Meet Ethan Heiden

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ethan Heiden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ethan, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I help people look at their complete financial landscape, identifying and realigning their unique opportunities so everything works together as a strategic, tax-efficient system focused on achieving their goals. When someone gains clarity on their finances, stress drops, confidence rises, and their goals start to feel real again. I love empowering people with knowledge and guidance to build the life they’ve always dreamed about. That ripple effect is something I’m proud of, and I’m incredibly thankful to each and every one of my clients for trusting me to be a part of their lives.

Beyond my work with clients, I’ve enjoyed volunteering at local elementary schools teaching financial literacy (my last session was with 3rd graders, man are they clever!). Helping kids understand the basics of money early on is incredibly rewarding, and I believe it plants seeds that can positively shape the way they make financial decisions for the rest of their lives.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Here’s my process leading up to and through career transitioning to financial planner… I’ve always been looking for ways to have direct positive impact on people’s lives. It started while I was working full-time at Ford Motor Company as a process engineer, I started researching ways to save money on our taxes and strategizing ways to make our money go further. I developed a passion for tax planning and started a small tax prep business at night. Helping friends, family, and coworkers showed me how much people needed honest, year-round financial guidance.
I realized I could provide far more value by helping clients proactively throughout the year, because there is very little you can do to reduce taxes after the year is over. That led me to pursue financial planning. So I researched and studied on nights and weekends to launch my personal financial planning business. Now I get to combine strategic, data-driven planning with helping people achieve their unique individual personal and business goals!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d start with exploring downtown Rockford! grab a coffee at Sweetland’s, walk/bike the White Pine Trail, get the absolute best freakin’ tacos at F n’ K Tacos in downtown Rockford (trust me, they’re a must)!

We’d spend a day in Grand Rapids hitting some of my favorite breweries like Founders, Brewery Vivant. I’d also walk them through the Downtown Market for cool shops and other places to eat.

For a beach day, we’d head to Tunnel Park Beach in Holland, perfect if you have kids and then hike some trails, see some sand dunes, or take them to Merrill Bike trails for some mountain biking that’s good for all skill levels through the woods and rolling terrain.

If they were up for an adventure, we’d head north to my family’s rustic cabin in northern Michigan for hiking, fishing.

Honestly, there is so much natural beauty and small town friendliness with great food all over west Michigan towns, so I’d try to hop around so they could experience as much as possible!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without a doubt, my first shoutout goes to my wife, Elizabeth. Her unwavering love, encouragement, and patience are the backbone that helps keep me focused and moving forward, especially on the hard days. She’s my biggest supporter and the voice of reason who brings me back to reality when my ideas and excitement are a little much. I also owe so much to both sets of my parents, who taught me the values of integrity, hard work, and perseverance that guide every decision I make. And finally, to my clients—thank you for trusting me with something as personal and important as your financial future. Your trust and partnership are the heartbeat of my work, and I’m honored to play a role in your journey.

Website: https://www.forfiduciary.com/meet-ethan-heiden

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanheiden/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/EthanHeidenFP/mentions/