Partnership is sitting on the same side of the table
Contact
- 650.332.2585
- Email Deirdre
- 1300 El Camino Real, Suite 100, Menlo Park, CA 94025
About
Have a question?
FAQs
How we work together
How are you compensated, and what will I pay?
Branch & Bloom is a fee-only financial planning firm, which means all compensation comes directly from clients and never from product commissions, referral fees, or other third-party incentives.
You will always know in advance what you will pay; fees are quoted either as a fixed project fee, hourly, or an annual ongoing planning fee that is billed quarterly.
What does “fee-only” mean for me?
Fee-only means your planner is paid only by you, not by investment or insurance companies for selling products.
This structure reduces conflicts of interest and helps keep the focus on what is best for your goals, rather than on recommending specific products.
What are my options for working with you?
Branch & Bloom offers three ways of working together so you can choose what fits best.
- Project-based: We agree on the scope (for example, equity compensation planning, retirement roadmap, or a new-baby plan) and you receive a fixed bid for that project.
- Ongoing: We co-create a yearly planning calendar, define the areas we’ll work on (such as investments, cash flow, tax planning, and big decisions), and set a fixed annual fee, billed quarterly.
- Hourly: Best if you want targeted help on specific questions or decisions without a broader engagement.
What is included with ongoing planning?
With ongoing planning, you decide how often you want to meet, based on your needs, bandwidth, and the pace of your life changes.
Emails, questions, and quick check-ins between meetings are included in the ongoing fee, so you can reach out when something comes up without worrying about extra charges.
Standards and credentials
Are you always acting as a fiduciary when giving me advice?
What is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, and why does it matter?
What professional networks are you part of?
I am a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), Financial Planning Association (FPA), XY Planning Network, Fee-Only Advisors, and Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide network of fee-only planners.
These memberships provide access to a broad community of fee-only planners and specialist peers, which expands the resources and perspectives available to you and supports high professional standards.
Investment approach
What is your investment philosophy?
I believe that long-term financial success comes from a clear, disciplined approach, not from chasing hot stocks or trying to time the market. I believe that capital markets are generally efficient at setting prices and rewarding long-term investors. Rather than trying to “beat” the market, the goal is to work with markets by using broadly diversified, low-cost index funds and ETFs that capture market returns in a disciplined way.
My aim in developing an investment strategy is to help you build and steward wealth in a way that reflects your values, goals, and life story, while managing risk thoughtfully and keeping costs in check.
How do you think about risk and return?
Risk and return are related, but not all risk is created equal. There is a distinction between “good” risk, which is broad, diversified exposure to markets that have historically rewarded patient investors, and “bad” risk, such as overconcentration in a single stock, sector, or narrow theme.
Risk is not the same as volatility; the most important risk is not having enough when you need it. For many clients, the greatest long-term risk is inflation slowly eroding purchasing power, not the short-term ups and downs of markets.
How do you handle diversification, concentrated stock, and taxes?
Diversification is nonnegotiable: Spreading investments across many companies, sectors, countries, and asset classes helps smooth the ride without giving up long-term growth potential.
For clients who hold concentrated company stock or equity compensation (like RSUs or options), I’ll work with you to design a values-aligned strategy to reduce concentration risk over time. I develop a “tax budget” for diversifying concentrated positions, intentionally balancing the tax impact today with the benefit of a more resilient, long-term portfolio.
How important is investor behavior?
Investor behavior is often one of the biggest drivers of long-term outcomes. I’ll help you stay focused on your plan so that short-term volatility and headlines are less likely to push you into panic selling or performance chasing.
If your portfolio is appropriately allocated and your cash needs are planned, you should be able to ride out market downturns without needing to sell at inopportune times. In that context, volatility becomes noise rather than a threat to your long-term plan.
Fit and logistics
Who is not a good fit for Branch & Bloom?
I am generally not a good fit for people who are energized by picking individual stocks, trading frequently, or actively trying to time or beat the market.
I’m also not a match for those who want to fully delegate investment decisions and have someone “just take it over. “ My work is collaborative and geared toward helping you become a confident financial decision-maker.
Do you manage my investments or have account minimums?
I do not directly manage investment accounts, so there are no investment account minimums.
Instead, my work focuses on designing an investment strategy and implementation plan that you can carry out at your current custodians, with support focused on education, structure, and ongoing decision-making.
Can I work with you if I don’t have much invested yet?
Yes. Many clients start financial planning before their investment accounts feel “big enough,” often because they expect future wealth from stock options, RSUs, bonuses, or career growth.
Planning ahead helps you set up cash flow systems, savings plans, and investment and tax strategies so that when wealth arrives, it has a clear, intentional place to go.
How and where will we meet?
Most meetings take place via Zoom to make it easy to meet from anywhere and to fit into busy schedules.
For Bay Area clients, I love to meet in person for the first meeting, either at my office in Menlo Park or in your home.
How can I find out whether we’re the right fit?
The best way to explore fit is to schedule a complimentary consultation, where you can share your situation, ask questions, and experience what it’s like to work together.
If it turns out that another planning style or expertise would serve you better, I’m happy to refer you to other fee-only planners within my professional network so you can find the right match.
