Walnut Creek, CA Office

Heffernan Advisory serves individuals and families and also accepts engagements from entities such as employer retirement plans. The firm offers an asset management program called Investment By Design™ alongside financial planning and consulting services, and may facilitate implementation through affiliated broker-dealer and insurance channels when clients elect commission or insurance products.

The firm constructs portfolios using modern portfolio theory and model allocations, primarily implemented with mutual funds and ETFs, and manages most accounts on a discretionary basis with regular rebalancing. Heffernan Advisory also uses third‑party solutions (notably Advyzon/AIM’s turnkey program and AIM’s Nucleus marketplace), may include DFA funds and liquid alternatives, and can apply tax-overlay and other portfolio-level strategies.

The brochure discloses several affiliations and marketing/referral arrangements that distinguish the firm from many peers: it is affiliated with Heffernan Financial Services, which provides pension consulting, and with Heffernan Insurance and Gĕneos, the latter functioning as the affiliated broker‑dealer for certain implementation services. The firm also describes receipt of marketing support and sponsored conference attendance from custodians and vendors, and it discloses referral fee arrangements and other marketing or promotional support that could create conflicts of interest.