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Do Well While Doing Good
Ben Smith is a fee-only financial advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) Professional with offices in Milwaukee, WI, Wayzata, MN and Evanston, IL, serving clients virtually across the country.
Cove Financial Planning provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to individuals and families, regardless of location, with a focus on Socially Responsible Investing (SRI).
We are among the 2%.
Only 2% of financial planning firms in the US are true, fee-only fiduciaries and legally required to always act in the best interest of their clients, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Ben acts as a fiduciary for his clients. He does not sell financial products or earn commissions. Simply put, he sits on your side of the table and always works in your best interest. Learn more how he can help you Do Well While Doing Good!
Why Cove Financial Planning?
Fiduciary
Adhering to the highest industry standard means we always put our clients’ best interest first because you deserve unbiased advice. We sign a fiduciary oath with every client and have an ethical and legal obligation to do what’s best for you.
Fee-Only
We seek to eliminate financial conflicts of interest and do not earn commissions or other compensation from third parties. You can trust that you will receive objective advice without a sales pitch.
Independent
As an independent firm, we have no affiliations with product providers and are not incentivized to sell our clients anything or pressured to hit a sales quota.
High Impact
We can incorporate Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) strategies to align our clients’ investments with their long-term goals and personal values using Nobel Prize-winning investment strategies.
There are more important things than profit. We don't just help our clients align their resources with their personal values. We've also formally aligned our corporate structure and priorities with our values.
As a Certified B Corporation, we’re dedicated to making the world a better place by focusing on sustainability, inclusion, charitable giving, transparency, our local communities and so much more.
Who We Work With
While we don’t have any account size minimums, our clients are generally high earners and diligent savers. Most folks we work with have a household income over $250,000 per year or have saved over $750,000 in their investment portfolio.
Pre-Retirees & Retirees
Who: You may be approaching or living your “work-optional” years. Your kids are grown, and you are pursuing hobbies and passions you didn’t have the time for during the height of your career.
What: You want to make sure the money you’ve worked hard for is now working hard for you. You may be taking income from your portfolio while protecting the investments you’ve accumulated.
Why: You don’t want to feel like you need to work later in life, but you want to stay busy. You’d like to maintain your lifestyle in later years and not risk outliving your money.
How: We help pre-retirees prepare for “work-optional” years, so you can be confident about how and when you leave your job for good. We help retirees create a tax-efficient, sustainable income stream from your portfolio so you can focus on your passions.
Rising Professionals
Who: You work hard at your job, and you’re embarking on some of life’s biggest changes, including buying a home, getting married, having kids and growing your career.
What: Cash flow might be a priority as you balance paying off debt while saving and investing for the future.
Why: You want to enjoy life today while also taking responsible steps to take care of your future self and family.
How: We help rising professionals manage cash flow, pay down debt, lower taxes and save and invest for the future, so you can focus on your family and career.
New Inheritance
Who: Someone you love has passed away and entrusted you with their savings. No matter where you are in life, you want to use this gift responsibly.
What: You might use some of your inheritance to take care of priorities today, but you also want to position the money to grow for your future and be mindful of potential taxes.
Why: You want to make sure your inheritance is aligned with your unique needs while honoring the person who gifted it.
How: We will help you maximize your inheritance based on your own financial plan in a tax-efficient way, so you can continue the legacy of the loved one who entrusted you with their savings.
Ben Smith, CFP®, CSRIC™
Founder & Financial Planner
Hi, I’m Ben, and I’ve worked for a number of financial advisory and asset management firms throughout my career.
They spent more time talking about how to make the firm more money than how to make clients more money, so I set out on a mission to change that.
I started Cove Financial Planning to help individuals and families plan for their future while investing in a socially responsible way. As it turns out, you can have your cake and eat it too!
When I’m not building financial plans and portfolios, you can find me traveling with my wife and our daughter Francie, checking out a new local restaurant or out on a run–rain, snow or shine.
Favorite Movie:
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
“Plan or plan not. There is no try.”
Drink of Choice:
During bull markets:
Key Lime LaCroix
During bear markets:
Old Fashioned (sour)
Favorite Destination:
Kauai, Hawaii
…Because it’s full of coves.
Favorite TV Show:
The Office
“Bears. Beats. Battlestar Galactica.” Or in my world,
“Bears. Bulls. Basis point investment gains.”
Favorite Meal to Cook (Eat):
Chicken Parmigiana
My choice ingredients are well diversified.
Go-to Driving Playlist:
Ted Radio Hour Podcast
Low cost. High return.
Best 5k Run Time:
21 minutes, 30 seconds
Timing: important in races, not investing.
Best Marathon Time:
Just kidding…I could barely get through the 5k.
Investing is a marathon, not a sprint.
Want to chat with Ben?
A Boutique Firm Focused on Client Service & Education
Cove Financial Planning is a boutique financial planning and investment management firm with an emphasis on personalized client service and education. In order to maintain great service and produce educational videos and articles, we may limit new-client engagements. We will inform you of a potential waitlist, if imposed, during your initial consultation call.
Featured Videos
Featured Articles
Professional Associations:
Ben is a NAPFA-registered, fiduciary financial advisor.
Ben is a CFP® Board-registered CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional.
Ben is a board member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Wisconsin.
Ben is a certified member of the Fee-Only Network.
