Christian, faith-based financial advisor in Lancaster, PA
Faith is how I try to live and how I run this practice. Staying true to God’s word and its teachings is the example I try to set for my family, and it’s the standard I hold this firm to.
- Fee-only, with no commissions
- A fiduciary duty to you
- Fees published online
- You work with me directly
Not a label. A way of working.
Faith isn’t a product I sell or a label on a portfolio. It shows up in plainer ways: how honestly I talk about fees, whose interests come first, and how carefully I handle money that other people have worked a lifetime to build.
I’m Robert Reese, a Christian and the founder of Reese Legacy Capital, a fee-only investment adviser in East Petersburg. I work with families and trusts across Lancaster County, and you work with me directly, from the first conversation on.
How carefully I handle money that other people have worked a lifetime to build.
What faith-based means in my practice
Stewardship
The money I manage isn’t mine. I treat it the way a good steward treats anything entrusted to him: carefully, and with the owner’s goals in charge.
Honesty about cost
I’m paid only by my clients, as a percentage of the assets I manage. I don’t earn commissions or sell insurance or investment products. The full fee schedule is published, so you know what you’d pay before we meet.
Your interests first
As a registered investment adviser, I owe you a fiduciary duty. That’s a legal standard, and it’s also the way I’d want to be treated.
Giving as part of the plan
For many families, generosity isn’t an afterthought. If regular giving to church or charity matters to you, I’ll account for it in how your portfolio is managed, the same way I would any other planned withdrawal.
Thinking in generations
Most of my work is long-horizon. The goal is usually to provide for your own life and then pass on what you’ve built, along with the values behind it.
Passing on values, not just assets
For many Lancaster County families, the real question is what happens after them: a farm, a business, a trust for grandchildren. As a father, I know how much it matters that children inherit the values behind the money, not just the money.
I’ve written about that in faith-based legacy and farm succession planning. My role is the investment side, managing trust and family portfolios for the long run and working alongside your estate attorney and CPA. More on that is on the Trust services and Legacy Building pages.
What it means, and what it doesn’t
- Faith shapes how the firm is runHonesty, care and your interests first.
- The same fiduciary care for everyoneI work with anyone whose goals are a good fit.
- Portfolios built one family at a timeAround your goals, taxes and timeline.
- You don’t have to share my faithEvery client gets the same fiduciary care, whatever they believe.
- Portfolios aren’t screened by religious criteriaI don’t offer faith-screened or “biblically responsible” investment models.
- It isn’t a ministry or a sales pitchI won’t use faith to sell you anything, and our conversations about money stay about your goals.
Giving from what you’ve built
How you give can matter almost as much as how much. A few common approaches worth asking your CPA about.
| Approach | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Giving straight from an IRA | At age 70½ or older, a qualified charitable distribution sends money directly from your IRA to your church or another charity. | It isn’t counted as taxable income, and it can count toward your required minimum distribution (Schwab). |
| Giving shares instead of cash | Donating investments you’ve held more than a year, rather than selling them first. | It can avoid capital gains tax on the growth. |
| A steady pattern | For regular tithing or support, I can keep cash set aside in the portfolio on a schedule you choose. | Gifts don’t depend on what the market did that month. |
General information, not tax advice. Your CPA can tell you what fits your situation.
How working together starts
A conversation
We talk about what you have, what you’re trying to do and whether I’m the right fit. There’s no obligation.
A proposal
If it makes sense, I show you how I’d manage the accounts and exactly what it would cost.
The move
Accounts are held at Charles Schwab in your name. I coordinate the transfer paperwork with you. Here’s how moving your accounts works.
Common questions
What is a Christian or faith-based financial advisor?
There’s no official definition. For me, it means running the practice by the values my faith teaches: stewardship, honesty and putting clients first. It doesn’t mean selling faith-branded products.
Do I have to share your faith to work with you?
No. Every client receives the same fiduciary care, whatever they believe.
Do you screen investments by religious values?
No. I don’t offer faith-screened portfolios. Each portfolio is built individually around the client’s goals, taxes and timeline.
How are you paid, and why does it matter?
I’m paid only by my clients, as a percentage of the assets I manage. I don’t earn commissions on anything I recommend. Whoever you work with, it’s worth asking how they’re paid.
Can I give to my church from my IRA?
If you’re 70½ or older, a qualified charitable distribution can send money directly from your IRA to your church. It isn’t counted as taxable income and can count toward your required minimum distribution. Your CPA can tell you whether it makes sense for your situation.
Do you do estate planning or farm succession?
I’m not an attorney. I manage the investments and work alongside your estate attorney and CPA. The legacy and farm succession article explains how the pieces fit.
How much do you charge?
An annual percentage of the assets I manage, on a tiered schedule from 1.00% down to 0.60% as assets grow, billed quarterly in arrears. The account minimum is $250,000, which may be reduced or waived on a case-by-case basis. Fees are negotiable. See the full schedule.
Let’s talk about what you’re building, and who it’s for.
A first conversation is simply a chance to see whether we’re a good fit. You’ll talk with me, not a sales team.
This page is for general educational purposes and is not legal, tax, or investment advice. Reese Legacy Capital is a registered investment adviser in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For a full description of services, fees, conflicts, and risks, request Form ADV Part 2A.