About Us

What to expect

As a financial planner and advisor, I work with clients to understand their financial goals and develop strategies to help them achieve those goals. I take a personalized approach to financial planning, recognizing that each client is unique and has their own set of challenges and opportunities. I want my clients to feel confident and in control of their financial lives.

Timothy Walt, CFP®

I am the founder of CVW Financial, LLC and my passion is working to make my clients’ financial lives less complicated.


I have lived a rich and varied life, with experiences that have given me a unique perspective on financial planning and advising.


To really understand who I am and what I’m about, I would point to two books:

Have You Filled a Bucket Today

  • This comes from my teaching days, but I’ve never come across anything that truly gets to the heart of what our interactions with others is all about.

  • In short, we all have an invisible bucket and when you are kind to a person, you fill their bucket, but that also fills your own. On the other hand, if you are not kind to a person, you empty their bucket, but also your own.
A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Best Investment Guide That Money Can Buy


  • This book taught me that there are the cold hard facts of investing, and then there is the theatre of investing.

  • The more complex the investment strategy is, the more likely you are dealing with theatre. That is, a money manager who is trying to justify their position (read: excessive fees)

Background

Tim has been many things in life, from a working and performing violinist to a carpenter, from a guitar player and teacher to a bartender. He was most recently an elementary school teacher for 14 years. All these experiences taught Tim to love the connections he developed to students, families, and colleagues. Tim also spent time as vice president of his 1,300 person educators' union. During that time, he chaired the negotiating committee and was lead negotiator for the teachers' contracts.

It was contract negotiations that spurred Tim's interest in financial planning. Spending time listening and understanding the needs of his colleagues and their families, then working out the details and language to achieve a contract that improved their lives was a deeply humbling and satisfying experience.
  • Bachelor’s Degree in history from UMass Amherst
  • Master’s Degree in Education from UMass Boston 
  • Certificate in Financial Planning from Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies. 

Education

Important to me

Outside of work, I am a devoted husband and father to two beautiful daughters. I also spend time with my dog, Chester, who is the "C" in CVW. Cooking and carpentry are two of my passions, and I enjoy spending time on projects around the house.

I also proudly volunteer as Chair of the Board of Directors for my daughter’s preschool. My favorite part of that is going in to visit all the little kids!

Tim has been certified for financial planning services in the United States by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. ("CFP Board"). Therefore, the individual may be referred to as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional or a CFP® professional and may use these and CFP Board's other certification marks (the "CFP Board Certification Marks"). The CFP® certification is voluntary. No federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold the CFP® certification. You may find more information about the CFP® certification at www.cfp.net.


CFP® professionals have met CFP Board's high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics. To become a CFP® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:

Education 

Earn a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university and complete CFP Board-approved coursework at a college or university through a CFP Board Registered Program. The coursework covers the financial planning subject areas CFP Board has determined are necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services, as well as a comprehensive financial plan development capstone course. A candidate may satisfy some of the coursework requirement through other qualifying credentials.

Examination 

Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess an individual's ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real-life financial planning situations.




Experience

Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process, or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.

Ethics

Satisfy the Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP® Certification and Former CFP® Professionals Seeking Reinstatement and agree to be bound by CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct ("Code and Standards"), which sets forth the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals. Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain certified and maintain the right to continue to use the CFP Board Certification Marks:

Ethics

Commit to complying with CFP Board's Code and Standards. This includes a commitment to CFP Board, as part of the certification, to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client, at all times when providing financial advice and financial planning. CFP Board may sanction a CFP® professional who does not abide by this commitment, but CFP Board does not guarantee a CFP® professional's services. A client who seeks a similar commitment should obtain a written engagement that includes a fiduciary obligation to the client.

Continuing Education

Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence, demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and keep up with developments in financial planning. Two of the hours must address the Code and Standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are you a fiduciary?

    Yes- both by law and by philosophy. What this means is that I need to put your needs ahead of my own. Non-fiduciaries only need to make sure that whatever products you buy are suitable for you, even if they are not the best or lowest cost.

  • How do you get paid?

    There are 3 ways that I can get paid and each one depends on client needs:

    Simple Fee Structure
  • What do I actually receive for a financial plan?

    This can depend on what your specific needs are. However, generally speaking, you will get: 

  • What is your investment philosophy?

    I build your portfolio based on many factors. For example: timeline, risk profile, tax situation, investing experience, to name a few. But generally, I favor certain principles:

  • What type of products do you sell?

    None. I do planning (think: putting the pieces of your financial life together) and advising (think: investments). Included in that are recommendations for products- life insurance, annuities, etc.- but I do not sell any of them. I want as few conflicts of interest as possible. By running my business this way, you know that the only incentive I have to recommend a product, is my belief that it is the best thing for you.

    Our Services

Let Us Help

Every client’s life and situation are unique and deserving of respect and careful consideration. We seek clients who are serious about taking control of their finances and are ready to work collaboratively towards their goals.
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