Lou helps clients answer two questions:
1) Do you know exactly how much money it is going to take for you to retire comfortably?
2) To remain comfortably retired?
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 proprietary technology platform.
He works with CPAs to make sure clients have a financial plan that will accomplish their goals.
Lou provides advice regarding implementation and maintenance of company retirement plans. He works with business owners on selection and maintenance of retirement plans that are of benefit to not only the business owner but to the employees.
Lou began his career with Dean Witter which evolved into Morgan Stanley. He then moved his practice to Smith Barney before forming Budd, Melone & Co., LLC. Lou is now the Managing Member of Melone Private Wealth, A Registered Investment Advisory Firm . Lou has worked twenty five (25) 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
- 12 time winner of 5 Star Wealth Planner Award* recognized by Hour Detroit Magazine and featured in Fortune Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. This award is given to the top 7% of wealth planners in South East Michigan*
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Education
- BA, Northern Michigan
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP® Certification), American College
- Applied Behavioral Finance Certificate (IMCA)
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.
*"The inclusion of a wealth manager on The FIVE STAR Wealth Manager Award list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth nor should it be inferred that the responses used from the survey represent the experience of any clients. This award does not evaluate the quality of service provided and the wealth manager may have had unfavorable ratings. The rating is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance."