Matt Heckmann has spent the last 30 years of his life helping families gain clarity on what is possible and challenging them to live their ideal lives. He is an award-winning, nationally-recognized advisor, who founded Heckmann Financial right here in Dane County. Its main office operates out of Middleton, and the firm specializes in helping successful families (typically empty-nesters or those who are soon to be) or families who are experiencing a unique change, like the sale of a business. These families are often the grateful recipients of what Heckmann Financial believes to be a lifechanging, individualized series of one-on-one master classes that provide more than what one knew to be possible in working with a financial advisor.
But what happens when the teacher becomes the student again? “No amount of preparing other families for the empty-nest stage of life would have ever prepared me for how much I would miss everything about having the kids in the house,” says Heckmann. He was quick to add that traveling for both work and leisure has become a bit easier as his role as girls’ high school basketball coach no longer impedes plans, but it’s still greatly missed. Perhaps nothing can be done to fully prepare a parent for what it will feel like for that empty-nest feeling, but Heckmann and the team at Heckmann Financial would have quite a bit to say about preparing you and your family for “financial independence.”
Heckmann would say that “financial independence is the ability to spend your time as you choose without regard to the revenue it might produce and it’s the first step in the process.” He adds that “financial independence” isn’t a widely used term, but it certainly should be as it’s one of the most impactful steps in the process and leads clients to the important discovery of new perspectives. Advisors at Heckmann Financial help clients to understand their financial capacity, allowing them to make intentional decisions about resources and time in conjunction with personal values (this is typically the part where your own personal data points would help color in the picture even better). This newfound vision and perspective are connected to overall direction, where the team will design a blueprint to coordinate and align your asset management, risk management, and tax management to your personal life and legacy goals for you and your family.
Heckmann Financial takes an “education first” approach allowing clients to understand a cause-and-effect relationship between their life goals and their financial plan. Combined with an industry leading 11 to 1 household to team member ratio, the team is able to connect with clients at a uniquely individualized level. Matt Heckmann has been consistently recognized in national publications ranking advisors, including past nods from the Financial Times, and most recently he was ranked in the top 10 by both Forbes’ “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2024” and Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors 2024” for the state of Wisconsin.
Middleton’s own nationally award-winning wealth management advisor and his team are on a mission. This group wants to ensure that everyone is aware that not all wealth planning is created equal and to be aware of the dos and don’ts when choosing to stay in your current relationship. Any advisor can say they offer exceptional value and nearly every advisor does in fact make that claim — but can any advisor show the value they provide? For many people, the biggest tangible opportunity that can impact their wealth plan relates to reducing the erosive impact of taxes over their lifetime. Among others, there are five core tax smart planning strategies, but beyond that, your wealth planning firm should easily be able to articulate and show the value you can expect from their work. They should be fully transparent about the cost of their expertise. Wise investors choose a firm that provides advice, service, and value that is worth far more than the cost paid to obtain it.
Financial representatives do not provide tax advice. Consult with a tax professional for advice that is specific to your situation. Forbes’ “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list (April 2024), research and ranking provided by Shook Research LLC. Based upon data as of June 30 of the preceding year. Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” list (March 2024), based upon data as of Sept. 30 of the preceding year. Financial Times “Top Financial Advisers” list (April 2020) produced annually by Ignites Research, on behalf of the Financial Times, data as June 30 of the preceding year. Northwestern Mutual & its advisors do not pay for placement on third party rating lists, but do pay marketing fees to these organizations to promote the rating(s). Rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success. Matthew M. Heckmann uses Heckmann Financial as a marketing name for doing business as a representative of Northwestern Mutual. Heckmann Financial is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency, or federal savings bank. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Milwaukee, WI (NM) and its subsidiaries. Matthew M. Heckmann provides investment advisory services as an Advisor of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC), Milwaukee, WI, a subsidiary of NM and federal savings bank. Matthew M. Heckmann provides investment brokerage services as Registered Representatives of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC (NMIS), a subsidiary of NM, registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, and member FINRA (finra.org) and SIPC (sipc.org).
