Tom Lo

CFP®, MBA

Vested Financial Planning, LLC

Financial Planner

Tom Lo

CFP®, MBA

Vested Financial Planning, LLC

Financial Planner

I serve the financial planning needs of Gen X Silicon Valley tech professionals. I’ll help you make the most of your employee equity (RSUs, ISOs, NQSOs, ESPP), buy a home, save for your children’s education, or figure out how to achieve financial independence. - Tom Lo, CFP®, MBA

Fee-Only financial planner located in San Carlos, CA, serving Gen X Silicon Valley tech professionals locally and across the country

Tom Lo is a fee-only financial planner in San Carlos, CA serving clients locally and throughout Silicon Valley.  Vested Financial Planning serves the financial planning and investment management needs of Gen X Silicon Valley tech professionals to enable them to make the most out of their employee equity (RSUs, ISOs, NQSOs, ESPP), buy a house, fund their children’s education, and achieve financial independence.  Tom understands the needs of tech professionals because he worked in Silicon Valley for 20 years at companies including eBay, Yahoo!, Intuit, and startups before making a career change into financial planning seven ago.

Tom Lo is the founder and fee-only financial planner at Vested Financial Planning in San Carlos, CA.


There’s no better place to live and work than right here in Silicon Valley. The fast pace of growth and change is invigorating.

Like you, I’ve struggled with the unique challenges of buying a home, getting ahead in my career, and saving for college. Weighing the options of a commute vs. more square footage is not an easy choice. I’ve wondered how far my income would stretch if my family and I lived anywhere else in the country. But at the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade it. Just like you haven’t.

After 20 years working for companies including eBay, Yahoo!, Intuit, and startups, I made a career change into the financial world as a fee-only financial planner seven years ago. I earned my CFP®, spent a few years at a boutique fee-only firm in San Jose, worked 2 ½ years at a leading wealth management firm in San Francisco, and then left to build the firm I wished had existed when I was working as a tech professional.

My dream is to help other Silicon Valley employees make better choices for their future. From planning and maximizing employee equity to building comprehensive financial plans, I love being a part of the transformation that happens when you finally get a plan in place and start achieving your goals.

EXPERIENCE
•eBay
•Yahoo!
•Intuit
•Startups
•Aspiriant Wealth Manager

EDUCATION
•BA, Stanford University
•MBA, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia
•Certified Financial Planner™ professional

FUN FACTS
•Born and raised in a small town in Tennessee best known as the “Wind Tunnel Capital of the World”
•Lived and taught English to college students in China for two years
•Named the family cat “Brown Cat” because we let our four-year-old son pick the name.

YOU’LL OFTEN FIND ME
•Volunteering or coaching our two sons’ sports teams, which include soccer, baseball, basketball, and running.
•Hanging out with my wonderful wife and two boys.

GREAT FOOD IN SILICON VALLEY
•Rainbow Pizza in San Mateo
•Back A Yard Caribbean Grill in Menlo Park
•Sunny Bowl in Mountain View
•Cho’s in Los Altos

FAVORITE PODCASTS
•This American Life
•Freakonomics Radio
•Radiolab

Tom Lo is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.

NAPFA members live by three important values:

  • To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
  • To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
  • To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.

Vested Financial Planning serves the specific financial planning needs of Gen X Silicon Valley tech professionals. I’ll help you address your planning needs that are unique to your career and the Bay Area, which may include making the most of your employee equity (RSUs, ISOs, NQSOs, ESPP), buying a home, saving for your children’s education, or figuring out how to achieve financial independence.  I understand these needs because I worked in Silicon Valley for 20 years at companies including eBay, Yahoo!, Intuit, and startups. I’ve personally experienced the clear need for professional help in achieving your financial goals.

In addition, Vested Financial Planning is a fee-only firm with no account minimums that abides by a fiduciary standard. Fee-only means that I am only paid by you, the client. I don’t get paid through commissions, referral fees or in any other way which minimizes any potential conflicts of interest. Many Silicon Valley firms require that you have at least $1 million or more of investable assets before they will work with you. I don’t require any account minimums because I know that many more people need and deserve good financial planning help even if they may not currently have significant investable assets.  Finally, I abide by a fiduciary standard which means that Vested Financial Planning is ethically and legally bound to act in your best interest.

Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.

Specialties

  • Employee Equity (RSUs, ISOs, NQSOs, ESPP)
  • Comprehensive Financial Planning
  • Investment Management

Ideal Clients

  • Gen X Silicon Valley Tech Professionals
  • Growing Families

Working Together

  • In-Office Meetings
  • Virtual Meetings
  • Free initial consultation

Professional Designations & Affiliations

  • National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
    Tom Lo is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor

    The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.

  • Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
    Tom Lo is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification

    CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.

  • XY Planning Network
    Tom Lo is a Member of the XY Planning Network

    The XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.

Contact Tom Lo

Please enter your name
Please enter a valid 10 digit US phone number in the format xxx-yyy-zzzz
Please enter a valid email address
Please leave a message for the advisor.
Clear Form
Please verify that you aren't a robot.
There was an issue sending your message. If this issue persists, please contact support.
Message Sent! Your message info will be displayed in other advisor contact forms to make it easy to send to multiple advisors. We do not share your message content beyond the advisors you choose.

Office Locations:

  • 802 Tamarack Ave
    San Carlos, CA 94070

Outdated Browser Detected!

If you're seeing this message, it's because the web browser you're using to access our site is much older and no longer supported. Due to privacy and safety concerns, we don't allow older browsers to access our site. In order to access WhyFiduciary.com, please use a newer browser, like Internet Explorer 10 or above, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.

Download a newer browser