Questions, answered.

Yes — genuinely pro bono. No fees, no retainer, no products to sell you, no bait-and-switch into paid work.

Three honest reasons I do it: to give back to the East Bay, to keep my skills sharp across a wide range of real problems, and because I'd like East Bay Money to be known for exactly this. Good advice shouldn't only reach people who can afford it.

East Bay residents and families, and small-business owners operating in the East Bay. Because time is limited, I give priority to people who'd genuinely benefit and who are in a position to act on the guidance.

If we're not the right fit, I'll say so early and point you somewhere better — no hard feelings.

Guidance and education across four areas:

• Strategy & operations — decisions, planning, how to think about a problem
• Accounting & bookkeeping — setup, systems, reading your financial statements
• Tax planning & education — how the rules apply to your situation
• Personal finance — budgeting, cash flow, debt and savings strategy

By design, a few things stay off the table — both because they carry real risk and because they're better served by the right specialist:

• Specific investment or securities recommendations
• Preparing or filing tax returns
• Audits, attestation, or signed opinions
• Legal advice

For those, I'll point you to a licensed professional or a free program — VITA for tax filing, SCORE and your local SBDC for small-business support (I volunteer through these too), or a qualified attorney or investment advisor.

No — and that distinction matters. What I provide is general professional guidance and education to help you make your own informed decisions. It is not a formal CPA engagement, an audit or attestation, investment advice, or legal advice, and it doesn't create the kind of privileged relationship a formal engagement or an attorney would.

Guidance is based on the information you share, your circumstances can change the answer, and the decisions — and their outcomes — remain yours. For anything you're going to rely on heavily, confirm it with a professional you've formally engaged.

It runs both ways. What you share stays with me — it won't be shared or sold, and as a CPA I'm bound by professional confidentiality rules. In return, I ask the same discretion about my methods and materials.

For anything beyond a first conversation, we'll put a short, mutual confidentiality understanding in writing before we dig in. If I ever want to share an anonymized story to help others, I'll ask first and strip anything identifying.

Simple and bounded:

• Request a session — tell me a bit about what's going on.
• A short scoping note — we agree on the question, the boundaries, and what "done" looks like.
• A focused session or two — we work the problem.
• A clear next step — you leave with something you can act on.

Engagements are time-boxed and slots are limited, which is what keeps the quality high and the whole thing sustainable.

None, honestly. I'll bring real expertise and care, but no one can guarantee a financial outcome. The guidance is only as good as the information behind it, and you're responsible for your own decisions. That's true of any advisor — I'd just rather say it plainly.

Alongside East Bay Money, I volunteer through established programs like SCORE, a local SBDC (Small Business Development Center), and VITA for tax filing. Depending on what you need, I may work with you directly or route you to one of these — whichever gets you the best help.