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Ann Arbor professionals who have built meaningful wealth — through a business sale, stock compensation, retirement, or inheritance — eventually reach a point where casual advice is no longer enough.
Once your investable assets cross $2 million, the fiduciary financial advisor you choose has a direct impact on whether your wealth is quietly eroded by fees, taxes, and product conflicts, or is managed with discipline and alignment to your interests.
A fee-only fiduciary is built for the latter.
Why work with a fiduciary financial advisor?
A fiduciary advisor is legally required to put client interests first and to fully disclose conflicts of interest. Recommendations must be made in your best interest, not simply “good enough.”
Many advisors who aren’t fiduciaries operate under a suitability standard. They must recommend something that is not blatantly inappropriate, but still be compensated more for choosing one product over another. For a family with $2 million, $5 million, or more at stake, that distinction matters.
Fee-only firms are paid directly by their clients. They do not receive commissions on investment products, revenue-sharing from fund providers, or sales incentives tied to specific solutions.Croak Capital is a fee-only fiduciary firm. Our compensation is transparent, tied to the assets we oversee and the work we do, not to products sold.
The hidden costs of non-fiduciary advice
Commission-based or product-driven advice can be expensive in ways that are not always obvious. Common examples include:
- Upfront or deferred sales charges on mutual funds and annuities
- High internal expenses in proprietary funds
- Surrender charges that limit your flexibility
- Layered advisory and product fees that sit on top of each other
On a $3 million portfolio, an extra 0.75% to 1.00% per year in embedded costs may not feel dramatic in a single quarter. Over a decade, those costs can add up to six figures of wealth redirected from your balance sheet to a product provider’s income statement — with no guarantee of better outcomes.
Understanding why post-exit entrepreneurs need a fiduciary
A business sale is often the first time an owner sees eight-figure or high seven-figure liquidity on a single statement. That transition comes with decisions most people have never faced before:
- How much to keep in cash, and for how long
- How to structure and time investment into markets
- How to rebalance from a concentrated operating asset into a diversified portfolio
- How to integrate tax and estate planning before and after the sale
The first 12 to 24 months after an exit often set the tone for the next decade. A fiduciary advisor provides both structure and distance: enough technical depth to model outcomes, and enough objectivity to prevent rushed, transaction-driven decisions.
Navigating business exits and sudden wealth
After a liquidity event, the temptation is to “get it invested” quickly. A longer-lasting approach starts with establishing a conservative cash reserve, clarifying spending and reinvestment priorities, and mapping a multi-year deployment schedule rather than a one-time bet.
For example, an owner who sells a business for $8 million may be facing federal and Michigan state taxes, charitable goals, and real estate purchases — all before deciding on a long-term portfolio. A three-year diversification plan often leads to more stable outcomes than an immediate allocation.
Sudden wealth is as much an emotional event as a financial one. A clear framework and deliberate timeline help separate signal from noise.
Tax optimization: where fiduciaries add quiet value
Tax-aware planning shows up in dozens of coordinated decisions over years. A fiduciary advisor who is deeply engaged with your tax picture will:
- Use asset location deliberately by placing tax-inefficient assets in tax-advantaged accounts.
- Harvest losses systematically to offset realized gains while staying within wash-sale rules.
- Evaluate Roth conversions during years when income is temporarily lower.
- Coordinate with your CPA so investment decisions stay aligned with the broader tax plan.
For a professional in a high federal bracket with a multi-million-dollar portfolio, disciplined tax coordination can mean materially more after-tax wealth remaining in your name instead of being paid away in friction.
Managing concentrated stock positions
Executives and business sellers often find that 30 to 50% of their net worth is exposed to a single company or sector. That level of concentration can be a meaningful wealth creator — until it isn’t.
A fiduciary advisor starts by inventorying all grants, vesting schedules, tax implications, and blackout periods. From there, a measured plan may incorporate pre-scheduled selling programs, use of tax lots and gain/loss harvesting, and evaluation of tools like exchange funds or charitable remainder trusts.
The goal is to move from “all or nothing” decisions to a series of controlled steps that lower risk over time.
Access to institutional-grade investment opportunities
For many families with $2 million or more in investable assets, public markets remain the foundation of a portfolio. Beyond that core, thoughtfully selected private strategies can play a supporting role.
Established fiduciary firms may provide access to venture and growth equity funds, private credit, institutional real estate vehicles, and exchange funds for concentrated stock.
The key distinction isn’t simply access; it’s how and why such investments are used. At Croak Capital, we are compensated the same way regardless of whether a client holds only public funds or also allocates to private strategies.
Retirement planning and ongoing wealth management
Retirement planning for high-net-worth professionals requires more than projecting whether savings will last. It involves coordinating income sources, managing required minimum distributions, and aligning wealth management strategies with both current spending and multi-generational goals.
A fiduciary advisor provides ongoing oversight through regular portfolio reviews, disciplined rebalancing, and proactive adjustments based on changing tax laws and market conditions. This systematic approach ensures your retirement strategy remains aligned with your evolving priorities.
Multi-generational wealth and legacy
Wealth that was difficult to build can be easier to disperse if there is no plan. A fiduciary advisor works alongside your estate attorney to clarify which assets should pass outright and which should be held in trust, coordinate beneficiary designations, and integrate gifting and philanthropy.
The objective is to help ensure that capital continues to support the family’s priorities rather than becoming a source of confusion or conflict.
Why Ann Arbor professionals choose Croak Capital
Croak Capital is a fiduciary, fee-only firm that works with professionals and families who have $2 million or more in investable assets, including many with ties to Ann Arbor’s academic, healthcare, and technology communities.
What sets our approach apart:
- We specialize in transition moments, working extensively with clients navigating business exits, equity compensation, and inheritances.
- We coordinate with your CPA, estate attorney, and other advisors so that tax, legal, and investment strategies support one another.
- Our team includes advisors with credentials such as CFP® and CFA®.
For Ann Arbor professionals, this combination of fiduciary structure, technical depth, and coordination is designed to support a quieter, more durable experience of wealth.
Frequently asked questions:
A fiduciary financial advisor is legally obligated to act in your best interest and disclose conflicts of interest.
We typically serve individuals and families with $2 million or more in investable assets.
A fiduciary advisor designs a multi-year plan that balances risk reduction and tax efficiency.
For qualified clients, we may introduce private equity, private credit, institutional real estate, or exchange fund strategies.
Tax considerations are integrated into the investment process and coordinated with your CPA.
Multi-generational planning helps align estate documents, beneficiary designations, and investment strategy for the next generation.
No. While based in Toledo, Ohio, we serve clients in Ann Arbor, across Michigan, and nationwide.
We use a research-driven approach with defined asset allocation targets, ongoing risk management, and regular portfolio reviews.
Initial conversations focus on understanding where your wealth comes from, what is changing, and what you want that capital to support.
Engaging a fiduciary advisor before or shortly after a signed letter of intent is ideal.
Conclusion
Choosing a fiduciary, fee-only advisor is one of the most consequential financial decisions a professional with $2 million or more in investable assets will make — particularly around business exits, equity events, and inheritances.
The right partner brings structure, coordination, and discipline to a balance sheet that has become too complex to manage casually. The result is not drama or promises of outperformance, but a quieter, more intentional experience of wealth.To explore whether Croak Capital is the right fit, schedule a conversation at croakcapital.com, call (419) 464-7000, or email hello@croakcapital.com.
Also Read:
How to invest $5M+ after selling my company: Do I need a family office
Risks of keeping $5M+ in one bank: how do UHNW families manage wealth safely
Estate Planning After a Liquidity Event: A Fiduciary Playbook for Families and Entrepreneurs
What a Fiduciary Approach Means for Post-Exit Entrepreneurs and High-Net-Worth Families