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!

This bank has such a friendly and cozy atmosphere. I've been banking here for years, and every…read morevisit has been a positive experience. I'm always helped quickly and efficiently, and the staff is consistently knowledgeable, kind, and welcoming. I know there are some negative reviews, but from my own experience, they don't reflect the service I've received. I used to work in retail, so I understand that customer service employees are human too and that everyone can have an off day. Because of that, I try to be open-minded and understanding whenever I visit any business. This branch has always treated me with respect, and I truly appreciate the great service they provide. At the end of the day, respect and kindness are free, and I think they go a long way for both customers and employees.

Drive up to BMO saw this cool man in a motorcycle. He was playing real nice music. He was chilling…read moreand enjoying life. Security was the normal security. But, he was ok! So yeah, I'm enjoying watching movies on my iPad. I'm gonna head in and take care of business!

We've been using Edward for several years, so this review is long overdue. He handle's our S-Corp…read moretaxes every year. We've been in business for almost 15 years in Berkeley and are so happy we've finally found Signature CPAs. Edward is not only knowledgeable, but takes the time to explain any questions we have. The advice he has to offer is excellent. His attention to detail is 11/10. We've been with several other CPAs over the years (why is it so hard to find a good one?!). Edward gets it, and gets it done quickly! Highly, highly recommend. Thank you Sig CPAs!!

This review specifically pertains to Cecily. I was not happy with the service I received recently…read morewhen I went in seeking advice on a letter I received from the IRS. Despite the fact that Cecily provided some useful information (hence the 2 and not 1 star review), her attitude and personality was abrupt and, some might say, hostile. I was stressed about the letter, and rather than try to put me to ease and reflect an attitude that "we would be able to figure it out," she was very aggressive and demanding in her questioning. I felt like I was being interrogated and this was not AT ALL what I wanted or needed as someone who was relatively new at filing my taxes and receiving my first letter from the IRS. She honestly had zero bedside manner and even if I had made a completely egregious error on my filing, I did not feel as though her approach was appropriate or skilled in any way. It's very possible that I misread Cecily and that she was trying to be helpful and this was her way of doing that but I honestly think she might want to know that her clients may very well have this reaction to her given that she likely deals with a large client base. To be fair, I will say that I was with my Fiancé during the meeting and she did not have the same intensely negative reaction as me, however I usually do not feel this way after receiving face-to-face services and therefor feel compelled to write this review. I was also not prepared for the $135 she charged me for a 22 minute meeting. She was not up front about this prior to the meeting when I spoke with her over the phone. I understand now that this is her consultation fee but was confused because I know that places like H&R Block meet for free in advance of services agreed upon during the consultation. This was the worst customer service I have received in a very long time.

Professional and Reliable Property Management I have been…read moreworking with The Cal Agents since 2025 to manage my house rental in the Bay Area, and it has been a consistently positive experience. Key Highlights: 1. Exceptional Team: I've had the pleasure of working with Wilsen, Ahyeza, Chris, Patricia, Jana, Fiona, Nikki, and Ramiro. They are professional, attentive, and easy to collaborate with. 2. Problem Solvers: One of their greatest strengths is that they never shy away from a hard problem. Whether it's a maintenance issue or a tenant concern, they tackle it head-on with a level of responsiveness that is hard to find. 3. Trusted Partnership: When you are looking for a partner to manage an investment property, creating an empathetic and caring relationship with the tenants is the most important factor. They have proven themselves to be reliable stewards of my property. Pro-Tip for Owners: Because they manage a diverse portfolio of both condos and houses, I found that providing clear context on my specific expectations for house-level marketing and maintenance from the start created a great feedback loop. Their receptiveness to this high level of communication is exactly why our partnership works so well; it ensures everyone is aligned from day one. Overall: If you need a team that is responsive and capable of handling the complexities of the Bay Area rental market, I highly recommend The Cal Agents.

Really enjoyed the professional way of working with Fiona and Ramiro from Cal Agents and the care…read morethey took -- Used Cal Agents on a house in Oakland.

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.

Pedram has been my property manager for a duplex and 8 units in Berkeley for years. He is…read moreknowledgeable and efficient. His fees are very reasonable. for the past years, I rarely have any issue with tenants or repairs. if you are looking for property manager in Berkeley/Oakland area, he is an expert.

SLUMLORD. Would give zero stars if possible…read more From the moment I moved into that apartment I realized I was in a slumlord situation. When I arrived on January 19th there was no working heat and it was in the 40s at night. I was provided with a very small space heater by the "property manager" (that term feels like a big stretch) and I was absolutely freezing all night. The only reason I didn't go to a hotel was because I had just driven for 5 days straight and was literally too exhausted. Additionally, the apartment was ABSOLUTELY FILTHY (I have photos to back this up). The apartment was vacant for months so it is unclear how they did not have time to check the heat or do a basic cleaning. When I complained, Pedram gave me a credit of like $70 for both those issues which is wild as a cleaning service and a hotel stay would easily total $500. Pathetic. I knew I was in for some bullsh*t based on this. From this point on, every time something broke or needed to be fixed, and there were a lot of things that were broken UPON MOVE IN (again, this place was empty and could have been repaired beforehand), Pedram ignored my service requests in the app and my emails. I fixed things with my own time and energy and had to hound him to be reimbursed for the supplies. The whole point of renting is so that I don't have to fix things. I literally had to have a friend fix my leaking kitchen sink because the person who "fixed" it initially didn't actually fix it and Pedram would not respond to my emails at all. I begged him for help. In addition to my actual unit being terrible, the general condition of the property was abhorrent. Overgrown weeds and bushes, filthy walkways that haven't been power washed in years, garbage all over the alley where the bins are, etc. It looked totally ghetto and therefore, people treated it as such. Also, we were told with literally ZERO advanced warning that we would lose access to the washer/dryer for at least a month due to the construction project taking place in the back parking lot (earthquake retrofitting). So then I had to start taking my clothes to a laundromat which is hard to do as a professional working 50+ hr weeks. Additionally, Pedram told us we had to park our cars on the street for this project despite the workers only being there during business hours. There was no reason we had to park on the street at night, other than his negligence with regard to understanding the actual scope of the construction project. My car and several others suffered vandalism/damage due to being on the street. It was completely unnecessary, but he would have known that if he ever stepped foot onto that property or put even the smallest amount of effort into managing it. I finally had to threaten him with legal action to be allowed to break the lease, as I could not continue living in that hell hole. He will not return my security deposit and states he kept it as the lease break fee, which is of course illegal under California state law. So not only did I lose my 2k deposit, I have to pay 1k to fix my car and I paid another 1k for moving expenses. Still very seriously considering taking him to small claims court. I had a completely horrific experience at this place and I have no idea who would write a positive review. I spoke to numerous other residents who all had similar experiences and were completely frustrated and fed up. Pedram, you take advantage of people and you know it. Absolutely disgusting behavior. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You can say I'm disgruntled about the deposit or whatever you need to, to make yourself feel better, but we both know the truth.

I can't recommend Lilia and her financial classes enough. She's fabulous! She's caring, thorough…read moreand supportive. She really knows her stuff: long and short term investing and how the markets work. I made $6,000 in one day using an Options Earnings strategy I learned in her workshop. I first met Lilia through Albany Adult School. She was teaching 3 levels of finances. I learned all about the dow jones, technical analysis, different kinds of investments, tax planning, how ipo's work, and much more. She specializes in options trading. She left the adult school to open her own investment academy. She now teaches online. Check out her website: MoneyAndLilia.blogspot.com. There's info on her classes plus tons of links for other financial information. There's a lot to know in the world of finances, and it's easy to make mistakes... and to get taken advantage of! Remember Bernie Madoff?? I'm so glad I understand how money works. It's essential to know! Lilia is a high quality teacher. Don't miss an opportunity to learn from her.

From the owner: Lilia's Investing Academy offers online, private training in basic investing (in the stock market)…read moreand in options trading. With options, you can generate additional monthly income or protect your portfolio from a potential downturn in the stock market.