What are your services? | Cardiff Park is a full service investment advisory firm specializing in the management of portfolios using passive and index investment strategies. We construct portfolios that account for your personal financial structure, investment horizons, and risk capacity. We implement your investment strategy through repositioning your assets. We personally oversee portfolio rebalancing on a quarterly basis. And we issue frequent, comprehensive reports on portfolio performance.

How are you compensated? | Our compensation comes exclusively from low-cost fixed annual retainer fees. We receive no commissions from fund companies or brokerage firms and operate only on our clients behalf without conflict of interest.

What are your fees? | Our fees are well below the industry average. They are fixed and do not rise as account values increase. They are based solely on the estimated number of hours required to service your account. Therefore, they vary depending on the complexity of your financial structure and to the extent you wish to use our array of services. They range from $1,800 to $3,600 per year, or $450 to $900 per quarter. For more details, please see the “Our Fixed, Low Fees” section of our site.

Can you help me with my IRA and/or 401(k)? | We incorporate your IRA, 401(k) and related accounts into the design of your overall investment strategy. As part of that process we can provide guidance on opening a new account or selecting positions for existing accounts. For more details, see the “Assessing Your Needs” section of our site. Should you or your family members own annuities, we can provide access to Dimensional Fund Advisors vehicles through no-load annuity provider Aegon/People’s Life. For more details, see the “Getting Started With Cardiff Park” section of our site.

Do you offer financal planning? | Yes. Cardiff Park integrates personalized investment management and on-going financial planning. To best complement Cardiff Park’s services we recommend that estate planning be carried out by attorneys specializing in estate planning, that tax issues be discussed with CPAs, that real estate matters be dealt with by brokers and attorneys specializing in real estate, and insurance by no-load insurance companies.

How do I get started? | The process begins with emails and a telephone meeting. If you decide to choose us as your advisor, we will review your financial situation and design a portfolio as described elsewhere on this site. Cardiff Park will oversee the process of opening new accounts and transferring funds.

Do you accept discretion over trading? | Cardiff Park does not accept discretion over our clients’ assets. Therefore, we do not place trades without approval from the client.

Do you have an account minimum? | No. Cardiff Park has no specific account minimum.  

Do you take possession of client funds? | Cardiff Park does not take custody of your funds. They are held by brokerage firms that carry SIPC and other private insurance. Client assets can be held at the institutional wing of Ameritrade, Schwab, Fidleity or  Fiserv. Cardiff Park clients will continue to receive reports from their custodian in addition to our reports. For more details, see the “Getting Started With Cardiff Park” section of our site.

How do you collect fees? | Unlike most advisors, Cardiff Park does not withdraw advisory fees directly from client accounts. Rather, we send quarterly invoices to our clients who then pay us electronically or via check.

How do you decide when to rebalance? | At Cardiff Park we personally review stock/bond ratios and individual equity asset allocations for each client every quarter. We rebalance when asset classes have significantly diverged from the client’s investment model. For more details, please see the “Managing Your Portfolio” section of our site.

When do you report to clients? | Our client reporting is available on a monthly or quarterly basis. For more details, see the “Comprehensive Reporting” section of our site. Of course, in addition to Cardiff Park’s reports, you will continue to receive monthly reports and tax lot accounting from the custodians of your assets, who also offer 24-hour online access to account information.

Who is your optimal client? | Our optimal client understands the principles of passive and index investing and is committed to following them for the long term. We can recommend several popular books on the subject, and additional information can be obtained from the Dimensional Fund Advisors website.

How much experience do you have? | John Gorlow, Cardiff Park's principal  brings more than 20 years of experience working in and consulting to the financial services industry. He managed Investment Advisory engagements for Ernst & Young in San Francisco and spent 14 years delivering personal investment management services for the private client groups of leading Wall Street brokerage firms including Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and Oppenheimer. He earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) at Fordham University in New York. In the past he has held the CIMA certification, which he obtained at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. CIMA stands for Certified Investment Management Analyst, an industry sponsored designation awarded by the Investment Management Consulting Association (IMCA).

Why should I choose Cardiff Park? | Our investment policy is proven. Our service is personalized, comprehensive and low-cost. And we have the experience and objectivity to guide you to long-term success.