Chadds Ford is an employee-owned wealth management firm headquartered in Chadds Ford, PA. The Firm
offers a variety of advisory services, which include financial planning, consulting, and investment
management services to individuals, families, trusts and institutions. Prior to Chadds Ford rendering any
of the foregoing advisory services, clients are required to enter into one or more written agreements with
Chadds Ford setting forth the relevant terms and conditions of the advisory relationship (the “Advisory
Agreement”).
Chadds Ford filed for registration as an investment adviser in May 2019 and is owned by W. Christopher
Kreicker, CFA and Christopher R. Madel, CFA. As of December 31, 2023, Chadds Ford had
$1,100,639,543 in assets under management, $58,079,807 of which was managed on a discretionary basis
and $1,042,559,736 was managed on a non-discretionary basis.
While this brochure generally describes the business of Chadds Ford, certain sections also discuss the
activities of its Supervised Persons, which refer to the Firm’s officers, partners, directors (or other persons
occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), employees or other persons who provide
investment advice on Chadds Ford’s behalf and are subject to the Firm’s supervision or control.
All of Chadds Ford’s wealth advisory services detailed below are available on an engagement basis. The
Firm works with its clients to help them understand the level of engagement desired to meet their objectives.
Financial Planning and Consulting Services
Chadds Ford offers clients a broad range of financial planning and consulting services, which include cash
flow planning for retirement and legacy gifting as well as other services that will be discussed with specific
clients. The planning process works to determine the alignment of a client’s financial assets and their goals
and objectives. This process is dynamic, will evolve over time and occasionally requires Chadds Ford to
include disciplines outside of its area of expertise (e.g., establishing trusts, placing insurance). In those
cases, the Firm will work with the client’s existing advisors or can recommend other professionals where
appropriate.
For clients who are seeking investment advice but do not want ongoing investment management services,
we are able to provide actionable recommendations to clients for them to implement with their existing or
chosen providers. This could include advice around personal trusts, retirement plans or executive
compensation including restricted stock, options grants or deferred compensation. This can also include
reporting and advice around working with other current or potential service providers.
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While these services are available on a stand-alone basis, certain of them can also be rendered in conjunction
with investment portfolio management as part of a comprehensive wealth management engagement
(described in more detail below).
In performing these services, Chadds Ford is not required to verify any information received from the client
or from the client’s other professionals (e.g., attorneys, accountants, etc.,) and is expressly authorized to
rely on such information. Chadds Ford recommends certain clients engage the Firm for additional related
services and/or other professionals to implement its recommendations. Clients are advised that a conflict
of interest exists for the Firm to recommend that clients engage Chadds Ford or its affiliates to provide (or
continue to provide) additional services for compensation, including investment management services.
Clients retain absolute discretion over all decisions regarding implementation and are under no obligation
to act upon any of the recommendations made by Chadds Ford under a financial planning or consulting
engagement. Clients are advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify the Firm of any
change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or
revising Chadds Ford’s recommendations and/or services.
Wealth Management Services
Chadds Ford provides clients with wealth management services which include a broad range of financial
planning and consulting services as well as discretionary and/or non-discretionary management of
investment portfolios.
Chadds Ford primarily allocates client assets among various mutual funds, exchange-traded
funds
(“ETFs”), individual debt and equity securities, independent investment managers (“Independent
Managers”) and privately placed securities (including interests in pooled investment vehicles) in
accordance with their stated investment objectives.
Where appropriate, the Firm also provides advice about any type of legacy position or other investment
held in client portfolios, but clients should not assume that these assets are being continues monitored or
otherwise advised on by the Firm unless specifically agreed upon. Clients can engage Chadds Ford to
manage and/or advise on certain investment products that are not maintained at their primary custodian,
such as variable life insurance and annuity contracts and assets held in employer sponsored retirement plans
and qualified tuition plans (i.e., 529 plans). In these situations, Chadds Ford directs or recommends the
allocation of client assets among the various investment options available with the product. These assets
are generally maintained at the underwriting insurance company or the custodian designated by the
product’s provider.
Chadds Ford tailors its advisory services to meet the needs of its individual clients and seeks to ensure, on
a continuous basis, that client portfolios are managed in a manner consistent with those needs and
objectives. Chadds Ford consults with clients on an initial and ongoing basis to assess their specific risk
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tolerance, time horizon, liquidity constraints and other related factors relevant to the management of their
portfolios. Clients are advised to promptly notify Chadds Ford if there are changes in their financial
situation or if they wish to place any limitations on the management of their portfolios. Clients can impose
reasonable restrictions or mandates on the management of their accounts if Chadds Ford determines, in its
sole discretion, the conditions would not materially impact the management of the strategy or prove overly
burdensome to the Firm’s management efforts.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies are designed to achieve a social purpose with their
investments in addition to providing the investor with financial returns. While there is no single definition
of what an ESG strategy is, managers of ESG strategies will typically limit their portfolio investments to
those companies that are strong in one or more of the ESG areas. While Chadds Ford Wealth Partners, LLC
does not offer ESG strategies, the Firm is able to implement our clients’ preferences into their portfolios
using the research of non-proprietary ESG research firms. When this occurs, we will document the clients’
preferences in the Investment Policy and Strategy Statement that is prepared for each client and tailor our
investment recommendations appropriately.
Use of Independent Managers
As mentioned above, Chadds Ford selects certain Independent Managers to actively manage a portion of
its certain clients’ assets. The specific terms and conditions under which a client engages an Independent
Manager may be set forth in a separate written agreement with the designated Independent Manager. In
addition to this brochure, clients may also receive the written disclosure documents of the respective
Independent Managers engaged to manage their assets.
Chadds Ford evaluates a variety of information about Independent Managers, which includes the
Independent Managers’ public disclosure documents, materials supplied by the Independent Managers
themselves and other third-party analyses it believes are reputable. To the extent possible, the Firm seeks
to assess the Independent Managers’ investment strategies, past performance and risk results in relation to
its clients’ individual portfolio allocations and risk exposure. Chadds Ford also takes into consideration
each Independent Manager’s management style, returns, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing
and research capabilities, among other factors.
Chadds Ford continues to provide services relative to the discretionary or non-discretionary selection of the
Independent Managers. On an ongoing basis, the Firm monitors the performance of those accounts being
managed by Independent Managers. Chadds Ford seeks to ensure the Independent Managers’ strategies
and target allocations remain aligned with its clients’ investment objectives and overall best interests.
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