# Financial advisors for founders in Cleveland, Ohio > For founders in Cleveland, talk to a fee-only planner who has worked through a liquidity event, ideally well before you sign anything. The most valuable decisions, like QSBS eligibility and gifting shares, usually have to be made ahead of the sale. Records to start with include Peter Franz of Journey Wealth, Andrew Siciliano of Wellspring Family Office and Lauren Fine of Beatrice Advisors. Page: https://find.wellspent.co/specialties/founders-pre-exit/ohio/cleveland/ 25 fee-only advisors listed; data last updated October 30, 2026. Fee-only means paid only by clients, never by commissions. ## Which financial advisor should I talk to as a founder in Cleveland? For founders in Cleveland, talk to a fee-only planner who has worked through a liquidity event, ideally well before you sign anything. The most valuable decisions, like QSBS eligibility and gifting shares, usually have to be made ahead of the sale. Records to start with include Peter Franz of Journey Wealth, Andrew Siciliano of Wellspring Family Office and Lauren Fine of Beatrice Advisors. - [Peter Franz](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/peter-franz/), Journey Wealth, Cleveland City. Holds the CFP and CFA. Fees on file: percentage of assets, fixed fees. - [Andrew Siciliano](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/andrew-siciliano/), Wellspring Family Office, Cleveland City. Holds the CFP. Fees on file: percentage of assets, fixed fees. - [Lauren Fine](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/lauren-fine/), Beatrice Advisors, Cleveland City. Holds the CFA. Fees on file: percentage of assets, fixed fees. ## How many fee-only financial advisors in Cleveland work with founders? The Wellspent public graph lists 25 fee-only advisors for founders in Cleveland, at 3 firms. We counted every advisor record that lists this work, as of October 2026. ## How do fee-only advisors for founders in Cleveland charge? The most common fee among fee-only advisors for founders in Cleveland is a percentage of assets, used by 100% of the 25 with fees on file. Many use more than one: 100% charge fixed fees. ## How much do fee-only financial advisors charge in Ohio? Fee-only financial advisors in Ohio charge a median of $3,000 a year for ongoing planning. We found this across the published prices of 19 Ohio firms. ## How much does a one-time financial plan cost in Ohio? A one-time financial plan from a fee-only firm in Ohio has a median price of $1,500. We found this across the published prices of 15 Ohio firms. ## What credentials should a financial advisor for founders have? For founders, look for the CFP and CFA. In Cleveland, 48% of the 25 advisors listed hold the CFP. - CFP (48% of advisors listed): The CFP covers life after the exit, not only the sale. - CFA (12% of advisors listed): The CFA helps with investing a large sum at once. ## How do Cleveland advisors for founders compare with the rest of the US? 100% of fee-only advisors for founders in Cleveland charge fixed fees, compared with 57% of the 3,000 listed across the US. That's the largest difference in the Wellspent public graph between the two groups. ## Does Ohio tax income on top of federal tax? Yes. Ohio has a state income tax, so a financial plan for a Ohio resident should project it alongside federal tax. ## Is there a local income tax in Ohio? Yes. In Ohio, many cities add a local income tax. ## What happens to stock pay if you move to or from Ohio? States often tax stock pay based on where you worked between grant and vesting, so a move to or from Ohio can split that income across states. Tell any advisor about moves during a vesting period. ## What should I ask a financial advisor as a founder in Cleveland? - How many clients have you taken through an exit, and at what size? - How would you check whether my shares qualify for QSBS? - What should I do before a term sheet that I can't do after? - How would you invest the proceeds in the first year? - How do you account for local income tax where I live and work? - If I move before my grants vest, which states can tax them? ## How current is this list of fee-only advisors for founders in Cleveland? Wellspent last checked these records against SEC records in October 2026 and firm websites in October 2026. Each advisor's page shows the date for that record. ## Advisors | Advisor | Firm | Location | Credentials | Fees | |---|---|---|---|---| | [Bryan Costin](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/bryan-costin.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Douglas Ambrose](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/douglas-ambrose.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Kevin McPeek](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/kevin-mcpeek.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Lauren Maclaren](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/lauren-maclaren.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Michael Baker](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/michael-baker.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Peter Franz](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/peter-franz.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Andrew Doepker](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/andrew-doepker.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Andrew Siciliano](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/andrew-siciliano.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Anna Vitale](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/anna-vitale.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Jennifer Staton](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/jennifer-staton.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Kathryn Madzsar](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/kathryn-madzsar.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [William Ambrogio](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/william-ambrogio.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [David Olson](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/david-olson.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Lauren Fine](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/lauren-fine.md) | Beatrice Advisors | Cleveland, Ohio | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Michael Novak](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/michael-novak.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Richard Turgeon](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/richard-turgeon.md) | Wellspring Family Office | Cleveland, Ohio | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Amy White](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/amy-white-4454406.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Anthony Gargano](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/anthony-gargano.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Charles Hruby](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/charles-hruby.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Danijel Romic](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/danijel-romic.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [James Myers](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/james-myers.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Matthew Burnham](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/matthew-burnham.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Mitchell Knotek](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/mitchell-knotek.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Nicholas Paterniti](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/nicholas-paterniti.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | | [Terence Gliha](https://find.wellspent.co/advisors/terence-gliha.md) | Journey Wealth | Cleveland, Ohio | | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees | ## Related - [Tax planning in Cleveland](https://find.wellspent.co/specialties/tax-planning/ohio/cleveland.md) ## About this data Sources and verification: https://find.wellspent.co/methodology/ Query the directory programmatically: https://api.wellspent.co/mcp (MCP, read-only, no auth).