About Me

Hi, I’m Michael Baer

I love getting the opportunity to forge genuine connections and transform client dreams into reality through personalized and thoughtful financial planning.

Witnessing their success and peace of mind is the ultimate reward.

(608) 977-4101

michael@forwardwealthwi.com

Let’s Chat

Michael Baer | Partner & Trusted Advisor

 Michael & his wife Cathy grew up in Madison, WI. Michael received an Economics degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1980 and has been a financial advisor since 1983. What does he do for fun? Hiking & weight training to try to stay in reasonably good shape and some gardening to be in touch with nature. Community service has always been a common thread. Michael has served on various boards and committees, including Big Brothers & Sisters of Dane County, Madison Area Crimestoppers, Madison Breakfast Rotary, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, and the Professional Advisor Council- Madison Community Foundation.

The reality is that Michael does not have a cornucopia of interests beyond his financial services practice. He is intensely dedicated to his clients and their financial futures. He takes pride in developing lifelong friendships with a majority of his clientele and very much likes to work with people that desire to help others.

Contact Michael today and begin your journey to financial clarity.

“Michael has been working as a financial advisor for many, many years and he is very knowledgeable of the entire, ever-changing financial field. Michael is patient, approachable, and always finds the positive. He helped me begin working on a plan toward retirement 20 years ago. I got started a little later in life and with not many extra funds, be he was always encouraging about my progress. Michael is interested in helping everyone, regardless of their situation, not just those who have a lot of money. He is truly dedicated to his profession, each of his clients and the community around him. I feel very fortunate to know Michael, to trust his judgement and recommendations and to call him a friend.” – Barbara G.

“We have been working with Michael Baer for 40 years. He truly listens to his clients and their goals without judgement. He cares about your family and your life; tailoring his recommendations so that you can meet your evolving financial goals as your circumstances change. Michael is very knowledgeable, professional, detail-oriented and extremely well organized. He is thorough in his research, analysis, and follow-through. We highly recommend Michael Baer without reservation.” – Joel & Kathy S.

“I started working with Michael shortly after I got my first professional job just out of college. What I immediately liked about Michael is his dedication to his community through volunteer work and philanthropy and his genuine interest in me, my work, and my family. Like most financial advisors, Michael offers clients a wide selection of investment options for wealth building that align with their accepted level of risk. What separates Michael from his peers is a strong focus on income and wealth protection, something young people joining the workforce typically neglect and many financial advisors ignore because wealth protection is often incorrectly framed as an expense and not an investment. Under his advisement, my wife and I built a significant retirement sum, a flexible cash emergency fund, and robust income protection. It is much easier for me to sleep at night knowing we can retire early, have large sums of cash reserves we can access in the event of an emergency, and that our children are protected in the event one of us sustains a serious injury or dies prematurely.” – Ethan A.

“We have worked with Michael for more than 25 years and have always found him to not only be competent and reliable in his expertise, but also impeccable in his attention to every detail. He has been extremely helpful in all aspects of our working relationship. He creates an atmosphere that includes lighthearted humor in the challenges of learning how to make sometimes tough financial decisions. We feel extremely fortunate to have had such a trustworthy person on our team.” – Kevin & Kathy C.

“Michael guided us through multiple big life transitions, including transitioning from school to the work force, job changes, and growing our family. He heard our goals, values, and anxieties. We feel wholeheartedly supported and confident in our financial plans.” – Ninah D. & Lorenzo G.

“Michael has been our financial advisor for over 30 years. In that time, he’s become a trusted friend who we’ve turned to for all our financial questions. His ability to listen, understand and provide sound direction are just a few of the many attributes that we appreciate about him. In today’s fast-paced world, most people are in it for themselves. Michael has never been about himself but always about what is most concerning to his clients and their family as it relates to their financial stability.” – Dale & Cheryl R. 

These testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other clients.

These testimonials are not indicative of future performance or success.

Meet our Team

Forward Wealth Management is a wealth-management firm that specializes in comprehensive financial advice for all areas of your life. You will find that we’re easy to work with and have an unwavering commitment to your personal needs.

William Gardner

Partner

Virginia Jensen

Financial Representative

Michael Baer

Partner