Helping Self Employed Business Owners and Professionals
Organize Your Finances
so you can
Retire on Time
IAM Financial is a fee-only, fiduciary financial planning firm dedicated to helping self-employed business owners and professionals organize their finances so they can retire on time. IAM offers face-to-face, comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax filing to local clients in East Lansing, Grand Rapids, and across the country.
As Seen In
How can we
help you?
We do this using simple planning strategies like:
Create a Plan
Create a plan to organize your finances so that you can retire in the next 10 years.
Pay Yourself First
Make sure you're investing in the right places so that your retirement is optimized for success.
Live Stress Free
Know where your retirement income is coming from and how much you can expect as you retire debt-free.
Focus on Worth
Focus on worth by using your money to do things that bring you the most happiness like spending time with family and friends, travel, and golf.
How we're
different
Fiduciary
We sign a Fiduciary Oath putting your interest ahead of ours even if we make less money.
No Commissions
We offer completely transparent fee structure with no hidden fees. There are never any commissions or surrender fees.
CFP® Professional
We offer comprehensive financial planning from a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with over 25 years experience.
Independent Views
We provide objective guidance on which planning and investing strategies best meet your need. There are no hidden agendas.
Fee-Only®
We are compensated solely by you, our client, never a third party.
Holistic Approach
Your financial plan coordinates with your cash flow, investments, taxes, estate, and insurance to maximize your money.
Who We
Serve
Let's Plan for Retirement
Our self employed business owners and professionals are 10 years out from retirement. They are in their peak earning years and have accumulated a sizable nest egg. They want to position themselves and their companies for success as they enter the next phase. That includes minimizing taxes and getting the most out of their money. They want a plan to get them there, and are comfortable delegating that responsibility to an advisor they trust.
Optimize my Retirement
Our retirees are busy traveling and spending time with their grand kids. When not with family, they enjoy walking on the beach with their dogs, or on the golf course. Their retirement income is tax efficient and maximized for getting the most out of their dollars. They don't worry about money. They take comfort in knowing that their finances are organized and that their spouse is taken care of if something happens to them.
Hi, I'm Rich
Owner
My superpower is organizing things. I LOVE trying to make things fit. My background is in finances, so naturally, I like organizing people’s money. I am also spiritually oriented and enjoy looking at things on a deeper level.
Money has always impacted me. Growing up, we lived in the biggest house and had the nicest cars. But I didn't get to see my dad too much. He was always working. He sort of had to. He was running his own company and supporting our family as the sole breadwinner.
One year my dad was writing an article for work about timeshares. We went to Florida, the Timeshare Kingdom. It was 1987 and my grandma had died. My Mom made him buy the timeshare on the spot. It was the best decision.
Up until then we'd camped or taken an overnight vacation every now and then. But not often, and time was slipping away. My brother was in high school and I was in middle school. We finally had something to look forward to every year. That one week together at the golf course, or on the beach, was magical.
In 1997 I started working with my Dad as a financial planner. He introduced me to “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas Stanley and I started saving money. I also got to spend a lot of time with him. But I noticed that there was always a strain around money. There was a tradeoff between time and money. You could have one or the other, but not both. I think it comes from the motto he taught me early on that time is money.
In 2007 my son Tyler was born, and something had to change. I had to figure out a way to have both time and money. In 2008 I started IAM Financial because I wanted to change my relationship with money and share it with the world.
Now, my wife and I are financially independent and we’ve entered Coast F.I.R.E. In 2025, she retired from Michigan State University after 25 years. My work allows me to work from anywhere. Our goal is to camp (and golf) in all 50 states while I run a highly specialized boutique financial planning firm for a select few special client.
Oh, my kryptonite is telling people no. So I blog and share all my knowledge for free.