Human-first retirement planning

Retirement planning to help the future start today.

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

Get started → or call (734) 479-1400
Why Shope

You're more than just a number here.

Good people who have worked hard for their money deserve advice that's genuinely in their best interest. We stay deliberately personal, and deeply rigorous.

20+

Years helping people retire well, nationwide

100%

Fee-only fiduciary standard, all the time

$1M+

A typical client's portfolio

In-depth portfolio reviews, every year

Income & cash flow

You spent decades building it. The real question is whether it lasts.

So we show you. Not a chart that spikes and scares you, a steady line that simply keeps going.

TodayAge 70 8090 95+ Portfolio-funded lifestyle your travel, your gifts, the good years (a projection) Dependable income Social Security · pension · annuity-backed
Built so your income is designed to last — and we'll show you exactly how.
How we work · The Bedrock System

Your vision, our knowledge. It's like having your own personal CFO.

Seven phases that carry you from where you are today to the retirement you've always pictured. Scroll, and follow the current downstream.

Phase 01 / 07
01
Phase 01

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.

02
Phase 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.

03
Phase 03

Investments

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

04
Phase 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.

05
Phase 05

Security

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

06
Phase 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.

07
Phase 07

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.

Our methodology · The Bucket Plan

Three buckets that keep today stable while tomorrow keeps growing.

We position your assets by time horizon and your comfort with volatility, and refill them as time passes.

Now · 0–2 years

Stability

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

Low risk
Soon · 3–9 years

Balance

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

Moderate risk
Later · 10+ years

Growth

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

Higher growth
Refilled as time passes Stability Now · 0–2 yrs Balance Soon · 3–9 yrs Growth Later · 10+ yrs
The difference

Objective, conflict-free advice, and live navigation.

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

The typical firm

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

The Shope way

  • Fee-only fiduciary, your interest comes first, 100% of the time
  • Live navigation, the Waze™ of financial planning
  • One trusted firm for your whole financial picture
  • Kindness, integrity, and follow-through, every time
Tight Comfortable
Continued review

Our service doesn't stop at the plan. We keep you on track.

At least two in-depth reviews every year, weekly educational content that's never a sales pitch, and real-time navigation as markets and life change.

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 plan, so you can live the life those numbers are really for.

A warm watercolor portrait, illustrative
What we do

One trusted 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.
Who we serve

Built for people who've earned their next chapter.

Successful professionals and executives nearing or in retirement who'd rather delegate the complexity, in Ann Arbor and nationwide. We're honest about fit from the very first call.

You'll feel right at home if…

  • You're approaching, or already in, retirement
  • You've saved well, often a portfolio of $1M or more
  • You'd rather delegate the complexity to a pro
  • You want a fiduciary who works only for you

We may not be the fit if…

  • You're looking to actively day-trade your own accounts
  • You want product sales rather than planning
  • You prefer a one-time plan with no ongoing partnership
  • You're just getting started and decades from retiring
A still lake at dawn, a calm unbroken horizon

Retirement can be scary. With the right guide, it doesn't have to be.

The team

When you work with us, you're family.

We built the firm we'd want to hire, blending real expertise with genuine empathy. It's a privilege to serve clients like you, every single day.

Patrick ShopePS
Patrick Shope, CWS
Managing Partner, Investment Advisor

A fee-only fiduciary leading every plan with rigor and a genuine interest in the people behind the numbers, upholding the fiduciary standard 100% of the time.

Molly ShopeMS
Molly Shope
Partner, Investment Advisor

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

Michael PennanenMP
Michael Pennanen
Director of Operations

Keeps the experience seamless behind the scenes, making sure every commitment we make to a client 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, calm, 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 part of the family.

Drag to meet the team
What we stand for

Our reputation was built on the simple things.

01

Kindness & integrity

We treat people the way we'd want our own family treated, with honesty, warmth, and respect.

02

Following through

We do what we say we'll do. Kept commitments, year after year, are the foundation of trust.

03

Advice you can trust

Fee-only fiduciary 100% of the time, no commissions, no product quotas, no divided loyalty.

04

Smarter, simpler planning

We make the complex clear, so your decisions feel obvious and your future feels calm.

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 simply 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 through emails, videos, and social media. 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, so everything can be serviced by one firm you trust.

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, a legal obligation to act in your best interest. 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 plan 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.

Get started →
Call(734) 479-1400
Emailpshope@shopeandassociates.com
Office180 Little Lake Drive, Suite 2B, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
A real person at Shope, illustrative watercolor
Questions?Talk to a real person, no pressure.
Say hello →
Concept preview · Volare Works · “The Unbroken River”