As an independent firm, we keep costs low by running a lean, efficient operation. We invest in technology and processes that directly benefit our clients — not in layers of management and overhead. Arcadia is not cheap, but in our opinion offers a fair fee that is predictable each year and does not rise based on your investment portfolio size. Arcadia was built with the sole purpose of providing clients with better service and outcomes, with a transparent and fair fee structure.

Your money is held at Charles Schwab, an independent custodian. The accounts stay in your name, and we act as your advisor with limited authority to manage them on your behalf. We don’t work for Schwab or earn commissions, so every recommendation we make is in your best interest.

Transferring your investment accounts is simple and secure thanks to the ACAT system, which moves assets “in-kind”—meaning nothing is sold or changed during the transfer. Whether you’re moving an IRA or trust account, your investments stay exactly the same; the only difference is where you log in. If you already have your accounts at Charles Schwab, we simply establish a Standing Letter of Authorization (SLOA) so we may serve as the Investment Advisor to manage those accounts going forward.

Yes. Arcadia serves as a fiduciary to all clients, which means we are required to put client interests ahead of our own at all times. We only receive compensation from our clients. If a conflict of interest ever arises, we will notify you immediately and do everything possible to mitigate it.

Even if you don’t work with Arcadia, please ask any prospective wealth manager whether they serve as fiduciaries for all accounts, and will sign a binding contract to that effect (this language is included in every Arcadia client agreement).

Our clients:

-Are within 10 years of retirement or are currently retired.

-Have at least $1,500,000 in investable assets.

-Need comprehensive wealth management and financial planning services and understand that the success of their retirement is too important to be doing it themselves.

-Aren’t chasing the next investment strategy and want a low cost, tax efficient investment portfolio.

-Do not want to pay the traditional percentage-of-assets fee that the majority of wealth management firms charge.

We charge a flat fee of $4,500 per quarter ($18,000 annually), regardless of the size of your investment portfolio.

Our fee is paid quarterly in arrears. The fixed flat fee is typically debited from a managed investment portfolio. Our fee covers an entire household and any number of accounts and includes wealth management and financial planning services.

Our investment philosophy is rooted in research, not speculation. We offer personalized service, clear communication, and ethical guidance designed to help you achieve lasting success.

We do tax planning.

• We identify tax opportunities now and in the future to keep your lifetime tax liability as low as possible. This is different from tax preparation, which focuses on filing a return. Taxes will be your biggest expense in retirement, so we try to help you minimize the IRS’ take.

We are “small” by design. 

Arcadia’s goal is to build deep relationships and to know exactly what's going on in our clients' financial lives. Our fixed-fee model ensures alignment with your interests, and our client relationships are built on trust, transparency, and results. We do not charge an AUM fee and are independently owned with no private equity ownership.

Our $1,500,000 minimum portfolio recommendation is to ensure our $18,000 annual fee is appropriate and a long-term cost benefit for each client. In some circumstances we may waive our minimum. Exceptions are typically granted for clients who we expect to surpass our minimum within one year of working together.

Arcadia provides comprehensive private wealth management services and discretionary portfolio management. Our wealth management services include retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, charitable planning, wealth transfer planning, insurance planning, and education planning.

We manage customized investment portfolios for our clients on a discretionary basis. Each client’s portfolio is built specifically for their situation, informed by their comprehensive wealth plan.

Yes, our services and systems have been designed so that clients can easily work with us from any location. We meet with clients at our Cardiff by the Sea office (San Diego), but can work remotely with clients in any state.

We typically have two formal meetings each year: one in late Spring and in the Fall. At our Spring meeting we review your tax return and do an analysis to look at opportunities for the remainder of the year. We meet in Fall, before the holidays, to implement tax strategies before year-end. At both meetings, we review your financial plan and investment portfolio. We are available for calls, emails, and “pop up” meetings as needed.