About the Firm
Our Purpose
“We actively collaborate with our clients to proactively address their financial concerns, strategically prepare them for retirement, amplify their philanthropic impact, and empower them to live more fulfilling lives.”
- Andrew J. Ish, CFA, CPA, CFP® Founder and Financial Planner
At Prepared Financial Planning, we recognize and appreciate the multitude of priorities that enrich your life - from raising your family and excelling in your career, to planning for a fulfilling retirement, enjoying exciting hobbies, and making meaningful contributions to your community. Through proactive financial planning, our dedication lies in alleviating your financial stress, so that you can fully embrace the meaningful moments life has to offer.
Consider us your trusted financial professional, readily available to address any financial questions that will likely arise. Together, we navigate the complexities of your financial journey, providing expert guidance tailored to your unique aspirations. Let's embark on this enriching journey together, empowering you to seize life's incredible moments!
Meet the Founder
Andrew J. Ish, CFA, CPA, CFP®
Welcome! I’m Andrew Ish, the founder and lead financial planner of Prepared Financial Planning. Inspired by my background as an Eagle Scout, our firm's name and culture embraces the timeless motto of ‘Be Prepared’. This guiding principle ensures that every aspect of your financial life is diligently protected as we navigate you towards financial freedom.
Prior to founding Prepared Financial Planning, I acquired extensive industry knowledge working for prominent registered investment advisory firms in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Chicago, and Milwaukee. During this time, I served a diverse set of clients, including medical professionals, technology employees, executives, engineers, salespeople, and young professionals. My experience spans clients with assets ranging from under $1 million to well over $25 million.
I founded Prepared Financial Planning to combine the knowledge I gained from the brightest minds in the industry. The firm’s creation has also been a journey fueled by passion to create a different kind of wealth management firm – one that rejects sales tactics, proprietary mutual fund or insurance sales, commissions, and a pursuit to gain the most clients. Instead, we are dedicated to genuinely caring about our client’s comprehensive financial and life success. To ensure exceptional service, we are deliberately limiting the number of clients we serve. This allows us to provide each client with personalized attention, while still devoting time to continuing education to ensure we stay up-to-date with industry knowledge.
Credentials:
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®)
Education:
Masters of Professional Accountancy - UW-Wisconsin - Whitewater
Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting: UW-Wisconsin-Whitewater
Non-Profit Involvement:
Financial Literacy Educator / Associate Board Member - Economic Awareness Council
Board Member - Buckets for Hunger
Basketball Coach - Special Olympics
Hobbies:
Outside of the office, I find joy in maintaining an active lifestyle, engaging in activities such as biking, indoor rock climbing, skiing, and playing basketball. I am also an avid supporter of our hometown sports teams, particularly the Bucks, Packers, and Brewers. I always look forward to cheering our teams on and sharing the excitement with fellow fans.
Traveling is a passion of mine, whether it involves enjoying lakes in Northern Wisconsin, biking and camping our state parks, hiking National Parks, traveling abroad, and experiencing the awe of art museums. During the Covid pandemic, I even discovered a renewed interest in painting and drawing. I'm always eager to hear about others' recent travel adventures and share stories of my own.
I enjoy seeking new knowledge through podcasts, museum visits, reading, and documentaries. Some of my favorite podcasts include Tim Ferriss, Lex Fridman, EconTalk, and Invest like the Best. I am always open to exchanging recommendations and expanding my horizons. Let's connect and share our discoveries!
Professional Memberships and Service Providers
Independence and unbiased decision-making are fundamental values that define who we are. At our firm, we prioritize providing clients with the best solution, whether they are related to investments, insurance products, or other financial solutions, that truly align with our client’s needs. Unlike advisors tied to a large institution or insurance firm, we have the freedom to select the best solutions and are not influenced by any pressure to promote proprietary products or earn commissions.
Below, you'll find more information regarding our professional memberships and service providers, which underscores our unwavering commitment to independent and ethical financial planning and investment management:
XY Planning Network
We are a member of the XY Planning Network, the leading fee-only financial advisors organization who are financial-planning focused and serve clients from diverse backgrounds. Our affiliation with XYPN sets us apart in the industry, as we uphold the fiduciary standard, ensuring that we always work in our clients' best interests.
Being an XYPN member also means we are dedicated to assisting clients at any stage of their financial journey, providing personalized guidance tailored to their unique needs and goals.
Click here to view my XYPN advisor profile.
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
We are a member of NAPFA, the gold standard for fee-Only, fiduciary financial advisors for the past 40 years. Working in a strict fee-Only, fiduciary capacity, NAPFA-affiliated financial planners are committed to maintaining the highest level of competency with a client-centered focus that means aligning solely with their client’s best interests. Maintaining a NAPFA membership necessitates the completion of 60 hours of continuing education over every two-year period.
Click here to view our firm’s NAPFA profile.
Charles Schwab
Prepared Financial Planning partners with Charles Schwab to hold and protect client investment assets, a respected independent third party custodian. With over 30 years of experience working with financial advisors, Schwab is the largest and most respected custodian with over $7 trillion in assets. They uphold rigorous security measures, offer low fees, and provide exceptional service, making them the ideal choice for safeguarding our clients' assets.
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®)
Andrew Ish is a CFA Charterholder, holding one of the highest distinctions in the investment management industry. The CFA charter is a prestigious graduate-level professional designation established in 1962. To earn this designation, candidates must successfully pass three sequential, six-hour examinations over multiple years, which require an average of 300+ hours of study per exam. The comprehensive CFA Program covers a wide range of investment topics, including ethics, wealth planning, portfolio management, equities, fixed-income, real estate, and alternative investments.
Guided by the CFA Institute's Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, we prioritize our clients' interests ahead of our own by maintaining independence and objectivity. Our commitment to ethical practices ensures that our clients' needs are at the forefront of every decision we make.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA):
Andrew Ish is a CPA licensed in Wisconsin. CPAs are professionals regulated and licensed by their state boards of accountancy. To become a licensed CPA, the requirements include completing a minimum college education (150 credit hours with a concentration in accounting) and successfully passing the four-part CPA Examination. In Wisconsin, maintaining a CPA license necessitates the completion of 80 hours of continuing education over every two-year period.
CFP® (Certified Financial Planner):
Andrew Ish is certified for financial planning services in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”). CFP® professionals have met CFP Board’s high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics.
To become a CFP® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:
Examination: Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination.
Experience: Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process
Ethics: Agree to be bound by CFP’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
Continuing Education: Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years.
Click here to view my CFP profile.
Fee-Only Network:
We are a member of the Fee-Only Network. This means that our compensation is solely derived from providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services, ensuring our unwavering dedication to your best interests. Unlike some representatives of brokerage firms or insurance companies, we never earn commissions or kickbacks. As fiduciary advisors, we work exclusively for you, upholding a clear and understandable fee structure, and prioritize your financial well-being above all else.
Click here to view my Fee-Only Network profile.
Core Values:
Prepared Financial Planning’s core values are our internal compass of principles that drive our decisions:
Prepared:
We abide by the motto “Be Prepared” which helps us ensure every aspect of our client’s financial life is protected.
Client Commitment:
We do what's correct for clients, even if it's not in our firms best interest.
Authentic Relationships
Cultivate authentic long-term relationships. We want to be approachable for any financial, philanthropic, or personal question that arises.
Being Present
We aim to be more present since our goal is to be a great listener and speak with compassion.
Have Fun
Life is short, let’s enjoy our time together! We don’t want to have typically stuffy client/advisor relationships.
Leave an Impact
Let’s try to leave the world a little better place than we found it. With our passion for investments and financial planning, we are dedicated to helping provide financial literacy education in our communities.