We have a process called Vision-Focused Investing™ that we use with our clients.  It’s a calm, measured, and systemized approach to evidence-based investing. We promote passive investing across several asset classes with a long-term approach.  This approach is based on the success built upon academic research, for which the authors received Nobel prizes 30 to [...]

Yes, and this is generally how we start off if we don’t already know each other, but face to face meetings are preferable when possible.  We find that the in-person meetings make it easier to establish the relationship and do better planning for the client.

J Ward Financial can work with clients in other states, and we can even review estate plans for clients in other states, but J Ward Estate Planning limits their estate planning and elder law practice to clients within California.

Yes, at all times and in every case.  We do not earn commissions, we do not sell products, and we do not accept referral fees.  We charge a fair fee to our clients based solely upon the level of assets under management, and we work exclusively for the benefit of our clients. This matters.  Traditional [...]

No.  That can be a recipe for disaster or fraud.  No small advisor should be the custodian of your accounts.  (That’s how Bernie Madoff was able to run the largest Ponzi scheme in US history.)  We use Charles Schwab as the custodian for our client accounts.  Custodial institutions play a critical role in the integrity [...]

Yes, we act as an investment manager for clients who need help managing financial accounts with a combined balance exceeding $1,000,000.

Jim owns J Ward Financial and J Ward Estate Planning, but he tries to keep the two firms separate.  We review all estate planning documents as part of our advisory services at J Ward Financial, but if estate planning documents need to be created or updated, we do that through J Ward Estate Planning.

All of our clients work directly with Jim for both planning and investing.  Unlike the process in many other firms, we do not pass clients off to associate planners or paraplanners or assistants.   We use partner firms who support us in the background for many “back-office” services, but clients talk with Jim and meet with [...]