Charles Zhang
CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, MBA
Zhang Financial
Financial Advisor
Charles Zhang
CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, MBA
Zhang Financial
Financial Advisor
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Charles Zhang, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, MBA
Fee-Only Financial Planner with offices in Portage, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, Troy, Ann Arbor, MI and Naples, FL.
The Zhang Financial Team takes pride in holding the most prestigious designations and credentials in the industry including:
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®)
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
MS in Accountancy
PhD and MA in Economics
MS in Financial Services (MSFS)
Chartered Financial Counselor (ChFC)
Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
- MBA - Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
- Executive Education - Harvard Business School
- MA in Economics - Western Michigan University
- Executive Education - Columbia University
- MS in Financial Services - The Institute of Business and Finance.
- NAPFA - Registered Financial Advisor
- Charles was ranked #1 on Barron's list of the nation's Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors for 2021 and is the highest ranked Fee-Only NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor on the list.**
- Charles Zhang was named the #1 Financial Advisor in Michigan by Barron's in 2013, 2014, 2015,
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.*
- Charles Zhang was named the #1 Financial Advisor in Michigan by Barron's in 2013, 2014, 2015,
- Barron's Hall of Fame
- Charles Zhang was ranked the #1 Financial Advisor in Michigan by Forbes in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.***
- Ranked #6 in the nation on Forbes' list of America's Top Wealth Advisors for 2021 and is the highest ranked NAPFA fee-only Financial Advisor on the list .****
- Out of the more than 10,000 advisors in a leading national financial planning firm, Charles Zhang was ranked #1 by the time he was 29.
- COUR Member (The Committee on University Resources) - Harvard University
- Steering Committee Member for Columbia College - Columbia University
- Economics Advisory Council, Department of Economics, Columbia University
- Benefactor of Columbia University
- WMU Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient 2021
- Author of the book "Make Yourself a Millionaire" (McGraw-Hill, 2003)
- Often interviewed and quoted by many national media outlets including Wall Street Journal, CNBC, New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Barron’s, Reuter’s, Associated Press, Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, U.S. News & World Report, CNN, MSN Money, Fox Business, PBS, and Financial Times.
*As reported in Barron's February 18, 2013, February 22, 2014, February 21, 2015, March 5, 2016, March 4 , 2017, March 10, 2018, March 8, 2019, March 13, 2020, March 12, 2021, and March 12, 2022. Based on assets under management, revenue generated by advisors for their firms, the quality of their practices, regulatory records, internal company documents, and 100-plus data points provided by the advisors themselves.
**As reported in Barron's September 17, 2021. The ranking reflects the volume of assets overseen by the advisors and their teams, revenues generated for the firms and the quality of the advisors' practices. For fee-only status see NAPFA.org.
***As reported by Forbes on February 15, 2018, February 20, 2019, January 16, 2020, February 11, 2021, and April 7, 2022. Each Advisor - selected by Shook Research - is chosen based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative criteria, including: in-person interviews, industry experience, compliance records, revenue produced, assets under management, and other factors.
****As reported in Forbes August 16, 2021. The ranking, developed by our partner Shook Research, is based on in-person and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm for advisors who have a minimum of seven years of experience. We consider client retention, industry experience, compliance records and firm nominations as well as quantitative criteria such as assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. For fee-only status see NAPFA.org.
See zhangfinancial.com/disclosure for full ranking criteria.
Charles Zhang is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
Zhang Financial sets a new standard for your finances. Established more than three decades ago,(1) Zhang Financial has developed into a prominent industry leader while maintaining its client-centered focus. Our comprehensive, fee-only solution is built upon an academic, evidence-based investment philosophy aimed at providing the highest probability of success.
For the past seven years, Charles Zhang, CFP®, has been placed in the top 10 on Barron's list of America's Top 100 Independent Wealth Advisors. Most recently he was ranked #1 in the nation and he is currently the highest ranked Fee-Only NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor on the list.* Charles was also ranked #6 in the nation on Forbes' list of America's Top Wealth Advisors for 2021 and is the highest ranked Independent Advisor on the list.** Zhang Financial is also known for its commitment to philanthropy, especially within our local community. See Giving Back.
With more than $4.7 billion in assets under management,(2) Zhang Financial takes pride in working without conflicts of interest from proprietary products and other questionable business practices. We are committed to upholding a fiduciary standard, providing our clients with customized and unbiased financial advice, first class service, and an open-architecture investment platform for a competitive price. Ranked as Michigan's #1 Financial Advisor,*** Charles Zhang provides personalized investment recommendations to every client in our firm. Your assets are either in the custody of LPL, the largest independent broker dealer in the industry, Charles Schwab, or TD Ameritrade.
1-Zhang Financial formerly operated under dba Zhang & Associates
2-Zhang Financial's regulatory Assets Under Management can be found in Zhang Financial's Form ADV Part 2 available at http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
*As reported in Barron's August 22, 2015, August 27, 2016, September 15, 2017, September 14, 2018, September 16, 2020, and September 17, 2021. The rankings reflect the volume of assets overseen by the advisors and their teams, revenues generated for the firms, quality of the advisors' practices, and other factors. For NAPFA status see NAPFA.org.
**As reported in Forbes August 16,2021 The ranking, developed by our partner Shook Research, is based on in-person and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm for advisors who have a minimum of seven years of experience. We consider client retention, industry experience, compliance records and firm nominations as well as quantitative criteria such as assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. For fee-only status see NAPFA.org.
***As reported in Barron's February 18, 2013, February 22, 2014, February 21, 2015, March 5, 2016, March 4, 2017, March 10, 2018, March 8, 2019, and March 13, 2020, March 12, 2021, and March 12, 2022. Our rankings are based on assets under management, revenue generated by advisors for their firms, and the quality of their practices, regulatory records, internal company documents, and 100-plus data points provided by the advisors themselves.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Institutions
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Charles Zhang is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Charles Zhang is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
Contact Charles Zhang
Office Locations:
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5931 Oakland Drive
Portage, MI 49024 -
70 West Michigan Avenue
Suite 200
Battle Creek, MI 94017 -
2828 Kraft Avenue SE
Suite 100
Grand Rapids, MI 49512 -
999 Vanderbilt Beach Road
Suite 200
Naples, FL 34108 -
101 West Big Beaver Road
14th Floor
Troy, MI 48084
