Arika Larson has been a retirement planning specialist for over 25 years. She has supported hundreds of families to protect, grow, and diversify their retirement nest eggs. Arika believes in education, transparency, honesty and integrity, qualities she learned from her grandparents and parents. She feels that her firm is here to serve others, and there is great nobility in that cause. Arika takes a great deal of time getting to know every person she sits down with, so their retirement plan is customized to them and designed to achieve their unique goals.
For the last decade, Arika’s message of protecting one’s retirement savings against catastrophic stockmarketdeclineswasn’tonethatmanypeoplewantedtohear. Butwithrecentwildswings in the market -- and the realization that years of gains can be knocked out through a single international economic crisis-- she’s helped hundreds of clients insulate their hard-built savings.
Arika is passionate about helping retirees and pre-retirees make the best possible choices for their future financial well-being. For families that have reached a comfortable point of preservation, Arika specializes in finding products that can diversify retirement savings. These tax-advantaged vehicles provide a “floor” of protection against market declines that more families are seeking, while allowing you to also participate in some of the upside of the markets.
As one client put it “I love the strategies Arika uses, because they allow me to ‘set it, and forget it’, knowing my money will always be there when I log in to check my balance”.
Arika walks clients through these goals:
1. Making your money safe.
2. Earning a reasonable rate of return. 3. Keeping it simple.
Media Attention: Arika has been a guest of Jean Chatzky’s and the Friends of Oprah Radio Show. She has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, The San Jose Mercury News, and several other industry related magazines.
Volunteerism: Arika volunteered with and raised money for Girls for A Change, Network for Battered Women, Inner City Outings and The Make A Wish Foundation. She has also been a live auctioneer for Outward Bound, Mountain View Arts and Music Gala, and several other live auction events having helped them raise well over a half a million dollars.
Background: Arika was born and raised in Michigan with good Midwestern values. She spent her early adulthood as an industrial engineer redesigning manufacturing facilities. Her free time was spent as an adventure traveler backpacking solo through 44 countries while building huts in Africa, teaching English in South America, and living and working throughout Europe.
Ultimate Joy: Arika’s ultimate joy is found while spending time with her two daughters. Her car is almost always packed for a spontaneous weekend adventure of hiking, biking, camping, or exploring beaches and the great outdoors.