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Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA, CFP®

Independent, fee-only, hourly financial planning.

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Scholar Financial Advising Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA, CFP®
Winston-Salem, NC

Serving Clients Nationwide

Independent, fee-only, hourly financial planning.

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

(336) 360-6833

Website

Areas of Focus

  • Capital Gains
  • Financial Life Planning
  • Investing
  • Owning a Business
  • Retirement Planning

About Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA, CFP®

Hi, I'm Stephan Shipe. I started Scholar Financial Advising to help people achieve their financial goals by creating strong advisor-client relationships and not charging fees for financial advice in the traditional way.

I truly believe that the best way to receive financial advice is when there are no competing incentives and when conflicts of interests are minimized.

That’s why we decided to operate Scholar Financial Advising as a remote, independent, and fee-only financial advisory firm for DIY investors. We even took the fee-only idea one step further and instead of charging the common percentage of Assets Under Management fee, we charge a flat hourly fee for financial advice. This means that there are no account minimums, no requirement for us to take control of your account, and no sales commissions for our recommendations.

You pay us for advice and we give you that advice. A simple process; a true pay-for-service fee model.

As a finance professor, I love being able to share the magic of finance with students. I wanted to take that passion that I have for educating others on financial matters outside of the classroom and help those that are establishing and striving for their financial goals, so Scholar Financial Advising was created with all advisors holding at minimum a Ph.D. in Finance.

Our remote financial planning process has a strong technology focus to help busy local clients or non-local clients virtually.

Choosing someone to work with as a financial advisor is not a decision you should take lightly so I encourage you to reach out and let’s talk about what you are looking for in an advisor. We offer a no-obligation, free consultation to anyone considering us as their financial advisor. You can schedule your appointment directly from our website or reach out to me using the contact form above.

Professional Designations

  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ®
  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
  • Ph.D. in Finance

Affiliations

  • CFA Institute
  • CFP Board
  • Fee Only Network
  • Financial Planning Association
  • Garrett Planning Network
  • National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

Primary Location

Winston-Salem, NC

Additional Locations

📍 Atlanta, GA

📍 Palm Beach, FL

📍 New York City, NY

📍 Raleigh, NC

📍 Washington, D.C.

Meeting Options

  • Video Conference
  • In-Person
  • Phone
Book Intro Call

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 an Introductory Meeting. This initial meeting is free and has no commitment. We can speak on the phone or over coffee to see whether our working together is a good fit. If you are outside the Winston-Salem area, I have a range of technology options that allow me to provide financial planning services remotely.

About Scholar Financial Advising

Scholar Financial Advising, LLC is a Winston-Salem, North Carolina based fee-only investment advisory firm focused on providing DIY investors with fiduciary financial planning services on a flat fee, hourly basis. Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA, CFP® is the owner and advisor for Scholar Financial Advising LLC.

Financial advising requires a lot of trust from both client and advisor. We truly believe that each individual’s financial situation is unique and that a successful financial plan requires more than some calculations. This is why we emphasize the importance of building a strong advisor/client relationship and work hard to create and work toward financial goals as a team.

The fiduciary nature of our advice is very important to our core goals managing this financial planning firm. All advice you receive from Scholar Financial Advising is in your best interest and you’ll never have to question where competing incentives lie.

To facilitate the financial planning process we utilize a technology mix that allows for remote communication with clients, efficient document storage and sharing, and the use of customizable financial planning tools and software.

✅ Our Mission: Educate. Empower. Encourage. Educate clients on the importance of financial health as well as the steps to create and maintain a stable financial future. Empower them by giving them the skills and practical knowledge necessary to make positive financial decisions. Encourage them to make the right choices by reducing behavioral biases through communication, follow-up, the creation of a long-term client-advisor relationship.

✅ Who is a Good Fit: The majority of my clients are DIY investors who don’t want to hand over their investments over to an advisory firm or pay an Assets Under Management (AUM) fee. They are typically looking for someone to pull all the financial pieces together for them and come up with a financial plan that they can execute. We also work with clients who are looking for a second opinion or have a specific finance question.

📍Most of our clients work with us remotely. We have clients in over 30 states, but our home base is Winston-Salem, NC.

Education

Florida State University, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Finance | University of North Florida, BBA, Finance | Indian River State College, Associate of Arts

Languages

  • English

Hobbies and Interests

  • Camping
  • Family
  • Grilling
  • Hiking
  • Motorcycling
  • Reading
  • Skiing
  • Traveling

SEC Lookup

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Who We Serve

  • Attorneys
  • Business Owners
  • College Graduates
  • Corporate Executives
  • Couples
  • Dentists
  • DIY Investors
  • Dual Income Family
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Gen X
  • Gen Y / Millennials
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Investors
  • Living in Retirement
  • Newly Engaged / Newlywed
  • Parents
  • Physicians
  • Technology Professionals
  • Young Families

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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Awesome Financial Advisor

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jun 24, 2025
Stephan Shipe is an awesome financial advisor I am grateful to have in my corner for all things financial. He is thorough, knowledgable, and has been very responsive when I've needed him. He has a very personalized approach to planning: he gathers all the information needed to fully understand my situation, and provides very clear models and tailored, concise recommendations that are straightforward and easy to follow through on. He and his team are absolutely great to work with. They make the whole process of scheduling, planning and meeting for annual check-ins a pleasure, and they make me feel valued every step of the way.
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Jun 24, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Jean W
Jean W

A Trusted Fiduciary

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Jun 23, 2025
It took us a long time to find the right financial advisor, and we're so thankful to have found Stephan Shipe. He is a true fiduciary who prioritizes the client's interests with a genuine, fee-based model. We appreciate his extensive financial knowledge, paired with his down-to-earth manner. All of his recommendations are easy to follow and are data-driven and personalized. We're thankful for Stephan and his team!
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Jun 23, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Ben
Ben

Key to success

✅ Wealthtender Certified Advisor Review™
Apr 18, 2025
There’s a lot to like about working with Stephan. He can explain complex topics so that a novice like me can understand. He can also dig deep into a complex topic to make certain he and we fully understand. His business model is enlightened in that he makes money by doing his job well, not by how much money he manages for you. He takes full advantage of leveraging passive index funds as a vehicle for wealth creation which makes investing much more straightforward and lower in risk. He’s straightforward to deal with, timely and efficient. Thanks, Stephan!
Relationship to Financial Advisor: Client as of Apr 18, 2025
Compensation: This reviewer received no compensation for this review.
Conflicts of Interest: There are no material conflicts of interest.
Avatar for Hank
Hank
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Please see important disclosures below awards View Disclosures

Wealthtender Awards

Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA, CFP® received the 2025 Wealthtender Voice of the Client Highly Rated Advisor award.
Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA, CFP® received the 2025 Wealthtender Voice of the Client Highly Rated Advisor award.

Award Disclosures

Wealthtender awarded Stephan Shipe, PhD, CFA, CFP® with its 2025 Voice of the Client Highly Rated Advisor Award on 06/01/25. Rating criteria based on eligible client reviews published on Wealthtender between 1/1/24 and 06/01/25. Although Scholar Financial Advising compensates Wealthtender for marketing services (including eligibility to be considered for this award), Wealthtender’s award criteria is objective and not influenced by compensation. This award is not a guarantee of future performance or success and client reviews may not be representative of the experience of all past or future clients. ↗️ View additional award details and FAQs (wt.reviews/awards)