Leah Hadley
AFC®, CDFA®
Great Lakes Investment Mgmt
President/Senior Financial Advisor
Leah Hadley
AFC®, CDFA®
Great Lakes Investment Mgmt
President/Senior Financial Advisor
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Leah Hadley, AFC®, CDFA®
Fee-Only financial planner located in Cleveland, OH, serving clients locally and across the country

Leah Hadley is a Cleveland, OH fee-only financial planner. Great Lakes Investment Mgmt provides comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and financial empowerment coaching to help women in transition, business owners, and Generation X/Y clients organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Leah Hadley is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
As the Founder/CEO of Great Lakes Investment Management and Great Lakes Divorce Financial Solutions, Leah Hadley strives to help clients secure their financial independence through a strategic financial planning process. With nearly 15 years in the financial services industry, she affirms her dedication to helping empower clients as they become more knowledgeable investors. Along with her financial leadership skills and commitment to client education, Leah has extensive investment experience in equity research at leading firms like Longbow Research and Ferris, Baker Watts.
Having earned her Bachelor of Arts from Bryn Mawr College, Leah holds her Master of Arts from Ursuline College. In addition to being an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC), she is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA).
Above all, Leah truly enjoys helping her clients succeed and reach their most cherished goals. Actively involved in her local community, she is a volunteer with her son’s Cub Scout pack and her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. She is also a longtime member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the PTA.In her spare time, Leah enjoys reading, hiking, boating and spending time with her three children and three dogs.
Favorite financial book: Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
Always on my desk: Notebook, colorful pens, and a diet coke
Best investment I ever made: My education
Leah Hadley 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.
We know that choosing a financial planner is an important decision. At Great Lakes Investment Management, your goals are our top priority. While applying the personalized attention only a boutique firm can provide, we have access to the best investment products from the world’s leading institutions. Our mission is to forge a strategic partnership built on your best interests and driven to accomplish your most ambitious goals. As a fee-only firm, we are compensated only by the fees we charge, not the products we sell. This drives our team to act solely in your best interests, rather than those of the firm.
Our Commitment
Relationships have always been at the heart of our practice. Though the financial world is in a constant state of evolution, one element remains crucial to success: the ability for advisors to truly understand and fulfill the needs of their clients. After diligently considering your long and short-term objectives, risk tolerance and protection needs, we then build tailor-made strategies with specific financial planning steps to help fulfill your goals. We also believe communication is key to success, and we understand that the most pressing financial and personal matters rarely fall within business hours. Whether you meet with us in person or prefer to conduct everything through our online platform, we’re happy to meet your needs.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Investment Management
- Retirement Income Planning
- Divorce Financial Planning
- College Education Planning
Ideal Clients
- Growing Families
- Divorcees
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Business Owners and Executives
- 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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Leah Hadley 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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Leah Hadley is a NAPFA Associate Member
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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Leah Hadley is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA®)
A CDFA® professional is a financial professional skilled at analyzing data and providing expertise on the financial issues of divorce. The role of the CDFA® professional is to assist the client and his or her attorney to understand how the decisions he or she makes today will impact the client’s financial future. A CDFA® can take on many roles in the divorce process: Financial Expertise and Strategy, Data Collection and Analysis, Expert Presenter and Litigation Support. In some cases, CDFA® professionals are called upon to act as expert witnesses in court or in mediation proceedings.
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Leah Hadley is an Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®)
AFC® certification is the standard — training professionals to guide clients through life-cycle financial education to help them realize their goals and achieve lasting financial well-being.
Abilities of the AFC:
-Educate clients in sound financial principles.
-Assist clients in the process of overcoming their financial indebtedness.
-Help clients identify and modify ineffective money management behaviors.
-Guide clients in developing successful strategies for achieving their financial goals.
-Support clients as they work through their financial challenges and opportunities.
-Help clients develop new perspectives on the dynamics of money in relation to family, friends and individual self-esteem.
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Leah Hadley is the Founder of Great Lakes Divorce Financial Solutions
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Leah Hadley is a Member of National Association of Women Business Owners
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Leah Hadley is Quoted on TheSimpleDollar.com: "When Your Spouse’s 401(k) Is the Better Plan"
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Leah Hadley is Featured on Cleveland.com: "A financial planner finds her niche assisting in the divorce process"
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Leah Hadley is Quoted on FiduciaryNews.com: "How Math Anxiety Ruins Retirement – And What to Do About It"
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Leah Hadley is Quoted on CNN.com: "When should I sell my mutual funds?"
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Leah Hadley is Quoted on Policy Genius: "9 financial empowerment tips for the newly single"
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Leah Hadley is Quoted on Quicken.com: "Investing Myths, Debunked"
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Leah Hadley Hosts Facing Your Financial Fears on Elite Experts Network
Contact Leah Hadley
Office Locations:
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7017 Pearl Rd
Cleveland, OH 44130