Andrew M. LohseFounder and Partner

Andrew M. Lohse, CPA/PFS, CRPS®, AIF® has been involved in the financial services industry for over 15 years. He strives to continually enhance the client service level through his commitment to professional growth and education. People choose to work with Andrew due to his ability to provide them leadership as a steward of their financial resources, while always being gracious and humbled by their trust and confidence.

In an effort to continually seek knowledge in the industry, Andrew has attained the Certified Public Account (CPA), the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), and the Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS®), and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designations after graduating from Elmhurst College with a Bachelors of Science in Finance and minor in Mathematics. The philosophy of continual improvement through the growth of one’s abilities can be traced back to Andrew’s involvement in athletics, such as football and baseball. This philosophy suits Andrew’s clients and the clients of the firm as it builds upon the core values of honesty and integrity represented in the organization.

Andrew believes one element of stewardship is to continually find avenues where his unique abilities can benefit others throughout the community. To name a few, this is accomplished through the continued involvement in the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, his local church, and the Naperville Jaycees. Andrew is also involved with the Elmhurst College Mentor program.

Andrew, his wife, Kathleen, and their three children reside in Naperville. In their spare time they enjoy spending time with family, activities like bike riding and fishing, and furthering the children’s interest toward the American League brand of Major League Baseball.

CPA designees are qualified accountants who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification. The CPA is issued by the American Institute of CPAs. Pre-requisites require the designee to have two years public accounting experience and 150 semester hours of education. The designee is then required to complete the Uniform CPA Examination. In addition, the designee is required to complete 80 hours of continuing education every two years.

PFS designee’s are CPA’s who have demonstrated proficiency in personal financial planning and possess the knowledge and tolls to effectively assist their clients in managing their personal finances. The PFS is issued the The American Institute of Certified Public Accountant (AICPA). Pre-requisites require designations to be a member of the AICPA, hold an unrevoked CPA certificate by a state authority, have at least two years of full-time business/personal financial planning experience or 3000 hours equivalent experience (including 1000 hours of tax compliance) within the five-year period preceding the date of the PFS application. The designee is then required to complete a minimum of 80 hours of personal financial planning education and a final certification exam. In addition, the designee is required to complete 60 hours of continuing education every three years related to the personal financial planning body of knowledge.

The CRPS® program is specifically targeted to provide professionals the knowledge and tools to design, install, and maintain retirement plans for the business community. The CRPS® is issued by the College of Financial Planning. While there are no pre-requisites for the CRPS® the designee must complete an online, instructor led or self-study courses complete with a final online, closed book, proctored exam. In addition, the designee must complete 16 hours of continuing education every two years.

The AIF® Designation certifies that the recipient has specialized knowledge of fiduciary standards of care and their application to the investment management process. To receive the AIF® Designation, the individual must:

1. Meet prerequisite criteria based on a combination of education, relevant industry experience, and/or ongoing professional development
2. Complete a training program
3. Successfully pass a comprehensive, closed-book final examination under the supervision of an approved proctor
4. Agree to abide by the AIF® Designee Code of Ethics.

In order to maintain the AIF® Designation, the individual must annually attest to being in compliance with the AIF® Designee Code of Ethics, and accrue and report a minimum of six hours of continuing education. The AIF® Designation is administered by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, the standards-setting body of fi360.