Frequently Asked Questions

These are a few of the benefits of partnering with Overture:

• Peace of mind from receiving independent, conflict-free advice from a fiduciary
• Expert financial advice from an advisor with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry
• Partnering with a wealth manager who is ultra-sensitive to minimizing drags on investment returns: transaction fees, fund expenses, and taxes
• An intentionally low client-to-advisor ratio to ensure exceptional responsiveness when time-sensitive needs arise
• The ability to pay a flat fee for holistic portfolio management—as your portfolio value presumably grows over time, the advisory fee you pay to Overture will not grow commensurately. This is very different from the more traditional “assets under management” (AUM) fee that many advisers charge.

As a fiduciary, we are legally and morally obligated to act in your best interest. This means our recommendations are always aligned with your financial well-being, not influenced by commissions or third-party incentives.

We work with a wide range of clients, including individuals, families, and small business owners. We work with clients who are both accumulating assets for retirement, as well as retired clients who are drawing from their investment portfolios. Our expertise particularly benefits high-net-worth and very-high-net-worth individuals seeking ongoing portfolio management and comprehensive wealth management.

Yes.  While Overture Wealth Management LLC is regulated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Banking & Securities, we are able to work in clients in 48 states.

Overture’s preferred investment strategy utilizes low-cost, commission-free Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and mutual funds to provide investment diversification. We use both passively-managed and actively-managed ETFs from Vanguard, BlackRock iShares, and Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), among other providers. When deemed beneficial to the client (e.g. for tax reasons), we may also retain a client’s existing mutual fund, ETF, and/or individual stock and bond investments.

No. You can elect to have both managed and self-managed investments. Additionally, Overture will not recommend moving investment accounts under Overture’s management when not deemed to be in your best interest.

We are solely compensated by the flat fee that our clients pay to us. We receive no commissions or incentives for any products or services we recommend, and do not receive referral fees from third party professionals (e.g. tax, estate planning, and insurance professionals) to whom we may refer you.

Your money is held by a third-party custodian whose primary job is to safeguard client assets. For Overture’s wealth management clients, Overture is only granted limited authority to perform transactions on your behalf. The vast majority of our client accounts are custodied at Charles Schwab & Co. Clients receive account statements and transaction confirmations directly from Schwab. Schwab also provides clients with secure online account access.

As with all financial advisors, more information can be found on the SEC’s website. Sean’s profile can be found here. Overture’s profile can be found here.

“CFA” stands for Chartered Financial Analyst and “CFP” stands for Certified Financial Planner.  “EA” stands for Enrolled Agent. These designations are awarded by the CFA Institute and CFP Board, and the Internal Revenue Service, respectively.

The CFA Program is a globally recognized, graduate-level program offered by the CFA Institute. It is widely considered to be the gold standard for demonstrating advanced knowledge in investment analysis and portfolio management.  The CFA charter is commonly held by mutual fund managers and institutional asset managers. To be awarded the CFA charter, charterholders must pass three rigorous exams and have 4,000+ hours of investment-related work experience. Additionally, charterholders must adhere to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

The CFP certification is widely considered to be the gold standard for financial planners.  The CFP Program is a multi-year, multi-step program offered through the CFP Board. It focuses on delivering holistic financial planning services, including investment planning, tax planning, insurance planning, and estate planning.  In addition to passing a rigorous exam, CFP professionals must have 2+ years of financial planning experience and must commit to following a code of ethics enforced by the CFP Board. CFP professionals must also meet ongoing continuing education requirements.

An Enrolled Agent is a person who has earned the privilege of representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service by either passing a three-part comprehensive IRS test covering individual and business tax returns, or through experience as a former IRS employee. Enrolled Agent status is the highest credential the IRS awards. Individuals who obtain this elite status must adhere to ethical standards and complete 72 hours of continuing education courses every three years.

Enrolled agents, like attorneys and certified public accountants (CPAs), have unlimited practice rights. This means they are unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can represent clients before.