facebook twitter instagram linkedin google youtube vimeo tumblr yelp rss email podcast phone blog external search brokercheck brokercheck Play Pause

Your Wealth. For Life.

A Fee-Only Financial Planning & Investment Management Firm


Brian Ramsay, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA® Photo

Brian Ramsay, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA®

Co-Founder, Sr. Wealth Partner + CCO
Read Bio

Brian Ramsay, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA®

co-founder, Senior Wealth Partner + CCO

bramsay@wealthspanpartners.com

Brian is passionate about gaining the trust of his clients and helping them achieve their financial goals. He uses a simple approach to investing and a comprehensive view on financial planning. He enjoys building solid, long-term relationships and will go out of his way to provide exceptional service.

Brian graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing from Western Illinois University in 2001. He began his career at American Express Financial Advisors, currently known as Ameriprise Financial, where he worked for 19 years. In 2004, he earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.  In 2016, he earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation and in 2022 earned the Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®) designation, both through the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Community service is important to Brian, as he volunteers with organizations like Junior Achievement, Riverbend Foodbank and Investwrite. He was a board member for Seton Catholic School in Moline and also a College For Kids instructor through Blackhawk College.

Brian married his wife Elizabeth in 1996 and have three wonderful children, Evan, Cole & Ella. He was born and raised in Moline, Illinois where he currently resides. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family, running and playing pickleball.

Mark Tholl, CFP® Photo

Mark Tholl, CFP®

Co-Founder, Sr. Wealth Partner + CIO
Read Bio

Mark Tholl, CFP®

Co-Founder, Senior Wealth Partner + Chief Investment officer

mtholl@wealthspanpartners.com

Mark is passionate about building long term client relationships, and has worked with many clients for more than thirty years. Those relationships are built upon trust, and his emphasis to work in the best interest of clients. He is proud to offer a comprehensive suite of investment portfolio products, and has been committed to the financial planning process since the early days of his career.

Mark earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Finance from Illinois State University in 1992, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. He began working as a Financial Advisor at IDS Financial Services in 1993, and enjoyed a career of 25 years with the firm, presently known as Ameriprise Financial. In 1997, he earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.

Mark married his wife Caren in May of 1996, and they have been blessed with four children, Addison, Grace, Isaiah and Ava. Mark and Caren were both born in the Quad City area, and lived in Coal Valley Illinois for many years. Mark and his family moved to Bradenton, Florida in 2015, and he currently commutes between his Florida and Iowa offices. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, a little golf and relaxing at the beach.

John Timmer, CFP®, CPA Photo

John Timmer, CFP®, CPA

Sr. Wealth Partner + Investment Advisor Representative
Read Bio

John Timmer, CFP®, CPA

Sr. Wealth Partner + Investment Advisor Representative

jtimmer@wealthspanpartners.com

John Timmer received his Degree in Finance from the University of Illinois-Champaign. Prior to joining Timmer And Associates, John worked for KPMG Peat Marwick where his focus centered on auditing services for Real Estate and manufacturing clients. John is a licensed public accountant in both Illinois and Iowa and is a Certified Financial Planner. John's knack for communicating with his clients in a straight-forward manner has enabled him to assist them in running and growing their business or personal financial affairs.

John, a lifelong resident of the Quad Cities, currently lives in Moline with his wife, Michelle, and their two children

Cody Williams Photo

Cody Williams

Wealth Partner + Investment Advisor Representative
Read Bio

Cody Williams

Investment Advisor Representative + Wealth Partner

cwilliams@wealthspanpartners.com

Cody places a strong emphasis on client service and growing long term client relationships based upon mutual trust.  He’s been committed to the financial planning process since the early days of his advisory career.  He prides himself on placing the best interest of each client in his planning and portfolio decision making process.

Cody is a Quad Cities native and graduated in 2013 from DePaul University in Chicago, with a degree in Finance.  He began working as a Client Service Associate at RBC Wealth Management in November 2016, then transitioning to a Financial Advisor role with RBC Wealth Management in January 2020.  Cody joined Wealthspan Partners, LLC in February 2023, as an Investment Advisor Representative.

Cody currently lives in Bettendorf and loves spending time with his dog, a Belgian Malinois named Freyja.  He loves to cook and takes great joy in preparing food for his friends and family.  He stays active by playing softball, volleyball and loves a good round of golf.

Cherie Mason Photo

Cherie Mason

Operations Manager
Read Bio

Cherie Mason

OPERATIONs ManageR &

Client Relations manager

cmason@wealthspanpartners.com

Cherie is currently filling two roles at Wealthspan Partners and we are very blessed to have her on our team.  As Operations Manager, she oversees the day to day operations of the firm and as Client Relations Manager, she supports the regular communications with our clients.  Cherie realizes the importance of exceptional client service and works hard to make clients feel comfortable, while taking care of their questions and client service needs.

Cherie has worked 15 years in the tax and accounting field, and an additional 20 years in the financial services industry.


Cherie is married to her husband Scott and has three children, Derek, Morgan and Alec.  In her spare time she enjoys walking, biking and spending time with her family and friends.



Plan. Invest. Build.


Wealthspan Partners is as a fee-only wealth management firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  We are a true fiduciary, which allows us to provide guidance with our client's best interests in mind.  We strive to provide an exceptional client experience through interactive financial planning and investment portfolios that are tailored to each of our clients, based upon their goals and objectives.

Fee-Only

As a fee-only firm we are compensated solely by our clients and receive no payments from third parties.

Fiduciary

As fiduciaries we are required to place our client’s interests ahead of our own.

Transparency

Clients should have a clear understanding of the fees they are paying and the services they are paying for.

Simplicity

Financial plans and investment portfolio recommendations should be concise and easy to understand.

Education

We believe in educating our clients to become more disciplined and informed investors.


Investment Management Process



Assess Your Investment Goals

Time Horizons, Risk Tolerance,  and (ESG) Environmental, Social, Governance


Portfolio Construction

Which can consist of ETFs, Mutual Funds, Individual Stocks, Individual Bonds and Alternative Investments


Rebalance

(as necessary)


Review + Regular Monitoring


Our Investment Philosophy


Investments should be simple and easy to understand


Investments should be liquid


We believe in building low cost portfolios


We believe in broad portfolio diversification and aligning your portfolio to a defined asset allocation target


Maintaining investment discipline in all types of markets and minimizing emotional decisions, will lead to more favorable investment results in the long run


We believe in partnering with our clients to guide them through bull and bear markets


Schedule a Complimentary Meeting


Financial Planning Process



Determine Goals + Objectives

In this initial phase, we will get to know you to gain an understanding of your financial situation and what matters to you most. We will do our very best to help you meet the goals you have presented to us.


Gather Information + Data

We will review all of your pertinent financial documents, such as: investment statements, retirement benefits, tax returns, insurance policies, and estate planning documents. This will help us understand all aspects of your financial position.


Analyze + Develop Your Financial Plan

We will analyze all of the financial data, generate comprehensive strategies and recommendations, providing you with a roadmap to financial independence.


Present Recommendations

We will provide guidance on how to meet the goals and objectives provided in our initial discussions.


Monitoring + Progress Tracking

We will continue to update and monitor your financial plan to keep pace with the changes in your life. With our new online client portal, you will be able to view and track your financial analysis.




Schedule a Complimentary Meeting


Areas of Focus


Retirement


Pre-retirement: We will analyze your current resources and monthly savings to determine your readiness for retirement. This includes making sure you are saving enough, investing properly, and staying on track. Making sure you can retire comfortably, on your terms, is of utmost importance to us.

Retired: We will analyze your current assets, expenses and sources of retirement income, to determine your ability to maintain your current lifestyle. We will work with you to distribute retirement assets efficiently, manage annual required minimum distributions, and control levels of investment risk.

Investment & Analysis


After helping you determine your risk tolerance and time horizon, we will construct a diversified portfolio tailored specifically to your investment and planning goals. We will then monitor and rebalance your portfolio to maintain established asset allocation targets.

Income Tax


We will help you understand the tax implications of the financial assets you own. Maintaining an appropriate balance of non-qualified, pre-tax and tax-free assets can significantly improve your financial flexibility now and in retirement. We will also analyze your income tax return to identify planning and tax minimization strategies.

Estate Planning


We will guide you through the many facets of estate planning, including properly titling your assets, reviewing beneficiary designations and analyzing your wills and trusts. We will partner with your attorney to maximize the transfer of wealth to your heirs.

Education Planning


We will analyze the estimated assets and funding required to meet your children’s education goals. In addition, we will guide you to appropriate college savings vehicles.

Executive Compensation


We will help you understand your executive compensation packages and integrate them into your overall financial plan. These packages can include deferred compensation, company stock options, restricted stock units (RSU), and bonus plans.

Insurance


We will determine your need for insurance and review all existing life, disability, and long-term care policies, to ensure you have adequate coverage to protect you and your family.

Cash Flow & Spending


We will help you determine your current cash flow and standard of living. In addition, we will help you capture excess dollars, and apply those dollars towards your financial goals.

Schedule a Complimentary Meeting


Investment Planning Fees


Investment management fees are charged as a percentage of assets under management and will range from 0.25% - 1.5% annually.

These fees are primarily determined by the value of assets being managed, but portfolio composition and risk tolerance are additional factors used to calculate the annual fee percentage. 

Investment management clients with a minimum of $500,000 in assets under management, will receive ongoing financial planning services as part of their annual advisory fee.

Financial Planning Fees


Depending on the complexity of each individual case and the areas of financial planning that need to be addressed, our annual financial planning fees range from $500 - $5,000.

 

What does it mean to be fee-only?

 

Fee-only financial planners are registered investment advisors with a fiduciary responsibility to act in their client’s best interest. They do not accept fees and compensation based on product sales. Fee-only advisors have fewer inherent conflicts of interest, and they generally provide more comprehensive advice.

 

What is a Fiduciary?

 

At Wealthspan, we’ve chosen to operate as a true fiduciary, which means we are legally bound to make decisions in your best interest.

What is the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® designation?

It is the gold standard of designations in the financial planning industry. It identifies those individuals who meet the stringent education, examination, experience, and ethics requirements in addition to adhering to the principles of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism, and diligence.

What is the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation?

The Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certification is the peak international, technical portfolio construction certification program designed for investment consultants, researchers, advisors and wealth management professionals. It demonstrates that individuals have completed and adhered to the “four E’s”: Experience, Education, Examination and Ethics. The CIMA® stands out among other financial certifications for its effective emphasis on the combination of theory and practical application, and trains professionals who have the specialized knowledge and experience to properly guide you through complex financial challenges.

What is the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) designation?

Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification is an advanced professional certification for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients. It’s designed for seasoned professionals who seek the latest, most advanced knowledge and techniques to address the sophisticated needs of clients with a minimum net worth of $5 million. Unlike credentials that focus specifically on investing or financial planning, the CPWA® certification program takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to include executive compensation, estate planning, wealth transfer, small business ownership structure and tax planning.

I am interested in working with Wealthspan. Is there a fee for an initial meeting?

No, we offer a complimentary introductory meeting in which we get acquainted with you, learn about your goals and aspirations, and determine the next steps in our relationship.

Contact Us



Wealthspan Partners


LOCATION


5025 Utica Ridge Rd, Suite 101
Davenport, IA 52807


CONTACT


(563) 723-7301
 info@wealthspanpartners.com


Please contact us today to learn about the Wealthspan difference.