Matthew Barnard (CFP®, EA)
Matthew Barnard focuses in the
following client markets or areas of practice:
- Charitable Giving
- College/Education Planning
- Generation X
- Investment Advice with Ongoing Management
- Millennials
- Tax Planning
- Charitable Giving
- College/Education Planning
- Generation X
- Investment Advice with Ongoing Management
- Millennials
- Tax Planning
Planning Specialties
While I work with a variety of high earners, my expertise is best suited for:
- In-house corporate counsel and progressive attorneys
- High-earning millennials balancing law school debt with family goals
- Professionals with complex equity compensation (RSUs, ESPPs) and tax headaches
My firm is unique among NAPFA members because I don't just hand you a financial plan and tell you to find a CPA. I offer a transparent, flat-fee structure that fully integrates comprehensive wealth management with ongoing, in-house tax preparation.
Additional Information
Most generic financial advice assumes that a high income automatically equals low financial stress. But as an adjunct tax professor and Enrolled Agent, I know that for corporate attorneys, a high salary usually comes with a complex, structural tax problem. Between managing six-figure law school debt, dealing with the 22% RSU withholding gap, and trying to stay clear of the new OBBBA SALT deduction cliffs, earning more often just means dreading tax season more.
I founded Maplewood Wealth specifically to fix the math for legal professionals in their 30s and 40s. You mitigate risk for your company all day; you shouldn't have to spend your evenings worrying about your own financial blind spots. My job is to step in, manage your investments, build a tax shield around your corporate equity, and actually prepare your annual returns. We focus on low-cost Vanguard portfolios and aggressive charitable planning—like Donor-Advised Funds—so you can keep more of what you earn and directly fund the causes you care about.
I run my practice out of the Chicagoland area. As a young father juggling a business and a growing family, I know exactly what it feels like to just want your time back. The ultimate goal of our work isn't just a bigger portfolio. It is giving you the financial autonomy to step away from the corporate grind and retire in your 50s on your own terms.
NAPFA Start Date
September 25, 2019
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