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.

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.

This financial advising service is excellent. No sales pitches, commissions, or hidden fees. It's…read morejust what the name says: Advice Only. The staff is intelligent, knowledgeable, articulate and scrupulously secure, keeping your data private and confidential. If you need to plan for retirement, decide if real estate or the stock market is right for you, or arrange for a comfortable financial future balanced with what you find to be important in life, they can set you up to meet your goals. No agenda other than getting you the advice you need, no judgement, and very reasonably priced. Will pay for itself many times over.

From the owner: Advice Only Financial Advisors provides fiduciary financial planning using the Advice-Only™…read moreMethodology. Clients pay directly for advice—we do not sell financial products, earn commissions, accept referral fees, or charge AUM fees during the planning engagement. The Advice-Only™ Methodology uses structural separation so financial advice is formed independently of implementation-linked incentives. Based in Corte Madera, California, we serve clients locally and nationwide through virtual engagements. We provide comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning, investment guidance, insurance analysis, and second opinions through a planning process designed to keep implementation separate from advice formation. Most clients begin with a paid consultation to clarify priorities, evaluate options, and determine the appropriate scope of engagement.

Fantastic service!…read more We'd been searching for a financial professional for a while now and was very surprised when we could book a one-on-one free consultation with Ms. Teh the very next day. We detailed our plans to her, she gave us her professional opinion and gave us homework to do. She was pleasant, communicative and obviously knew her profession. We'll be using her in future for sure!

I have met with Christine Teh three times now. As a math teacher and professional, I have always…read morefelt a bit of shame and embarrassment about not being able to get a handle on taxes and finances. Christine was so encouraging. She took the mystery out of all the mess and gave me the confidence to take ownership of my finances. I always felt safe to ask any question, and she always answered in a way I could understand. This coaching experience has been life-changing! I cannot speak highly enough of Christine Teh and the invaluable financial guidance she has provided.

Ok so Beth actually makes finances peaceful and fun. I did not think that was possible. She helped…read moreme with my taxes last year (of course I waited till the last minute) and the entire time it was like we were playing a sparkly-fun video game. You know how it is when a subject you normally suck in becomes clear to you? That is what Beth facilitated for me. And she's humble and sweet. Can't beat it! She's also wants the best solution for you. Even though she is a GREAT advisor and when I have the money, I will totally spend it on sessions with her, I was reluctant to drop the money at this juncture for some financial help because I'm in the red... so she made a few suggestions that saved me a lot of money. She's the best!

I met Beth a few years ago when I first purchased a business and I had never been a business owner…read morebefore. She helped me to wrap my head around business finances, how to determine my budget, flushed out what was important to me to prioritize and pointed out that I am my most important employee! Then a year later I participated in one of her group sessions and I got a lot out of that as well. She has many ways of helping people with their finances to meet people where they are in their process. Last year she sent out one of her regular newsletters and she issued a challenge to set a goal for the year. I took that seriously and followed through on my goal of setting a specific budget and working my budget. That helped me imensely to go from an unprofitable year to a profitable one. Beth has made my life better!

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.

I had a 15-minute introductory consultation with Gary, and I cannot recommend him enough. As a…read morefirst-time small business owner, I was completely overwhelmed by the whole sole proprietorship transition. Gary was incredibly patient, helping me navigate my confusion regarding 'cash basis' accounting and clarifying why my specific contracted work resulted in a W-2 rather than a 1099. ​What impressed me most was his honesty; he explained that my current tax situation is simple enough to handle via software and encouraged me to save money by filing myself this year. He even provided AI-generated notes from our call so I could stay present in the conversation instead of scribbling notes. If you want a CPA who is knowledgeable, tech-savvy, and has high integrity, Gary is your guy

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.

Faruk is a fantastic guy. I feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with him. He has been great…read moreat setting up our investments to be positioned well, even when the market is volatile. He has consistently grown my investments since working with him (not by single digit percentages either). He is very attentive and always takes the time to explain goals/positions clearly. Faruk is also very friendly, approachable, and genuinely cares about my financial goals. I trust his judgment and appreciate his proactive approach. I highly recommend him!

Charles Schwab national is still competitive with other brokerage services, but its employees in…read moreCorte Madera, CA are both "stressed out and completely inefficient and sometimes largely incompetent" both in person and by other communications in the eyes of account holders with approx. $10 million in accounts.

Kind, friendly, efficient and clean space. Look forward to doing long term business with them!read more

If there was a negative 5 star rating I would choose it. Only selecting one star because it is…read morerequired in order to post this. I completely agree with Susan D's post, from Nov 1, 2022. These people are wolves in sheeps clothing, money hungry and could care less about their clients; I don't trust them at all. On the surface they dress and appear humble, however, they do literally have many years of Theatre experience, so, they put on a great act. They spend time during working hours creating and enacting dramatic scenes to test and abuse selected employees. For example, one pretended to be having a heart attack to see if she would get help. Another entered the office loudly stating she was so upset due to her blind, deaf sister being abused by the husband and spent the entire day loudly speaking about it so that everyone could hear then selected an employee to find out what she should do about it. This is usually done in front of the business owners and is complete allowed. It would have been better to spend that time actually helping the paying clients instead.

I have been working with Marchi Smith and Levin for the past 5 years because I have a client in my…read morefacility who uses them as her fiduciary. They are very easy to work with, very professional and take really good care of their clients. I have been working with Jennifer and she has been easy to work with. She is very involved with her client and very prompt in responding with everything she needs. I have worked with other companies for my clients but this company has been the best so far. David Levin has also been a pleasure to work with. I would recommend working with this law firm.

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!