Financial Advisor in Lansing, MI area Focused on Retirement Planning and Tax Strategy

Yes. That means I am legally required to act in your best interest at all times when providing financial advice.

While that should be the standard across the industry, not every financial advisor operates as a fiduciary. Many are only held to a suitability standard, meaning recommendations simply need to be “appropriate” rather than truly aligned with your best outcome.

When you work with a fiduciary financial advisor in Lansing, MI, you have someone who is obligated to put your interests first, not theirs.

As a CFP® professional, I am also held to the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which include:

Fiduciary Duty
Acting with loyalty, care, and diligence in every recommendation
Integrity and Objectivity
Providing advice that is honest, unbiased, and focused on your goals
Competence and Diligence
Maintaining the expertise needed to deliver high quality financial guidance
Professionalism and Fairness
Treating every client with respect and acting in good faith
Confidentiality
Keeping your personal and financial information secure

At the end of the day, this is not just a legal standard. It is how I believe financial advice should be delivered.

It depends on what you are actually getting for that fee.

If you are only receiving basic investment management, a 1 percent fee can be hard to justify. But when that fee includes comprehensive financial planning, tax strategy, retirement income planning, and ongoing guidance, the value can far exceed the cost.

The real benefit is not just investment returns. It comes from:

Making better decisions during market volatility
Reducing taxes over time
Avoiding costly mistakes
Coordinating all aspects of your financial life

For many people, one or two good decisions can more than make up for years of advisory fees.

The key is understanding what is included and whether the advisor is delivering value beyond just managing a portfolio.

A qualified financial advisor should have a combination of experience, proper licensing, and advanced credentials that demonstrate their ability to provide comprehensive financial advice.

At a minimum, an advisor should be properly licensed to give investment and insurance guidance. This often includes exams such as the SIE, Series 6, Series 63, and the state Life Insurance license. For advisors providing ongoing investment advice, the Series 65 is an important qualification.

I hold all of these licenses, along with the Series 65, which allows me to provide ongoing investment advisory services.

Beyond licensing, one of the most respected credentials in the industry is the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation. This certification requires:

A bachelor’s degree
Completion of a CFP Board registered education program
6,000 hours of professional experience
Passing a rigorous six hour exam

I have earned the CFP® designation and adhere to the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, including acting as a fiduciary when providing advice.

In addition to these qualifications, experience matters. Neal and I bring over 40 years of combined experience in the financial services industry.

What this means for you is simple: you are working with an advisor who has both the training and real world experience to provide thoughtful, coordinated financial advice.

Flexibility is my middle name. Not really (it’s Daniel) but I do what is most convenient for you.

We can meet at my office in Charlotte, at your home, at a local coffee shop, or virtually from wherever you are. Some clients prefer in person conversations, while others prefer the convenience of a virtual meeting. I am comfortable with both.

If you are looking for a financial advisor in the Lansing, MI area who can meet you where you are, both literally and financially, we can set up a time that works best for you.

A financial advisor does much more than manage investments.

At a high level, my role is to help you make smarter financial decisions and create a clear, coordinated plan for your future.

That includes:

Building a retirement income strategy
Managing investments in alignment with your goals
Identifying tax planning opportunities
Helping you decide when to take Social Security
Coordinating estate planning and beneficiary strategies
Adjusting your plan as your life and the market change

Think of it as having a central point of coordination for your financial life, rather than trying to manage everything separately.

The goal is not just to grow your money, but to use it efficiently so it supports the life you want to live.

Joe is a fee-based advisor, meaning his compensation comes directly from the clients he works with.

For ongoing investment management and financial planning, I charge a percentage of assets under management (AUM). This fee typically starts around 1.1 percent and decreases at higher asset levels, depending on the complexity of your situation and the services involved.

This ongoing fee covers more than just managing investments. It includes comprehensive financial planning, tax strategy, retirement income planning, and coordination across all areas of your financial life.

In certain cases, I also offer flat fee arrangements for one-time or ongoing financial planning, depending on your needs.

My goal is simple: to deliver significantly more value than what you pay in fees through better coordination, fewer mistakes, and more informed financial decisions over time.

You can find additional details on the Services and Pricing page.

Yes. I am an independent, fiduciary financial advisor by design.

That means I am not tied to any specific products, companies, or investment providers. My recommendations are based entirely on what is best for your situation, not on commissions or incentives.

Some people assume that advisors at larger firms have access to more tools or offer more services. In reality, the opposite is often true. As an independent advisor, I have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of solutions and partners, rather than being limited to a single company’s offerings.

That flexibility allows me to build strategies that are fully tailored to your goals, your timeline, and your overall financial picture.

My role is to provide objective advice and a coordinated plan that puts your interests first at every step.

I work with clients at many different stages of life, but I specialize in helping people who are nearing retirement or have recently retired.
This is often the most complex phase financially, where decisions around income, taxes, Social Security, investments, and healthcare all come together. My focus is on building a coordinated plan that turns your savings into a reliable, tax efficient retirement strategy.
I also work extensively with corporate professionals, particularly those who have built wealth through employer retirement plans, stock based compensation, or long careers in structured benefit systems. My background working for a Fortune 150 company gives me a strong understanding of these situations and the planning opportunities that come with them.
If you are looking for a financial planner in the Lansing, MI area who focuses on retirement and complex planning decisions, we can start with a conversation and see if it is a good fit.

The best time to hire a financial advisor is before a major financial decision, not after.

Many people wait until they are close to retirement, but the biggest opportunities often come years earlier. Decisions around saving, investing, taxes, and employer benefits can have a significant long term impact when handled correctly from the start.

That said, there are a few key moments when working with a financial advisor becomes especially valuable:

Within 5 to 10 years of retirement
After a major life event such as selling a business, receiving an inheritance, or changing jobs
When your financial situation becomes more complex
When you want a clear plan instead of guessing your next move

A good financial advisor helps you avoid costly mistakes, organize your financial life, and create a strategy that evolves with you over time.

I am not trying to be the right fit for everyone. I aim to work with a select group of clients where we can build a long term relationship based on trust, communication, and shared goals.

Over time, many of my clients begin to feel more like family. I enjoy not just helping manage their finances, but watching their lives evolve and being part of the major decisions along the way.

What truly sets my approach apart is how everything is coordinated, not handled in pieces. That includes:

Custom, low cost strategies tailored to your situation
Ongoing communication so you are never left wondering what is happening
Education along the way so you understand the decisions being made
Proactive tax planning to improve long term outcomes

For clients nearing or in retirement, this becomes especially important. Investments, income, taxes, and timing all need to work together, not separately.

My goal is to provide a clear, organized plan that evolves with you over time, not just a one time recommendation or a portfolio on autopilot.

Yes. We offer estate planning as part of a coordinated approach through our partnership with Estately.

This allows us to provide attorney reviewed estate planning documents, including wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, in a way that is both high quality and cost efficient.

More importantly, we do not treat estate planning as a standalone service. We help ensure your estate plan is aligned with your overall financial plan, including account titling, beneficiary designations, and tax considerations.

For more details, you can visit our Estate Planning page or we can walk through how this fits into your plan during a meeting.

Helping people buy back their time.

At the end of the day, money is not the goal. What it allows you to do with your time is what really matters.

Through thoughtful retirement planning, I help clients create the freedom to spend more time with family, pursue hobbies, travel, or simply enjoy life without constantly worrying about their finances.

It can also mean less time spent second guessing decisions or watching the market, because you have a clear plan in place and confidence in where you are headed.

Time is our most valuable resource. Helping people take control of it again is what motivates me every day.