John Piershale, CFP®, AEP®

Helping People 55+ Navigate Retirement with Confidence

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John Piershale Wealth Management John Piershale, CFP®, AEP®
Crystal Lake, IL

Serving Clients Nationwide

Helping People 55+ Navigate Retirement with Confidence

5 Certified Advisor Reviews™
5 out of 5 Stars
Jump to Reviews

Areas of Focus

  • Estate Planning
  • Financial Life Planning
  • Investment Management
  • Retirement Planning
  • 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

  • Accredited Estate Planner (AEP)
  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ®
  • Certified Tax Specialist (CTS)

Affiliations

  • Fee Only Network
  • Fox Valley Estate Planning Council
  • National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC)
  • National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
  • XY Planning Network

Primary Location

333 Commerce Dr, Suite 150, Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Meeting Options

  • Video Conference
  • In-Person
  • Phone

Compensation Methods

  • Fee Only
  • 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

Hobbies and Interests

  • Family

Who We Serve

  • Baby Boomers
  • Corporate Executives
  • Dual Income Family
  • Gen X
  • Intergenerational Families
  • Living in Retirement

To make Wealthtender free for readers, we earn a nominal monthly fee from financial advisors and firms in exchange for marketing services (including being featured on this profile page), subject to terms of use. This compensation creates a natural conflict of interest when we favor their promotion over others. Wealthtender is not a client of these advisors or firms. Testimonials may not be representative of other clients’ experiences and do not guarantee future performance or success.

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A great financial advisor

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Oct 11, 2025
John is personable and easy to talk to. He is always prepared for our meetings and offers flexibility for easy scheduling. John provides financial information in a detailed manner, suggesting ways to improve our financial status relative to our personal situation. He always has the client's best interest in mind, answering all questions.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Oct 11, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for George and Mary
George and Mary

Reviewing my retirement plan

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Oct 10, 2025
I have been working with John for last quarter. He is very personable and takes time to answer all questions so I understand what’s affecting my funds. Also to provide alternatives that I may want consider. Makes me comfortable
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Oct 10, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Carol E
Carol E

Just what I was looking for.

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Oct 10, 2025
I've been a client of John Piershale for almost three years and have been very pleased with his service. He's everything I was looking for in a financial planner and more. He takes the time to provide in depth explanations of the market from both a historical perspective and the current performance so I have a better understanding of how and why of market behavior. He also provides a detailed explanation of each of the positions in my portfolio and why they are best suited for my particular investment goals. And he has great patience when I ask questions, offering clear answers until he's certain I understand. And finally, John is a decent human being. He's genuine and I feel, trustworthy. I intend to continue our working relationship for years to come.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Oct 10, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Ginny B.
Ginny B.

Third Quarter Review

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Oct 9, 2025
John is always prepared for our meetings. He has questions written down and notes to share. He always explains in layman terms and will go into deeper explanation if asked. I feel comfortable and safe having John look after my holdings.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Oct 9, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Phyllis J
Phyllis J

John is extremely knowledgable and keeps us updated on our accounts.

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Oct 9, 2025
We have worked with John for many years and followed him even when he changed investment firms. We especially like how he shows us the current as well as past investment trends. We feel very comfortable that John is watching out for us. We highly recommend him to anyone needing financial advice!
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Oct 9, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for RZ
RZ