" A financial guru who talks about the spirituality of money"
claims NorthBay Biz Magazine, November 2004.

" A new breed of holistic financial planners" described by

Natural Health Magazine,  August 2004.  

At Spiritus Financial Planning, we are proud to be different. We believe that your finances should not be separate from the rest of your life, so we focus our attention both on your money – and on you. Because we are a small, independent firm, we take the time to listen closely to your needs, your values, and your ambitions. We value your questions and concerns regarding your money and your life.

Our approach to financial planning is both light-hearted and respectful of the profound, and often conflicted issues money can raise in every person's life.

Although finance is admittedly a 'dry' topic, we work hard to keep it light. Humor is encouraged, even though the results you can expect are serious and very powerful.

Spiritus is a California registered investment advisory firm. We are independent and objective and do not make money by selling you products. Our goal is pure and simple - to help you make smart financial decisions. With Spiritus, you can expect stellar service and individualized attention.

If you have been seeking guidance on personal finance and would like your money to more fully reflect your core values and purpose, contact Spiritus. It would be our pleasure to discuss with you, our approach, experience, objectivity, ethics , philosophy, results, competence and commitments.  At Spiritus, we are not interested in short-term relationships, we want to build lifelong relationships – beginning with you.

OUR NETWORK OF PROFESSIONALS - As a Spiritus client, you'll enjoy:

•  Access to skilled legal, financial, real estate, insurance and banking professionals

•  20+ years of personal, small business and corporate tax planning

•  Access to international investment advisers

We're small but mighty. Over the years, we've created an ensemble of savvy and trusted professionals to assist in all areas of financial planning. As a client, you'll be connected to the Spiritus network of professionals. Whatever your needs, we can keep it simple by providing you with a one-stop-shopping approach to planning your financial future.

INVESTMENTS THAT SIMPLY WORK  - We are proud to offer you:

•  Vanguard low cost index fund investing expertise

•  Proven time tested investment strategies

•  Objective advice on your existing investment accounts

Investing is a daunting experience for many. It has become a complex maze of financial jargon, an alphabet soup of investment terms and colorful statistical pie charts which confuse more than inform.

At Spiritus, we believe that simplicity and investing are complimentary. We also know that our clients are intelligent individuals and understand the value of money. Mainly using Vanguard index funds, we design your portfolio so that it is easy to manage your own money. We also make it easy to measure results so you can see, perhaps for the very first time, how your investments are actually performing.

If you need guidance on where to invest your money, we can assist. If you are a

do-it-yourself type of investor, but value a second opinion, we can help you without transferring your existing investment accounts. Should you be seeking a financial adviser to manage your investment portfolio – look no further.

And because we are…

STRICTLY FEE-ONLY - We never make money off your money. So you'll find:

•  No ‘kickbacks' or commissions

•  No conflict of interest

•  High integrity

A fee-only financial planner is one who does not sell financial products, period. No annuities, stocks, mutual funds and no life insurance. As a client focused firm, we offer expert financial advice for a flat or hourly fee. The advice you receive is objective and most importantly puts your best interests first.

Find out how simple your financial life can be. Come to Spiritus, and together, we will discover how you can improve the quality of your life – one great financial decision at a time.

About Mark Zaifman, Founder, Spiritus Financial Planning, Inc.

Mark Zaifman's background in tax accounting and business law paved the way for a successful career in financial and tax consulting. After earning a bachelor's degree in accounting from Monmouth University in his native New Jersey , he worked as both a public and then private accountant for five years. He then ventured into the field of financial executive search, using his tax and accounting experience to found and successfully operate a firm on the East Coast. After the business had grown to several offices, he married, sold his interest in the firm, and relocated to Northern California .

Mark returned to the field of executive search upon his arrival in California in 1992, this time, in the arena of software engineering. He worked for some of the Bay Area's most distinguished and cutting-edge companies such as Fair Isaac (home of the FICO score), Tellabs, as well as Texas Instruments Advanced Research and Development Lab located in Silicon Valley . It was during this time that Mark read a book that would change his life and the way he viewed money, "Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence", by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominquez. The core values Joe and Vicki described; frugality, sustainability and determining when 'enough is enough', resonated deeply with him.

It was soon a familiar sight to see Mark in company lunchrooms teaching colleagues how to master cash flow and develop long-term investment strategies. Word spread quickly about the "money guy" that offered free financial advice. Mark also began to formally volunteer his time to the community by teaching classes and holding workshops on money management, based on the book Your Money or Your Life. Unknown at the time, these very popular informal financial planning sessions would form the foundation and give birth to a new business - holistic financial planning. In the fall of 2003, the success of these programs led directly to the launch of Spiritus Financial Planning, a socially responsible business based in Sonoma County, California.

Mark, an Independent Registered and Licensed Investment Adviser in the State of California, currently serves on the Board of Directors of LandPaths, a Sonoma County land stewardship non-profit organization. He is a former treasurer and board member of C.O.T.S. (Committee on the Shelterless) based in Petaluma, CA and holds memberships with the National Tax Association, the Financial Integrity Associates and the Financial Planning Association (FPA) .