about
Will Steinberger, CFP®
Think Different Financial Planning was founded to help people in tech manage their money.
During my wealth management career I’ve developed an expertise specific to the finances of Silicon Valley employees.
My top priorities are to ensure that my clients are moving towards their financial goals and that their finances are professionally managed.
I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance from San Jose State University. After college, I earned my Certified Financial Planner designation while working at Raub Brock Capital Management in Larkspur, CA, before joining Opes Wealth Management in Menlo Park, CA.
I was born and raised in Palo Alto and I love the Bay Area. I’m a mentor at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, as well as a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and XY Planning Network. I’m a lifelong Warriors and Niners fan, avid reader, podcast listener, and fitness enthusiast. I live in Redwood City with my wife, Helene, and our daughter, Penny.
Q&A
Learn More About Will
Why do you work in financial services?
For too long the financial service industry has put its interests first. After seeing this first hand as my parents were misled by a non-fiduciary financial advisor, I believe everyone deserves access to unbiased and personalized advice regardless of how much money they have.
I also love learning about personal finance and sharing that knowledge with my clients. Despite being a numbers geek, I pride myself on being able to translate complicated financial strategies into plain English.
What was your very first job?
When I was 13 I worked at a local bicycle shop, The Off Ramp. Looking back, it’s amazing they hired an eighth grader! I received a work permit from my middle school and worked every weekend.
As a die hard mountain biker I was mostly interested in the employee discount, but the work experience taught me valuable lessons, such as the importance of listening to your customers and earning money.
What was your first job in finance?
In college I interned for a company that labeled itself a financial planner. Unfortunately they were insurance and annuity salesmen claiming to be financial advisors. They were going so far as to prioritize which product to sell based on the commission it paid. Disillusioned, I left the industry to work in tech.
Years later I learned there are financial planners who are fiduciaries, meaning they are legally bound to do what is in the best interest of their clients without selling commission-based products. After discovering the “good” side of the industry, I knew it was where I wanted to be.
