Michelle Maton, CFP®, EA, CeFT®

Sr. Financial Planner

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Chicago

My most important responsibility as a partner is to help our clients achieve their financial goals. On any given day, you will find me focusing on financial planning, tax strategies and reviews, and transition planning, which helps clients for the inevitable ups and downs in life—for better or worse. In addition, I work with the rest of our team to create more efficient client service systems and processes.

“The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.” [Jane Goodall]

Deciphering financial matters can seem complicated at times, so we work hard to make certain that the services we provide do not add another layer of complexity to the whole process. No web site or app can ever replace the nuanced, personalized services we provide. Overall, I believe that our collective financial talents and experience make our firm one that can deliver to clients a broad scope of unique talents and strengths.

I am an ardent conservationist and I love to travel. My first visit to Africa in 1996 changed my life, and I return as often as I can. Tourism is one of the ways we can help the countries in Africa. It helps the people by bringing dollars into the community, and it helps raise the profile of conservation and animal rights efforts in the region.

Credentials

Affiliations: Fee-Only Planning, Certified Financial Transitionist® (CeFT®) of the Sudden Money® Institute, Money Quotient Licensee, Registered Life Planner® (RLP®) of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor® (ADPA®)

Areas of Expertise: Life Planning, Financial Planning, Transition Planning, Tax Planning

Education: Stanford University, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®), Enrolled Agent (EA). An EA is a federally authorized tax practitioner empowered by the U.S Treasury to represent taxpayers before the IRS, a status that is the highest credential awarded by the IRS.

Memberships: Financial Planning Association (FPA), National Association for Personal Financial Advisors, Nazrudin Project, and the National Association of Enrolled Agents

Most effective saving tip:
Watch your housing costs

Who inspires me:
Jane Goodall

My greatest extravagance (under $100):
Getting a massage every 2 weeks

What inspires me:
Being in the bush in Zimbabwe

In my spare time:
I go birdwatching.

Latest Posts

Staying Put: Planning Tips for Aging in Place

The fact that many of us will enjoy longer lifespans brings up some questions that our ancestors didn’t need to consider: How do I want to spend my retirement years? How much will it cost to live the way I want to live? Do I want to continue to work part-time after retirement—or even start a new career? All of these considerations are important, but there is one more that perhaps trumps them all: Will I stay in my home, or move into a retirement community?

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LGBTQ+ Financial Planning: Some Important Considerations

While many important advances have been made in recent years in both the legal and social landscape, LGBTQ+ individuals still face many unique challenges, many of which have financial implications. This means that LGBTQ+ persons, whether single, partnered, or legally married, need financial planning advice that recognizes and takes into account these special challenges.

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What Women Need to Know about Divorce and Finances

Facing up to the reality of a failed marriage is one of the most difficult life passages anyone can be called to make. No matter who initiates the dissolution of a marriage, it is tough for everyone involved: emotionally, legally, socially, and financially.

Read More »
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Play Video

We’d like to meet you!

Schedule a free 15 minute conversation and we’ll spend a few minutes getting to know each other so we can learn if what you are seeking and what we provide are a good fit for each other. If it seems like a fit, we’ll talk about next steps. If we’re not, we’ll help you find the right group for your needs.