Human-first retirement planning · Ann Arbor

We chart the course to your harbor.

For more than two decades, we've helped hundreds of people nationwide retire well, and confidently live the retirement they dreamed about.

Plot your course → or call (734) 479-1400
Begin the voyage
Why Shope

You're more than just a number here.

Good people who've worked hard for their money deserve advice that's genuinely in their best interest. We stay deliberately personal, and deeply rigorous, reading the water ahead so you don't have to.

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Years guiding people safely to retirement

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Fee-only fiduciary, all the time

$1M+

A typical client's portfolio

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In-depth reviews, every year

How we work · The Bedrock System

Seven waypoints to your harbor.

Your vision, our knowledge. It's like having your own personal CFO at the helm. As you read on, watch the course chart itself, waypoint by waypoint.

  1. 01
    Departure

    Evaluation

    A thorough look at where you stand, your assets, liabilities, and current trajectory, measured against your goals to find the gaps and the opportunities.

  2. 02
    Waypoint 02

    Income & Cash Flow

    We coordinate your income sources, investments, Social Security, pensions, into a sustainable strategy with a clear projection through retirement, and room for the unexpected.

  3. 03
    Waypoint 03

    Investments

    An investment strategy built around your risk tolerance and time horizon, explained in plain terms so you're comfortable with every recommendation.

  4. 04
    Waypoint 04

    Taxes

    Withdrawal sequencing, asset location, and timing to help keep more of what you've earned, so Uncle Sam isn't your biggest beneficiary.

  5. 05
    Waypoint 05

    Security

    We review your coverage for gaps and redundancies, protecting your assets and income against life's uncertainties, without unnecessary expense.

  6. 06
    Waypoint 06

    Estate

    We help your legacy reflect your wishes, reviewing documents and beneficiaries and streamlining the transfer of assets to the people and causes that matter.

  7. 07
    Harbor

    Dream Retirement

    Once your plan is in motion, we meet twice a year, stay available in between, and adjust as life changes, so you live the retirement you've always dreamed of.

Income & cash flow

You spent decades building it. Will it last?

So we show you. Not a chart that spikes and scares you, a steady waterline that simply holds, year after year, through calm and through swell.

TodayAge 8095+

Built so your income is designed to last — and we'll show you exactly how.

Our methodology · The Bucket Plan

Three holds, packed by time horizon.

We position your assets by when you'll need them and your comfort with the swell, refilling them as the years pass.

Now · 0–2 years

Stability

Safe, accessible assets that cover near-term income, so market swings never touch the money you need soon.

Calm water
Soon · 3–9 years

Balance

A measured mix that bridges the middle years, balancing steady growth with the income you'll draw next.

Moderate swell
Later · 10+ years

Growth

Growth-oriented investments with the most time to compound, fueling the long arc of your retirement.

Open ocean
The difference

Objective advice, and live navigation.

Not a static map. The Waze™ of financial planning, real-time updates, alerts to the shoals ahead, and accurate projections that make the passage predictable.

The typical firm

  • Paid through commissions and product sales
  • A static plan that rarely changes
  • You're handed between reps and departments
  • Advice you're never quite sure you can trust

The Shope way

  • Fee-only fiduciary, your interest first, 100% of the time
  • Live navigation, the Waze™ of financial planning
  • One trusted firm for your whole picture
  • Kindness, integrity, and follow-through
What we do

One firm for your whole financial picture.

Retirement planning

The whole map of the years ahead, so you can see, plainly, that you'll be okay.

Investment management

A portfolio built around your life and your nerves, explained in plain terms.

Tax planning

Investment-related tax decisions that keep more of what you've earned.

Estate guidance

Making sure what you've built reaches the people and causes you love.

Insurance planning

The right protection for what matters, no more than you need.

Cash-flow planning

A sustainable strategy, so whenever a question comes along, you've got a partner.

A sailboat on calm water, illustrative watercolor
The point of it all

Time for the moments that matter.

Teach your grandchildren to fish. Take the trip you've put off. Give back to what you love. We handle the navigation, so you can enjoy the voyage those numbers are really for.

The crew

When you work with us, you're family.

We built the firm we'd want to hire, blending real expertise with genuine empathy.

Patrick ShopePS
Patrick Shope, CWS
Managing Partner, Investment Advisor

A fee-only fiduciary at the helm of every plan, with rigor and a genuine interest in the people behind the numbers.

Molly ShopeMS
Molly Shope
Partner, Investment Advisor

Holds the licenses to help with annuities and insurance when it genuinely fits, so your whole picture lives under one roof.

Michael PennanenMP
Michael Pennanen
Director of Operations

Keeps the experience seamless behind the scenes, so every commitment we make is followed through with care.

Parker ShopePS
Parker Shope
Business Growth & Marketing

Shares the Shope story and the insight that helps more people approach retirement informed and confident.

Jacob InnesJI
Jacob Innes
Client Service Manager

Often the friendly first point of contact, making sure every client always feels looked after, like family.

Drag to meet the crew
Questions

Honest answers about how we work.

What services do you offer?

Retirement planning, investment management, investment-related tax planning, estate guidance, insurance planning, and cash-flow planning. The goal is to help you spend your time doing what you want, when you want, with whom you want. Whenever a financial question comes along, you've got a partner ready to help.

Who's a good fit for your service?

We excel at serving successful professionals and executives nearing or in retirement who prefer to delegate their financial planning. Many of our best-fit clients have built a portfolio of at least $1 million and would rather spend their time where it matters most than manage the complexity themselves.

What can I expect if we work together?

Comprehensive planning is the foundation. We begin with several meetings to deeply understand your situation, then conduct at least two annual reviews and share weekly educational content. Our advice is objective and conflict-free.

How do you get paid?

We charge a fee based on the value of the investments we manage, debited directly from your accounts. Patrick is a fee-only fiduciary, never paid through commissions or kickbacks. When a client has an existing annuity or genuine insurance need, Molly holds the licenses to help.

Are you a fiduciary, and do you work remotely?

Yes on both. Patrick upholds the fiduciary standard as a fee-only advisor 100% of the time. And while we're based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we work with people nationwide, happy to meet virtually or however is most convenient for you.

Let's talk

The best time to set sail was yesterday. The second best is today.

It starts with a simple, no-pressure call, to get to know each other and to see what a financial future with Shope looks like.

Plot your course →
Call(734) 479-1400
Emailpshope@shopeandassociates.com
Office180 Little Lake Drive, Suite 2B, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Concept preview · Volare Works · “Harbor”