About you
Maybe you are seeking to meet with an independent, objective financial advisor to help you address these types of questions
How should we prioritize saving for our goals?
How much should I be putting towards student loans versus savings?
How do I reduce my taxes?
What employer benefits should I choose?
How much should we be saving for retirement and where are the best places to save most tax efficiently?
What is the best investment strategy for me?
Do I have enough in my emergency fund?
What’s the best type of college savings account I should choose?
Or perhaps you are having thoughts or feelings like these
I am seeking validation of my financial decisions and guidance to make sure I am making the right ones
I wonder how to best allocate my money towards savings, debt, and spending
Are there any blind spots I should be thinking about regarding my finances?
I enjoy managing my money but want to get a second opinion to make sure I am optimizing everything to the fullest
I want objective advice; not a sales pitch for an insurance product or someone trying to convince me to turn over my portfolio to them to manage
I know I can do better, but something just keeps getting in the way of fulfilling my financial vision
I feel like I have too much information and too little time
Or maybe you have recently or are about to experience a big life change and want a second opinion
We recently got married and want to know the best way about merging our finances
We are having a child and want to best prepare for that
I’m getting close to retiring and want to know where I stand and what strategies I should be considering
I’ve recently gotten a promotion and want to optimize my new cash flow
We’d like to move from a dual income household to one
We want to know how much home we can afford
If any of this resonates with you, we are happy you are here and would love to meet you.
About us
Mindful Money Financial Counsel is a Chicago-based firm offering fee-only, holistic financial planning and investment advice on a flat fee and hourly-as-needed basis.
Our vision We see a future world where financial advisors are compensated based on the amount of value and impact they can positively make on your life and relationship with money, not by the sale of commission-based financial products or the amount of money you have to invest. We think the ideal model for providing financial advice is more similar to health and wellness care models (physician, therapist, and group fitness classes). We aim to provide a comfortable place to get trustworthy and actionable advice so you can reach your fullest potential.
Our mission is to elevate you, your life, and your money to find deeper meaning, clarity, and fulfillment. We do this by collaborating with you to make wise and thoughtful money and life decisions to attain a greater peace of mind.
Our values: Trust, optimism, creativity, wellness, sustainability, compassion, humility, resourcefulness
What makes us unique:
Flexible ways to work with us (one time or ongoing advice)
Independent, locally owned and operated
Objective, fee-only advice
No requirements to turn your money over to us
No investment minimums
Our Team
Colin Chase, CFP®
I am a deep listener with a passion for asking questions and learning about you and your financial goals and concerns. I like solving problems, creating holistic strategy, and providing you with clear action steps to empower and energize you, your life, and your money.
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About Colin: Colin founded Mindful Money Financial Counsel in 2010 and has over 22 years of experience talking with people about money. Prior to founding the company, he worked at Fidelity Investments for 10 years in a variety of positions: service and trading representative, retirement investment specialist, investment representative, financial planning consultant, and Vice President Senior Account Executive.
He received an MBA with a finance concentration from Xavier University and a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Ohio University. Colin is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, and a Registered Investment Adviser. He specializes in providing holistic financial planning and investment advice to Chicagoland individuals and couples in their 30’s and 40’s.
Colin is an early riser, an Eagle Scout, and eager to lend a hand. He was born in Dayton, Ohio and lived in Waldorf, Maryland and Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to Chicago in 2003. His three favorite radio stations are WLUW 88.7, WFMT 98.7, and CHIRP 107.1.
Colin’s favorite things to do in Chicago are bicycling, relaxing at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, and playing early morning pick-up soccer games at the Pitch.
Amanda Gehres, CFP®
I am Colin’s second pair of brains and eyes. I work behind the scenes and help Colin with financial planning projects. My attention to detail and love for diving into the weeds are perfect complements to Colin’s big picture thinking. I love being a part of the process of creating impactful financial plans for our clients.
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About Amanda: Amanda is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and has worked in the financial planning profession for 13 years at a variety of fee-only investment and financial planning firms. She has a bachelor’s degree in Family Financial Management from the Ohio State University. She joined Mindful Money Financial Counsel in 2015.
Amanda lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband and three boys, aged 8, 10, and 14, and works from home. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, going to her kids’ basketball and baseball games, and vacationing.
Services
Our financial planning process has been designed around your needs. Whether you are looking for one-time financial advice or an ongoing relationship with a financial advisor, we have affordable, transparent solutions to meet your needs. Our financial planning and investment advice services are primarily through individual consultations and written financial plans.
Initial financial planning services
Written holistic financial plan
Our financial planning process begins with an initial assessment and discovery meeting. We then prepare a written plan and conclude with a financial plan presentation meeting. Our financial plans are a personalized holistic path forward for how to best allocate current and future resources to achieve your goals. We create your holistic financial plan with the purpose of providing clarity, education, and clear action steps. While these plans are highly customized to address your specific circumstances and concerns, they contain a few common elements:
Services
Initial assessment and discovery meeting
This is a one hour meeting for new clients. We will provide you with questionnaires and worksheets before the meeting to start the financial planning process. If you are seeking a one time financial plan and/or an ongoing relationship, we will use this session to learn more about you, your financial goals, values, current money concerns, and the scope of what you’d like us to include in your plan. At the end of the meeting, we will provide a flat-fee estimate and outline for your financial plan. If you are unsure you are ready for a written financial plan, we can use this time to get to know each other and verbally address your most pressing financial questions.
Ongoing financial planning services
After receiving your initial written holistic financial plan, if you’d like to establish an ongoing relationship with us, we have two options to choose from:
Hourly-as-needed advice for members (Wealth Builder Membership)
Financial Planning for you, when you need it. Effective, cost-efficient, and easy. Consider joining our Wealth Builder membership which gives you:
Access to a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional for hourly, as needed advice
Don’t have to pay for an entirely new financial plan
Personal financial web site and tool kit
Ongoing education and community support
Flat annual fee retainers (Private Client)
An ongoing relationship with a financial advisor:
Annual strategic plan update meeting
Unlimited access via in-person meetings, phone, and email
Ongoing investment advice
Fees
Objective financial advice, simply and affordably on your terms. Initial planning fees start at $600 and ongoing financial planning fees start at $60 a month and a $300 hourly rate.
Initial financial planning services
Initial assessment and discovery meeting
$600
(Fee can be applied towards holistic financial plan if desired)
Written holistic financial plan
$3,600*
(based on normal complexity)
Ongoing financial planning services
Wealth Builder Membership
$60/month
Hourly as needed advice for members $300/hour
Private Client
Flat fee based on complexity. Starting at $3,600/year
(paid monthly or quarterly)
*The flat fee for our written financial plans is based on the scope of the work you want us to do for you. $3,600 is the typical fee for a couple in their 30’s and 40’s with normal complexity.
Get Started
Click here to schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone call with Colin. We look forward to answering any questions you have about getting started or working with us. We look forward to hearing from you.
