Village Wealth Advisors

As a registered investment advisor (RIA), Village Wealth Advisors is held to a fiduciary standard under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This means the firm is legally obligated to put client interests ahead of its own, must disclose conflicts of interest, and must ensure that its investment recommendations are suitable based on each client's financial situation. This standard is more stringent than the suitability standard applied to broker-dealers.

Village Wealth Advisors, like most independent RIAs, does not hold client assets directly. Assets are custodied at a third-party institution such as Charles Schwab, Fidelity, or Pershing. This separation of advisory and custody functions is a regulatory requirement under SEC rules and provides an additional layer of client protection. Clients receive account statements directly from the custodian, independent of the advisor.

Based on its location in Westlake Village, the firm's client base likely includes professionals, retirees, and business owners in Ventura County and the northwestern Los Angeles metro area. The region has a high concentration of wealth driven by its proximity to the entertainment, technology, and professional services sectors. The firm's advisory model is built around personalized financial planning for these local households.

The firm focuses on investment advisory and financial planning services. Tax preparation and legal document drafting typically fall outside its scope and require separate professionals. However, the firm almost certainly coordinates with a client's existing CPA and estate planning attorney to ensure that the investment strategy aligns with the client's overall tax and wealth-transfer plan, a standard practice for comprehensive advisory firms.

Independent RIAs of Village Wealth Advisors' profile typically charge an asset-based fee, calculated as a percentage of assets under management and billed quarterly. This structure aligns the firm's revenue with the performance of client portfolios. Some firms in this segment also offer flat-fee financial planning or hourly consulting arrangements for clients who do not require ongoing asset management, though the specific fee model for this firm has not been publicly disclosed.