We're a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner firm based in Wausau, built for clients who want to see the math before anyone recommends a product.
About Ison Financial Planning
CFP® practitioner on staff
FINRA BrokerCheck record published on this site
Planning built in e-money software
Assets custodied at Hilltop Securities
Why We Started This Practice in Wausau
Ison Financial Planning was founded in Wausau by a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner who grew up watching neighbors get sold products instead of given plans. That's the gap this firm exists to close. We wanted a practice where the plan comes first and the recommendation comes second, if it comes at all.
We built the firm around Marathon County the same way it was built around that idea. Our clients hunt, fish, farm, and work trades across this region, and they want an advisor who talks the way they do: plainly, with real numbers, and without a sales pitch attached. Wausau isn't a market we expanded into. It's home.
What CFP® Actually Means for You
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ is a credential, not a job title. It requires specific coursework in financial planning, a comprehensive exam, verified experience, and ongoing ethics requirements set by the CFP Board. When you work with a CFP® practitioner, you're working with someone held to a fiduciary standard on financial planning advice, meaning the plan has to be built around what's right for you.
The Tools Behind Your Plan
We build every financial plan in e-money, the same software used to construct your 15-year retirement income plan. Your accounts are custodied at an independent custodian separate from the firm managing your money. We name both because specificity is something you can verify, and verification builds more trust than a promise does.
One Phone Number, Real People
Call our office and the phone rings through to our staff directly, not a call center. You work with the people who built your plan, not a rotating point of contact. That's a deliberate choice, and it's one reason clients across Wausau, Weston, Rothschild, and Schofield have stayed with us for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ison Financial Planning a fiduciary?
Yes. As a CFP® practitioner, financial planning advice is held to a fiduciary standard. Our FINRA BrokerCheck record and Form CRS are both published on this site so you can confirm our background and obligations directly.
Why hire a CFP® practitioner as your financial advisor?
A CFP® professional has completed the advisor has completed CFP® Board-required coursework, passed a comprehensive exam, met verified experience requirements, and is bound by ongoing ethics standards. It's one of the more rigorous credentials available in financial planning.
How does Ison Financial Planning get paid?
Our fee structure is outlined during your consultation and documented in our Form CRS, published on this site. We believe you should understand exactly how we're compensated before any plan or recommendation moves forward.
Meet the Team Behind the Plan
Our credentials, our tools, and our local roots only matter if you trust the people behind them. Get to know the team you'd actually be working with.
James Ison, MSA, CFP
Owner
James approach to financial planning is to assist you to realize your goals utilizing tax smart strategies and the right professionally managed investments for your unique situation and keep you on track with a 15-year income plan. He holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner. James lives in the Town of Texas with his wife, Connie, their children, and three dogs. He spends his free time hunting, fishing, and staying active outdoors.
Client Liason & Tax Preparer
Emily is the firm’s catalyst for action. She manages the pre- and post-meeting work flows to ensure quality client experiences. Emily enjoys helping clients feel confident, organized and supported throughout their entire financial journey. Emily loves spending time outdoors and with her pets. She has even “adopted” four cats in her neighborhood.
Para-Planner & Tax Preparer
Orion is an honors student at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire currently pursuing a double major in Finance and Spanish. Orion assists with developing financial plans and keeping the plans current. Orion wants to be a money manager with the Chicago Trading Company when he graduates college. Orion loves sports and plays on several intramural basketball teams.
Kestler Ison
IT and Tax Preparer
Kestler has been with the firm for more than six years, preparing tax returns and serving as the primary point of contact with our third-party IT team to keep our systems running. He's currently pursuing degrees in computer programming and IT at Northcentral Technical College. Kestler played football, track, and basketball at Wausau West, and spends his free time gaming and playing sports with friends.
Accountant
Joe brings his experience as a small business owner to the accounting and bookkeeping team to compile and translate clients’ business records into an actionable business plan. Joe graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point with a bachelor’s in accounting and business administration.
Denver Coscio
Accountant
Denver joined the team in 2022 and works with our accounting and bookkeeping clients on managing their business plans from start-up through growth and ownership transition. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point with a bachelor’s in accounting and is currently studying for the CPA exam.
A Plan Built Around Your Life
We serve pre-retirees, retirees, and rural landowners across Wausau, Rothschild, Schofield, Weston, and the surrounding Northwoods. Reach out to start a conversation about what independent, fiduciary financial planning could look like for you.
