Union Financial Partners

Wife and I were looking for finacial planning (NOT investment strategies); things like can we buy a home, should we make early payments on our student loans…
After an initial meeting where we described the questions we wanted answers to and specifically stated we were not looking for investment advice, we met to see the results. What we got was a 50 page binder, of which 40 was investment info boilerplate (ie the difference between a roth and traditional ira) and 10 pages of charts/​tables that i could have done myself in excel in a couple of hours (what our retirement account would look like at a 6% return vs. 8% and other scenarios). We proceeded to throw the binder in recycling bin when we got home. The whole transaction was a total waste of time and money for us.
Based on other reviews and my experience, seems like Anne may be good at helping folks choose how to invest. I have no experience with that.
However, I’d avoid her entirely if you’re looking for someone who can look at the bigger picture and help you with family budgeting and financial planning.

For those who know little to NOTHING about financial matters or terms such as Large Cap, mid-​cap, which stocks to purchase, what and why bonds, mutual funds and the like… then we are in the same boat! SO HEAR ME OUT!!!
You have to see Ann Terranova! I saw her in September 2009 and she was absolutely amazing! I found her through Unilocal… yes, I use Unilocal often! And so far, I’m glad I listened to the reviews here! Ann was SO KIND, compassionate, understanding and knowledgeable… she was very patient as to sit down with me and explain my different options dependent upon the goals I have for myself… she was very cool about explaining all the terms (mind you I know LITTLE TO NOTHING about financial planning options-​stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CD’s.which one to use and why, etc.) and was patient with me… making sure that I understood everything. She not only explained all of this to me, but she provided lots of information and reading material for me so I can take it home and also read it myself in detail. And, every month I receive monthly updates on the status of my accounts in detail so I know what is going on with finances… I dont worry about where it is or whats going on, because I get updates monthly… and when I have a question for Ann (as I often do… lol!), I email her and she’s always been absolutely efficient about replying back to me and/​or making an appointment with me if needed. Since I’ve met with Ann, I’ve had less worry about my finances, as she helped to co-​create with me, my financial planning that best serves my goals and needs. Thank you Ann!
Hearing her story and how she came about in this business shows her passion for her work, dedication, comnpassion to her clients and drive to best serve and help people achieve their financial goals. Honestly, I had contacted about ten financial planners explaining my situation and requesting an appointment to meet with one so I can get help as to how I can get assistance for financial planning… and honestly NO ONE contacted me back. and these were places like ING, Charles Schwab and other big wig companies. Coming from a person who is just really starting out to develop a smart, good plan for my financial success… I was eager to meet with a financial planner and Ann was the only one who contacted me back and replied. I’m grateful for her help and glad to have met her…
Anyone who wants an honest, up front, compassionate person who really does care about the needs and wants of her clients… who is there to truly help people achieve their financial goals… you need to see Ann… initially, I was SOOOOO NERVOUS about meeting with her because of my intimidation of the financial world and my ignorance of it all… but she truly made me feel welcome and comfortable…
Thank you Ann so much!!!

I have known Ann Terranova for several years and have a background in financial planning myself. I have listened to her conference calls and read her newsletters and know that she has integrity and concern for her clients. She has clients ranging from the beginning investor to the mature to small companies retirement plans. She and her team diligently care for all their clients responsibly and ethically.

If you are looking for finacial planning in the San Francisco area, I would strongly recommend Ann Terranova at Union Financial Partners. I have been a client of Ann for many years and I have always thought her to be professional, honest, caring, and most importantly, having a level of integrity far above all expectations.
Recently Ann has started a series of teleconferences which are participatory for call-​ins on Wednesdays and are recorded and available on the website
. I like these talks because they clue me into what is happening in these bad economic times with good information and a kind of personal perspective.
Ann’s investment strategy is based on fund investment in contrast to other «active» investment agencies that spend a lot of resources to outsmart the stock market, get questionable results, and charge you for the analysis. I always felt that stock market analysis is like predicting the outcome of a coin toss tournament but maybe you feel otherwise.
After an initial interview, I collected all my information. I didn’t feel like I had been dumped on to do all the work. Ann helped. She contacted my family accountant for some of the more sticky issues including shared out-​of-​state properties. I’m not very money savvy but Ann never made me feel dumb. She knows I have talents in other areas.
At the end she presented me with a surprisingly large binder with her financial assessment. I was very impressed. Sure there was some generic information. But most of the assessment was about me; my properties, my financials, my salary, my goals, my risks, my investments, my family. All laid out in various speadsheets telling me where I can go under various scenarios. I was impressed. I felt more confident about where I was. Sounds hokey, but it changed my life.
Anything that Ann could not do, like taxes or insurance, she pointed me to people that could. For example, she concluded that my wife was at risk because my life insurance was too small. She recommended I get another life insurance policy and pointed me to an agent that could take care of that. And now, I have great term life.
Ironically my first impression of Ann was skeptical. I heard myself thinking, «This person is too friendly to be a financial planner.» I suppose I was accustomed to the sterile, stand-​offish, granite table top professionalism similar to the banking industry. And then it occurred to me; money invades almost every part of my life, so how silly not to have a financial planner that knows me really really well. I still think about this switch when I draw money from an ATM machine rather than go into the bank and talk to the teller.
Integrity is a kind of an elusive quality these days. I mean, how many people do you know that you think «Wow this person has a lot of integrity.» That’s what I found in Ann Terranova. Strange to find it in a financial planner.

I had a couple simple questions relating to the purchase of a second home and I found Anne to be disorganized to the point of forgetting that we had an appointment and scrambling to throw something together at that last minute that was not helpful and had erroneous information about my accounts on it. (wrong ticker symbols and balances etc.) For me, the high price she charged was definitely not worth the service I received.

Listen up ladies! Gone are the days of waiting for this and that, or the sky to drizzle pink elephants and purple diamond’s.- errr. well — you get my drift.
Life happens — both good, bad, and sexy and in between all the zany experiences — you have GOT to have a clear financial direction. You don’t have to have an accounting degree or understand the time value of money to know that most decisions can be solved quicker and more efficiently if you have your finances and life goals in check. Slow and steady wins the race. and besides, that pie in the sky tastes better when you bake the damn thing yourself anyhow.
I love the fact that I met this wonderful woman through my dear friend Michelle I. and also that she helped a really close female friend of mine achieve a financial outcome that all along I had been telling her — but somehow needed to hear it and execute from a true professional in this capacity alone. I guess not all conversations can be held over the Mahogany bar at Balboa. ;)
Since that time, my friend has developed a better course of direction and is on much better ground. Thank you ANNE!
Anne is a caring and wonderful soul that has been building her firm for quite a while now and has a ton of referral based clients. Her fee only business enables her to custom create packages for individuals with unique and tax specific cases — all the while enabling an individual to achieve their short and long term goals without too much thought on the client’s part.
If you are looking — hell even if you’re not looking for a F.P. — you owe it to yourself to give her a call. Your retirement (and peace of mind) will thank you.

I have been using Anne Terranova for years. She’s great. Friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable service!