Who We Are

Your Fiduciary, Fee-Only Financial Advisors in Lake Country Planning for Life. Providing Peace of Mind.

We develop deep, long-lasting relationships with our clients.
We’re a collaborative team with a high level of expertise for high-net-worth individuals and families.
We offer big firm technology with small firm, specialized delivery.
We built our succession plan to secure your legacy.

Financial Planning Investment Management Ongoing Advice Financial Planning

Planning for life involves a deep understanding of you and your family’s values, dreams, plans and fears. We work closely with you to develop a comprehensive financial plan that will provide financial security and peace of mind.

The Shakespeare team will help you navigate through difficult financial markets, changes in tax laws, changes in your health, the ups and downs of your career and more; making sure your financial plan stays on track at every turn. We are your local, trusted financial planning partner, taking our time to get to know your financial goals and providing guidance to create a customized financial plan to fit your life.

Investment Management

You want a financial advisor whose investment philosophy has proven to work through various market cycles. Shakespeare focuses on specific factors of return that are rooted in academic research and proven to add value over time. Our disciplined financial strategies reduce risk and enhance returns. That means you can invest with confidence, knowing your assets will be there when you need them.

Ongoing Advice

Our communication will be ongoing with 1-2 meetings per year and advisor availability with any questions or concerns along the way.

Client education is a core service from Shakespeare, and with this education comes empowerment. One of our first meetings involves an in-depth review of the financial markets, how they work, and the proven disciplines we follow to ensure success in your financial plan.

We send a monthly newsletter via email geared towards education and updating you on current events in the financial industry, tax law changes, and market movements. We post an educational blog written by our advisors and host webinars and special events for our clients.

Professional Associations

Shakespeare is a proud member of the National Association of Financial Advisors (NAPFA). NAPFA is the premier professional association catering to Fee-Only financial advisors. NAPFA Advisors must be a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in good standing and demonstrate technical competence in the key areas of financial planning. To maintain our NAPFA membership we complete 60 hours of Continuing Education every two years and take a fiduciary oath. This is just one of the many ways we show that our clients always come first! Shakespeare Financial Advisors, Kevin, Andrea, Nick, Brian, and Ryan are all proud members of NAPFA.

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Working with Shakespeare's Financial Planners FAQ

I'm looking for a financial planner. How do I begin?

We begin every inquiry with an introductory meeting, to learn about each other and identify if we are a good fit for your needs. If so, we complete a comprehensive financial plan as part of our Initial Engagement (IE) Service. This process can be completed with 2-5 client meetings, depending on the complexity of your situation. At the end of the IE, we provide written recommendations with specific action items to improve your situation. We then help implement these recommendations as part of our Full Engagement (FE) Service. With the FE, we work with you on an ongoing basis making adjustments as needed based on changes in your situation, changes in the tax code and estate laws, changes in your health, changes in employment, changes in your family situation, changes in goals, and more.

Give us a call and we'll schedule an introductory meeting. Don't be shy…your future depends on it.

How is Shakespeare different from other advisers?

Shakespeare has a deeper technical knowledge of the tax and estate laws than most advisers. Our financial planning process monitors your situation on an ongoing basis, and Shakespeare takes the lead in implementing the numerous items need to keep your plan on track.. Our investment process not only leverages four specific factors that have been proven to enhance return and reduce risk, it is also customized to best fit your overall financial goals. Shakespeare combines technical knowledge, with ongoing advice, the ability to implement change on a timely basis, and investing your assets in a manner that meets your specific needs. The result is you win.

What are your fees?

Shakespeare is a Fee-Only Financial Adviser, which means we do not accept any form of commission. This creates a higher level of transparency and eliminates the conflicts of interest present from most financial advisers. Our ongoing fee is determined at the end of our Initial Engagement Process and is based on the level of complexity in your situation relative to the work we will do. We charge an asset management fee comparable to most advisers and mutual funds but provide significantly more value to our clients. In summary, our fees range between 0.50% and 1.5% depending on your situation.

What is the difference between Fee-Only Financial Advisers and Fee-Based Advisers?

A 'Fee-Based' adviser is able to charge an advisory fee to manage assets, but also has the ability to sell you financial products that pay commissions (annuities and insurance products). This creates conflicts of interest, with the adviser having the ability to earn higher compensation if they steer you into certain products. Shakespeare is a Fee-Only Adviser, working only on an agreed upon fee. This creates the transparency necessary for you to receive objective advice and leads to a trusting relationship with Shakespeare.

So how do you find out what type of adviser someone is? Ask your adviser what broker-dealer they are registered with. If they are a Fee-Based adviser, a broker dealer will be listed on their website and business cards, and you'll see words like 'Securities offered by…..' and acronyms like SIPC and FINRA, followed by lots of legal disclaimers. Fee-Only advisers like Shakespeare, must register with the SEC and do not have to register with a broker dealer.

Is Shakespeare a Fiduciary Adviser?

Shakespeare always operates as a Fiduciary, having a legal requirement to put your interests first. If you've never worked with a fiduciary adviser, now is the time to find out the difference.

Do you sell financial products, like insurance or annuities?

Shakespeare does not sell any financial products. Given our deep understanding of your financial situation relative to your goals, we will provide insurance advice based on your needs and goals. We will then work with an insurance professional to ensure you get the right product at the right price. Having Shakespeare properly quantify your insurance needs and then serve as your advocate in this process ensures you get the best results.

Why is ongoing financial planning important?

The world is rapidly changing. If you are not actively monitoring your financial plan and making adjustments, you will not achieve optimal results. Many of the changes our clients experience, at various times of their lives include changes to tax laws, changes to estate laws, employment, income, family situations, health, and more. You need an adviser who will make necessary adjustments to your plan as things change.

What if I don't want ongoing advice?

Shakespeare has seen too many horror stories of people who haven't worked with an adviser on an ongoing basis. As a result, we have chosen to work only on an ongoing advice with our clients.

What are your minimums?

Shakespeare's minimum investment is $1,000,000. We implemented this minimum so we can maintain a high level of service to our existing clients. As an addendum, we will provide 18 months for clients to meet our minimum, recognizing there are liquidity events that need careful planning prior to a liquidity occurrence such as retirement, inheritance, business sale and more.

What types of clients do you work with?

Our clients have several commonalities, including:

A more complex financial situation relative to your average investor
Several moving parts to a financial plan, including multiple retirement accounts, investment accounts, real estate investments, second homes, businesses, LLC investments, complex family dynamics and more.
Clients who have saved consistently throughout their life and whose asset levels now require the guidance of a more sophisticated adviser
Clients preparing for retirement, needing help navigating Social Security, Medicare, 401k Rollovers, Pension distributions, tax planning, and more
People experiencing life transitions, such as loss of a loved one, divorce, widowed, business sale, retirement, career change, and more.
Clients whose number one asset is their family, and who have a strong desire to provide contingency planning for their family. They want to make sure they have a trusted adviser in place to help manage the family's finances before a sickness or death occurs.
Many of our clients live modest lives but have accumulated significant assets.

Do you manage money?

Shakespeare has a robust Investment Management Program that is customized to best meet the needs identified in your financial plan. Our process is built on academic research and focuses on four factors of return that have been proven to enhance return and reduce risk. We have taken the guesswork out of the investment process and instead rely on trusted disciplines to add value. We build and manage portfolios based on your real world needs, such as income replacement and risk management. We employ powerful software that helps us implement and monitor your portfolio and make changes to keep you moving forward.

Do you work with clients out of state?

Shakespeare has clients located throughout the country. Based on our sophisticated financial planning software that allows for easy collaboration, we are able to serve clients throughout the United States.

What are your Core Values?

Shakespeare's core values are Faith, Family, and Fee-Only. If any of these items are important to you, we welcome the chance to meet.

VIEW FROM THE LAKE

Shakespeare Wealth Management, LLC
N22 W27847 Edgewater Drive
Suite 101
Pewaukee, WI 53072-5260

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Who We Are

Who We Are

Your Fiduciary, Fee-Only Financial Advisors in Lake Country Planning for Life. Providing Peace of Mind.

Professional Associations

Join our email list:

Working with Shakespeare's Financial Planners FAQ

Our Blog

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Video: Timeline of Shakespeare Wealth Management

Tip of the Month | March 2024