Wisdom for Generations. Peace of Mind Today.™
Our focus is your financial success.
Preserving wealth in changing markets, navigating complex financial situations, planning for the future while addressing the needs of today — you don’t have to tackle these challenges alone. Your financial well-being is personal and primary to us. Together, we can provide peace of mind for generations.
The Clifford Swan Difference
Our approach is holistic and specific to you.
We are independently owned, with no outside influences or products to sell. This allows us the freedom to design and refine custom wealth strategies that support your goals through every phase of life. We combine rigorous investment research with comprehensive financial counseling and skilled portfolio management to navigate today’s complex world and evolve your wealth solutions.
Simply put, your priorities and concerns are our own — ensuring a lasting and meaningful impact on your wealth and legacy.
110+ years
Serving affluent individuals and families60+ years
Serving nonprofit organizations100%
Employee-owned$4.1B
Assets under management(as of December 31, 2024)
Why Clifford Swan?
We are fiduciaries intent on helping you sleep well at night.
Since our founding in 1915, we have committed to placing client interests ahead of all other considerations. We care deeply about financial education and promise to work closely with you at each step of your journey, sharing information about financial concepts and imparting investment knowledge to every generation.
By managing your wealth with an independent vision, long-term strategy, and absolute commitment to achieving your goals, we can provide enduring peace of mind.
Who Our Clients Are
- Affluent Individuals, Families, and Private Foundations
- Nonprofit Organizations — Endowments and Planned Giving Programs
- Professional Trustees
- Business Owners and Private Pension Plans
While our firm is based in Pasadena, California, our clients live nearby and across the country in cities large and small, in communities urban and rural, and represent a diverse collection of individuals, families, and institutions. They come from varied backgrounds with their own unique stories, goals, and dreams. Yet, Clifford Swan clients share several commonalities.
Financially Established
Our clients are financially established, having accumulated significant wealth.
Forward Thinking
Many come to us at a time of change, whether personally or professionally, with goals that often span multiple generations.
Purposeful Investors
They share a strong desire to grow and protect their wealth in a thoughtful, clear way, and value having a personal trusted advisor.
Services
Individuals & Families
We provide investment and planning solutions centered on your unique needs and values. A coordinated approach to wealth management helps not only build wealth but also protect what matters most to you — including the future and legacy you envision.
Institutions
Our commitment to nonprofit organizations began in 1962 when we first provided endowment investment management services.
Today, in addition to asset allocation and portfolio implementation, we offer a consultative approach to board governance and best practice concerns, including reviewing investment, spending, and gift acceptance policies to bolster your organization’s mission.
For organizations with planned giving programs, our comprehensive turnkey services include investment management, administration, and donor support.
Our Latest Thinking
It Pays to Maintain a Long-Term Mindset in an Era of Short-Termism
In today’s world, convenience is often a single tap away. The breadth of smartphone apps enables us to have groceries delivered to our doors within hours or hail a ride to the airport within minutes. Even social exchanges occur in real time due to the immediacy of texting and social media messages. While we are […]
Understanding the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Key Tax Changes
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law H.R.1, commonly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). This sweeping legislation addressed the scheduled expiration of tax provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) while introducing new tax measures and tweaking existing rules. Here’s what you need to know. Income […]
What Divorce Can Teach Us About Financial Resilience (Even If You’re Happily Married)
You don’t have to be going through a divorce to learn from one. Some of the most powerful financial lessons we’ve encountered do not come from market swings or tax law changes; they come from the experience of watching wealth unravel during a divorce. Divorce is emotionally disorienting, legally complex, and financially revealing. It forces […]
Celebrating the First Decade of Our Summer Internship Program
Clifford Swan’s wealth management internship program reached a major milestone this year, with Meghan Garrity and Michael Dunn completing our tenth annual program. Over six weeks, they immersed themselves in learning across our firm, from investment research and financial planning to compliance and operations. The rising college juniors brought impressive credentials. A Finance and Spanish […]
