Sustainability Investing

& Holistic Financial Planning

for you.

On Wall Street and in our oceans, there are many whales and sharks, but the Whale Shark does things differently.

They move peacefully and deliberately through open waters, becoming the biggest fish in the sea.

Our Guiding Principles

  • We believe finance is a tool for building a fair and sustainable future.

  • We are committed to building meaningful relationships and engaging in meaningful work.

  • We are curious, open-minded, and always learning.

  • The future is uncertain. Therefore, we must be deliberate about planning, processes and thinking rationally.

  • Alignment is important everywhere, especially with our clients, the businesses we own, and the values we hold.

  • Truth and transparency are integral to effective communication and successful decision-making.

  • We aspire to mindfulness in all we do.

  • We give, help, and get involved even if it is not in our economic interest to do so.

  • Our profits must be the result of adding value to our clients’ lives and the returns on our investments must be the result of societal value creation.

  • Sustainability means eliminating waste.

The Whale Shark Way

  • The Power of Planning & Process

    Our lives involve a fair bit of randomness, risk and luck. We must be deliberate about what we can control. We recognize the importance of holistic planning, maintaining processes and thinking rationally. Our goal is to build a meaningful relationship as a trusted advisor, and be available whenever you need help.

  • Sustainability Finance

    Our investment management process integrates sustainability & fairness into sophisticated and customized client portfolios. We believe owning companies with long-term, sustainable competitive advantages will allow us and our world to prosper.

  • Financial Contentment

    Modern finance is complicated. It is often difficult to know what is going on, and what, if anything, we should be doing about it.

    That’s why we focus on helping our clients understand their current situation, create a holistic and resilient plan for the future, and implement the optimal investment policy.

  • Fee-Only & Fiduciary

    Our business model is designed to maximize alignment with your goals.

    We act as a fiduciary, meaning we always act in your best interests. Many are surprised to learn that this is not the norm in the financial services industry.

    We are what is known as a fee-only firm, meaning we only accept compensation from our clients, never commissions from third parties. We believe you work for who pays you. Beware of a free lunch.

 

Meet the Founder

  • Eddie Ledermann

    FOUNDER

    It all began with one share of stock when I was twelve years old. Then it turned into a degree in finance and an internship at a brokerage firm. That wasn’t enough, so I went back to get my MBA and acted as the graduate assistant to the finance faculty. (And if you are looking for a fascinating conversation, ask me about my thesis, the statistical analysis of the Four Factor Performance of Financial Services Mutual Funds during the Great Financial Crisis). In addition to indulging my curiosity in the field of finance, I also earned a degree studying German literature and philosophy. (The source of many more fascinating conversations!) And all this time, I have read so many great books. On top of that, I have also worked as the financial manager of many unique organizations, ranging from a worker-owned bakery to a multinational machine tool manufacturer. All of this education and experience brought to me the opportunity to help people with their financial lives by founding Whale Shark Financial in 2017.

 

Interesting facts about Whale Sharks

  1. Largest fish in the sea

  2. Can grow to 40ft long

  3. Slow moving filter feeders

  4. No one knows where they are born