You Only Get One RetiremenT...
We’ll FOCUS on your money so you can FOCUS on what really matters.
My passion is to worry about your finances, so you don't have to! And that includes making sure that you are set up for the retirement lifestyle of your dreams, without sacrificing today's needs. Just a few of the solutions I specialize in include:
Retirement Planning
Tax Planning
Estate Planning
College Planning
Charitable Planning
Business Planning
When you're ready, don't hesitate to click the button below to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation strategy session with me so we can map out your path to retirement success. Your future self will thank you!
As Featured In:
Get to Know
Kara Stewart
Kara was recently interviewed on the LivXplore podcast, where she was able to share more about who she is, what she does, and why she does it.
Knowledge is power, and our goal is to help you understand...
How to mitigate stock market volatility while still being able to grow your nest egg
How to remove Uncle Sam from your retirement income plan to keep more of YOUR money
How to guarantee you never run out of money in retirement, no matter how long you live
How to ensure a healthcare event doesn't deplete your retirement nest egg
My passion is to worry about your finances
So you don't have to.
Ever since I was young, helping others has been a core element of who I am. Whether it was helping out my own family around the house or doing things around the community that I love (born and raised in Sonoma County!), a passion of serving others has influenced many of my decisions.
So, after marrying my high school sweetheart, I realized that I wouldn’t ever be satisfied unless I pursued a career that not only allowed me to use my unique talents, but truly helped others achieve THEIR goals as well.
Which is when I discovered and fell in love with the art of financial planning.
For years now, I have made it my mission to worry about your finances, so you don’t have to!
To make sure I could help individuals and business owners as best as possible, I gained a plethora of experience that included:
➔ Banking, where I worked with affluent clients
➔ Major, global wire houses
➔ Market making of community bank stocks
➔ Assistant Vice President of an insurance brokerage
Seeing where there were holes in the overall planning process many organizations were using, I decided to start my own firm in 2010, where I could partner with other financial professionals and help my clients Grow, Access and Protect their wealth in the most tax-advantaged ways possible.
While each person’s circumstance is unique, I typically help people reduce their current and future tax by 20-60% (which can be save a LOT of money!) by using unique accumulation and deduction strategies.
To make sure I can serve you as best as possible, I passed my series 6, 7, 63, long term care and life licenses and am a member of “Crump Protomac Affluent Markets” and their “Circle of Excellence” programs.
I’m also a member of the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance and the prestigious Million Dollar Roundtable, (MDRT), which is only available to those that exhibit a standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services industries.
Let me know how I can serve you!"
-Kara
Real people. real results.
What others say about us
“Kara asked us what we wanted in retirement and after listening to us she explained our options in detail and in easy to understand terms. After modeling different scenarios with her, we were able to make well informed decisions. As a result, our assets are protected from market volatility , we reduced our taxes and generated additional retirement income! Thank you, Kara!”
-Dave & Darlene Puentes
"We are pleased with Kara's ongoing, forward-thinking advice. She has continually and appropriately recommended changes to our financial plan in order to meet our stated goals and objectives. The holistic approach she employed saved more than 40% on our current and future taxes. Her use of charitable planning helps us achieve our philanthropic goals without having to give away any control. She has greatly impacted our financial future and family legacy."
-Linda & Ray Carlson
"My husband and I dream of retirement and, like everyone, want to live a long healthy life. Kara took a holistic approach to our financial future and provided us with safety of principal for our retirement accounts without giving up growth potential, and secured long term care coverage with no ongoing premium. I have peace of mind knowing that my husband and I have a solid plan for the future. Kara delivered impactful, long term results and is a pleasure to deal with."
-Jackie & Joseph Moreira
See all the ways we
F.O.C.U.S.
ON your finances
COmplimentary Resources
To Find Financial Peace of Mind
FREE book
"Put Power in Your Purse"
Your blueprint to the holistic & stylish retirement you've always dreamed of.
Free book
"The Power of Zero"
Ready to disinherit Uncle Sam? Here' s how you can keep more of YOUR hard-earned retirement dollars
Free Book
The New Holistic Retirement
Learn how to navigate the markets, rising taxes and inflation jn a post-covid world
1 on 1 Strategy Session
Complimentary Consultation
During our chat we'll dive into where you're at, where you want to go, and how to best get there.
See how we've helped others
Just Like You
"...the most robust and diversified wealth manager I have ever met or worked with."
"Kara Stewart with FOCUS is the most robust and diversified wealth manager I have ever met or worked with. Kara’s wide background in the many financial spaces has provided her access to a variety of different financial tools, which I now have access too. She provides everything individual specialize in individual investment types like, Mutual Funds, Life Insurance Policy, 401k, IRA.’s, etc… Kara offers all of these and more so working with her is like working with a team of financial advisors. Working with Kara allows me to think about the way I Grow and Manage my Wealth."
-Rob Auger, Auger Enterprises
"...I referred her to Kara, who then became my Advisor too..."
"I met Kara Stewart through my Foundation because she happens to be a supporter of Charitable Causes like I am. I retired from being an Investment Advisor, Financial Advisor & Planner several years ago, but I'm still asked for my Financial expertise and advice so I was referring them to one of my former students who became my Financial Planner. One of the problems was that he lived too far from my Referrals and they wanted someone they could meet with in person, so I did my research and came up with one of the Elite and top rated Financial experts in America. The real clincher for me was that one of my Dear friends and neighbors in the Independent Senior Living Community where I live, was asking me about some of her Financial questions and I referred her to Kara, who then became my Advisor too. I have so much respect for Sylvia Silverman that after she and her daughter met with Kara, I decided to join her too."
-John T. Carr, Founder & CIO of Charitable Giving Foundation
"...more efficient use of my money..."
"I had purchased a Whole Life Insurance policy in 1990. It hadn't been reviewed for 10 years. After meeting with Kara and discussing my insurance needs and circumstances, I was comfortable with having her take a look and determine if my existing policy was still right for me. With Kara's analysis of my existing policy and recommendation, she was able to transfer me into a policy that provided a more efficient use of my money. I trust her expertise and knowledge and appreciate the time she spent to improve my financial health."
-Lynda Adams, Former Branch Manager & Vice President, Exchange Bank
"...the life insurance I had was eroding and I did not even know it..."
“I asked Kara to propose long term care for my wife and I. We had several meetings that in- cluded general information about the coverage and she provided specific proposals for our consideration that included several funding alternatives. She took the time to explain all our options and provided me with statistical information about claims and the financial sta- bility of the insurance carriers. Simultaneously, I had her review my existing life insurance policy. Her analysis concluded that the life insurance I had was eroding and I did not even know it. She suggested that I surrender the policy and take the built-up cash value. She provided me with a proposal for the same death benefit that I had for significantly less premium. Upon completion of this strategy, it gave me an influx of cash that helped me pay for my long-term care policy; which was important to me in protecting my assets.”
-Jim Famini, Real Estate Broker, Vanguard Properties
"...took the time to understand the specific needs of my wife and I..."
“Kara took the time to understand the specific needs of my wife and I prior to her proposal of product. She appropriately matched our needs with an insurance carrier and was patient with us as we had to make a few changes along the way. We were working on finalizing our estate plan simultaneously and Kara was able to update the ownership and beneficiary designation to accurately reflect our trust. As a managing partner of a wealth management firm in Sausalito, I feel confident in referring my clients to her for their insurance related needs.”
-James Demmert, Managing Partner, Main St. Research, LLC.
Copyrights 2024+ | Focus Strategic Solutions