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Stephen Smalenberger, portrait

Stephen Smalenberger

Chief Financial Officer at Financial Design Studio

Firm officerUpdated

Stephen Smalenberger has been Chief Financial Officer of Financial Design Studio, Inc., a Deer Park, IL investment adviser managing $106M, since August 2019.

7
Years in role
$106M
Firm AUM
134
Firm clients
3
Firm advisers

From Form ADV filed 16 July 2026Form ADV

Career

Stephen Smalenberger is a control person of Financial Design Studio and directly owns between 25% and 50% of it. Stephen Smalenberger holds an Undergraduate degree in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University.

Financial Design Studio is an investment adviser based in Deer Park, IL, registered with the SEC since 2025. It provides financial planning and investment management. Its clients include high-net-worth individuals, individual clients and charitable organizations. Its regulatory assets under management total $106 million, as filed on 16 July 2026. Its fees, ownership and offices are on the firm’s profile.

Stephen Smalenberger is Tax Specialist and Chief Financial Officer of Financial Design Studio, which he and Michelle Smalenberger started in 2017. His years preparing tax returns and bookkeeping for corporations and individuals have shown him the importance of planning, and he helps families plan for financial success in Deer Park.

Key facts

CRD
5746997
Firm
Financial Design Studio · CRD 286686
Role
Chief Financial Officer
In role since
August 2019 · 7 years
Control person
Yes
Direct ownership
25% to 50%
Firm headquarters
Deer Park, IL
Individual registration
No current adviser record · SEC search
Disciplinary history
Not yet shown here · SEC record

Common questions

Where does Stephen Smalenberger work?

Stephen Smalenberger has been Chief Financial Officer of Financial Design Studio, Inc. since August 2019, and is a control person of the firm.

Source: Form ADV, Schedule A, filed 16 July 2026

How can I verify Stephen Smalenberger’s record?

Stephen Smalenberger’s role is listed on Financial Design Studio, Inc.’s Form ADV, which the SEC’s adviser search (adviserinfo.sec.gov) publishes under the firm’s CRD 286686.

Source: Form ADV, Schedule A, filed 16 July 2026

Leadership at Financial Design Studio

Sources

  1. IAPD individual lookup, CRD 5746997, checked 22 October 2026. This profile uses the Form ADV officer listing; the individual lookup did not provide a current investment-adviser record.
  2. Form ADV Part 1A, Schedules A and B of Financial Design Studio, Inc., filed 16 July 2026. Title, control and ownership bands.
  3. Financial Design Studio team page. Biography, education, credentials, awards and the portrait, reproduced for identification.