Frequently Asked Questions

Our clients are people and families who want thoughtful guidance, value professional advice, and are willing to engage in the planning process. They want help making informed decisions about retirement, investments, taxes, estate considerations, and other important goals.

Our Johnstown office is particularly experienced in helping widows and widowers take the financial reins as life changes from “we” to “me.”

You do not need to have everything organized before we talk. For an initial conversation, it helps to be ready to discuss your goals, major questions or concerns, household income, current savings and investments, debts, insurance coverage, estate documents, tax situation, and any upcoming life changes.

If we decide to move forward, we will provide a tailored checklist for gathering account statements and planning documents.

Yes. We begin with a complimentary phone conversation to learn what you are looking for, why you are seeking advice, and whether Credentialed Wealth may be a good fit. If it makes sense to continue, we will schedule a meeting with a financial professional to discuss your situation and next steps.

There is no cost for the introductory conversation. You will not pay an advisory fee unless we both agree to work together and you sign an advisory agreement that outlines the scope of services and fees.

If we agree that working together makes sense, we will explain the proposed scope of work, fees, and next steps. We will then gather relevant financial information, identify your goals and priorities, evaluate your current financial picture, and develop recommendations based on your needs.

Before you become a client, we will explain the advisory agreement and provide the applicable disclosures.

Planning-only engagements may be available for clients who want financial guidance without ongoing investment management. The scope, deliverables, fee structure, and availability of a planning-only engagement will be discussed before work begins and documented in your agreement.

Not necessarily. We will review your complete financial picture and discuss which accounts should be included in planning and, when applicable, investment management. Some assets, such as employer retirement plans, pensions, annuities, employer stock, or other held-away accounts, may remain where they are while still being considered as part of your overall plan.

We begin by getting to know you, your goals, your concerns, and what matters most to you. Next, we organize and evaluate your current financial picture, identify opportunities and gaps, and develop strategies that work together across retirement, investments, taxes, estate planning, and other priorities.

We then help you implement the agreed-upon recommendations and revisit the plan as your life, goals, and circumstances change. Investing is an important part of financial planning, but it is one part of a broader plan designed to support your life and priorities.

We require at least one annual review to revisit your goals, planning priorities, investments, and major changes in your life. Additional meetings may be appropriate when you experience a significant transition, such as retirement, a job change, a business sale, a marriage, divorce, death in the family, inheritance, or major purchase.

We encourage clients to contact us before making significant financial decisions and whenever their priorities change.

We ask clients to be open about their goals, concerns, finances, and major life changes. Financial planning works best when we can see the full picture and when you involve us before making significant decisions, such as retiring, changing jobs, selling a business, receiving an inheritance, buying property, or making large gifts.

We also ask that you stay engaged in the planning process, provide requested information in a timely manner, and let us know when your priorities or circumstances change.

Our services may include comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, cash-flow and goal planning, tax-aware planning discussions, estate-planning coordination, insurance analysis, Social Security and Medicare decision support, education planning, and business or exit-planning guidance.

The services included in your engagement will be described in your advisory agreement.

We are a financial planning and wealth management firm. We begin with your goals, cash flow, taxes, retirement, estate considerations, and major decisions, then build and manage an investment strategy designed to support that plan.

Investment management is important, but it is one part of a broader planning relationship.

Our investment approach is built around understanding your goals, time horizon, risk tolerance, income needs, and the purpose of each account. We seek to use diversified, goal-focused investment strategies designed to support your plan.

We believe diversification can help manage risk by spreading investments across asset classes, sectors, and other investments that may perform differently in varying market conditions. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss.

Life changes and market volatility are part of the planning process. When circumstances change, we return to your priorities, time horizon, cash-flow needs, and overall financial plan. We help you evaluate the options, understand the tradeoffs, and adjust the plan when appropriate.

Our focus is on making thoughtful decisions based on your goals rather than reacting emotionally to short-term market movement.

Yes. We help clients evaluate and coordinate tax-aware strategies, estate-planning priorities, insurance decisions, Social Security claiming, Medicare considerations, and education savings.

When appropriate, we work alongside your CPA, attorney, and insurance professionals, with your permission. We provide tax planning, not tax preparation. We do not prepare tax returns, provide legal advice, draft legal documents, or provide legal representation.

Yes. With your permission, we can coordinate with your accountant, attorney, insurance professional, or other trusted professionals so that financial decisions are considered in the context of your complete plan.

You are always free to choose your own outside professionals.

We consider your full financial picture, including workplace retirement plans, pensions, annuities, employer stock, and other accounts that may be held elsewhere. We will discuss the role each account plays in your plan and whether changes, coordination, consolidation, or no action may be appropriate.

Credentialed Wealth charges advisory fees based on assets under management. The firm has a minimum annual engagement fee of $4,800, which may allow some clients to work with us for planning services even if they do not meet an asset-based fee level.

In certain circumstances, the firm or an associated person may also receive commissions or other compensation related to specific products or services. We will explain the applicable compensation, fees, and potential conflicts of interest before you make a decision.

Your specific advisory fee, billing method, and scope of services will be outlined in your advisory agreement before you become a client. Depending on your accounts and the services or products you choose, there may also be third-party costs that are separate from our advisory fee, such as underlying investment expenses, custodial charges, transaction costs, insurance premiums, tax preparation fees, legal fees, or product-specific expenses.

We will explain the fees that apply to your relationship before you make a decision.

Your advisory fee includes the services described in your advisory agreement. Depending on your engagement, this may include ongoing financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, tax-aware planning discussions, estate-planning coordination, education, and regular reviews.

Your exact scope of work depends on your needs and agreement. Certain third-party costs, products, and outside professional services may not be included in the advisory fee.

We do not have a stated minimum net-worth requirement. We do have a minimum annual engagement fee of $4,800. We will discuss whether our services, fees, and planning approach are a good fit for your situation before you become a client.

No. The introductory conversation and initial discussion are complimentary. You will not pay an advisory fee unless we both agree to work together and you sign an advisory agreement that outlines the scope of services and fees.

In certain circumstances, the firm or an associated person may receive commissions or other compensation related to specific products or services. Receiving compensation from a product provider can create a conflict of interest because it may provide an incentive to recommend that product or service.

We disclose material conflicts of interest and the compensation that applies before you make a decision. We will explain available options, applicable costs, and any relevant limitations so you can make an informed choice.

Like other financial services firms, we may have conflicts of interest related to compensation, custodial relationships, referrals, affiliations, or other aspects of our business. We are committed to identifying and disclosing material conflicts of interest and explaining how they may affect our recommendations.

When we provide investment advisory services, we act as fiduciaries and are obligated to put your interests ahead of our own. We will explain the scope of our services, fees, and material conflicts of interest.

Credentialed Wealth brings together professionals with experience in financial planning, investment management, coaching, and related areas. Credentials held by members of our team may include:

• CFP® professional, or Certified Financial Planner™ professional. This designation reflects education, examination, experience, and ethical requirements related to comprehensive financial planning.
• CFA® charterholder, or Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder. This designation reflects advanced study and examination in investment analysis and portfolio management.
• CEPA® professional, or Certified Exit Planning Advisor. This designation focuses on helping business owners prepare for and navigate business transition and exit-planning decisions.
• PCC credential holder, or Professional Certified Coach. This credential reflects coach training and experience through the International Coaching Federation framework.

Roy has worked as an advisor since 2009. He earned the CFP® certification in 2016 and the CEPA® designation in 2025.

Julian Heron first became an Investment Adviser Representative in 2012. He became a CFA® charterholder in 2021.

Ben has worked as an advisor since 2011. He earned the PCC credential in 2021.

Client assets are generally held with an independent qualified custodian, primarily Raymond James. The custodian safeguards assets, provides account statements, and executes transactions. Credentialed Wealth provides advice and, when authorized, manages accounts according to the terms of the client relationship.

As a Registered Investment Adviser, Credentialed Wealth may have the flexibility to work with other custodians when appropriate for a client’s needs.

You will receive account statements and other reporting from the custodian and may have access to account information through available online tools. During review meetings, we discuss progress toward your goals, portfolio activity, important planning decisions, and changes that may affect your plan.

Investment returns are only one measure of progress. We also evaluate whether your plan remains aligned with your goals, income needs, time horizon, and priorities.

We take the privacy and protection of client information seriously. Our privacy practices are described in our Privacy Notice and other applicable disclosures.

We encourage prospective and current clients to review our Form CRS and Form ADV for information about our firm and investment professionals. You may also research investment advisers through the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website and, when applicable, through FINRA BrokerCheck.

Your client relationship may include one or more members of the Credentialed Wealth team, depending on your needs, service arrangement, and location. We will explain who is responsible for your relationship, how to contact the team, and how we work together to support your planning needs.

We are available to discuss significant questions and life changes between scheduled review meetings. Clients may contact us by phone, email, or other approved communication methods. We encourage you to reach out before making major financial decisions so we can help you evaluate the options in the context of your plan.

Credentialed Wealth is committed to continuity of service. Our team works to maintain current records, planning information, and account documentation so clients can continue to receive support if an advisor is unavailable, retires, or leaves the firm.

We will communicate with you about any material change to your service team or relationship.

You may terminate your advisory relationship according to the terms described in your advisory agreement. We will explain the termination process, any applicable fee treatment, and the steps involved in transitioning accounts or records.

Financial planning helps you answer important questions about your money: Where is it? What is it doing? Why is it doing that? It brings together your goals, income, savings, investments, taxes, retirement plans, insurance, estate considerations, and major financial decisions.

A financial plan can serve as a guide for making informed choices, prioritizing what matters most, and stewarding the resources you have worked hard to build.

Many people are capable of managing parts of their financial lives on their own. A financial planner can provide an organized process, objective perspective, education, accountability, and coordination across decisions that are often connected.

Working with a planner can help you evaluate options and learn from the experience of professionals who regularly help clients navigate retirement, investments, taxes, estate considerations, and major life transitions.

No one can predict the future or know which investments will perform best in every market environment. Diversification spreads investment exposure across different asset classes and investments that may respond differently to economic and market conditions.

A diversified portfolio is intended to help manage risk, but it does not guarantee a profit or eliminate the possibility of investment losses.