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Northwest Asset 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.

Northwest Asset Management is a financial advisor firm headquartered on Mercer Island, Washington, located between Bellevue and Seattle. With billions in client assets under management, this large firm tops our top financial advisor list for Mercer Island

The firm's team of financial advisors provides investment management, financial planning, consulting and retirement services to a client base largely composed of individuals. The fee-based firm also serves some institutional clients. 

Northwest Asset Management Background

Gregory Allen Headrick, the firm's chief compliance officer (CCO), founded Northwest Asset Management in 2008. He is currently the managing member and principal owner. Northwest Asset Management has a total 13 offices across the country.

Advisors at Northwest Asset have earned numerous certifications including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified public accountant (CPA) and chartered market technician (CMT) designations, among others. 

Northwest Asset Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

Northwest Asset Management works primarily with individual clients. Only around a third of those individuals have a high net worth. Other clients of the firm include retirement plans, charitable organizations and businesses, as well as annuities and 329 plans. 

While the firm does not have a stated account minimum, it may decline to work with clients who have less than $500,000 in investable assets.

Services Offered by Northwest Asset Management

Northwest Asset Management offers a range of financial services. These include portfolio management, financial planning, financial consulting and retirement plan sponsor services. The firm also provides certain services to its investment advisors who operate affiliated financial advisory businesses.

Here's an outline of the firm's offerings:

  • Financial planning
    • Retirement planning
    • College fund planning
    • Social Security planning
  • Investment portfolio management
  • Retirement plan sponsor services
    • Help employers manage employee benefits
    • Plan participant education and support

The firm also has a wrap fee program, and it manages assets on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. Wrap fee programs bundle asset management, brokerage and trading fees into one consolidated fee.

Northwest Asset Management Investment Philosophy

Northwest Asset Management makes a concerted effort to tailor its investment strategies and financial advice to the individual needs of each client. The firm bases investment decisions on each client's financial goals, income needs, risk tolerance and more. Depending on these factors, advisors may use traditional asset allocation strategies, newer, more innovative strategies or a combination of several different approaches. Advisors also perform periodic portfolio rebalancing to ensure that the intended asset allocation remains intact.

Northwest uses many public and private information sources to inform its investment strategies and analysis methods. The firm tends to adhere to the principles of modern portfolio theory, placing a significant emphasis on a definitive, risk-adjusted asset allocation. Advisors typically craft investment strategies with exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, money market funds, bonds, stocks, real estate investment trusts and commodity indexes.

Fees Under Northwest Asset Management

Fees for investment management services at Northwest Asset Management vary and are negotiable depending upon the scope of services requested, the size of the client's relationship and even the trading activity of the account. The firm charges fees either as a percentage of each client's AUM, a flat fee or a transaction-based fee. The maximum annual fee for these services is 1.75%.

Financial planning, retirement planning and financial consulting fees are charged at a rate of $350 per hour. Fees for retirement plan sponsor services vary. All fees are charged quarterly, in advance or in arrears.

What to Watch Out For

On its most recent Form ADV, Northwest Asset Management had no disclosures of legal or regulatory events.

One thing to be aware of, though, is that some advisors at Northwest Asset Management may be brokers or insurance agents. In these roles, they collect transaction-based fees, which can pose a conflict of interest. That said, as an SEC-registered investment advisor, Northwest Asset has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of clients at all times.

Opening an Account With Northwest Asset Management

For those looking to become a client of Northwest Asset Management, you can submit a contact form through the firm's website. You can also call the firm to set up an appointment or stop by any one of its branches.

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
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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