I was in the process of meeting several financial planners on behalf of my parents and came across Delia's information through a location search via letsmakeaplan.org. Her name was also familiar based on mentions in Los Angeles Times "Money Makeovers" articles. She is fee-only -- $275/hour -- or a percentage of AUM. Just depends on your needs. No charge for initial consultation. She provided a Form ADV which is a public disclosure form required by the SEC which details firm info, personnel info, services provided, fees, etc. I appreciated the fee-only structure because she is not incentivized to push clients to certain brands or products (i.e. annuities) for a commission like previous advisors we met. She made recommendations based on client fit and risk tolerance taking into account my parent's entire financial picture (cash flow, real estate, taxes, etc.). For my parents, who are passive investors and didn't need much hand-holding, we determined advisement/adjustments on a quarterly basis was the best route. Her demeanor was friendly, informative and patient. All of which conveyed a sense of trust and assurance for my parents. We are not official clients but looking forward to the next official review. read more

I went to FFA because of the excellent reviews, her experience and was listed on NAPFA. Unfortunately, my experience was not positive. I was clear from the beginning about the purpose of the consultation when we spoke on the phone and was willing to work with me to schedule the consultation. On the consultation date after i uploaded my docs, she just did not seem prepared. Amongst a series of problems, from the start she focused on how I could use the software program, not my primary concern. Worse, we spent 45 minutes on the phone with the software technical assistance person (who now also had access to my financials) trying to figure out a fairly simple comparison. At certain points they both appeared to forget I was there. Suffice to say, I left that consultation without my main issue fully addressed. Final straw, when I emailed her later that day to express my dissatisfaction, she never responded. She is probably a great CFP, but with this customer the experience was an epic failure. read more

I was putting off getting help with my retirement planning because I was afraid I'd get bad news. I did a lot of research and remember hearing Delia on Air Talk with Larry Mantle. I called, set up a 1 hour appointment, and completed the financial inventory requested. She was able to explain my financial status in terms that I could understand. She agreed to let me audio record our session so I could review it after our meeting. And I left with a three ring binder containing an analysis of my current financial situation and projections for retirement. She suggested a few changes, but overall I'm in good financial health. I love what another reviewer wrote and I agree, " So for some of you women out there, smart up! Forgo one of those stupid designer handbags or trips to the spa. Invest in yourself and your future and make an appointment with Delia Fernandez." read more

Delia gives brilliant advice. She's been helping us with our mother's finances and been very supportive with good ideas to maximise her investments. read more

Delia was recommended to me by a friend whom I consider very knowledgeable regarding her own finances and financial planning. Delia was extremely thorough in discussing and understanding my particular retirement goals and what I would need to make them happen. I feel very strongly that this kind of planning is important, and wish I had started it years earlier. I really appreciated that Delia operates on a fee-for-service basis so I could trust her to offer advice without any other motive than to get me where I need to go. Highly recommend. read more

I sent an e-mail to Ms. Fernandez over the weekend about a complicated situation I was having with financial institutions and another financial adviser who was not looking out for my best interests. The reason I contacted Ms. Fernandez was because she works on a fee-only basis. My own experiences with a financial adviser have indicated that you do not want to hire a commissions-based adviser, they will put you into poor investments because they get a kickback. On Monday morning, Ms. Fernandez had already placed a phone call to one of the financial institutions to see if they would be able to help out in a situation like the one I was in so that I would be able to minimize my costs. I am not even her client, and she did this so that I would know that there are avenues to get my problem solved in low-cost fashion. Ms. Fernandez is a consummate professional who went significantly above her duty to me to provide information that I needed and that would allow me to save money. When I do need a financial adviser, Ms. Fernandez has earned my business. read more

Delia gave us truly excellent advice when we met with her! My previous experience was always with financial advisers who didn't charge a fee. Guess why? They have investments they want to sell, regardless of what's in the best interest of the client. This wasn't a cheap visit, but it's not one that has to take place often and we had to consider what was at stake - our retirement accounts. The education and insight was extremely helpful and she didn't waste any time guiding us to choices that we needed to make afterwards. She even identified a social security benefit for my wife that we were completely unaware of. After we contacted the social security administration to verify, we found that the fee charged for our visit to Delia was paid for several times over during the first year of benefits. read more

I was laid off my job at age 57 and wasn't sure I would be able to land another one at my former salary. I needed to take stock of where I stood financially, and get a clear picture of what my retirement would look like if I didn't find another similar job. Delia went through all of the details of my situation with me and crunched the numbers. She was very detail oriented, which gave me confidence in her assessment. Having her tell me that even in the worst case scenario (I never work again), I would still be ok financially, gave me incredible peace of mind. I didn't have to panic, and that enabled me to feel confident in my job search. I found my next job and am very grateful for Delia's financial advice. Her fee was well worth it. Thanks Delia! read more

I met with Delia as aprt of interviewing several financial planners. Out of 4 or 5 I met with she was by far the best, and the fee based structure was much better for me as I really just wanted advice on my current plan which was all self managed. We worked with her to review or plan and model a few scenarios and we're very happy with her work. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for unbiased retirement advice. read more

I would never go to a financial adviser that is not fee only. They only want to push the products that they receive a commission. I would rather pay the hourly rate and receive sound advise, thus an appointment with Delia Fernandez. (This was last year). I first discovered Delia from a Los Angeles Times Money Makeover article several years ago. I clipped and saved the article. When I needed a fee only financial adviser I pulled out the article, reread it, and again liked the advise she gave the person. I then learned she was also recommended by my accountant. She will ask for a complete inventory of your financial situation. She gives you a complete summary of where you are financially and where you should (can) go. Very thorough. I highly recommend Delia. So for some of you women out there, smart up! For go one of those stupid designer handbags or trips to the spa. Invest in your self and your future and make an appointment with Delia Fernandez. read more

I am pleased to be a new client of Fernandez Financial. Delia Fernandez is wonderful. I was afraid to consult a financial planner for years because I felt I wasn't the best money manager and I didn't want to be judged or embarrassed. I was none of these things in my meeting with Ms. Fernandez. She analyzed all of my previously provided information, which you will be asked to provide, and she helped me with a plan and to assure me that I'm not as bad as I had thought. She is very positive and helps to give you direction. She is strictly a financial advisor. Not a tax professional, nor does she sell insurance as part of her planning. She just helps you to manage your money and save for life goals. There is a pay service that she does offer to manage your investments for you, however that is strictly voluntary and not pushed on you. I was very pleased and will make yearly financial check ups part of my future. Or more often if changes happen or goals change. I highly recommend her. read more

My wife and I went to Delia last year after having met other financial planners over the years. I had little idea what a "fee only" financial planner was, but I certainly understood why the other financial planners were free--they make money by selling you financial products. Delia doesn't do this. It costs money for her expertise and knowledge, but being a teacher, I value this and am willing to pay for it. The pre-meeting analysis paperwork was eye opening, as we had to track our expenses and cash flow. We had to talk about our goals, and timelines for what we wanted financially. When we met with Delia, she went through each area of the plan in detail and offered great insight. Her demeanor was professional yet also warm. She's a great listener too. We'll be back this year to plan with her again. Thanks Delia! read more

I was a student of Delia Fernandez where she teaches financial planning at UC Irvine in 2002 and finally went to become a client of hers this year. I was always impressed with her as an instructor, but she really wowed me when I came in to get her analysis and advice with my wife this year. She picked up on all the important issues with speed and precision, seeing a potential problem with my retirement account, making some sage suggestions on insurance, and very impressive investment advice. The thing about her is she really, really gets your situation fast. Moreover, she's got a great personality and it never hurts to enjoy working with your financial adviser because it can be stressful. She is a fee only financial adviser and someone you can trust. You'll profit from her expertise and enjoy working with her if you try. read more

We came across Fernandez Financial Advisory through an Internet search where we found several possibilities. After reading reviews and making phone calls to the appropriate agency, we chose Delia to review our financial status. She was thoroughly knowledgeable in all aspects of financial planning and gave good sound advice after reviewing our personal information which we had provided to her two weeks prior to our scheduled appointment. Delia is very personable and maintained a friendly conversation throughout our visit. We recommend her to anyone who is in need of financial planning, without reservations. read more