Sage Financial Advisors

Alan P. Whitman, Chairman and CEO, leads the firm's investment process. He is a CPA and Personal Financial Specialist, which shapes Sage's emphasis on tax-integrated portfolio construction. The firm operates as a discretionary manager, meaning Sage selects and manages securities directly on behalf of its clients under its fiduciary obligation.

Yes. Sage operates as a registered investment advisor, which legally binds the firm to a fiduciary duty for every client relationship. This means Sage must place client interests ahead of its own and disclose any conflicts of interest — a higher standard than the suitability requirement that applies to broker-dealers.

Sage operates on a fee-only basis, according to its RIA structure. Revenue comes from asset-based fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management and fixed planning fees, not from commissions or product sales. This compensation model removes the incentive to recommend investment or insurance products that pay a third-party commission.

Tax integration is central to Sage's investment methodology, reflecting the CPA background of its founder. The firm uses tax-loss harvesting to offset realized gains, asset location to place tax-inefficient securities in retirement accounts, and coordinates with clients' CPAs on multi-year tax planning. For business owners, Sage advises on qualified retirement plan structures like cash-balance plans that allow substantially higher pre-tax contributions than conventional 401(k) plans.

Sage serves both individual high-net-worth families and institutional clients, though its primary practice centers on personal wealth management. The firm structures its portfolios as separately managed accounts, not pooled vehicles, allowing each client's tax situation, liquidity needs, and investment policy to drive individual security selection.