Areas of Focus
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Estate Planning
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Financial Life Planning
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Investment Management
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Retirement Planning
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Taxes
About John Piershale, CFP®, AEP®
I’m John Piershale, CFP®, AEP®, and founder of John Piershale Wealth Management in Crystal Lake, IL.
As a fee-only fiduciary financial advisor, I specialize in helping people prepare for and enjoy retirement with confidence.
From Social Security strategies to tax-efficient income planning, I provide retirement guidance designed to help you protect your wealth, reduce risks, and simplify life’s financial decisions. I build investment portfolios with a disciplined, rules-based approach using broadly diversified, low-cost investments to help keep more money working for you.
➕ More Information About John Piershale
John has over 20 years experience providing financial guidance and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. The CFP® certification is the Standard of Excellence in financial planning and advisors practicing as a fiduciary should have it.
John is an Accredited Estate Planner® - awarded by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils to estate planning professionals who meet special requirements of education, experience, knowledge, professional reputation, and character.
John is a member of the Fox Valley Estate Planning Council in Geneva, IL. This is a group made up of highly skilled advisors, attorneys, CPAs, and trust officers discussing advanced estate planning topics to help our clients. John is also a Certified Tax Specialist™ and provides tax planning and form 1040 reviews for his clients.
He has been in the Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, CNBC, USA Today and many others.
John is a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). NAPFA-affiliated Advisors are fiduciaries at all times, and put you first. This prestigious title is recognized by those in the field and in the media as identifying those who are professional, ethical personal financial advisors. They are financial advisors who are highly competent, offer holistic service, and operate on an objective Fee-Only basis. That means they do not sell financial products on commission. Their only purpose is to look out for their clients’ overall financial well-being.
Professional Designations
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Accredited Estate Planner (AEP)
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CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ®
Affiliations
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Fee Only Network
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Fox Valley Estate Planning Council
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National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC)
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National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
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XY Planning Network
Primary Location
333 Commerce Dr, Suite 150, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Meeting Options
- Video Conference
- In-Person
- Phone
Compensation Methods
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Fee Only
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Percentage of Assets Managed
What to expect in the first meeting
Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above and complete the brief form to request a free 30-minute meeting. I look forward to speaking with you.
Offers Investment Management
Yes
About John Piershale Wealth Management
John Piershale Wealth Management, is a fee-only fiduciary and independent registered investment advisor. We are not paid a commission of any kind, and provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice to our clients at all times.
Most of my clients are in their 50s or 60s, staring at a retirement they’ve worked hard for, but feeling unsure about taxes, income, or what’s next.
Our Services:
✔️ Retirement planning: Social Security, pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s
✔️ Investment management: disciplined, rules-based approach to limit drawdowns
✔️ Tax strategies: RMD planning, Roth conversions, income tax efficiency
✔️ Estate planning: legacy protection and family wealth transfer strategies
I run a fee-only fiduciary firm, meaning no commissions, no product pushing, just real advice, built around you.
Whether you’re preparing for retirement, managing an inheritance, or wondering if you’re “doing enough,” I help people make confident decisions with clarity and calm.
Education
Illinois State University, Bachelor of Science (BS), Economics
Who We Serve
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Baby Boomers
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Corporate Executives
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Dual Income Family
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Gen X
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Intergenerational Families
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Living in Retirement