You have questions. We have answers.
Choosing a wealth advisor is one of the most important decisions you will make, and it is natural to want a sense of who you are working with before you pick up the phone. The team at Carson Wealth in Pittsburgh put together answers to the questions we hear most often, so you can feel confident before your first conversation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Carson Wealth Pittsburgh different from other financial advisors?
Carson Wealth Pittsburgh is a local fiduciary wealth management team backed by the resources of a national firm. Our advisors meet with you here in Pittsburgh, and behind them sits a full bench of tax, estate, insurance, and investment specialists most independent offices cannot staff on their own.
What clients tell us they notice most is the coordination. Your investments, your tax picture, your estate documents, and your retirement income plan are treated as one connected strategy rather than a set of separate conversations that never quite line up.
Our Pittsburgh practice is led by Managing Partner and Wealth Advisor Neal McGrath, AIF®. He is joined by Wealth Advisors James Kampetis, CFP®, who also serves as Office Manager, John McGowan, CFA®, MBA, John Graves, CFP®, Esq., Lindsay Graves, Esq., Brad Shermeto, CPA, CFP®, Mario Riccadonna, CFP®, EA, and Nicole Szakos. Between them the team holds CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, CPA, attorney, enrolled agent, and chartered financial analyst credentials, which means most questions get answered in the room rather than referred somewhere else.
Where are your Pittsburgh offices located?
We have two locations in the Pittsburgh area. Our main office is at 1 Bigelow Square, Floor 20, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, in the heart of downtown, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We also have a North Hills location at 7418 Brighton Road, Ben Avon, PA 15202, available by appointment only.
You can reach us at (412) 904-2017 to arrange a meeting at either office. If a drive downtown is inconvenient, the Ben Avon location is often the easier option for clients coming from the North Hills, Sewickley, and the river communities. We are also glad to meet virtually if that suits your schedule better.
Do you work with clients outside of Pittsburgh?
Yes. Most of our clients live throughout the Pittsburgh region, including the North Hills, the South Hills, Cranberry Township, Wexford, Sewickley, Fox Chapel, Mt. Lebanon, and communities across Allegheny, Butler, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. We also work with clients across the country through secure virtual meetings and digital tools. Distance has never been a barrier to the level of service we provide.
What type of clients do you typically work with?
We work primarily with individuals and families who want a coordinated approach to their wealth. Many of our clients come to us at a turning point, whether that is retirement, an inheritance, the sale of a business, or the loss of a spouse, and are looking for clarity and a steady hand as their financial life changes. Business owners, corporate executives, and recent retirees make up a meaningful share of the households we serve in the Pittsburgh area.
👉 If you are navigating a major life change, we invite you to connect
What should I expect in our first meeting with a financial advisor?
Our first conversation is a chance for us to listen. We want to understand your goals, your concerns, and what matters most to you before we talk about strategy. There is no pressure, no obligation, and no cost. Most first meetings run about an hour, either at our downtown Pittsburgh office or virtually. You do not need to bring documents or have anything organized in advance. It is simply an opportunity for you to get a feel for how we work and decide whether we are the right fit for you.
How do financial advisors at Carson Wealth Pittsburgh get paid?
Most clients pay a tiered fee based on the assets we manage on their behalf, with no long term contracts and no hidden terms. We are a fee based practice rather than a commission driven one, which means our compensation is tied to the value of your portfolio rather than to the products you buy.
Transparency matters to us, so we walk through exactly how we are compensated during our very first meeting. We think of every relationship as a partnership for the long run, and our goal is for you to feel informed and comfortable from day one. Please refer to our firm’s ADV Part 2A and your client agreement for any additional platform or strategist fees that may apply.
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes. Our team operates as a fee based fiduciary practice, which means we are legally required to act in your best interest rather than simply recommending products that are suitable. We are compensated based on assets managed rather than on commissions.
If you are comparing advisors in Pittsburgh, we welcome you to ask any candidate three questions: whether they are a fiduciary at all times, how exactly they are paid, and how closely they coordinate tax planning with investment planning. Those are exactly the questions we are happy to answer.
Can a financial advisor help reduce my taxes in retirement?
Yes, though taxes can never be eliminated entirely. Many retirees are not aware of how much unnecessary tax exposure can quietly erode their savings over time. Our retirement planning process focuses on modeling your future income, coordinating withdrawals across taxable, tax deferred, and Roth accounts, timing Social Security, planning around required minimum distributions, and evaluating Roth conversions in lower income years. The goal is to reduce your lifetime tax bill rather than just this year’s, so you keep more of what you have worked so hard to build.
Do you coordinate with my CPA or tax professional?
Yes, and it is a core part of how we work. Tax strategy and investment decisions are never treated as separate silos here. Members of our team hold CPA and enrolled agent credentials, which means tax fluency sits inside the planning conversation rather than outside it.
We collaborate closely with your existing CPA and estate planning attorney to keep every decision aligned with your broader financial picture, and we can draw on our firm’s national tax planning resources when a situation calls for deeper analysis. If you need a referral to fill a gap on your team, we are happy to help there too.
Do you work with individuals navigating a major life transition, like the loss of a spouse or a divorce?
Yes, and it is some of the most meaningful work we do. Financial uncertainty is hard enough without a major life transition layered on top of it. We provide steady, compassionate guidance and clear organization so you can feel supported and confident making decisions about what comes next.
Practically, that often means starting with organization rather than strategy: consolidating accounts, updating beneficiary designations and titling, rebuilding a cash flow picture around one income instead of two, and deciding what genuinely needs a decision now versus what can wait a year. We move at your pace.
Do financial advisors help with estate planning?
Yes, and we work hand in hand with your estate planning attorney to make it happen. Your attorney drafts the legal documents. We focus on aligning your investments, beneficiary designations, gifting strategy, and trust funding with your overall financial picture, then coordinate directly with your attorney so nothing drifts out of sync as your life changes.
Beneficiary designations are the piece most often overlooked, and they override what your will says. To us, estate planning is about more than paperwork. It is about protecting the people you love and preserving the legacy you have built.
👉 Let’s review your current estate plan alongside your attorney
Do you work with families on multigenerational wealth and legacy planning?
Yes, and it is one of the most rewarding parts of our work. For families with significant accumulated wealth, the question is rarely just how to preserve it. It is how to pass it on thoughtfully, minimize taxes across generations, and keep everyone aligned around shared values.
We help coordinate legacy strategies that may include trust structures, charitable giving, and family meetings that get the next generation into the conversation before they inherit rather than after, working alongside your estate attorney and CPA every step of the way.
Do you host free financial seminars or educational events in the Pittsburgh area?
Yes. We host complimentary educational seminars and client events throughout the year at venues across the Pittsburgh region, covering retirement income, tax planning, estate and legacy planning, and preparing a business for sale. These sessions are educational rather than sales presentations, and they are a low pressure way to get to know our team before you ever schedule a meeting. Seating is limited and registration is required.