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Pathfinder Planning
David Shockey runs Pathfinder Planning, a fee-only RIA in Lake Wylie, SC, providing financial planning and portfolio management.
Pathfinder Planning
David R. Shockey founded Pathfinder Planning LLC as a South Carolina-domiciled registered investment advisor (RIA). The firm operates from Lake Wylie, serving clients across the Charlotte metropolitan region and beyond with financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. Shockey structured the practice around a fiduciary standard — charging fees directly rather than collecting commissions — which aligns the firm's incentives with long-term client outcomes rather than product sales. The firm's strategy centers on constructing globally diversified portfolios using low-cost exchange-traded funds and mutual funds. Asset-class coverage typically spans domestic and international equities, fixed income, and real estate investment trusts, with tactical tilts based on valuation and macroeconomic conditions. Rather than chasing individual securities, Pathfinder builds allocations meant to capture broad market returns while managing volatility and tax exposure. Client accounts are held at an independent custodian, a structural choice that separates asset custody from advisory, an arrangement common among fee-only RIAs seeking to minimize conflicts of interest. Pathfinder Planning operates as a solo practice, with Shockey serving as the primary advisor and investment decision-maker. This lean structure keeps overhead low and client relationships direct — there is no call center, no junior advisor tier, no proprietary product shelf. The firm's ADV filings, publicly available through the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database, provide the regulatory snapshot of its operations, though they do not disclose granular staffing figures. Shockey's model illustrates a quiet but persistent strain of American wealth management — the solo RIA in a secondary market — that competes not on brand or national scale but on accessibility, fiduciary clarity, and the absence of institutional infrastructure that can distance advisors from the households they serve.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Lake Wylie
Corporate office
Lake Wylie, SC, United States
Principals
David R. Shockey
Founder and Chief Investment Officer
Frequently asked questions
Is Pathfinder Planning a single-family office or a multi-client advisory firm?
Pathfinder Planning operates as a registered investment advisor (RIA) serving multiple individual and household clients — it is not a single-family office. The firm's SEC registration and public ADV filings confirm it provides financial planning and portfolio management services to a broad client base rather than managing the assets of one family. This multi-client structure means the firm's revenue comes from advisory fees paid by a range of households, not from a single wealth source.
How does Pathfinder Planning charge for its services?
The firm operates on a fee-only basis, charging clients directly for financial planning and asset management rather than earning commissions on product sales. This is the typical structure for independent RIAs that commit to a fiduciary standard, and it removes the incentive to recommend high-commission insurance or investment products. Specific fee schedules — whether hourly, fixed, or a percentage of assets under management — would be detailed in the firm's Form ADV Part 2A disclosure document provided to prospective clients.
Who makes investment decisions at Pathfinder Planning?
David R. Shockey, the firm's founder, serves as the chief investment officer and primary decision-maker. As a solo-practitioner RIA, there is no investment committee or analyst team — Shockey personally constructs client portfolios and adjusts allocations. This concentrates decision-making in one individual, which can allow for faster tactical shifts but also presents a key-person risk that larger advisory teams mitigate through distributed responsibility.
What does Pathfinder Planning use to build client portfolios?
The firm builds globally diversified portfolios primarily using low-cost exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds. Rather than stock-picking or using proprietary products, Pathfinder's approach relies on broad asset-class exposure across domestic and international equities, fixed income, and real assets. This fund-based strategy is common among independent RIAs aiming to capture market returns while keeping internal investment costs low.
Where are client assets held?
Like most independent RIAs, Pathfinder Planning does not custody client assets itself. Client accounts are held at a third-party custodian — a structural separation that provides an independent check on the advisor's activity and reduces the risk of misappropriation. While the specific custodian is not publicly confirmed, firms of this profile commonly use platforms like Charles Schwab, Fidelity, or TD Ameritrade Institutional for custody and trade execution.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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