A small firm, on purpose
Heritage Wealth is an independent financial advisory firm in Naperville, Illinois, for people approaching and in retirement. We coordinate financial planning, investment management and tax planning under one roof.
It is deliberately small. The person who builds your plan is the person who answers the phone, and that is not a stage we are trying to grow out of.
What small actually buys you
- You work with the person who wrote your plan. Questions do not go to a service team.
- Nothing is handed off in the middle. Whoever knows your situation in March is the one who knows it in November.
- A plan can be genuinely specific. A household with a pension, a rental and a business sale does not have to be made to fit a standard template.
- Answers come back quickly, which is most of what people actually notice.
Small should not mean single-handed. The portfolio research, the tax preparation and the guaranteed-income work each sit with a named specialist who does that work for a living, and each of them runs a practice of their own.
The advisor you'd work with
David Fortosis, CFP®
Founder and lead advisor
David writes the plan and sits in the meetings. Fourteen years in the industry, six of them at one of its largest investment and insurance firms, before he started this one in 2019.
The part he is good at is the part that usually gets handled in pieces — investments, Social Security timing, taxes, Medicare, long-term care — and specifically how each of those changes the others. That is also the argument for having one person responsible for all of it.
More about David
David founded Heritage Wealth in 2019 to do financial planning the way he always believed it should be done: with clarity, with candor, and with the client's interests genuinely first. He brings 14 years of industry experience, including six years at one of the industry's largest investment and insurance firms before striking out to build something more personal.
What David loves most is solving the "retirement puzzle" — the challenge of fitting together the pieces that too often get handled in isolation. Investments, Social Security timing, tax planning, Medicare, long-term care: each affects the others, and getting them to work in concert is where real retirement confidence comes from. David's role is to see the whole picture and help clients move from uncertainty to a clear, coordinated plan.
Outside the office, David is a father of three daughters and a high school soccer coach. He studied business at Calvin University, where he captained the men's soccer team, and is a member of West Chicago Bible Church.
Who else is involved
Three specialists, each responsible for one part of the work. They are named here because you should know who is doing what, not to make the firm look larger than it is.
Charles Freeman, CFA, EA
Investment research and portfolio strategy
Charles builds and maintains the portfolios. He has been designing them for more than two decades and runs his own firm, AdaptFirst Investments, where he is President and Portfolio Manager — so Heritage's investment research goes through a specialist rather than an in-house desk.
More about Charles
Charles leads market research, portfolio construction, and investment strategy for Heritage Wealth clients. After more than two decades designing and managing portfolios, his enthusiasm for investment research hasn't dimmed — digging into the data, testing ideas, and translating research into real portfolio decisions is the part of the work he finds genuinely fun.
Charles began his investment career in New York City in 1998, having found his way there from his native Kernersville, North Carolina on a fencing scholarship to the New York Athletic Club. After advising clients at AXA Advisors and Holderness Investments in Greensboro, he launched his own firm, AdaptFirst Investments, in 2017, where he serves as President and Portfolio Manager. That same research-driven, analytics-first approach is what he brings to Heritage Wealth portfolios.
Tracy Furman
Tax consultant
Tracy is Tax Director at AdaptFirst, the partner firm that prepares and files Heritage clients' returns. She is not a Heritage employee. The arrangement exists so that the planning and the filing are not done by two firms who never speak to each other.
More about Tracy
Tracy is the Tax Director at AdaptFirst, Heritage Wealth's dedicated tax partner. Heritage Wealth has intentionally aligned with AdaptFirst so that clients can have their retirement planning and tax planning under one roof — because the two are deeply intertwined, and outcomes are best when they're managed in concert rather than in separate silos.
That alignment is the point: when your advisor and your tax professional are working from the same playbook, nothing falls through the cracks. Tracy helps ensure the tax side of every client's plan stays coordinated with their broader retirement strategy, so the whole thing works together the way it should.
Jeff Goodman
Retirement consultant
Jeff is brought in for one thing: when a plan calls for dependable, guaranteed income, he works through the options with us. Fifteen years on that part of the market. He consults to the firm rather than working in it day to day.
More about Jeff
For retirees who want the security of dependable, guaranteed income, Jeff is the specialist. With 15 years of industry experience, he focuses on retirement income planning — helping clients navigate the marketplace to find the right solution for turning a lifetime of savings into income they can count on. It's a part of retirement planning where the details matter enormously, and Jeff's expertise ensures clients get a solution that actually fits their needs.
A former collegiate athlete at Taylor University, Jeff brings the same discipline and teamwork to his work with clients. He's a married father of six, and a member and director of sports ministry at Grace Church of DuPage.
If you want to see how that works
Our process sets out what actually happens, stage by stage, and how we think covers the beliefs underneath it. Or skip both and ask us directly.
Schedule a CallWhere we work
We serve clients in person and virtually. If you're nearby, we'd love to meet in person at our Naperville office. Many of our clients are located in Naperville, Lisle, Geneva, Chicago, Wheaton, West Chicago, St. Charles, Glen Ellyn, and Winfield.
Frequently asked questions
How long have you been in business?
Heritage Wealth was founded in 2019 to provide comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax services to families approaching and in retirement.
Isn't it expensive to work with a financial advisor?
We charge 1% of the assets we manage, and that single number covers retirement planning, investment management, and strategic tax planning, with returns prepared and filed through a partner tax firm that we coordinate. One percent is a common number in this business. What you get in return, spelled out up front, is what really matters.
Where will our accounts be held?
Your accounts are held at a third-party custodian, not with Heritage Wealth directly. This provides an additional layer of security and transparency for your investments.
How often will we meet?
We schedule regular check-ins throughout the year to review your plan, discuss any changes in your life, and make adjustments as needed — and we're always available when you need us.
Can you do our taxes too?
Yes. Tax planning, preparation and filing are included in our fee. Returns are prepared and filed through a partner tax firm, with Heritage coordinating the work as part of your overall plan.
What if I already have a CPA?
Keep them. We've worked alongside outside CPAs for years and coordinate with them directly. Your fee is the same either way.
I already have an advisor. Can you still look at my plan?
Yes, and it's free. It's a couple of meetings and a real analysis rather than a quick glance at your statement — here's what that involves.
Are you a fiduciary?
Yes, Heritage Wealth is a registered investment adviser and we operate as a fiduciary. This means we are legally required to act in your best interest at all times.
Do you meet clients in Naperville, or do I have to come to your office?
Our office is at 55 Shuman Boulevard in Naperville, and that's where we meet. It's a short drive from most of the western suburbs, and sitting down together in person is the whole idea.