We provide personalized service and strive to create financial stability and security for our clients. We are independent of any major financial services company and are free from direct or indirect conflicts of interest. As fiduciaries we act solely with our client’s goals and interests in mind. We provide objective advice, industry leading tools and unlimited financial solutions for our clients.
Our integrated strategies, experienced team, and personalized service allow you to focus on what is really important to you — your family, your business, your life. If you are interested in our services or would like to set up a free initial consultation, please give us a call toll free: 888-231-3262 or send us a message using the form below and we will contact you shortly.
Personalized Strategy – We provide comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services tailored to your needs, areas of expertise include:
• Retirement planning
• Tax planning
• Transfer of wealth
• Special needs planning
• Education savings
• Nontraditional family planning
• Portfolio risk analysis
• Risk management
• Insurance analysis
• Estate planning
• Planned giving
• Deferred compensation, stock options
• 401k, 403b, 457, MEPs, cash balance, rollovers
Structured Investment Approach – Our investment philosophy is based on academic research including Modern Portfolio Theory and the Fama-French Three Factor Model, not speculation. Learn more about our Investment Philosophy and Process.
Efficient Portfolios – core portfolios are constructed using passively managed, no load mutual funds, index funds and exchange traded funds. These investments are diversified, have low expense ratios, and provide tax efficiency.
Open Architecture Platform – clients have access to more than 6,000 no-load/load-waived mutual funds from over 320 well-known mutual fund families, including Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) institutional class mutual funds offered only through select fee only advisors.
Don is a seasoned advisor with a great depth of knowledge in professional money management, tax and estate planning. He is also an experienced entrepreneur having started a successful tax software distribution business and an electronic filing bureau which grew to 30 employees supporting over 500 tax offices throughout California.
A graduate of USC’s Marshall School of Business he has been awarded the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation from the CFP® Board of Standards and the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ designation from the College for Financial Planning. Don serves and is past President of the Camp Ocean Pines board of directors and is a past President of the Central Coast Council for Planned Giving. A Rotarian since 1993, he is an active member of the Cambria Rotary Club.
Helen’s experience includes financial planning and asset management for individuals and businesses. She is also experienced with mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, growth financing, debt restructuring and exit planning for privately held businesses.
Helen holds a bachelor degree from USC’s Marshall School of Business and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Loyola Marymount University. She has been awarded the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation from the CFP® Board of Standards and the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® (CDFA™) designation from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA™).
An active community member Helen is the founder and past President of the USC Alumni Club of San Luis Obispo, has served on the board of directors for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, the Glendale Historical Society, is past President of the C.E. Teach Elementary School Boosters, a member of the San Luis Obispo Monday Club and participates in the Central Coast Women's Tennis League.
1. Discover- In this first step we develop an understanding of your financial picture and discover what matters most to you.
2. Evaluate- In this second step we analyze your current situation and determine what steps you need to take to realize your goals.
3. Recommend - In this third step we offer financial planning recommendations that address your goals, and review in detail each recommendation so you can make informed decisions. After receiving your input we revise the recommendations as appropriate.
4. Implement- In this fourth step we carry out our agreed upon planning recommendations and coordinate the work of other professionals involved in the plan implementation.
5. Review- In the last step we review how well our planning strategies are supporting your intermediate and long-term goals. We also monitor any life changes that may impact your plan and make adjustments as necessary.
Our Investment Philosophy and Process
This web site is intended to provide general information about PWA. It is not intended to offer investment advice. Information regarding investment products and services are provided solely to read about our investment philosophy, our strategies and to be able to contact us for further information.
Market data, articles and other content on this web site are based on generally-available information and are believed to be reliable. PWA does not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this web site. The information is of a general nature and should not be construed as investment advice.
PWA will provide all prospective clients with a copy of our current Form ADV, Part II prior to commencing an Advisory relationship. Existing clients will be offered a copy annually. A link to our current Form ADV, Part II is below. In addition, you can contact us to request a hardcopy.