Business Description

My primary business model is education. Contrary to public perception, financial planning is considerably more complicated than commonly assumed. My goal is to help bring you the information you need in order to make an informed decision about financial matters. I am a teacher first and foremost. I operate as your research assistant to gather the esoteric information that may make all the difference to you. Further, I have a team of advisors (legal, tax, accounting, etc.) when you need them or I can fold myself seamlessly into your present team.

Though I work with many ultra-high net worth clients, my primary requirement of you the client ... is that you are serious and determined to control your future. My primary business focuses on Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, and Philanthropic Planning. If you are in need of other areas, others on my team can accomodate your needs.

Finally, my practice is rated in the top 1/10th of the top 1% of financial planners nationwide (in accordance with MDRT statistical analysis). If you expect the best, then we are clearly it!

General Information

Gender:

Male

CRD#:

4693031

States Licensed in:

States Willing to do Business in:

Years of Experience in Financial Services:

Number of Years with Current Firm:

Work Experience:

I am an independent financial adviser. This means I work on your behalf. If you have need of a financial product, I am not tied to any particular company. I offer products and services from multiple companies ... though I only deal with the best companies. I believe in the best and own it myself. My primary focus is on three areas of financial planning: Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, and Philanthropic Planning. I often bring a team of professionals to bear, especially on larger and more complicated cases.

I work with the following types of clients:

Businesses, Non-Profit Organizations, Individual Investors

Education

Academic Background

Bachelor of Arts degree - St. Martin's. Graduated summa cum laude.

Services

Investment Types:

Insurance, Bonds, Annuities, Mutual Funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Alternative Investments, Socially Responsible Investments (SRI)

Qualifications & Memberships

Securities Licenses:

Series 63, Series 6, Series 65

Insurance and Annuity Licenses:

Annuity, Variable Annuity, Long Term Care, Variable Life, Disability, Life, Health

Financial Organization Memberships:

Million Dollar Roundtable, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), Financial Planning Association (FPA)

Non-Financial Organization Memberships:

Boy Scouts of America, Saint John's Lutheran Church Board

Firm Information

Number of Advisors in Office:

10 - 99 employees

I work with clients as part of a team:

Yes

Assets Managed by Advisor:

$200,000,000

Compliance

Registered Investment Advisor:

Yes

Registered Representative:

Yes

Investment Advisor Representative:

Yes

I am an acknowledged fiduciary:

Yes

Compliance Disclosures in Last 5 years:

I have a clean record

Criminal Disclosures in Last 5 years:

I have a clean record

Compensation & Fees

I am a fee-based financial professional:

Yes

Minimum Portfolio Size for New Managed Accounts:

$50,000

Compensation Methods:

Based on Assets, Commissions, Hourly, Flat Fee

Additional Details on Charges:

All charges are addressed prior to the start of work. If we overestimate the charges, the difference is returned to you. If we underestimate ... that is on us. There will be no surprises.

Prepared By:

Michael Shipman

Most Recent Update:

09/02/2008