It’s a Good Start, but Cheap Isn’t a Strategy: The Value of a Financial Advisor

Low-cost index funds have made investing easier for almost everyone. That’s a real win. But the cheapest portfolio isn’t always the most effective one, and fees are only part of the picture.

Is a financial advisor worth it?

In this white paper, Partner + Chief Investment Officer Brad Swinsburg, CFA®, CAIA, BFA®, puts that question to a 30-year simulation. He compares three portfolios side by side:

• a simple, low-cost 60/40 index portfolio,
• a diversified portfolio,
• and a diversified portfolio that adjusts based on valuations.

Then he weighs what an advisor adds against what an advisor costs.

What you’ll learn:

• How low-cost investing changed the conversation about financial advisor fees
• The role diversification plays beyond traditional stocks and bonds
• How a valuation-based investing approach works, in plain terms
• How advisory, fund and transaction fees compare between approaches

Read the white paper on the value of a financial advisor here.