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PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Wesley Nicholson CFP®, AIF®

President
Laurel Financial Group
9 Dorchester Dr
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Office: 412-831-7800
Cell: 412-831-7800
wes@laurelfinancialgroup.com
www.laurelfinancialgroup.com

Professional Approach


As founder and president of Laurel Financial Group, Inc., Wes directs the firm’s efforts on helping families and business owners plan and manage their savings, retirement, and wealth.

Wes and the advisors at Laurel are firm believers in a holistic approach to wealth management and planning. Financial security is, after all, what we aim for in the big picture.

Wes doesn’t believe money is the end-all; it is the foundation for a degree of freedom with the choices we face in life. The size of a portfolio cannot measure success or happiness; it’s how it is utilized, viewed, and handled that can bring these results about.

Wes has yet to meet any two clients who are alike, and because of this, he believes in a truly personalized approach to planning. Unlike many other firms, Wes does not promote the use of any canned model portfolios at Laurel and has never used them himself. This gives Wes the ability to tailor portfolios to clients’ needs without compromise.

Wes earned his securities registration in 1983, the CFP® designation in 1988, and the AIF® designation in 2010. A lifelong resident of the South Hills, where he and his wife have raised his three children.

Wes enjoys family, friends, outdoor sports, and spending time deep in the mountains, and he aggravates himself with an avid pursuit of golf.

Wes and his team can help you with any of your financial needs, including saving for college, retirement, or any other life goals. Wes can also direct you to solutions in life and health insurance. 

This award was issued on 6/1/23 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 9/12/22 through 3/31/23. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 1,818 Pittsburgh-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 233 (13% of candidates) were named 2023 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2022: 1779, 252, 14%, 6/1/22, 9/27/21 - 3/25/22; 2021: 1814, 234, 13%, 6/1/21, 9/7/20 - 4/23/21; 2020: 1886, 224, 12%, 6/1/20, 9/16/19 - 4/10/20; 2019: 1667, 251, 15%, 6/1/19, 9/17/18 - 4/12/19; 2018: 1653, 227, 14%, 6/1/18, 9/28/17 - 4/17/18; 2017: 1133, 277, 24%, 6/1/17, 9/27/16 - 4/11/17; 2016: 1064, 423, 40%, 5/1/16, 10/7/15 - 4/19/16; 2015: 1494, 442, 30%, 6/1/15, 10/7/14 - 4/19/15; 2014: 1721, 458, 27%, 6/1/14, 10/7/13 - 4/19/14; 2013: 1777, 545, 31%, 6/1/13, 10/7/12 - 4/19/13; 2012: 1863, 493, 26%, 6/1/12, 10/7/11 - 4/19/12.
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This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the states of AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, UT, VA, WV. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside these states due to various state regulations and registration requirements regarding investment products and services. Investments are not FDIC- or NCUA-insured, are not guaranteed by a bank/financial institution, and are subject to risks, including possible loss of the principal invested. Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Advisory services offered through Laurel Financial Group are separate and unrelated to Commonwealth.

*Winners appearing on this page do not pay a fee to be considered or to win the Five Star Award. Professionals with a digital profile have paid a promotional fee.
Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria-required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP's consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP's consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client's experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria-considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance . Wealth Managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients' assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.