Bright Sky Group is an alliance of independent, registered investment advisers. Our members provide objective wealth planning and investment advisory services for individual and institutional clients across the U.S. Our 21 member firms serve thousands of clients, with a total of more than $5.6 billion under advisement, as of August 31, 2011.

Our approach

Bright Sky members share a fresh, realistic outlook on wealth management. In sharp contrast to traditional Wall Street approaches, we focus on long-term wealth planning and asset class investing, seeking to provide our clients capital market rates of return while carefully managing investment expenses and tax exposure. We reject all practices designed to beat the market through stock picking, market timing and other active management strategies.

Our priorities

Bright Sky members put client interests first. As registered investment advisors, held to the highest standard of fiduciary duty, this commitment is both an ethical priority and a legal requirement. We accept no investment commissions. We do not have brokerage arms where commissions and sales quotas are common, and to which the fiduciary standard typically does not apply. Our success is inextricably linked to client success; we prosper when our client accounts rise in value, and when our high level of service results in referrals that lead to new client relationships.

Our standards

Bright Sky Group was created as a forum for investment advisors committed to putting client interests first. To be invited for membership, firms must meet Bright Sky’s high standards, including an unsurpassed commitment to regulatory compliance and fiduciary responsibility. All members are subject to independent compliance review and must have in place a comprehensive code of ethics supported by ongoing training and education. Members must maintain a fee-based compensation structure and other policies to prevent conflicts of interest.

Our clients

We are fortunate to work with leading business owners, executives and professionals from every sector of the economy. Our clients are busy people, immersed in their businesses, family lives and civic activities. They welcome the experience, knowledge and skills we bring to the table, allowing them to implement cohesive, customized financial plans and move on with life.

Our strategic partners

To fulfill our vision of asset class investing, Bright Sky members often utilize the mutual funds of Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA). Founded in 1981, DFA is a mutual fund company emphasizing highly tax-efficient, structured portfolio funds, managed specifically to minimize transaction costs. Generally available only to institutional investors, DFA also makes its funds available to carefully screened registered investment advisors. With more than $231 billion in assets (June 30, 20011), DFA's approach is grounded in academic research and the efficiency of capital markets.