About Petrarch
When money stops being a source of stress, people do remarkable things.
That’s not a tagline — it’s the reason Petrarch exists. Thomas Tran started this firm with one conviction: everyone deserves access to quality financial advice, regardless of where they’re starting from. Not just people with a million dollars. Not just people who already understand the system. Everyone.
He spent the early years of his career at a Fortune 500 financial services firm, where he saw firsthand how the traditional advisory model works — and who it leaves behind. People with real questions and real goals, told they didn’t have enough assets to be worth someone’s time. That didn’t sit right.
So he built something different. A fiduciary practice with no asset minimums, transparent pricing, and a mission to make financial planning more affordable and accessible.
From advising advisors to advising you
Thomas earned his B.B.A. in Financial Planning from the University of Minnesota Duluth — completing the program in three years — followed by an M.S. in Personal Financial Planning from Kaplan Financial. He holds the CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) certification, which requires rigorous coursework, a comprehensive exam, and ongoing continuing education.
At 24, he was serving as a retirement specialist at a Fortune 500 financial services firm — not just advising clients, but coaching and training advisors across the department on retirement strategies. Advising the advisors on how to advise.
During college, Thomas studied abroad in Växjö, Sweden — one of the world’s greenest cities — an experience that shaped his perspective on values-aligned investing and the intersection of personal finance and social impact.
He founded Petrarch (originally Fortuna Wealth Management) in 2022 and rebranded in 2025. When you work with Petrarch, you work directly with the person who built it — not a junior associate, not a call center, not a rotating cast of advisors.
Why “Petrarch”?
The firm is named after Francesco Petrarca — the 14th-century Italian scholar credited as the father of humanism and a catalyst of the Renaissance. Petrarca believed something radical for his time: that individual human beings have inherent dignity, that education is the path to flourishing, and that people achieve extraordinary things when they’re given the right tools and support.
That’s what we believe about wealth. Money isn’t the point. It’s a tool — connected to your relationships, your career, your health, your community, and the values you want your life to reflect. When financial stress is removed from the equation, people don’t just feel better about their bank account. They start businesses, show up differently for their families, and give back to the communities that shaped them.
The original name, Fortuna, came from Thomas’s family — Vietnamese refugees whose hopes for a better future for themselves and their family inspired the idea that fortune favors the brave. The evolution to Petrarch reflects a deeper philosophy: not just courage, but human potential.
It’s not just what we believe — it’s how we’re built
Fiduciary. Always.
We’re legally required to act in your interest — not ours, not a product company’s, not a corporate parent’s. That’s not a slogan. It’s a regulatory obligation, and it shapes every recommendation we make. Petrarch LLC does not receive commissions on investment advisory services.
No minimums. Really.
A lot of advisors say “no minimums” but quietly make it clear they’d prefer you have half a million. We genuinely work with people at every stage — whether you’re managing your first real 401(k) or consolidating a lifetime of accounts before retirement.
Virtual-first. Human always.
We’re registered in Illinois, Minnesota, and California, and we meet wherever works for you — video call, phone, or in person at a café in Chicago. No stuffy conference room required. Your advisor is accessible, not behind a receptionist.
One plan. Every piece connected.
Investments, retirement projections, tax strategy, insurance, debt — it’s all one plan, managed by one advisor. Nothing slips through the cracks because nothing is siloed. Insurance services are offered through Petrarch Insurance Services, LLC, a separate affiliated entity. Insurance products may involve commissions.
Want to see if we’re the right fit? The first conversation costs nothing.
Thirty minutes to see if we’re a good fit.