# Ward & Associates

Ward & Associates is a Multi Family Office based in San Diego, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Multi Family Office
- **Headquarters:** San Diego, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Post Office Box 8710, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067, United States
- **Founded:** 1996
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** wardinvest.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/ward-&-associates---private-wealth-management

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 107878
- **SEC file number:** 801-55927
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** No
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/107878

## About

Ward & Associates was founded in 1996 by Diane Ward and William T. Ward, Jr., extending a wealth advisory lineage that began with Diane Ward's San Diego CPA practice in 1982. The firm advises multiple families and their related entities — trusts, estates, and charitable foundations — from its base in Rancho Santa Fe. The Ward family's accounting DNA drives an emphasis on tax-aware structuring and estate planning as the foundation of its investment counsel, not an add-on service. The firm deploys capital across a deliberately eclectic set of asset classes that includes startups, real estate, digital assets, and traditional public-market portfolios. Publicly tagged sector focuses are GovTech and Digital Health, while its technology exposure extends to Web3 and blockchain. Ward & Associates does not sell products or accept commissions; it operates as a fee-only registered investment advisor, a structure that lets it select from the broadest universe of external funds and direct opportunities. The geographic footprint is anchored in North America. Kevin A. Ward serves as Partner and Chief Compliance Officer, having joined in 2000. The firm participates in the San Diego Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, the Southern California Compliance Group, and the TD Ameritrade Institutional Advisor Panel. It also belongs to NAPFA, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, reinforcing its fiduciary stance. There is no recent operational event from the last 24 months in the public record. Ward & Associates' core structural differentiator is its extreme independence. It is a family-run, fee-only fiduciary with no in-house products to push, no commission grid, and no outside capital partner. This architecture means the investment committee — which includes a Partner who also serves on the Investment Committee of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego — can build each family's allocation from scratch across venture, real assets, and digital exposure, an institutional posture rarely seen outside much larger single-family offices.

## Sectors

- GovTech
- Digital Health
- Web3 & Blockchain
- Real Estate

## People

- Diane Ward — Founder
- William T. Ward, Jr. — Partner
- Kevin A. Ward — Partner, Chief Compliance Officer

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Ward & Associates?

Investment decisions are governed by the firm's partners. William T. Ward, Jr. is a Partner and also serves on the Investment Committee of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, an external signal of the committee's institutional diligence. Kevin A. Ward, who joined in 2000, serves as Partner and Chief Compliance Officer, ensuring investment processes meet the firm's fiduciary standards.

### How is Ward & Associates compensated?

Ward & Associates is an independent, fee-only registered investment advisor. It does not sell financial products, nor does it receive commissions or any other third-party compensation. The firm states this structure is designed to avoid the conflicts of interest prevalent among commission-based advisors and allows it to select from what it considers the best available service and investment providers.

### What asset classes does Ward & Associates invest in?

The firm's disclosed investment types include startups, real estate, and digital assets, alongside more traditional public-market portfolio construction. It has tagged specific sector focuses in GovTech and Digital Health, and has a technology focus area in Web3 and blockchain. The geographic focus is anchored in North America.

### Does the firm participate in any professional or compliance networks?

Yes. Ward & Associates is active in the San Diego Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, the Southern California Compliance Group, and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). Its affiliation with NAPFA reinforces its fee-only, fiduciary status. It has also been a member of the TD Ameritrade Institutional Advisor Panel.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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