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.

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.

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.