Thomas Koleski
CFP® AIF®
Cedar Capital Advisors
Managing Partner & Head of Financial Planning
Thomas Koleski
CFP® AIF®
Cedar Capital Advisors
Managing Partner & Head of Financial Planning
I first knew I wanted to transition into retirement planning when helping my own father search for a financial advisor. With over 14 years in the financial industry, I couldn’t name anyone that I knew and trusted with my father’s assets. I figured others have felt the same way and that is why I helped create Cedar Capital Advisors. - Thomas Koleski, CFP® AIF®
Fee-Only financial planner located in Barrington, IL, serving clients locally and across the country
Thomas Koleski is a Barrington, IL fee-only financial advisor serving clients locally and across the country. Cedar Capital Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning to help clients organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Thomas Koleski is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Thomas Koleski is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with over 17 years’ experience in financial services.
Our clients come to us for highly personalized, in-depth financial planning. We will spend time with you to find out what you want your assets to accomplish and then develop a full plan around those goals. We consider many aspects of your financial life, not just one piece of the puzzle. Some examples of areas we will examine are portfolio asset allocation, investing for tax efficiency, social security strategies, and analyzing cash flow for retirement.
Whether it’s related to an asset class, fees, or an investment vehicle, my true passion is educating the client and helping them reach their goals. My clients range from first time investors to experienced high net-worth individuals. As fee-only fiduciaries, we are bound by the law to act solely in the best interests of our clients. We believe that transparency is a key pillar to building long lasting relationships with clients. Our goal is to become an essential partner to our clients by helping them pursue their vision of financial success through detailed, independent advice.
Before joining Cedar Capital Advisors, Tom was a Sales Director for the Institutional Group at Morningstar, helping institutional consultants with manager due diligence and asset allocation. Tom also served as Vice President with Claymore Securities. Tom earned a BA from the University of Dayton and lives in Glen Ellyn with his wife, Elizabeth, daughter Keira, their two sons Tommy & Casey and their two Boston Terriers Maisy & Mikey. Tom enjoys spending time with his family coaching kids’ sports, cooking & wine, golf, running, music, and playing guitar.
Cedar Capital Advisors is a financial planning firm that focuses on helping individuals and families plan for the next phase of thier lives whether that's college planning, growing your current assets or planning for retirement. We take the time to learn our client’s goals as they relate to their entire financial situation which includes risk management, goals and objectives for retirement and overall legacy plan.
Our goals at Cedar Capital Advisors are simple:
- Always act in the client’s best interest
- Provide our clients with comprehensive financial plans and adjust as neccesary
- Educate, have fun and treat the client as family
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Holistic Financial Planning
- Retirement Income and Savings Strategies
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Social Security Strategies
- Risk Analysis
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
- Convenient Office Hours
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Thomas Koleski is a Verified Wealthramp Financial AdvisorPlenty of people call themselves a “financial advisor”. But very few meet the standards of Wealthramp.
Wealthramp is a curated network of established and highly qualified fee-only advisors, and every member is personally interviewed and evaluated by founder Pam Krueger. As an award-winning personal finance journalist, Pam has spent the last 25 years advocating for and educating consumers on how to make the most of their money, and the importance of working with a Fee-Only financial advisor.
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Thomas Koleski 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.
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Thomas Koleski is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF)Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) training empowers investment professionals with the fiduciary knowledge and tools they need to serve their clients’ best interests. Advisors who have earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation have gone through training, met the qualifications, and passed the exam allowing use of the AIF designation and they are immediately able to demonstrate the added value that they can bring to both existing and prospective clients.
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Thomas Koleski is Interviewed on WGN9 Daytime Chicago: "Find the financial advisor that’s right for you"
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Thomas Koleski is Quoted on Yahoo Finance: "How to open an investment account to build your first portfolio"
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Thomas Koleski Writes for Patch.com: "Equity Markets’ ‘Big Dance’ Causing March Madness Among Investors. Maximize Your Retirement"
Contact Thomas Koleski
Office Locations:
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330 E. Main Street
3rd Floor
Barrington, IL 60010
