We help families align their values, visions, and goals to create a comprehensive financial plan and investment management. We offer free assessments and socially responsible investing options. The comprehensive financial planning includes withdrawal planning, tax optimization, and income planning.

For investment management we will manage all aspects of your investments. We use Schwab as our custodian. Your assets are safely held there — we have limited trading authority to implement our mutually agreed upon investment plan.

We will manage the account opening, account transfer, funding, initial investment and the ongoing rebalancing, as well as all distributions. For the bulk of your investments, we’ll use Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA). We appreciate evidence based investing.

DFA is a mutual fund company based in Austin, Texas with principles based on academic research:

Research-based foundation.
DFA was founded 30 years ago with the goal of providing long-term value by increasing real returns.

History of “dimension” of success in real-world investments.
DFA has identified a few select dimensions of success that bring greater value to investors: higher returns with less risk.

Low cost.
DFA funds are in the lowest decile of mutual fund costs. One way cost is curbed is through the elimination of “star” fund managers with their associated high salaries. DFA has a repeatable, global process rather than individual star managers.

Smart indexing.
DFA avoids fads and focuses on the long-term “dimensions” of success. This produces a smart index that is not blindly tied to an index, and DFA allows drift and timing as needed. Truly smart!

Our services are offered on a fee-only basis. This means that you pay a clear fee for the services we deliver. We do not accept commissions or third-party compensation (no sales, no commission, no insurance, no annuities, no pressure).

Fiduciary responsibility

Independent Investment Advisor Representatives (IARs) have a fiduciary obligation to put their clients’ needs first all the time. In contrast, advisors employed at brokerage firms are held at a lower “suitability standard” (which is not a legal standard), under which a broker is supposed to recommend suitable investments. However, such brokerage firm advisors do not have to put their client’s needs ahead of their firm’s needs.

Fee structure

We rely exclusively on a fee-only model. This means that we do not receive any commissions or fees from any source other than our clients. In contrast, many brokers are paid via commissions. They have a strong incentive to suggest products that carry high commissions or loads, which may or may not be suitable investments. To be clear – we are commission free.

Obligation to disclose

Unlike brokers, IARs are subject to strict disclosure rules requiring that they provide clients with a Form ADV — which lists potential conflicts of interest — as well as their compensation practices.

Independence

We do not have financial relationships with any brokerage firms or money managers. We are therefore not obligated or compensated to favor or push any firm’s proprietary investment products.

At Hamilton Financial Planning, our relationship with our clients is our most important asset. We strive to earn and maintain your trust and confidence. This involves a commitment to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and security of your personal information.

We value client privacy. Therefore, we will never disclose any personal information to anyone unless it’s required by law, or at your instruction. Most importantly, we do not sell your personal information to anyone. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy.