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Affinity Wealth 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.

Affinity Wealth Management is a fee-based financial advisor firm headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The firm works mostly with individual investors, most of whom do not have a high net worth. The vast majority of its services are related to investment management and financial planning.

Affinity Wealth Management is a firm with a solid reputation. It has won multiple Five-Star Wealth Manager Awards. It's also ranked No. 1 on our lists of the top financial advisors in Wilmington and the top financial advisors in Delaware.

Affinity Wealth Management Background

Founded in 2017, Affinity Wealth Management is a relative newcomer to the financial advisor sphere, but its team of advisors has deep experience and an array of financial certifications. The firm's two owners   chairman James Hall Jr. and president/CEO Michael Sicuranza – have decades of experience working in financial services. 

The team at Affinity has a number of advisor certifications. Such certifications at the firm include the certified financial planner (CFP), accredited estate planner (AEP) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) designations, among others. 

Affinity Wealth Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

Most of Affinity Wealth Management’s client base is made up of individuals, specifically those who fall beneath the SEC’s high-net-worth threshold. However, high-net-worth individuals, estates, trusts, pension plans and retirement plans will also find services available for them at this firm. 

While most firms have stringent minimum initial investment requirements, Affinity Wealth Management does not have a set account minimum. So whether you have $5 million ready to invest or $10,000, you may be accepted as a client.

Services Offered by Affinity Wealth Management

Affinity Wealth Management offers what it calls needs-based financial services. This allows the client to choose what they want on an à la carte basis. You can pick from the following services:

  • Investment planning and management
    • Investment strategy review
    • Portfolio review and analysis
    • Risk tolerance measurement and assessment
  • Objective-based financial planning
  • Retirement planning
  • Education cost planning
  • Estate planning
  • Year-end tax planning
  • Cash flow analysis
  • Insurance review
  • IRA and 401(k) rollovers
  • Employer-sponsored retirement plan analysis

Affinity Wealth Management Investment Philosophy

Long-term investing is at the core of Affinity Wealth Management’s approach. This means that it builds portfolios with the intent that there will be little to no investment turnover in an effort to keep trading costs as low as possible. The firm typically invests in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, bonds, individual stocks, CDs, real estate investment trusts (REITs), foreign securities and options contracts.

Rebalances and reallocations are a major part of the firm’s investing approach. These could become necessary if there are shifts in the market or your personal financial objectives change.

Fees Under Affinity Wealth Management

The fees associated with investment management services at Affinity Wealth Management are based on a percentage of assets under management (AUM). Annual fee rates range from 0.50% to 1.50% of AUM, and fees are charged quarterly. Firms with fees on a sliding scale such as this typically determine rates based on the amount of assets you have under the firm’s management. While that does come into play here, the firm also takes into account the number of services you receive and the complexity of those services.

Affinity charges either an hourly or fixed fee for its financial planning services. The firm's hourly rate is $350 per hour, while fixed fees range from $250 to $15,000. The firm will typically opt to charge a fixed fee if it feels confident that it can accurately predict what your hourly costs will be. Annual retainer fees are at a fixed rate of up to $25,000. 

What to Watch Out For

Affinity Wealth Management has a clean record, meaning it has no legal issues or disclosures listed on its Form ADV.

Some of the advisors at Affinity Wealth Management have arrangements in place to receive commissions for the sale of insurance policies to clients. These are completely independent of the other costs associated with the firm and its services. Additionally, certain employees at Affinity sell specific securities on a commission basis. Both of these arrangements may present potential conflicts of interest, as advisors may be incentivized to sell particular products. The firm is, however, a fiduciary, which means that it is bound to act in your best interest at all times.

Opening an Account With Affinity Wealth Management

Affinity Wealth Management welcomes anyone interested in the firm to stop by and talk to an advisor about the services they can provide. However, you’ll likely want to call ahead of time to set up a meeting. You can also email the firm to set up a meeting.

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

Investing Tips for Beginners

  • It can be easier to get your investment portfolio off the ground with the help of someone who knows what they’re doing, like a financial advisor. Finding the right financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. 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.
  • As you’re building your portfolio, it’s important to think about asset allocation. This is essentially how you divide your assets between different investment types according to your risk tolerance. So, for instance, a conservative investor would invest more heavily in bonds than stocks, whereas a very aggressive investor may have a portfolio that's almost completely stocks.

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