Financial planning for Birmingham clients who expect more from an advisor.
Fiduciary retirement, investment, and tax planning for Birmingham executives, business owners, and professionals — coordinated under one roof.
Sterling Heights, MI 48313
About 25 minutes east on I-696 from Birmingham to our Sterling Heights office.
Advanced planning for Birmingham's executives and business owners
Birmingham is home to a concentration of executives, business owners, and professionals who have accumulated significant assets across multiple stages of their careers. When people here start planning for retirement, they're usually not starting from scratch — they already have a financial picture involving multiple account types, equity compensation, business interests, or real estate, and they need an advisor who can work at that level without oversimplifying.
The clients we serve from Birmingham tend to have more complex situations than a single 401(k) rollover. They're often managing concentrated stock positions, deferred compensation, equity from a business sale, or accounts accumulated across multiple careers. When retirement enters the conversation, the planning has to go deeper than a target-date fund and a Social Security filing age.
It means building a withdrawal strategy that sequences income across taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts in a way that keeps your lifetime tax burden as low as possible. That kind of coordination is what Summit was built for — retirement planning, investment management, tax strategy, and insurance brought together under one roof, every recommendation held to a fiduciary standard. No commissions, no proprietary products, no conflicts.
Situations we plan around
A few of the Birmingham conversations we have most often.
Executives with equity comp — concentrated stock and deferred compensation that need a sell-down strategy.
After a business sale — a liquidity event that needs a tax-aware investment and income plan.
Multi-account households — taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free balances that must be drawn in the right order.
As a fiduciary firm, every recommendation we make is based on what is best for you — no commissions, no sales quotas, no proprietary products.
Financial services for Birmingham clients
Retirement Planning
Income strategies, 401(k) rollovers, and pension buyout analysis tailored for retirees and pre-retirees — sequenced so your savings actually last.
Investment Planning
Portfolio management and asset allocation aligned with your long-term goals.
Learn moreTax Planning
Tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, coordinated with Summit Tax Services.
Learn moreEstate Planning
Legacy preservation and wealth-transfer strategies for your family.
Learn moreInsurance Solutions
Health, life, and long-term care coverage through Summit Health Services.
Learn moreSocial Security
Maximization reports and claiming strategies to optimize lifetime benefits.
Learn moreSee all services
Every piece coordinated by one team that actually talks to each other.
ExploreWhy Birmingham residents choose Summit
Fiduciary standard
As a registered investment advisory firm, we are legally bound to act in your best interest — no commissions, no quotas.
Worth the drive down I-696
Our Sterling Heights office is about 25 minutes east on I-696 — and we've coordinated complex plans for Oakland and Macomb County families since 2003.
One roof, one team
Investment management, tax, insurance, and estate strategy coordinated together — nothing falls between three advisors who never talk.
Trusted since 2003
Over two decades helping Michigan families build, preserve, and transfer wealth — with a clean regulatory record.
How we’ll work together
A structured three-stage approach that takes you from a first complimentary conversation to an ongoing partnership — with your full financial picture coordinated under one roof.
Discovery & foundation
It starts with a complimentary consultation. We get to know your goals, review your complete financial picture and key documents, talk through risk tolerance, and pinpoint the opportunities worth acting on first.
Strategy & design
We build a personalized plan around your timeline — investment strategy, tax-efficient withdrawals, Social Security timing, and protection needs woven into one clear roadmap.
Implementation & growth
We put the plan in motion together and stay with you — with regular review meetings and adjustments as markets shift, tax laws change, and life keeps moving.
Birmingham, frequently asked
Where is your office relative to Birmingham?+
Our office is at 43409 Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights — about 25 minutes east on I-696 from Birmingham. We've worked with families across Oakland and Macomb Counties since 2003, and you're welcome to meet in person or by phone.
Are you a fiduciary?+
Yes. As an SEC-registered investment advisory firm, we are legally bound to act in your best interest at all times. Our advice is fee-based — no commissions, no sales quotas, and no proprietary products.
Can you handle a more complex financial picture?+
Yes — that's the work we do most for Birmingham clients. Concentrated stock positions, deferred compensation, equity from a business sale, and multiple account types all get coordinated into one withdrawal and tax strategy rather than handled in isolation.
What does the first meeting cost?+
Your initial consultation is complimentary and carries no obligation. It's simply a chance for us to understand your situation and for you to decide whether we're the right fit.
I just sold a business. Where do I start?+
A liquidity event changes your tax and investment picture all at once. We help you build a tax-aware plan for the proceeds — how to invest, how to draw income, and how to sequence withdrawals across account types to keep your lifetime tax burden low.
Do you handle taxes and insurance too?+
Yes. Tax-efficient withdrawal planning is coordinated through Summit Tax Services, and health, life, and long-term care coverage through Summit Health Services — so your full picture is managed under one roof.
Talk through your Birmingham retirement plan with an independent fiduciary
Schedule a complimentary consultation, or call our Schoenherr Road office and ask for a real conversation — no script, no pressure.