Awards, Recognition, Memberships & Designations

Mr. Schaffer has been recognized by Five Star as one of Cleveland's 2025 Five Star Wealth Managers - 12 years and counting.

This award was issued on 06/20/2025 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 11/27/2024 through 06/02/2025. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 1846 Cleveland-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 59 (3 % of candidates) were named 2025. 

Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. 
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James was named Notable Wealth Manageer by Crain's Cleveland Business in November of 2021 for the calendar year. The Crain’s Notable Wealth Managers 2021 Award is independently produced by Cleveland Crain’s Magazine and is based on recognition of individuals who stand out in the field of the wealth management community in Northeast Ohio who are helping clients achieve their goals in an often-shifting economic and regulatory landscape. Jim was nominated for the award.

Neither the advisors nor their parent firm pay a fee to Cleveland Crain’s for the nomination or receipt of the award. The award was independently granted and membership in an organization was not required. Working with a Crain’s Notable Wealth Manager Award recipient is no guarantee of investment success. James pays a digital licensing fee of $525 per year to use the logo. 

Our Mission is to be a valued, member-driven, international network of leading insurance and investment financial services professionals/advisors who serve their clients by exemplary performance and the highest standards of ethics, knowledge, service and productivity. Founded in 1927, Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) is a global, independent association of the world's leading life insurance and financial services professionals from more than 500 companies in 70 nations and territories.

The Premier Partners^(R) Program represents a superior level of achievement earned by financial professionals and field managers for their commitment to client services, professionalism and business production.

The Resource Group is an invitation-only, nationwide network of the top planners within Lincoln Financial Advisors. Amidst the many changes that can affect your financial situation - political unrest, regulatory changes and economic fluctuations, to name just a few - one thing remains constant: the greater the intellectual capital at your disposal, the greater the likelihood that the appropriate strategies can be implemented to help you toward meeting your financial needs and objectives.

Jim Schaffer is honored to be a member of The Resource Group, an alliance of top tier professionals within the Lincoln Financial Advisors organization, connected by a common link of membership, camaraderie and caliber. Membership in The Resource Group is by invitation only, which helps protect our reputation as having the best minds within Lincoln Financial Advisors.

By choice and with confidentiality, we share intellectual capital. We interact frequently through study groups and private conferences, constantly sharing ideas about new techniques and strategies. On behalf of our valued clients, we reach out to fellow advisors to learn what's new, better or different that we can offer you.

As a member of The Resource Group, Jim and his team looks forward to providing you service and solutions that are among the most cutting-edge in the industry

The Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) Designation is a professional certification that demonstrates an advisor or other person serving as an investment fiduciary has met certain requirements to earn and maintain the credential.

The purpose of the AIF^® Designation is to assure that those responsible for managing or advising on investor assets have a fundamental understanding of the principles of fiduciary duty, the standards of conduct for acting as a fiduciary, and a process for carrying out fiduciary responsibility.

Fi360 is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for the AIF^® Designation, making the designation part of an elite group of accredited designations recognized by FINRA. The use of the AIF^® designation does not imply that Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. or its investment Advisor representatives may act in fiduciary capacity for ERISA plans.

The Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^TM , or CRPC® program, is a designation for financial professionals. This program enables experienced advisors, who are focused on retirement planning for individuals, define a “road map to retirement.” There is a focus on individual clients’ pre- and post-retirement needs, as well as issues related to asset management and estate planning