I’m 100% fee-only. That means:

• No commissions.

• No kickbacks.

• No hidden incentives.

You pay for advice and nothing else.

A quick devil’s advocate take on fee-only:

Fee-only planners usually cost more upfront than commission-based advisors. But the tradeoff is clear: unbiased advice with no surprise incentives.

I focus on what we can control: costs, diversification, risk, and behavior. I don’t try to beat the market through stock picking. Instead, I help you build a portfolio that fits your life.

Core Principles:

1. There’s No Free Lunch
   Every investment carries risk, including “safe” ones. Markets are unpredictable, and returns aren’t guaranteed.

2. Markets Are Efficient (But Not Always Rational)
   Prices reflect collective beliefs—even when those beliefs are wrong. Timing the market is hard, and most people don’t beat it long-term.

3. Diversify
   Owning a globally diversified portfolio helps you avoid betting too much on any one thing.

4. Right-Size Risk
   Risk tolerance is personal. Your portfolio should match your timeline, needs, and emotional bandwidth.

5. Emotions Matter
   Fear and greed can derail even a sound plan. I help clients stay grounded through the ups and downs.

6. Fees and Taxes Matter
   High-fee, high-turnover strategies often underperform. A low-cost, tax-efficient strategy can save you thousands over time.

Often, chaos is exactly when you need clarity most. Financial planning works best when you have enough mental space to engage, but it doesn't require your life to be perfectly calm first.

For Financial Planning, we'll meet intensively for the first 3 months to build your foundation, then settle into a rhythm that works for you.

For Leaving the Public Sector, we meet just twice over 3-4 weeks. If you can carve out 90 minutes total and gather some documents, we can do this.

Choose Financial Planning if you want a comprehensive plan and the option for a long-term partnership for all your financial decisions.

Choose Leaving the Public Sector if you're facing one specific career decision and need clarity fast.

Still not sure? Book a free intro call and we'll figure it out together.

Financial planning brings clarity and momentum to your money.

Money advice is everywhere, but figuring out what actually works for you is the hard part.

Financial planning helps cut through the noise. We start with your goals, values, habits, and hopes, then build a plan that fits your life, not someone else’s idea of what you should do.

When your plan reflects who you are, it’s easier to stay grounded and confident, even when life throws you curveballs.

You wouldn’t be the first or the fiftieth.

Getting financially naked can feel even more vulnerable than getting physically naked, and honestly, I get it.

I’ve worked with people from all walks of life. Nothing shocks me, and judgment is never on the table. Whether you’re a high achiever with no retirement savings or someone still learning how to invest, it’s okay. You’re not alone.

You absolutely should use those resources! They’re excellent for understanding the mechanics of your benefits.

But when your questions involve multiple moving parts like taxes, investments, or career decisions outside the public sector, it helps to have a thought partner.

CalPERS and CalSTRS resources are great for:

• “What is my retirement formula?”

• “How much will it cost to buy back service credit?”

• “What form do I need to file to return to work after retirement?”

But they’re not built to handle:

• “Should I buy back service credit—or would that money be better used elsewhere?”

• “I’m thinking of leaving public service—how does that change my long-term picture?”

• “I have a child with special needs, and I’m considering a private sector job that offers remote work. What are the trade-offs?”

• “Can my partner and I still retire comfortably and save for college if I go part-time to save on childcare costs?”

My role is to connect the dots between your pension, your goals, and your full financial picture.

Totally understandable. When we talk about money, we’re really talking about how we spend our time, energy, and resources—and that can feel deeply personal and vulnerable, especially with someone you’ve just met.

My role is to support, not judge. I'll follow your lead on how much you want to share, and we'll build trust at whatever pace feels right for you.

When people show up as their authentic selves, we get to the heart of the personal in personal finance. I’ve had honest money conversations with people living lives that don’t fit the mold:

• You’re neurodivergent and cannot handle another Zoom with the cameras on—or find it tough to take notes and answer questions at the same time. Totally fine. We’ll keep the cameras off and I’ll follow up with a clear checklist of action items.

• You’re (somewhat reluctantly) managing the household budget and planning to buy a home with two nesting partners. We’ll work out a spending plan that feels fair for everyone - with lots of open communication (the honorary master’s degree of all poly folks).

• Your “garage gym” is actually a garage dungeon, and you host community play events. I won’t bat an eye—unless you tell me you don’t have liability insurance for those “workouts.”

People who care as much about values as they do about numbers, and who want to bring their full, authentic selves to financial planning.

I especially enjoy working with:

• Public sector employees, especially California public employees (current and former)

• LGBTQIA+ individuals and families

• Neurodivergent folks who want a planning process that honors how you think and organize

• People in non-traditional family structures

• Anyone building a financial life aligned with their values and community

I work with these clients through either ongoing partnerships or, as a career changer out of the public sector myself, through a two session focused consultation.

If traditional financial advice never quite fit you, this practice was built with you in mind.

If you're looking for someone to pick hot stocks or time the market, I'm not your person. I focus on optimizing your complete financial picture, not chasing maximum returns.

This means sometimes investing more upfront in insurance or emergency funds, or prioritizing steady growth over speculative bets like the next Apple.

My approach centers on long-term strategy and the full picture, including those quiet but critical elements that protect and preserve your wealth over time.

I also do not prepare taxes or provide bookkeeping services, although I know some lovely people who do and I would be happy to refer you to them!

I specialize in CalPERS and CalSTRS, but the framework applies to other public sector pensions.

I've worked with people in the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) and the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) of Texas. If you’re in a different pension system, let's talk; I can likely still help.

To the best of my abilities (an interpretative dance of the financial markets is sadly not in my skill set), I want to meet you where you're at—especially when it comes to how we communicate.

Here are some options clients have chosen:

• Phone call

• Video call with cameras off

• Prefer chat over speaking on video calls

• Periodic stretch or movement breaks

• Extra processing time after questions

• Shorter focus sessions (e.g., two 30-minute meetings instead of one hour)

• Using a stim toy during the call

• Using closed captions

You can share preferences when booking or anytime afterward—we’ll adapt together.

For a more in depth-list, check out my post here: https://www.kiteandcompassfp.com/insights/financial-planning-made-neurodivergent-friendly

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® provides coordinated strategies across all areas of your finances, primarily investments, taxes, insurance, and estate planning.

AFC®s (Accredited Financial Counselor) educate and counsel clients to make better money decisions, build healthy financial habits, and understand core financial principals.

Both designations hold practitioners to the highest ethical standard of a fiduciary, meaning we commit to serving a client’s best interest at all times.

You work directly with me, which will never change so long as we have an advisory relationship. I'm an Investment Adviser Representative (IAR) of Core Planning LLC, which simply means they're the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides the regulatory and operational structure I work within.

What does that actually mean for you?

It means you get the best of both worlds: a personal relationship with me, plus the infrastructure of a solid firm behind the scenes.

Core Planning LLC handles the majority of back-office work: compliance, paperwork, and all the operational systems that keep things running smoothly. That frees me to focus on you.

What I love about this partnership is the co-op community. I have access to a deep bench of other experienced advisors I can tap when a second set of eyes would be beneficial. It's a collaborative community and I retain full independence in how I work with clients. (You can read more about Core Planning LLC's model here.)

The most important part:
Core Planning LLC and I have an agreement that ensures your relationship stays with me. If I ever move to a different RIA or start my own, you can move with me seamlessly. Nothing about our business structure ties you to Core Planning LLC.