Serving the Fort Worth, Dallas Area For More Than 40 Years

Asset Management Process

We manage our clients’ portfolios by investing in best-in-class investment managers in order to establish prudent, well-diversified portfolios. We select concentrated funds with expert, established managers who invest only in their specific niches. Our objective is to select the best managers in each investment space for us to devote our time to managing our portfolio allocations strategically.

How We Choose Our Fund Managers

We seek out managers who have demonstrated a sustainable ability to outperform in various economic and market climates and whom we expect to have the discipline and ability to maintain their strategy into the future, even in difficult economic times.

We Invest in Managers Who Exhibit:

  • Consistently superior risk-adjusted performance.
  • An awareness and respect for risk (defined not as volatility but as the potential for permanent loss of capital).
  • A clearly expressed and logical investment approach.
  • A commitment to their shareholders through aligned incentives, responsible asset management, and reasonable expenses.
  • The ability to manage effectively in multiple market environments.
  • A high level of integrity and passion for investing that is evident throughout the team and the firm’s dynamics.
  • A commitment to only invest in their best ideas.

Due Diligence Process

As we evaluate prospective funds and fund managers, we gain a deep understanding of each of our selected manager’s strategies and processes through a rigorous due diligence process. Our due diligence process includes a thorough evaluation of the fund’s historical performance and attribution analysis, multiple discussions with the fund manager and other members of their team, a review of the manager’s prior investment commentary and other media articles, site visits to assess the fund’s operations, and consideration of their fit within our clients’ existing portfolios.

Our Team Will:

  • Monitor our managers on an ongoing basis to ensure that our original investment thesis is still valid and that each investment remains the best available option for our clients.
  • Review the new funds established in the fund families we invest in, as well as new funds being released in our market niches.
  • Change fund managers if we identify a better fit for our portfolios based on the market environment and make other tactical portfolio adjustments based on the opportunities and threats we see in the current environment.
  • Conduct daily monitoring of our funds, and when our funds’ performance differs from what we would have expected, we analyze what caused the discrepancy to determine whether this reflects a fundamental root cause that we would expect to continue to affect performance.
  • Constantly monitor overall trends in the market and analyze relative performance that diverges from what we would expect based on a historical perspective. If there is an apparent discrepancy, we will analyze its cause to determine whether we see an opportunity in that area, at which point we either adjust our portfolio weightings or begin the process of identifying the best manager for that space.

Asset Management Services

Our investment management process is tailored to the client, whether the client is an individual, couple, family, business, or charitable foundation.

Examples of Services We Offer:

  • Time horizon and retirement planning.
  • Charitable planning and investment planning with tax considerations.
  • Tax-aware asset management, including consideration of asset locations, such as Roth conversions, and asset management in conjunction with estate planning of assets with high taxable gains.
  • For qualifying investors: access to non-traditional investments usually restricted to very high net worth clients.
  • For small business owners: establishment of retirement and employee incentive plans that offer a broader range of investment options than traditional brokerage firms, which often only offer funds in their own fund family.
  • Advisement on investments, such as employee 401(k)s that have limited options, as well as a portfolio allocation that incorporates these investments into the client’s overall portfolio.
  • Consultation on employee benefits, such as stock options or warrants.
  • Guidance and planning for asset diversification for clients with large exposure to a certain asset, such as employer stocks, while managing tax consequences.
  • Investment in socially responsible funds.

We are available at any time to discuss any portfolio or asset management needs you may have, and determine if we would be a good fit for you.

Meggan Jamison

Meggan Jamison

Compliance Associate

Meggan M. Jamison is a Compliance Associate and works with the Chief Compliance Officer in overseeing the firm’s compliance policies and procedures. She holds a BBA degree in finance from Texas Christian University and an MBA from Oklahoma City University. Meggan joined Diesslin Group, Inc. in February 2010. Prior to joining the firm, she spent 10 years in the banking industry.

Natalie Georgen

Natalie Georgen

Financial Planning Associate

Natalie M. Georgen is a Financial Planning Associate at Diesslin Group, Inc. She received her BBA in risk, insurance, and financial services from the University of North Texas and plans to sit for the CFP. She joined Diesslin Group, Inc. in 2022.

Edie C. Peplinski

Edie C. Peplinski

Senior Executive Assistant

Edie C. Peplinski is the Senior Executive Assistant to David Diesslin. Her responsibilities include time management and scheduling, arranging travel, coordinating and scheduling meetings, overseeing event planning, and assisting with office and administrative responsibilities at the firm.

Edie has over 40 years of experience in executive-level administrative and personal assistant positions and previously worked for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association. Edie attended Tarrant County College and has worked at Diesslin Group, Inc. since 2003.

Stephanie A. Dacanay

Stephanie A. Dacanay

Client Services Associate

Stephanie A. Dacanay is a Client Services Associate at Diesslin Group, Inc. She has many responsibilities, including scheduling meetings, corresponding with clients, providing administrative assistance, and planning team events. She joined Diesslin Group, Inc. in 2021.

Tristyn L. Williams

Tristyn L. Williams

Asset Management Associate

Tristyn L. Williams is an Asset Management Associate at Diesslin Group, Inc. Tristyn received a BS in Agricultural economics from Texas A&M University and planned to sit for the CFP exam in November 2022. He joined Diesslin Group, Inc. in 2021.

Luke Hockett, MBA

Luke Hockett, MBA

Portfolio Manager

Luke Hockett is a Portfolio Manager at Diesslin Group, Inc. He conducts investment and risk-return analysis, performance measurement, diagnostic procedures, and asset allocation for client portfolios.

Luke received his BBA in entrepreneurial management from Texas Christian University in 2014 and his MBA in finance from Dallas Baptist University in 2020. He previously worked at Diesslin Group, Inc. from 2014 to 2019 and left to join the Hedge Fund Operations team at IQEQ before rejoining Diesslin Group, Inc. in 2022.

Olivia F. Partin

Olivia F. Partin, CFP®

Financial Planner

Olivia F. Partin is a Financial Planner at Diesslin Group, Inc. and assists with various client and firm projects. Olivia received her BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University. She also holds her AAMS® and FPQP certifications and CFP certifications. She joined the firm in 2021.

Angela L. Woodson

Angela L. Woodson

Client Services Associate

Angela L. Woodson is a Client Services Associate at Diesslin Group, Inc. She assists with servicing client requests and ongoing account administration. Angela received a BS in counseling education from the University of North Texas. She joined the Diesslin Group, Inc. team in 2019.

Mark M. Michel, CFA, MBA

Mark M. Michel, CFA, MBA

Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager

Mark M. Michel, CFA, MBA, is Diesslin Group, Inc.’s Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager. He conducts investment analysis, risk-return analysis, performance management, and asset allocation for client portfolios. Mark is also involved in the analysis of the firm’s alternative investments.

Prior to joining Diesslin Group, Inc. in 2021, Mark worked as an Associate Portfolio Manager for American Beacon Advisors and a Senior Portfolio Analyst at JPMorgan. Before entering the financial services industry, he served in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mark received an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BS in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He is a CFA charter holder and a member of both the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Sherry L. Redden, FPQP™

Sherry L. Redden, FPQP™

Client Services Director

Sherry L. Redden, FPQP, is Diesslin Group, Inc.’s Client Services Director. She has numerous responsibilities—some of which include serving as a client liaison and financial planning associate—and helps ensure each division of the firm functions successfully.

In addition to being a certified paraplanner, Sherry has over 20 years of professional experience as an executive assistant and outside sales representative. She joined Diesslin Group, Inc. in 2012.

Scott B. Reasor

Scott B. Reasor

Relationship Manager and Senior Portfolio Manager

Scott B. Reasor is a Relationship Manager and Senior Portfolio Manager at Diesslin Group, Inc. He conducts investment and risk-return analysis, performance measurement, diagnostic procedures, and asset allocation for client portfolios. Scott also serves as an advocate and primary point of contact for clients, maintaining ongoing communication with them while monitoring and executing projects to help them meet their financial goals.

Scott received a BBA in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington and has been with Diesslin Group, Inc. since 2004.

Shawn L. Gray

Shawn L. Gray

Principal, Chief Compliance Officer, and Chief Technology Officer

Shawn L. Gray is Diesslin Group, Inc.’s Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, as well as a principal of the firm. Shawn manages the firm’s computing, networking, and programming solutions. He also develops retirement and cash flow projections and models stock options for clients.

He received a BBA in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington and worked in the banking industry prior to joining Diesslin Group, Inc. in 1992.

Norman R. (“Rocky”) Farr, CFP, EA, ATA

Norman R. (“Rocky”) Farr, CFP, EA, ATA

Principal, Managing Director, and Relationship Manager

Norman R. “Rocky” Farr, CFP, EA, ATA, is Diesslin Group, Inc.’s Managing Director as well as Relationship Manager and principal of the firm. Rocky oversees the firm’s daily operations and coordinates the efforts of the financial planning, client services, and asset management divisions. He specializes in estate and tax planning.

Rocky has held his certified financial planner mark since 1982. He also holds an Enrolled Agent license from the Internal Revenue Service and an Accredited Tax Advisor license from the Council for Accounting and Taxation. Rocky joined Diesslin Group, Inc. in 1992. Prior to moving to Texas, he played hockey professionally.

David H. Diesslin, CFP®, MBA

David H. Diesslin, CFP®, MBA

Founder

David H. Diesslin, is the founder of Diesslin Group, Inc. Dave founded the firm as Diesslin & Associates, Inc. in 1980 and has provided fee-only financial planning and investment management ever since.

He has been honored for his work as a financial advisor in Worth, Medical Economics, Fort Worth Inc., and Money magazines, and has been endorsed by the Consumers’ Research Council of America as one of “America’s Top Financial Planners.”

Throughout his professional life, Dave has worked diligently to promote and advance the financial planning profession both nationally and internationally. In addition, he has served as a chairman of the Board of Governors on the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards as well as chairman and president of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

Dave received an MBA from the University of Dallas and a BS in Business Management from Indiana University. He has held his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ mark since 1983. Prior to entering the financial planning profession, Dave served as First Lieutenant for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.