If you're researching financial advisors and trying to understand the differences, these are the questions we hear most often. Honest answers, no jargon.
Fee-only compensation removes commissions and product-sale incentives from the advice we give. It does not eliminate every possible conflict — no compensation model does — but it removes the ones created by third-party payments, and our fees are fully disclosed in our Form ADV.
A Registered Investment Advisor owes a fiduciary duty to its clients under the Investment Advisers Act, and that duty applies across the whole advisory relationship. Broker-dealers are subject to Regulation Best Interest, adopted in 2020, which requires them to act in a retail customer's best interest when making a recommendation. The obligations differ in scope: Regulation Best Interest attaches at the point of a recommendation, while an adviser's fiduciary duty is ongoing. Compensation differs as well — brokers may receive transaction-based compensation, which we do not.
As a fiduciary, we are legally and ethically required to put our clients' interests ahead of our own — and ahead of our firm's. This obligation is enshrined in the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and enforced by the Securities and Exchange Commission. It means transparent fees, no hidden conflicts, and recommendations driven by what's right for you, not what's profitable for us.
We charge a transparent advisory fee, typically calculated as a percentage of assets we manage on your behalf. There are no commissions, no product-sale incentives, no hidden charges, and no payments from third parties. Our compensation is fully disclosed to clients at the outset of every engagement and detailed in our Form ADV, which is publicly available with the SEC.
We don't publish a hard minimum on our website. Whether a relationship makes sense depends on the complexity of your situation, the planning work involved, and the fit between our expertise and your goals. The best way to find out is a complimentary "Get Acquainted" call — we'll walk through what you're looking for and let you know honestly whether we're the right firm for the job.
Yes. While our offices are in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and Morristown, New Jersey, we serve clients nationwide. Most of our client meetings happen by video conference or phone, and modern custody and reporting infrastructure make geography largely irrelevant. We have clients across multiple states and time zones.
CFP® certification is awarded by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) to professionals who meet its education, examination, experience, and ethics requirements. To use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and CFP® marks, candidates complete coursework through a CFP Board Registered Program, hold a bachelor's degree, pass a comprehensive exam, and complete 6,000 hours of financial planning experience (or 4,000 hours through an apprenticeship path). CFP® professionals commit to act as a fiduciary when providing financial advice and complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years. The curriculum spans the full planning picture: retirement, tax, estate, insurance, investments, and education funding. At Skyview, Alex J. Potenza holds CFP® certification and leads the firm's financial planning work.
The Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) is an advanced credential awarded by Investments & Wealth Institute, designed specifically for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients. The curriculum covers advanced tax strategy, estate planning, equity compensation, asset protection, charitable giving, and the behavioral dynamics of multi-generational wealth. It signals depth in the planning issues affluent families actually face. At Skyview, Alex J. Potenza holds the CPWA® designation.
The Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certification is awarded by Investments & Wealth Institute and focuses on the investment side of wealth management: asset allocation, portfolio construction, risk measurement, manager due diligence, and performance evaluation. Candidates complete an executive education program through an approved provider, pass a four-hour proctored exam, document three years of financial services experience, and clear background checks. Certificants agree to the Institute's Code of Professional Responsibility and complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years. At Skyview, Alex R. Potenza, the firm's founder and President, holds CIMA® certification and leads portfolio management.
Client assets are held in custody at Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC and Charles Schwab — both Member FINRA/SIPC. Your accounts are in your name, at the custodian, with you as the legal owner. As your advisor, we have authority to manage the investments and execute trades on your behalf, but we never take possession of your funds. You can view account balances, request distributions, and verify activity directly through your custodian at any time.
Every relationship begins with a complimentary "Get Acquainted" meeting — no obligation, no pressure.
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