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Q3 Asset Management Review

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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.

Q3 Asset Management Corporation is a Birmingham, Michigan-based financial advisor firm. The company has a small staff of advisory employees, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in assets for a client base consisting almost entirely of individuals. The firm provides a wide range of services, including investment management, financial planning and consulting on market timing. All of Q3's services are only accessible through independent financial advisors and professionals.

This is a fee-only financial advisor firm. That means that the firm only receives advisory fees from clients and does not earn other outside compensation, such as commissions from the sale of financial products.

Q3 Asset Management Background

Q3 Asset Management was founded in 2006 by Brad Giaimo, who had spent the previous two decades working in wealth management. Giaimo currently serves as president and chief compliance officer (CCO) of Q3. Adam Quiring acts as the firm's vice president. Quiring and Giaimo are the firm's principal owners.

Bruce Greig, a portfolio manager at Q3, is a chartered financial analyst (CFA), chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) and chartered market technician (CMT).

Q3 Asset Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

Through its affiliated advisors, Q3 Asset Management works almost exclusively with individal clients. Of the firm's thousands of clients, only about 1% come in above the high-net-worth threshold. The firm also works with investment companies and investment advisors.

Clients who are looking to open an account with Q3 will need a minimum of $75,000 in investable assets. The firm may waive this minimum under certain circumstances.

Services Offered by Q3 Asset Management

The services offered by Q3 Asset Management can be broken down into four main categories:

  • Investment management services using Q3's investment programs
  • Asset management, financial planning, consulting and market timing services
  • Services that are provided to other financial advisory professionals
  • Mutual fund management

Q3's services are available on a referral-only basis, which means the only way individuals can access its services are through an outside financial professional. Most investment services are provided on an ongoing basis, whereas financial planning and consulting services are handled on a stand-alone basis.

Q3 Asset Management Investment Philosophy

Q3 Asset Management manages client assets with the intention of helping them meet their personal investment and financial goals. As a result, advisors at Q3 provide ongoing investment management, all while performing regular rebalances to keep portfolio strategies intact. The firm works directly with clients to stay in touch with their changing objectives, time horizon, risk tolerance and liquidity and income needs.

The firm's investment strategies range from aggressive to conservative, again depending on the needs and objectives of each individual client. Advisors select specific investment strategies and tend to use more quantitative and technical methods of analysis rather than fundamental and qualitative analysis. Many of the firm's strategies utilize short-term trading, though some take a different trading approach.

Fees Under Q3 Asset Management

Investment management fees at Q3 are charged based on a percentage of each client's total assets under management (AUM). There is both a standard fee schedule and a separate fee schedule for clients who utilize the firm's Destination strategies.

Standard Fee Schedule
Portfolio Size Quarterly Fee
First $500,000 0.5625%
Above $500,000 0.4625%
Destination Fee Schedule
Portfolio Size Quarterly Fee
First $500,000 0.4125%
Above $500,000 0.3750%

Here's a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for standard investment management at Q3:

*Estimated investment management fees do not include brokerage, custodial, third-party manager or other fees, which can vary in amount.
Estimated Standard Investment Management Fees at Q3 Asset Management*
Your Assets Q3 Asset Management Fee Amounts
$500K $11,250
$1MM $20,500
$5MM $94,500
$10MM $187,000

Financial planning and consulting fees are charged at an hourly rate of $200. However, overall prices may be negotiable on a client-to-client basis.

The firm does utilize a performance-based fee arrangement with certain clients, all of whom have at least $500,000 in investable assets. The maximum annual performance-based fee rate at Q3 is 1.50%.

What to Watch Out For

Q3 Asset Management does not have any legal or regulatory disclosures on its Form ADV.

Since Q3 Asset Management takes performance-based fees from some client accounts, there arises a potential conflict of interest. According to the firm's Form ADV, these fees "may incentivize Q3 to recommend investments which may be riskier or more speculative than those recommended under traditional fee arrangements." Despite this, the firm is a fiduciary and is therefore legally bound to act with your best interest in mind at all times.

Opening an Account With Q3 Asset Management

To open an account with Q3, you'll need to either call the firm at (248) 566-1122 or go to the firm's website and submit a contact form so an advisor can reach out to you directly.

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

Tips for Financial Planning

  • When planning for your financial future, it’s often a good idea to talk to a financial advisor to make sure you have all your bases covered. 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.
  • SmartAsset’s investment calculator can help you understand how your money will grow over time with different investment returns.

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