Welcome to West Advisory Group
Welcome to the West Advisory Group. We are delighted and honored to have you as a client. Please be assured that our entire team is committed to providing you with professional and friendly service that is second to none.
Enclosed is a Welcome Kit that some of our clients have found useful to:
- Store investment account information
- Save important financial documents
- Keep your quarterly statements
- Collect correspondence about your account
- Bring to your annual Strategic Planning review
Also enclosed is a list of our staff members that are available to assist you as well as some general information. Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can be of assistance to you in any way. It is our sincere desire to be able to serve you for years to come.
Sincerely,

Walt West
Senior Financial Strategist
What You Can Expect From Us
At the West Advisory Group, we understand that achieving true wealth means enjoying time with people you love without concerning yourself about your finances.
Our team does things a little differently than at large wire-houses or broker-dealers. Rather than fit clients into a pre-designed mold or portfolio, we craft our strategies to fit your unique needs and get to know you and your portfolio before making any recommendations.
We offer a customized approach to financial and retirement planning in an effort to make our clients feel confident that we aren’t just offering them the same cookie-cutter plan everyone else gets. Our developed process is completely objective and customized, meaning that our clients get a plan with the best choice in investments for them and them alone.
In addition to our customized portfolios, we also make it our mission to educate our clients on their financial decisions. Financial literacy is our goal and we believe that honesty, transparency, and constant communication helps build meaningful, long-lasting relationships.
Surveys of affluent Americans consistently tell us that their major frustration is that their advisors should be more proactive about future issues that might affect their financial well-being. We address those concerns in the logical, proactive approach we take with all our clients.
What We Love to Do
Keeping in Touch
Entertaining
Educating
We’ve partnered with the PREPARE Institute to host several retirement classes in both Pittsburgh and Erie locations. The PREPARE Institute is a national non-profit educational institution that provides college style retirement education courses for adults that provide unbiased information on all areas of retirement and retirement planning.
Client Empowerment
Our Team
Your Partners in Retirement

Walter J West
Senior Financial Strategist
wwest@westgrp.com

Jim West
Technology Manager
jwest@westgrp.com
Extension 207

Alan Pershing, MBA
Advisor
apershing@westgrp.com
Extension 204

Jody Drakes
Account Manager
jdrakes@WESTGRP.COM
EXTENSION 205

Lori Timmons
Operations Manager
ltimmons@WESTGRP.COM
EXTENSION 200

Patricia Hancock
Communication/Marketing Manager
phancock@westgrp.com
Extension 206
Our Services
At West Advisory Group, we help manage ALL aspects of your wealth so you can understand your ENTIRE
financial picture. We do this by looking at the whole
picture of retirement, what it entails, and how we can be your one-stop-shop for all aspects of your retirement.
Our advisors bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. We can help you optimize and minimize your taxes so you get to keep more for your retirement. We’ll carefully go over both taxable and tax-deferral strategies to help protect your finances long-term. Once we’ve reviewed your situation, we can alert you to any tax advantages you may qualify for.
We understand that, in addition to building a healthy financial portfolio, you want to protect your wealth in order to pass it along when you’re gone. Whether you want to make sure your loved ones are provided for, you would like to continue to support favorite charities, or you have other legacy goals in mind, we’re here to provide guidance and help you make the choices that are right for you.
A financial advisor’s job is to help you find the right balance between risk and growth. Some risk is inevitable, especially if you want to grow your portfolio, but it’s important to manage this risk so that it doesn’t backfire. Talk to the financial specialists at the West Advisory Group to learn strategic, sound ways to manage your financial risk.
We don’t leave our clients’ financial picture up to chance. We work with you to explore investment options and come up with a financial plan that works for you. By determining your short- and long-term financial goals, and coming up with experience-backed recommendations, we help you develop investment strategies that serve your personal objectives.
Whether we’re talking about your retirement, your kids’ college education, your future travels, or a business you’re dreaming of launching, income planning is an important consideration. Together we’ll look at your financial picture and determine which investments can help you reach your goals at each stage of your life.
Looking for a Service Not Listed?
We have an extensive network of trusted teams who we partner with. Call our office and we can find the right solutions to your questions within our extended network.
Our Trusted Partners
Abernethy & Hagerman, Elder Law
We’ve partnered with the team at Abernethy & Hagerman to help you find the right solutions to estate and elder law. They offer creative, effective ways to accomplish your objectives. Their attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience assisting with wills, estate administration, trusts, Medicaid planning, powers of attorney, guardianship and making long-term care arrangements.
Erie Tax Prep - Tracey Burnside
We trust our clients in the hands of the team at Erie Tax Prep. Their mission is to prepare accurate tax returns allowing their clients to achieve their Maximum Refund Benefit (MRB). Their experience and Enrolled Agent (EA) status means they’re able to do your tax return, even if you currently have issues with the IRS. They work with their clients to minimize future tax consequences and they provide continual support through any issues with the IRS.
CCI Advisors - Robin Briggs
CCI Advisors has been helping individuals and small businesses manage financial risk through customized insurance planning and an extensive knowledge of Medicare. As a family-owned and -operated business, they provide a wealth of information on how to navigate Medicare and specialize in simplifying and streamlining the process of learning about Medicare and selecting the appropriate options.
Todd Titsworth - Health Markets
When it comes to Medicare and Insurance plans, we trust Todd Titsworth to find the best possible match for your unique circumstances. His goal is to provide the insurance plan that best fits his client’s needs and budget. He goes above and beyond narrowing down the best plan to fit his client’s needs.
Burns, Sweeney & Associates
The team at Burns, Sweeney & Associates are well-versed in all areas of accounting and tax services. They partner with their clients to find the best possible outcome as well as offer a plethora of services for any tax or accounting need.

Important Documents
Your documents, at your fingertips.
New Client Information
One of our primary goals is to ensure we set reasonable expectations for our clients, and that we can meet or exceed those expectations at all times. Please review the information in this document so you are informed about some of our basic procedures and timeframes.
Client Bill of Rights
Our commitment to your success. Please review the information in this document so you are informed about some of our process, promises, & written retirement income plan
Your Financial Portal
Your personalized portal keeps you connected to your financial life, your advisory team, and everything else you need for managing your wealth. We've put together an informative walkthrough and companion guide to help you get the most out of your new, powerful financial sidekick.
Client Event Schedule
We love to host a variety of events for our clients, from educational courses to fun outings as a community. We want to not only extend our invitation to you, your family and friends, but we want to encourage you to share with us ideas that you would like to see from us for future events!