We’re a California-based independent firm offering
for families and individuals in the Bay Area and across the United States.
Our founders, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals Bridget Harkins and Frances Harkins, know a thing or two about breaking the status quo. From their professional path as financial planners to Bridget's passion for airplane piloting, Bridget and Frances have always strived to make their mark in a traditionally male space.
Whether you’re nearing retirement, a recent graduate, on your own or with a partner, we offer the industry expertise and guiding hand you need to reach new financial heights.
As a young professional, your nest egg is still in its infancy. Between student loan debt, frequent moves and entry-level positions, you are just reaching the accumulation stage of your life.
Now’s the time you could use some help in establishing a lifetime of healthy financial decision making. You’ve always been a focused, motivated hard worker, but traditional financial firms can’t seem to see your worth beyond your wallet. We’re happy to work with young professionals who are still in the early stages of building their wealth, because we see you for you.
You’re an expert in what you do, but you may not have the time or insights to manage every moving part of your financial life.
With a family to tend to and a career you’re passionate about, you want to work with a trustworthy financial partner who can take the lead. We’ll seamlessly integrate financial planning into the rest of your life, leaving you the freedom and time to enjoy whatever matters most.
When you find yourself grieving a loss - whether it’s the end of a partnership or departure of a loved one - the path forward can grow steadily unclear.
Now’s the time to lean on the guidance of an empathetic, knowledgeable financial partner who can help clear a positive path forward. Whether you’ve had a hand in your family’s finances or not, we’ll be your co-pilot as you take the lead. At your own pace, on your terms, we’ll stand side-by-side guiding you through this trying transition.
At a young age, Bridget Harkins found empowerment in general aviation, a hobby that historically has attracted more men than women. Through her journey to earn her pilot license, she gained confidence in her ability to reach her goals. This was done by arming herself with the right coach, the right knowledge and putting in hours of hard work. She co-founded Wheels Up Wealth to impart that same confidence on her clients.
At Wheels Up Wealth, we strive to empower individuals to feel a greater sense of confidence in their financial lives. By working closely with each client, Bridget acts as a coach to simplify financial challenges and helps her clients make critical decisions toward their well-being. She brings a personalized approach by getting to understand each clients’ life goals — and creating a financial landscape that can support their vision.
With a depth of experience, Bridget has an astute perspective relating to various areas of the financial services industry, including investment research, selection and asset allocation. Bridget has an extensive background in investment advisory, having risen to regional director over her 6 years at Dimensional Fund Advisors, a leading investment management firm. After supporting over 40 independent advisors in various aspects of their work, Bridget made the shift to work directly with individuals and guide them toward their aspirations through custom-made strategies.
Beyond Wheels Up Wealth, Bridget is also part of the Financial Planning Association of the East Bay and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. Outside of work, Bridget and her husband are both private pilots. In their free time, you can find them flying, skiing, hiking, camping or some combination of those outdoor endeavors. But these days, they've been spending a lot more time at home with their baby, Lee.
Education & Designations:
Frances Harkins is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional who has helped Bay Area families, individuals and business owners understand and solve their financial concerns since 2000. Working with those in a variety of professional fields, Frances devotes her time to developing long-term, trusting relationships with every client. In her position at Wheels Up Wealth, Frances takes pride in helping women gain greater confidence in money matters. In doing so, her goal is to help these clients feel empowered to effectively manage their financial resources.
Frances first entered the industry during a master’s level internship at Banca Serfin in Mexico City. Upon joining the field after graduation, Frances learned lending and bank operations through Bank of America’s officer training program. She went on to spend the majority of her time with the Bank’s Customized Financial Services Group assisting high-net-worth clients with their banking needs.
Frances later went on to work for the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), which is the federal regulator of savings and loan institutions. During her time there, Frances examined a broad range of thrifts’ management, financial practices and regulatory compliance. In addition, she was instrumental in developing the OTS’ Criminal Referral Unit (CRU).
Frances earned her MA in Economics and BA in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Education & Designations:
Instrumental in creating a seamless experience for every client, Danyell enjoys supporting individuals as they move toward greater financial well-being. Danyell fosters a safe space in which individuals can feel comfortable learning about new topics and actively participating in their own financial life.
When walking into the office, you’ll be greeted by Danyell who endeavors to provide friendly and welcoming service to every client. Danyell also supports the back office and assists with client transactions and portfolio reports, and she helps to coordinate brokerage account maintenance. With two decades of experience in paraplanning positions and managerial roles, Danyell is poised to continually offer state-of-the-art support to the firm and its clients.
When she’s not in the office, Danyell loves spending time with her husband and their three teens: Kate, Kelly and Patrick. The family enjoys skiing, hiking, swimming and participating in big family gatherings. During spare time to herself, you can find Danyell working in the garden.
Education & Designations:
Shannon had been serving wealth management clients for over a decade before joining Wheels Up Wealth in 2023. With a passion for client service and education, she enjoys guiding people toward financial success. From walking clients through complex financial tasks to recognizing when a new approach or process will create office efficiencies, Shannon is all about improving operations. Clients appreciate her positive approach as she fulfills their requests, always with an eye toward detail, security, and privacy.
Shannon has extensive operations experience, which includes fine-tuning procedures, developing and implementing new processes, and the use of best practices for new and ever-improving financial planning software.
Shannon is no stranger to a time-sensitive workplace. Her Culinary Arts and Management degree and experience as a chef enhanced her excellent problem-solving skills and ability to adapt as priorities change.
A San Diego native, Shannon loves spending time outdoors with her husband Chris and two children, Ellison and Everett. The family enjoys hiking, rock climbing, swimming, and searching for sea glass and rocks along the shore. In her free time, you’ll find Shannon reading, cooking, or listening to podcasts on her stand up paddle board.
Education & Designations:
You seek sound, patient guidance and a partner who can educate and empower you to make healthy financial decisions. Whether you’ve been left out of the conversation in the past or are simply seeking to improve your approach, we believe in bringing you objective, thoughtful guidance. We work best with clients who hire us for ongoing wealth management, where we can act as your personal CFO or, as we like to call it, your financial co-pilot, through all of life's changes. But if you are an up and comer seeking help with your financial flight plan, we can offer one-time guidance to help ensure you're on the right track.
Fee-Only
Fiduciary
Independent
Serving as the foundation of our time together, we’ll encompass every aspect of your financial life from now until retirement and beyond. We’ll happily coordinate with your other trusted professionals to develop a cohesive, holistic financial plan.
We’ll review your current investments, identify weaknesses and help you implement a long-term investment portfolio that integrates with your financial plan. As we tailor your portfolio to work in tandem with the rest of your financial life, we’ll take into account your unique tolerance for risk, time horizon toward retirement and goals for the future.
Before you submit your retirement notice, meet with us to ensure you’re making the right decision at the right time for you and your loved ones. The transition toward financial independence is exhilarating, but it can also come with plenty of questions. As the finish line draws near, we’ll work proactively to help make your retirement an enjoyable one.
When you lose a loved one unexpectedly, it can leave you in a space that feels vulnerable and confusing. You may have left the details of your financial life up to a partner in the past, but now you’re left picking up the pieces on your own. We work with you through this transition by discussing your available options and helping you understand what’s the best path as you work to move forward.
Defining what you want your legacy to look like comes from finding your financial freedom. Working alongside your trusted attorney, we’ll help you develop an estate plan that works in tandem with your current financial goals.
Whatever you hold close to your heart, we’ll help incorporate your philanthropic efforts into your financial plan and investment goals. Together we can clarify and define your charitable goals while developing a plan to help you achieve them.
While tax season comes around once a year, there are things we can be doing throughout the year to help minimize your tax obligation. These include recommending tax-efficient investment strategies and working alongside your trusted CPA or tax professional to optimize every aspect of your financial plan.
You want to know that your loved ones will be okay without you, and that your family’s protected from life’s unexpected events. As a part of addressing every aspect of your financial life, we’ll review your current coverage. If there are any areas of concern, we’ll make recommendations based on the rest of your financial picture.
From student loan debt to paying down a mortgage, we can work with you to make sure you’re addressing your financial obligations in an effective manner. In addition, we’ll strategize together how we can continue moving toward financial goals while simultaneously reducing debt.
Our process is designed to get us sitting on the same side of the table as you. Doing so allows us to better understand your unique viewpoints and mindset. Whether you’re interested in working together regarding a few specific concerns or you’re looking to develop a long-term relationship, we like to start with a simple “How can we help?”
We like to kick things off with a complimentary Discovery Call with a member of our team. This gives us the opportunity to learn a bit about you, and it provides you with the chance to ask us whatever is top of mind. Before scheduling, we ask that you complete our Discovery Questionnaire so we can make the most of our time together.
Once you're on board, we’ll begin digging deeper into your unique concerns, values, and goals, and give you a sense of where you are today.
That’s okay! We’re happy to work with anyone, anywhere. In fact, many of our clients prefer the ease of video meetings!
Because we customize our offerings based on your needs, we’ll discuss and decide on the next best steps together. Throughout our time together, we’ll remain communicative, encouraging and proactive in helping you reach your financial goals.
Whether you’re ready to get started or are interested in learning more, we’re here to help. We’re excited to work with a diverse community of clients stemming from all walks of life. Give us a call or fill out the form below to begin planning for your financial future today.
