John W. Wierenga, II AIFA®, CKA®

John Wierenga is the Founder and President of Pilgrims Capital Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm that he founded in January of 2002 located just southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan in the city of Grandville. John is responsible for executing the firm’s business plan, overseeing the company’s operations, and for creating and maintaining all client relationships. He specializes in asset allocation and long term financial planning.

Professional Experience

John is a US Naval veteran and started offering investment advice shortly thereafter in June of 1990. His firm specializes in financial planning and asset management, fostering transparent relationships with all clients to ensure the highest standards are met as fiduciaries to both families and retirement plan sponsors.

Just a few years after returning home to Michigan, John started his financial services career as a licensed, captive agent for an insurance company.  John then worked as an investment consultant inside Old Kent Bank and Brokerage, where he took and passed the NASD/FINRA licensing examinations, Series 6, 7, 24, 63 & 65.  In 1995, he was hired by a national firm to build and manage investment programs inside smaller regional banks expanding to include several states in the Midwest and the South.  In late 1997, AmeriBank hired him to build an investment subsidiary.  John served as President of AmeriPlan Financial Services through late 2001, overseeing alternative investments through thirty locations.  In January of 2002, John started his own independent, fee-only registered investment advisory firm with the State of Michigan.

John is a member of Kingdom Advisors since 2005 and became a Qualified Kingdom Advisor ® in 2007. John earned his Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation from fi360® in January of 2013 and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA®) in March of 2015. John has also established an agreement with the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX) as a certified analyst to conduct fiduciary assessments of employer-sponsored retirement plans, pension plans and private foundations & trusts. He has also served in his community as board president for two non-profit organizations over the last 10 years.

John and Jill, his bride of 34 years, live in Byron Center, just south of Grand Rapids. John has four grown children. Outside of the office, John enjoys reading and loves experiencing  the four full seasons the state of Michigan brings each year by playing golf, gardening in his backyard and taking leisurely walks.