Based in San Rafael, California, Global Retirement Partners, LLC (GRP) is a fee-based financial advisor. The retirement plan consulting firm offers an array of advisory services to individual clients, plan sponsors and other institutional investors.
Global Retirement Partners Background
The private firm was established in 2014. Its management team includes CEO Geoff White, chief operating officer (COO) Russell Frierson and president and chief compliance officer (CCO) Cosmo Gould.
For its investment management services, GRP utilizes the services of third-party asset management program sponsors, including but not limited to: Envestnet Asset Management, Inc., Curian Capital LLC, Lockwood Advisors, Inc., Assetmark, Inc., SEI Investment Management Corporation and LPL Financial.
Global Retirement Partners Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
GRP advises individuals and high-net-worth individuals, pension, retirement and profit sharing plans, charities, corporations and other business entities.
The firm has wide range of minimum account size requirements that vary by program type.
Services Offered by Global Retirement Partners
Specializing in retirement planning, portfolio management, financial planning and advisor referral services, this firm also provides other secondary advisory services. See all of GRP’s advisory services below:
- Retirement planning
- Preparation of investment policy statement
- Investment selection
- Performance monitoring and performance
- Fiduciary education services
- Participant education services
- Portfolio management
- Wrap fee programs
- Financial Planning
- Business planning
- Investment consultation
- Estate planning
- Selection of other advisors
- Optimum Market Portfolios program
- Personal Wealth Portfolios program
- Model Wealth Portfolios program
- Guided Wealth Portfolios
- Manager Access Select program
Global Retirement Partners Investment Philosophy
GRP says on its website that it aims to serve its clients through meaningful relationships that last for years. The firm employs a number of securities analysis methods before making investment decisions. These include charting, technical, cyclical, fundamental and mutual fund and/or exchange-traded fund (ETF) analysis.
GRP relies upon the following investment strategies:
- Long-term purchases
- Short-term purchases
- Trading
Fees Under Global Retirement Partners
For financial planning services, GRP offers hourly or fixed fee compensation arrangements. The firm says its total fee for these services varies depending on the time, scope and complexity of the advisory relationship. Hourly fees for financial planning services generally won’t exceed $350, according to the firm’s brochure.
Third-party asset management program sponsors charge advisory fees that are independent of GRP. But fees differ for the firm’s retirement plan and asset management services. We’ve listed the firm’s fee schedule for retirement plan consulting and direct asset management below:
| Global Retirement Partners Fee Schedule | |
| AUM | Max Annual Fee |
| $1,000,000 or under | 2.00% |
| $1,001,000 to $2,000,000 | 1.50% |
| Over $2,000,001 | 1.00% |
This chart shows an estimate of what fees you could pay at this firm:
| *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 Global Retirement Partners* | |
| Your Assets | Global Retirement Partners Fee Amounts |
| $500K | $10,000 |
| $1MM | $20,000 |
| $5MM | $65,000 |
| $10MM | $115,000 |
Global Retirement Partners Awards and Recognition
GRP earned Five Star Professonal’s Five Star Wealth Manager award consecutively from 2012 to 2018. The firm also ranked on numerous other lists, including the Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors, NAPA Young Guns, NAPA Top Women Advisors, NAPA Top DC Advisor Firms, PLANADVISER Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers, PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year and Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year lists.
What to Watch Out For
GRP honors a fiduciary duty to prioritize each client’s best interest, but certain advisors who are dually registered as GRP representatives and LP Financial registered broker-dealers may earn commissions from the sale of investment products. This can create a potential conflict of interest if advisors recommend commission-based products that aren’t in the best interest of each client.
This firm doesn’t have any disclosures, according to its Form ADV.
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All information was accurate as of the writing of this article.
