It is hard to convey how fortunate and grateful my wife and I are in having found the incredible team of people at Zhang Financial. Over my 45 years of investing, first via company managed 401K's, then by "retail" financial "advisors" of my choosing I reached out to Charles Zhang about 4 yrs. ago. After an initial call with Charles and his wife Lynn Chen-Zhang, they agreed to take us on as clients. Their team offers an outstanding balanced and complex understanding of the financial market's, strategizing of our personal goals and financial position and most of all a very empathetic, personal and introspective interaction with both my wife and myself. I swear, my wife and I turn to each other after every quarterly account review in disbelief at how incredibly fortunate we are to have their good and active counsel with our life nest egg. What a team! Thank you All! Charles Zhang has been ranked #1 in the nation on Barron's list of America's Top 100 Independent Wealth Advisors for 2024. This is the third year that he has been ranked #1; he previously received the distinction in 2023 and 2021*. He is currently the highest-ranking NAPFA-Registered Fee-Only Financial Advisor on the list.*. And has been named the #1 Financial Advisor in Michigan by Barron's for the past 13 consecutive years beginning in 2013 through 2025.* Lynn Chen-Zhang has been recognized as one of the nation's Top 100 Women Financial Advisors and #1 Female Financial Advisor in Michigan in 2014*. read more

After using for over 40 years a well known large advisement firm, I switched to Zhang after reading their excellent reviews and top ratings in Forbes and Barrons. So glad I did. Besides having a set fee withdrawn quarterly, they use the Schwab platform and their well diversified investments outperform all their benchmarks. David Marshall CPA and Kyle Mack CFP, our advisors, always get back with answers to our questions in a timely manner. So happy to be a client of this firm and its wonderful advisors. read more

I've been a client of Zhang Financial for many years. I have received better than benchmark returns with the lowest fee structure while staying in line with my overall financial needs. Long before I ever knew Charles and Lynn Zhang, I had dealt with financial firms and banks in the metro Detroit area to handle my irrevocable trust and revocable trust. None have ever provided the level of all-round exceptional service that I'm receiving with Zhang Financial. My portfolio is routinely reviewed and refreshed. Any life changes, tax issues or legal trust issues that concern me are addressed. They house a talented team that proficiently handles all my account requirements. My needs are always the first priority. Zhang is a Fee-Only firm, meaning that the only fees taken are a percentage of your assets. That's what you should look for in a financial firm. Fee-Only firms are not the same as Fee-Based firms. Fee-Based firms can take a percentage of your money and are also allowed to get kickbacks from funds they put you in. A major conflict of interest. I've always been a stickler on fees, whether upfront fees or internal fund fees. Zhang provided me the lowest fees in both areas while best addressing my financial goals. One of the things that first impressed me when speaking to Charles was his ability to meticulously choose funds that run the lowest internal fees with the highest performance on returns. Throughout the years they have earned my respect and admiration. I have complete trust in them. Zhang Financial is the epitome of what a financial firm should be. Barron's and other reputable sources have made no mistake in putting Zhang Financial at the top of their list! read more

Zhang Financial has been great in helping my family realize great returns safely. Being fee only their focus on my needs, risk tolerance and expectations instead of trading to gain income while chasing returns has been a great approach. I like this better and the fees are lower or about equal to what others charged in the past so very competitive I would say in my case. In the past I managed some of my own funds and did pretty well on returns, but I am at the point I want to have someone else manage things. I feel fortunate to have such a trustworthy firm managing my money and working to help plan and manage my future funds. I highly recommend them for managing your accounts and am happy to be looking towards a long relationship in having them manage mine. It was a great decision for us and we are glad we made this choice. read more

5-Star If you're lucky enough to have Zhang & Associates as your financial advisor, congratulations as you're one of a fortunate few! We've been with Zhang Financial for almost 20 years and have experienced the market's many ups and downs with Charles Zhang and his associates. It was through Charles and Lynn's professional expertise and steadfastness that we not only survived the dramatic fluctuations in the market but are in a terrific financial position today. At all times, our family's investment goals, priorities and market tolerance were made a priority. Over the years, we stayed the course with Charles, receiving trusted and superior investment guidance and advice. Charles and Lynn's advisory team hold the most prestigious designations and credentials in the industry offering a wide array of financial services. ZF is a registered NAPFA fee-only certified financial planner and invest in low-fee funds; funds are held by a third-party custodian; nationally recognized financial advisor (top 100 in Barron's; #1 in Michigan by Barron's). Our family has complete trust in Zhang Financial. If you want to be one of the elite few, check them out! LPN read more

Many thanks to Charles and Lynn Zhang and Chris Tarkowski for the tremendous service received in reviewing, restructuring, and implementing (on the spot) the new strategies for our investments. They were well prepared, had a plan for the visit, and also had already shown significant gains in the short time they have managed our portfolio. Adriana and Katherine were very quick with the paperwork and with answers to our questions. All around a class act! read more

We have been clients of Zhang Financial for over two years. Following our frustration with poor returns from our prior investment advisor/company, we sought out a reputable, independent, fee-only advisor. Our research through NAPFA, FINRA, Independent Advisor Public Disclosure (for Form ADV), and other sources pointed us to Zhang Financial. Our initial meeting with Charles and our local manager, James Walsh, revealed their sincere desire to put our interests first, being independent, fee-only, and credentialed fiduciaries. They were detailed in developing an investment strategy designed to meet our risk/return criteria and forthright in explaining their steady, long-term investment approach. Upon the transfer of our account, it was soon discovered why our account had floundered with our previous advisor/firm. We were invested in 600+ stocks, which were buried in various proprietary, brokerage specific funds. Despite having a fixed advisor fee, any investment gains realized were being eaten up by the buried trade costs, fees, and other expenses of these proprietary funds which fed the parent investment company. They certainly did not have us or their customers' best interests in mind. Though we have only been with Zhang Financial for a short time, we truly feel that they seek the best for their clients. We appreciate that we are invested in a small number of well-researched, low-cost funds from established companies which provide above average returns compared to industry benchmarks with minimal turnover (sound like Warren Buffett's philosophy?). The tax and estate planning services provided by their staff are excellent. We are thankful to have found Charles, Lynn, and the rest of the Zhang Financial team. Our only regret is that we did not find them sooner! read more

I am very happy with Zhang financial. They always treat their clients on an individual basis to make sure our financial needs are met at any age . read more

I have used several financial advisors since the late seventies. I was not satisfied with their service, results, and fees until I became a client of Zhang Financial. Their service and results are excellent, an added bonus is their Fee-Only approach. Having a fee-only financial advisor is the best way to ensure your financial advisor is working with your best interests and that the fees collected will be transparent and straight forward. Previous advisors were more concerned with churning my accounts rather than working for my benefit. I was so impressed with the products, people, and performance for my personal accounts that I had them manage my company's 401k as well. Zhang Financial is very honest and cost efficient. I am beyond pleased with their service. I have recommended Zhang Financial to family, friends, and clients. read more

Zhang Financial was extremely disappointing. Beware of their "fee-only" structure. It works in their favor as they will likely only execute one transaction for you a year for your large 0.50%-1% fee of your total money. We were given a "deal" on our fee, and now we are finding out that the marketplace has fees in the 0.25% range. Charles Zhang is twice the market and lost us tens of thousands of dollars over two years when the market was up (and our 401k accounts and personal investing accounts were up as well). We are down Zhang Financial's fee along with tens of thousands of dollars. Zhang lost us tens of thousands while at the same time, they built a huge new office building, so they are making plenty of money at their customer's expense. read more

We came to Zhang, after disappointing performance/service at 3 of the large brokerage companies. ZHANG has been fabulous. First Charles spent significant time discussing our risk comfort level and educating us about investing. We wanted to be conservative, realizing that that would affect our performance. To our surpise and delight, our return often rivaled and at times exceeded much riskier investments. The fees we paid (fee only) were far less than we had paid elsewhere. The personal service was unmatched. Because of Zhang's large amount of money under management, we had access to DFN funds that are usually restricted to large institutional accounts. In short, we could not ask for better returns with small risk, nor more personal, friendly service. read more

Charles Zhang of Zhang Financial has been providing excellent financial advice to our family for nearly 10 years. We've entrusted not only our retirement funds and planning, but all educational investments on behalf of our three children. Our portfolio consistently outperforms all benchmarks and we fully trust Charles and his staff to make decisions on our behalf. Speaking of his staff, we have worked with several members, but our main contact is Stephanie. She is very responsive, always within one day and typically just a few hours. She answers every question completely and has made herself available to our high school and college age kids when they wanted to discuss their funds. While we are certainly not one of their largest clients, we feel like we are treated with just as much respect and receive just as much attention to our accounts as their larger clients. In addition to being dedicated to research in the financial sector and having their wealth management expertise recognized by top publications such as Barron's year after year; Charles and Lynn Zhang make large personal investments in the education sector and the community by supporting higher learning via building dedications and more for Western Michigan University and Columbia University. They are an asset to both the financial world and their community. Others write in detail about the advice he has provided. Well I'm not an expert, which is why it was important that I hire someone who is but also someone that I trust and admire. You get all of that with Charles and Lynn and their staff at Zhang Financial. read more

I have always been very happy with Zhang Financial. Our investments have been wisely managed, more than doubling in the 13 years we have been with him in spite of the fluctuation in the market. Charles has always been very conscious of our financial needs, and during my husband's declining health, most considerate of him. Charles Zhang is a wise, talented advisor and man of integrity. I want to highly recommend his company. read more

We have been clients of Zhang Financial since 1992. To any prospective clients, it's already evident that Charles is a phenomenal advisor, as seen through his various accomplishments and accolades. What I find important to comment on in this review is his character. Charles had the opportunity to make more money with Ameriprise Financial, but he left because he felt more obligated to benefit his clients than Ameriprise. This attests to the genuine nature of his character--Charles truly cares about his clients and taking care of them. Also, Charles cares about the community. I was amazed to hear that he regularly visits the mission downtown and serves the homeless. He simply cares about people. You can trust that if you choose to become his client, he will do the best possible thing for you. read more

Zhang Financial has provided thoughtful long term advice and helped us progress to the next stage in our financial life. We have been exclusive with Zhang for over 15 years. I belonged to one of the ten oldest investment clubs in the world prior to starting with Zhang Financial. Learned about investing from my father-in-law. However, the advice and help of Zhang Financial provided better results than we had prior to our relationship with them. Charles Zhang and associates have taken the time to understand our family priorities and help us make our next financial steps for our family. In addition, Charles Zhang gave some great personal career advice that enabled us to enjoy current and future family priorities to the fullest. The additional tax insight for planning gives us confidence in our future steps as well. Going with Zhang is among the best decisions we have made for our life. Have referred many people to Zhang and all are still with Zhang. We currently are working with Kolby Smith, Amanda Hartman and Charles Zhang. We meet with Zhang Financial at least twice a year and more often during times of change. read more

Having been with Zhang Financial for nearly 8 years, I have experienced nothing but courteous, professional, and knowledgeable staff. My portfolio suffered greatly with another financial firm in Portage before I found Zhang Financial. I was quite relieved to find someone who understood my needs and was willing to reconstruct my damaged portfolio. I was looking for an advisor who was not just trying to sell me products like my previous experience. Instead, Charles and his staff provided me with advice, financial planning and much needed guidance. Because of changing to Zhang Financial, I am working toward a comfortable retirement and feel confident this is the right place for me. read more

Zhang Financial is truly an amazing firm! First and foremost, my investment performance over the years has been outstanding. I feel very comfortable discussing my personal financial success investing with Zhang Financial as I have known Charles and Lynn Zhang for years. One could not ask for a more personable and professional duo! First, they are consummate professionals who value their clients and treat each individual with respect and genuine interest. In fact, I hesitate to use the word "clients," since they really treat us all as family members. That is how deeply they are concerned and devoted to the success of their immediate community. They are devoted to the larger community as well and have been substantial and transformative supporters of educational institutions and non-profits in Kalamazoo and nationwide. Zhang Financial, its fantastic staff, and Charles and Lynn have my highest recommendation. read more

My wife and I have been satisfied clients of Zhang Financial for approximately 15 years, beginning when Charles was with Ameriprise. I can absolutely recommend Zhang Financial to provide for your financial needs. It is obvious that we would not have remained partners with Zhang Financial for 15 years if we were not satisfied. I use the term "partners" very carefully because I strongly believe that we have a mutual partnership rather than just a business relationship. I have a reasonably good knowledge of finance and investing. I believe that you need to find an advisory firm that shares your investment philosophy, I clearly have that with Charles and his firm. If you are looking for the "Mad Money", Jim Cramer, stocking picking philosophy Zhang Financial may not be the right partner. If you are looking for a well thought out, stable and consistent, low cost, mutual fund and ETF portfolio with solid performance, then look no further. It has always been important to me to have an advisor who not only understands your risk tolerance, but quantifies this investment strategy with a mutually agreed upon asset allocation ratio. Zhang Financial does this and tracks it. It has always been important to me to have an advisor who can construct a diversified portfolio of equities vs fixed income, domestic vs international, established vs emerging markets, large cap vs small cap, growth vs value, etc. Zhang Financial does this and tracks it. It has always been important to me to minimize expenses. I use Morningstar to track the costs of the mutual funds and ETFs in my portfolio and the expense ratio is consistently lower than the average fund. Yes, Zhang Financial is a fee-only wealth management firm and, as such, you will pay them a fee. I have done a number of comparative searches with other advisory firms, telephone only firms and even "hands off" robo-advisors like Personal Capital or Betterment. I can tell you that Zhang Financial is very competitive and I am satisfied that I get excellent value for the fee. Many advisors are compensated in numerous ways, including bonuses, kick-backs or "spiffs" (free trips, etc.) for making specific recommendations. A fee-only firm like Zhang Financial receives none of these, therefore, is a fiduciary only working on your behalf. Does this mean that I have never lost a penny on an individual investment? That is impossible (can you say great recession in 2008?). I certainly lost some money during that great recession, but with the stable and consistent philosophy that Charles and his firm use I not only survived that period, but I am in a much better position today. Charles does use index funds and ETF's, which meet with my personal philosophy. They tend to be lower cost than actively managed funds, are well diversified and it is a well known fact that index funds outperform stock pickers long term and I am a long term investor. Just ask Warren Buffet or John Bogle (Vanguard) and they will agree. Charles does use a lot of Vanguard, but I am very pleased with Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) where we have a large portion of our portfolio. DFA investments are only available to a select subset of advisory firms and Zhang Financial is in this category (DFA is similar in low cost to Vanguard). Lastly, Zhang Financial is a full service firm. Charles does much of the investment selection and portfolio construction and is always available to me for discussion. We work most closely with Jessica for our on going needs. She is analytical, detailed and responsive. Lynn Zhang was instrumental in stock option planning. Anna has been extremely helpful in tax planning. In summary, selecting Charles Zhang and his firm 15 years ago was one of the best decisions that we made in retirement planning. I only wish I would have done it sooner! Once again, if you are looking for a financial advisory firm that meets the criteria outlined in this review, then Zhang Financial should be your choice. Let me close by saying (under full disclosure) that I am simply a very satisfied client of Zhang Financial and I am neither am employee of the firm or receive any compensation, just good financial advice! read more