My name is Rick Ferri. I have been a financial adviser for four decades.
My professional life has been an interesting mix of public and private service. I am a US Marine Corps officer and fighter pilot (now retired), a former stockbroker, adjunct college professor, founder of a low-fee advisory firm, and now an hourly-fee consultant who helps individual investors simplify their portfolios and achieve their financial goals.
I started my investment career in 1989 as a stockbroker at a large Wall Street firm. After a few years, I concluded that the sales culture and high fees didn’t meet my ethical standards. I was determined to change the way the system worked and became one of the first brokers to advocate using low-cost index funds in client portfolios. This didn’t sit well with management, but I pushed forward because it was right for clients. 
Read more about my CORE BELIEFS.
In 1999, I left the brokerage industry and founded an advisory firm that focused solely on low-cost investment principles. Clients held index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in their portfolios, and I set my firm’s fee at a revolutionary low of 0.25% per year. The concept was fresh, novel, and in demand. Client assets grew quickly, and our staff also grew. At its peak, the company employed 20 people and managed over $1.5 billion in assets. I left the firm in 2017 after a private equity investor acquired it.
Over the past several years, I’ve helped over one thousand individuals through Ferri Investment Solutions, an hourly, as-needed firm. However, I am no longer taking new clients and will retire as an adviser in late 2026. I will continue publishing books and articles, remain a co-host of the “Bogleheads on Investing” podcast, and will continue providing industry consulting to other advisers.
Last, Core-4 Portfolios is a FREE website for public use. There are six simple portfolio models that any individual investor can adopt. Custom portfolio design is also provided for investors and advisers.
A few notable achievements in my career include:
✔ Four decades as a financial adviser. A recognized champion for low investment fees.
✔ A pioneer in portfolio management using index funds and index-tracking ETFs.
✔ Authored many books and hundreds of articles. Published in Forbes, WSJ, and professional journals.
✔ Co-authored a research paper on index fund portfolios that won the S&P Dow Jones Indices 3rd Annual SPIVA Award.
✔ Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island.
✔ Master of Science in Finance from Walsh College and a CFA Charterholder; former adjunct professor at Walsh.
✔ Retired Marine Corps officer and jet pilot.