financial assessment. I was already pretty knowledgeable about personal finances and investing going into our meeting, yet I found myself learning a lot of new information from Shawn to help guide me in making smarter financial decisions. He even showed me all the latest thought leadership in finance which he uses to create his recommendations which left me feeling very confident in the advice that he was providing. Shawn not only has great depth of knowledge but also breadth. He was able to advise me on everything from optimizing my car insurance to rolling over my 401K to estate planning for my parents. He was truly a one-stop shop for all of my questions and concerns which saved me hours of research that I would have had to do on my own. Trust is another important quality that you need in a good financial advisor because you are exposing your entire life to that person. During my work with Shawn, I had complete trust in our relationship and knew he had my best interests in mind when I walked through all of the big life events I had coming up. You'll certainly get unbiased feedback and recommendations working with him which is something that isn't always true with advisors given some of them are driven by commission. Anyways I would certainly recommend Shawn to everyone. Whether it's a financial tune-up which was what I went through or a complete financial overhaul to get yourself out of debt, you won't find a better professional than Shawn to work with. read more

I just completed Shawn's first five-week bootcamp in personal finance and it was terrific. I feel so relieved to finally have specific guidance and a plan on everything from goal-setting to investment selections to life insurance and estate planning. It was so easy to collaborate remotely via email, DropBox and video calls, it didn't matter at all that I'm in Chicago and he's in CA. Shawn is not only super knowledgeable, but also very genuine and easy to talk to. I look forward to continuing to work with him! read more

I worked with Shawn earlier this year to sort out my finances and plan for the next few years as I'm going back to graduate school. Finances and financial planning has always been a black box to me - I've never really felt confident that I was making my dollars go as far as they can. Working with Shawn has given me more confidence about the path that I'm on, and ability to understand the options available to me. I feel like I know how to make smarter decisions, and what to consider when making financial decisions. Beyond the sound advice he gave, what I really appreciated about Shawn is that he cares about his clients as people. Our first introductory meeting wasn't about money at all - he instead asked me questions about myself, my goals, and my history. Our next few discussions were the same - I felt like there was a consistent emphasis on what I want in my life, and that we would collaborate together on what makes the most sense for my financial situation. Shawn provided strong recommendations on what I should consider, but I never felt like he was forcing my hand or giving me suggestions that I was uncomfortable with. Overall, I'm very glad to have worked with Shawn and hope to work with him again in the future! read more

Shawn served as our financial planner over five years ago and he was so helpful that we *still* use the tools, templates, and best practices he gave us to keep our financial house in order, long after we graduated from our regular engagements with him. Shawn helped us get on the right path to save for purchasing a home, and thanks to his guidance we reached our goal! The modest investment we made to work with Shawn has truly paid dividends and we are so grateful for his expertise and support. read more

We have been working with Ballast Point for about a year now and we love working with them! Jennifer, in particular, has been an absolute standout, we feel so valued, seen, and heard by her. Jennifer and the rest of the team have provided us with some very helpful financial advice including saving/spending money, investing, and attitudes/feelings around finances to name a few. If you are looking for financial advice/planning, I would highly recommend them! read more

While desperately looking for someone who could provide professional direction in-order to help my family regain control of our financial life while implementing better strategies for the future, I was introduced to Shawn at Ballast Point Financial Planning. Since June of 2017, Shawn has already: 1. Assessed our current financials. 2. Organized and allocated our income towards debt payoff. 3. Setup up a Life Insurance policy which we are very happy with. 4. Implemented steps to become more tax efficient. 5. Discussed future strategies for investments. We are extremely happy to be working with Shawn and the folks at Ballast Point Financial Planning. We look forward to a many years ahead as our lives and financial priorities change. read more

Working with Shawn was the best decision I made in 2017. I set a New Year's goal exactly one year ago to gain a better hold on my finances and finally become strategic about my financial future. For the first time, I can say that I now feel empowered, independently knowledgable, and 'in control' of my financial outlook. The thing that sets Shawn apart is that he truly, genuinely cares about his clients. You feel like your goals become his, and your accomplishments he excitedly celebrates as his successes, too. Shawn is an educator at heart, and it shows through in his approach to helping you with finances. He is easy-going, reliable, proactive, and incredibly knowledgable. I highly recommend doing the same for yourself in 2018: invest in yourself by working with Shawn. It'll be a no-brainer once you quickly realize the profitable return! After all, intelligence isn't really about knowing how to do everything yourself, but about knowing when to seek help from others that know more than you! read more

Shawn and Drew from Ballast point have been amazing in helping us realize how to organize our finances to fit our life's needs. We were able prioritize our goals and make our money work towards them. I'm really glad that we chose Ballast point read more

When I started working with Shawn, I had student loan debt that I was sure I'd be paying off for many many years, marks on my credit report that I was hoping were going to magically disappear, and zero plans or understanding on how to deal with my RSUs and retirement savings. After 18 months of working with Shawn, I have paid off my student debt, raised my credit score, and made significant strides towards reaching my short and long-term goals. I can assure you that this would have never happened without Shawn's incredible guidance. I had expected to get overwhelmed with the process at some point, but Shawn made a step-by-step plan for me that was easy to execute on, and he continues to answer any big or small question that comes up. He's given me advice on things like renters insurance, taxes, and which credit card bonuses to take advantage of. What I most appreciate is how much time and energy he has spent breaking down complex information. It is very apparent that he cares deeply about his clients and wants them to understand the whys and hows of his recommendations, rather than just the to-do list items. I feel that I have gotten an education in personal finance in addition to a clear path forward. Shawn is great at what he does and he's also such a nice person and pleasure to work with. He is so positive and encouraging, remembers little details about your goals, and celebrates when you reach them. I always feel motivated after we meet and I've recommended Shawn to several friends who have been equally as impressed with him. read more

My wife and I both had a tremendous experience with Shawn. Right out of college we both got good paying jobs and we went from having no money, to having no idea what to do with all our extra income. We initially setup a meeting to create a financial plan that would point us in the right direction. However, after that first meeting we were so impressed that we decided to work with him on an ongoing basis. This turned out to be one of the best decisions of our young financial lives. Shawn helped setup a financial plan that aligned with our goals (financial and personal). He helped us gain the focus we were lacking and now we are well on our way to a bright financial future. Being so young it was tough to find someone that would work with us, but Shawn was completely dedicated and never made us feel less important than others. We truly appreciate all the help he has been able to provide us. read more

Shawn is a great financial planner and I would highly recommend him. We were recommended to Shawn through some mutual friends and I am so glad we found him. Shawn definitely takes the time and puts in the effort to get to knows his clients beyond what they do for a living and what their financial goals are. He drives deep into your values, goals, upbringing etc to really understand how you feel about money and what will work best for you and your situation. it's more than just blanket statements and recommendations - they are personalized and tailored to what you need. Shawn is extremely intelligent, professional, and easy to talk to. Other financial planners we spoke to saw us just as a name to add to their client list while Shawn definitely looks out for you and provides some great recommendation. He has educated us on some online banking options with a high interest rate, helped maximize our 401k contributions, provided a plan to tackle student loans and even helped us adjust our car insurance to make sure we had the best policy without paying much more per month. If you are looking for a solid financial planner, Shawn is your guy! read more

I HIGHLY recommend Shawn. We first reached out to him for advice on selling some RSU's my husband had through work. We ended up doing a complete financial assessment, and it was 100% worth the money. He went through all of our financials from life insurance to auto insurance to retirement plans and helped up get on track with everything. In just a few months we converted to a new life insurance policy, which will save us thousands of dollars, increased our net worth and credit scores, set up a living trust, began saving for our childrens' college funds, rebalanced our retirement plans, and set up Roth IRA's. Shawn is always prepared and on-time for every meeting and follows up with notes that are easy to read and follow. His list of action items with in-depth details streamlines every task, which saves time and headaches. He promptly answers all questions, no matter how small or annoying it may be. He's also incredibly friendly and actually fun to talk to making financial planning meetings something that I look forward to. I feel less stressed and happier knowing we are on track with our financial and life goals. Thank you, Shawn! read more

Working with Shawn and his team was an enlightening experience. Shawn was highly dedicated to helping us understand our finances as well as his proposed strategy for our financial planning. We feel that we learnt a lifetime of financial planning in just one year. We highly recommend BPFP. Thank you, Shawn & Team! read more

Shawn put me completely at ease sharing personal and financial information, and gave customized advice that was both practical and approachable (even for someone who is scared of words like "finance"). Shawn was very generous with his time, and provided thorough follow-up after our session. I would recommend Shawn to anyone who needs support in managing their personal finances, particularly those who are seeking guidance for the first time and require a bit of hand-holding. read more

Ballast Point has helped me get "on point" with my finances! It's only been a few short months, but Shawn and team have already had a huge impact on my finances. For the first time in my adult life I feel like I have a firm grasp and plan around my financial future. I'm more confident, motivated and empowered than ever before. Their guidance around structuring my savings accounts have saved me in the midst of recent last minute expenses. It's a relief to know that I have the money stored away for specific events so that it doesn't impact my day-to-day. My student loan situation is also light years from where it was and I now have a clear path to be debt free in 3 years (I was previously on a 10 year plan). If you're looking to be in the driving seat of when and where your money goes, look no further. Ballast Point is for you! read more

I've been working with Shawn now for a few months and have already found his advice extremely helpful in allowing me to work towards my personal and financial goals. On top of that he is just a genuine person and someone i feel really comfortable talking to about money and goals read more

Shawn & Liz helped us out with getting our finances in order during what was probably the most stressful couple years of our lives. After having 2 kids only a year apart, and needing to decide between a major home remodel, buying a home, or moving out of state, we were overwhelmed and paralyzed with financial indecision. We originally hired them just to help us decide whether to remodel or move. Naively, I actually thought we were pretty good with finances, before working with Shawn & Liz. We had a trust set up as soon as we had kids; we had our money in a high yield online savings account, and I work in the insurance industry so I thought our insurance was in order. Boy was I wrong! They helped us to maximize our money, showed us where we were over or under insured, and helped us reorganize our retirement accounts & education accounts for lower fees & taxes. They also provided some much needed reassurance along the way; it was great being able to email them questions anytime I got a new retirement investment option at work, getting reminders from them on how to do the Roth conversions, even asking questions about salary negotiations when I was searching for a job, etc. They also helped us fix up our tax withholdings for years with a lot of stock sales, to avoid penalties. I definitely recommend checking out the BFP team if you need some financial help (or even if you think you don't -- you probably do!) read more

Shawn was so great to work with! As a finance beginner, I was nervous about the process of better understanding my finances and planning for the future. Shawn was patient and explained things in a way that made me feel confident. Highly recommend if you are looking for someone well informed and personable! read more

I usually attend seminars to learn about financial planning. I thought I was good at savings until I attended a seminar given by Shawn. Shawn is good at what he does. So decided to consult Shawn and his team to know more about personal finance. That's when we met Liz. We had an initial discovery meeting where we went through our balance sheet (something I learnt new :) ). With the consecutive meeting, we had aligned goals and discussed ways to achieve those. Few of the goals worth mentioning are a roadmap for short and long term investing, protecting assets, being debt-free and children's education. Liz had the breadth to discuss any finance topics and was always available to answer emails. Gabriella helped coordinate the entire flow and ensured the meetings were seamless. We were always treated as a family and were sent surprise gifts for special occasions. They are an absolute delight to work with. Strongly recommend. read more

Working with Ballast Point has been a great experience. I came to Shawn with a number of questions and concerns. He put me at ease and has become a coach of sorts-- I feel lucky to have him in my court. Now, I'm far more excited to think about my financial future, which is a very empowering experience. I recommend Ballast Point for anyone looking for personalized, knowledgeable support based on your goals and values. Thanks, Shawn! read more

My wife and I were both working crazy hours and have never been able to get our financials straight or our savings for retirement. Shawn has been a life saver, and brought instant structure and a plan. He also holds you accountable, but in a nice way, which is exactly what we needed. He helped us raise our credit score by over a 100 points in a few months! I highly recommend Shawn to my friends and to anyone who wants a knowledge partner to help guide them in their financial future. read more

Shawn was very helpful and efficient with making sure you feel financially comfortable! He was very attentive and ensured I understood the purpose of each thing we did. As soon as we started working together, my stress level went from 100 to 0. Thanks to all his help, I am in a very ideal financial situation and I feel more confident on managing on my own. Highly recommend! read more

Shawn is extremely knowledgeable and has taught my husband and I a number of financial tips that have helped us optimize our finances. We were originally skeptical about committing to spending money on a monthly basis, but it's been well worth the money as he's really kept us on track and has saved us a great deal of time and money. In fact, Shawn has really paid for himself in multiple ways by bringing new tax saving ideas to the table each meeting. He also saved us so much time sifting through all of the info out there re: our 529, and helping us choose the right investments for our 401k. In summary, Shawn has simplified what many others have made complicated. read more

I recently completed an hour long consultation with Shawn and really enjoyed the experience. I've worked with financial advisers quite a bit, both in my personal and professional life, but what I enjoyed about working with Shawn is that I felt he had an extremely clear understanding of my financial situation, both because of his experience and the fact that he is an MBA. For someone like myself - looking at balancing debt repayment, savings for major life decisions, potential homeownership and a new salary increase - there are so many different things to consider. I felt far more assured in the advice because I know that Shawn has successfully navigated these challenges. read more