David Cereghino

Dave's experience in investment management and financial planning uniquely position him to serve as his client's independent trusted advisor - a personal chief financial officer that can discreetly navigate the tides affecting your financial life. ​ Professional highlights include portfolio management on Union Bank municipal investment team which earned recognition as the best in the industry by Barron's in 2008 and 2009; lead investment management responsibility at a $300M financial planning firm; and working with amazing entrepreneurs, executives, and families. ​ David's education includes a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, a Certified Financial Planning (CFP) designation, and a U.C. Berkeley bachelor's degree where he conducted a study on evidenced based investment management with Haas Professor of Investments David Distad. ​ David launched PFM to continue building upon his vision of complete personal financial management: discreet and unwavering focus on how expert financial management can help a client achieve her goals. From setting and achieving goals, to preparing you for all of life's contingencies and investing for your future - David helps his client's understand what they should be doing, and then helps them get it done.

I launched Focused Finances, a sole proprietorship, in 1994 and transitioned to Focused Finances, LLC, in 2004. My objective then and now is to help individuals and couples with their financial planning and investment needs. My advice and insight have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Tribune, the Huffington Post, Real Simple, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. I am a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), which is the premiere professional association for fee-only financial planners, and the XY Planning Network (helping advisors serve the other 99% effectively). I am a Certified Financial Planner™ and hold an MBA in Finance from California State University, Hayward (now CSU East Bay). I am also a well-trained and avid musician (my undergraduate degree is in music, and I pursued graduate work as well). I specialize in choral singing and an unusual Baroque instrument – the viola da gamba. I perform with the San Francisco Bay Area Chamber Choir, California Bach Society, participate in numerous vocal and instrumental music workshops, and informal musical gatherings. For me, music is an important touchstone; it’s one of the ways I keep my life in balance.

Greg is a Fee Only Financial Advisor, supporting clients through all phases of financial life. Specializing in Employee Equity Compensation Planning, Greg helps clients understand their options related to ISOs, NQSOs, RSUs, ESPPs and more, working with clients to understand how to use their benefits to achieve their financial goals. Whether you have one or many financial questions, and need help deciphering your options, Greg can help you navigate your financial decision making.

We work with people who want a long-term partnership where together we create a plan that uses your money and resources to live a fulfilling life that aligns with your deepest values while creating positive change in the world. We focus on who you are and what it is you want for yourself and loved ones. My passion is making financial planning an approachable and enjoyable experience. I became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ to help people find solutions for their financial needs but soon realized that traditional financial planning was designed for a male head of household with a certain amount of wealth. Since I am most passionate about equality for women and the LGBTQ community, I realized that I needed additional skills to make financial planning meet our specific needs. So, I became a certified coach which allows me and my clients to go deeper to explore and clarify their individual values and goals. Once we’ve figured out what their ideal life looks like and what is really important to them, we can create a financial plan designed for them. Anyone who knows me knows of my deep love of pastries. I started my career as a pastry chef, fully embracing my creativity, a love of science and math, and delight in creating delicious concoctions. I loved this career, until one day I had an epiphany: My love of numbers and baking science acumen could be used in better ways to help the world. Turns out I like baking more as a hobby than as a career. No more petit fours! I returned to college as a women studies major determined to help women realize their potential and gain equality. Upon self-reflection I realized that I had a lot of passion but lacked any real skills to make the change in the world that I sought to make. Around this time my grandfather died, and I started helping my grandmother with her finances. We sought out information and together we came up with a financial plan for her new life alone. Helping my grandmother become financially independent was exactly the type of impact I wanted to have on other women’s lives. My career path was born.

I specialize in growing families that work in the medical and technology industries. My wife has worked as a physician since 2013, so I'm familiar with the challenges that those in the industry face. Geographically, we are located in the Bay Area, so my practice has naturally become split between medical professionals as well as those working at tech companies, with a significant portion coming from Google.

In 2009 I founded Game Theory Academy, a nonprofit that teaches financial skills to teenagers through the lens of strategic decision-making. My favorite part of that work has been guiding young people to set their own goals outside of what their grownups want for them and then align their day-to-day decisions with those goals. I bring that same strategic curiosity to financial planning for you. Prior to Game Theory Academy, I was CFO of a news media organization. I hold an MBA from Yale and a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. I am a CFP® professional, and a member of the XY Planning Network and National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. I have a lifelong interest in economics and am excited to work with you to do the heavy lifting of financial planning so you can focus on what you love to do. When I’m not creating financial plans, I’m the mother of a child with avid and ever-changing interests. I love to play guitar and sing bluegrass, roots, and old-time music, with a pop twist.