facebook twitter instagram linkedin google youtube vimeo tumblr yelp rss email podcast blog external search brokercheck brokercheck

Enlightened Wealth

Helping you see the forest for the trees

LEARN MORE

Simplicity

Cypress Asset Management is for investors who recognize and embrace the sophistication of simplicity in their wealth management as well as their personal lives.

Deliberate

We bring clarity, intention, accountability and well thought out planning to the complexities of wealth management. We empower our clients to live their ideal life.

Enrichment

The irony of simplifying your investment decisions is that you’ll not only enhance your portfolio returns, you’ll also enrich your personal life with less to worry about and more time for your family, passions and career.

Rooted

We are rooted in the success of our clients, we are fiduciaries. That’s why we take a simple, consistent and transparent approach to investing; providing clients with the guidance and education they need to build wealth, ignore Wall Street and to flourish in their lives.

"Wealth is the ability to fully experience life."

- HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Working Hard to Simplify Your Financial Life


A boutique firm with a big heart.

Established in 2001, Cypress Asset Management, Inc. has been providing wealth management to individual and multi-generational families, corporate retirement plans, endowments, and foundations nationally in a fee-only, evidenced based capacity.

As a fee-only, registered investment advisory firm, we do not sell proprietary products or accept commissions. Our fee-only structure allows us to provide our clients with a non-conflicted approach to investment selection and recommendations in an understandable, cohesive framework.

We work closely with our clients using a consultative process to help them grow, protect, and transfer their wealth to achieve their important life and financial goals with cost-efficiency, tax mitigation, consistency and increased odds for investment success.

We provide you facts, cut through the hype and help you make informed decisions about your wealth. 

A proud founding member of Buckingham Strategic Partners, we are part of an active community of more than 135 independent wealth management firms who share our fiduciary pledge to act in their clients’ best interests and help investors and their families take control of their financial futures. This strategic relationship provides our clients the scale, resources and intellectual capacity of a multi-billion advisor network.

Our purpose and passion is to make transformational, positive change in the lives of our clients.

Michael E. Mahoney, CFP Photo

Michael E. Mahoney, CFP

Managing Principal
Read Bio

Michael E. Mahoney, CFP®

Managing Principal


My passion as an advisor stems from my family roots. My great, great grandfather immigrated to America from Ireland to seek a better life for himself and his wife. They had two boys who went on to be successful self-made entrepreneurs; one a plumber, and the other, D.J. Mahoney, a general contractor. 

My grandfather and father followed in D.J.’s footsteps, growing D.J. Mahoney Co. into a road and bridge construction company. I grew up and worked in the family business through my college years, learning the entrepreneurial work ethic, the benefits to be gained from one’s individual efforts and the struggles of self-employment. 

Growing up as the fourth generation of a successful family construction business, I also watched my senior family members struggle with money issues such as prudent investing, financial planning, life balance and generational transfer. They never discovered the relationships and tools required in order to afford them proper stewardship and balance with their money. And these struggles, though rather costly to the family, taught me many beneficial and crucial life lessons. 

Working in the family business and being self-employed, my entire life has provided firsthand knowledge of the opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities of wealth. Quite frankly, I kissed some frogs along the way as I tried to invest my own money prudently. 

My life experiences as an entrepreneur in insurance and financial planning eventually led me to my calling: to serve a select group of clients as a fee-only, fiduciary, strategic life-wealth planner. I bring over 30 years of expertise and experience to my clients. It is my passion, right along with road bicycling, making good espresso, golfing, hiking and enjoying life with family and friends. I also find incredible fulfillment sharing my success with others that need assistance. 

Being on the same side of the table with my clients without a sales agenda has been radically life-changing for me. My fulfillment is constantly renewed as I help people align their money with their hearts. I truly believe I take an artisanal approach to wealth management, always striving to perfect my craft as an advisor.

Just as the blade is always in need of a sharp edge, likewise am I committed to a lifelong pursuit of education and knowledge to serve my client’s needs.

Hobbies

  • Golf
  • Cycling
  • Hiking
  • Spending time with family and friends and my beautiful wife of 29 years, Theresa
Joshua Lewer, PhD Photo

Joshua Lewer, PhD

Director of Client Education
Read Bio

Dr. Joshua Lewer serves as Director of Client Education for Cypress Asset Management. Mike and Joshua launched The Enlightened Investor YouTube channel and supplemental educational website in 2021 with the goal of keeping investors informed on economic and financial issues related to the investing world. He has been a faculty member of the Department of Economics at Bradley University since 2007 and has published over 40 refereed journal articles and several books. Joshua currently serves as co-editor of the Journal of Economic Insight. He enjoys golfing and spending time with his family.

 

Michele Howerter Photo

Michele Howerter

Client Relationship Specialist
Read Bio

Michele Howerter

Client Relationship Specialist


Michele joined Cypress Asset Management in January 2008 as a client relationship specialist. She holds a bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science - Mathematics from Bradley University. Michele’s primary role is assisting with our individual client’s accounts. 

 Prior to joining Cypress Asset Management, she was a client service associate for Alliance Benefit Group of Illinois administering defined benefit and traditional retirement plans. 

She brings her experience in operations, accounting, benefits administration, retirement projection modeling, and financial management to the Cypress Team where she enjoys keeping track of the management systems and administrative management of the client accounts. She ensures our clients have an easy, effective and enjoyable experience. 

When she’s not overseeing the internal operations you can find her spending time with friends and family, embarking on adventures with her nieces and nephew and traveling.

Ryan Mahoney, CRPS Photo

Ryan Mahoney, CRPS

Associate Wealth Advisor
Read Bio

Ryan Mahoney

Associate Wealth Advisor


Ryan has been developing and using his interpersonal skills to help him make meaningful connections with those he serves. He works with the rest of our advisory team to develop plans to keep clients on track to meet their financial goals and aspirations. 

Ryan brings great enthusiasm to every client interaction. He gains satisfaction by getting to know clients, hearing their stories and seeing a well-devised financial plan come together for them. Prior to moving to his current role, Ryan worked for the Southern Methodist University endowment plan as a grant specialist.

Ryan earned his B.A. in English with a Minor in Business from the University of Illinois. Ryan spends his free time golfing, writing songs, and enjoying his new son Sebastian with his wife Geiciele.

“Money is energy. How do you want to energize your life and the lives you love?”

 - Mike Mahoney CFP®

Advice is nice


But financial life planning is transformational

Our wealth is more than money, it comes from our hard work, life experience, family history, love and legacy. Do your values align with your money and your time?


We believe the answers to these questions are critical to allow us to build a framework for the development of your personal financial plan.

Developing a long-term holistic financial plan begins with a highly deep personal engagement with you. There is no substitute for genuine connections that allow us to understand your meaningful relationships, values, aspirations and priorities.

Financial life planning is a holistic process that provides you with a systematic process to help you remain focused and simplify your finances into an organized plan based on your compelling and meaningful personal vision of a life well lived.

Once you connect your money with your life you can confidently apply your wealth to living out what’s most important to you and gain greater peace of mind and fulfillment.

“A financial plan without values and purpose leads straight to the realization that all the money in the world doesn’t buy happiness.”

- Mike Mahoney, CFP®

Deeply rooted in what’s important to you

Our approach is based on the lost art of listening. We empower you to make well thought, informed, reflective decisions. At Cypress, we believe in listening to you in order to:

better understand your hopes, aspirations, values, priorities and concerns.


Learn what is important to you – and what isn't.


We align your goals and financial resources to ensure you have confidence, peace of mind and balance in your life.


Once we understand your goals, we develop customized solutions to help guide you with awareness and clarity to make better informed reflective decisions.

We want to be your sounding board for life’s transitions and unexpected events. Your financial well-being is about more than your investments.

At Cypress we offer our clients knowledge, not hype.


By tuning out the noise of erratic, short-term market behavior and the predictions of market pundits, we can focus on making sure that markets reward you over time. Seeking, employing and communicating evidence-based investment principles and research are the core of our services to you.

It’s Time to Start Expecting More From Your Retirement Plan


Bringing simplicity, transparency, and lower costs to your retirement plan

Know Your Retirement Plan Advisor

We share your mission to help your retirement plan participants achieve their financial goals. It’s why we make a fiduciary promise to every client: we will act in your best interests, no matter what.

We believe that starts by implementing a fiduciary-based service model that focuses on helping plan sponsors and participants make smart, informed decisions to enhance participant outcomes with the utmost transparency.

When working with Cypress for your 401(k) needs you can expect:

1.

Support

2.

Personalized 1:1 advice from an Erisa 3(38) fiduciary advisor

3.

Clear, appropriately diversified portfolios

4.

Professionally managed


When enrolling in a 401(k) plan, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by long, unstructured lists of fund choices and investment alternatives. At Cypress we take a different approach to help demystify the complications of retirement planning, making it easier for your employees to make smarter decisions about the future.

We focus our efforts in areas that can make the most impact to increase participation levels as well as savings rates. This benefits both your plan overall and enhances the experience for your employees.

We provide all of the support you need to educate your employees on the value of your 401(k) plan as part of our core service to you. This includes group and individual meetings, investment guidance and more.

Get Started Today

“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”

- Ayn Rand

Philosophy


Helping you rise above the noise

Investing can at times seem overwhelming and daunting. If you examine your own life, you'll find that it is often the simple things that have proven to be the most successful. Investing is no different. However, it is easy to have your attention drawn to the wrong issues. These wrong issues, the noise, can derail your journey.

Seeking, employing and communicating evidence-based investment principles and research are the core of our services to you.

Academic studies and history prove that a low-cost, evidence based investment strategy provides increased odds for long-term success over the vast majority of active investors. Instead of trying to beat the market, our approach succeeds by investing in the market factors and remaining disciplined.


As a Cypress client you will experience several distinct advantages:


Typical Investor Client

  1. No defined plan
  2. No defined process
  3. Lack of integration
  4. High Costs opaque
  5. Ineffective diversification
  6. Short-term perspective
  7. Complex product or strategy
  8. Tax-inefficient
  9. Homogenized process
  10. Proprietary Strategies
  11. Chose performance / Time market / prognosticate
  12. Suitability relationship
  13. Lack of accountability

Cypress Client

  1. Investment policy statement / Written financial life plan
  2. Systematic process for investing and financial life planning
  3. Integrated process involving your CPA, attorney and insurance professionals
  4. Low costs that are transparent
  5. Diversified
  6. A focus on the long-term
  7. Educated
  8. Tax-sensitive and efficient
  9. Customized plan
  10. Academic evidence based strategy
  11. Avoid behavioral/cognitive mistakes
  12. Fiduciary relationship
  13. Detailed quarterly reporting


Strategic Partners

BAM is one of the nation's largest providers of outsourcing solutions to fiduciary-minded, independent Registered Investment Advisors throughout the country. Their back-office support allows us the freedom to provide our clients with personalized care, prudent advice and the scale of a multi-billion dollar advisory firm. In addition, The BAM Alliance grants us access to a nationwide network of like-minded colleagues with the added benefit of remaining a wholly independent boutique advisory firm.

Visit Site

Schwab Institutional serves as the custodian to accounts we manage on your behalf. While you grant us Limited Power of Attorney to execute trades, accounts are held in your name.

Schwab provides the basics that any good custodian should have: the means to help firms run more efficiently and great service offered to clients.

Visit Site

As an independent advisory firm, Cypress is not beholden to any firm’s investment products.  Thus we select funds from any fund family that we believe offer the best investment option for our clients. And most often, Dimensional is that best option. Dimensional relies on empirical evidence and decades of academic, peer-reviewed research to build and manage their funds. With some of the brightest minds in finance leading the way, DFA identifies the primary sources of return in the market, and seeks to capture such returns in the most efficient (low-costs, low taxes) way possible.

Visit Site

Low-cost broad diversification which serves well as portfolio building blocks. They manage our proprietary U.S. Small-Cap Value Fund.

Visit Site

Low-cost broad diversification which serves well as portfolio building blocks.

Visit Site

No matter where you are in life, CFP® professionals know how to deliver the highest standard of financial planning service to make sure you’re on the right track. From planning for retirement to saving for college, CFP®professionals are trained to help you develop a comprehensive strategy to reach your short- and long-term financial goals.

Visit Site

“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Enlightened Investor Blog


Loading Posts...

"There’s no greater sin than a man who has some influence to sit by and be idle. When you think what we get out of life, we should be grateful and try to make the world a better place"

 - Gary Player

Resources

2022 - Q1 Quarterly Perspective (View Video)


  1. Designing an asset class Fund- Ken French and David Booth (View Video)
  2. Tuning Out the Noise - The right financial advisor can play a vital role in helping you tune out the media noise and focus on actions that can improve your investment outcome. (View Video)
  3. Evidence-Based Investing (View Video)
  4. The Power of Markets (View Video)
  5. Why I use a Financial Advisor , Ken French, Eugene Fama and David Booth (View Video)
  6. How Much Should You Save For Retirement? (View Video)
  7. How Much Income Will You Need In Retirement? (View Video)
  8. Mutual Fund Landscape (View Video)

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

- Leonardo da Vinci 

Seeking to simplify and organize your wealth planning? Let’s Talk.

Cypress Asset Management

4814 N. Prospect Rd., Peoria Heights, IL 61616

Hours

Monday through Friday 8am-4pm
Saturday and after hours by Appointment

Phone

(309) 679-9146

Fax

(309) 679-9147

Client Logins