Who We Are

Patti Hughes, Principal of Lake Life Wealth Advisory Group, is a fee-only financial planner based in Chicago, who also serves clients working virtually across the country. She was named one of the best financial advisors in Chicago by Moneyunder30.com. She works with many clients that are just starting out who need help with budgeting, debt repayment, student loan advice, choosing funds for their 401K plans and saving for a down payment,  education and retirement. She also works with clients in their pre-retirement years with retirement and tax planning, and also assists them with estate and insurance planning, and helps them to transition into retirement by recommending the most tax effective strategies for taking distributions from their portfolio.

Patti has a certificate in Financial Planning from Northwestern University, a Master’s Degree in Accounting from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Western Illinois University. In addition, she is a Certified Public Accountant,  a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and a Registered Investment Adviser Adviser in Illinois.  Patti is also a Certified Student Loan Professional, and can create effective strategies for repaying student loans.

She is a member of the Alliance For Comprehensive Planners, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors ( (NAPFA) and the Illinois CPA Society.

Patti has a life-long passion for financial planning. She enjoys helping others better understand and organize their finances, then creates and assists in implementing a plan for them to achieve financial goals.

She created Lake Life Wealth Advisory Group so that she could act in the best interests of her clients.  She does not sell products or accept commissions or any outside compensation. Clients can rely on her to offer unbiased financial advice, as opposed to receiving sales pitches for unwanted or unneeded products. She does not have an investment balance minimum or try to "gather your assets". Instead, she uses the accounts you already have, or if these are not serving your best interests, assists you with opening a retail account for you at Vanguard to use low cost diversified mutual funds to achieve the appropriate allocation you need to achieve your financial goals.  You retain control over your money, so there is no need to move your accounts from your current custodian.  Patti provides comprehensive financial planning advice, as opposed to just managing your portfolio, and takes the time to understand your unique goals and how we can build a plan to help you get there.

As a fee-only financial planner, she does not receive commissions to recommend any stock, bond or mutual fund. She only recommends what is best for her clients based on their life goals, risk tolerance, personal and financial situation. She has a fiduciary duty to her clients.

After more than 20 years’ experience including positions in corporate accounting and finance as well as government and public accounting, she enrolled in the Certificate in Financial Planning program at Northwestern University and became a Certified Financial Planner™.  She followed her dream of starting her own financial planning firm to help people navigate through the many changes in life, including financing college for their children, planning for retirement and making decisions relating to aging parents. Her clients have sought her help because they wanted someone they could trust and who listened carefully, offered unbiased information, advice and guidance.

Patti’s goal is to establish long-term client relationships because comprehensive financial planning is a process, not an event. It focuses on client’s goals first, then integrates all areas of their financial life, recognizes how their beliefs and attitudes impact the financial decisions they make, and makes adjustments as circumstances change. 

All of the clients we serve have a desire to establish a long-term relationship with a trusted professional to provide objective advice to help them make informed decisions relating to their finances. They believe in using professionals such as financial planners, lawyers, or accountants to assist and advise them about such complex personal and financial issues. Most of the clients we serve lack either the time or experience to properly address their important financial issues. They prefer to delegate responsibilities and see the value in paying for professional advice and services.

Financial decisions become more complex as we approach retirement and accumulate more wealth. Our clients value their personal time and want to enhance their quality of life, which drives most of their financial decision making – especially in terms of planning for life in retirement.

Comprehensive financial planning services include retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, budgeting, insurance and investments. Lake Life Wealth Advisory Group LLC serves the Chicago area, but also works with clients virtually from all over the country. Please don’t hesitate to request an appointment with us or give us a call based on your location.

Patti lives in Deer Park, Illinois with her husband and golden retriever.  She has three grown children, and enjoys spending time boating in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where they have a vacation home.  She is an avid college football fan, and most Saturdays in the fall can be found at the Notre Dame football games.  In addition, she volunteers with PAWS Chicago, a no kill animal shelter, and at Launch U, providing financial planning services to urban scholars seeking solutions to fund their college education. She is also a member of the Policy Circle, a group committed to discussing policy issues affecting state and local government.

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