“We want to take the investment worry away from our clients so they can spend their time enjoying life.” —Tim Delaney
For the second year in a row, our readers named JDH Wealth Management the best of its kind. “We’re very grateful and humbled to have won this award again,” says Tim Delaney, founder and managing partner of JDH, who, along with his son and partner, Matt, has been the architects behind the firm’s ongoing success. “We love what we do and love serving our clients throughout Sonoma County, so we want to say ‘Thank you’ to all the readers who voted for us.”Founded in 1999 by Tim Delaney and several of his partners (who, at the time, worked at Linkenheimer LLP, a local CPA firm), JDH provides a disciplined, academically based investment approach that’s personalized to each client’s willingness, ability and need to accept risk. The firm serves individuals, businesses, foundations, endowments, trusts, nonprofit organizations and retirement plans. It manages $150 million in assets and serves about 100 clients—all through the dedicated work of just four people: the Delaneys, father and son; Rebekah Pearson, operations manager; and Dana Marty, client support specialist.
Unlike most of their competitors, JDH’s advisers don’t work on commission. Instead, they focus on building relationships with clients, helping each person find the path to achieve the goals that are right for them. When new clients come to the office, the first questions JDH advisers ask are about their lives, families and interests—not their financial situations.
“Our mission statement resonates with people,” says Tim, a 38-year veteran of the financial services industry who also volunteers a significant portion of his time as a pilot with Angel Flight West, which provides air travel for children and adults with serious medical conditions. “That’s what sets us apart. We help people focus on the things that actually matter. Trying to predict the markets to find the winners and avoid the losers is like pushing water uphill. We encourage people to focus on things they actually can control such as income, expenses and investment risk. We want to take the investment worry away from our clients so they can spend their time enjoying life.”
Building relationships with its clients is as endemic to JDH’s success as its financial expertise. “The connections we make with our clients are an integral part of how we do business,” says Matt, a bilingual wealth adviser who also serves at the firm’s chief compliance officer. “We continue to put our clients’ needs first and follow our mission statement of building trust, guiding investment behavior and educating clients.”
The younger Delaney, who says his greatest professional accomplishment so far is being able to reach out to the Spanish-speaking community to help them with their investment opportunities, joined the firm in 2005 as a wealth manager and life insurance agent. “One of our objectives in 2015 is to continue working with each of our clients to help them focus on their goals and ensure they won’t outlive their money,” he says.
While JDH admits it’s open to the possibility of growth through acquisition, its core strategy of selectively choosing clients who match its investment philosophy isn’t likely to change. “What comes through loud and clear after someone has been on board with us for a year or two is the trust we build,” says Tim. “They say, ‘Wow! I wish I’d come to you guys years ago.’ We can’t let our heads get too inflated, but what differentiates us is that sincerity.”
