About Us
Putting Your
Interest First.
No Exceptions.
We are a team of experienced financial professionals committed to providing the highest level of comprehensive service and trusted advice to our select client base. We are driven by a commitment to integrity, transparency and innovation in all we do. As fee-only fiduciary advisors, we put our clients’ best interests first, at all times and in all situations.
We have extensive experience helping clients navigate the complexities of executive benefits, implement custom employer-sponsored retirement plans and health care benefits, save and invest for future generations of family members, and maximize the value of their businesses. As an independent, fiduciary advisory firm, we have no corporate mandates, sales quotas or investment limitations. Instead, we are free to provide truly custom advice specifically designed to meet your needs, with any potential conflicts of interest fully disclosed.
What does all this mean to you? Put simply, we’re committed to achieving your goals because we succeed when you succeed.
What makes an AIF® different from the other advisors?
Fiduciary Duty:
An AIF® is legally and ethically bound to act in the best interests of their clients at all times. This contrasts with non-fiduciary advisors who might not be held to the same standard.
- Specialized Training: AIF® designees undergo extensive training on fiduciary standards, investment strategies, and best practices. This specialized education ensures they are well-equipped to manage and advise on complex financial matters.
- Ethical Standards: AIF® professionals adhere to a strict code of ethics and standards of conduct, ensuring transparency, integrity, and accountability in their client interactions.
- Continuous Education: To maintain their designation, AIF® professionals must engage in ongoing education, staying current with the latest developments in financial management and fiduciary practices.
- Comprehensive Approach: An AIF® takes a holistic view of financial planning, focusing not just on investments, but on the overall financial well-being of their clients. This includes retirement planning, estate planning, and risk management.
- Enhanced Due Diligence: AIF® designees apply a thorough due diligence process when evaluating investment options, ensuring that all recommendations are in the best interest of the client.
By choosing an Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, you benefit from a higher standard of care and a commitment to achieving your financial goals with integrity and expertise.
Meet Our Founder
Allen functions as a financial quarterback for clients, facilitating the effective integration of the firm’s services with external advisors and trusted partners. In this role, he serves as a dedicated financial advocate for each client. Additionally, Allen operates in a fiduciary or co-fiduciary capacity as an ERISA advisor for employer-sponsored retirement plans.
First entering the financial services business in 1986 as a stockbroker, Allen went on to form his own brokerage and investment advisory with his father. Eventually selling those businesses, Allen joined one of the largest independent financial services firms and helped to grow the Chicago region from 12 advisors to more than 400. Allen was in charge of the firms Midwest Private Client group which catered to High-Net-Worth families, successful business owners providing advanced planning services. In 2006, Allen formed Clear Financial Strategies, LLC to remove conflicsts of interest and refocus on fiduciary best practices, putting clients’ needs at the forefront. Today, Allen and Clear Financial Strategies provide investment advisory services through Redhawk Wealth Advisors, a registered investment advisor.
Allen pursued studies in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Southern Illinois University and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Blair College. He holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) and Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®) designations.
As a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, Allen has contributed to various community initiatives. He has previously served on the board of the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association serving community members with physical and mental handicaps and the Economic Development Counsel for the Village of Lakewood, Illinois.
Allen and his wife, married for nearly 20 years, are proud parents of five children. They prioritize family travel, exposing their children to diverse cultures and traditions beyond the United States to foster a broader understanding of the world. Outside of his professional and family commitments, Allen enjoys interests such as exotic cars, fine wine, golf, and saltwater beaches. In 2023, he relocated both his businesses and family to Northeast Florida.
Our Process
Each Other
The advisor needs to ask pertinent questions to learn about the prospective client.
What does their family look like (if any)? What are they trying to accomplish? What are their issues?, etc. The prospective client also needs to ask probing questions regarding the advisor such as experience, certifications, client and regulatory issues, etc. No financial relationship can truly form without complete trust of both parties.
Data
Once trust and rapport have been established both sides can work together as a team.
Sometimes the relationship never makes it to step 2 and that is good as well. Both the client and advisor have to have confidence in the other. Now the discovery process takes place where the advisor is gathering necessary documents and being introduced to the other advisors on the client’s team.
In this step we are using various software and database systems in order to understand not just how each component works but how each component works or doesn’t with the others.
In this stage it is not uncommon for the advisor to request permission to engage their other advisors such as CPA, Attorney’s, Insurance Agents, etc.
Now we reach the point where we re-engage the client to present a plan that we believe will solve their problems and give the a clear path toward their personal and financial goals.
In this stage it is not unusual to make some changes to the plan because, a reasonable solution cannot be found, and we need further input from the client.
Once the client is satisfied with the planning path, implementation of the plan takes place. Clear Financial Strategies, LLC is a strict fee-only RIA and does not permit compensation outside of the client’s fee, so we look for the most appropriate products to implement the plan at the least cost. This does not mean the cheapest, it means there is significant value for cost.
For example, if financial solution A is more expensive than financial solution B but A has a better net return and potentially even lower risk, we may opt for what looks like, at first blush, the more expensive solution. Since we are fee-only, the more the client makes the more we make as your fiduciary, so we are always looking after your best interest because it is also ours.
While all steps are important, step 6 is the most important in our view. Without this crucial step you are simply driving using only your rearview mirror.
Clear Financial Strategies, LLC, an unaffiliated and separate legal entity, offers investment advisory services through Redhawk Wealth Advisors, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. SEC Registration does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC.
Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any securities. Clear Financial Strategies’ website and its associated links offer news, commentary, and generalized research, not personalized investment advice.
Nothing on this website should be interpreted to state or imply that past performance is an indication of future performance. All investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to consult with a professional before implementing any investment strategy.
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