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The Pacific Financial Group 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.

The Pacific Financial Group, Inc.

The Pacific Financial Group is a financial advisor firm based in Bellevue, Washington, that works with individual and institutional clients. Portfolio management and financial planning are the focuses of the firm. It also boasts a nautical theme, as evidenced by the firm's logo.

The Pacific Financial Group has a fee-only structure, which means that all of its compensation comes from client-paid fees. On the other hand, a fee-based firm would earn sales commissions or other forms of compensation in addition to the fees that clients pay.

The Pacific Financial Group Background

The Pacific Financial Group was created in 1984 by James McClendon. Today, the firm is led by chief executive officer and board chair Megan P. Meade, who has been with the firm for more than 25 years. Meade owns a majority stake in the business through her control of Pacific Holdings Group, LLC. 

The Pacific Financial Group employs a large team of over two dozen advisors. Across this team, you'll find certifications such as the chartered financial analyst (CFA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) designations.

The Pacific Financial Group Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

When it comes to individual clients, The Pacific Financial Group primarily works with those below the high-net-worth threshold. Although these clients represent 98% of the firm's 20,000+ client base, the firm also manages money for corporations, charitable organizations and pensions and other retirement plans.

The firm has variable minimum account size requirements that depend on the services you're receiving. These range from no minimum at all to as much as $100,000. The firm reserves the right to waive these minimums.

Services Offered by The Pacific Financial Group

The Pacific Financial Group offers a range of different investment management services. With the firm's Strategy Plus and Self-Directed Brokerage Account-Strategy Plus Programs, clients receive portfolios consisting solely of PFG Funds, which are managed by an affiliate of the firm, Pacific Financial Group. With these, clients can choose between five different portfolios that vary in terms of risk tolerance.

Additionally, the firm provides several separately managed accounts (SMAs): Equity, Balanced, Income Cash Yield, Strategic Equity, Strategic Balanced, Strategic Moderate Growth and Capital Defender Asset Allocation. Clients can also take part in the firm's EPIC program, which provides access to institutional money managers. Finally, the firm can also manage certain retirement accounts and variable annuity sub-accounts.

The Pacific Financial Group Investment Philosophy

The Pacific Financial Group relies on modern portfolio theory when managing client portfolios. This diversification strategy looks to spread a client's funds across different asset classes to lower overall risk. 

The firm additionally uses a proprietary risk management software called "RiskPro®" that's developed by one of the firm's affiliates. This program takes a client's answers to a risk tolerance questionnaire and attempts to forecast the kinds of returns they could earn.

Fees Under The Pacific Financial Group

The Pacific Financial Group typically charges its clients a percentage-based fee to have their assets managed by the firm. These rates will vary depending on the program in which you participate. Clients of the Strategy Plus Program and Self-Directed Brokerage Account-Strategy Plus Program will pay a 1.25% advisory fee, plus a 0.10% 12b-1 fee. Clients in the EPIC program typically pay an annual maximum program fee of 1.95%.

For SMA services, as well Core Retirement Optimization and Variable Annuity Optimization, clients will pay a fee to both the firm and any intermediary that initially referred them to the firm. These fees go as follows:

Pacific Financial Group Investment Management Fees
Assets Under Management Fee Rates
Up to $500K 1.00%
$500K - $3MM 0.75%
$3MM - $5MM 0.50%
$5MM - $10MM 0.40%
Above $10MM Negotiable

Below is a breakdown of approximately how much you could pay in advisory fees for SMA, Core Retirement Optimization or Variable Annuity Optimization services:

*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 The Pacific Financial Group*
Your Assets The Pacific Financial Group Fee Amount
$500K $5,000
$1MM $8,750
$5MM $33,750
$10MM $53,750

What to Watch Out For

The Pacific Financial Group doesn't list any disclosures on its Form ADV.

Opening an Account With The Pacific Financial Group

If you're interested in becoming a client of The Pacific Financial Group, try calling the firm at (425) 451-7722. Alternatively, you can visit the firm’s website and fill out its contact form so an advisor can reach out to you personally.

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

Retirement Planning Tips

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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