Carlson Financial Advisory, LLC

Carlson Financial Advisory provides advisory services to individual and high-net-worth clients, offering a portfolio “MRI” analysis report and referring clients to a third-party investment adviser, Matson Money, for implementation and ongoing management. The firm also conducts accounting and valuation work through an affiliated accounting practice, a relationship disclosed in the brochure.

The firm’s investment approach emphasizes modern portfolio theory and a long-term, mutual-fund-focused strategy, with CFAL generally recommending mutual funds and using other securities for diversification when applicable. CFAL operates primarily in a non‑discretionary capacity: it does not trade client accounts, does not take custody or proxy voting authority, and instead conducts due diligence and periodic reviews of the third‑party manager while clients receive quarterly custodian reports.

Notable aspects of the business model include the concentration of client assets under third‑party management (all advisory assets are non‑discretionary and are directed to a single external manager) and the adviser’s dual role as an accountant with an affiliated accounting/valuation firm, with the principal devoting a substantial portion of business time to those activities. The firm’s small scale—roughly $1.9 million in AUM across a very limited number of clients—combined with its referral/oversight model distinguishes it from many independent advisers.