John Chesbrough
CFP®
Trail Financial Planning LLC
Financial Planning, Investment Advice
John Chesbrough
CFP®
Trail Financial Planning LLC
Financial Planning, Investment Advice
Those who help others deserve to be helped themselves in all lives, including their finances. - John Chesbrough, CFP®
Fee-Only financial planner located in Bellingham, WA, serving clients locally and across the country

John Chesbrough, CFP(R), is a Bellingham, WA fee-only financial planner. John founded and co-owns Trail Financial Planning LLC in order to provide comprehensive and objective financial planning and investment management to help clients organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, John Chesbrough is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
I am John Chesbrough. I am a financial planner and investment manager. I enjoy working with people who care for others and their community – firefighters, therapists, doctors, nurses and teachers. As you help others, you also must help yourself. That’s where I come in. I help you put all the financial pieces together into a cohesive strategy that matches you, your family, and your values. I help you organize, strategize, simplify. I have your back. I am also a husband, father, teacher, and play hound. I love getting out on the trails and slopes of the Pacific Northwest – for a ski, bike, run, or hike. I am also conscious of the impacts of modern life on the world. I strive to bring the saying, “Think Globally, Act Locally,” into my own life and my work with my clients.
John Chesbrough 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.
Trail Financial Planning is a fee only financial planning and investment advisory firm. We are independently owned and operated. We are in Bellingham, WA.
Liz and John operate as fiduciaries to our clients.
John specializes in working with couples; Liz in working with women. But really, we love to work with people who care about their values, their people, and their money. People who care to align their finances with their values.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College planning (and paying for it!)
- Tax Planning
- Working with couples
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Sudden Money Situations
- International educators
- Novice Investors
- Growing Families
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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John Chesbrough is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
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.
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John Chesbrough is a Member of the XY Planning Network
The XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.
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John Chesbrough 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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John Chesbrough is Featured on XYPN Radio: "When a Therapist and a Teacher Start a Financial Planning Firm - The Careers of John Chesbrough & Liz Weinstein"
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John Chesbrough's Blog, Cheeseburgers in Asia, Details "How a Teacher and a Therapist Took Their Family Around the World for Four Months."
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John Chesbrough is a Member of the Global Financial Planning Institue
Contact John Chesbrough
Office Locations:
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214 N Commercial St.
Bellingham, WA 98225