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.

Lockwood Advisors 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.

Lockwood Advisors is a financial advisory firm that provides investment management services through a series of wrap fee programs that are offered in conjunction with BNY Mellon, its parent company. Located in Pennington, New Jersey, the firm indirectly works with individual and institutional clients through affiliated advisors.

Some advisors at Lockwood can earn extra compensation when they sell specific investment products. This makes the firm fee-based (as opposed to fee-only), though it still abides by its fiduciary duty to act in its clients' best interests.

Lockwood Advisors Background

Lockwood Advisors was founded in 1996 and acquired by The Bank of New York Company, Inc. in 2002. As a result, the firm is now an indirect subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation or BNY Mellon. The firm was previously based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, but relocated to its current home in New Jersey.

Lockwood Advisors is led by a team that includes director and chief investment officer (CIO) Matthew Forester, chief operating officer (COO) Joel Hempel and director of investments Tony Destro. The firm's investment staff includes two chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and one certified investment management analyst (CIMA).

Lockwood Advisors Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

Lockwood Advisors has over 30,000 clients, almost all of whom are individuals without a high net worth. However, the firm also manages the assets of high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses.

The minimum required investment for opening an account at this firm depends on the services you utilize:

Program Account Opening Min Subsequent Contribution Minimum
Target Risk Focus Portfolios $10,000 $1,000
Target Risk Portfolios $50,000 $1,000
AdvisorFlex Portfolios $50,000 $1,000
BNY Mellon/American Funds Core Portfolios $10,000 $1,000
Target Retirement Date Portfolios $10,000 $1,000
     

Services Offered by Lockwood Advisors

Lockwood Advisors offers investment management services through three main wrap fee programs: the Managed360 Program, the Managed Account Advisor (MAA) program and the Lockwood Sponsored Program (LSP). 

When it comes to Lockwood's discretionary portfolio management services, are split into five products:

  • AdvisorFlex Portfolios (AFP): A flexible mutual fund and exchange-traded fund (ETF) wrap fee account
  • Lockwood Investment Strategies (LIS): A unified managed account made up of a single portfolio and including five core models and four alternative models
  • Lockwood WealthStart Portfolios: A mutual fund and ETF wrap-fee product with a low minimum account size
  • Lockwood Asset Allocation Portfolios (LAAP): A fixed mutual fund and ETF wrap-fee account
  • Lockwood/American Funds Core Portfolios: A fixed mutual fund and ETF wrap-fee account, made up of American Funds mutual funds.

The firm also offers its services to third-party wrap fee programs. Additionally, Lockwood provides financial advice and research to institutional clients on mutual funds and ETFs.

Lockwood Advisors Investment Philosophy

Lockwood and BNY Mellon's advisors work together to determine investment strategies for each of their investment management and wrap fee programs. To do this, the firm engages in proprietary investment research that it gathers from a wide range of sources. Based on these findings, the firm formulates its own in-house risk- and objective-based strategies that eventually inform client-facing investment programs. Lockwood often builds its portfolios around mutual funds and ETFs, but not always.

Fees Under Lockwood Advisors

Advisory fees at Lockwood Advisors vary significantly between programs, though they are all based on a percentage of each client's assets under management (AUM). Fees are collected on a quarterly basis. However, none of the following rates are set in stone, as Lockwood reserves the right to negotiate or alter any of its fees. You'll need to reach out directly to get quoted on the fees but here are some of the past rates:

Lockwood Advisors Program Fee Schedules
Program Annual Fee Rates
AdvisorFlex Portfolios 0.25% - 0.40%
Lockwood Investment Strategies (LIS) 0.30% - 0.75%
WealthStart Portfolios 0.10% - 0.30%
Lockwood Asset Allocation Portfolios (LAAP) 0.20% - 0.40%
Lockwood/American Funds Core Portfolios 0.10% - 0.30%
Lockwood Third Party Model Provider 0.04% - 0.11%
Lockwood ESG ETF Portfolios (LESG) 0.15% or less
Lockwood Low Balance Portfolios (LLBP) 0.15% or less

What to Watch Out For

Lockwood Advisors has several regulatory disclosures on its Form ADV. While most of these belong to various advisory affiliates of the firm, there are two that apply to the firm directly. 

One is in reference to the firm allegedly providing inadequate information about third-party money managers' "trading away practices." Lockwood Advisors paid $200,000 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was ordered to cease and desist. The other action concerns alleged incomplete disclosures in regard to mutual fund share class fees. The firm paid $52,187.98 in restitution and interest, consented to a censure and was ordered to cease and desist.  

It's also important to note that Lockwood Advisors is a fee-based firm, as some of its advisors can earn commissions for the sale of certain investment products. This dynamic creates a potential conflict of interest, as advisors may be more likely to recommend certain financial products over others. That said, the firm is still a fiduciary, legally binding its advisors to act in the best interests of its clients.

Opening an Account With Lockwood Advisors

There are two main ways you can open an account with Lockwood Advisors. The first is by simply calling the firm at (800) 200-3033. If you'd prefer to have an advisor reach out to you, fill out the contact form on the firm's website.

Financial Planning Tips

  • When putting together your own financial plan, it can be helpful to work with a financial advisor who can take your financial situation and goals into account. 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.
  • Want to know what investing can do for your nest egg? Try using SmartAsset’s investment calculator to see how much your money will grow.

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