Transparent Motives

At R. W. Stanley Investment Planning we make objective, unbiased, conflict free financial planning and investment advice available to the average American family. Located in Libertyville, IL, we have honed our expertise in the financial services industry for over 20 years and have offered comprehensive financial planning for the last 5 years. At R.W. Stanley Investment Planning there are no middle men or hidden agendas, we have no broker dealer affiliations nor are we associated with any insurance companies. In fact we sell no investment products and take no assets under management; instead we work directly for you, our valued client, on an hourly, as-needed basis. This unique compensation arrangement allows us to always put your best interests first, the way it should always be, but rarely is.

It's Personal

R.W. Stanley Investment Planning was born of its founder’s personal journey. Bob Stanley started investing in the equity markets back in the 1980’s. By the 1990’s he had accumulated not only an investment portfolio but also quite few questions about asset allocations, security selection, active vs. passive management, safe portfolio withdraw rates, and future return probabilities, to name just a few. In his quest for knowledge he quickly realized that “objective, competent, unbiased financial planning and investment advice is very hard to find”. To his dismay he discovered that most investment advisors have high investment minimums or, even worst, are just product salesman with little or no academic background in finance operating (quite legally by the way) under the guise of financial advisor. After extensive research, additional education, and lot of commitment, he created R.W. Stanley Investment Planning, a Registered Investment Advisor, providing the services he once sought.

The Results

• Objective Advice – The only compensation we receive is directly from you, our valued client. Commission based brokers/dealers and asset based advisors are paid based on product sales and/or fees from assets under management. The more assets they gather and/or company product they sell the more they make. Since product salesmen can only sell the products their company offers and asset gatherers are only interested in the assets you can transfer to them – there clearly must exist significant conflicts of interest. Our advice is based solely on what's best for you. .
• Independent Advice – Since we collect no commissions and charge no asset based fees our investment universe is not limited by, or to, any single product line, company, service nor to asset location. The plan we create for you is based solely on your needs; we receive no additional compensation based on where, when or how you implement it. It’s that simple, we reduce your investment costs, get wall street out of your pocket, and you retire with more.
• Fiduciary, a Special Relationship – As a Registered Investment Advisor, R.W. Stanley Investment Planning is legally bound, under the Investment Advisor Act of 1940, to place our client’s best interest above that of the firm. Further, as a Chartered Financial Consultant, ChFC, and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® practitioner Bob Stanley also adheres to the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility adopted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. and accepts the obligations not only to comply with the mandates and requirements of all applicable laws and regulations but also to take responsibility to act in an ethical and professional manner in all professional services and activities. A copy of the code of ethics is available at: http://www.cfp.net/learn/codeofethics.asp.
• Cost Effective – How much are you paying to invest your money? The hidden cost of “free advice” (broker/dealers and product salesmen) is substantial. A properly designed, academically based, cost effective portfolio can substantially increase your future wealth. As an independent, objective, legally bound fiduciary, it is our job to deliver a plan which will do just that for you!