CIFA (Council of Independent Financial Advisors) members all provide advice to their clients through a fee-only model (no incentives for selling products!) and are true fiduciaries who hold their clients’ interests above their own.  Twenty-five years later, CIFA continues to thrive with 11 active “first generation” members and has since introduced the “second generation” firm members to the cohort of entrepreneurial and innovative advisors.

Laura and the other group members meet on an annual basis in a formal (but fun!) setting which varies from year-to-year.  The most recent meeting was held in the “Mile High City” of Denver, where the topics ranged from investment strategies to operational efficiency.  The group is diverse in terms of geographic location, investment style and range of services.

Members are spread across the U.S., from Maryland to Michigan to New Mexico and Seattle.  Some of the participating firms offer more holistic services including wealth management, tax and estate planning and in-house investment management (such as Tarbox!) while others focus solely on investments.  The sizes of the firms range in both assets and personnel, but a common principle is upheld throughout: fiduciary responsibility to the client.