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Financial Advice and Investment Management For Busy Families, Young Couples & Emerging Professionals

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Helping You Chart the Course Towards Your Financial Future



Planning for your future and improving your financial strategy isn’t always easy—but it’s critical.
I understand this firsthand. Between managing our finances and supporting a growing family, I have experienced the many challenges that arise along life’s journey. This is why I’m dedicated to working with families like you who are looking for a steady, experienced guide to help them navigate the many key financial decisions they’re facing.

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Defining the Right Next Steps for Your


Financial Life


My goal is to help you make financial choices that support your ambitions—from paying off student loans to funding your children’s education and buying your first home. If you’re seeking clarity around your finances, but have precious little time to research options and take action, together we can find solutions to manage your expenses, build and protect your wealth, and align your money with your goals.

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Sailing Smoother,


Together


The early stages of planning your financial life are essential, but they’re overlooked by many advisors. I’m dedicated to working with young families because I’ve seen the impact of planning for your ambitions, and those of your kids, early on.


Explore How I Can Help

Straightforward Guidance

From a Financial Professional Who’s Been in Your Boat

Core Principles

How I Work

Welcome All

I believe that every family should have access to good financial advice at a reasonable and transparent price. I primarily serve families in the earlier, but consequential, stages of growing their wealth.

See the Big Picture

Financial advice is not just about investments. Looking at all areas of your finances is essential, especially for young families. We’ll explore everything from your cash flow and college savings to retirement, insurance and tax planning.

Keep it Simple

For the vast majority of families, the best approach to investing is to keep things simple and low cost. When working together, I also follow a focused process to make your experience clear and efficient.

Work only for my Clients

As a fiduciary, I am obliged to provide recommendations and take actions that are in the best interest of your family. Your current and future well-being is always top of mind. I am fee-only, meaning I do not receive compensation from selling a product, unlike many who call themselves financial advisors. I will only recommend products if they are appropriate for your situation.


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Finance Your Life’s Ambitions

Everyone says you should start early—but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what that means. Let’s talk about your circumstances, what you’re looking to achieve and explore your options.

Schedule a No-Obligation Consultation

Helping Young Families & Professionals With:


Managing Expenses

Cash Flow Planning

Education Saving

Protection Planning

Managing Debt

Tax Planning

Investment Management

Real Estate Management


Meeting Your Needs as Your Life Evolves

A Transparent Pricing Structure

Financial Planning


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Tier 1

  • New in your career
  • Just starting your retirement savings and/or paying off student loans
  • Want to better understand your finances: cash flow, credit, employee benefits

Sounds Like Me

$1,750 up front fee

$2,268 annual fee charged monthly ($189 per month)

Young woman smiling while holding a baby

Tier 2

  • Looking to buy your first home
  • Starting a family; thinking about saving for college
  • Wondering how to minimize taxes

Sounds Like Me

$2,500 up front fee

$2,868 annual fee charged monthly ($239 per month)



Tier 3

  • Focused on paying for secondary school or college
  • Looking to invest outside of 401k’s and IRA’s, including potentially a second home
  • Beginning to think about what retirement looks like

Sounds Like Me

$3,200 up front fee

$3,228 annual fee charged monthly ($269 per month)

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Tier 4

  • Self-employed, or compensated with significant equity, stock options, or other complex long-term plans
  • Own private investments, including investment property
  • Focused on estate planning and charitable giving

Sounds Like Me

$3,900 up front fee

$3,588 annual fee charged monthly ($299 per month)

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Investment Management

For Financial Planning clients, we offer Investment Management for an additional flat fee of 25 basis points on all investable assets. We have no minimum balance requirements.

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Discrete Financial Planning Projects

In need of a plan for a specific financial challenge? We’ll talk through your needs and will agree upfront on the estimated amount of hours. The rate for this service is $250 an hour, and we offer this service for “quick start” projects as brief as 2 hours ($500).


Bringing Clarity to Your Finances

Sometimes our finances can feel like an invisible weight we carry around. It becomes even more overwhelming when your life pace quickens and you’re starting to think about things like setting your kids up for success and advancing in your career.

I’ve been there, too, and am intimately familiar with the stress that can arise during this time in life. Together, we can walk through your options so you and your family have a clear understanding of your financial details and a plan in place to achieve your life goals.


Curious About Working Together?

Explore the Process

Working Together Towards Your Success

As a young family or rising professional, your day-to-day life is only getting fuller. For this reason, I follow a straightforward and informative process to help organize your finances. With flexible scheduling of meetings, including nights and weekends as needed, I strive to offer a financial advising experience that melds with your lifestyle.





The Process

Before beginning our work together, we’ll have a half-hour introductory call to learn about your needs and see if we’re a good fit to collaborate.

Schedule Your Intro Conversation


Step: One

Discovery Meeting

This is initial consultation is to learn more about your financial situation and your goals, and to develop a mutual understanding of the financial planning process, including time commitment and fees

Step: two

Information Gathering

We will take a deeper dive into your unique circumstances, concerns and goals, and determine what further information we will need

Step: three

Explore Possibilities

Together, we will review your financial information, confirm our understanding, and consider potential options and recommendations to help you address your needs and goals

Step: four

Plan Presentation

We will present our recommendations to enhance your financial health and set you on the path toward your near term and long term goals

Step: five

Implementation

We will execute on an agreed-upon action plan

Step: Six

Monitoring

Checking in on your progress and making adjustments as necessary



Let’s
Collaborate

I’m committed to working closely with hardworking families and individuals that want to have a better grasp on their financial situations.

I’m here to assist you on your journey and to offer my insight as someone who also wants the best for his family. The first step in working together is to talk a bit about what you’re experiencing and how I can help.

Start the Conversation

Meet Matt Berger, CCFC

Principal and Founder


Headshot of Matt Berger in a suit smiling at the cameraPhoto of Matt Berger with his wife and 3 kids standing near a lake

I founded Crescent Lake Advisors to combine my nearly 30 years of corporate finance and investment management industry experience and my passion for financial planning with my personal experience helping raise a family. I've navigated the numerous critical financial decisions families face as they grow and am deeply familiar with the challenges that can arise. As a veteran of the investment management industry, I have seen what works and what doesn’t work for clients and have an insider’s perspective on how best to utilize financial products and services to help individuals achieve their goals.

I decided to leave the corporate world and start a business where I could directly help busy working families like ours. You will face many critical decisions during these years - I want to help you make them with confidence and enable you to get the most out of life. Let me use my professional and personal experience to help your family chart the course that is right for you.

Professional Background

I earned my Bachelors in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame and began my career with Coopers & Lybrand / PwC, where I earned my CPA designation. In between stints in the Audit and Consulting practices of the firm, I earned my MBA from Kenan Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. Following my time with PwC, I spent nearly 20 years in the investment management industry as a finance executive, including several CFO roles at both private and public companies as part of Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world’s premier private equity and real estate firms. I have earned certificates in retirement planning, investment planning, and risk management and insurance planning from the AICPA. I am also a Certified College Financial Consultant.  For more on my professional background, visit my LinkedIn profile.

Personal Story

I live in Southborough, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, with my wife, Deirdre and our 3 teenagers: Aidan, Declan, and Ciara. I have always had a passion for personal finance and have accumulated much experience (and gray hairs!) managing our financial lives and acting as a sounding board for friends and family. When not working, we enjoy skiing, golf, tennis, travelling and spending time at our cottage on Crescent Lake in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.





Frequently Asked Questions

What would make me a good fit to work with you?

We would make a good fit if...

  • You believe in a focused approach to planning with an emphasis on keeping things simple and keeping costs low.
  • You recognize the importance of considering tax impacts in your financial decisions.
  • You value transparent pricing based on your personal situation—something that few other advisors offer upfront.
  • You are a busy family that is worried about making financial decisions with everything else on your plate, or who has a sense you could be doing more to optimize your financial lives.
If that sounds like you, I can help.

What sets you apart?
Why should I work with you?

In addition to being a fee-only fiduciary advisor, I bring both a passion for financial planning as well as years of industry experience. I’ve worked to create and implement both large-scale financial solutions for corporations and personal planning strategies for individuals and families.

Raising a family in this day and age, I also can offer an empathetic perspective. Being aware of the challenges you are up against enables me to offer keen and relevant advice to prepare you and your family for a secure and successful future.

Are you fee-only?
Why is this important?

Yes, I am a fee-only financial professional, meaning that I get paid directly from you, the client. I do not sell products or services in order to obtain commission from a third party. Instead, I seek to find the right solutions for your precise needs. This is important because some advisors are in the business of simply selling products rather than working to develop strategies for your goals and in your best interest.

If I opt for a quick start service or an hourly project, can I add on monthly service later?

Absolutely. Additionally, any amounts paid for these services will be deducted from your upfront fee.

Do you work virtually or in person?

I work with you how you want—and though I am based in Massachusetts, I will work with anyone based in any part of the country.

Do you require new clients to have a minimum in investable assets?

No. In addition to our Financial Planning Fees, we charge all Investment Management clients a low flat fee of 25 basis points on all investable assets, but do not require a minimum amount

Why did you name your firm Crescent Lake Advisors?

Crescent Lake is in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire where my family has our summer cottage. It represents for our family a place of togetherness, fun and serenity, and it is something we worked toward for many years. It seemed a fitting vision for what a younger version of my family was striving for amidst the whirlwind of our personal and professional lives. And frankly, I love it there so why not be reminded of it every time I think of and talk about my business!







Have a Question That Isn’t Answered Here?

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To Set You and Your Family On a Course for Success

Let’s Get Started

Matt Berger smiling at the camera while standing near a lake

Planning for your future can feel daunting—but it doesn’t have to be. By working closely with you, I strive to help you develop a clear understanding of your financial picture and exactly how it can be managed to support your current needs and long-term goals.

If you have a few questions or are curious about getting started, feel free to schedule an initial conversation or reach out to me directly.


Contact

Email

Matthew.Berger@crescentlakeadvisors.com


Schedule Your No-Obligation Consultation