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GW&K Investment 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.

In business for a half century, GW&K Investment Management is a fee-only firm headquartered in Boston. The firm offers investment advisory services to a client base that's tens of thousands of clients large and includes both individual and institutional clients. GW&K specializes in active equity and fixed-income investment solutions, and it incorporates equity, municipal bond and taxable bond strategies in its investment process.

GW&K Investment Management Background

The firm was founded in 1974, and in 2008 it became a partner of Affiliated Managers Group, Inc, a publicly-traded global asset management company. In addition to its municipal bond strategies, the firm employs small-cap and small/mid-cap and core fixed-income investment approaches. GW&K manages wrap accounts, and it also participates in certain sub-advisory agreements. 

GW&K Investment Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

GW&K works with high-net-worth clients, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, businesses, private funds, mutual funds, UCITS funds, collective trusts and other entities. 

The firm's minimum account size varies by asset class and GW&K strategy. For advisory services the firm provides to wrap fee programs, or for sub-advisory services it offers to pooled investment vehicles, the relevant program or fund sponsor determines the minimum. 

Services Offered by GW&K Investment Management

GW&K offers the following advisory services:

  • Portfolio management 
  • Investment strategies
    • Domestic equity
      • Equity Dividend Plus
      • Diversified Equity
      • Small/Mid-Cap Core
      • Small/Mid-Cap Growth
      • Small-Cap Value
      • Small-Cap Core
      • Small-Cap Growth
    • Global equity
      • Global Small-Cap
      • International Small-Cap
    • Taxable bond
      • Short-Term Taxable Bond
      • Intermediate Taxable Bond
      • Core Bond
      • Core Bond ESG
      • Enhanced Core Bond
      • Enhanced Core Bond ESG
      • Total Return Bond
      • Corporate Bond Opportunities
      • Short-Term Focused High Income
    • Municipal bond
      • Short-Term Municipal Bond
      • 2-8 Year Active Municipal Bond
      • 2-8 Year Active Municipal Bond ESG
      • Municipal Bond
      • Municipal Bond ESG
      • Municipal Bond Plus
      • Municipal Enhanced Yield
      • GW&K Investment Management Philosophy

GW&K states that it believes in rigorous research, disciplined management and a client-driven culture. The firm describes its management approach as one that places clients’ interests first and strives to meet investment objectives in the midst of market fluctuations.

GW&K Investment Management Fees

For investment advisory services for individual clients, GW&K earns 1.00% for equity strategies and 0.65% for fixed-income strategies. GW&K fee rates vary per account size and investment strategy. The firm’s standard fee schedules are negotiable, and its fees are usually billed quarterly in advance or in arrears.

GW&K additionally receives performance-based fees for its investment management. The fees are based on a percentage of the net profits being managed.

What to Watch Out For

This firm has no disclosures on its SEC record.

The firm acknowledges that its performance-based accounts can create a potential conflict of interest. This is in relation to the fact that it could incentivize advisors to take increased risks that might not be taken within standard advisor arragements. That said, the firm has a fiduciary duty to put clients' best interests first.

Opening an Account With GW&K Investment Management

If you’re interested in opening an account, you can reach out to an advisor through the firm’s contact page. You can also call the firm’s main office at (617) 236-8900.

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

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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