Evidence‑based financial planning for people who trust data over rhetoric.

For scientists, pharmaceutical professionals and physicians — financial planning with every assumption written down.

Evidence‑based financial planning for people who trust data over rhetoric.

For scientists, pharmaceutical professionals and physicians — financial planning with every assumption written down.

Built for people who read the methods section first

I work with research scientists, pharmaceutical and biotech professionals, and physicians. People whose pay arrives in pieces — salary, bonus, RSUs, options, deferred compensation — whose careers move between companies, and who would rather see the assumptions than be told to relax.

See how I work

Why a scientist

Vivek Sharma, Ph.D., CFA®, CFP®, CIPM®

I know how scientists think and plan—because I spent more than a decade in drug discovery research after earning a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics. That means I understand not only the technical side of concentrated company stock, vesting schedules, and sudden program cuts, but also the way scientists weigh evidence, manage uncertainty, and make long-term decisions. Combined with the CFA®, CFP®, and CIPM® designations, Series 65, and Pennsylvania life and health licenses, this background lets me translate complex financial choices into clear, practical plans that fit a scientific career. I’ve been with Gwynedd Wealth Partners since 2013 and have no disclosures on Form ADV (CRD 6269307).

Situations I see most often

Your RSUs vest on a schedule you did not choose

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

The grant looked straightforward when you signed it. Four years later a meaningful share of your net worth sits in one employer, the stock has done well, and selling feels like a vote against the company you work for. The answer is a concentration limit and a diversification schedule agreed in advance, so the decision is already made when it is hardest to make.

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

Two or three employers in, the old accounts are usually still there, often in whatever the default fund was, sometimes with a beneficiary designation from a different stage of your life. Consolidating is not automatically the right answer — the old plan may have the better fund lineup, or rules that matter if you retire early — which is exactly why it is worth checking rather than assuming.

An offer that trades salary for equity

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

An offer that trades salary for equity

Moving from large pharma to a startup usually means less cash, more options, and a different kind of risk from the one you are leaving. The question is not whether the equity might be worth something. It is how much of your plan is allowed to depend on it and still survive the worst case.

What I do

Financial planning

Risk and insurance review

Investment management

Cash flow, taxes, equity compensation, education funding, retirement income and estate basics, assembled into one plan with the assumptions written down.

Investment management

Risk and insurance review

Investment management

Diversified portfolios matched to the plan, with results measured against benchmarks rather than feelings, and reviewed on a set schedule.

Risk and insurance review

Life, disability and liability coverage checked against what your plan needs. Insurance is something you may need; it is not something that must be sold to you.

How we work together

1. Introductory call, 15 minutes

What you are working on, what is keeping you up at night, and whether I am the right person to help. No cost, no obligation.

2. Discovery

1. Introductory call, 15 minutes

Your documents, your goals and the constraints you are working under, including the parts of your compensation that are hard to value.

3. The plan

4. Implementation and review

Best case, base case and worst case, with the assumptions written down so you can argue with them. If an assumption does not survive scrutiny, we change it.

4. Implementation and review

We put the plan into effect and revisit it as pay, markets and life change. A plan that is never revised is a hypothesis nobody tested.

What it costs

Financial planning fees

Investment management fees

Under $500,000 in assets — $3,000 per year
$500,000 to $1,000,000 — $1,500 per year
Over $1,000,000 — no separate planning fee

Minimums covering setup and about 12 hours of work. More complex situations are quoted before we begin.

Investment management fees

Accounts over $40,000 — 1.25% per year
Accounts under $40,000 — $500 per year minimum
Household minimum — $500,000 for ongoing investment management; planning engagements are available below that.

Custodian brokerage fees are charged separately by the custodian: 0.20% from $50,000 to $500,000, down to 0.08% above $3,000,000, with a $100 annual minimum and $3.95 per trade.

No surprises

Investment management fees

No surprises

Fees shown reflect the current Gwynedd Wealth Partners fee schedule and are quoted in writing before any engagement begins. Investment advisory services are offered through Gwynedd Wealth Partners, LLC.

10 questions to ask any advisor

Who this is for, and who it isn't

A good fit if

Probably not a fit if

Part of your pay arrives as RSUs, options, an ESPP or deferred compensation, and you are not sure how much of your net worth now rides on one employer.
You have changed companies at least once and left retirement accounts behind.
You want the assumptions written down, and you are willing to argue with them.
You want a written plan, or a managed portfolio, or both — decided separately rather than sold as a package.

Probably not a fit if

You are looking for someone to beat the market, or for a view on what happens next quarter.
You want to direct the trading in a managed account yourself.
You want a single product recommendation rather than a plan.
Your situation is simple enough that a few hours with an hourly planner would serve you better than an ongoing engagement. I would rather tell you that on the first call than on the fourth.

How to build a financial plan like a scientist?

Lab glassware and data displays around a dollar sign, a scientific approach to financial planning

Three habits from the bench that make a financial plan hold up.

Have a brutally honest null hypothesis. Start with the assumption you have to disprove. “If I do something different, I will not improve the probability of achieving my financial goals.” Rejecting it takes evidence — review the data, design the plan, test the scenarios, execute the strategy. A rigorous plan doesn’t assume success; it strives to achieve it.
Build your experiment with robust controls. How would you know whether the plan is working, or quietly drifting? Performance measured against a benchmark separates what your decisions did from what the market did. Having no plan is one control that you may already be running.
Always run samples in triplicate. Just like in a lab, no financial plan is credible without replication. Most financial lives are built on one set of assumptions: one income path, one market path, one retirement date. That’s not planning; that’s wishful thinking. A real plan tests best case, base case and worst case, so your future doesn’t rest on a single projection.

The full method, step by step, is on the Our Approach page.

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New articles, about once a month

Markets, equity compensation and planning, written for people who want the evidence rather than the hype. No sales pitches, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Investment advisory services are offered through Gwynedd Wealth Partners, LLC (GWP). Registered Investment Advisor registered in the state of Pennsylvania. Nothing on this website is intended to recommend any specific security or investment strategy. Our advisory services are offered only to clients with whom we have an advisory agreement and about whom we have gathered sufficient data concerning their personal objectives, needs, risk tolerance, and circumstances. Content on this website may include views that consider legal concepts and general taxation principles; however, we do not provide, and are not qualified to provide, anyone with legal or tax advice. We encourage readers to consult with their own attorney or tax professional to receive advice and guidance about their specific circumstances.

CFA®, Chartered Financial Analyst®, and CIPM® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Evidence‑based financial planning for people who trust data over rhetoric.

Evidence‑based financial planning for people who trust data over rhetoric.

Built for people who read the methods section first

Why a scientist

Vivek Sharma, Ph.D., CFA®, CFP®, CIPM®

Situations I see most often

Your RSUs vest on a schedule you did not choose

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

An offer that trades salary for equity

A 401(k) still sitting at a company you left years ago

An offer that trades salary for equity

What I do

Financial planning

Risk and insurance review

Investment management

Investment management

Risk and insurance review

Investment management

Risk and insurance review

Risk and insurance review

Risk and insurance review

How we work together

1. Introductory call, 15 minutes

1. Introductory call, 15 minutes

1. Introductory call, 15 minutes

2. Discovery

1. Introductory call, 15 minutes

1. Introductory call, 15 minutes

3. The plan

4. Implementation and review

4. Implementation and review

4. Implementation and review

4. Implementation and review

4. Implementation and review

What it costs

Financial planning fees

Investment management fees

Investment management fees

Investment management fees

Investment management fees

Investment management fees

No surprises

Investment management fees

No surprises

Who this is for, and who it isn't

A good fit if

Probably not a fit if

Probably not a fit if

Probably not a fit if

Probably not a fit if

Probably not a fit if

How to build a financial plan like a scientist?

Three habits from the bench that make a financial plan hold up.

Schedule An Appointment

Schedule an Introduction

New articles, about once a month

Contact Us

Get Started Today

Drop us a line!

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