Dimensional Fund Advisors
Unsung Money Mentors: Personal Financial Columnist Sylvia Porter  
May 30, 2023
In a recent piece, "Who Is 'the Media'?" we offered our broad take on “the media,” and how to identify islands of investment insights across the oceans of daily news. In this follow-up, we focus on America’s first personal financial columnist Sylvia Porter (1913–1991), and the impact she made on the global financial press. This piece is also part of our continuing series on Unsung Money Mentors.
Categories: Article, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, Financial planning, General audience, Unsung money mentors
Unsung Money Mentors: The Legacy Dan Wheeler Left Us  
February 28, 2023
In the first of what may become a series of unsung money mentors, we reflect on the legacy the recently passed Dan Wheeler left for the independent, fee-only advisor community in general, and evidence-based investment advisors in particular. The piece covers his influence on the advisor community before and after he joined Dimensional Fund Advisors.
Categories: Advisor role/value, Article, Client experience, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General audience, Unsung money mentors
Quarterly Client Letter – 2021 Q2  
July 1, 2021
This 491-word Q2 2021 quarterly client letter compares recent speculative ventures like FINRA-fined Robinhood’s IPO filing, with the 50th anniversary of index investing.
Categories: Breaking news, Client-focused, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, Quarterly client letter
Money Management Lingo  
March 27, 2019
This 860-word document provides a beginner's guide intro to some of the most common terminology advisors tend to use when introducing prospective and new clients to money management services. For example, it differentiates assets, funds, accounts and custodians -- explaining which roles each play. (Note: Non-U.S. advisors might want to swap out some of the examples with illustrations of their own -- such as referencing your country's tax-advantaged accounts rather than U.S.-based IRAs.)
Categories: Advisor role/value, Article, Client experience, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Financial planning, General audience, Real estate investing, Tax planning, The "What Is ...?" series
Cover Intro for Dimensional 2018 Market Review  
January 8, 2019
This 565-word summary provides an introduction you can use to share Dimensional's 2018 Market Review, with an emphasis on remaining resolute and diversified during volatile markets. You can use the intro to be in touch with your clients or as a prospecting piece for those interested in evidence-based investing.
Categories: Advisor role/value, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General audience, General letter/email, Intro to expert commentary, Scary market insights
Cover Intro for Dimensional 2017 Market Review  
January 9, 2018
This 500-word summary provides an introduction you can use to share Dimensional's 2017 Advisor Byline Market Review. You can use it to be in touch with your clients or as a prospecting piece for those interested in evidence-based investing.
Categories: Advisor role/value, Client-focused, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General audience, General letter/email, Intro to expert commentary
Cover Intro for Dimensional 2016 Market Review  
January 12, 2017
This 450-word summary provides an introduction you can use to share Dimensional's 2016 Advisor Byline Market & Economic Review. It's primarily for being in touch with your clients, although it can be modified to serve as a prospecting piece as well.
Categories: Advisor role/value, Client-focused, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General letter/email, Intro to expert commentary
Client Cover Letter for Sharing Dimensional Materials  
December 7, 2016
This 260-word (single page) cover letter can be used to share one or more recent resources Dimensional Fund Advisors has made available to advisors who are approved to use their fund line-up. Use this letter to remind CLIENTS of the value that Dimensional funds can add to their evidence-based investing. It references Dimensional's WSJ reprint "The Active-Passive Powerhouse," a Pensions & Investments reprint, "Dissecting Dimensional," and Dimensional's book, "35 Quotations." (The Content-Sharing Library also contains a separate letter for sharing these same materials with PROSPECTS.)
Categories: Client-focused, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General letter/email
Prospect Cover Letter for Sharing Dimensional Materials  
December 7, 2016
This 450-word cover letter can be used to share one or more recent resources Dimensional Fund Advisors has made available to advisors who are approved to use their fund line-up. Use this letter as a follow-up to your initial conversation or meeting with a PROSPECT, to promote evidence-based investing as implemented by Dimensional funds. It references Dimensional's WSJ reprint "The Active-Passive Powerhouse," a Pensions & Investments reprint, "Dissecting Dimensional," and Dimensional's book, "35 Quotations." (The Content-Sharing Library also contains a separate letter for sharing these same materials with CLIENTS.)
Categories: Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General letter/email, Prospect-focused
Cover Intro for Dimensional 2015 Year in Review  
January 21, 2016
This 540-word summary provides an introduction you can use to share Dimensional's 2015 Advisor Byline Market & Economic Review. The introduction is a little longer than in most years, given the current market climate. It's primarily for being in touch with your clients, although it can be modified to serve as a prospecting piece as well.
Categories: Advisor role/value, Breaking news, Client-focused, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Economics, General letter/email, Intro to expert commentary, Scary market insights
Cover Intro for Dimensional 2014 Year in Review  
January 14, 2015
Here's a 375-word letter or e-mail you can use to share Dimensional Fund Advisors' Advisor Byline 2014 Year in Review, now available from Dimensional's log-in site. The lead-in reinforces the importance of remaining globally diversified, of avoiding market-timing in response to near-term "winning" and "losing" asset classes, and to be in touch with you for assistance.
Categories: Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General audience, General letter/email, Intro to expert commentary
Evidence-Based Investing vs. Indexing: Making a Good Thing Even Better  
February 7, 2014
This 1,000-word article describes advantages of evidence-based investment management over index fund investing (i.e., investing as applied by Dimensional Fund Advisors and similar fund managers). It positions passive/index fund investing as a good improvement over active management, with evidence-based investing as an even better approach. It does not mention Dimensional or any other fund manager in particular, instead covering broad principles. Use this piece as a brochure or article to introduce your investment strategy to prospective clients or to review key benefits with existing clients.
Categories: Article, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General audience
Cover Intro for Dimensional 2013 Year in Review  
January 29, 2014
Here's a 230-word letter or e-mail you can use to share Dimensional Fund Advisors' Advisor Byline 2013 Year in Review (assuming you are a Dimensional firm). There is a version directed to clients and another directed to prospective clients, encouraging them to read Dimensional's report and be in touch with you for follow-up. Both versions help remind the reader about the importance of adopting an evidence-based investment strategy.
Categories: Advisor role/value, Client-focused, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing, General letter/email, Intro to expert commentary, Prospect-focused
Professor Fama’s Nobel Prize and You  
October 14, 2013
This 570-word article celebrates Professor Eugene Fama's receipt of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics, and how Fama's work contributes to your clients' personal investment experiences. It also explains how you, as their advisor, add value by translating sometimes conflicting academic evidence (such as Fama’s/Shiller's respective work) into practical application toward achieving individual end goals. Use the piece as a direct client communication or modify/customize for wider use.
Categories: Advisor role/value, Article, Client-focused, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Evidence-based investing