Dimensional Fund Advisors has received an “A” from the independent investment rating service Morningstar for its corporate culture, fund board quality, fund manager incentives, fees, and regulatory history, Morningstar announced. DFA, which operates many of the funds used by Schroeder, Braxton & Vogt Inc., “has forged a strong and distinctive culture that has served investors well,” Morningstar said. “The firm’s low-cost structure and disciplined approach to investing, launching new strategies, and qualifying the financial advisors who use its funds help set it apart.” The report also lauded DFA’s strategy of containing trading costs and avoiding high investment turnover. It noted that turnover of individual fund managers is very low and that the firm is owned by its current and former employees.
Richard Schroeder, CFP®, June 16, 2015