Jo-Ann MacWilliams-Wolf,

“Acutely aware of how quickly life plans change, I want my experience to help others address preparedness and concerns regarding roles and responsibilities that come with aging, and to better understand their options.”

– JO-ANN –

Jo-Ann knows how important it is to live a balanced life. As a daughter, mother, recent widow, business owner and financial consultant, she has experienced firsthand many of the challenges her clients face. Partnering with Raymond James, she celebrates more than 30 years of providing personal financial planning for her clients.

The sixth of eight children, Jo-Ann had Depression-era parents who laid the groundwork for her quest to make a difference in the lives of others. Self-made, she put herself through the University of Michigan and started her career in the financial industry in 1984. Attracted to the profession to help educate people about the benefits of investing, she strives to have a clear understanding of how her clients’ financial plans contribute to the balance in their lives.

Throughout her years of experience, Jo-Ann has managed investments through different market cycles and provided wealth and risk management services to both individuals and business owners. A visit to the MIT AgeLab, a multidisciplinary research program working to improve the quality of life of older people and those who care for them, opened her eyes to a conversation on aging that has rarely been included in the financial planning process. She brings insights from this experience and her decades in the business to how she works with clients today.

Continuing education is important to Jo-Ann, and she has garnered credentials from the Raymond James Institute of Investment Management Consulting as well as earned her Wealth Management Specialist™ designation. Additionally, the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® designation represents her knowledge of a global fiduciary standard of excellence and her application of these standards into her practice. In 2015, she joined the Sudden Money Institute, an educational organization that focuses on helping clients who have a sudden change in their financial positions. She is also a member of their network of advisors trained in life transition planning.

For Jo-Ann, having balance in all aspects of life also means devoting time to give back. She leads the endowment philanthropic planning for the team and enjoys ongoing involvement in a number of metro Detroit area charities. A volunteer of Temple Beth-El, Birmingham, and past president of its sisterhood, Jo-Ann raises money for youth programs and provides support for women who have faced domestic violence. She is also an advocate for breast cancer awareness, environmental issues and wildlife preservation.

Detroit born and raised, Jo-Ann lives in Oakland County. Bringing Balance to life also means spending time with family and friends. In her free time she enjoys traveling, attending exhibits at the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Dali Museum. Jo-Ann enjoys recreational golf, hiking and caring for her pasture pet Cricket, American quarter horse.