About
Zero to Zero is Patrick Bradford's personal site about financial planning. It's written for people who have built real wealth and want to make good decisions with it, and for anyone who would rather understand their finances than be sold something.
The name comes from a simple idea. Everyone starts at zero and everyone ends at zero. What happens in between, as money is earned, saved, taxed, spent, invested and eventually passed on, is where planning does its work. That's what this site is about.
What you'll find here
Articles on the decisions that make up a real financial plan, written for normal people rather than other advisors.
- Financial planning. Cash flow, goals and trade-offs, and how to build a plan that holds up when life changes.
- Tax planning. What the tax code allows, and why timing often matters more than the rate.
- Retirement. Turning what you've saved into income you can count on.
- Markets and the economy. What a rate change, a downturn or an inflation surprise means for a plan, and what it doesn't. General context only, never specific investment recommendations.
- Estate and legacy. What gets passed on, how, and what the state takes along the way.
- Protection. The insurance and risk questions most families put off.
- Money and behavior. Why smart people make predictable mistakes, and how a good plan accounts for them.
About Patrick
Patrick Bradford, CFP® is a financial planner based in Chicago. He works with individuals and families on the whole picture, from cash flow and taxes to retirement, investments, insurance and estate planning, with a particular focus on tax planning for families with meaningful wealth.
He joined Hemington Wealth Management in March 2025, which became part of Beacon Pointe Advisors in November 2025. He graduated from Dominican University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and was a starter on the volleyball team. Outside of work he is usually with family and friends, at a game, or at a show.
Keeping up
The easiest way to follow along is the monthly email, Between the Zeros. You can also find Patrick on LinkedIn.
Zero to Zero is a personal, educational site. It doesn't offer advisory services, and nothing here is advice for your specific situation. The disclosures page covers the details.