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Avion Wealth 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.

Avion Wealth, formerly known as Efficient Wealth Management, is a fee-only financial advisor firm that mostly focuses on financial planning and investment management services. The firm employs just a small team of financial advisors.

Avion gets its name because of its strong ties to the airline industry. That said, it works with a wide range of institutional and individual clients. The firm also has an office in Austin. Avion is on SmartAsset's list of the top financial advisors in The Woodlands, Texas.

Avion Wealth Background

Managing member, CCO, CEO and senior wealth manager Paul J. Carroll founded Avion Wealth in 2005. Today, Carroll remains the firm’s sole principal owner.

Avion Wealth currently employs certified financial planners (CFPs). Additionally, some of the firm’s planning associates are currently pursuing a CFP designation.

Avion Wealth Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

For the most part, Avion Wealth's client base consists of high-net-worth individuals and individuals without a high net worth. The firm maintains advisory relationships with charitable organizations and businesses as well.

You’ll need at least $1 million in investable assets to become a client of Avion Wealth. However, the firm does reserve the right to waive this requirement under certain circumstances. 

Services Offered by Avion Wealth

Avion Wealth focuses on a number of advisory services, such as financial planning and investment management. Here’s an overview of all services available at Avion:

  • Discretionary portfolio management
    • Asset allocation planning
    • Investment planning
    • Portfolio monitoring
    • Periodic and as-needed rebalances
    • Investment goal determination
  • Financial planning
    • Retirement planning
    • Wealth accumulation
    • Financial analysis
    • General consulting
    • Specialized services for:
      • Aviation professionals
      • Energy industry employees
  • Third-party investment advisor selection

Avion Wealth Investment Philosophy

Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) is the strategy at the core of Avion Wealth's investment ideology. This Nobel Prize-winning theory details the ever-important relationship between risk and the allocation of assets in your portfolio. This means it looks to maximize your return potential without exceeding a prespecified risk tolerance. In turn, the only time the composition of your portfolio will be altered is if there is a greater return potential opportunity at the same level of risk tolerance.

Because of Avion Wealth's use of MPT, it’s not surprising that the firm’s favorite investment types principally include mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These securities are inherently diversified across entire markets, while still trading like stocks. This allows the firm to get involved in the stock and bond markets without worrying about having to pick the securities that will beat the rest.

Fees Under Avion Wealth

The fees associated with Avion Wealth's portfolio management services feature asset-based, tiered and annualized percentages. These costs are charged on a quarterly basis, in advance. Once you provide authorization to do so, the firm will begin pulling your fees directly from your account’s balance. Your custodian will send you a statement at least quarterly. The minimum quarterly investment advisory fee is $5,000 and older client relationships may be subject to different fee schedules or minimum quarterly fees.

Discretionary Portfolio Management Fees
Portfolio Value Annual Fee
$0 - $2,000,000 1.00%
$2,000,001 - $4,000,000 0.90%
$4,000,001 - $7,000,000 0.80%
$7,000,001 - $10,000,000 0.70%
$10,000,001 - $25,000,000 0.60%
$25,000,001 and up 0.50%

Check out the table below to see how Avion's fees for its management services compare to those at similar financial advisor firms. Note that these fees are only estimates and actual costs may vary.

*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 Avion Wealth*
Your Assets Avion Wealth Fee Amounts
$500K $5,000
$1MM $10,000
$5MM $40,000
$10MM $70,000

What to Watch Out For

Avion Wealth has a clean legal and regulatory record, according to its Form ADV.

Opening an Account With Avion Wealth

Those who want to become a client of Avion Wealth can call the firm at (281) 528-1200 or go online to their website and submit a contact form.

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

Retirement Planning Tips

  • There’s no shame in admitting you need help planning for your retirement. In fact, looking for financial planning assistance could be one of the best decisions you ever make to ensure that you’re financially secure in your golden years. Financial advisors are great retirement planning partners, and finding one 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.
  • Reducing your exposure to taxes is a major contributor to the success of any retirement plan, with some areas of the U.S. offering a lower tax burden than others. SmartAsset has completed a full analysis of the most tax-friendly states in the U.S. So if you find yourself living in a state where taxes for retirees are high, it might be worth checking out where you could move with lower rates.

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