Moirai’s mission is to empower our clients to shape their financial future by giving them the advice, encouragement, and tools they need to identify and reach their goals. By providing unbiased and objective financial advice, we assure peace of mind for high-net-worth individuals and their families.
Financial decisions made today can impact generations to come,
which is why we focus on creating plans that will last for generations.”
As an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), Moirai is not limited to a single investment platform or specific product offerings. Our dedication to providing exceptional personalized service, world-class financial management, private investment opportunities, and unparalleled independence differentiates Moirai from its peers.
We hold ourselves to the highest level of commitment and stewardship to build trust, value, and long-term stability.
Our clients enjoy the confidence that comes from knowing that we have a fiduciary duty to put their interests first.
We help each client navigate the maze of choices and make informed decisions to shape their financial destiny.
View our Client Relationship Summary (Form CRS).
Financial decisions made today can impact generations to come,
which is why we focus on creating plans that will last for generations.”
— Karen M. Schmid, CFA, Principal & Founder
The ancient Greeks believed the Moirai weaved the metaphorical threads of life for every mortal, from birth to death. These three goddesses of fate and destiny embody the underlying philosophy of Moirai Wealth Management, providing clients with the best advice to make informed choices to achieve their personal financial goals.
Moirai:
pronounced “MWA-RAY”
We examine all aspects of your financial affairs and create tailored strategies to help you fulfill your investment goals. We are your advisor and advocate, integrating the work of other professionals, such as tax accountants, attorneys, bankers, and insurance specialists.
Wealth management is more than just investing. It’s taking a holistic approach to the entire financial picture and creating an optimal strategy that takes all of the factors that impact it into account. We create a free flow of information between experts and their various fields so that we can work together as a team to provide you with the right solutions.
We are tax-sensitive investment advisors who understand it’s not always what you make but what you keep that counts. For investors in higher tax brackets, strategic tax planning is crucial. We work to minimize taxes while maximizing investment returns. In some cases, taxes can be directed through charitable donations and endowment funds that support the causes you care about.
We develop financial goals that reflect our clients’ values and a customized investment portfolio to meet these goals. We create a high-quality portfolio that has the potential for consistent growth over time, emphasizing long-term core holdings of individual securities. Our analysis strategy is top-down: we start from an overall assessment of the economy, identifying sectors that will do well, and then select the strongest companies, crafting a diversified portfolio that can weather market ups and downs.
We review your retirement goals to help you understand your options. We walk you through different scenarios, taking into consideration time, potential market trends, your expenses and cost of living. Depending on your needs, we can help you roll over qualified retirement plans into an IRA and evaluate options for lump sums of cash from nonqualified benefit plans or stock options. Together with your accountants, we provide tax forecasts to help manage your goals and investments during retirement.
Estate planning is one of the most important aspects of your family’s long-term wealth management. We work with our clients and their attorneys to draw up a plan that includes wills, trusts, and guardians for minor children, if necessary. We help people see in concrete terms what their estate plan actually does and how it should be managed during their lifetime and beyond. We facilitate continuity between generations and peace of mind by having the mechanics of strategic wealth transfer in place, minimizing legal costs and tax implications, and pushing down assets to future generations.
Concierge services, financial mentorship and investment education, financial reporting, family governance, philanthropy coordination, and succession planning.
Moirai's comprehensive approach integrates investment management, tax strategy, and estate planning.
It's not just what you make, it's what you keep.”
An eclectic team of dedicated professionals, we are committed to working together to create strategic solutions that are unique to each of our client’s diverse needs.
Believing the independent advisor model gives clients the best value, Karen established Moirai Wealth Management in 2000. Her ability to provide services on a deep level, to respond to individual needs, and coordinate the financial aspects of major life events are a few of the reasons that many of her clients have been with her for decades.
Karen earned a BA in International Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA in International Business from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. She began her career working for both a large multinational bank and a boutique investment firm.
Trust, integrity, and fiduciary responsibility are the values upon which Karen built Moirai. After more than 30 years of experience working with high-net-worth families, Karen maintains a strong relationship with every client. She drives investment strategy and manages a team of employees that is committed to providing excellent service.
A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Karen is an active member of the CFA Society San Francisco. Additionally, she is a trustee for the French American International School in San Francisco and Chairperson of the Finance Committee. In her free time, she loves to cook and is an avid sportsperson. She lives in San Francisco with her son, Rhys, and their dog, Boomer.
With over 41 years of experience as an investment professional, Kate specializes in global equities portfolio management. An independent investment consultant and CFA Charterholder, she collaborates with Moirai Wealth Management to protect and grow client assets. Her investment philosophy is centered on high quality companies with growth potential selling at reasonable valuations.
Over the course of her career, Kate has managed mutual funds, co-mingled and employee benefit trust funds, institutional accounts and private client portfolios for companies such as Wells Fargo, Strong Capital Management and Sentinel Investments. She held the position of Chair for the Investment Committee as a trustee of Mills College and served as Interim Executive Director for the CFA Society San Francisco. She currently serves on the Investment Committee for the Board of Regents of Samuel Merritt University.
Using her extensive experience as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and former global mutual fund manager, Kate conducts in-depth research on companies for Moirai Wealth Management client investments. She works closely with Karen in managing and developing client portfolios.
Kate has been featured as a guest on Wall Street Week, Bloomberg TV, and CNBC; and profiled in Barron’s and the New York Times. She is a CFA Charterholder and remains an active member and volunteer. An avid skier, hiker, and bicyclist, she has cycled on six continents.
Playing a key role in Moirai Wealth Management’s leadership team, Aloe Driscoll works closely with Founder Karen Schmid to drive strategic initiatives and oversee all facets of the business. As Chief Operating Officer, Aloe is dedicated to ensuring operational excellence and fostering success for both clients and employees.
Since joining Moirai in 2018, Aloe has been instrumental in aligning operational priorities with strategic objectives to position the firm for sustained growth and expand the firm’s client base. Aloe brings exceptional relationship management skills to her role, working seamlessly with clients, employees, service providers, and Centers of Influence (COIs). She leads initiatives in goal setting, compliance reviews, audits, training, and annual assessments. A champion of innovation, Aloe drives the adoption of new technology and optimizes existing systems to enhance efficiency and elevate client service.
Before her tenure at Moirai, Aloe cultivated a diverse portfolio of experience in project management, web development, and digital marketing. As Project Manager for Iluminada Design, she led a multidisciplinary team of designers, salespeople, and developers while managing an extensive portfolio of websites. Earlier in her career, she contributed to the success of a San Jose startup that secured over $500 million in venture capital funding through her work in Sales and Marketing.
Outside of work, Aloe is a passionate athlete who enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and mountain biking. She is also an accomplished freelance writer, with articles published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Adventure Sports Journal, and other outlets.
A lifelong aficionado of computers, Matt has earned the nickname Techno Shaman from Moirai Wealth Management and his other clients. He keeps his clients' technology infrastructure running smoothly while ensuring data integrity and security. He has been a valuable consultant and professional for Moirai Wealth Management since 2012.
A voracious autodidact, Matt built his first computer at age twelve, graduated high school at age fifteen, and entered the technology sector straightaway. Since then; he has served as Sales Lead at Best Internet Communications, Operations Manager and Systems Administrator at RF.net, as a consultant for TAOS Mountain, and a Senior Unix Systems Administrator at Click Action. He served as the 24×7 network operations center team lead during his contract from TAOS mountain to Click Action. In 2000, he started a private consulting firm, FEYEF.
At Moirai Wealth Management, he has recommended and implemented the latest and most secure technology to meet the needs of the team. Encrypting and backing up data in transit and at rest in multiple locations, while keeping the network attack surface virtually hidden, is a notable achievement. His work proved invaluable during the tribulations of 2020, when Moirai’s robust communications infrastructure enhancements allowed business operations to continue seamlessly from anywhere in the world.
When he isn’t providing technical assistance, you can catch him at the beach, bombing hills on a mountain bike, or blazing trails to remote wild hot springs.
A graduate of the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado Boulder, Annie holds a double major in Accounting and Marketing. She joined the Moirai Wealth Management team in December 2023 and is currently studying to become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Believe it or not, one of her favorite subjects is taxes. She jumped right into tax season at Moirai, assembling tax documents and preparing income tax forecasts with the kind of enthusiasm that only a passionate young Accounting major can muster.
Annie also supports client services, stock research, and estate planning. She successfully completed a Financial Statement Analysis course in April 2024 and is looking forward to taking a larger role in investment evaluation.
An avid athlete in equestrian showjumping, Annie has competed both nationally and internationally. Her wins include a gold medal in Show Jumping at the North American Youth Championships in 2017. She is looking forward to blending her competitive spirit and passion for business into a successful career in financial services.
Annika joins Moirai with two years of client services experience and a degree in Business Administration with a dual concentration in Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) Strategies and Entrepreneurship from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She joined the Moirai Wealth Management team in August 2024 as a Client Services Manager for the San Francisco office.
Creating and maintaining efficient processes is Annika’s superpower. In her previous role as a Client Services Project Manager, she coordinated multiple teams to launch new customer relationship software systems, meeting frequently with clients and partners to ensure alignment and a timely roll-out. Whatever the issue at hand may be, Annika can be counted on to find the best solution and work closely with clients to resolve it.
Annika supports client operations at Moirai, including account set-up, reporting, billing, and improving day-to-day processes to guarantee efficiency and consistency. Her ultimate goal is happy clients and a productive workplace.
Outside of work, Annika loves to explore San Francisco with her dog Scooby, practice yoga, cook, and ski. As a professionally trained ceramic artist, she also enjoys going to local pottery studios and creating pottery to use in her home or give away as gifts.
Jackson Square
San Francisco, California
United States
(by appointment only)
Email: [email protected] Tel: 415.981.1541 Fax: 415.981.1542
