• Do I need a certain amount of money to work with you?

    I keep the practice small and selective, so it is more about fit than a hard dollar cutoff. The work I do tends to make the most sense for people facing real complexity, a sizable inheritance, a concentrated stock position, or the sale of a business. If you are not sure whether you are a match, the first conversation will tell us both.

  • Are you a fiduciary?

    Yes. As a CFP® professional, I am held to a fiduciary standard at all times when I give you financial advice, which means I am obligated to act in your best interest, period. For the products where I earn a commission, such as structured notes and certain annuities, I tell you plainly and show you how I am paid. The duty to act in your interest does not change.

  • How do you charge?

    Most of what I do is fee-based, meaning I am paid a percentage of the assets I manage for you rather than commissions on what I sell. For certain investments, such as structured notes and some annuities, I earn a commission, which I disclose clearly before you decide on anything. You will always know what you are paying and why, up front.

  • What does your financial planning cover?

    All of it: turning what you have into reliable income, taxes, investments, estate and legacy questions, and the specific decisions tied to your situation. I build the plan around your actual life and explain every piece in plain language.

  • Can you coordinate with my CPA and attorney?

    Yes, and I prefer to. The best outcomes happen when your advisor, accountant, and attorney actually talk to each other. I handle that coordination so you are not the one relaying messages between professionals.

  • What is your investment approach?

    I build portfolios around your goals and your tolerance for risk, not a single model. Where it fits, I use tools like structured notes and other alternatives that can shape risk and return in ways a basic stock-and-bond mix cannot. These are not right for everyone, and I use them only when they serve your plan. I walk you through how anything works before you own it.

  • Do you do tax planning?

    Yes, and it runs through everything. I am not your accountant and I do not file returns, but I plan with taxes front of mind, when to realize income, how to handle a windfall, how to manage equity compensation, so you are not handing back more than you owe.

  • What do CFP®, CIMA®, and CPWA® mean?

    They are three of the more demanding credentials in my field, and most people have never heard of them, so here is what each one means for you.

    CFP®, Certified Financial Planner, is the broad one. I am trained to plan across your whole financial life, retirement, taxes, estate, investments, and how they fit together, and I am held to a fiduciary standard when I advise you.

    CIMA®, Certified Investment Management Analyst, is the investment one. It means advanced training in how portfolios are actually built and vetted, the same rigor used at the large firms.

    PWA®, Certified Private Wealth Advisor, is the complexity one. It means specialized training for the complicated situations that come with significant wealth, things like equity compensation, business sales, and layered tax and estate questions.

    Plenty of good advisors hold one. Holding all three is less common, and it is why I can handle the harder situations under one roof.