Firm Description
Fairfield Financial Advisors, Ltd., ("Fairfield") was founded in 1993. We are organized as a corporation
under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jane V. King is the 100% stockholder.
Fairfield provides personalized confidential financial planning and investment management to
individuals, families, and small businesses. Advice is provided through consultation with the client and
may include: determination of financial objectives, identification of financial problems, cash flow
analysis, investment tax planning, insurance review, investment management, planning for education
funding, retirement planning, and estate planning.
Fairfield is a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm. The firm does not sell
annuities, insurance, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, limited partnerships, or other commissioned
products. The firm is not affiliated with entities that sell financial products or securities. No
commissions in any form are accepted. No finder's fees are accepted. All fees are paid by the client.
Asset Management Services
Investment advice is provided on a discretionary basis unless it has been agreed upon between
Fairfield and the client, and upon the client's request, that the client take discretion. Fairfield does not
hold client assets as custodian. Fairfield receives a limited power of attorney from clients to place
trades with the client's custodian which, in most cases, is Charles Schwab & Co.
An initial evaluation of a client's financial situation is provided to the client. Periodic reviews are
provided to clients as reminders of the specific courses of action that need to be taken. More frequent
reviews occur but are communicated to the client only if changes are recommended.
Fairfield is available to meet with other professionals that the client may care to engage such as
lawyers, accountants, insurance agents, etc. Any possible conflicts of interest for Fairfield with such
engagement of professionals will be disclosed to the client in the unlikely event they occur.
The initial meeting with Fairfield, which may be in person or by telephone, serves to determine the
extent to which financial planning and investment management may be beneficial to the client.
Client assets are invested primarily in no-load mutual funds and individual common stocks, usually
through Charles Schwab & Co. Mutual fund companies charge each fund shareholder an investment
management fee that is disclosed in the fund prospectus. Brokerage companies may charge a
transaction fee for the purchase of some funds.
Individual bonds and exchange-traded funds may be purchased or sold through Charles
Schwab. The
brokerage firm charges a fee for stock and bond trades. Fairfield does not receive any compensation,
in any form, from fund companies or brokerage firms.
Investments may also include: equities (stocks), corporate debt securities, commercial paper,
certificates of deposit, municipal securities, investment company securities (variable annuities, and
mutual funds shares), and U. S. government securities.
Initial public offerings (IPOs) are not available through Fairfield.
Fairfield also advises clients with respect to financial planning, taxation issues, trust services,
and estate planning. This service, which may include delivery of a written financial plan or a subset
thereof, may be provided at the request of an asset management client to assist the client and/or our
firm in formulating and/or explaining the investment recommendations we provide. Fairfield does not
charge a fee for these services.
Retirement Account Clients
We are a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)
with respect to investment management services and investment advice provided to ERISA plans and
ERISA plan participants. We are also a fiduciary under section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (the
“IRC”) with respect to investment management services and investment advice provided to individual
retirement accounts (“IRAs”), ERISA plans, and ERISA plan participants.
As such, we are subject to specific duties and obligations under ERISA and the IRC that include, among
other things, prohibited transaction rules which are intended to prohibit fiduciaries from acting on conflicts
of interest. When a fiduciary gives advice, the fiduciary must either avoid certain conflicts of interest or rely
upon an applicable prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”).
As a fiduciary, we have duties of care and of loyalty to you and are subject to obligations imposed on us
by the federal and state securities laws. As a result, you have certain rights that you cannot waive or
limit by contract. Nothing in our agreement with you should be interpreted as a limitation of our
obligations under the federal and state securities laws or as a waiver of any unwaivable rights you
possess.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023 we provided continuous management services for $301,771,923 in client
assets on a discretionary basis and $0 on a non-discretionary basis.
Tailored Relationships
The goals and objectives of each client determine the portfolio design. Clients may impose restrictions
on investing in certain securities or types of securities.