Fisher Investments is a global money management firm headquartered in Camas, Washington, and is on SmartAsset's list of the top financial advisors in the U.S. This fee-only financial advisor is divided into four main businesses: Fisher Investments Institutional Group, Fisher Investments Private Client Group, Fisher Investments 401(k) Solutions Group and Fisher Investments International Group.
Fisher Investments has clients across the U.S., Europe, Canada, Asia and the Middle East. Though it generally calls for a $500,000 account minimum, the firm may selectively accept a lower minimum of $200,000 for its WealthBuilder accounts, allowing lower-level investors to work with the firm’s financial advisors. High-net-worth clients still comprise the largest percentage of its client base, though it also works with pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities and other investment advisors.
Fisher Investments Background
Fisher Investments was founded in 1979 by Ken Fisher, a renowned figure in the investment world. Fisher penned his "Portfolio Strategy" column for Forbes magazine for over 30 years and has written 11 books. Investment Advisor Magazine has named Fisher one of the 30 most influential figures in the investment advisory business for the last three decades. Fisher currently serves as the firm's executive chairman and co-chief investment officer.
Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, Fisher Investments has grown to serve clients across the globe. It is a privately held, fee-only firm.
Fisher Investments Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
As mentioned previously, Fisher Investments’ private client base is mostly high-net-worth individuals. It also works with less affluent investors — plus corporations, retirement plans, public and multi-employer pension funds, foundations, endowments, governments and investment companies.
Fisher Investments generally works with clients who have at least $500,000 in investable assets, though its WealthBuilder accounts, which are approved on a case-by-case basis, require a much lower minimum of $200,000. Additionally, the firm accepts smaller account sizes at its discretion, though these accounts - as well as all WealthBuilder accounts - will be subject to a higher fee rate of 1.50%.
Services Offered by Fisher Investments
Fisher Investments' services for private clients include portfolio management, annuity conversion, financial planning and retirement planning. Its portfolio management services are divided into three categories, each of which is aimed at maximizing returns within risk parameters:
- Equity accounts: mainly use common stock and cash equivalents
- Fixed income accounts: mainly use various fixed income instruments and cash
- Blended accounts: use a combination of stocks, fixed income instruments and cash
Fisher Investments' institutional services include institutional investing and 401(k) solutions for businesses.
Investment Philosophy
Fisher Investments believes in having a flexible investment strategy, as the firm thinks that no one investment strategy is always superior. Thus, the firm takes an active approach to investing so it can respond to the markets and make changes to client portfolios as necessary. The firm will also determine appropriate investment strategies based on projected market conditions, using a framework called The Four Market Conditions.
Fisher Investments adheres to four fundamental principles when building and managing its client portfolios in order to meet clients' long-term objectives. It selects a benchmark, which then serves as the framework for constructing the portfolio, managing risk and monitoring performance. The firm then analyzes the benchmark's components and assigns expected risk and return. The firm's third principle is to use a combination of dissimilar securities to balance risk versus reward. Lastly, the firm vows to always remember it could be wrong, so it sticks to the three aforementioned principles.
The firm's Investment Policy Committee is responsible for making investment decisions. The team takes a top-down approach, focusing first on asset allocation. The firm believes that asset allocation is the primary driver of portfolio performance. Asset allocations are customized according to various personal factors, including clients’ time horizons, risk tolerances, cash flow needs and outside assets. That step is followed by sub-asset allocation, which focuses on deciding which countries or market-sectors are likely to outperform. From there, the firm selects specific securities.
Fees Under Fisher Investments
Fisher Investments typically bills its private clients based on a percentage of assets under management. WealthBuilder accounts, as well as any accounts that are below the $500,000 threshold, will be billed at an annual rate of 1.50%. Otherwise, clients are charged on a tiered schedule based the amount of assets under management and the type of account:
| Equity and Blended Accounts | |
| Amount of Assets | Annual Management Fee |
| First $1 million | 1.25% |
| Next $4 million | 1.125% |
| Additional amounts over $5 million | 1.00% |
Here is the estimated dollar amount you'd pay in advisory fees based on the size of your account:
| *Estimated investment management fees do not include brokerage, custodial, third-party manager or other fees, which can vary in amount. | |
| Estimated Investment Management Fees at Fisher Investments - Equity and Blended Accounts* | |
| Your Assets | Annual Fee Amount |
| $1MM | $12,500 |
| $5MM | $57,500 |
| $10MM | $107,500 |
| Income Only Accounts (above $5 million) | |
| Amount of Assets | Annual Management Fee |
| First $5 million | 0.75% |
| Next $10 million | 0.50% |
| Next $10 million | 0.43% |
| Next $10 million | 0.38% |
| Next $10 million | 0.33% |
| Next $45 million | 0.28% |
Here is the estimated dollar amount you'd pay in advisory fees based on the size of your account:
| *Estimated investment management fees do not include brokerage, custodial, third-party manager or other fees, which can vary in amount. | |
| Estimated Investment Management Fees at Fisher Investments - Income Only Accounts* | |
| Your Assets | Annual Fee Amount |
| $5MM | $37,500 |
| $15MM | $87,500 |
| $25MM | $130,500 |
| $35MM | $168,500 |
| $45MM | $201,500 |
| $90MM | $327,500 |
In addition to these fees, clients may also pay brokerage commissions, other custodian fees and expenses associated with investing in ETFs or structured notes.
Learn more about advisors' typical costs here.
Fisher Investments Awards and Recognition
Fisher Investments has been recognized by a number of industry publications in recent years. In 2017, the firm was ranked No. 2 on InvestmentNews' list of the top 10 U.S.-based, fee-only registered investment advisors; the list is ranked according to AUM. For the last four consecutive years, it’s been named among the top 300 financial advisors by Financial Times, which evaluates firms based on their AUM, AUM growth, industry certifications, online accessibility and other factors. In 2016, Fisher Investments was ranked No. 164 on the Pensions & Investments / Towers Watson list of the world's 500 largest money managers.
In more specific categories, Fisher Investments was named one of 2017's top retirement advisor by Financial Times, which graded firms managing defined contribution plans based on their AUMs, industry certifications, experience and more. It also landed a spot on the National Association of Plan Advisors' 2017 list of the top defined contribution advisor firms; that list was ranked by assets under management in defined contribution plans.
What to Watch Out for
Fisher Investments reported no disclosures of legal or regulatory action in its most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
One thing worth noting: since Fisher Investments is privately owned and isn't part of a larger institution like many other huge wealth management firms, it doesn't offer access to services like banking or trusts as part of its package.
Opening an Account With Fisher Investments
On its website, Fisher Investments provides two ways for prospective clients to get in touch: a dedicated phone number for new clients and a contact form. On the form, prospective clients have the option to send a message or request an appointment with an investment advisor. Prospective clients can also search Fisher Investments locations on the firm’s website to find out if there is an office nearby.
Every private client is assigned a dedicated investment counselor. The firm provides clients with quarterly statements and written reviews from the Investment Policy Committee. Twice a year, the firm releases videos in which the committee details the firm's outlook.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
Investing Tips for Beginners
- Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- Consider how much risk you’re willing to take. Your risk tolerance will be key to determining your asset allocation. For instance, if you're a cautious investor or you're new to investing, a very conservative portfolio that consists primarily of investments like bonds may be best.
