George Papadopoulos, CPA/PFS, CFP®
For over thirty years, George Papadopoulos, CPA/PFS, CFP®, has helped his clients work toward and realize their most important financial and life goals. A highly-qualified veteran in the financial services industry, George offers his clients a wealth of professional knowledge, coupled with real world experience and personalized service. George was chosen as one of the Wall Street Journal’s Experts in Wealth Management in February, 2013 and has written over one hundred articles and posts over the years. He has been chosen as one of the Top 100 Financial Advisors in the US by Investopedia for several years in a row.
Before starting his independent, Fee-Only financial planning practice in 1998, George worked at Deloitte & Touche LLP, providing individual taxation and personal financial planning services geared toward meeting the special needs of high net worth individuals, corporate executives, small business owners and a wide variety of other clients. Prior to serving his clients at Deloitte & Touche LLP, George worked at a local CPA firm where he specialized in individual, corporate and partnership taxation and small business consulting. Since starting his firm, George has also worked off and on as an independent consultant for the Ernst & Young Financial Counseling Division. Ernst & Young is a global leader in tax, advisory and other large-CPA-firm services.
George received his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license from the State of Michigan in 1993. He became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner in 1995, after meeting the rigorous education and experience requirements set forth by the CFP Board of Standards. In addition, George earned his Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1996.
Every year, George is required to take more than 40 hours of Continuing Professional Education in order to maintain his professional licenses. He usually takes classes well above the minimum required and he is committed to excellence and continuous improvement.
George holds both a Master of Science degree in Accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with honors, from Eastern Michigan University. He is registered with the State of Michigan as an Investment Advisor.
He is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA). He belongs in the Personal Financial Planning section of the AICPA.
Perhaps most importantly, George is a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the most respected and the only professional association representing true Fee Only financial advisors. NAPFA members are sworn to serve as fiduciaries for their clients; they must also meet strict ethical, education and experience requirements.
Why Fee Only
WHY FEE ONLY FINANCIAL PLANNING?
The only thing true Fee Only planners “sell” is their professional assistance and advice. We work solely for our clients, focusing only on their best interests.
Financial Planning is the development and implementation of a coordinated plan for the achievement of your overall financial objectives. These objectives may include investment management, tax and retirement planning, estate planning and special needs planning such as college funding. I will consider the interrelationship of each of these important financial security components and take a “systems approach” toward achieving your goals.
I work strictly on a Fee Only basis. True Fee Only planners, myself included, receive no compensation from any product recommended. We do not represent any product or company; we only represent you, the client. Our compensation comes only from the fees paid by our clients. We NEVER accept commissions, trails, cross-selling fees, referral fee arrangements, kickbacks, surrender fees, sales contests, “educational cruises” and vacations, or “free” gifts.
Because Fee Only planners have no monetary interest in your purchase or investment decision, you do not have to wonder if the recommendations offered are being influenced by commissions or other forms of vendor-paid compensation. Because there are no third-party influences to color the financial and investment recommendations rendered, Fee Only planners can concentrate on providing the highest level of personalized service and offer professional, independent, unbiased advice.
I proudly display the Fee Only logo on all my company communications. Only true Fee Only financial planners, as narrowly defined by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)–the only professional association representing true Fee Only financial advisors–are allowed to use this symbol.