Crunching the numbers for your scenario. This should only take a moment.
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A CFA® Charterholder. A CFP® Professional. 100% Fiduciary.
Experience elite investment expertise and gold-standard financial planning — all in one advisor.
Quick premise: a "financial advisor" title can mean many things. Credentials and standards help you audit how advice is produced and whose interests it serves.
At my former firm, despite high ethical standards and good intentions, I was limited to offering three things:
That's it. Cookie-cutter. I have a CFA® charter. I have a CFP® certification. And I was handing everyone the same playbook.
I wasn't doing anything differentiated. I started to feel like I was breaking my own fiduciary promise—not because of bad intentions, but because of a limited scope.
Two structural changes eliminate the conflicts entirely.
This isn't a convenience feature. It's proof.
If I earned money by moving your assets, I would need you to transfer. I don't. Your accounts can stay where they are—so you can verify the relationship is advice-first.
It isn't a sales manager, a fund provider, or a shareholder.
It is you.
The Fiduciary Standard isn't just a badge we wear. It's the legal and ethical bedrock of our entire firm. No commissions. No hidden incentives. Just advice.
Most advisors are incentivized to keep your money. We are incentivized to keep your trust.
Think of CFA® charterholders as "investment specialists": valuation, risk, portfolio construction, and ethics— built for investment decision-making at a high technical bar.
Fewer than 1 in 5 candidates ever earn the charter.
Investing is not a guessing game. It is a discipline grounded in economics, quantitative analysis, and behavioral science.
The CFA charter is widely regarded as the "Gold Standard" of the investment profession. The curriculum covers over 9,000 pages of advanced finance and takes an average of 4 years to complete.
"The most respected and recognized investment designation in the world."
It's a credential with real friction: three exams, published requirements, and an ethics code. CFA Institute states charterholders commit to integrity and to placing the interests of clients above their own personal interests. [4]
Hard Skills & Rigor
The gold standard for investment analysis
Over 900 hours of study across three 6-hour exams—one of the most rigorous financial credentials globally.
Deep expertise in portfolio management, investment analysis, economics, and ethics.
Ethics Code: CFA charterholders must "act with integrity, competence, diligence" and "place clients' interests above their own."
CFA Institute describes the CFA Program as three exams covering investment tools, valuing assets, portfolio management, and wealth planning. [1]
Exam session time is approximately 4.5 hours per level (plus tutorial/breaks). [2]
Pass rates vary by level and window and are published by CFA Institute. [3]
CFA curriculum evolves, but the "shape" is consistent: ethics + quantitative thinking + deep coverage across major asset classes and portfolio management.
If CFA® is investment depth, CFP® is holistic planning—turning the math into a plan that fits a real life: retirement, tax strategy, insurance, estate, cash flow, and tradeoffs.
Your money doesn't exist in a vacuum. It exists to support your life, your family, and your legacy.
While the CFA ensures your investments are sound, the CFP ensures your plan is sound. We are trained in the Psychology of Financial Planning, helping you navigate fear and anxiety to make rational decisions.
We don't just plan for your money. We plan for your peace of mind.
CFP® is about building comprehensive plans—and doing it under a published ethical framework. CFP Board has reported the CFP® professional population surpassing 103,000 in 2024.[8]
Holistic Planning & Trust
Comprehensive financial planning expertise
Rigorous education covering taxes, retirement, estate planning, insurance, and investment management.
Required client-focused experience demonstrating real-world planning competence.
Ethics Code: CFP professionals commit to integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, and placing your interests first.
CFP® professionals are held to a professional code of ethics and standards of conduct. When providing financial advice, the CFP Board requires a fiduciary duty.
Alone, each credential is valuable. Together, they cover the two hardest parts of advice: investment decisions under uncertainty and planning that survives real life.
| Feature | CFA Charterholder | CFP® Professional | David (You) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Investment Analysis | Holistic Planning | Both |
| Exam Rigor | 3 Exams (18 hrs) | 1 Board Exam (10 hrs) | All Passed |
| Pass Rates | ~40-50% (Historic) | ~65% | Top Tier |
| Market Rarity | < 4% of Advisors | ~20% of Advisors | The Rare < 1% |
*Both designations require strict adherence to ethical codes and annual continuing education.
You get the rare advisor who blends analytic rigor with comprehensive planning.
From complex investment strategy to life planning. No need for a separate "investment guy" and "planning person."
Not just a marketing promise; it is embedded in the professional codes we are sworn to follow.
We don't rest on minimum licenses. We stay ahead of the curve with mandatory ongoing education.
No need for separate "investment person" and "planning person"—it's all integrated.
From complex investment strategy to holistic life planning—integrated, not fragmented.
Both credentials embed client-first obligations into their professional codes.
Ongoing education requirements ensure current knowledge, not outdated advice.
"The difference between advisors with top credentials and those without can be vast. Designations like CFP® or CFA signal a commitment to excellence that every client deserves."
Most advisors meet minimum licensing requirements. These credentials represent thousands of additional hours of study and demonstrated expertise beyond the baseline.
"If you hire investment professionals with a CFA, you… have confidence at the level of qualification."— Jenny Johnson, CEO/President, Franklin Templeton
"Trust me" is not a standard. A fiduciary standard is a constraint—an obligation—especially when markets are stressful and incentives are noisy.
The SEC has stated that an investment adviser is a fiduciary and must act in the best interests of clients.[9] CFP Board's standards also describe a fiduciary duty when providing financial advice.[7]
Many advisors market trust. This page documents constraints: the standards David is held to, the ethics he's bound by, and the process you should expect.
"A CFP® professional must act as a fiduciary and act in the client's best interests."— CFP Board Standards (excerpt)
Tip: Always ask, "How are conflicts identified, disclosed, and reduced?"
"Place the integrity of the profession and clients' interests above your own."— CFA Institute Code & Standards (excerpt)
Don't take anyone's word for it. Use official directories.
External sites are maintained by CFA Institute and CFP Board. Availability and results depend on their systems.
If your current advisor had to explain their strategy in writing—with assumptions, risks, and tradeoffs—could they?
Both CFA and CFP require adherence to strict ethical codes. As a fee-only fiduciary, I'm legally obligated to act in your best interest—not sell you products for commission.
AUM fees can be deceptively expensive over time. A flat fee can be simpler, more predictable, and less tied to portfolio size.
Use our calculator to see how the math plays out: the numbers are transparent, shareable, and hard to ignore.
Open the fee calculator →It's easy for any advisor to say "objective," "independent," and "unconflicted."
Here's proof you can verify: we don't require you to move your money.
Most major custodians offer broad, overlapping menus of low-cost ETFs and mutual funds. We build your strategy using what's already available where you invest—so you keep control.
Unconflicted advice means I can say things most advisors can't.
I don't earn a dime from what you buy—so I'll tell you when something isn't worth it.
Keep your custodian, your accounts, your broker. I'll work with what you have. That's how you know the advice is unconflicted: I have no incentive to move you.
No sales pitch. No upsell. Just the answer to your question.
You share your current holdings (statement/export). We review fees, risk, taxes, and what you're actually getting for what you pay.
We recommend specific, low-cost funds and ETFs available at your current custodian—without forcing a transfer.
You stay in control. We guide execution step-by-step and keep the strategy aligned over time.
No. Your accounts can stay with your current broker/custodian. That's the point—independence you can verify.
Most major brokerages offer broad menus of low-cost ETFs and mutual funds. If you're at a large, reputable platform, you're typically already in a great place.
No. We don't earn commissions and we don't get paid by what you buy. We charge a flat monthly fee, so incentives don't change based on your portfolio size or product selection.
Because it removes the most common conflict: an advisor who needs your assets on their platform to get paid. Keeping your assets where they are makes it easier to verify the relationship is advice-first.
