Latest news with #BayArea-based
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Simmitri Inc. Expands Access to U.S.-Made Solar Technologies Amid Supply Chain Concerns
Simmitri Inc. Offers Bay Area Property Owners a Smart, Tariff-Resistant Solar Option with Trusted American-Made Products and GAF Energy Partnership 'Our clients are asking important questions about system availability, pricing stability, and long-term performance... We've listened...'— Jonathan Garcia, CEO SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2025 / / -- As U.S. property owners face growing uncertainty surrounding solar tariffs and global supply chain disruptions, Simmitri Inc., a Bay Area-based solar and roofing company, is responding with a strategic shift toward American-made solar technologies. The company has strengthened its supplier network with leading domestic manufacturers, including GAF Energy, Silfab Solar, Qcells USA, Tesla Energy, Enphase, and IronRidge. This move allows Simmitri to offer residential and commercial customers access to high-quality solar systems that are less vulnerable to international trade fluctuations. With nearly 30 years of service in California's energy sector, Simmitri is reinforcing its commitment to resilient, future-proof solar investments. ________________________________________ Building Certainty in Uncertain Times Tariff volatility and shipping backlogs have complicated solar procurement for many property owners. 'Our clients are asking important questions about system availability, pricing stability, and long-term performance,' said Jonathan Garcia, CEO of Simmitri Inc. 'We've listened—and responded by partnering with U.S.-based manufacturers to mitigate these risks.' Simmitri's current technology lineup now features American-made products known for consistent performance, long warranties, and local availability. These include: • GAF Energy Timberline Solar™ Shingles – Made in the U.S., these nailable shingles integrate solar power directly into roofing materials, combining aesthetics with energy production. • Silfab Solar – Manufactured in Washington state, Silfab panels are designed for durability and tailored to North American conditions. • Qcells USA – Operating one of the largest solar manufacturing plants in Georgia, Qcells supports both residential and commercial energy projects. • Tesla Energy – Tesla's U.S.-assembled solar panels and Powerwalls offer sleek design and robust energy storage for homeowners. • Enphase Energy – Known for its advanced microinverters and storage systems, Enphase products are assembled in the U.S. and offer superior monitoring and reliability. • IronRidge – California-based IronRidge supplies durable solar racking solutions for structural integrity and code compliance. ________________________________________ Domestic Sourcing Still Faces Constraints While domestic manufacturing reduces reliance on foreign imports, industry-wide demand is placing pressure on available stock. Labor shortages and raw material delays are contributing to extended lead times—even for U.S.-made components. 'Just because it's made in America doesn't mean it's immune to demand spikes,' Garcia added. 'We're encouraging customers to plan ahead and reserve materials early to avoid installation delays.' ________________________________________ Commitment to Long-Term Energy Solutions Simmitri's full range of services spans beyond solar panels. With a track record of 5-star reviews and community impact, the company offers: • Residential & Commercial Solar Installations • Battery Storage Systems • EV Charging Station Installation • Smart Energy Consulting • GAF Solar Roofing Systems • Roof Installation, Maintenance, and Replacement Operating across San Jose, Santa Clara, Campbell, Los Gatos, and surrounding Bay Area cities, Simmitri's team of experts continues to support the shift toward cleaner, more reliable energy sources. Jonathan Garcia Simmitri Inc. +1 408-779-3333 email us here Visit us on social media: Instagram Facebook YouTube X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
San Francisco Chronicle
7 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Is your money in good hands with an AI financial adviser?
The global market turbulence of the past few months sparked by President Donald Trump's shifting tariff policies has provoked anxiety for many people worried about their 401(k)s and other savings but perhaps lacking the expertise to understand their options to keep their money safe and their investments growing. Financial advisers are the traditional source of that expertise, but it carries a price tag that some personal investors might not feel they can afford. As artificial intelligence becomes smarter and more human-like, could a machine potentially take on the role of a financial adviser — at little or no cost? 'One of the biggest challenges that we face in finance is financial advice,' said Andrew Lo, professor of finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management. 'How do we deal with various different investors' needs to manage their portfolio to achieve certain objectives?' I spoke to AI and financial experts, as well as founders of some Bay Area-based companies that say their AI-powered products can offer users personalized financial advice. What I found is that AI is getting close to being able to do the job of a financial adviser, but the technology is not quite there yet. Welcome to Hella Expensive, a column designed to help readers navigate the financial aspects of living in the Bay Area. I'll be keeping an eye on current issues, trends and what's going on with the overall economic outlook — but I also want to hear from you. Send your financial questions and concerns to me through the survey below, or email me at Financial advisers are hired to help their clients plan their financial futures and manage their money. The decision to hire a financial adviser is a very personal one. It can be motivated by concerns about your money and investments during periods of market volatility or economic uncertainty. It can often come during a major life event, such as buying a home, saving up for your children's college tuition or planning for retirement. You may be someone looking to increase their financial literacy, or you're a high-net-worth individual. The fees for a financial adviser can vary. Some are paid only from the services they provide, while others receive client fees as well as commissions from the products they sell. According to a report from advisery HQ, the average financial adviser fee was 1.02% of a client's assets in 2023. So if you have $300,000 in an account, you can expect to pay about $3,060 in fees. How much can an AI chatbot tell me? AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot continue to undergo refinements to make them more accurate and sophisticated. So how far have they gotten in the realm of dispensing financial advice? Lo is also director of the MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering, and has been researching this very question with a team of five students, using large language models (LLMs) or AI programs that can understand and generate human language. Their research has identified three primary challenges for LLMs to act as financial advisers. The easiest to overcome is ensuring that LLMs have the body of knowledge required for the task. They are already about 90% of the way there, Lo said. The second hurdle, according to Lo, is 'can large language models take information from a human and use that information to customize financial advice so that it is suitable for them?' He said providing such individually appropriate advice is part of an adviser's responsibility, and if they don't do that, they could have their license revoked or perhaps even be prosecuted criminally. LLMs can currently take a person's circumstances such as their income, savings and financial goals, and come up with a relatively solid financial plan, according to Lo. He said his team has been training LLMs on a database of individual financial circumstances, and it's in the testing phase now. But there is more to refine, and Lo said the researchers are about 80% done. 'The third and I think the most challenging problem is the issue of ethics and morality when it comes to providing advice to a human client,' Lo said. In the financial realm, this is known as fiduciary duty. A financial adviser is required by law to put the interest of their clients ahead of their own, Lo said. While they can certainly charge them a fee for their services, it 'has to be secondary to the client's best interest.' 'You and I know what that means, but how do you explain that to a machine?' Lo said. 'So we have been working on the whole notion of ethical behavior, both human and ultimately AI, and try to understand what kind of guardrails we need, what kind of intelligence are we talking about in terms of the artificial.' He said his team is in the very early stages of solving this issue, working with 'large amounts of historical information regarding various kinds of ethical dilemmas that have plagued financial advisers.' With that information, Lo believes his team can create an ethics and fiduciary model to ensure the advice given is in the best interest of the client. Brian Stormont, managing partner and financial adviser for Insight Wealth Strategies in San Ramon, said AI could be 'very beneficial' to a do-it-yourself type person. As a user of AI, he said, sometimes answers to financial issues are 'quite precise.' But overall he's found 'interactions to be all over the map in terms of satisfaction.' 'For many people, the financial landscape is still so multi-faceted,' he wrote in an email. 'People will need someone who can translate their personal situation and objectives into actionable task items and set them on the right path.' Personalizing financial advice The financial world has been embracing AI in a number of ways, with many large institutions now offering customers access to AI assistants and robo-advisers. Some Bay Area-based startups market themselves as the alternative to hiring a pricey financial adviser. Users connect their brokerage and bank accounts to the platform, and can receive some basic services. If they upgrade to a membership fee, they can get customized financial and investment recommendations. Mezzi, a financial management app, is described by CEO and co-founder Manish Jain as 'an AI wealth copilot.' It currently offers only a paid annual membership to build wealth, but Jain said a free plan is in the works. 'Mezzi provides proactive, real-time insights and 24/7 answers for portfolio management, diversification, risk reduction, and tax savings on demand to build and manage wealth,' Jain wrote in an email. 'One of our core offerings is like a private ChatGPT for your portfolio that leverages your background and goals to provide you with personalized insights.' Jain said Mezzi 'leverages AI' to educate and inform users, and offer ideas and suggestions, 'but the user remains in control and makes all final decisions about their investments. He said using AI alone, such as through a chatbot, could be susceptible to hallucinations, and doesn't provide live financial markets data. 'We've done a lot of heavy lifting to leverage brokerage and market data to deliver insights in a deterministic and accurate way, so we don't have to rely on an LLM like ChatGPT to deliver what could be a potentially inaccurate answer,' he said. Mezzi uses a hybrid approach of blending LLMs with conventional data and information systems to increase accuracy, he said. According to Jain, Mezzi offers information and suggestions with 'complete transparency' and doesn't recommend any financial products for a commission, therefore avoiding conflicts of interest. 'Mezzi is best for people who want to be the final decision maker, but looking to be better informed while saving time and money,' he said. In 2021 Alexander Harmsen sold his previous company, Iris Automation. He bought a home in the Bay Area and started his family, and figured it was time to find a financial adviser. But he felt like they were salespeople with too many clients, trying to sell him expensive funds. 'I wanted an adviser in the true sense of the word adviser,' he said, who could help him with everything from estate planning to managing his net worth. So he built his own platform instead called PortfolioPilot, which uses a complex hybrid AI approach. It incorporates many different models including LLMs as well as a dynamic factor model, which the 'Fed uses to model our interest rates, credit conditions, GDP and inflation,' according to Harmsen. 'As people interact with the product, it becomes more and more personalized,' he said. Users answer 10 onboarding questions about their goals and preferences, then connect their investment accounts. Harmsen said they can get a financial report card for free, and if they want more personalized financial advice, they can sign up for a membership. PortfolioPilot services include investment recommendations, tax impacts, access to an AI assistant and estate planning. He said the advice can range from the medium term of what to do over the next year, to the very long term and how to get yourself set up for retirement. But for these financial service platforms to be useful, users need to have accumulated some wealth. Jain said Mezzi's average user tends to be someone who has 'started to accumulate some complexity' with multiple accounts and growing wealth — generally Millennials and Gen-Xers with $100,000 to $5 million in net worth. And while the platforms can be helpful for financial literacy and recommendations, professional help is likely still needed for more complex matters. Jain said Mezzi's insights are 'restricted to personal wealth management of liquid assets,' and doesn't handle tax filing, estate planning or business tax analysis. 'We suggest users consult a tax expert or financial planner if they want insights beyond Mezzi's current scope or if they want someone else to make the decisions and take action,' he said, such as investing or moving money. Harmsen said while their offerings are 'pretty robust,' they are also 'very clear about the limitations and by no means promise certain returns,' he said, adding that the company has a compliance program to ensure it adheres to applicable laws, regulations and ethical standards. He wants to eventually build an entire ecosystem that includes partner CPAs, lawyers and other professionals to make wealth building more seamless for users. What's on the horizon Jain at Mezzi said some processes take a lot of engineering resources, which can be time-consuming and costly. 'Right now we can't rely on an AI agent to reliably recall and process information to produce high-level insights on its own with high accuracy,' he said. 'We spend a significant amount of time building processing and insights manually using conventional data science.' His hope is that systems will eventually be developed that eliminate the need for manual coding of processing and insight generation. Lo said after his team solves the three main challenges, their ultimate goal is to develop a financial adviser using an LLM and offer it for free to the public. It would benefit individuals who need it the most, particularly low-income people who can't afford to pay for financial advice. 'It won't do everything,' he said. 'Certainly it won't dispense the kind of advice that a high-net worth individual would need and like access to, but our view is that they're already being well served by financial institutions, so we don't need to solve that problem.' The LLMs would be trained similarly to how a junior financial adviser would be, Lo explained. A big obstacle is avoiding AI hallucinations. And once the software is complete, another major challenge would be getting regulators to sign off on it. The whole process could take three to five years. In the meantime, Lo's team plans to post a list of ideal prompts to use when asking AI chatbots for financial advice, which he hopes to do by year-end. Lo encourages people to spend time with an AI chatbot and 'get to know it.' Use different ones, as they each have their own 'quirks, strengths and weaknesses.' Ask it a lot of questions, starting with topics you are most familiar with such as your profession, to get a sense of how much the LLM actually knows. Then start asking financial questions to gauge accuracy and temperament.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Title IX Lawyer Launches Firm With Roster of College Athlete Clients
Arthur H. Bryant, the prominent Title IX attorney known for representing college athletes in high-profile sex discrimination cases, is launching his own Bay Area-based practice next week—a move he sees as perfectly timed for a surge in such litigation. Bryant has most recently served as a partner at Clarkson Law Firm, the public interest practice, where he headed up its Title IX team. He previously worked at the San Francisco office of Bailey & Glasser after serving as chairman and executive director of Public Justice, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit legal advocacy organization. Advertisement More from 'This is a period of golden opportunities for Title IX enforcement in America,' Bryant said in a phone interview. 'The law is very clear that women athletes at colleges and universities are supposed to get equal opportunities to participate, equal financial aid and equal treatment compared to men. And some schools are providing it. But many, many, many are not. And all it takes to hold them accountable is women being willing to sue.' Bryant, who served as lead counsel in the first ever Title IX case filed against a university (Haffer v. Temple University in 1986) for discriminating against its female athletes, currently represents a group of former Oregon club rowers and varsity beach volleyball players in a lawsuit against UO. That class-action litigation—which withstood the university's motion to dismiss—alleges multiple forms of gender-based discrimination, including by providing superior NIL resources and opportunities to male athletes. If the House v. NCAA settlement is approved, and depending on how Oregon allocates its revenue-sharing funds, this case stands ready to serve as the first legal challenge the settlement's injunctive relief on Title IX grounds. Advertisement In addition, Bryant is also suing both Fresno State and San Diego State on behalf of female athletes at those schools, in addition to representing eight athlete House objectors in collaboration with the law firm MoloLamken. 'Because of the House v. NCAA settlement,' Bryant said, 'some schools are going to be eliminating women's teams in violation of Title IX and sometimes even men's teams in violation of Title IX, and any school that decides it is going to make name, image and likeness [payments] disproportionately to men is opening themselves up to a massive Title IX damages lawsuit. While my new law firm will not be limited to Title IX cases, it seems like a perfect time to do this.' Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Where's the best place to camp in California? ‘Iconic' coastal spot named No. 1
A state park on California's Central Coast is the top spot in the state to pitch a tent and sleep under the stars, according to the California State Parks Foundation. The Bay Area-based nonprofit organization recently released the results of its first-ever poll ranking the best state parks in California. The No. 1 place to camp in the Golden State was Morro Bay State Park in San Luis Obispo, according to the Best of California's State Parks 2025 survey. 'Coastal fog, kayaking adventures and views of iconic Morro Rock make this a camping destination unlike any other,' the foundation said. The California State Park Foundation called on people to vote for their favorite state parks across 10 categories this spring, choosing the best among 280 park units, 15,000 campsites and more than 5,00 miles of hiking trails in the Golden State. More than 1,300 survey participants took part in the poll, the news release said. Morro Bay State Park was the only SLO County destination to land on the list. Morro Bay State Park was hailed as the perfect place for camping due to its views of the Pacific Ocean and Morro Bay Estuary, as well as its access to nature and outdoor activities. 'Campers especially love waking up to foggy mornings, scenic trails and the iconic view of Morro Rock,' the foundation said. Rachel Norton, the executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, called the SLO County park one of the most stunning spots on the California coast. 'Camping on the coast is a particularly unique and wonderful experience,' she said. 'That's my thought on why people chose it.' People who responded to the survey said the Morro Bay campsite was serene and dog-friendly, while also being close to town and nature walks. It's a place 'surrounded by beauty, wildlife, great hiking and the feeling of peace,' wrote Doug Brand, who voted for Morro Bay State Park. Here are the winners of the 2025 Best of California's State Parks poll: Best California State Park for Camping: Morro Bay State Park Best California State Park for Hiking: Mount Tamalpais State Park in Marin County Best California State Park for Spectacular Views: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Monterey County Best California State Park for Birdwatching: Salton Sea State Recreation Area in Imperial and Riverside counties Best California State Park for Wildflowers: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties Best California State Park for Kid-Friendly Adventures: Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz County Best California State Park for Picnicking: Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego County Best California State Park for Learning About History: Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park in Santa Cruz County Best California State Beach: Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County Best California State Park for Dog-Friendly Adventures: Sonoma Coast State Park in Sonoma County The California State Parks Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving California's state park system, decided to make its first-ever top 10 list after receiving hundreds of queries over the years about the best parks to visit, Norton told The Tribune. The nonprofit group conducted a survey in March to find out what members and supporters thought were the best state parks to visit across 10 categories. It gathered responses through email lists and social media, Norton said. 'From camping and hiking to picnicking, birdwatching, and family fun, we received over 1,300 submissions — each reflecting the deep love people have for these parks,' the foundation said in a news release. Norton hopes the new best of list will inspire Californians to see state parks they might not have known about otherwise. 'The idea is really to say, 'Hey, if you haven't explored these places, here's some great ideas that you may not have thought of, for places to go, places to visit, places to enjoy,' ' Norton said.
USA Today
15-05-2025
- USA Today
Sudden fowl fatalities bring a new bird mystery to San Francisco Bay Area
Sudden fowl fatalities bring a new bird mystery to San Francisco Bay Area Show Caption Hide Caption Stranded, hungry pelicans are being found along California's coast International Bird Rescue treated more than 400 brown pelicans in 2024, when this video was taken, and is closing in on 200 this year. SAN FRANCISCO – In the classic film 'The Birds,'' flocks of crows and other species suddenly and viciously attack people for no apparent reason. Now another Bay Area-based mystery has emerged involving avian creatures, though this time they're the ones in danger. Residents of East Richmond Heights, an East Bay community less than 15 miles from San Francisco, have reported in recent weeks increasing numbers of birds dropping dead to the ground from power lines. Popping sounds similar to firecrackers have been heard moments before the birds' deaths. A sign attached to a wooden pole in the area of the incidents says, 'Over 50 birds have died + continue to die here after landing on the top power line,'' but it's not clear the electricity wires have anything to do with the fowl fatalities. Neighbors have found carcasses in their yards and on the street, creating an eerie feeling and growing alarm, not unlikely the reaction from locals in the 1963 suspense drama from acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock, set mostly in the Sonoma County town of Bodega Bay. Maximillian Bolling of Richmond told KGO-TV, an ABC affiliate in San Francisco, that he has seen a number of birds abruptly plummet to their demise, and that between himself and neighbors they have spotted at least 13 of their corpses. Plummeting to a 'really violent' death 'So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it's really violent,'' he told the station. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it's investigating after residents raised concerns the birds might have been electrocuted. In a statement to USA TODAY, the department said it examined two dead birds – a mourning dove and a European starling – sent in by Northern California energy provider PG&E. The DFW lab staff 'found no signs of electrocution in the collected birds,'' the statement said. 'The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot.'' Photos of other birds from that location also showed traumatic injuries, the department said, adding that it couldn't determine their cause. That raises the possibility of someone intentionally harming the birds, and the Contra Costa County sheriff's department has been notified. PG&E validated, but some still skeptical The DFW analysis seems to validate PG&E's contention that it's not at fault in this matter, although neighbors expressed skepticism to KGO, questioning whether a BB gun could make a firecracker-like sound or a shooter could display such consistent accuracy. The utility has yet to regain the trust of many people in Northern California after its equipment set off devastating wildfires in the region in recent years. Nonetheless, spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said the company appreciated its customers' concerns for the birds. 'PG&E does not believe that there was an issue with our electrical equipment and agrees that these birds were not electrocuted,'' she said in a statement, adding that, 'The pole at issue is compliant with avian safe guidance, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee.''
