About Us

IFA Institutional is a fee-only fiduciary, providing corporations and charitable institutions with professional investment management services that incorporate the tenets of fiduciary prudence and Modern Portfolio Theory. 

IFA Institutional is a division of Index Funds Advisors, Inc (IFA), a fee-only Independent Financial Advisor (ifa), registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. IFA incorporated on March 5, 1999 and also is a 50% owner of IFA Canada, Inc.(ifacanada.com).

Providing full-service investment management, IFA Institutional begins by educating plan trustees regarding the intrinsic relationship between risk, return, time and diversification. This meaningful education enables fiduciary stewards to make informed investment decisions for plan assets that are in keeping with fiduciary prudence, mitigating liability concerns.

IFA Institutional matches institutions with portfolios by carefully measuring risk capacity and risk exposure, providing the ability to earn optimal risk-adjusted returns. IFA Institutional assists clients in the creation, purchase, and rebalancing of portfolios comprised of risk-calibrated and globally diversified blends of passively managed index funds.

 Extensive research shows that active management and fund speculation lead to increased expenses that have shown to negatively impact returns over time, while adding excessive and unrewarded risk. Hundreds of peer-reviewed academic studies and 80 years of risk and return data support IFA Institutional’s passive strategy that controls costs and replaces speculation with risk-optimization and global diversification. 

 




Mark T. Hebner
President and Founder

 

 

Mark Hebner is the founder and President of Index Funds Advisors, Inc., author of the ifa.com and indexfunds.com web sites, and the book, Index Funds: The 12-Step Program for Active Investors. He has been nominated as the author of one of the three all-time greatest investment books, along with Warren Buffett and John Bogle. He is a frequent lecturer and has attended over thirty investment conferences and is considered the leading internet provider of information on index funds and especially information on Dimensional Funds Advisors mutual funds and portfolios of the research indexes used by DFA. He is an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 7 and 65) and has a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California at Irvine and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of New Mexico with a specialization in Nuclear Pharmacy.

Mr. Hebner was a member of the Young Presidents' Organization for over 20 years and is currently a member of the Worlds' President Organization and the Chief Executives Organization.

From 1975 to 1985, Mark was President, CEO and co-founder of Syncor International (previously a public company - SCOR). In Jan. 2003, Syncor was acquired by Cardinal Health for approximately $850 million. As a Cardinal Health division, Syncor is the world's leading provider of nuclear pharmacy services. Through an integrated network of over 150 nuclear pharmacies, Syncor compounds, dispenses and distributes patient-specific, unit-dose radiopharmaceuticals to more than 7,000 hospitals and outpatient clinics. Through his experience at Syncor, Mr. Hebner gained insight as to how public companies operate, raise capital, and promote their securities.

Mr. Hebner has been the Chairman of two Global Financial Seminars, is a respected speaker and is a frequent attendee of investment conferences so that he can keep up with the latest research for his books and web site. He has met and learned from some of the brightest minds in the business. He has attended lectures by William Sharpe, Paul Samuelson, John Bogle, Warren Buffett, Eugene Fama, Sr. and Jr., Kenneth French, Rex Sinquefield, Roger Ibbottson, David Booth, Burton Malkiel, Jeremy Siegel, Terrance Odean, Brad Barber, Robert Arnott, Campbell Harvey, William Bernstein, Larry Swedroe, Paul Merriman, Michael Mauboussin, James Surowiecki, Daniel Solin, Sunil Wahal, James L. Davis, Weston Wellington and many more.

Corporate Office
19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

Toll Free:1-888-643-3133
Local #: 949-502-0050
Fax: 949-502-0048

Email: mark@ifa.com

famafrench   Buffett  
Professors Eugene Fama and Kenneth French, DFA Conference 2006   Warren Buffett - who says "the best way to own common stocks is through an index fund." - 2000  
       
Bogle
  sharpe  

Jack Bogle, Founder of Vanguard, at the Super Bowl of Indexing - Dec 3, 2007 (Book)

  Professor William Sharpe (Nobel Laureate) at Schwab Impact Conference - 2007 (Book)  
       
Markowitz      
Professor Harry Markowitz (Nobel Laureate)
in La Jolla, CA - Jan 29, 2008
Download MMM-062.mp3


     




Dan Solin
Senior Vice President





Dan Solin is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is the author of the best selling book, "The Smartest 401(k) Book You'll Ever Read", and “The Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever Read”. He is also the author of “Does Your Broker Owe You Money?”. Additionally, Dan is the financial columnist for The Huffington Post and AOL's Walletpop.

Dan has appeared on CBS’s The Early Show, Fox Television’s The O’Reilly Factor and Fox and Friends, MSNBC’s Weekend Economic Review, CNN’s Money, and Bloomberg Television. Dan is a frequent speaker on investment-related topics and presents before large corporate audiences and topic-oriented interest groups. He has testified before a congressional subcommittee investigating the fairness of the mandatory arbitration system imposed on all investors by the securities industry.

Dan is a Senior Vice President for Index Funds Advisors (IFA). Dan is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65), and he resides in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Naples, Florida
Regional Representative

Toll Free: 1-888-643-3133
Local #: 239-949-1606
Fax: 239-236-1381
Email : dan@ifa.com

Corporate Office

19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

q Click the image below to watch a
video about Dan Solin's Smartest Investment book:
Dan Speaks at authors@google event:

"Securities attorney and investment adviser Daniel R. Solin has saved our bacon once again, just as he did at this time last year..."
Invest for your future, not for the financial services industry, Daily Herald

10 Toughest Retirement Questions from AOL Money and Finance



Gordon Shuler
Investment Advisor Representative

Gordon Shuler has been an investment services professional for over 10 years and is an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65). He has completed two Dimensional Fund Advisors Conferences for Investment Advisors and is an expert in Index Funds investing.

He has presented a variety of investment topics to hundreds of seminar attendees and has periodically provided commentary and interviews on local radio stations. Previously in the computer industry for 25 years, his experience provides a solid background for the highly technical investment methodology offered by IFA.

He was previously employed at large high technology firms including General Electric Co. and Hewlett-Packard, as well as several small start-up firms in the high technology area of computer-aided engineering.

He has a B.S. Degree in Production Management from the California State University, Long Beach, with a specialization in Operations Research & Statistics.

Corporate Office
19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

Toll Free: 1-888-643-3133
Local #: 949-502-0050
Fax: 949-502-0048

Email: gordon@ifa.com





Dave Mertz
J.D., CFP®

Investment Advisor Representative

Dave Mertz is an attorney licensed in Arizona and a Certified Financial Planner.

He has published over fifty articles on insurance, savings, and investing.

He has served on the faculty at The University of California at San Diego, Extension Education Department of Business and Management where he has taught ‘Risk Management’ and ‘Managing Your Money’.

He has consulted for the City of San Diego Retirement System, has been a designated expert witness on insurance in civil court and consulted on securities regulatory matters for investment advisers.

He has been offering financial advice to clients since 1983.

Corporate Office
19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

Toll Free: 1-888-643-3133
Local #: 949-502-0050
Fax: 949-502-0048

Email: dave@ifa.com





Brendan Connelly

Investment Advisor Representative

Brendan's varied financial services industry experience began in 1989 as Wall Street District Manager for Dale Carnegie & Assoc., Inc.  He now manages our Midwest regional office in Madison, Wisconsin.

At Allen Capital Markets he helped initiate the effort to create a secondary market for private equity through Offroad Capital and the NYPPe. With Green Cay Asset Management, a hedge fund headed by a Sir John Templeton protégé, he led business development functions. He also served as an advisor with estate planning firm Legacy Financial, specializing in small to medium-sized business owners. This direct experience with the folly of active money management led to his conviction in risk quantification through globally diversified index funds as key to proper investment strategy.

Brendan lives in Madison with his wife and four children, three of which were adopted in 2008.  He received a B.A. from Connecticut State University and today is an avid triathlete, sailor and advocate for worthy causes such as the DuRunRun, now a nine-event State-wide duathlon for kids as a fundraiser for Special Olympics that he started from scratch in 2003.

Carla Free is the Portfolio Administrator in the Madison office.

Midwest Regional Office
2918 Marketplace Drive,
Suite 111
Madison, WI 53719-5328

Toll Free: 1-877-373-9934
Local Phone: 608-227-6000
Fax: 608-268-7733
Cell : 608-239-6211

Email: brendan@ifa.com





Denise Delaney
CFP®

Investment Advisor Representative

Denise Delaney has been a Certified Financial Planner® since 1992 and has served in the financial services industry since 1988. As an Investment Advisor Representative with IFA, she has brought a Private Client value added strategy to this fast growing internet based advisory firm. Denise specializes in serving high net worth investors.  She enjoys the challenges and works to create investment solutions for the often complex situations that high net worth investors must consider as they make investment decisions to optimize the benefits of estate planning and tax planning while achieving market returns.  Denise’s experience in dealing with these issues has given her the ability to navigate through the overall process to create well thought out investment solutions tailored to each individual’s specific and unique circumstances.  She strives to create lifelong relationships with her clients and their families.

Her strategy is to understand every client’s financial goals and objectives which can change over time. Denise’s comprehensive knowledge of the overall financial planning process coupled with the strategic alliances she shares with other professionals, such as CPA’s, Estate Planning Attorneys, and Third Party Administrators of retirement plans, increases the confidence and trust of investors that need advice on issues that pertain to their financial decisions.

Los Angeles/Pasadena, California Regional Representative
cell: 626-506-6066

Corporate Office

19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

Toll Free: 1-888-643-3133
Local Phone: 949-502-0050
Fax: 949-502-0048
direct: 949-502-0057

Email: denise@ifa.com





Becky Vasquez
CFP®

Investment Advisor Representative

Becky Vasquez has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry advising high net worth clients, foundations and pension plans.  Becky is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65).

Becky’s vast financial expertise includes investment advice, retirement planning, real estate investing, and mortgage lending.

Becky enjoys assisting her clients in establishing sound financial plans through carefully selected global index portfolios.  She realizes that client communication and service are critical in achieving long-term investment success.

Becky lives in Huntington  Beach with her husband and their two children.  She volunteers in her community and at her children’s schools.

Corporate Office
19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

Toll Free: 1-888-643-3133
Local Phone: 949-502-0050
Fax: 949-502-0048
cell: 949-300-2267

Email: becky@ifa.com





Brad
von Grote


Investment Advisor Representative

Brad has been in the investment industry since 1999 and as a traditional stock broker / Investment Advisor Representative since 2002. Brad started with American Express Financial Advisors; then as the owner of VON GROTE Financial & Insurances services in Huntington Beach has extensive experience with all forms of stock market investing and advanced financial planning.

“I have traded everything from pork bellies to bonds. I do not wish my roller-coaster ride with futures trading on anybody. The reason I have become a part of Index Funds Advisors is, I have seen first hand the wrong way to invest in the stock market then the right way, which is index investing long term. Nobody provides as much education to the consumer as we do, because they do not have the statistics to back them up”

Brad is married with two teenage boys, living in Huntington Beach, CA.

Corporate Office
19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

Toll Free: 1-888-643-3133
Local Phone: 949-502-0050
Fax: 949-502-0048

Email: brad@ifa.com





Ted Fischer


Investment Advisor Representative

Ted Fischer manages IFA’s Westlake Village, California office. With more than 17 years of experience, Ted advises clients regarding risk-appropriate investments for long-term wealth management. Prior to joining IFA, Ted assisted private clients in the formation of financial strategies to maximize their investments. Additionally, he served as a Senior Investment Consultant and a Life/Health agent for both Charles Schwab and Wells Fargo Securities.

Ted has particular expertise in retirement planning, estate planning and investment analysis. He is devoted to learning the unique needs of each client and providing them with an individualized investment plan to achieve their personal goals.

Ted graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, with a minor in Finance. Ted is an Investment Advisor Representative with a Series 65 license.   

Ted is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys mountain biking, snow skiing, coaching soccer, and spending time with his family. He lives in Newbury Park with his wife and two daughters.

Westlake Village Branch Office
920 Hampshire Road
Suite A9
Westlake Village, CA 91361

Toll Free: 1-866-502-1737
Local Phone: 805-494-1737
Fax: 805-494-8130

Email: ted@ifa.com





Ben Brinkerhoff
AIF®


Investment Advisor Representative/
Assistant to the President

Ben Brinkerhoff, Assistant to the President and Investment Advisor Representative, began his career as a quantitative and economic consultant for Fortune 500 firms, most recently for the Qatar Economic Zones in the Middle East. It was Ben’s love of economics and statistics that attracted him to IFA.

Ben excels at helping clients from all backgrounds understand the key concepts embodied in IFA’s investing approach. His primary goal is to provide clients with the most appropriate financial plan while ensuring they enjoy a carefree and positive investing experience.

Ben received B.A. degrees in both Economics and History from the University of California at San Diego. He became an Accredited Investment Fiduciary AIF® in 2008 in order to continue and expand the pattern of fiduciary excellence offered by IFA and requested by today’s investment committees. Ben is active in his community and enjoys sports and his family. He lives in Tustin, California with his wife Elissa and their son Ari.  

Corporate Office
19100 Von Karman Ave.,
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92612

Toll Free: 1-888-643-3133
Local Phone: 949-502-0050
Fax: 949-502-0048

Email: ben@ifa.com






Venkat Yarlagadda


Investment Advisor Representative

Venkat Yarlagadda is an Investment Advisor Representative (series 65) and is located in IFA’s Manhattan branch office. A seasoned financial professional, Venkat is committed to servicing the financial services needs of the New York tri- state area. Venkat specializes in offering customized and personalized investment advisory services to individuals, 401(k) plans, pensions, profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities.

Venkat was previously employed and consulted at Fortune 500 firms, including Bell South, Honeywell, McGraw-Hill and Oracle, as well as several technology start-up firms. Venkat has a B.S. Degree in Computer Sciences & Engineering from Bangalore University, India, with a specialization in Operations Research & Statistics.

Manhattan, New York Branch Office
Index Funds Advisors
641 Lexington Avenue,
14th Floor
New York, NY 10022

Phone: 718-380-4374
Cell :  516-286-8402
Fax : 718-360-5696

Email: venkat@ifa.com


Call or Email Copyright © 1999-2008 Index Funds Advisors, Inc. All rights reserved.

This site is for the use of clients and potential clients of Index Funds Advisors, Inc. and the IFA Network Members. It is not to be used by any other investment advisor or investment professional as an information/marketing materials source, asset allocator, risk capacity or risk tolerance assessment, or for any other purpose. If your financial advisor is using this site without a license from Index Funds Advisors, Inc., they are violating our copyright and their ethics are highly in question. The right to download, store and/or output any material on this internet site, or the Index Funds: The 12-Step Program for Active Investors eBook, is granted for viewing use only and this grant only applies to clients and potential clients of Index Funds Advisors, Inc. and the IFA Network Members. Reproduction or editing by any means, mechanical or electronic, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of Index Funds Advisors, Inc. is strictly prohibited and subject to prosecution under U.S. and International copyright and trademark laws.

DISCLAIMER: THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR RESULTS OBTAINED FROM ANY INFORMATION POSTED ON THIS OR ANY LINKED INTERNET SITE. At certain places on this Index Funds Advisors Internet site, live 'links' to other Internet addresses can be accessed. Such external Internet addresses contain information created, published, maintained, or otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of Index Funds Advisors. Index Funds Advisors does not endorse, approve, certify, or control these external Internet addresses and does not guarantee or assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness, or correct sequencing of information located at such addresses. Use of any information obtained from such addresses is voluntary, and reliance on it should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, and timeliness. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Index Funds Advisors.Your use of this site is acknowledgment that you have read and understood the full disclaimer. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

WARNING: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate, so that investors' shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Investing in any mutual fund, index or actively managed, does not guarantee that an investor will make money, avoid losing capital, or indicate that the investment is risk-free. Actively managed funds sometimes outperform index funds. You just don't know in advance which actively managed fund will outperform the appropriate index. Just because a mutual fund is an index mutual fund, it does not guarantee a performance superior to an actively managed mutual fund. There are no absolute guarantees in investing. When reviewing any backtested performance information on this internet site, please read the Disclosure for Backtested Performance Information (click here to read the Disclosure for Backtested Performance Information.)

Index Funds Advisors, Inc. - 19100 Von Karman., Suite 450 - Irvine, CA 92612-
Call Toll Free: 888-643-3133
Local Phone: 949-502-0050 - Fax: 949-502-0048 - Email: info@ifa.com