Financial planner FAQs
About the Relationship
These are worth asking anyone you’re considering, including me.
How will you account for my entire tax picture?
Are you a fiduciary for the entire relationship, or only parts of it?
How are you compensated, in full detail?
Who looks after my investments day to day?
How do you make investment decisions, and how often do you trade?
Clear, specific answers are a good sign.
Chestnut Beach Wealth looks after the full picture, not just a portfolio.
I spent over two decades inside institutional capital markets, trading fixed-income and equity derivatives for pension funds, insurance companies, and hedge funds. That shapes how I think about risk, time horizons, and portfolio construction.
I also face the same complexity my clients do: brokerage accounts, rental properties, private real estate, venture investments, and retirement accounts.
Yes. Chestnut Beach Wealth is a fee-only fiduciary financial planning and investment management firm based in Wilmette, Illinois. I am paid only by my clients, not through commissions, product sales, or third-party incentives.
As a fiduciary, I am legally and ethically obligated to place your interests first in every recommendation.
Chestnut Beach Wealth works with individuals and families whose financial lives have become complex. This often includes:
The common thread is a need for structure and a trusted partner for the decisions ahead.
This is one of the most important questions I ask.
We build a “just in case” file that shows where accounts are held and how to access them, so your spouse or partner could open it and understand it.
I include both partners in our conversations, even when one has traditionally handled the finances. I want your spouse or partner to feel prepared.
This is personal. I watched my own mother sit through a financial conversation she didn’t understand and ask, “Am I going to be okay?” I built this part of my practice so no one I work with has to ask that question alone.
At Chestnut Beach Wealth, you work directly with me. I handle the planning, look after the investments, and take your calls. I keep the practice small by design, so each family gets full attention and access.
Chestnut Beach Wealth starts with a complimentary 20 to 30 minute fit conversation. No preparation needed. We talk through your situation and whether a 60 Minute Call, a Build Your Wealth System plan, or Ongoing Advisory fits best.
With a Build Your Wealth System plan, you can implement it yourself or move to Ongoing Advisory.
If we’re not the right match, I’ll try to refer you to another planner.
Not necessarily. Some Chestnut Beach Wealth relationships begin with planning only. Others include investment management through Ongoing Advisory, and some clients move assets over time.
The structure follows the work, and we decide together what makes sense.
About the Work
At Chestnut Beach Wealth, investment decisions are made within the structure of your life. First we define what each portion of your capital needs to do and over what time horizon.
Your capital is organized into three buckets: read the full framework →
Portfolios are then built to be tax-aware, low-cost, and durable across market cycles. My focus is structure over performance, with infrequent trading, so you can take the risk needed for growth and keep your peace of mind when markets get volatile.
Yes. Chestnut Beach Wealth works with clients who hold concentrated stock, RSUs, ISOs, or other equity compensation, where timing and tax strategy matter. The same is true for business owners approaching a sale, where the year or two before a liquidity event often matters most.
I coordinate closely with your CPA and attorney so decisions are made with the full picture in view, before they become irreversible.
Chestnut Beach Wealth does not practice law or provide legal advice, and I’m not an attorney. I make sure your estate plan gets built, reviewed, and connected to the rest of your financial life.
For eligible clients, I coordinate with digital estate planning platforms like EncorEstate Plans or Wealth.com. They create wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, validated in accordance with your state’s laws.
I act as your accountability partner, keeping the timeline moving and aligning your estate plan with your investment and tax strategy.
If your situation is more complex, I’ll tell you directly and help you find the right attorney.
About Fees
At Chestnut Beach Wealth, every dollar I earn comes directly from you. Financial planning is a flat fee. Investment management is a tiered annual fee based on assets. See Services & Fees for details.
Want more detail? See how we work and what it costs on Services & Fees, or read my Insights.
