Scholar Advising is a North Carolina based
Financial advising requires a lot of trust from both client and advisor. We truly believe that each individual’s financial situation is unique and that a successful financial plan requires more than some calculations. This is why we emphasize the importance of building a strong advisor/client relationship and work hard to create and work toward financial goals as a team.
The fiduciary nature of our advice is very important to our core goals managing this financial planning firm. All advice you receive from Scholar Financial Advising is in your best interest and you’ll never have to question where competing incentives lie.
All of our advisors hold at minimum a Ph.D. degree in finance and in through their academic background have decades of experience researching and teaching a wide range of financial topics. The ability to breakdown advanced financial topics is a trait that we value in our advisors and is a skillset that lends itself nicely to building plans for our clients will execute.
To facilitate the financial planning process we utilize a technology mix that allows for remote communication with clients, efficient document storage and sharing, and the use of customizable financial planning tools and software.
Our Mission
A True Fee Only Financial Advisor
By nature of our decision to only offer hourly and monthly retainer services as a
We are happy to go against the grain of the financial advising industry by providing financial advice on an flat fee basis opposed to the current norm of a percentage of Assets Under Management (AUM).
Who is a Good Fit?
The majority of our clients are DIY investors who don’t want to hand over their investments to an advisory firm or pay an Assets Under Management (AUM) fee. They are typically looking for someone to pull all the financial pieces together for them and come up with a financial plan that they can execute with updates and check-in meetings annually. Read through our Example Client Profiles to get an idea of the types of clients we work with and what issues we are working through.
For clients needing ongoing financial advisory services, we have our Signature Client Program that offers family office like services to clients for a monthly retainer fee.
Minimizing Conflicts of Interest
Investor protection and the pursuit of minimizing conflicts of interest are the bedrock on which this business’ mission is founded.
Without this foundation, our mission to educate, empower, and encourage investors would be unstable and make my clients question the nature of my advice. These goals pair well with a strict code of ethics. For this reason, we abide by a strict code of ethics at Scholar Financial Advising, following the requirements set by the CFA Institute.
Serving Clients in and Around Winston Salem
While Scholar Financial Advising is based and provides financial planning in Winston Salem, we default to virtual meetings and have provided our remote services to hundreds of clients in over 30 different states.
Meet your Financial Advisory Team
Stephan Shipe, Ph.D ., CFA, CFP®
Owner, Lead Advisor
Dr. Shipe is the owner of and lead advisor for Scholar Advising. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance with a support area in econometrics from Florida State University. He is also a CFA Charterholder of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute and has completed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification making him a CFP® professional.
Dr. Shipe started Scholar Financial Advising in 2018 and enjoys working with clients on complex financial situations. He has published academic articles and analyzed data related to investor behavior, executive compensation, and investor protection. This research agenda has led him to be invited to work with regulators on new laws related to investment advisor fee disclosures. He has taught university finance courses at Wake Forest University, University of New Hampshire, and Florida State University. His financial interests are centered on quantitative focused financial topics such as financial risk analysis, and financial data analytics. When not working, he enjoys camping with his family, hiking, and riding his motorcycle.
Mark Johnson, Ph.D.
Lead Advisor
Dr. Johnson holds both a MS and Ph.D. in Financial Economics from the University of New Orleans. He has taught graduate and undergraduate finance courses for over ten years and is currently a professor in the School of Business at Wake Forest University. He has received multiple teaching awards from Wake Forest, Loyola University Maryland, Florida State University, and other organizations. He is a recipient of the Best 40 Under 40 Professors at Business Schools globally and received the Abramson Award from the National Association for Business Economics for one of his many publications, “Gauging the Financial Capability of Americans”.
Dr. Johnson owns and manages commercial real estate in North Carolina and is an avid car enthusiast. His experience in finance and investing has led him to be a current member of the Winston-Salem Partners Roundtable Fund, where local early-stage companies seek funding to help accelerate their growth and he was previously a member of the Investment Committee for the Catholic Community Foundation of the Archdiocese of Baltimore for four years where he worked to improve investment policy and strategy.
Kyre Lahtinen, Ph.D.
Financial Advisor
Dr. Lahtinen earned his Ph.D. in finance from Florida State University with a support area in econometrics. He has taught university finance courses for over 10 years and specializes in courses related to investments, security analysis, portfolio management, and financial statement analysis. His ability to break down complex financial topics and make them easy to understand, as evidenced by his multiple teaching awards, make him a great asset to Scholar Financial Advising and our clients.
With his extensive knowledge of finance and his technology skillset, Dr. Lahtinen has published original research articles related to empirical asset pricing, high frequency trading, behavioral finance, and market volatility. His articles have been published in academic journals including the Journal of Empirical Finance, the Journal of Investing, and the Journal of Asset Management.
Deon Strickland, Ph.D.
Financial Advisor
Dr. Strickland earned his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an A.B. in Economics from Harvard University. He has taught finance at Wake Forest University since 2008. Prior to joining Wake Forest University, he served as an economist for the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) where he worked on regulation surrounding the fair disclosure of information related to publicly traded companies and cases involving price manipulation.
Dr. Strickland’s teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels center on financial markets and firm valuation. Dr. Strickland has published numerous academic articles in leading academic and practitioner journals. His work on investor trading in volatile markets has been cited more than 300 times including in leading periodicals like the Wall Street Journal.
Chris Lawrey, Ph.D.
Financial Advisor
Dr. Lawrey earned his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and has over twenty-five years of teaching experience at the university level. He specializes in corporate finance with an emphasis on working capital management. In 2020, he was awarded an “Excellence in Teaching” award then in 2021 he was awarded “Professor of the Year” for his exceptional performance in and outside of the classroom at the University of South Alabama.
Dr. Lawrey has published original research articles related to working capital management, dividend policy, corporate default, and market volatility. His articles have been published in academic journals including the Journal of Banking & Finance, the Journal of Financial Research, the Review of Accounting and Finance, the Journal of Asset Management.
Robin Winningham
Director of Client Services
As our Director of Client Services, Robin brings to Scholar Advising a background in document retention and compliance for corporate and investment banking at one of the country’s largest financial institutions. She worked in derivatives for Wells Fargo Securities supporting negotiators and paralegals on the trading floor before and after the impacts of Dodd-Frank. She is also an experienced Executive Assistant for CEOs of technology based startups and INC 5000 industry leaders.
Robin has a passion for excellence in administration and back-office business support.
Derek Cheshire, CFP®, EA
Paraplanner
As our paraplanner, Derek brings ten years of experience as a financial advisor and planner. In his prior roles, he has extensive experience working with individuals with varying backgrounds and needs to help them achieve their financial goals. Additionally, Derek earned his MBA with a specialization in financial analysis from the University of Colorado at Denver. He attained his Certified Financial Planner designation in 2016 and has been an enrolled agent with the IRS since 2020. As an enrolled agent, Derek prepared taxes for small businesses and their owners, giving him extensive knowledge of taxation and the needs of small business owners. Derek takes great pride in his work on behalf of the individuals, families, and the Scholar Advising team he supports.
What’s Next?
Use the link below to schedule a Welcome Meeting. This initial meeting is free and has no commitment. We can speak on the phone or over coffee to see whether our working together is a good fit.