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Balentine 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.

Balentine is a fee-only financial advisory firm based in Atlanta with billions in client assets under its management. Its services include financial planning, investment management and consulting, among others. It currently holds a spot in SmartAsset's list of the top financial advisors in Atlanta.

As a fee-only firm, Balentine earns compensation exclusively from the fees it collects from clients. This is different from a fee-based firm, which may earn additional compensation from sources like insurance sales or security transactions, or employ advisors who can earn this form of compensation.

Balentine Background

Balentine was founded in 2009 and began doing business in 2010. The firm is principally owned by Balentine Partners, LLC, which is itself owned by nine officers or employees of Balentine. Chairman Robert M. Balentine and his family trust hold more than a quarter of the firm’s shares.

There's a sizable team of advisors on staff between this firm’s two locations in Atlanta and Raleigh. Across this group, there are various credentialed advisors, including Certified Financial Planner™ (CFPs®), chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified trust and financial advisors (CTFAs), among others.

Balentine Types of Clients and Minimum Account Sizes

Balentine generally requires clients to have at least $5 million in investable assets. The firm maintains discretion to waive or lower this minimum.

As a result of the firm's high investment minimum, Balentine primarily works with high-net-worth individuals, although it does have some non-high-net-worth individuals as clients. Institutional clients include pooled investment vehicles, retirement plans, charitable organizations and government entities. 

Services Offered by Balentine

Balentine offers a fairly standard range of services that are centered around financial planning, investment management and consulting.

The firm’s financial planning services seek to provide clients with a full picture of their financial situation. Once this is clear, it creates a cohesive planning framework to ensure that clients’ financial goals encompass every aspect of their life. To accomplish this, the firm will often coordinate with other professionals such as attorneys, CPAs and insurance agents.

Investment management is offered on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. The firm may employ active or passive investment strategies, and it may also select third-party managers to oversee portions of clients’ portfolios. Balentine may also act as a sub-advisor for third-party advisors, providing access to the firm’s investment strategies and asset allocation models.

Additionally, Balentine offers comprehensive family office services, which tie together a range of individual services that may appeal to high-net-worth clients and their families. These offerings may include financial planning, tax planning, insurance planning, estate planning, reporting and administration services, asset management, legacy planning and business advisory services.

Balentine Investment Philosophy

Balentine divides its prospective investments into several categories that it calls “Building Blocks.” Each is distinguished by certain risk and return characteristics. They are as follows:

  • Liquid: Investments in cash or other easy-to-access assets
  • Fixed-Income: Low-risk investments in fixed-income securities like bonds and Treasury bills
  • Market Risk: Publicly traded equities
  • Alternatives: Investments that diversify portfolios and seek returns outside the typical public market
  • Private Capital: Illiquid private investments that are used to generate income and capital appreciation

Fees Under Balentine

Balentine charges its clients a percentage-based fee for investment management services. The exact percentage will typically adhere to the following asset-based schedule:

Balentine Fee Schedule
Assets Under Management Fee Percentage
First $5,000,000 1.00%
Next $7,500,000 0.75%
Next $10,000,000 0.60%
Next $10,000,000 0.50%
Next $25,000,000 0.40%
Next $25,000,000 0.30%
Next $17,500,000 0.25%
Next $150,000,000 0.20%
More than $250,000,000 0.15%

It's important to note that in certain circumstances, Balentine may consider clients under the $5 million minimum at its sole discretion. These assets follow a fee schedule of 1.25% on the first $2.5 million and 0.75% on the next $2.5 million.

Balentine Awards and Recognition

Balentine has received many accolades over the years. Some of these are listed below:

  • Financial Times Top 300 Registered Investment Advisors (2014-2017, 2019-2020)
  • Balentine chairman Robert Balentine has been named one of Barron's Top Independent Advisors from 2014 to 2020

What to Watch Out For

Balentine doesn’t have any disclosures on its most recent Form ADV filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, meaning its legal and regulatory record is clean.

Opening an Account With Balentine

There are a few different ways you can get in touch with Balentine and set up an initial consultation. You can call the firm at (404) 537-4800 or you can can also visit the firm’s website and fill out the contact form with your name, email address, phone number and a message.

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

Investing Tips

  • The right financial advisor for you is about more than just location. You need to find someone with the right experience, minimum requirements and a fee schedule that works for you. 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.
  • Wondering if you have enough money saved for retirement? Check out our retirement savings calculator to see if you're on pace, and don't forget to take Social Security payments into account. 

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