Kelly Ballor

How much can we safely spend? When should we take Social Security? How do we minimize taxes on everything we've saved? If questions like these keep you up at night, you're not alone. You've spent decades building wealth—now you need a plan to turn it into income that lasts. I specialize in tax-smart retirement income planning for families in-or-near retirement: Roth conversions, Social Security timing, pension decisions, and investing built for distribution—because retirement requires a different playbook than accumulation. How would we work together? It starts with a free Retirement Clarity Call where we dig into your situation and confirm we're a good fit. From there, we'll schedule a Blueprint Meeting where I'll walk you through your key challenges, opportunities, and a recommended strategy tailored to your retirement goals. You'll walk away with real clarity on how to lower your taxes, optimize your income, and retire with confidence—whether we end up working together or not. Tell me about your flat-fee membership model? Most advisors charge 1% of your assets—on a $2M portfolio, that's $20,000/year. I charge a flat $400/month for comprehensive planning, plus an optional 0.49% if you'd like us to manage investments. We start with planning first, and there is no requirement to move your assets to begin working together. No pressure. No hard sell. We're looking for long-term relationships, not transactions. If we're not the right fit, I'll gladly point you toward someone who is.

Stephanie, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional, is dedicated to simplifying the complexities of finances. Her passion lies in guiding clients to achieve their financial goals, drawing on her personal experiences as a mom who understands the everyday challenges of balancing money and family. Stephanie enjoys helping women take charge of their finances. She believes financial education is important and wants her clients to feel like they understand what they are investing in and become empowered with their finances. She specializes in helping women navigate difficult situations such as divorce, losing a spouse, or starting a business. Stephanie holds a BSBA undergraduate degree with a major in personal financial planning. Furthering her education, she earned a master's degree in advanced financial planning with a focus on financial therapy at Kansas State University. As the former president of The Financial Planning Association of Michigan (FPA), Stephanie actively contributed to various committees, including education, NexGen, mentorship, and symposium. Currently serving as the co-chair of the career development committee, she believes in the importance of advancing the financial planning profession. Stephanie is deeply committed to mentoring financial planning students across the state, advocating for women's participation in the profession, and fostering industry connections. In her leisure, Stephanie enjoys spending time with friends and family by the lake, at concerts, or while traveling. With a love for people and relationships, she enjoys entertaining, hosting gatherings, and bringing festive decorations to every holiday celebration. She is heavily involved in her community and is a CASA volunteer. She also started a non-profit, Once Upon a Room Grand Rapids, which decorates hospital rooms for children experiencing a long-term stay

I was a college professor for many years and now I teach fellow professors how to manage their finances with confidence. I teach early-career professors how to create an effective financial plan and teach seasoned professors how to adjust their plans as retirement approaches. As a professor, I prepare for the first day of class. As a money mentor, I help professors prepare for their first day of retirement. As a professor, I help students develop an academic plan to meet their career goals. As a money mentor, I help professors develop a financial plan to achieve their life goals. Unlike most financial professionals, I work with you as a fee-only fiduciary planner. This means I am paid directly by you for objective advice without sales commissions, hidden fees, or conflicts of interests. My earliest money memory is saving my allowance and birthday money to pay for a toy when I was seven years old. I went to the sales counter with my piggy bank and dumped out coins and crumpled dollar bills. To this day, I value the ability to save for future goals. And yes, I still own the ceramic piggy bank! Investments are important, but so are income taxes, insurance, education funding, daily spending habits, estate planning and our relationship with money. I look forward to helping you achieve clarity and confidence with all aspects of a comprehensive financial plan.

There is something we have in common. We all have financial resources that we have to figure out how to steward. As you journey in your financial life, it can be difficult to make decisions along the way. Having a trusted advisor is essential to navigating the now and planning for the future. As your advisor, I specialize in helping clients develop a plan that fits their unique situation. We will consider all areas of your financial life as we work together to chart a course forward. Income tax planning Investment planning Retirement planning Charitable giving Cash flow planning Insurance planning Education planning Estate planning It is my desire to be a guide along the journey and help you make your plan a reality. If you would like clarity and direction in your financial life, or someone to help keep you on course, I’d love to have a conversation about working together.

Kimberly Martin is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a senior partner in the Hammond, Martin, McKeough Group. The group serves individual clients, small and middle market businesses, and large corporations with a comprehensive range of financial management products and services, including asset management, retirement services, lending, and banking. Their client relationships are based on integrity, dependability, and trust. Kim has been with Merrill Lynch since 1989 and is experienced in corporate benefits, executive services, divorce transition planning, employee benefits planning, institutional consulting, and services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits. Her team provides financial management tools, retirement planning, and investment guidance, leveraging extensive experience to develop thoughtful and sound strategies. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Michigan State University and several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), Certified 401(k) Professional (CKP), and CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA). Kim is a member of the National Association of Plan Advisors and has been involved in community organizations such as the West Michigan Symphony and Women Who Care in Muskegon County, Michigan, where she has served on the boards.