Donald Duncan
CFP®, CFA, CPA, PFS
D3 Financial Counselors, LLC
Financial Counselor
Donald Duncan
CFP®, CFA, CPA, PFS
D3 Financial Counselors, LLC
Financial Counselor
We help smart people make smarter financial decisions ™ - Donald Duncan, CFP®, CFA, CPA, PFS
Fee Only Financial Planner Serving the Entire Chicago, IL Area, Santa Fe, New Mexico and select Clients Nationwide

After a successful career at Northern Trust Company, Don took his experience and started D3 Financial Counselors (D3) in 1997. The reason for the career change was so he could work with individuals rather than institutions. The singular focus of D3 is to help people achieve their goals through financial planning, risk-controlled investment management and tax wealth management. During his 16 years with Northern Trust, Don managed over $8 billion in various portfolios and served as a member of the division's risk management team.
Don is focused on being educated so that he can bring the best ideas to help clients achieve their goals. To this end, Don received his Certified Public Accountant designation in 1985, earned a Masters of Business Administration from DePaul University in 1987 and became a Chartered Financial Analyst in 1992. In 1997, he earned the Certified Specialist in Estate Planning designation and, in 2000, he became a licensed CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Each year Don earns at least 30 hours of continuing education credits, to stay current with financial planning topics, taxes and investments.
With his strong convictions about education, Don taught Financial Planning at DePaul University and Portfolio Management at Lewis University. Utilizing Don's teaching and public speaking experience, D3 Financial Counselors also conducts customized seminars to business employees and association groups. Don also was past Chairman of the Illinois Financial Planning Association, served on the NAPFA Midwest Board as well as having served as Chairman of the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce.
Don lives in Downers Grove with his wife Cindi and their children. He is an active member of the community and any endeavor he gets involved with. Don is focused on personal improvement by interacting with people, reading, and living new experiences. Recreationally, Don enjoys outdoor activities like backpacking, fishing, hiking, bike riding and travelling to new places.
Donald Duncan is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is the country’s 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
Our Business Model
- We are an independent, fee-only, fiduciary financial planning firm.
- We are not affiliated with any other company, have no sales quotas, do not sell any products and accept no commissions.
- Our business model is designed to avoid any conflict of interest between the advice we provide you and your goals regardless of your net worth.
Our Mission
- Our mission is to reduce the uncertainty of your financial future and to increase the probability of you achieving your goals.
- We educate you on how to make smarter financial planning and investment decisions.
- We focus on value for service, and demonstrate that the value of our service clearly exceeds the cost of our fees.
Personalized Service
- We do not force you into a "one-size-fits-all" business relationship.
- You tell us how we can best serve you, and we tailor our services to focus solely on those areas where you need help.
- Our financial plans are easy to comprehend and implement because they are written and reviewed by CFPs; while other firms use a computer generated template.
Experienced Investment Advice
- We design customized portfolios that revolve around your risk tolerance, and are specifically designed to help you achieve your unique goals.
- We bring an institutionally-oriented investment focus to your individual situation.
- Our unique institutional asset management experience includes managing billions of dollars in mutual funds, high net worth individual accounts and institutional funds at Northern Trust Company.
Our Team-Oriented Approach
- Using a team approach, you receive the benefit of multiple professionals and multiple perspectives focused on helping you achieve your financial goals.
- Each team member has areas of expertise and education that adds insight to your situation.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Integrating Planning, Investments and Taxs
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Investment Management
- Retirement Income Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Successful People that want to outsource their financial headaches
- Business Owners and Executives
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Sudden Money Situations
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Donald Duncan is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is the country’s 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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Donald Duncan is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification
CFP® 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.
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Donald Duncan is a member of The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)
FPA® is the largest membership organization for CFP® professionals in the U.S. and supports high standards of professional competence, ethical conduct, and clear, complete disclosure when serving clients.
Contact Donald Duncan
Office Locations:
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111 N. Wabash
Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60602 -
5151 Mochel Drive
Suite 301
Downer, NM 60605 -
81 Wildhorse
West Wing
Santa Fe, NM 87506