David Rae is not only my Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Investment Fiduciary, and has been for over 6 years, we are members of the same BNI networking chapter. which he founded. I would also point out that the majority of our members are his clients, which, in its self, is a sterling recommendation. He calls himself the "Fun Financial Planner," and that he is, but he is also a charming, kind and considerate human being who cares very much about each one of his clients and their financial future. If you're looking for someone you can talk to and who will listen and give you the kind of advice that you can understand and count on, then you should look no further than DRM Wealth Management LLC -- David's company. read more

I worked for a University where I took advantage of the auto-savings 403(b) account. When I left campus life to start a home-based business I rolled my small savings into an IRA with another financial advisor who wouldn't return calls when I noticed my tiny IRA going into the toilet. In July of this year I turned my IRA over to David Rae, and also set-up a savings plan and I'm happy to report an 8% return in just a few short months. This guy knows what he's doing. As a result of my phone meeting with him today I'm going to open another savings account to grow my Queendom to even greater heights! David Rae tells me that my interests (literally and figuratively!) are his interests and I believe him. My net worth has increased because of his financial acumen, and my trust for his good work continues to grow as well. read more

When I relocated to LA about 2 years ago, I began looking for a new financial planner. I knew I didn't want to be with just a random person at a big commercial institution. I was looking for someone younger and more relatable, yet still experienced and trustworthy. I'm not stupid, but investing has never come naturally to me and I have always found it overwhelming. I needed someone who could simply explain where my money was going, make safe recommendations, and answer all of my questions without being condescending. I was also looking for someone to help me get on the right track toward buying my first home. I finally found David based on a recommendation from a friend, and I am happy to say he is all of the above. Great guy, easy to talk to, understands show business (I'm an actor) and answers all of my questions immediately after I ask them. (In fact he just answered one of my emails on a Friday night WHILE he was on vacation, how much more dedication could you ask for?) I'm newer to investing, my portfolio is not expansive, and David has never pressured me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with. All of the advice he has given me thus far has been solid and in MY best interest, not his. I really look forward to growing my finances with him, and I feel confident that he can get me to where I want to be in the future. read more

David helped me put together a financial road map to get on track for my financial goals, including buying my first house, which I'm really looking forward to! It's great to have a goto person for any financial questions that may come up along the way. I feel confident David can help get from where I am now to where I want to be . David is a Fiduciary and a Certified Financial Planner which I keep hearing from people is not always the case. read more

David Rae knows how to invest your money to make you money in alignment with your life goals. He is paving my way to a secure future. I'm so grateful for his highly insightful effective capabilities as a wealth management fiduciary with a unique understanding of the needs of our LGBTQ community. He makes investing fun... is a pleasure to work with... and is very good at what he does! read more

David is a very pleasant person and is extremely professional however I believe he is not a fiduciary planner and significantly lacks sophistication in his expertise as an investment planner. He invests in funds that he receives commission on without discussing benefits of these funds or these commissions with his clients. This maybe acceptable for some completely "hands-off" investors but I believe clients deserve much more than just standard opening of a contributory total market fund and a life insurance policy. The fees for these very basic services I believe I very high and do not include commissions that he makes for investing IRA accounts which could be nearly 1.5%. David did not communicate with me unless I emailed or called with a question. His answers to my questions lacked depth or direction. Like with any financial advisor be extremely cautious, educate yourself ask the right questions, and better yet do the basic investment and life insurance on your own avoiding wasting your hard-earned money on unnecessary and outrageously expensive guidance. The reason I gave David 2 starts as opposed to 1 is his extremely pleasant demeanor and that he actually wants to see a complete summary of your financial situation on paper before he meets with you which could be an extremely beneficial exercise for someone who shuns finances (all too common offense). read more

When my wife and I were looking for a financial planner, I came across David's profile and these positive Yelp reviews so we jumped into the process. While he is very friendly and easy to get along with, our experience was a big disappointment compared to the others who've spoken out here. Our first appointment was pleasant and we went through our complete financial situation - we had moved to LA from Canada two years before the meeting and had a blend of products/investments that we needed advice on how to migrate to the US in the best way possible. We also needed advice on how to maximize our current situation to build credit and optimize spending/investments. We built a spreadsheet with all the information and brought that to the meeting. We received some vague direction on leaving the majority of our money in Canada and set aside a monthly amount to invest in a portfolio with David. We paid a $1,800 fee upfront for the year and went on our way, excited about where this would take us and hopeful that we would finally have access to sound financial advice and guidance. Over the course of the next year, we did not receive monthly consultations, advice or anything of substance relating to spending habits or opportunities to refine our situation. There were a number of life/professional moments where no advice was provided to assess the financial plan beyond stopping our monthly saving contribution completely during more challenging times. Near the end of our first year, the financial investment strategy that David developed earned a very small amount, drastically lower than if we would've kept the money in a simple savings account from a financial institution. When discussing our disappointment in how the first year went, David advised that the initial $1,800 fee was for a one time planning session; had I known that one session with a singular takeaway around putting x into his investment portfolio every month was all we were getting for $1,800, I would've walked out in our first meeting and taken our money to a standard institution. There are dozens of online systems like Mint who can provide a substantial amount of information on spending habits and advice on how to maximize your situation. Only when prompted at the end of the year, did David provide a very brief analysis of our financial landscape, once again on spreadsheets that we did 95% of the work to build. For someone who seemingly builds a business based on personal relationships, one on one support and customized plans, we felt zero love and actually lost money through this experience. I am sure there are plenty of people who've found their experience beneficial, and perhaps we had higher expectations based on these reviews but in the end, we were really discouraged and disappointed at the value we don't feel we received for what was a very large investment for us. read more

David Rae is a well versed, highly knowledgeable financial planner who truly takes care of his clients financial needs! I highly recommend him to family and friends. He is the go to source for me as I have referred him to my clients or for anyone looking for the best return on their financial plan. read more

Extremely knowledgeable and explains all my questions in an easy to understand manner. I am confident that he only has my and my husbands needs and long term financial goals in mind when dealing with our future. read more

Just hired David Rae to plan my retirement and life insurance accounts. We are rolling over my 401k and my life insurance. I have never felt so taken care of when it comes to my financial future. He has me feel safe, comfortable and I know he is in my corner vs feeling like a number like I did before. read more

David is great! He took the reins and is guiding me to a future retirement I would not have been able to accomplish alone. He took into account my whole situation and planned out what best suits my needs. He's a cheerleader as goals are accomplished, and helps keep things in perspective too. I trust his judgment, and I appreciate his passion for financial planning and for sharing his knowledge with others via the internet and television. He's honest and fun to work with, and if you're serious about creating the future of your dreams, he'll certainly help you make them become a reality. read more

David is a well-rounded CFP and individual. All of my accounts were set up with minimum difficulty, were expertly explained to me and are well-managed. He's rolled with both my ups and downs, always realistically evaluating my current finances and making recommendations to reach my goals, but still live a fun life that doesn't pinch every penny! Unless that's what you want, and then he'll ride you! Speaking of rides, he's raised countless thousands for the AIDS Ride over many years and possesses a philanthropic heart. read more

I've known David Rae for many years and trust his financial planning expertise so much that I referred my brother and others to him. He has been a go-to resource for me on finance issues. Go to David to assure security in your financial future. read more

I found David in a very non traditional manner for a CPA....I might be located in another part of the country then David but I have read all of the articles that he has contributed to and learned something from each and every article...If he can be this inspiring in written form I can only imagine what he is like in person. I have talked to him on the phone and can tell he has a strong desire to help people and if your looking for a CFP you should consider David as I can tell he works his hardest to see that your money works its hardest for you. Steven read more

David is the best...he is trustworthy, professional, knowledgeable and easy to work with...most important he truly has your best financial interests in mind. He is quick to respond with answers and you can always count on getting the best advice. The wealth management dashboard provided with his services is an excellent tool to keep you informed of your overall financial picture. We highly recommend him as a top choice for financial management & success. read more

When parts of DOMA were overturned I wanted to know how it affected my husband and I, who were considered married in California but not on the Federal level. David was a teammate of mine from a fundraiser and I knew he did Financial Planning and reached out. This turned out to be one of the best financial decisions I have ever made. I thought it would affect us solely from that day forward, but David knew that we could also amend some returns from the past. David let me know that I could amend the last 3 years of Federal tax returns to change my status from Single to Married Filing Jointly. I had no idea! This was not in the media at all! So I amended the returns and what a windfall! It netted us over $10K in refunds. I was always bitter about having to pay so much federal tax when straight married folks did not but felt powerless. David helped me find our power! I can't recommend David enough. He was there every step of the way answering any questions I could come up with. Just a fantastic experience all around. Incredible! read more

David has always been a great advisor for me over the years and most recently has helped with my 401(k) to ensure I'm maximizing its potential. He's quick to respond and very professional. I know I can always reach out for help and know I'm getting the best advise out there. read more

Superb. I've been working with financial planner David Rae for about a year now and am continually impressed with his depth of knowledge, professional conscientiousness, complete trustworthiness and excellent people skills. His no-nonsense approach of setting long term goals-and clearly explaining the how and why-is a sure fire stress reliever too no matter what the market happens to be doing on a given day. (I've called him in a panic more than once. His common sense advice is better than Xanax.) I'm not going to go so far as to say financial planning is fun but I can say that David makes the whole process constructive, inspiring and encouraging. read more

Talking about money isn't always easy, but David is knowledgeable and always seems to have a way of making us laugh and not at the sorry state of our finances because that is one of the things that brings a smile to our faces. David knows how to help us put our hard earned money to work for us so we can live a bigger and better life. read more

I'm so glad I found David Rae to help me with my financial planning needs he is really great and informative and don't know what I would do with out him! Thank you David now help me retire early!! read more

I am surprised by all the positive reviews here. My experience was very different. I contacted David to ask for help with my existing IRA, and we made an appointment. He arrived with a ton of paperwork for transferring all of my assets to a different brokerage firm. I was taken aback because there had been NO prior discussion of anything like this, and I knew nothing about the company he was recommending -- hadn't even heard of it. Nor did he explain anything about them or discuss his recommendations, before just putting the paperwork in front of me to sign. I asked a bunch of questions before signing, one of which is whether he gets a commission from these firms (in addition to the flat fee I paid up front). His answer was no. I went ahead and signed the forms and transferred all assets to these 2 new companies, against my better judgment. Lo and behold, I learned that he does indeed get a commission in the form of a "Financial Professional Fee" from at least one of the brokerage firms. (That's what my statement says, anyway. It names him specifically as the recipient of this fee.) David also pretty much "guaranteed" a certain percentage annual return from the investments that would be selected by these companies, but one year later, the return is significantly lower than what he had guaranteed. In addition, during that year, there was virtually no contact from him except for a few random messages about articles he'd written, interviews he'd given, etc. I had been led to believe that he would be contact me pretty regularly to make recommendations about investment changes. He was always very sweet and reassuring when I contacted him, but in the end, the management aspect was sorely lacking. I really liked David as a person, and he is obviously good at marketing and publicizing his services, but his communication about things that are extremely important was pretty bad, and I don't believe he has yet developed the level of expertise or wisdom that one needs for financial planning. read more