A complete wealth management plan for clients with $1 million or more in investable assets.
Our Private Client Group brings together a dedicated team of advisors, paraplanners, client service associates, specialists, strategic partners, and CFP® professionals, all working together on your plan. This isn’t a single advisor working alone. It’s a full practice focused on one thing: building a retirement you can count on.
Families and individuals in the Private Client Group receive comprehensive coverage across four planning areas, two dedicated advisor meetings per year, and direct coordination with their CPA at tax time.
WEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Four planning areas. One coordinated plan.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
We build your portfolio around your retirement timeline, coordinate every account you hold outside our firm, and monitor it continuously so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Portfolio Reviews
- Comprehensive Asset Allocation
- Tactical Rebalancing
- Coordination with Outside-Held Investments
- Ongoing Monitoring
- Cash Maximization
- Education Funding Analysis
- Third Party Expense Minimization
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Every fee we can strip out of your portfolio is money that stays in your plan, not someone else’s.
ON YOUR PLAN
Led by Steve Latham, CFA, CFP®, Chief Investment Officer, with full investment‑committee review.
HOW IT WORKS
WHAT WE PROVIDE
We map your Social Security, pension, and investment income into one retirement income plan, and account for how health insurance costs factor in before Medicare starts.
- Retirement income strategy
- Withdrawal sequencing
- Social security timing
- Healthcare & Medicare
- Longevity stress-testing
- Cash-flow modeling
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
A paycheck designed to outlast bad markets and long lives.
ON YOUR PLAN
Built by your full planning team, revisited at both annual meetings.
HOW IT WORKS
WHAT WE PROVIDE
We manage the tax side of your plan year-round, from contribution and distribution timing to IRA conversions and charitable giving, not just at tax time.
- Year-round tax strategy
- Roth conversion analysis
- Tax-loss harvesting
- Asset location
- RMD & tax bracket management
- Charitable giving strategy
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
You keep more of what you earn, with nothing left on the table in April.
ON YOUR PLAN
Coordinated directly with your CPA, planned across all twelve months.
HOW IT WORKS
WHAT WE PROVIDE
We review your beneficiaries, titling, and estate documents, then keep that plan current as your life and your family change.
- Estate Profile
- Estate Consulting
- Gifting
- Beneficiary/Title Audit
- Document Review/Coordination
- What to Do When a Loved One Dies
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Your estate plan doesn’t sit in a drawer until something happens. We review it, and revisit it, on a schedule.
ON YOUR PLAN
Led by our estate planning specialist.
HOW IT WORKS
SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Hear from people who've been through the process.
Reviews Disclosure
The Google reviews above may be from current or former clients, or individuals who are not clients of Bernicke Wealth Management (“BWM”). Reviews have not been verified or edited by BWM and do not reflect the views of the firm or its advisors. Reviewers have not been compensated or received any material incentives for providing a review. BWM has maintained an “Excellent” 5-star rating on Google since October 16, 2021. Ratings are subject to change and are not indicative of future investment performance or success. No material conflicts of interest have been identified within these reviews.
A CLOSER LOOK AT ESTATE PLANNING
Estate planning phases.
Estate planning isn’t a single conversation. It’s a structured process we walk through with you, then revisit as your life changes.
Estate planning design meeting
We begin with a comprehensive design meeting covering your beneficiary and titling audit, will, trust, and power of attorney review, digital assets inventory, healthcare POA, any special situations such as spendthrift or divorce protection, and estate attorney recommendations.
Plan implementation
Once your plan is designed, we handle the execution, including estate planning document execution, beneficiary and title changes, and secure document storage.
Ongoing monitoring
Your estate plan isn’t set and forget. We maintain an updated inventory, conduct a comprehensive estate review every three years, and perform regular beneficiary, title, and insurance audits to keep everything current.
What to do when a loved one dies
When the time comes, we guide your family through every step, managing title and beneficiary changes, liquidations, and tax planning, while providing spousal guidance, facilitating a family meeting, and supporting your children through the process.
WHAT ELSE IS INCLUDED
Additional Private Client Group benefits.
Two dedicated advisor meetings per year
Scheduled, structured reviews with your advisor to revisit your plan, update assumptions, and stay ahead of what's changing in your life and in the markets.
We send your 1099s directly to your CPA
We coordinate with your tax professional on your behalf. Your documents are delivered to them directly. No chasing paperwork, no forwarding forms at tax time.
A full team behind every recommendation
Advisors, paraplanners, client service associates, specialists, strategic partners, and CFP® professionals, all working together on your plan.
Fee-based, independent advice
We don't earn commissions. We don't sell proprietary products. Every recommendation is aimed at one thing: helping you build a retirement you can count on.
Access to our High Net Worth team.
Everything in the Private Client Group, plus a dedicated specialist team for clients whose planning has grown more complex. Business owners, trusts, concentrated positions, significant liquidity events. This team was built for exactly that.
Annual investment management meeting
Early-year · led by Steve Latham, CFP®, CFA
Annual tax strategy meeting
Fall - led by Mitchell VanDenMeerendonk, CFP®, MSF, TPCP®
Named specialist team on your plan
Steve · Mitchell · Katie — assigned to you from day one
Advanced planning for complex situations
Business exits, trusts, multi-entity structures
Your service level grows as your wealth does.
Many of our High Net Worth clients started in the Private Client Group. There’s no reapplication or disruption. When your assets and complexity reach that threshold, access to the HNW team simply becomes part of your plan.
OUR TEAM
The people behind your plan.
Private Client Group relationships are supported by a full team of CFP® professionals, paraplanners, client service associates, and specialists. Every recommendation gets a second set of eyes, and every plan is built by the team.
Steve Latham, CFA, CFP®
Chief Investment Officer
Mitchell VanDenMeerendonk, CFP®, MSF, TPCP®
Wealth Manager
Katie Aubart
Paraplanner
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people ask us during their first conversation.
What is the difference between a fee-based and a commission-based financial advisor?
A commission-based advisor earns money when they sell you a product, like an annuity or mutual fund, which can create an incentive to recommend what pays the most rather than what fits best. We’re fee-based. We don’t earn commissions, sell proprietary products, or work for a product manufacturer, so our recommendations are built around your plan, not our revenue.
How does Bernicke Wealth Management get paid?
Our fee is a percentage of the assets we manage for you. We don’t charge separate fees for the additional planning services we provide. The fee varies based on the amount invested, the types of investments, and the scope of services, and typically runs between .10% and 1.75%, averaging around 1%.
How many times a year will I meet with my advisor?
Private Client Group clients have two dedicated advisor meetings per year, structured reviews to revisit your plan, update assumptions, and address anything that’s changed. High Net Worth clients receive those two meetings plus a dedicated investment management meeting early in the year and a tax strategy session in the fall.
What happens after I start working with Bernicke?
We start with a comprehensive planning process, gathering your full financial picture, building your personalized plan, and putting it into motion. From there, we meet at least twice a year to review and adjust. Your team is available between meetings whenever something comes up.
Do you send my tax documents to my CPA?
Yes. Private Client Group clients receive direct 1099 delivery to their CPA. We coordinate with your tax professional on your behalf. Your documents are delivered to them directly so you don’t have to track down or forward anything at tax time.
Schedule a Quick
15-Minute Call
Award Disclosure
The Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receives a fee in exchange for rankings. Awarded April 7, 2026 based on data as of June 30, 2025.
Award Disclosure
The Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receives a fee in exchange for rankings. Awarded April 7, 2026 based on data as of June 30, 2025.
