Your Experienced Financial Planner in Libertyville, serving Chicago and surrounding suburbs since 1988
The Tranel Financial Group is a fiduciary financial planner serving clients across Chicago, Vernon Hills, Buffalo Grove, and surrounding suburbs. As a respected financial advisory firm, we specialize in personalized financial solutions tailored to your unique needs.
Planning for Your Life, Lifestyle, and Legacy.
When it comes to managing finances, almost every question starts the same: Can I retire? Can I go on vacation? Can I buy a second home? By walking you through a unique process that helps identify the best way to manage and maximize your assets, we change “can I” into “I can.” We want you to enjoy life to its full extent and leave a meaningful legacy.
As an independent, fiduciary financial planner, we are only accountable for your success. It’s our mission to give you clarity into your finances and confidence in your future through lifelong support and objective advice.
We’re not just financial planners. We’reeducators.Guides. Accountability partners.
At The Tranel Financial Group, our planning process starts with you—understanding your unique goals, dreams, hopes, and fears. This includes thoughtful discussions, personal advice, and a thorough review of how and why various investments work. We don’t recommend anything until we’ve reached an agreement and understanding. And we know your life and the world changes. Your advisor proactively checks in with you to review and rebalance, helping guide you down the right path at every life stage based on your needs.
Financial Planning Services Tailored to Your Goals
At The Tranel Financial Group, we understand that every individual’s financial journey is unique. That’s why our team of experienced financial advisors offers comprehensive financial planning services to help you navigate life’s economic complexities. Whether you’re planning for retirement, facing unexpected significant expenses, or seeking guidance with financial planning, our dedicated personal advisors are here to provide assistance at every step.
Specialized Financial Management and Wealth Preservation
As one of the top wealth management firms, our commitment to excellence extends to all aspects of financial management. As a long standing asset management firm in Illinois, we strive to prioritize your financial well-being above all else. From retirement planning to wealth management strategies, our team works to apply foremost practices to preserve and increase your assets for the future.
Our Growth and Income Strategy
We bring a powerful new approach to understanding and managing your money, designed so you can enjoy an active, fulfilling retirement. So, when you ask yourself that vital question –“How much do I need to retire?” We can give you the answer.
For example:
Say you have a $4 million nest egg. You decide to withdraw a 4% income stream from your nest egg every year to live your desired lifestyle.
After a year, say, a significant unexpected expense comes up. You must withdraw an additional $500,000 cash beyond your monthly income. This reduces your nest egg’s relative value to $3,500,000, reducing your yearly payout. You just gave yourself a pay cut in retirement. That’s the last thing you want to do—significantly since inflation increases the cost of living during your 20–30 years of retirement.
We have strategies that can help you.
How much do I need to retire? How am I doing so far? Everyone asks these questions at some point. We’re here to take the guesswork out of your retirement planning, clarifying where you stand so you can be confident about where you’re headed. That starts with defining your vision of success. Together, we’ll map out a plan considering your challenges, goals, and aspirations.
Get Started Today
Are you ready to take control of your financial future? Don’t wait any longer – contact The Tranel Financial Group today to schedule your personalized consultation. Our team is here to help you achieve your goals and secure a brighter tomorrow.
It’s not just the investments. It’s how you invest.
Investments themselves are simply vehicles—it’s the unique way we build and package them together that drives success. Your advisor will teach you fundamental investment concepts, taking the mystery and fear out of investing. Knowing both the “what” and “why” of your investments gives you assurance and peace of mind that your assets are under control.
Teamwork drives excellence.
Our agency structure rewards associates for sharing ideas and strategies. Your Tranel advisor isn’t working alone, they are guided by an internal investment team with more than 100 years of experience. They bounce ideas off of each other and bring in other advisors if your situation requires additional support. Egos are left at the door, and the focus is on your success.
Bring clarity to your finances with these helpful tools and resources.
Answers to the Questions We Hear Most
Where and how should I be investing my money?
Just as financial goals vary from person to person, exactly where and how to invest is not a one size fits all approach. That being said, there are a few best practices that apply to most, if not all, investors. First, it’s important to understand that investing is not a get-rich-quick scheme but a way to consistently grow wealth over time. Our investment strategy focuses on increasing the income potential of your portfolio through strong, growing dividends—59 out of 70 of our equity positions have raised their dividends, and none have cut them. By reinvesting those dividends, your income continues to grow regardless of market direction, helping you stay focused on long-term outcomes, not short-term volatility. Past performance does not assure future performance. The second is to determine an amount or income percentage you can commit to investing regularly and remain consistent with your contributions.
What kind and amount of life insurance coverage should I have?
How much life insurance you should have varies based on a variety of factors. A good rule of thumb is that your policy provides ten-fifteen times your annual income. However, we typically recommend that people between ages 30 and 50 have more coverage than people who are older or younger. This is because they’ve generally started to take on larger amounts of debt (such as a mortgage, car payment, and student loans), but haven’t had enough time to build much equity in their assets yet. The goal is for your life insurance to give your loved ones enough of a cushion to account for any debts and liabilities you may have, as well as the loss of your income.
What is the difference between fee and commission based?
Simply put, a commission-based advisor gets paid a specific percentage of the assets they manage for a client. If the portfolio performs positively, the advisor will earn a higher fee. Consequently, if the portfolio performs negatively, the advisor will earn a lower fee. Alternatively, a fee-based advisor gets paid a flat rate for buying and selling different securities, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and more. This rate is not dependent on the performance of the holdings or how much time is spent with the client. The Tranel Financial Group is a fee-based, independent firm, which grants us greater flexibility, as we are not tied to proprietary products and do not have any conflicts of interest when giving financial advice.
How can I help make sure my family is taken care of in the event of my disability or death?
While this is a topic that is often worried over, it’s rarely discussed in many families, and it’s understandable why. Nobody wants to think about losing their spouse or the possibility of their own death, but it’s important to be prepared in case the unexpected does happen. Many families chose to invest in benefits, such as life insurance policies or short and long-term disability, either through their workplace benefit plans or on the private market. Either way, the key to making the most of these investments is to purchase them before you have any reason to suspect you may need them. The premiums on these plans will only increase with age and health concerns, so early investment will lead to lower price tags. It’s also important to consider formal estate planning items, such as creating a will and a trust. These documents will ensure that your wishes are well known and will be carried out in the event of your death and can provide very specific instructions, even in complex situations, for the management and distribution of your assets. This is especially important if assets are being passed to a young adult who doesn’t yet have much experience managing money or to somebody whose judgment hasn’t instilled confidence in the past.
How can my current financial strategy impact my long-term goals?
Your financial strategy plays a key role in shaping your future. Short term impacts, such as market volatility, administration changes (every 4 years) or policy updates (potentially in foreign markets) can influence your investments and your financial strategy. Your plan should parallel your risk profile to help you navigate when these impacts inevitably happen. The way you save, invest, and manage risks today can influence your future retirement lifestyle and legacy. At The Tranel Financial Group, we take a holistic approach—aligning investment strategies, tax considerations, and personal goals to support long-term financial independence.
How do you measure the success of a financial plan?
Success is about staying on track—not just achieving returns. We regularly review and update financial plans to reflect market shifts, tax changes, and life events. Our Faithful Watch™ process helps clients stay informed and confident in their long-term strategy.
What are the most common financial challenges faced by retirees?
Retirees often encounter challenges such as:
- Outliving savings due to increased longevity
- Market fluctuations affecting investment portfolios
- Rising healthcare costs and medical expenses
- Tax implications related to retirement income
- Estate planning for smooth wealth transfer
How do you protect my retirement plan from inflation and changes in financial regulations?
Inflation and regulatory shifts can impact the long-term performance of a retirement strategy. We help develop approaches designed to support purchasing power, which may include diversified investments, income-generating assets, and reviews to account for cost-of-living trends. We also regularly monitor market trends, tax law developments, and regulatory updates to help keep your strategy aligned with current conditions. Our team stays informed through ongoing education and compliance oversight—so your plan can evolve with the financial landscape.