Meet Our Team
With over 30 years of experience in financial planning, we have extensive knowledge in managing debt, investing, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and retirement transitions.
We use financial therapy to address your beliefs around money that may be driving your decisions, underlying your anxiety, fueling procrastination, and creating tension in your relationships. Our team includes financial planners, a financial therapist, a CPA, a sense of humor, and a passion for helping people feel comfortable and confident in their money decisions.
Tara Unverzagt
President & Senior Financial Planner | MBA, CFP™, CFT™, CEPA
Jessica Robertson
Associate Financial Planner | MAcc, CPA
Nick Johnson
Analyst
Nina Reeder
Client Service Associate
Julie Koch
Operations Specialist
“Helping People Feel Comfortable & Confident in their Money Decisions”
What Makes South Bay Financial Partners Different?
Our goal is to make financial planning accessible to everyone. We offer hourly sessions so you can get professional, fiduciary financial advice without making a year-long commitment. Our financial therapy services are also available on an hourly basis so you can get support to address what’s driving your financial stress or anxiety. We work with individuals, couples, and families to help reduce the strain finances can have on relationships.
We are also fiduciaries, meaning we are required to put your interests ahead of our own. We take this a step further than most by refusing to sell any financial products – not mutual funds, not insurance, nothing. We can support you as an independent partner to work with insurance agents and others to get the products you need and help you avoid being “sold” those you don’t need.
Ready to find out how our team can support you?
In the Press
Our team and their work has been feature in some of the countries top financial publications including television media, web, and print.
Our Values
Relationships Matter
We build authentic and meaningful connections based on compassion and mutual respect.
Live the Dream
We support everyone to intentionally write a unique life story that reflects their values and priorities.
Brave Space
We step into courageous conversations to encourage the progress of the company, team, and our clients.
Always Learning
We explore new ideas and solutions. We see mistakes as opportunities to learn, grow, and do better.
Blog & Resources
Family Preparedness Series: How to Prepare Your Family Before You’re Gone
Tara Unverzagt
Tara has been working in financial planning, investment advice, and tax preparation for over 30 years. She was first introduced to financial planning as a kid when her mother became a financial planner in the 1970s, before the career really even existed. Tara started her career in software programming and software systems design. After ten years in the computer business, she turned her attention to the financial industry.
Recognizing that the messages we receive about spending, saving, debt, and other money topics impact us throughout our lives, Tara began training to become a financial therapist. She loves helping clients better understand themselves and how their beliefs impact their decisions, and even their relationships, when it comes to money.
As a financial planner, her specialty is multigenerational financial planning, which includes raising a family, having a successful retirement, generation wealth transfer, and financial coaching for people early in their working career. One area of specialized financial planning Tara provides is support for business owners to align their business, personal and financial goals. She helps fellow business owners be ready for an eventual transition whether from sale or succession.
Tara received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Purdue University and an MBA from Pepperdine University. She is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP™), Certified Financial Therapist (CFT™), and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Outside of her professional life, Tara enjoys time with her family including a recent grandchild, travel, cycling, and learning something new.
Jessica Henderson
Jessica joined our team as an intern in 2021 following a nine-year career in public and non-profit accounting. She wanted to use her love of numbers to help individuals with their money decisions from budgeting to taxes to retirement, so they can make informed decisions that support their personal goals. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago’s Master of Science in Accounting program and a Certified Public Accountant, she brings deep knowledge of taxes and business accounting to our team.
Her passion for finances and helping others inspired her to not only shift her career but also explore how she can support families and individuals who have unique situations such as mental health concerns, neurodiversity, or disability. Jessica notes that these needs are often not well understood. She is committed to providing a compassionate and safe space for clients to come as they are. She is a member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners, an association of attorneys, accountants, and financial planners committed to supporting special needs families.
Currently residing in the Chicago area with her husband, and guinea pigs Sonic and Knuckles, Jessica can be found exploring new places and playing the piano in her downtime. Her natural curiosity means she enjoys researching various topics ranging from finances to faith.
Nina Reeder
A member of the South Bay team since 2018, Nina’s focus is on building long standing relationships with our clients and coordinating services to meet their needs.
Before joining our team, Nina’s career was in customer service and hospitality. These roots help her connect with people from all walks of life and taught her empathy, listening skills, and persistence to find the information someone needs.
She confesses that the transition to finance was not the easiest choice to make, but one Nina knew would provide her the greatest opportunity to learn and make a difference for others. Her goal is to make every person or couple we serve feel like they are our only client. Nina’s passion for people, attention to detail, and supportive approach have made her a key resource for our team and our clients. She is always willing to jump in to solve challenges and helps keep everyone grounded with her sense of humor.
Nina grew up in Florida and attended the University of Central Florida. She returned to her home state recently after spending 13 years on the west coast. On weekends, Nina can be found jogging – rain or shine – or enjoying beach life with family. She loves spending time with her two children and reading fiction.
Julie Koch
In 2024, Julie joined the South Bay team following a 20-year career in project management and administration for the hospitality industry. To her role as Operations Specialist, she brings a wealth of experience in vendor management, process documentation, and managing complex back-office projects. Julie loves being in a support role and is dedicated to doing what she can to help make things easier and more efficient for the financial planning team so they can focus on serving clients.
Julie was inspired to take the leap into a new industry because she admired South Bay’s commitment to helping people foster healthy relationships with money. She approaches every task whether it be payroll, compliance, or a standard operating procedure with a “people first” approach, considering who will be impacted and how. Julie has the unique ability to see the big picture as well as the details which helps our small team stay focused on priorities while also working to continuously improve how we work.
A Michigander at heart, Julie has made her home in Texas for much of her adult life. She holds two professional certifications from the University of Texas at Dallas. In her free time, Julie enjoys yoga, reading, walking, crafting, and cooking.
Nick Johnson
Joining us in 2025, Nick began as an intern learning about financial planning and quickly advanced to joining our team as an employee. Nick has deep curiosity and loves to dig into the nuances of finance, including tax regulations. While he enjoys a deep dive, Nick appreciates the variety of work he is engaged in while supporting our clients and financial planners from investment research to retirement projections.
Nick’s role at SBFP leverages his experience at a tax firm where he handled both tax return preparation and bookkeeping, and as a research assistant in higher education. He is furthering his knowledge by studying business administration/accounting at California State University Dominguez Hills. He has found that working while also a student allows him to have a deeper understanding of the concepts and processes explored in his coursework.
Originally from Arlington, VA, Nick moved to California four years ago to gain new experiences and take advantage of the great weather. He enjoys being active in nature, whether that’s camping, backpacking, cycling, or rock climbing. He also enjoys the friendly competition of trivia nights. He hopes to have more time for all of these activities when he completes his degree in late 2025.
