Catherine Tripp has lived in San Francisco for over 30 years and started her career in financial services at Crocker Bank's NCOC (5th and Mission). She earned a master's in international management, then spent 10 years forecasting and analyzing several banks' portfolios and budgets. In 1994, she co-founded a successful independent mortgage brokerage. After over 170 fundings, including refinances and purchases for TiC's, commercial properties and residences, she is sharing this hard-won knowledge with Examiner.com's readers.