TCI Wealth Advisors is a Tuscon, Arizona-based financial advisor firm that has billions in assets under management (AUM). The firm's team of financial advisors primarily focuses on investment management and financial planning. While the vast majority of the firm's client base is composed of individuals, TCI Wealth Advisors also works with institutional clients.
As a fee-only firm, the entirety of TCI Wealth Advisors' earnings come from the fees that clients pay. This avoids the conflicts of interest found at a fee-based firm, which may also receive insurance or securities commissions.
TCI Wealth Advisors currently holds spots on SmartAsset's lists of the top financial advisors in Tucson and the top financial advisors in Arizona. In addition to its headquarters in Tucson, the firm has offices in Scottsdale, Flagstaff, Reno and Denver.
TCI Wealth Advisors Background
TCI Wealth Advisors was established in 1990. The firm is run by CEO John Stephens and president/treasurer Catherine Nichols. The duo has decades of experience in the financial services industry. The firm is owned by a number of individuals and trusts.
The firm employs several advisors who hold financial designations. Many of the firm's advisors are certified financial planners (CFPs), while four hold the certified public accountant (CPA) designation. The firm also has three chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and 22 financial paraplanner qualified professionals (FPQPs) on staff.
TCI Wealth Advisors Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
TCI Wealth Advisors works with a wide variety of clients, the majority of whom are individuals. Of the firm's thousands of individual clients, about one-third have a high net worth. Other clients include pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses.
This firm does not impose a specific minimum account size.
Services Offered by TCI Wealth Advisors
TCI Wealth Advisors provides combined investment management and financial planning services and also offers financial planning and consulting services on a stand-alone basis. Additionally, TCI will work with retirement plan sponsors and participants to manage their investments.
TCI Wealth Advisors Investment Philosophy
Like many firms, TCI Wealth Advisors works with each client individually to determine their personal risk tolerance, cash flow needs, time horizon and other factors that are critical to the creation of their portfolios. This information is then used to develop specific investment strategies that are tailored to clients' goals and objectives. Advisors here typically look to pursue long-term returns with a significant emphasis on effective asset allocation building.
In evaluating potential investments, TCI's advisors employ fundamental and cyclical methods of analysis. Investments usually include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, individual equities, individual bonds and bond funds. Real estate investment trusts are also used in client portfolios, though to a lesser extent.
Fees Under TCI Wealth Advisors
Advisory fees for investment management and financial planning services are typically calculated based on a percentage of each client's AUM. Although the rates below are shown in annual percentages, TCI divides them into quarterly charges, each of which is collected in advance.
| Combined Investment Management and Financial Planning Fees | |
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
| Assets up to $1,999,999 | 1.00% |
| Assets $2MM and up | 0.25% - 0.40% |
| Combined Investment Management and Financial Planning Fees for Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans | |
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
| First $500K | 0.85% |
| $500K - $2.5MM | 0.65% |
| $2.5MM - $5MM | 0.45% |
| $5MM - $10MM | 0.30% |
| Above $10MM | 0.10% |
| Retirement Plan Consulting Services | |
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
| First $5MM | 0.50% |
| Above $5MM | 0.36% |
Stand-alone financial planning and consulting services usually cost anywhere from $500 to $1,500 when charged on a fixed-fee basis and from $150 to $250 when charged at an hourly rate.
What to Watch Out for
TCI Wealth Advisors has a clean record, having no disclosures of legal or disciplinary action on its most recent Form ADV.
Opening an Account With TCI Wealth Advisors
If you're interested in becoming a client of TCI Wealth Advisors, you can call the firm at (877) 733-1859 or leave a message for the firm through the contact page on its website.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
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