Stephan Shipe
Ph.D., CFA®, CFP®
Scholar Financial Advising LLC
Owner and Lead Advisor
Stephan Shipe
Ph.D., CFA®, CFP®
Scholar Financial Advising LLC
Owner and Lead Advisor
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Stephan Shipe, Ph.D., CFA®, CFP®
Hourly, Fee-only financial advice. Serving clients in Winston-Salem and virtually across the country.

Stephan Shipe is an independent Winston-Salem, NC fee-only financial planner. Scholar Financial Advising LLC provides comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, and secondary income planning to help individuals, families and professors organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Stephan Shipe is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA is the owner and lead advisor for Scholar Financial Advising LLC. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance with a support area in econometrics from Florida State University (which he has to keep quiet here in Demon Deacon country). He is also a CFA charterholder from the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute.
Dr. Shipe has taught university finance courses for the past seven years and continues to teach in the finance program at Wake Forest University here in Winston-Salem. As a finance professor, Dr. Shipe has written academic articles and analyzed data related to investor behavior, compensation, investment advisor disclosures, investor protection, and corporate governance. His work has been published in journals including the Journal of Investing and the Journal of Empirical Finance. This research agenda has led him to be invited to work with regulators on new laws related to investment advisor disclosures and become an advocate for fee-only financial planning.
Stephan Shipe 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.
Scholar Financial Advising, LLC is a Winston-Salem, North Carolina based fee only investment advisory firm serving clients virtually across the state of North Carolina. I focus on providing individuals with fiduciary financial planning services on an hourly fee basis.
Financial advising requires a lot of trust from both client and advisor. I truly believe that each individual’s financial situation is unique and that a successful financial plan requires more than a handful of calculations. This is why I emphasize the importance of building a strong advisor/client relationship and work hard to create and work toward financial goals as a team.
The fiduciary nature of my advice is very important to my core goals as owner of a financial planning firm. All advice you receive from Scholar Financial Advising is in your best interest and you’ll never have to question where my incentives lie.
To facilitate our financial planning process I utilize a technology mix that allows for remote communication with clients, efficient document storage and sharing, and the use of customizable financial planning tools and software.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Advice
- College Education Planning
- Hourly Financial Planning
Ideal Clients
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
- Professors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Stephan Shipe 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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Stephan Shipe is a CFA® charterholder
The CFA Program is the most respected and recognized investment management designation in the world with less than 200,000 charterholders globally.
This advisor has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation (CFA® charter) by passing all three of the CFA exams and gaining relevant industry experience, demonstrating their mastery of the investment analysis and decision-making skills most needed in the global investment management profession.
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Stephan Shipe is a member of the Garrett Planning Network. Click here to learn more.
Everyone needs competent, objective financial advice from time to time. The Garrett Planning Network has a nationwide membership with hundreds of independent, Fee-Only financial planners providing advice to people from all walks of life, without minimum account requirements, sales commissions, or long-term commitments. Our members proudly embrace their fiduciary duty, always placing their clients' best interests first.
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Stephan Shipe 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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View Research Conducted by Dr. Stephan Shipe
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Stephan Shipe Published: "Readability of Financial Advisor Disclosures"
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Stephan Shipe is Quoted on Wake Forest News: "Going remote, but staying connected"
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Stephan Shipe's "Compensation of Investment Advisors" is Featured in The Journal of Investing
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Stephan Shipe is Former Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of New Hampshire
Contact Stephan Shipe
Office Locations:
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By Appointment Only
Winston-Salem, NC 27106 -
By Appointment
Charlotte, NC 28211 -
By Appointment
Raleigh, NC 27613 -
By Appointment
Asheville, NC 28801 -
By Appointment
Wilmington, NC 28401