About Brian

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional

A man outdoors near a river with a wooded shoreline, wearing a navy cap, a brown hoodie, and sunglasses hanging from the hoodie.

I’m Brian Plain, a 45 year old husband and father. I live in Riverside, IL and work virtually with Gen X families in their 40s to 60s serving clients locally in Oak Park, River Forest, Western Springs, La Grange, and Riverside, IL. 

I’m a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and for the past 17 years I’ve been helping families like yours get their finances aligned for the life they want.

You know how everyone says they’d quit their job if they won the lottery? Well, I’d wake up and do exactly what I’m doing right now. Plus I’d never win the lottery because I don’t like lighting my money on fire. (Have you not seen how bad the odds are?)

A human relationship to help you navigate an increasingly complex financial life

All the financial information and projections you’re looking for can be found online. The real challenge is figuring out how to align your time and money with your values and priorities. That’s where I can help.

Here's my approach:

  • I provide a long-term human relationship with my clients. I'll learn about you and your family over time, understand what makes you tick, and make recommendations based on your unique situation, personal goals, and feelings.

  • I help you find a "happy medium" – that place between short-term and long-term, now and later, spending and saving, enjoying and planning. Your goal might not be to have a giant pot of money left over at the end of your life – it could be to enjoy your time now, while maintaining comfort and confidence in the future.

  • I understand that the answers aren't found exclusively in a calculation or projection – but rather in blending what works best for you both emotionally and financially.

  • The online financial planning program I use helps us build a flexible framework aligned with your personal values – creating the comfort and confidence you need to live your best life.

It’s not my job to tell you how to live your life. Instead, I’ll help you live better by guiding you towards decisions that work best for you and your family.

 

Community Involvement

In addition to running their own businesses and raising me and my three sisters, my parents were always giving back to our local community. They coached all of our sports teams, ran the PTA, and started a local Boys & Girls Club to help out our friends that weren’t as fortunate as we were.

My parents’ generosity instilled a similar sense of responsibility within me, and I’m proud to give back in my local communities of Oak Park, River Forest, Western Springs, La Grange, & Riverside, IL.

Family Matters

While my practice and community involvement are important to me, family comes first.

None of this would be possible without the love and support I receive day in and out from my wife, Michelle. Michelle is passionate about health, fitness, and food. She’s a wonderful mother and example to our daughters Reagan (12) and Reese (6).

We enjoy cheering on Reagan’s travel soccer team and managing her growing social calendar. Her aptitude for sarcasm also confirms karma is real. She’s also a great big sister to Reese who lights up every room she dances or tumbles into, knows what she likes, and isn’t shy about letting everyone know it.

A family of four standing outdoors on a fall day with trees and fallen leaves in the background. The mother, father, and two daughters are smiling at the camera.

What’s a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional?

As a CFP® professional I’ve met some fairly rigorous standards and have agreed to hold to principles of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence when working with clients. I’m also held to a fiduciary standard that requires me to put the interests of my clients ahead of my own.

Becoming a CFP® professional required thousands of certification hours, met through years of work experience. All CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals adhere to one of the the highest ethical and educational standards in the industry.

And as a CFP® professional and a fiduciary, I’m committed to helping you and your family set up your finances for the life you want.

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