Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right
Loading
Tap on the profile icon to edit
your financial details.

FormulaFolio Investments Review

Your Details Done
by Updated

This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

FormulaFolio Investments

FormulaFolio Investments is a large fee-based financial advisor firm that's based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and holds a top spot on SmartAsset's list of the top financial advisor firms in Grand Rapids

Jason Wenk, the firm's founder, has received significant industry recognition in the form of multiple awards. These include the 2018 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Industry Disruption Category and the Grand Rapids Business Journal Newsmaker of the Year award in the Finance Category for 2016 and 2017. When Wenk was 20 years old, he was also one of the youngest investment researchers at Morgan Stanley.

FormulaFolio Investments Background 

FormulaFolio Investments was founded in 2011 as an independent and privately held registered investment advisor (RIA). Jason Wenk is the principal owner of the firm and also serves as an advisor to the board and director of product development. Jason Crump is the firm’s other co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO).

The advisory team includes certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

FormulaFolio Investments Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

FormulaFolio Investments serves non-high-net-worth and investment companies.  

FormulaFolio typically requires new clients to have at least $25,000 in investable assets before they can open an account.

Services Offered by FormulaFolio Investments

FormulaFolio Investments provides the following advisory services:

  • Investment management
    • Portfolio customization based on client needs
    • Investment manager recommendations
  • Financial planning
  • Market timing services
  • Educational services

FormulaFolio Investments Investment Philosophy

FormulaFolio describes its investment approach as one that strives to equip investors with smart portfolios that remove waste and keep costs low. The firm also touts on its website that it works to deliver long-term, goal-based financial planning and automated portfolio management. These services are designed to work together to help clients reach their financial goals.

Advisors generally allocate client assets using tactical asset allocation strategies invested in individual equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and various mutual funds. FormulaFolio employs a range of other investment strategies, including long- and short-term purchases, trading, short sales and option purchases and writing.

Fees Under FormulaFolio Investments

FormulaFolio Investments primarily earns its compensation through asset-based fees, subscription fees and transaction and wrap fees from brokerage services. The investment advisory fees for the firm’s allocation programs typically range from 0.25% to 0.80% depending on the amount of assets and program used. For context, a 2018 study by RIA in a Box showed that the average investment advisory fee is about 0.95% of assets under management (AUM).

The firm's annual management fees are billed monthly in arrears based on the average daily balance of the account. 

The firm also acts as a sub-advisor to certain accounts. For these services, FormulaFolio receives an asset-based fee of 0.25% to 0.80% of AUM.

FormulaFolio Investments Awards and Recognition

The Inc. 5000 is a listing produced by Inc. Magazine that ranks private and independent U.S. companies based on each business’ percentage revenue growth over a three-year period. FormulaFolio Investments has now been recognized as part of the Inc. 5000 list for five consecutive years.

What to Watch Out For

FormulaFolio Investments does not have any disclosures on its legal and regulatory record with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors here can receive commissions for selling insurance products to clients. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interest at all times.

Opening an Account With FormulaFolio Investments

If you’re interested in opening an account, you can visit either of FormulaFolio Investments’ offices in Grand Rapids or Costa Mesa, California. You can also set up an appointment with an advisor by calling the firm’s headquarters at (888) 562-8880.

All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.

Tips for Investing

  • SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
  • If you’d like to invest but aren’t sure how much your investments could earn you over time, our investment calculator can help. You’ll simply need to provide the investment amount, time horizon and specify how often and the rate at which you plan to contribute.

How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research