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(616) 202-1881 or Toll Free (800) 223-7576

About

Scott Davison, CFP®, CPA

Financial Planner

Rather than give the standard boilerplate bio, I thought I’d talk to you as a real person. I first heard of financial planning while in high school. During my junior year, my father asked what I planned to study in college. I had no idea. He suggested financial planning. I still remember his words clearly, “Pensions are disappearing and people will become more and more responsible for planning for their own retirement. Proper financial planning will become increasingly important, and I think you could find it very fulfilling to help people address their financial challenges.” I promptly disregarded his advice and majored in classical civilization once I arrived at the University of Michigan. I wanted to be the next Indiana Jones.

Once again, Dad had a comment. It was short and sweet: “What job are you going to get with a Classical Civilization degree?” I told him I could work in a museum or become an archaeologist. These are respectable and rewarding jobs, but I thought there was no harm in also applying to the business school. I figured I would plan to become an archaeologist, but having a business degree would be a great safety net in the event I couldn’t find a position.

A funny thing happened. I was more drawn towards my business classes and saw my future in that realm. After graduation, I joined Michigan-based public accounting firm Plante Moran and became a Certified Public Accountant. Wanting to work with families and their wealth, I transitioned to the firm’s financial planning group, Plante Moran Financial Advisors, and became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. I learned to think critically and honed my technical and problem-solving skills. I left the firm when my wife and I relocated to Boise, Idaho for her veterinary internship.

Upon our return to Michigan, I decided the time was right to strike out on my own to bring Wealthcare’s unique, goals-based financial planning approach to my clients. I guess Dad was right after all. Financial planning is my true calling.

SCOTT IN A NUTSHELL

Attended the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business where he achieved a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accounting. While in school, served as a student equipment manager for the University of Michigan football team. His meticulous dedication to freshly-cleaned towels and properly-inflated footballs was rewarded with a Rose Bowl appearance during his senior year.
Lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his wife, Kristin, their children, and their dog and cat. Scott enjoys sampling fine barbeque, proudly becoming a Certified Barbeque Judge through the Kansas City Barbeque Society. Other interests include Michigan craft beer, Big Ten football, and pretending to read the stack of books on his nightstand.

Has over 16 years of experience in the financial services industry. Scott previously served as a Certified Public Accountant and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional for Michigan-based accounting firm Plante Moran and its affiliate, Plante Moran Financial Advisors.

Native of Troy, Michigan who primarily focuses on helping Michigan residents (often those in Grand Rapids, Metro Detroit, Lansing, Kalamazoo, and Ann Arbor) but also serves clients throughout the United States.

More of a visual person?

Most people think all financial planners are “certified,” but this isn’t true.  Anyone can call themselves a “financial planner.”  Only those who have fulfilled the education, work experience, and examination requirements of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards can display the CFP® certification marks, which represent a high level of competency, ethics, and professionalism.  If you don’t hire a CFP® professional like Scott, you could end up hiring a disc jockey instead.

Scott is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional who has the fiduciary responsibility to act in your best interest. Until a law change that went into effect on June 30, 2020, brokers had no such duty and could legally put their interests ahead of your own. This is the difference between a dietitian interested in your overall health in comparison with a butcher who wants to sell you as much meat as possible. The fact that such a law was needed to require some advisors to adhere to higher ethical standards speaks volumes. Furthermore, the law still allows brokers to sell commission-based products, providing an incentive for them to push certain investments over others that may be less expensive.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and
CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

I have partnered with one of the most respected advisory groups in the business, Wealthcare Capital Management. With the support of its dedicated professionals, I am able to offer a service team intent on exceeding client expectations.

Their breakthrough financial planning platform, GDX360® (formerly Financeware), has been adopted by many of the country’s largest financial institutions because of its value in helping people achieve their lifetime goals. Since then, they’ve developed a patented advising approach to increase investor confidence and comfort. This is the approach I bring to you.

My clients’ investments are not held in some mysterious account in the Cayman Islands. I use a household name, Charles Schwab, to custody my clients’ assets. I selected Charles Schwab to be my investment custodian because of their commitment to quality service.

Neither Wealthcare Capital Management nor I are affiliated with Charles Schwab. Being fully independent, we do not receive any fees or commissions from Charles Schwab, ensuring we are unbiased and objective in delivering advice to clients.