St. Joseph, MI
Wealth protection & asset preservation in St. Joseph, MI
Aspirean Wealth works with individuals and families across St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, and Southwest Michigan, from our office in St. Joseph. Wealth protection here is a standing inventory of what could set your plan back and what already covers it, reviewed alongside your investments and tax strategy and coordinated with the attorney and insurance agent who handle the documents and the coverage.
The inventory
What wealth protection covers in St. Joseph, MI
An inventory of what could set the plan back, and of what already covers it, kept current. These are the three parts it most often has to settle here.
Meet with usCoverage reviewed for gaps
We read your homeowner, auto, and umbrella liability policies against the household and the balance sheet they now sit under, rather than the ones they were written for. The review looks for gaps between the layers, limits that no longer match what you own, and property or drivers the policies do not yet list. Aspirean sells no insurance and earns no commissions, so what you get is a reading of the coverage itself; any change is made by your insurance agent, and we coordinate with them.
Titling, beneficiaries and structures
How an account or a property is titled, and who is named on its beneficiary form, decides how it passes; for many accounts the form, not the will, controls. We list each one, flag what no longer matches the estate plan — an ex-spouse still named, an old 401(k) at a former employer, a trust that was signed but not yet funded — and bring the list to your attorney. For a business owner, the list includes how the company is held and whether you have signed personally for its debts. Where your attorney recommends a trust or an entity, we coordinate with them and keep the plan consistent with it. We do not practice law; the structures and the documents are your attorney’s work.
Concentration and liquidity
A plan can be set back by one holding as easily as by one event. For many households here, much of the balance sheet sits in a closely-held or family business that cannot be sold in pieces. We measure how much of the plan rests on it, keep the rest of the portfolio from doubling the same bet, and plan the diversification path well before any sale. Alongside it we hold a cash buffer sized to what you actually spend, so a poor market or a large bill is not the reason you have to sell something.
How we work
How the review runs
A written inventory
We begin with a list: every account, property, policy, and estate document, with how each is titled, who is named on it, and who holds the originals.
Coordinated changes
Changes are made by the professional who owns them — your attorney, your insurance agent, your CPA — and we keep the plan consistent with what they put in place.
Account security basics
We go over the basics with you: two-step sign-in on financial accounts, a trusted contact on file with the custodian, and confirming any unexpected request to move money through a number you already know.
A standing review
The inventory is kept current and revisited when your life changes, rather than filed away once it is written.
When to revisit it
Moments that change the inventory
A marriage, divorce, or death
Each changes who should be named on accounts and policies, and who should hold which documents.
A business sale or succession
Proceeds arrive, ownership changes hands, and titling and coverage built for the old balance sheet may no longer fit it.
A move across a state line
States treat marital property, titling, and some trusts differently, so a move is a reason to have your attorney read the documents again.
A new property or a new driver
A second home, a rental, or a teenager on the auto policy changes the liability picture the umbrella sits above.
Frequently asked questions
The things you’re probably wondering.
Do you have a minimum asset level?
Yes. We best serve individuals with at least $1 million in investable assets, including 401(k) plan assets, or more complex financial situations. Our minimum annual fee is $7,500 for clients below that threshold.
How are you compensated?
We are a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor and a fiduciary, paid via a percentage of the assets we manage.
Do you practice law or set up trusts and entities?
No. We do not practice law, and we cannot tell you that any asset is beyond the reach of a creditor or a lawsuit; that depends on your state, your facts, and documents only an attorney can draft. What we do is keep the inventory current, flag titling, beneficiary, and coverage gaps, and coordinate with your attorney and insurance agent so the plan and the documents agree.
Meet with us
Let’s talk in St. Joseph.
If you’d like a fresh look at what could set your plan back and what already covers it, we’d like to hear from you.
Meet with usOur office in St. Joseph, MI
505 Pleasant St, Suite 401St. Joseph, MI 49085
(844) 687-5342 · Directions & contact
Serving St. Joseph, MI · Benton Harbor, MI · Southwest Michigan