COMMON QUESTIONS
Everything you
should know
before we talk.
Most people come to an introductory call with the same questions. We've answered them here so you can decide whether Harvard Wealth Management is the right fit before we ever get on the phone.
CREDENTIALS
Understanding our
qualifications.
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A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a licensed accounting professional who has passed the CPA Exam — one of the most rigorous professional credentialing exams in any field — and met their state's education and experience requirements. CPAs are licensed by their state board and are held to strict ethical and continuing education standards.
CPAs specialize in tax planning, tax preparation, accounting, and financial analysis. In the context of wealth management, a CPA brings a deep understanding of how tax law intersects with financial decisions — something most financial advisors simply don't have. When your advisor is also a CPA, every investment recommendation, every retirement withdrawal, every planning conversation is informed by a real understanding of your tax picture.
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The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) designation is the highest standard of competency in personal financial planning. Earning the CFP® requires completing an extensive education program, passing a comprehensive board exam, accumulating at least 6,000 hours of professional experience, and agreeing to ongoing ethics requirements and continuing education.
The CFP® curriculum covers financial planning, investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, and risk management — providing a broad, holistic framework for advising clients on their entire financial life. Together, the CPA and CFP® designations mean your advisor has deep expertise in both the tax side and the planning side of your financial picture — not just one or the other.
Most advisors hold one or the other. Very few hold both. At Harvard Wealth Management, Jake holds both — which means your tax strategy and your financial plan are built together from the start, not patched together after the fact.
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A fiduciary is legally and ethically required to act in your best interest at all times — not just sometimes, not only when it's convenient, and not just on certain types of accounts. This is a higher standard than the "suitability" standard that many advisors at large banks and brokerage firms operate under.
Under a suitability standard, an advisor only needs to recommend products that are suitable for you — not necessarily the best option available. A fiduciary must recommend what is genuinely in your best interest, with full transparency about any potential conflicts. Harvard Wealth Management is regulated solely as a fiduciary, with no ability to toggle between standards depending on the product or situation.
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Not at all — and we want to be upfront about that.
Many of our clients have a CPA they've worked with for years and trust completely, and we'd never ask you to change that. When that's the case, we simply coordinate with your existing CPA as needed to make sure your tax picture and financial plan are working together, not in silos.
That said, we'll be honest: the clients who tend to get the most out of this relationship are the ones where tax planning and wealth management live under the same roof. It's one of the things that genuinely sets us apart in this area — and a meaningful advantage when it applies. But it's never a requirement.
Whether you want full integration or simply a sharp, fiduciary wealth manager who thinks like a CPA, you're in the right place either way.
FEES & COMPENSATION
How we're paid —
and how we're not.
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We charge a single, tiered advisory fee based on the assets we manage for you — nothing more. That fee covers everything: investment management, comprehensive financial planning, tax strategy, retirement planning, estate coordination, and ongoing advisory access.
Our fee schedule is tiered so your effective rate declines as your assets grow — 1.00% on the first $1,000,000, 0.80% on assets between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000, and 0.60% on assets above $5,000,000. Fees are billed quarterly in arrears.
There are no separate planning fees, no hourly charges, and no fees for calls or meetings. The advisory fee is the only fee.
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Fee-only means we are compensated solely by our clients — never by commissions, product sales, referral arrangements, or any third-party payment. If we recommend an investment, an insurance product, or any financial solution, we earn nothing from that recommendation beyond the advisory fee you already pay.
This matters because commission-based compensation creates a subtle but real conflict of interest. When an advisor earns more from recommending one product over another, it's reasonable to wonder whether that recommendation is truly in your best interest. Fee-only compensation eliminates that conflict entirely. Our only financial incentive is to help your wealth grow — because that's the only way ours does.
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No. Financial planning and tax strategy are not add-ons at Harvard Wealth Management — they are the relationship. Every client receives comprehensive financial planning, year-round tax strategy, retirement income planning, estate coordination, and ongoing advice as part of the advisory fee. You will never receive a separate bill for a meeting, a question, a planning review, or a tax planning conversation.
WORKING TOGETHER
What the relationship
actually looks like.
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We primarily work with three types of clients: business owners who are building toward an eventual exit and want their personal and business finances coordinated; pre-retirees and retirees who want a clear, tax-smart income strategy for the years ahead; and individuals whose financial life has always been managed in pieces — an advisor and a CPA who've never spoken — and who are ready for one trusted relationship that sees the whole picture.
We are based on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, and serve clients nationwide.
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The first step is a short introductory call — typically 20 to 30 minutes — where we get to know your situation and determine whether we're the right fit for each other. There is no cost and no obligation.
If there's mutual interest, we'll schedule a Financial Clarity Meeting — a more in-depth conversation where we analyze your financial picture and walk through our findings. This is also free of charge. From there, if you'd like to become a client, we'll outline the next steps together. You can request an introductory call directly from our website at any time.
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Both. Our office is on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, and have deep roots in the local community. We also serve clients nationwide — the nature of financial planning and investment management lends itself well to a remote relationship, and many of our clients prefer the flexibility of virtual meetings.
Whether you're local or across the country, you'll receive the same depth of service, the same proactive communication, and the same integrated approach to planning.
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Client assets are held at Charles Schwab, one of the largest and most reputable independent custodians in the country. This means your assets are never held by Harvard Wealth Management directly — they remain in your name, at a third-party institution you can access independently at any time.
Using an independent custodian like Schwab is a standard best practice in fee-only advisory relationships. It provides an additional layer of transparency, oversight, and security for your assets.
Still have a question? Just ask.
The best way to get your questions answered is a short introductory call. There's no cost, no obligation, and no pressure — just a straightforward conversation about whether we're the right fit for your situation.