In an evening filled with laughs and great stories, it was an honor to celebrate the man who co-founded our firm and the legacy he leaves behind. 40 years ago, Edwin Shaw and Bill Vanover hatched a business idea. Having spent several years building a career in insurance and advising, the two felt that there was something more waiting for them.
“We asked ourselves, how are we going to be different than what is already presently available to people? We realized that the model that was being used for financial planning and advisor services were based upon two things: that the only solution available to clients who had a problem was the sale of a product, and once the sale of that product was done, it was basically a set it and forget it system where advisors only reached out when they were ready to sell you another product. We realized that was a legacy we didn’t want to leave; little did we know what we were getting into.” – Ed Shaw, Co-founder and Senior Wealth Advisor.
Now, 40 years later, Planning Alternatives has over $1 Billion* in assets under management. Ed Shaw, one of the men who started our firm, is getting to step into a new chapter in an already exciting life story; the chapter of retirement. Friends, family and clients gathered at Birmingham Country Club on June 29, 2023 to celebrate Ed and all of his accomplishments over the last 40 years.
As part of our celebration of Ed and all he has done for Planning Alternatives, we were thrilled to unveil the Edwin Shaw Advisory Excellence Award. Each year, an advisor who exemplifies our core values of transparency, integrity, philanthropy, objectivity and empathy will be awarded this honor, recognizing their contributions to our team. This year, Ed was the inaugural recipient.
We would like to thank Ed for everything he has done for our team over the last 40 years, we are lucky to call him a mentor and friend. We are excited to see what retirement holds for him and we look forward to seeing him thrive in this next phase of life.
*As of 12/31/22