About Us

About us

Prout Financial Design began here in Northern Michigan more than 25 years ago as an education-based financial planning practice. Believing that investors should not only understand their own finances but also actively and directly be involved in the decisions made, company founder Dennis Prout works alongside his clients to design a customized financial plan that makes sense – taking into account each client’s past, present and future investment reality. This counter-culture philosophy builds incredible momentum as clients approach their retirement.

What Is Retirement?

The days of simple retirement planning are gone, and those who typically manage their own portfolio are choosing not to. No longer are the three simple options for income during retirement – pension, Social Security and personal savings. Instead, we have disappearing pensions, 401(k)s, IRAs, lump-sum buyouts, annuities, long-term care, etc. The complexity of rules has created a real fear in investors. What if I’ve made a mistake? What if my financial planner has? Retirement planning requires an expert financial advisor who understands not only the income strategies involved building a successful retirement portfolio, but also the tax and legal implications of each investment decision.

That’s our job at Prout Financial Design. It’s what we’ve done for more than 25 years. We take our expert experiences and combine them with your life story.

This is what we review:

1. Your assets – We recognize that in a world of quick fixes, instant gratification and shortsighted planning, you have been disciplined in saving. Your life is an investment – your investment – and we will treat you with the respect that you deserve.

2. Your options – With literally thousands of investment opportunities available today, knowing which investment decisions can benefit you most aren’t always clear. We are here to help you make sense of those opportunities and make the decisions that best fit your goals, risk tolerance and projected longevity.

3. Your relationships – We said it, now you don’t have to. Planning revolves around those whom we love, the time we want to spend with them and the time we want to leave for them. Perhaps it is the reason we took finances so seriously in the first place.

At Prout Financial Design, our desire – our goal – is to see the look of relief on your face when we say, “Yes, you can retire and here’s how.” A game plan for your retirement will bring relief regardless of your reality. To quote Ernest Hemingway, “Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with that there is.”

Sit with us and let’s take a look at what you have. Together we can make informed decisions and a tangible plan that makes sense for you.