Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA)
Our range of investment programs is enhanced by our relationship with
Dimensional Fund Advisors Inc., a premier institutional investment management
firm with more than $150 billion assets under management. Individual investors
must use a financial advisor to have access to these unique institutional
funds.
Dimensional is our primary but not exclusive source for building our balanced
portfolio models and implementing a passively managed investment strategy.
Founded in 1981 and serving primarily institutional investors, Dimensional
is guided by an abiding belief in financial science and the efficiency
of capital markets. They see markets as an ally, not an adversary.
Unique Investment Philosophy
We subscribe to a unique investment philosophy established
by Dimensional Fund Advisors.
It does not involve actively picking stocks or passively tracking commercial
indexes, but structures broadly diversified portfolios along the dimensions
of risk and return identified by academic research.
The strategy seeks to capture the returns of broad asset classes rather
than individual securities, like traditional passive managers. However,
unlike index fund managers who mimic commercial benchmarks, Dimensional
defines their own asset classes.
Index fund managers are forced to pay excessive trading costs whenever
their arbitrary benchmark changes its composition. The investor pays these
tracking costs in reduced performance. Because this strategy focuses on
broad factors rather than a specific list of securities, their funds can
reduce these costs by being patient and waiting for trading opportunities
that add value.
Independent Fee-Only Financial Advisors
Dimensional forms relationships with independent fee-only financial advisors like ourselves, who share their views about how capital markets work and how best to provide clients with a successful investment experience.
We, as your investment advisor, do not receive compensation from Dimensional for using its funds. You, as an investor, are also not under any obligation to invest in Dimensional funds if they do not best meet your particular investment needs.