Natixis is a fee-based financial advisory firm in Boston, Massachusetts advising thousands of individual investors, many of whom are high-net-worth accounts. The firm also advises a number of institutional clients. The firm manages billions of dollars for its clients.
Natixis Advisors Background
Natixis was founded in 1995. Natixis Advisors is an indirect subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers, LLC, which is an indirect subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers, which is an international asset management group based in Paris, France. Natixis IM, in turn, is owned by Natixis, a French investment banking and financial services firm. Natixis is principally owned by BPCE, France’s second-largest banking group.
Natixis Advisors Types of Clients and Minimum Account Sizes
Most of Natixis’ clients are individual investors, with the majority being non-high-net-worth. The firm also has a healthy business with institutional clients, including banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations.
The minimum account size at Natixis generally depends on the individual advisor. The minimum for unbundled services in the managed account program is $250,000. Minimums are subject to change or can be waived at the sole discretion of the firm.
Services Offered by Natixis Advisors
A variety of services are offered by Natixis Advisors. This includes:
- Investment advisory services
- Investment company advisory
- Managed accounts
- Discretionary and non-discretionary investment advice
Natixis Advisors Investment Philosophy
Advisors at Natixis use various investment strategies to put together winning portfolios for clients. Various types of analysis are used to put together the best possible combinations - this includes charting, fundamental analysis, cyclical analysis and charting analysis.
Fees Under Natixis Advisors
Natixis does not provide a standardized fee schedule for investment advisory services. It does give some general information about what the fees might look like for participants in its various programs:
Investment companies pay a percentage of assets under management, with each account’s percentage individually negotiated.
Managed accounts have two options: bundled and unbundled. Bundled customers pay a single fee that covers investment advisory service, custody fees, brokerage, accounting, sponsor due diligence and other services. The rate is negotiated between Natixis and the bundled program sponsor. Unbundled customers simply pay a fee for investment advice and pay other fees separately.
Generally, all fees for investment advice are based on a percentage of assets under management. Clients may also pay commissions for advisors for broker-dealer services, which represents a conflict of interest (explained in full below).
Learn more about advisors' typical costs here.
What to Watch Out For
As noted above, some advisors at the firm may earn commissions for buying and selling securities, specifically Natixis products. This is a conflict of interest as the advisors will have a financial motivation to sell you securities that earn them a higher commission regardless of whether or not it is the best for you. When acting as an advisor they must act in your best interest, but it is still good to know that your securities purchases may earn commissions for your advisor.
Natixis does have disclosures on its record, explained in full below.
Natixis’ SEC filings note two disclosures. Both disclosures are related to affiliated affiliates and not directly to the firm.
Opening an Account With Natixis Advisors, L.P.
To open an account with Natixis, you can contact the firm through its website contact page. You can also contact the main office at (617) 449-2835.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
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