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.
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
Hear from people who've been through the process.
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.
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.
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.
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
Questions people ask us about the Private Client Group.
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.
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.
After a complete analysis of your financial situation, we give you specific recommendations along with a side-by-side comparison of your current cost versus the cost of moving forward with us. Our fee is a percentage of the assets we manage, with no separate fee for additional planning services. It ranges from .10% to 1.75%, averaging around 1%, depending on the amount invested and scope of services.
It starts with a call, we'll walk you through how we work and figure out together whether we're a good fit. From there, we match you with an advisor based on your location or what your situation calls for. Your advisor gets to know your full picture, your family, your goals, and what's keeping you up at night, then lays out a full analysis of where you stand before bringing it together in a recommendation meeting with a clear path forward. From there, we're with you year after year, reviewing and adjusting as life changes.
That's common, and it's one of the best reasons to get a second opinion. A financial advisor typically focuses on managing your investments. A CPA typically focuses on your current year's taxes. What often gets missed is the gap in between: future income planning, tax strategy, and health insurance costs before Medicare, among others. That's exactly what we look for: opportunities you may be missing in your current plan.
Best-In-State Wealth Advisor
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.
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