Ira Fateman Certified Financial Planner™
I bring over 35 years of experience in financial services, with a unique background that combines personal financial planning and counseling. I hold a Master’s in Education in Counseling and completed the Executive Certificate Program in Personal Financial Planning at UC Berkeley Extension. I’ve also passed the exam to practice as a Certified Financial Planner™.
My counseling background allows me to support clients not only in making sound financial decisions, but also in feeling more confident and in control of their financial lives. I specialize in helping people align their financial strategies with their life goals — which is why I often refer to myself as a Life Planner.
Over the years, I’ve worked with a wide range of clients — from young families just starting out to individuals navigating retirement. No matter the stage of life, I use the same comprehensive financial planning framework to guide each person based on their unique circumstances.
In addition to financial planning, I have three decades of experience managing client investment portfolios. As a fee-only advisor, I’m compensated solely by my clients — not by commissions or product sales. I have a particular expertise in fixed-income investing, especially municipal bonds, which offer tax advantages, safety, and income.
What truly adds value to my advisory relationships is the clarity and empowerment clients gain when making personal financial decisions that support their broader life goals.
A good example of the importance I place on the advisory relationship is a class I developed and co-taught with a therapist titled Counseling Skills for Financial Services Professionals — offered for three years through UC Berkeley Extension. In addition, I taught a variety of classes in the executive certificate program at UC Berkeley Extension
For six years, I’ve taught in the Financial Planning Certificate Program at San Francisco State University’s College of Extended Learning. In addition, I write a monthly personal finance column, Money Matters, in the J. Weekly, Northern California’s Jewish community newspaper.
Read Ira Fateman's Money Matters Column for the Jewish News of Northern California.
Ira Fateman is the Founder of the Better Decisions Team and the recipient of the 2018 Jewish News Readers’ Choice Award for Accountant / Financial Services.
Ira Fateman provides insightful commentary in numerous articles including the Financial Planning Magazine, Business 2 Community, Kitces.com Blog Post, TheStreet, and Business Wire.
