Free help from a financial adviser, through your library.
Get a first step into investing and a budget that works, from a volunteer financial adviser who meets with you one-on-one by phone. Every adviser is a fiduciary, which means they must put your interests first. We never sell your information.
1,330 patrons have signed up through San Francisco Public Library.
For households earning under $100,000 a year, or $150,000 for a couple, with less than $250,000 in savings. You don’t need a job.
Three honest answers before you sign up.
The three things people ask us most, answered plainly.
What’s the catch?
There isn’t one. Advisers volunteer: it’s how they give back. CFP Board recommends that CFP® professionals give at least 20 hours of free, pro bono help a year. Advisers can’t charge you, sell you anything or take you on as a paying client. That’s a rule of the program.
Will they judge me?
No. A meeting isn’t a review or a score, and nobody will tell you what you spent wrong. About half the people who sign up have less than $5,000 saved. Your adviser starts where you are.
Who sees what I share?
Your adviser sees your sign-up answers, so they can get ready for you. A small team at Advisers Give Back helps run your meetings.
- First names only, both ways.
- Calls come through our line, so you never swap phone numbers or emails.
- If San Francisco Public Library sent you, they see only totals, never your name or your answers.
- We never ask for your Social Security number, bank account numbers or passwords.
Three steps to a plan of your own.
Tell us what’s going on
Answer friendly questions about your money and goals, then pick a time that works for you.
Your adviser calls you
By phone, not video, through our line, so the call may show up as unknown or spam: please answer it. There’s nothing to prepare. Before each meeting, we text to check you’re still coming, and a quick reply keeps your time. You can move it if you need to.
Leave with next steps
You and your adviser choose a few first steps, and they wait in your dashboard. Meet again as often as you both find useful.
How we count
From our impact dashboard on October 21, 2026: of 1,511 people whose adviser gave them next steps in their dashboard, 1,071 finished at least one.
You won’t be the first to ask for help.
In their own words, from people who’ve met with an adviser. Know someone who could use this too? Pass a quote on.
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This program gave me clarity, structure, and confidence. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I now feel like I’m on a real path forward, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the support.
Preyasi, a library patron
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She created an actionable plan for me, broken up into smaller tasks so everything didn’t feel so overwhelming.
Francesca, a library patron
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He explained things to me thoroughly and provided me with actionable and easy first steps I could take to improve my situation.
Hyatt, a library patron
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He met me exactly where I was, without judgment, and helped me turn overwhelm into clarity.
Jennifer, a client
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This type of volunteer work helps to level the playing field for those of us who work hard yet may not have the means or accessibility to understanding finances.
Mary, a client
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I feel that my adviser showed compassion, empathy and really wants to help me.
Michael, a client
- 6,800+signed up, from all 50 states
- 9 in 10say they left their first meeting more confident
- 97%say their adviser was kind
How we count
These are national numbers for all of Advisers Give Back, not San Francisco Public Library’s alone. They’re from our impact dashboard as of October 21, 2026. It updates every week. We count everyone who has signed up since 2021, rounded down to the nearest hundred. The other two numbers come from 546 surveys people answered after a first meeting. “Kind” means they rated their adviser “kind and empathetic” as excellent or good.
Your neighbors
1,330 people have already signed up.
People who signed up through San Francisco Public Library live across the Bay Area. Every number is a person who reached out for help.
and 107 more in 76 other cities with fewer than 5 each
From the ZIP code each person gave when they signed up through San Francisco Public Library, through October 21, 2026: 1,107 sign-ups placed on the map. A ZIP code counts toward the city the Postal Service names for it. Cities with fewer than 5 sign-ups aren’t named. Places: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Outlines: US Census.
Every question is a fair one.
Short answers to what people ask before they sign up.
Do I need a library card?
No. Signing up doesn’t ask for a library card, and there’s nothing to join.
Can an adviser help me start investing?
Yes. Your adviser can explain the basics. They can help you decide what comes first, like an emergency fund or paying down debt. Then you make a plan you can follow.
What happens on the call?
It’s a phone call, not video, and your spouse or partner is welcome to join you. Your adviser gets your sign-up answers before the call, so you don’t start from scratch, and you don’t need any documents ready. You decide what you talk about. Anything you’d rather not say, you don’t have to.
We don’t record meetings. If that ever changes, we’ll ask you first, and you can say no.
If an adviser ever makes you uncomfortable or tries to sell you something, tell us at [email protected].
What if I need to move or miss my meeting?
It happens, and it’s okay. Before your meeting, we check that you’re still coming, and a quick reply keeps your time.
If the time no longer works, reply to any of our texts or emails, and we’ll help you find a new one. That way your time can go to someone who’s waiting. Missed the call? You can book again.
What can an adviser help me with?
Bring any money question. The goals people bring most often are paying off debt, making the most of their money, investing, buying a home, and saving for emergencies or retirement.
Can I meet in Spanish, or in another language?
Yes, you can ask for Spanish when you sign up. We have a few Spanish-speaking advisers, so a time may take longer to open up. For another language, ask too, though we can’t always promise a match.
Still wondering? Email us at [email protected].
Free money guides
Three good places to start.
Plain answers from volunteer advisers, with every number checked. They open right here. Looking for something else? Search all 39 guides and workshops.
Can’t find it? A volunteer adviser can help. Get started — it’s free
Ready when you are
Spots are limited.
Advisers volunteer their hours, so open times can be a few weeks out. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you meet.
Claim your free meetingFree. Private. Nothing to buy.