Having started in the financial services industry in 1982 after graduating from the University of Michigan, Dan began managing discretionary portfolios in 1991. With over 30 years of experience backing up his analysis, he has been able to manage portfolios effectively in both up and down markets. 

As a portfolio manager and utilizing his background in engineering he developed a risk-averse methodology that strives to achieve significant returns while reducing risk. Using technical and fundamental analysis, Dan creates portfolios of individual stocks utilizing a very strict criteria and discipline. Specifically, he looks for companies that have low stock prices due to broader economic factors but are themselves sound and have earnings largely unaffected by the state of the economy. Typically, these firms have a story of innovation and competitive advantage that might allow them to outperform their peers. In an attempt to further reduce risk, Dan adheres to a strict discipline that helps minimize the emotional component of investment decisions and utilize traditional methods of managing risk, such as sector diversification.^*

Dan’s primary goal has always been to help individuals and families accomplish their various financial objectives while taking a comfortable and prudent amount of risk. People invest for a wide variety of reasons from achieving steady retirement income to funding their children’s educations to buying a vacation home in the tropics. My job is to truly understand their wishes and then design an investment plan that helps them reach realistic investment objectives and implement the plan while adjusting it to reflect life’s numerous changes.

Education/Professional Background

After Graduating from the University of Michigan Dan decided to further his financial knowledge by getting the widely recognized CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® certification from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Prior to starting Great Lakes Private Wealth, Dan was a Premier Advisor of Wells Fargo Advisors from 2011-2021. The Premier Advisor distinction is held by a select group of Financial Advisors within Wells Fargo Advisors and is measured by completion of educational components, business production based on either the past two years, and professionalism. In 2023 Dan made the decision to start his own Registered Investment Advisory firm Great Lakes Private Wealth.

Personal

Dan grew up in Livonia, a suburb of the Metro-Detroit area but like many Michiganders, now has homes in both Michigan and Florida. He and his wife Clare have 5 children and 3 grandsons. They are actively involved with the Boys and Girls Club and the Yatooma Foundation For The Kids. They also have a family foundation. It’s been their privilege to be able to sponsor over 40 teenagers every summer to Tony Robbins Global Youth Leadership in San Diego, California. The kids come back with life changing positive experiences every time. The importance of charitable work was one of many lessons deeply ingrained during my time as an Eagle Scout. One of their greatest pleasures is traveling. A couple of interesting places they’ve visited have been Vietnam in 2024, Rwanda in 2021 to hike up mountain to see the silver back gorillas, and the outback of Alaska in 2023. Both Dan and Clare both enjoy golf as well, but best of all they enjoy simply spending time together.

Fun Facts

First Job: Worked as a bus boy and short order cook. 
Eagle Scout project: Taught Sunday school for one year to handicapped children. 
Favorite time of year: Springtime because in Michigan we have been couped up all winter and it is so fun to see the flowers bloom and get outdoors see new life sprouting up all around us 
Favorite sport: Golf. Over the years I was paired to golf with Max Homa and John Daly. I even got to golf twice with Tiger. 
Unique Experience: In 2014, my wife and I travelled to France, Hawaii, and Fiji for events with Tony Robbins. This truly was a life changing experience. During our time with him we walked on hot coals – TWICE.
Pets: We have two mini golden doodles. Finn and Bailey. They go everywhere with us.