Independent wealth advisor for families and founders
Wealth that works while you live your life.
You've built something worth protecting. I help high-net-worth individuals and families manage, grow, and pass on wealth with complete clarity and no conflicts of interest.
Independent wealth advisor for families and founders
Wealth that works while you live your life.
You've built something worth protecting. I help high-net-worth individuals and families manage, grow, and pass on wealth with complete clarity and no conflicts of interest.
Trusted by professionals, founders, and families across Chicago, IL
Trusted by professionals, founders, and families across Chicago, IL
Trusted by professionals, founders, and families across Chicago, IL
How I Work
Advice that only answers to you.
I'm Michael, an independent, fee-only financial advisor with over 15 years of experience helping individuals and families build and protect meaningful wealth. I started my own practice because I believed there was a better way, one with no products to sell, no quotas to hit, and no conflicts of interest. As a fiduciary, I'm legally obligated to act in your best interest at all times, and I work with a limited number of clients to make sure every relationship gets the attention it deserves.
How I Work
Advice that only answers to you.
I'm Michael, an independent, fee-only financial advisor with over 15 years of experience helping individuals and families build and protect meaningful wealth. I started my own practice because I believed there was a better way, one with no products to sell, no quotas to hit, and no conflicts of interest. As a fiduciary, I'm legally obligated to act in your best interest at all times, and I work with a limited number of clients to make sure every relationship gets the attention it deserves.
How I Work
Advice that only answers to you.
I'm Michael, an independent, fee-only financial advisor with over 15 years of experience helping individuals and families build and protect meaningful wealth. I started my own practice because I believed there was a better way, one with no products to sell, no quotas to hit, and no conflicts of interest. As a fiduciary, I'm legally obligated to act in your best interest at all times, and I work with a limited number of clients to make sure every relationship gets the attention it deserves.
Why most people feel uncertain about their wealth
Money should give you options, not keep you up at night.
Most people with significant wealth face the same quiet frustration. They've worked hard, accumulated assets, and still don't have a clear picture of where they stand or what comes next. Their investments are spread across accounts, their advisor sells products, and nobody is looking at the whole picture. That's the problem I solve.
Why most people feel uncertain about their wealth
Money should give you options, not keep you up at night.
Most people with significant wealth face the same quiet frustration. They've worked hard, accumulated assets, and still don't have a clear picture of where they stand or what comes next. Their investments are spread across accounts, their advisor sells products, and nobody is looking at the whole picture. That's the problem I solve.
What I can help you with
Comprehensive advice across your full financial picture.
Your financial life does not exist in separate compartments. Your investments affect your taxes. Your taxes affect your estate. Your estate affects your family. I look at everything together, because that is the only way to give you advice that actually works.
What I can help you with
Comprehensive advice across your full financial picture.
Your financial life does not exist in separate compartments. Your investments affect your taxes. Your taxes affect your estate. Your estate affects your family. I look at everything together, because that is the only way to give you advice that actually works.
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01
Planning
A clear, written plan that connects your assets, goals, and timeline, reviewed and updated as your life and priorities evolve.
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01
Planning
A clear, written plan that connects your assets, goals, and timeline, reviewed and updated as your life and priorities evolve.
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02
Investments
Evidence-based portfolios built around your risk tolerance and time horizon, not around products I'm incentivized to sell.
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02
Investments
Evidence-based portfolios built around your risk tolerance and time horizon, not around products I'm incentivized to sell.
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03
Tax
Coordination with your CPA to ensure your investment decisions and tax planning are working together, not against each other.
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03
Tax
Coordination with your CPA to ensure your investment decisions and tax planning are working together, not against each other.
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04
Legacy
Working closely with your estate attorney to make sure your wealth transfers to the right people, in the right way, at the right time.
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04
Legacy
Working closely with your estate attorney to make sure your wealth transfers to the right people, in the right way, at the right time.
How we get started
Four steps to finally seeing your financial future clearly.
No lengthy onboarding. No complicated paperwork before we've even spoken. Just four straightforward steps from a first conversation to a plan that's entirely yours.
How we get started
Four steps to finally seeing your financial future clearly.
No lengthy onboarding. No complicated paperwork before we've even spoken. Just four straightforward steps from a first conversation to a plan that's entirely yours.
01
Discovery Call
A 30-minute call to understand your situation and whether we're a good fit.
01
Discovery Call
A 30-minute call to understand your situation and whether we're a good fit.
02
Financial Assessment
A thorough review of your assets, liabilities, tax situation, and estate structure.
02
Financial Assessment
A thorough review of your assets, liabilities, tax situation, and estate structure.
03
Your Wealth Plan
A written strategy covering investments, tax efficiency, and long-term goals.
03
Your Wealth Plan
A written strategy covering investments, tax efficiency, and long-term goals.
04
Ongoing Partnership
Regular reviews, proactive adjustments, and a direct line to me, not a call center.
04
Ongoing Partnership
Regular reviews, proactive adjustments, and a direct line to me, not a call center.
30-minute introductory call. No obligation. No sales pitch.
By the numbers
A practice built quietly, proven consistently over time.
Behind every number here is a family that sleeps better at night, a founder who finally has a clear picture, and a retiree who knows exactly where they stand. This is what fifteen years of independent advice looks like.
By the numbers
A practice built quietly, proven consistently over time.
Behind every number here is a family that sleeps better at night, a founder who finally has a clear picture, and a retiree who knows exactly where they stand. This is what fifteen years of independent advice looks like.
20+
Years of experience
20+
Years of experience
20+
Years of experience
97%
Client retention rate
97%
Client retention rate
97%
Client retention rate
$280M
Assets under management
$280M
Assets under management
$280M
Assets under management
150+
Client families served
150+
Client families served
150+
Client families served
Client perspectives
What my clients say.
I never ask for reviews. These came on their own, which is the only kind worth sharing. The best measure of an advisory practice is not the assets it manages but the clarity and confidence it gives the people it serves.
Client perspectives
What my clients say.
I never ask for reviews. These came on their own, which is the only kind worth sharing. The best measure of an advisory practice is not the assets it manages but the clarity and confidence it gives the people it serves.
"For the first time in years, I feel like someone is actually watching out for us, not just managing our money, but thinking about our whole situation."
Retired surgeon, client since 2019
"I always assumed a great advisor was only for people with much more money than I had. I was wrong, and that wrong assumption cost me years of clarity I could have had much sooner."
Executive, Fortune 500
"Michael doesn't just manage my investments. He thinks about my whole situation, my taxes, my estate, my goals. It feels like having a very smart friend who happens to know everything about money."
Retired professor, client since 2020
"I came to Michael after years of feeling like my previous advisor was speaking a different language. For the first time I actually understand what my money is doing and why."
Private practice physician, client since 2021
"The clarity I got in our first few sessions was worth more than anything I'd gotten from my previous advisor in five years."
Founder, Series B company
"What surprised me most was how quickly everything became clear. Within two sessions I had a complete picture of where I stood financially. I wish I had done this ten years earlier."
Business owner, client since 2022
"For the first time in years, I feel like someone is actually watching out for us, not just managing our money, but thinking about our whole situation."
Retired surgeon, client since 2019
"Michael doesn't just manage my investments. He thinks about my whole situation, my taxes, my estate, my goals. It feels like having a very smart friend who happens to know everything about money."
Retired professor, client since 2020
"The clarity I got in our first few sessions was worth more than anything I'd gotten from my previous advisor in five years."
Founder, Series B company
"I always assumed a great advisor was only for people with much more money than I had. I was wrong, and that wrong assumption cost me years of clarity I could have had much sooner."
Executive, Fortune 500
"I came to Michael after years of feeling like my previous advisor was speaking a different language. For the first time I actually understand what my money is doing and why."
Private practice physician, client since 2021
"What surprised me most was how quickly everything became clear. Within two sessions I had a complete picture of where I stood financially. I wish I had done this ten years earlier."
Business owner, client since 2022
"For the first time in years, I feel like someone is actually watching out for us, not just managing our money, but thinking about our whole situation."
Retired surgeon, client since 2019
"The clarity I got in our first few sessions was worth more than anything I'd gotten from my previous advisor in five years."
Founder, Series B company
"I came to Michael after years of feeling like my previous advisor was speaking a different language. For the first time I actually understand what my money is doing and why."
Private practice physician, client since 2021
"Michael doesn't just manage my investments. He thinks about my whole situation, my taxes, my estate, my goals. It feels like having a very smart friend who happens to know everything about money."
Retired professor, client since 2020
"I always assumed a great advisor was only for people with much more money than I had. I was wrong, and that wrong assumption cost me years of clarity I could have had much sooner."
Executive, Fortune 500
"What surprised me most was how quickly everything became clear. Within two sessions I had a complete picture of where I stood financially. I wish I had done this ten years earlier."
Business owner, client since 2022
Common questions
The questions most people ask before reaching out.
Most people have the same questions before they reach out. How does this work? How are you paid? Is this even for someone like me? These are exactly the right questions, and I would rather answer them here than have them stop you from reaching out.
Common questions
The questions most people ask before reaching out.
Most people have the same questions before they reach out. How does this work? How are you paid? Is this even for someone like me? These are exactly the right questions, and I would rather answer them here than have them stop you from reaching out.
Who do you typically work with?
People who have built something worth protecting and want one trusted advisor looking at their whole financial picture, not just their investment account. Most of my clients are professionals, founders, and families in their forties, fifties, and sixties navigating complex financial decisions and tired of feeling like their advisor is selling them something. If that sounds like you, we should probably talk. The first conversation costs nothing and carries no obligation.
How are you compensated?
I am a fee-only advisor which means I am compensated exclusively by you, never by commissions, referral fees, or product sales. Most financial advisors earn money in ways their clients never fully see or understand. That is not how I operate. You pay a transparent flat fee or a percentage of assets under management depending on our work together. There are no hidden charges, no surprises, and no incentive for me to recommend anything other than what is right for you.
What is a fiduciary and why does it matter?
A fiduciary is legally required to act in your best interest at all times, not just when it is convenient. Most financial advisors are held to a much lower suitability standard which simply means their recommendations need to be suitable for you, not necessarily the best option available. As a fiduciary I am legally and ethically obligated to put your interests first, always. That distinction matters more than most people realise.
How much money do I need to work with you?
I do not have a strict minimum but I work best with clients who have accumulated meaningful assets and are ready to take their financial life seriously. What matters more than a number is the right mindset and a genuine desire for clarity. If you are unsure whether you qualify, the best thing to do is schedule a 30-minute discovery call. There is no obligation and no awkward sales pitch. We will both know within the first conversation whether it makes sense to work together.
How is this different from working with my current advisor?
Most people who come to me have an advisor at a large bank or brokerage firm who manages their investments and little else. What I offer is genuinely different. I look at your entire financial picture including investments, tax, estate planning, and cash flow together as one connected system. I work with a small number of clients by design so every relationship gets the attention it deserves. And because I am fee-only and fiduciary there is nothing I am trying to sell you.
How do we get started?
The first step is a 30-minute discovery call where we get to know each other, talk through your situation, and decide whether we are the right fit. There is no commitment, no paperwork, and no pressure. If we decide to move forward I will conduct a thorough financial assessment and begin building your written wealth plan. Everything moves at your pace. Schedule a conversation using the button below and we will take it from there.
Who do you typically work with?
People who have built something worth protecting and want one trusted advisor looking at their whole financial picture, not just their investment account. Most of my clients are professionals, founders, and families in their forties, fifties, and sixties navigating complex financial decisions and tired of feeling like their advisor is selling them something. If that sounds like you, we should probably talk. The first conversation costs nothing and carries no obligation.
How are you compensated?
I am a fee-only advisor which means I am compensated exclusively by you, never by commissions, referral fees, or product sales. Most financial advisors earn money in ways their clients never fully see or understand. That is not how I operate. You pay a transparent flat fee or a percentage of assets under management depending on our work together. There are no hidden charges, no surprises, and no incentive for me to recommend anything other than what is right for you.
What is a fiduciary and why does it matter?
A fiduciary is legally required to act in your best interest at all times, not just when it is convenient. Most financial advisors are held to a much lower suitability standard which simply means their recommendations need to be suitable for you, not necessarily the best option available. As a fiduciary I am legally and ethically obligated to put your interests first, always. That distinction matters more than most people realise.
How much money do I need to work with you?
I do not have a strict minimum but I work best with clients who have accumulated meaningful assets and are ready to take their financial life seriously. What matters more than a number is the right mindset and a genuine desire for clarity. If you are unsure whether you qualify, the best thing to do is schedule a 30-minute discovery call. There is no obligation and no awkward sales pitch. We will both know within the first conversation whether it makes sense to work together.
How is this different from working with my current advisor?
Most people who come to me have an advisor at a large bank or brokerage firm who manages their investments and little else. What I offer is genuinely different. I look at your entire financial picture including investments, tax, estate planning, and cash flow together as one connected system. I work with a small number of clients by design so every relationship gets the attention it deserves. And because I am fee-only and fiduciary there is nothing I am trying to sell you.
How do we get started?
The first step is a 30-minute discovery call where we get to know each other, talk through your situation, and decide whether we are the right fit. There is no commitment, no paperwork, and no pressure. If we decide to move forward I will conduct a thorough financial assessment and begin building your written wealth plan. Everything moves at your pace. Schedule a conversation using the button below and we will take it from there.
You already know something needs to change
You've worked too hard to leave wealth to chance.
If you're ready for advice that's clear, independent, and built entirely around your life, let's talk.
30-minute introductory call. No obligation. No sales pitch.
You already know something needs to change
You've worked too hard to leave wealth to chance.
If you're ready for advice that's clear, independent, and built entirely around your life, let's talk.
30-minute introductory call. No obligation. No sales pitch.
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