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Symmetry Partners 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.

Symmetry Partners is a fee-only investment advisory firm that serves a range of clients from individuals to retirement plans. The firm manages diversified proprietary portfolios built on academic research into financial markets and financial behavior. It currently oversees billions of dollars in assets under management (AUM).

Symmetry works directly with investors, but also provides support to independent advisory firms. The firm has a number of proprietary portfolios that they use to help drive growth in client portfolios.

Symmetry Partners Background

Symmetry Partners launched its business in 1994. Today, it provides investment advisory services by constructing diversified portfolios on behalf of its clients. The firm generally utilizes open-end mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to construct these portfolios. In some cases, Symmetry may partner with other registered investment advisors (RIAs) to provide these services.

In addition, the firm aims to deliver investor education and dedicates a portion of its website to content around financial topics like smart beta investing and the basics of multi-factor exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Founders David E. Connelly, Jr. and Patrick A. Sweeny currently own the firm.

Symmetry Partners Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

According to documents it recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Symmetry Partners serves the following clients: 

  • Individuals with and without a high net worth
  • Trusts
  • Pension and profit-sharing plans
  • Corporations
  • Symmetry Panoramic Funds
  • Investment companies

Symmetry’s account minimums vary by the type of portfolio you’re invested in. We describe the current requirements below: 

  • Mutual fund-based portfolios: $10,000
  • AltAxis Portfolio: $25,000
  • ETF Portfolios: $25,000

The firm may reduce or waive the above minimums at its discretion. 

Services Offered by Symmetry Partners

Symmetry Partners focuses on building diversified portfolios in order to help clients meet their long-term financial goals. The firm currently provides its clients with access to the following portfolios:

  • Structured Portfolios: diversified primarily with U.S. equities, real estate investment trusts (REITs), global investment-grade bond funds and fixed income allocations 
  • PrecisionCore ETF Portfolios: built with globally diversified ETFs that offer exposure to various asset classes including equities and fixed income
  • Symmetry Bond: centered around two fixed-income asset allocation portfolios, with one being tax-managed and the other non-tax managed
  • AltAxis Portfolio: constructed with mutual funds that offer exposure to traditional and alternative asset classes such as equity, fixed income, commodities and currencies. Symmetry recommends that alternative strategies represent only a portion of a client’s well-diversified portfolio.
  • Symmetry ESG: built around environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, while also being low-cost and tax-efficient
  • Custom Model Strategy: combines various Symmetry portfolios to form a brand new one
  • Symmetry Evolution Portfolio: based are target-date versions of Symmetry's portfolios, meaning they're best for those planning for retirement

Additionally, the firm can build investment menus as a fiduciary advisor on behalf of corporate retirement plans such as 401(k)s. 

Symmetry Partners Investment Philosophy

Symmetry Partners' investment philosophy is heavily influenced by Modern Portfolio Theory. This ideology suggests that diversification can be key to capturing strong returns and limiting risk. The firm believes that the markets are highly efficient. So it tends to avoid active investing strategies such as market timing in order to capture returns from undervalued securities. Instead, the firm typically aims for exposure to several different asset classes to “capture the power of the markets while mitigating risk.” 

While Symmetry advisors aren’t required to offer exposure to a defined list of asset classes, they primarily build portfolios with mutual funds and ETFs that invest in equities and fixed income. The asset allocation of a client’s portfolio would ultimately depend on individual factors such as the client’s risk tolerance, investing goals and time horizon. When evaluating securities, the firm turns to academic research into the capital markets among other sources and methods of analysis. 

Fees Under Symmetry Partners

Symmetry Partners charges clients annual fees based on a percentage of their account size. We provide the firm’s current fee schedule below:

Symmetry Partners Fee Schedule
AUM Annual Fees
$0 - $1,000,000 0.50%
$1,000,000 - $3,000,000 0.45%
$3,000,000+ 0.40%

As you can see, the firm's fee schedule is quite straight forward. For reference, here's how much you can roughly expect to pay at various levels of AUM:

*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 Symmetry Partners*
Your Assets Symmetry Partners Fee Amount
$500K $2,500
$1MM $5,000
$5MM $22,000
$10MM $42,000

What to Watch Out For

According to the firm's Form ADV, Symmetry Partners has no disclosures to report.

Opening an Account With Symmetry Partners

A potential client may learn more about opening an account with Symmetry Partners by visiting its official website or by calling (800) 734-2000.

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

Tips for Finding the Right Financial Advisor

  • Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. 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.
  • Before you hire a financial advisor, make sure you know how they get paid. Advisors typically work on a fee-based or fee-only basis. While they sound interchangeable, they are not and the difference can have a major effect on your return.

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