Independence, Objectivity and Expertise

Most financial advisory firms are fee-based (as opposed to fee-only), which means they earn both fees and commissions. Other firms are commission-based (i.e. mutual fund sales loads, insurance commissions, etc.), which makes the firm more focused on product sales than a true consulting organization.

At DFM we pride ourselves in serving our clients under a fee-for-service (i.e. fee -only) relationship. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) defines a fee-only planner as one who, in all circumstances, is compensated solely by the client, with neither the advisor nor any related party receiving compensation that is contingent on the purchase or sale of a financial product. By receiving all of our compensation directly from our clients, we have no other motivation than to always provide advice that is in the best interest of our clients. We receive no third-party commissions, sales loads, or back-end fees, which removes conflicts of interest that could influence advisors' recommendations.  We subscribe to the Core Values and Fiduciary Oath of NAPFA, the largest association devoted solely to fee-only planning.

Given our independent nature, we do not pressure our clients to terminate existing advisory relationships with attorneys, investment professionals, insurance agents, or accountants. DFM works together with your other professional advisors to achieve your goals. This can be extremely beneficial to busy individuals by eliminating the time-consuming process of coordinating information and answering questions for their various advisors.

All of DFM's advisors carry the CPA designation.  Our accounting and tax expertise combined with proven financial planning strategies provide a powerful, tax efficient approach to wealth accumulation, preservation and transfer.  Our extensive background in accounting and tax matters provides additional credibility and assures clients that important tax consequences of their financial planning decisions have been considered throughout the process.