As a board CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Lou provides comprehensive financial planning strategies for higher net-worth families to help protect and preserve current levels of wealth, and plan for retirement. Lou has championed a personalized, rigorous approach to financial planning and a strong commitment to a fiduciary standard of care. With Lou’s guidance, the firm is devoted to continuing to provide high-quality planning advice on our leading technology platform.
As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Lou guides business owners through the process of Exit Planning (the Value Acceleration Methodology™), where owners can build more valuable companies, have stronger personal financial plans, and align their personal goals.
Lou has been a featured speaker at the Michigan Association of CPA’s Conferences for the past twenty-three (23) years. The topics have ranged from Behavioral Finance, Comprehensive Financial Planning Process, and types of Qualified Plans for Small Business Owners. Lou has also provided planning/behavioral finance seminars to executive retiree groups at Fortune 500, as well as, numerous other small to midsize companies.
He is currently the Managing Member of Melone Private Wealth Family Wealth Planners, a Registered Investment Advisory Firm. Lou has served twenty-eight (28) years in the financial services industry with two offices in Michigan.
Affiliations and Memberships
- Consultant for the Michigan Association of CPA’s (MICPA) Financial Planning Task Force
- Past President for the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce
Thought Leadership
- Author of Unpack Your Financial Baggage.
- Podcast host of Unpack Your Financial Baggage: Conversations Lou Melone, CFP® with RJ King, editor of DBusiness and business author
- Featured speaker at the Michigan Association of CPA’s Mega/Summer Conferences for the past thirteen years
- Contributor to the MICPA’s The Business Edge.
- Provides webinars for MICPA members across the United States. The topics have ranged from Behavioral Finance, Comprehensive Financial Planning Process, and Types of Qualified Plans for Small Business Owners.
- Gives planning/behavioral finance seminars to executive retiree groups at Fortune 500, as well as, numerous other small to mid-size companies.
- Columnist DBusiness.com, Detroit’s Premiere Business Journal.
- Authority Magazine Interview: 5 Things To Look For When Hiring a Financial Planner or Financial Adviser, with Lou Melone and
- Tyler Gallagher 5 Things Retirees Say They Wish They Were Told Before They Began Retirement, with Lou Melone
- The 5 Essentials of Smart Investing: With Lou Melone of Budd, Melone & Company
Recognition
- 15 time winner of Five Star Wealth Planner Award* recognized by Hour Detroit Magazine and featured in Fortune Magazine and the Bloomberg Businessweek This award is given to the top 8% of wealth managers in the Detroit-area.
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Education
- BA, Northern Michigan
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP® Certification), American College
- Applied Behavioral Finance Certificate (IMCA)
- Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), Exit Planning Institute
Financial planning
If you would like to see if your financial plan is aligned with your goals, please use our financial planning tool or if you have questions about your plan, call us for a cup of coffee and a second opinion.
*This award was issued on 05/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 09/10/2025 through 03/03/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 3902 Detroit-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 262 (7 % of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2025: 3,715, 289, 8%, 5/1/25, 8/21/24 - 2/28/25; 2024: 3,651, 278, 8%, 5/1/24, 9/5/23 - 2/29/24; 2023: 3,550, 312, 8.7%, 5/1/23, 9/5/22 - 3/3/23; 2022: 3273, 304, 9%, 5/1/22, 9/3/21 - 3/11/22; 2021: 3260, 275, 8%, 5/1/21, 8/10/20 - 3/19/21; 2020: 3105, 284, 9%, 5/1/20, 8/1/19 - 3/20/20; 2019: 2987, 347, 12%, 5/1/19, 8/21/18 - 3/19/19; 2018: 3069, 322, 10%, 5/1/18, 8/30/17 - 3/19/18; 2017: 1836, 356, 19%, 5/1/17, 8/24/16 - 2/24/17; 2016: 1961, 630, 32%, 4/1/16, 10/22/15 - 3/9/16; 2015: 2238, 627, 28%, 5/1/15, 10/22/14 - 3/9/15; 2014: 3448, 658, 19%, 5/1/14, 10/22/13 - 3/9/14; 2013: 2762, 749, 27%, 5/1/13, 10/22/12 - 3/9/13; 2012: 2658, 745, 28%, 5/1/12, 10/22/11 - 3/9/12. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: Click here to read full disclosure.