About William Ake

William Ake founded Van Ake Capital LLC, a registered investment advisor based in Winnetka, Illinois, in 2017. The firm specializes in covered call and portfolio hedging strategies.

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Bill uses options, primarily covered calls, to help clients potentially generate additional income from their equity portfolios. Rather than simply buying and holding stocks, he actively manages option positions around individual holdings to seek additional portfolio value. Bill also develops customized hedging strategies designed to help manage portfolio risk during periods of market uncertainty. Each strategy is tailored to the client's investments, objectives, and risk tolerance.

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Bill started his financial career in Chicago with Nuveen Investments in 1992. He began trading options in 1994 while working for Credit Agricole Futures, Inc. In 1997, he became a Director at Barclays Capital, where he managed the firm's twenty-four-hour trading desk, covering securities and options traded worldwide. From 2002 to 2009, he worked for the Ross Perot family investment office in Dallas, Texas, where he served as an analyst for the family's hedge fund portfolio. In 2009, he co-founded Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC, a registered investment advisor providing customized investment strategies for family offices, funds of funds, pensions, and endowments, where he served as COO and CCO. Bill received his B.A. from Hobart College.