About Michael White, CFP®
Fee-only fiduciary financial planner serving Anytown families for over 15 years
Why I Became a Fee-Only Advisor
I spent the first ten years of my career at a large wirehouse brokerage, the kind of firm that calls itself an advisory but earns most of its revenue from product commissions and proprietary fund sales. I watched good advisors recommend mediocre products because they paid higher commissions. I watched clients pay layers of fees they didn't know existed.
In 2014, I left to start Summit Financial Planning as a fee-only, fiduciary-only practice. No commissions, no proprietary products, no conflicts of interest. Just honest advice from someone whose only incentive is your success.
I hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, which requires rigorous coursework in financial planning, investments, insurance, tax planning, retirement, and estate planning, plus thousands of hours of supervised experience and an ongoing commitment to ethics and continuing education.
Credentials & Education
CFP® Certified
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, the gold standard in financial planning credentials.
Series 65 Licensed
Registered Investment Adviser Representative, qualified to provide investment advice for a fee.
B.S. Finance
Bachelor of Science in Finance from State University, graduated with honors.
15+ Years Experience
Wirehouse brokerage, independent RIA, and private practice serving individuals and families.
NAPFA Member
Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, the largest professional association of fee-only advisors.
Continuing Education
30+ hours of CE annually across tax law, investment management, and retirement planning.
Why Fee-Only Matters
The financial services industry has a compensation problem. Most advisors are paid through commissions on the products they sell: insurance policies, mutual funds, annuities. This creates an inherent conflict of interest: the advisor has a financial incentive to recommend products that pay them the most, regardless of whether those products are the best choice for you.
Fee-only advisors are different. We are paid directly by our clients, through planning fees or a percentage of assets we manage. We earn nothing from product sales. This means every recommendation we make is evaluated on a single criterion: is it the best option for you?
The difference isn't theoretical. Studies consistently show that commission-based advice costs investors 1-2% annually in unnecessary fees and suboptimal product selection. Over a 30-year retirement, that difference can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost wealth.
When you work with Michael, you can be confident that the advice you receive is unbiased, transparent, and designed to serve your interests, not anyone else's.
Ready to work with a fiduciary?
Schedule a free discovery call to discuss your financial goals and learn how Summit Financial Planning can help.
Schedule My Discovery Call