Ezekiel Anders, CFP®, CLU®

Flat-Fee Financial Planner for Brazilian-Americans and People Nearing Retirement

Connect Cancel

Wealthtender Community Connect helps people discover the best financial advisors for their individual needs through their favorite blogs and podcasts.

Click Here to Learn More
Contact Me
Planalto Financial Ezekiel Anders, CFP®, CLU®
Huntsville, AL

Serving Clients Nationwide

Flat-Fee Financial Planner for Brazilian-Americans and People Nearing Retirement

Areas of Focus

  • Cash Flow
  • Education Funding
  • Estate Planning
  • Financial Life Planning
  • Giving
  • International and Cross-border Planning
  • Investment Management
  • Medicare / IRMAA Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Social Security Optimization
  • Taxes

About Ezekiel Anders, CFP®, CLU®

Hi, I'm Ezekiel "Zeke" Anders, founder of Planalto Financial. I believe financial planning is about more than money — it's about using what you've built to live the life you want. That belief took me from Huntsville to Denver to Brasília, and eventually to founding Planalto.

I was born in Huntsville, Alabama, and have lived in Northern Virginia, Denver, Colorado, and I am currently in Brasilia, Brazil. I have always had an interest in personal finance and languages. From a young age I would look at stock charts with my dad, and I studied Spanish from middle school through college, where I double majored in Finance and Spanish, and earned my Masters of Science in Finance at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

After college, I went to work for a Fortune 500 telecommunications company in Denver. I learned many great lessons about working with others, project management, and managing a product in my time there. In Denver, I met my wife who is from Brasilia originally. As time went on, we decided to move to Huntsville to be closer to family, and I decided to follow my passion for personal finance.

I’ve always enjoyed learning about personal finance. Personal finance blends business, statistics, and psychology. Almost anything that you learn can be applied to investing in some way. I am a lifelong learner and love to go down different rabbit holes, many of which start or end in the financial world. I know that personal finance is not as interesting to everyone, and that’s why I wanted to become a financial advisor, to share knowledge with others to hopefully enrich their lives through finance.

I did not want to start by cold-calling and knocking and doors, so I did some research, and found the Certified Financial Planner® designation. I started the education component of the designation while looking for jobs in the financial services industry, and eventually found a role as a financial planning specialist with a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) in Huntsville. I was fortunate to join a great team which supported and mentored me as I gained experience. In the back of my mind, however, was a family dream of staying in Brazil for a longer time.

Fast forward to 2026, and my wife and I now have two daughters. Our girls are young enough that they could learn Portuguese almost like native speakers, but have not started school yet. My wife and I both have older fathers, and while we were blessed to live close to mine for five years, we rarely saw my wife’s father, who lives in Brasilia. You never know how many more chances to visit you will get, especially when you can only visit once every other year or so.

In January we came to Brasilia. We have been here since and are loving the warm weather and the time with family and friends. Our girls are learning Portuguese and getting to know the culture. Living here has also deepened my understanding of what Brazilian-American families navigate — not just the culture, but the financial complexity of building a life across two countries.

I started Planalto Financial with the goal of helping Brazilian-American families like ours. Multi-national families have unique opportunities and challenges with having assets and relationships across borders. The American retirement system is also very different from the Brazilian system, with different account types and investment options, and could be confusing to navigate for someone new to the country. I also work with people nearing retirement, those looking for a true plan and not just an illustration.

Whether you're a Brazilian-American family navigating finances across two countries, or someone approaching retirement who wants a real plan — I'd love to talk. If you’d like to learn more, reach out to me via the contact page or book a free 30-minute introductory meeting. There is no expectation that your finances are perfectly organized or that you have all the answers — the introductory conversation is simply an opportunity to ask questions and see whether working together would be helpful.

Professional Designations

  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ®
  • Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)

Affiliations

  • Financial Planning Association

Primary Location

8612 Valley View Drive SE, Huntsville, AL 35802

Additional Locations

📍 Brasilia, Brazil

Meeting Options

  • Video Conference
  • In-Person
  • Phone

Compensation Methods

  • Fee Only
  • Flat Fee
  • Hourly Rate
  • One-time Financial Plan

What to expect in the first meeting

Click the 'Book Intro Call' button above to schedule a free introductory conversation. We'll get to know each other and I'll listen to understand your unique circumstances so we can determine the best way to proceed. I look forward to speaking with you.

Offers Investment Management

Yes

About Planalto Financial

Planalto Financial was founded on a simple idea: financial advice should help people make better life decisions — not sell products or gather assets.

Good financial planning sits at the intersection of investing, taxes, risk management, and personal values. Every client arrives with a different history, different goals, and different concerns. My role is to provide thoughtful, evidence-based guidance that helps you make decisions with clarity and confidence.

I believe advice works best when incentives are aligned, costs are transparent, and the planning process focuses first on what matters most to you.

The Story Behind the Name

“Planalto” means “high plain” in Portuguese, and my goal is to provide financial planning services that are designed to help clients reach a higher level of planning. I aim to go beyond the math and probabilities and into managing resources toward living a fulfilling life.

My Philosophy

Financial decisions rarely happen in isolation. Investment choices affect taxes. Retirement timing affects risk. Estate decisions influence how portfolios are structured. Many clients come after realizing that fragmented advice, investment management in one place, tax guidance in another, planning somewhere else, makes confident decision-making difficult.

My role is to provide an integrated perspective. Rather than focusing solely on portfolio performance, I help clients evaluate tradeoffs, reduce complexity, and make decisions that remain sound across changing market conditions and life circumstances.

For this reason, our relationship is centered on advice and planning first, with investments serving as one part of a broader strategy.

Navigating Financial Transitions

Many clients come to Planalto during periods of transition, especially as work becomes optional or retirement approaches.

At this stage, financial decisions often feel different than they did earlier in life. Portfolio movements may represent amounts larger than a former annual salary. Questions shift from accumulation to sustainability: how much risk is appropriate, how spending decisions affect long-term security, and how to balance enjoying today with protecting the future.

My role is not simply to manage investments, but to help clients make thoughtful decisions during these moments of change. The focus moves from maximizing returns to building a plan designed to support confidence, flexibility, and peace of mind over decades.

Many clients have successfully managed their finances for years before seeking advice, and are looking for a collaborative partner rather than direction alone.

Who I Work With

Planalto Financial works with clients from a wide range of backgrounds, but I have particular experience supporting Brazilian-Americans and families with financial lives connected to both the United States and Brazil.

My connection to Brazil is personal, my wife is originally from Brazil, and we, along with our two daughters, currently live in Brasília, but my focus is professional. Cross-border families often face unique planning considerations, including managing assets in multiple countries, coordinating international transfers, preparing for a potential relocation, or supporting family members abroad. These situations benefit from integrated planning that considers taxes, investments, and long-term goals together rather than in isolation.

Successful client relationships tend to be collaborative and long-term in nature. Clients who work best with me value thoughtful decision-making over frequent changes driven by market headlines, and view financial planning as an ongoing process rather than a series of short-term investment decisions. My objective is to provide guidance and perspective, helping clients make disciplined choices aligned with their goals and values.

Transparent Pricing

I believe clients should clearly understand how they pay for advice.

Planalto Financial offers hourly planning, flat-fee financial planning, and flat-fee planning with investment management. I do not receive commissions or compensation for recommending specific products.

Different advisory firms use different fee structures. I chose a flat-fee approach because I believe it provides clarity and supports advice centered on planning and long-term decision-making.

Visit the "Services" page on my website to view pricing options.

Education

University of Alabama, Manderson Graduate School of Business, Master of Finance, Finance, General | The University of Alabama B.S., Finance, Spanish

Hobbies and Interests

  • Family
  • Traveling

Who We Serve

  • Americans Living Abroad
  • Baby Boomers
  • Blended Family
  • Corporate Executives
  • Dual Income Family
  • Families
  • Gen X
  • Intergenerational Families
  • Living in Retirement
  • Special Needs

Wealthtender® is a trusted, independent financial directory and educational resource governed by our strict Editorial Policy, Integrity Standards, and Terms of Use. While we receive compensation from featured professionals (a natural conflict of interest), we always operate with integrity and transparency to earn your trust. Wealthtender is not a client of these providers. Testimonials may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and do not guarantee future performance or success.