The Professionals
Erik Cooper
Erik is a Principal at ArcVest, an independent, fee-only financial advisory firm specializing in efficient, low-cost wealth management for individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations.
With over 14 years of experience at ArcVest, Erik leads a disciplined, research-driven approach to investing, focusing on risk-appropriate, tax-efficient, and returns-optimized portfolios using broadly diversified index funds. The firm’s investment strategy avoids speculative practices and instead emphasizes consistent exposure to global market trends.
Prior to ArcVest, Erik worked in institutional sales at Tudor Pickering & Holt and in private wealth management at Goldman Sachs, where he gained deep experience in delivering tailored financial strategies and managing relationships with high-net-worth clients. Erik has a BA in Economics from Rice University.
Principal
Chad Fargason
Chad advises the firm on select growth, strategic partnership, and business development initiatives. Prior to ArcVest, Chad was a senior portfolio manager of a mid cap value strategy for over 11 years at Vaughan Nelson, where he helped grow firm AUM from $8B to $18B.
Prior to Vaughan Nelson, Chad worked at KKR Capstone, the internal operations group that oversees KKR’s portfolio companies. He improved operations at numerous companies, improving EBITDA by hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of a decade.
Prior to that he was an SVP at El Paso Corporation, and he began his career at the Boston Consulting Group. Chad also currently serves on the Board of Carriage Services Inc, and he holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Duke University, and BA in Mathematics from Rice University.
Strategic Advisor
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Investment Philosophy
Why ArcVest Exists
ArcVest was built around a simple belief: wealth management should be transparent, disciplined, and grounded in evidence.
Too much of the financial industry relies on complexity: expensive products, constant predictions, confusing portfolios, and strategies that make investors feel like they need to be doing more. ArcVest takes a different approach.
The firm believes long-term investment success is driven less by forecasting and more by discipline, diversification, cost control, tax awareness, and consistent behavior.
The objective is not to make investing exciting.
The objective is to make it effective.
The ArcVest Philosophy
ArcVest focuses on the decisions investors can actually control.
Markets, interest rates, inflation, elections, and short-term headlines cannot be controlled. Costs, diversification, risk exposure, tax efficiency, savings behavior, withdrawal strategy, and discipline can.
That is where the firm focuses.
ArcVest builds portfolios using broadly diversified, low-cost index funds and ETFs. Asset allocation, rebalancing, and thoughtful planning are prioritized over speculation, stock picking, or chasing performance.
The belief is simple: complexity should have to prove its value before being added to a portfolio.
Evidence Over Prediction
ArcVest follows an evidence-based investment philosophy.
Rather than trying to predict which stocks, sectors, managers, or markets will outperform next, the firm focuses on capturing market returns efficiently over time.
Financial markets are highly competitive, and consistent outperformance after fees and taxes is difficult. ArcVest therefore emphasizes diversification, low costs, tax awareness, and risk management instead of market timing or concentrated bets.
The goal is not to react to every headline. It is to maintain a thoughtful strategy that can endure changing market conditions.
Low Costs Matter
Costs compound just like returns.
Investment expenses, advisory fees, taxes, and unnecessary trading all reduce the returns investors keep. Over time, even small differences in cost can have a meaningful impact.
ArcVest is a fee-only fiduciary firm. The firm does not receive commissions or incentives for selling products. Recommendations are made based on what is believed to best serve the client’s interests.
Low-cost investing is not a slogan. It is one of the few reliable advantages investors can control.
Simplicity as a Strength
ArcVest believes simplicity is often underrated.
Simplicity does not mean careless or unsophisticated. A well-built portfolio can often be constructed with a small number of diversified investments held with patience and discipline.
A portfolio should be understandable. Clients should know what they own, why they own it, what it costs, and how it fits into the broader plan.
Clarity creates confidence. Confidence supports discipline.
Behavior Matters
One of the greatest risks investors face is behavioral risk.
Fear and greed can lead investors to abandon long-term plans at the wrong time. Chasing performance, reacting emotionally during downturns, or constantly searching for the next winning investment can damage results.
ArcVest believes a successful strategy must be sustainable. A disciplined plan clients can stick with is often more valuable than an aggressive strategy that gets abandoned during uncertainty.
Wealth Management Beyond Investing
Investing is only one part of a complete financial life.
ArcVest connects investment strategy with retirement planning, tax considerations, estate planning coordination, cash flow decisions, charitable giving, and long-term family goals.
The portfolio matters. But the plan around the portfolio matters just as much.
The ArcVest Approach
ArcVest was built for investors seeking thoughtful wealth management without unnecessary complexity.
The firm’s approach is long-term, disciplined, and planning-focused. Portfolios are designed using diversified, low-cost investments supported by asset allocation, rebalancing, tax awareness, and evidence-based decision making.
The goal is not to predict every market movement.
The goal is to help clients build wealth responsibly, preserve it thoughtfully, and make financial decisions with greater confidence over time.
Erik Cooper
It is a privilege to serve clients and help steward the capital they have worked hard to build.
I started ArcVest in 2012 after years on Wall Street because I believed investors deserved a more aligned, disciplined, and transparent approach to wealth management. Client portfolios are built using the same principles that guide my own: low costs, broad diversification, tax awareness, patience, and a focus on what can be controlled.
Thank you for considering ArcVest. If we can be helpful to you or your family, we would welcome the opportunity to start a conversation.
Erik Cooper
Principal & Founder
In The Plain Wealth, Erik Cooper offers a comprehensive guide to achieving financial freedom and living life on your own terms. Drawing from years of experience in wealth management and personal finance, this book provides actionable strategies, practical insights, and a mindset shift to help you break free from the constraints of traditional financial systems.