Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right
Loading
Tap on the profile icon to edit
your financial details.

Kelly Financial Services Review

Your Details Done
by Updated

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.

Though founder Bill Kelly passed away in 2017, Kelly Financial Services continues to be a family shop. His wife and co-founder, Kelly Kelly, leads the firm, and their daughter, Mary Madeline, works as a service advisor. Serving the greater Boston area, the firm is based in Braintree, Massachusetts, with a branch office in Burlington. The small team of advisors here manages a sizable pool of client assets.

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors here can sell insurance products on a commission basis. A fee-only firm, on the other hand, avoids these types of conflicts of interest.

Kelly Financial Services Background

Kelly and Bill Kelly started Kelly Financial Services in 2003. Four years in, Bill began hosting “Senior Safe Money Strategies,” a radio call-in show, which helped build Kelly Financial’s reputation among retirees.

Today, Kelly Kelly runs the company as sole owner, CEO and president. She also continues the radio show, which airs on Saturdays, from 9 am to 10 am, on WRKO 680-AM Boston - joined by journalist John Budris. 

Kelly Financial Services Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

Hosting educational workshops and monthly events for people approaching or in retirement, Kelly Financial specializes in serving seniors. In addition to individuals, the firm works with trusts and estates. The vast majority of clients are not high net worth.

The firm has no minimum account requirement. It does, however, have a $500 minimum annual fee, charged at $125 per quarter. All fees are negotiable and may be billed quarterly in arrears based on the end-of-period account balance.

Services Offered by Kelly Financial Services 

Kelly Financial primarily manages investment portfolios on a discretionary basis, which means clients authorize it to change trade positions when it deems appropriate. The firm also offers annuities and other insurance products. 

Kelly Financial Services Investing Philosophy

The firm primarily seeks growth while protecting capital. It's an active manager and will make tactical adjustments when economic conditions call for them. It formally reviews portfolios at least semi-annually, but checks asset allocations more frequently, particularly during volatile times. Using fundamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis, the firm generally selects large-cap companies for equity investments and mutual funds containing investment-grade securities for fixed-income investments.

When it comes to annuities, the firm’s preference is for fixed index ones. 

Fees Under Kelly Financial Services

Like most investment advisors, Kelly Financial collects management fees based on a percentage of the client’s assets under management (AUM). The percentage is negotiable, but will not exceed an annual rate of 1.5%, or 0.375% quarterly. As noted earlier, there is a minimum annual fee of $500 per year, which works out to $125 per quarter.

What to Watch Out For

Kelly Financial has no legal or regulatory disclosures listed on its SEC-filed Form ADV.

Also, some advisors are licensed insurance agents. They are bound by their fiduciary duty to recommend only what is in the client’s best interest, but the dual roles do present a potential conflict of interest that the client should be aware of. 

Opening an Account With Kelly Financial Services

To contact Kelly Financial, call headquarters at (781) 849-3090 or send an email to kelly@kellyfinancial.org. Alternatively, you can request an appointment on its website.

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

Tips for Finding a Financial Advisor 

  • Knowing exactly what you need in a financial advisor can be tough, especially if you're considering firms that aren't as well known as others. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard, though. 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.
  • Interview advisor candidates in person - or at least over the phone. It’s the best way to get a sense of how comfortable he or she makes you feel. After all, few things are more personal than your finances and you don’t want to feel self-conscious talking about your goals and dreams to the person who is supposed to help you realize them.

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