Yerba Buena

What Yerba Buena does

Yerba Buena Financial Partners (YBFP) is an independent, privately held financial advisory firm headquartered at 1010 B Street, Suite 217, San Rafael, California, serving individuals, families, business owners, and non-profit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm was founded by Andrew Zittell, who has practiced as a financial advisor since 1989 and is a Life and Qualifying Member of the Million Dollar Round Table's Top of the Table. YBFP delivers fee-based financial planning and investment advisory services through a proprietary "Systemized Multi-Faceted Planning Approach" organized around three pillars: Grow & Protect Strategy, Alternative Investments, and Risk Transfer. Services span retirement planning, estate planning, investment management, insurance strategies, tax planning, business owner succession planning, and non-profit/foundation investment management.

The firm's operational infrastructure is built on partner platforms rather than proprietary technology. LPL Financial serves as the registered broker-dealer, custodian, and technology backbone (account management, reporting, compliance), while WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC provides RIA-level investment advice through a collaborative network in which Andrew Zittell holds Partner status. Riskalyze is deployed as a third-party risk tolerance assessment tool. The team is small (1–10 employees), with founder Andrew Zittell leading client advisory work and Kellie Burkett serving as Director of First Impressions managing client service and operations.

YBFP operates a content-driven, referral-supported go-to-market motion. Distribution is delivered through one-on-one advisory engagements with clients in the Bay Area, supported by an educational content library that includes a weekly Market Commentary, The Mint Edition retirement newsletter, an active blog, and a catalog of free downloadable eBooks. Pricing is quote-based advisory fees rather than publicly tiered. Revenue mechanics are subscription/recurring advisory fees generated through registered representatives and investment advisors under the LPL/WCG affiliations. Customer testimonials indicate multi-decade client relationships spanning retirement transitions and multi-generational wealth planning, with a primary customer base of pre-retired and retired individuals complemented by business-owner and non-profit client segments.

Name

Yerba Buena

Legal name

Yerba Buena Financial Partners

Website

https://ybfp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yerba Buena Financial Partners is an independent San Rafael-based financial advisory firm offering fee-based wealth management, retirement, and estate planning to Bay Area individuals, families, business owners, and non-profits via LPL Financial and WCG Wealth Advisors affiliations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed Accounts & Model Portfolios (SMA/UMA) (FSAAAAAG)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Investment advisory
• Retirement planning
• Wealth management
• Estate planning

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning and Advisory Services: Fee-based financial planning and investment advisory services delivered through registered representatives and investment advisors. Andrew Zittell is a registered representative with LPL Financial and investment advice is offered through WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC. Revenue generated through advisory fees for comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and related services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yerba Buena Financial Partners is an independent wealth management and financial advisory firm that delivers personalized financial planning, investment management, and retirement distribution strategies to individuals, families, business owners, and non-profit organizations. Its offering is structured around a Three Pillars framework: a Grow & Protect investment strategy, Alternative Investments (including futures, real estate, oil & gas, commodities, and metals), and Risk Transfer through insurance planning. Services are delivered through a proprietary systemized multi-faceted planning approach, supported by WCG Wealth Advisors for investment advice and LPL Financial for custody, brokerage, and research.

Product overview

Yerba Buena Financial Partners (YBFP) is a financial planning and investment advisory firm offering comprehensive wealth management services through a Three Pillars framework: Grow & Protect Strategy, Alternative Investments, and Risk Transfer. The firm provides financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, business owner services, and non-profit/foundation services. YBFP operates as an independent firm connected with WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC and LPL Financial, offering clients access to research, compliance support, and a wide range of investment options. The firm also provides educational content through free eBooks, books, newsletters, and a weekly market commentary. A complementary risk assessment tool (Riskalyze) is available to help clients determine their risk tolerance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Financial Planning Objective, comprehensive financial planning service covering retirement, estate, investment, risk management, and tax planning for individuals, families, and organizations.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WCG Wealth Advisors, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCG Wealth Advisors, LLC is a registered investment advisor and Partner of Wealth Consulting Group (WCG). Yerba Buena Financial Partners is affiliated with WCG as a collaborative network member. Andrew Zittell serves as a Partner of Wealth Consulting Group. WCG provides access to broad expertise of specialists and advisors to address complex financial challenges for affluent clients. Investment advice is offered through WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC.
• LPL FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationLPL Financial is a registered broker-dealer and investment advisor custodian. Andrew Zittell is a registered representative with LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. LPL provides brokerage services, technology platform (Account View), compliance support, and access to wide range of investment options. Securities are offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC.
• Wealth Consulting Group (WCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of experienced financial professionals dedicated to delivering sophisticated wealth management strategies and comprehensive planning solutions. Andrew Zittell is a Partner of WCG, providing clients with enhanced resources, advanced planning strategies, and customized solutions through collaboration with network specialists and advisors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Edelman Financial Engines: Independent financial planning and investment advisory firm with strong retirement-income, financial planning, and wealth management focus. Targets similar mass-affluent and HNW segments with a fee-based model.
• Carson Wealth: Independent wealth management firm providing holistic financial planning, investment management, and retirement distribution strategies. Targets the same HNW retiree cohort with a comparable Three Pillars-style planning framework.
• Fisher Investments: Large independent investment management firm primarily serving HNW individuals and families with discretionary portfolio management. Competes for the same retiree/HNW client base with a more asset-management-centric approach.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer/RIA platform supporting independent advisors with compliance, technology, and research infrastructure — analogous to the role LPL Financial plays for YBFP, but as a competitor-affiliated platform.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer supporting independent financial advisors with technology, compliance, and product access — direct competitor to LPL Financial as YBFP's back-office partner, supporting similar advisory practices.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Independent, fee-only RIA specializing in evidence-based financial planning and retirement/estate/tax planning for HNW households. Comparable independent, conflict-free positioning and comprehensive planning approach.
• Mercer Advisors: Large national independent RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and retirement/estate planning to HNW individuals and families. Closely comparable business model to YBFP but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Creative Planning: Large national independent wealth management RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax/estate services. Same business model, vastly larger scale; competes for the same HNW retiree segment.

Emerging players

• Betterment: Leading robo-advisor offering automated goal-based investing, retirement planning, and now hybrid CFP advice at low fees. Increasingly competing for the pre-retiree and mass-affluent segment YBFP serves, especially among younger clients.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Personal Advisor Services: Charles Schwab's hybrid robo-and-advisor service for mass-affluent and HNW clients combining digital planning with dedicated CFP advisors. Competes with YBFP for pre-retiree mass-affluent clients at lower fees.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Yerba-Buena-Financial-Partners-107187884762371

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yerba Buena