Pure Financial Advisors, a fee-only registered investment advisor founded in 2007, requires each of its financial planners to hold certain industry designations, as well as have at least a certain number of years of experience. Based in San Diego, Pure Financial Advisors provides investment management and financial planning services to mid- to high-net-worth individuals. Advisors Joe Anderson and Al Clopine also host “Your Money, Your Wealth,” an educational financial planning show that airs on the San Diego CBS affiliate.
Pure Financial Advisors Background
Pure Financial Advisors requires its advisors to be certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) or certified public accountants (CPAs), while also having a minimum of five years of field experience. Further, the firm requires that within one year of being hired, advisors attain the accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) credential to show a commitment to the fiduciary standard.
The firm has been in business since 2007. Today, it's headquartered in San Diego, with secondary branches in Irvine, Brea, Woodland Hills, Seattle and Chicago. The firm is owned by a combination of employees and the Lee Equity Partners Fund III.
Pure Financial Advisors Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Pure Financial Advisors, which has nearly thousands of clients, works with a variety of client types. These include non-high-net-worth indnviduals, high-net-worth individuals and a handful of pension and profit-sharing plans and charities.
If you're interested in working with the firm, you won’t need a minimum investment to become a client.
Services Offered by Pure Financial Advisors
Pure Financial Advisors provides wealth management services to its clients. It can guide you on topics such as retirement and estate planning and also recommend investing strategies to preserve and boost your wealth. The firm’s advisors can provide advice on the following topics:
- Retirement planning
- Tax management
- Cash flow analysis
- Risk management consulting
The firm also offers retirement classes online and in-person, with the latter occurring in southern California.
Pure Financial Advisors Investment Philosophy
Pure Financial Advisors focuses on asset allocation strategies to create diversified portfolios that invest across various asset classes focused on different sectors of the market. More specifically, it avoids stock-picking and other short-term strategies. Its stance is more of a passive one, as it avoids active management in order to minimize risk.
During the portfolio creation process, Pure Financial will work with clients to determine their overall investor profile. This will cover your tax situation, long-term goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs.
Pure Financial Advisors Fees
Pure Financial Advisors is a fee-only advisory firm. This means its employees don’t earn commissions or other types of compensation for recommending certain products over others. Instead, it only earns compensation from the fees it provides to clients. It charges flat fees for financial planning services, which range from $2,500 to more than $10,000, depending on the scope of services needed.
For portfolio management services, the firm generally charges a fee based on the amount of assets under management. These fees can range from 0.40% to 1.60%.
| Pure Financial Advisors Fee Schedule | |
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
| $0 - $350,000 | 1.60% |
| $350,000 - $500,000 | 1.25% |
| $500,000 - $650,000 | 1.00% |
| $650,000 - $800,000 | 0.80% |
| $800,000 - $1,100,000 | 0.70% |
| $1,100,000 - $2,000,000 | 0.60% |
| $2,000,000 - $10,000,000 | 0.50% |
| Above $10,000,000 | 0.40% |
Here's a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for Pure Financial Advisors' services based on the amount of your investable assets.
| *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 Pure Financial Advisors* | |
| Your Assets | Pure Financial Advisors Fee Amount |
| $500K | $7,475 |
| $1MM | $11,575 |
| $5MM | $32,675 |
| $10MM | $57,675 |
Pure Financial Advisors Awards and Recognition
SmartAsset currently ranks Pure Financial Advisors as being among the top San Diego financial advisory firms. The list covers firms that were measured by their clients-per-advisor ratio, years in business, size and more.
What to Watch Out for
Pure Financial Advisors doesn't have any disclosures listed on its SEC-filed Form ADV.
Opening an Account With Pure Financial Advisors
You can set up an account by visiting Pure Financial's San Diego office, or you can contact a financial advisor at (619) 814-4100. The firm's website also features a contact page that allows you to input your information so an advisor can reach out to you.
All information was accurate as of the writing of this article.
Tips for Finding the Right Financial Advisor
- 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.
- If you’d like some investing guidance, check out our investment calculator. It recommends an asset mix that adheres to your risk tolerance.
