Individuals & Families Close To Retirement
You’re entering a new season and want to retire with clarity, confidence, and a solid understanding of what’s next.
Do these questions cross your mind:
- Can we retire when we want to—and on our terms?
- Can we afford to scale back at work without sacrificing our future plans?
- How do we turn our savings into steady income?
- How will healthcare and taxes impact our retirement?
- Are we making the most of our income and benefits?
- How should I manage my company stock, RSUs, or options?
Retired Individuals & Families
You’ve worked hard to build wealth. Now it’s time to enjoy life, support the people you love, and move forward with confidence.
Do these questions cross your mind:
- How do we make our money last through retirement?
- Are we withdrawing too much—or too little—from our accounts?
- How can we simplify and consolidate our financial life?
About Us
Founded to help families live with purpose and confidence, Lake Road Advisors is your long-term partner in financial planning, investment management, and making smarter money moves that support the life you want.
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professionals
- Fiduciary
- Relationship-Oriented
- Cutting-Edge Technology
Why Private Equity Might Not Be the Best Investment for You
Private equity has been viewed as one of the most sought-after investments in finance. Pension funds, Ivy League endowments, and some of the world’s wealthiest investors have poured billions into it. If these sophisticated investors all want p…
What the Growing Federal Deficit Could Mean for Your Retirement
Concerns about the federal deficit have many people nearing retirement wondering how it might affect their financial future. Could taxes rise? Will inflation remain elevated? Could Social Security change? Those are important questions. But the bette…
If You’re Hacked, Don’t Count on Your Bank to Make You Whole
Most people I talk to assume their bank or brokerage will make them whole if something goes wrong, like a hacked account, a fraudulent wire transfer, or a scam that seemed legitimate. That’s what I used to think, too. When I left Wall Street t…
In Their Words
John Sweeney
19:24 06 Jun 26
Kimberly Graham
13:05 05 Mar 26
After a year of working with Paul on our team, I feel fully confident in my financial decisions and capabilities. The guidance and reassurance about my financial future really put my mind at ease during our meetings. We started with looking at our budget, and by the end of the year we had moved on to investing, including how to do it and how to use the platform. I would highly recommend Lake Road Advisors.
Toby Chadwell
20:50 25 Feb 26
I just completed a year of planning with LRA and was very pleased with the results that we achieved. I needed to make sure that I was doing the correct things now to end up where I wanted to be in the long term. Paul & Hayley helped make all that happen.
Michael Minichiello
14:37 19 Nov 25
Great adviser, very informative and easy to work with. Highly recommend.
Jaye Taliaferro
17:12 15 Nov 25
We highly recommend Lake Road Advisors and Paul Sydlansky to anyone seeking a trustworthy and knowledgeable financial advisor. Our experience has been great, and we look forward to continuing our relationship for many years to come.
Josh Laddin
03:06 04 Oct 25
We've been working with Paul and Hayley for a few months so far, and they've been very helpful and transparent as we try to navigate the complexities of a budding family life. Great experience so far.
Jeremy Hunter
12:15 29 Jul 25
Compared to prior advisors Lake Road provides good access and summary of your portfolio and what is happening. They don't move money around to individual stocks or switch funds all the time which we experienced previously. Cadence of calls is good, they are responsive to emails. Overall, best advisory experience. Wish there was flat fee option though for cost.
Lucy Hunter
17:43 27 Jul 25
We switched to Lake Road Advisors a couple years ago because we wanted to get a better understanding when we could retire. They use tools that we have access to in order to monitor and project our portfolio based on certain circumstances. This helped us to feel comfortable to retire early.Now that we are retired, we have lots of questions like where should we pull our money from and should we do Roth Conversions. Paul and Hayley are always very responsive and spend the time we need with them. They also do their research/home work before we meet in order to answer our questions.We highly recommend Lake Road Advisors.
william solt
23:14 23 Jul 25
Paul is extremely knowledgeable, and trust worthy. We have peace of mind knowing that he, and his team are handling our money. One of the best financial firms out there.
Carol Chaplin
04:47 23 Jul 25
We have been clients of Lake Road Advisors for over 12 years.Paul and his associates have consistently shown that they are accessible, honest & mindful of our situation. They have done a great job of educating us about potential options, all while understanding our targeted goals.His company’s leadership has not only delivered measurable results but also fostered an environment of trust and innovation.Anyone will benefit from the confidence and reassurance that comes with their professionalism, integrity, and business acumen.
William French
21:54 22 Jul 25
My wife and I have been clients of Paul Sydlansky and Lake Road Advisors since 2018. After interviewing a few different financial planning firms, we decided that Lake Road Advisors was a good match for our specific financial planning needs. We have found Paul and his associates to be very knowledgeable, very approachable and very responsive.Paul and his associates have maneuvered us through two retirements, a cross country move, numerous tax situations and funding for a family wedding. Paul and his team always consider the tax implications of financial transactions, such as IRA withdrawals. When we have financial questions, Paul and his team respond timely and often provide options with probable outcomes.We are very satisfied with our decision to align with Paul and Lake Road Advisors and would highly recommend him for your financial planning needs.
Kyle Storms
02:14 22 Jul 25
It has been a pleasure to work with Paul. He is very knowledgeable and takes the time to make sure that I understand how planning for my families future is more than just investing.
erica cohen
01:07 22 Jul 25
Paul walked us through a layoff. Fortunately he had already made sure that we were prepared for such a scenario and was there to reassure us that we would get through it (financially, at least).
Jody Cole
19:43 25 Mar 25
Paul and Hayley analyzed my financial position and provided me with options. They filled in the gaps of my financial knowledge. As they came to know me as a cautious investor, they did not push. Rather, they gave me the knowledge and confidence to make choices in the future. They have excellent listening and discerning skills, and they provided me with summaries of our conversations and homework to keep me on track. I highly recommend them and only wish I had met them years ago.
Andreas Fehrle
16:10 01 May 24
We worked with Paul and Hayley for a year and they were both so helpful and knowledgeable. The helped us understand our finances and make a plan or our future. We had a great experience and highly recommend.
Hani Hojjati
17:36 11 Jan 24
Paul is very professional and knowledgeable. He has the best interest of the client in mind when making recommendations. Hayley also is very detail-oriented and is always great with following ups on different tasks and getting them done in a timely manner. Highly recommended!
Claire Wardle
14:03 15 Dec 23
I have been working with Lake Road Advisors for a year. They are phenomenal. Knowledgeable, professional, responsive, but also fun to work with. I look forward to our calls, which wasn't something i ever expected to say about working with financial advisors! They've helped me so much and I would heartily recommend them to anyone.
John Hodge
18:37 07 Jul 23
Paul and Hayley have been absolutely fantastic! We were referred to Paul from a neighbor in Feb. 2022. We were lost and unsuccessful trying to plan for retirement and investing on our own. Thanks to Paul and Hayley for conducting a comprehensive review of our financial situation and setting us on the right path. Paul and Hayley are both a pleasure to work with and have helped us tremendously. We would HIGHLY recommend Lake Road Advisors to anyone needing financial planning.
Michael Schultz
17:37 11 Apr 23
We met Paul in the fall of 2016. At the time my husband and I had decided to begin seriously preparing for our long-held wish to leave the US and live full-time in Europe. We would both be retiring early, and did not know whether we had the financial resources to do what we wanted.From the very first meeting we knew that Paul was the person to help us, and he became our financial planner in January 2017. Through our relationship, Paul’s focus on planning to achieve specific goals, rather than short-term gain, has met our needs perfectly. Paul helped us understand our risk tolerance, guided us in defining the quality of life we wanted abroad and the annual funding we would need to sustain that over time. Through probability analysis of our assets vs. projected costs, he provided the assurance we needed that we would be financially secure in the future we were planning. We realized our dream in summer 2018 with the purchase of a property in Europe, where we now live permanently.Paul remains an essential partner for us. We rely on him to keep us on track with our long-term plan, and also as a sounding board for financial questions big and small. He is always available when we need him, always provides thoughtful and helpful advice, and genuinely cares about us and our happiness. I can honestly say that we would not be where we are today, that we would not have made this major life change as quickly or as smoothly, without Paul Sydlansky and Lake Road Advisors at our side.
Ashlee Butkiewicz
19:45 24 Mar 23
Working with Paul and Hayley this past year brought us so much clarity and direction. I was in the early stages of starting my small business and looking to get our personal finances to a healthy place. They helped us cover all the bases by evaluating our current situation and suggesting changes and actions to put us in a comfortable position for the transition. Being a small business owner himself, Paul had great insights and resources, which he shared, enthusiastically. Paul also reviewed my business plan and provided thoughtful feedback to help me prepare for meetings with lenders. Paul and Hayley are professional, kind, and supportive. We never felt uncomfortable sharing setbacks. From the beginning they were both relatable and understanding of life’s curveballs. Hayley was sympathetic to me during a very vulnerable conversation, which I will always be grateful for. Both have gone out of their way to help us with our unique needs. They’ve always had our best interest in mind, and never tried selling us on something we didn’t need. Thanks to them, we're feeling very confident and empowered.
Jenna Oropeza
23:57 22 Mar 23
Fantastic experience, they helped me and my husband get our finances on track.It was great to learn from them and I appreciate having them answer all of our questions.I feel much better about our current and future financial health.
kim moshier
22:52 05 Feb 23
Easy to work with, answered all my questions and translated everything into formats I now understand. Thank you!
Joseph Oropeza
15:49 12 Dec 22
LRA has been extremely informative and helpful in getting my feet beneath me financially speaking. They provided great insight into managing my investments, preparing my estate, and planing for retirement. All things that can be overwhelming to someone who had little understanding of navigating those areas of my life. I now have a more robust process for managing my cash flow and feel more confident in my process to making financial decisions. I highly recommend working with LRA to all who, like me, needed further guidance and education on building a more firm financial foundation.
Rosetta G
21:38 21 Oct 22
Paul is a caring, knowledgeable financial advisor that has earned our trust over the past year. His clear, concise communication has helped our knowledge regarding personal finances and retirement planning grow in a positive direction. We highly recommend Lake Road Advisors !
Dennise Houper
16:25 09 Aug 22
Paul has been working with my husband and I for the past year, he has been an enormous help to us in getting our financials plan in order. His knowledge and advice has been a key factor in the success we have had. He provides regular check-ins that keep you on track and accountable to your goals without making you feel that you can't still enjoy the things you're doing in your day to day life. He is great with showing you how to be proactive instead of reactive on items that our most important to you. We trust Paul and his team We would highly recommended them!
Anne Burns Thomas
13:06 09 Aug 22
My husband and I have different levels of financial knowledge and interest in planning, which often made for difficult conversations. Working with Paul and his team has helped us to be on the same page, working through our assumptions and agreeing on directions forward. Although Paul isn't a counselor, the straightforward way that he has approached building our knowledge base and supporting our decision making has had a very positive effect on our financial conversations. I strongly recommend working with LRA.
Patrick Byrne
21:24 05 Feb 22
Paul Sydlansky and Kevin Burns from Lake Road Advisors have been not only fun to work with but have added significant value and confidence to our financial plan. There are a number of qualities that we truly appreciate about Paul and Kevin. They have spent time getting to know our family while at the same time helping us get on the same page and focused on our financial goals. In the comprehensive financial review within the first 6 months they saved us significant money by finding some things that I missed like being able to deduct earnings using my wife's 403b plan. Their discussion with us is as technical or as simple as we would like. Providing me with references to Modern Monetary Theory to help explain current economic trends and also taking the time to go back to the basics of investing like the benefits of long term investments and diversification help us understand their investing philosophy. Lake Road Advisors gives additional information where asked. The YouTube channel and references to investing in cryptocurrency have really helped me deal with my fear of missing out by helping me stay focused on my goals. The online appointment system makes it so easy to connect with them to address the things that I care about most and anything that comes up which could impact our financial lives. While I'm someone who likes to keep my finger on the financial details and my wife someone who would rather delegate to someone else they have been able to meet us both where we are at. We truly enjoy speaking with Paul and Kevin as I have seen that they genuinely care about our family's future and have the background and experience to really make a difference. Thank you Paul and Kevin.
Asima Jansveld
22:29 31 Jan 22
Paul has been working with our family for over two years, and has been such a tremendous guide to getting our financial house in order. He and his team always lead with care and compassion for our individual needs, and always recommend actions based on what's best for us, not for their financial gain. In our regular check-ins they keep track of both short and long term goals, making sure we don't overlook things like life insurance, mortgage refinancing, wills, and potential medical needs down the line. With their help, we've been able to save for future goals while still enjoying our lives today (a big priority for Paul in how he manages your finances!). We trust in Paul and his team and would recommend him to everyone.
Tim Koba
13:56 19 Jan 22
Paul is a phenomenal resource to have access to when planning for a secure financial future. He is thoughtful, intelligent and customizes plans based on an individual risk profile. He is always available to talk, discuss challenges and identify solutions. It has been a pleasure to work with him and Lake Road Advisors.
J Herskowitz
21:23 18 Jan 22
Paul and Kevin have been a great resource and comfort for our family as we plan for our (and our kids') financial futures. They help educate us on potential strategies to consider, but always through the lens of understanding what our specific goals are and what we are trying to optimize for. We had worked with another adviser at a large firm for a long time before finally making the switch - and we are very happy to have found Lake Road Advisors.
Heather MacDonald
16:47 18 Jan 22
Anuj A. Shah
00:19 18 Jan 22
suzette esposito
15:26 26 Dec 21
Paul and his partner have been extremely helpful in guiding me with my investments. They are knowledgeable, professional and trustworthy. They always have their customer’s best interests in mind.
Chad Tempest
18:49 23 Dec 21
Paul and team always provide quality guidance. Highly recommend!
Joanne Doherty
04:24 22 Dec 21
We’ve worked with Paul for over 5 years. His advice and guidance as we planned our retirement was invaluable.
Tyler Shilling
17:10 20 Dec 21
Working with Lake Road Advisors truly transformed our lives. Not only do we feel confident and safe under the guidance of Paul and Kevin, we also learn something new every time we meet. LRA takes the time to listen to your goals and teach you about your options. In the past we worked with a “financial advisor” from one of the big firms and we felt “sold” and manipulated- this is the opposite of how LRA treats their clients. The team truly has your best interest in mind. My family and I highly recommend them to help you build wealth, reach goals, and smartly and effectively work towards your retirement. We’re in it for the long haul!
Will Hartwell
16:50 20 Dec 21
Chris Angove
16:30 20 Dec 21
We started working with Paul and Kevin a year ago. They have been able to take the complexity out of our finances to make it both understandable by us and actionable. It's been helpful to get good insights into where we are and how to achieve our goals. They are super friendly, responsive and knowledgeable. If you need help getting a handle on your financial situations and planning for your goals, I highly recommend Lake Road Advisors.
Bill Duerr
14:45 20 Dec 21
Paul and his team at Lake Road are top of the line. They provide value in many ways and their main priority is helping you achieve YOUR goals! I would highly recommend!
Ted Goldwyn
14:22 20 Dec 21
My wife and I have worked with Paul and Lake Road Advisors over the past five years, and they have made a huge difference in our financial picture and mindset. Paul's expert advice, organized approach and positive encouragement have helped us to structure our financial lives and achieve goals that seemed unattainable only a few years ago. From providing a thorough review of our insurance coverages and retirement asset allocations, to helping us to implement a practical household budget and college savings plan, Paul has offered sound and actionable guidance every step of the way. We feel more confident in our financial future than ever before, thanks to Paul and his team!
Jenn Ritchie
02:58 15 Dec 21
Paul and his team have been invaluable to me. His approach to helping me look at my entire financial picture was more than I expected at first and everything I didn’t know I needed. I now have a sound plan. I have increased my net worth during my time working with him, I have a trust and my end of life legal docs that will take care of my daughter and family handled and I know how much money I want to put away each year to get myself to retirement sooner than I ever expected was possible. Owning my financial health - even if I am not perfect about spending wisely sometimes is such a better place to be in then where I was wondering when I would retire, if I would have what I needed, if I was doing the right. Chat with Paul and his team to see if they can help you. It’s worth the call.
Sam Wertheimer
22:28 14 Dec 21
Super happy with Paul and his team as they help us navigate increasingly complex household financial strategy issues.
Alyssa Rimmer
14:50 13 Dec 21
Working with Paul and his team has been a great experience. He's has guided us through many large financial decisions in a clear, insightful and caring way. We trust and feel very confident with how Paul supports our financial goals. Couldn't recommend working with Lake Road Advisors more!
Peter Wallin
11:05 04 Jul 16
Paul takes great care as he assists he gets to know his clients. He is willing to offer professional assistance, but only after he gets to know them and their current financial situation, I am honored to work with Paul and look forward to a long and lucrative relationship together.
