ProsperiTea Planning

ProsperiTea Planning

ProsperiTea Planning was formed in 1994 when Wendy Marsden began preparing taxes from a home office while raising her children. She formalized the tax practice as Tea & Taxes and, after joining NAPFA in 2012, added stand-alone financial planning in 2014. By 2016 she had registered as an investment advisor in Massachusetts, bringing tax, planning, and portfolio management under one roof under the ProsperiTea Planning name. Samuel Plotkin joined later after merging his book of business from Clarity Wealth Management, bringing experience from Putnam Investments, Eaton Vance Management, and Wellington Management. The firm operates on a fee-only, fiduciary model — no commissions, no product sales — with fixed-price engagements disclosed in advance. Its service set is deliberately narrow: investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and tax planning and preparation, delivered as a bundled annual retainer. ProsperiTea Planning does not disclose public portfolio holdings or a stated asset-class mix, reflecting its posture as a private wealth manager for individuals, families, trusts, and estates rather than an institutional allocator. Geographic focus is local, centered on Greenfield and Western Massachusetts, with appointments available in-person and online. A team of seven professionals supports the practice. In addition to Marsden and Plotkin, staff include Client Support Associate Sara Helm-Wallace, Office Manager Adelle Ferreira, Paraplanner David Carnevale (CFA), and Financial Planner Mari Fries (CFP, EA). The firm maintains membership in NAPFA and the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners; it is registered with the SEC. No satellite offices, club memberships, or adjacent philanthropic vehicles are disclosed. ProsperiTea Planning's structural differentiator is the marriage of a CPA tax practice with a CFP-led RIA under a single retainer model. Most wealth managers separate tax preparation and investment advice; here they are deliberately combined into one engagement, with the firm explicitly stating it prioritizes deeply integrated financial services for a manageable number of clients over asset gathering or tax-prep-only relationships.