06/05/2026
Feature Friday: Meet Michael Koler, managing family & finances with integrity 💵👩🏼🤝👨🏻
🏠 This family business started in the spare bedroom of the Koler home in 1972 as a way to pay for their four sons’ college educations.
🧮 At the time, Alex Koler was working as head mathematician at a Cleveland steel mill, and Donna Koler was busy raising the children, then all under age eight.
💼 Today, after 54 years in business and more than three decades in the City of Parma Heights, Koler Financial Group, at 6400 Pearl Road, is a full-service financial planning firm helping more than 3,500 clients with retirement, investment, tax management, insurance, and estate planning.
💬 “We’re very proud and happy with the business we’ve built helping people navigate life’s opportunities and challenges,” Michael Koler said. “We are a family practice and help our clients with retirement planning, and planning for other big life events such as weddings, or buying a home. Every family is different, and their needs are different. There’s no cookie-cutter answer.”
👥 Alex Koler served as President of the firm until his passing in 2017. Donna Koler at 83 remains active in the firm assisting clients with tax and financial strategies as Vice President of Operations. Jerry Koler has succeeded his father as President while Michael Koler serves as a Financial Advisor, and Vice President of Financial Strategies. Brother David is a tax professional with 28 years’ experience in Information Technology and now Vice President and a Financial Advisor. Rounding out the team is David Stollings, a Financial Professional who is the firm’s Vice President of Tax Strategies.
🎓 Both Michael and Jerry Koler started their careers with other firms before eventually joining the family business. Michael earned an undergraduate degree in Finance from the Ohio State University, and later an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He initially worked in banking before becoming a financial financial advisor.
🩺 “We both earned our stripes before coming into the family business,” he said. Initially, he wanted to be a doctor. But after one year of pre-med studies, he switched course. “Medicine didn’t seem to be the right fit (for me).”
❓ Does he think there’s a secret to success?
✊🏻 “It’s about hard work, persistence and being honest. It’s about building trust and really about relationship building. It’s about how we apply our skills and kindness to people. We’re all equal parts navigator, coach and guide to help people achieve their financial goals. That trust endures over time.”
👨👩👧👦 Michael Koler is a father of three with his wife of 37 years, Jayna. Daughter Alyssa is 35, and twins Lauren and Ian are 27. The pair are grandparents of three also: Parker and Scottie, both 23 months, and Lincoln, age 11 weeks.
For more information:
📞 440-884-7042
🌐 Kolerfinancialgroup.com.
