Around Town Benicia Business
Wheels Up Wealth Genevieve Hand Just as the reality of COVID-19 began rearing its head, a new business opened in the old corner building on K Street. The building has been home to numerous businesses and vocations over the years, including a corner store, preschool, and photography studio. In February of this year, it became home to Wheels Up Wealth, Inc., a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm founded by Bridget Harkins, CFP® and Frances Harkins, CFP®, AIF®.
Frances earned her master’s degrees in economics from UC Santa Barbara, and began her career working for Bank of America, then as a bank analyst for the U.S. Treasury Department. Before fully embracing the Financial Planning industry, she interrupted her own career to raise her two kids. Bridget, a Benicia High alum, went on to earn her bachelor’s in economics from UC Berkeley. She started her career at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where she quickly moved up the ranks to Regional Director,
professional women. “The industry often calls women a niche market. Really, we are not a ‘niche’ at all. Women are 50% of the population!” explains Bridget. But in the world of finance, women are still underrepresented and underserved compared to their male counterparts. “Right now, 23% of CFP® professionals are women,” says Frances, “and there is a push to bring women and minorities into the industry because people often want to work with professionals who share their experiences.”
Yes, it is a financial services firm owned and operated by women. No, you do not see that every day. If you’re unclear on the designation acronyms above, Frances and Bridget are both Certified Financial Planners™ (Frances is also an Accredited Investment Fiduciary®). Danyell Bjornstad, the company’s Director of Operations, is a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™. Together, they want to help you plan your financial future.
serving as an “advisor to financial advisors” while also completing her CFP® certification. Her career switch, founding Wheels Up Wealth to work directly with individuals, was a natural transition from her vantage consulting advisors in choosing investments, communicating with their clients, and running their businesses. While their services are open to anyone, Wheels Up Wealth specializes in working with a specific clientele:
Aside from their underrepresentation in the professional financial field, women are also less likely to feel confident about their finances – not because they know less or are less able to learn about finances than men, but because they often have never been invited to the conversation. Exacerbating this, women often experience hurdles that disproportionately affect their finances more than men, such as taking time off to care for children or aging parents,
10 • Benicia Magazine
