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Trilogy Financial 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.

Trilogy Capital is a financial advisor firm based in Irvine, California that manages assets for a range of individuals and institutions. The firm offers a strong selection of proprietary investment management and financial planning services and programs. The firm also operates under the name Trilogy Financial. 

In addition to its headquarters in Irvine, Trilogy also has locations in Arizona, Colorado and Massachusetts. Trilogy is a fee-based firm, as some of its advisors can earn commissions from the sale of specific insurance or securities products. This is different from a fee-only firm, which only receives compensation from client-paid fees.

Trilogy Capital Background

Jeff Motske founded Trilogy Financial in 1999, and he still acts as the firm’s principal owner to this day. Motske has nearly three decades worth of experience in the financial services industry. He also runs his own radio show called the Jeff Motske Show, and has appeared on various TV and news programs.

The firm advisor team holds multiple certifications, including eight certified financial planners (CFPs), seven accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs) and other credentialed professionals. 

Trilogy Capital Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

Trilogy Financial manages assets for both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit sharing plans and charitable organizations. 

The firm typically requires at least $5,500 in investable assets in order to become a client. Under certain circumstances, the firm may decide to waive this minimum requirement.

Services Offered by Trilogy Capital 

Investment management is the flagship offering at Trilogy Financial, and it’s offered on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. These services can include analysis of current investments, asset allocation planning, quarterly reporting and regular monitoring and rebalances. Additionally, the firm will customize portfolios according to your personal risk tolerance, financial goals, time horizon and other applicable factors.

Financial planning services include retirement planning, education fund planning, tax planning, budgeting and more. If clients have limited or one-off consulting issues that come up, the firm can also address those.

Trilogy can also provide services for retirement plans.

Trilogy Financial Investment Philosophy

Trilogy Financial tailors its investment approach to each client, seeking to assemble an investment portfolio that's optimized to meet the client's goals while aligning with their tolerance for risk. Across all portfolios, though, the firm strives to meet its five investing tenets:

  • Diversify using non-correlated assets
  • Balance portfolios between growth securities and value securities
  • Diversify globally
  • Adjust to changing markets by rebalancing periodically
  • Seek out tax-efficient returns where possible

Trilogy will invest in whatever securities meet your needs and fit these investing tenets. However, the firm does have some preferred securities: stocks, bonds, fixed-income securities, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Fees Under Trilogy Financial

Trilogy Financial typically charges investment management fees as a percentage of each client's assets under management (AUM). The fees are calculated and paid each calendar month in arrears. The exact rate you'll pay will depend on the size of your account, the complexity of your portfolio and other factors. However, you definitively won’t pay more than 2.25% annually. These fees are charged on a monthly basis, in arrears.

Fixed fees for Trilogy's Coach program start at $1,200 and the firm offers three payment options:

  • 12 monthly payments broken down into $100 each via AdvicePay.
  • Full payment of $1,200 via check or AdvicePay.
  • $1,200 fee is waived for clients with more than $250,000 in managed assets.

For clients engaging in Advanced Planning services, the firm offers two options:

  • $2,400 fee is split in half over six-month intervals, with 50% due initially and the other 50% due six months later.
  • The fee is waived for clients with more than $500,000 in assets under management.

For limited financial planning or consulting services, the firm will negotiate a fee based on how complex your finances are and the extent of the services you need.

What to Watch Out For

This fee-based firm employs advisors that have the ability to receive commissions when they sell specific insurance products or investments. While this represents a potential conflict of interest, the firm is bound by fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests at all times.

Disclosures

Trilogy Financial doesn’t have any disclosures on its Form ADV.

Opening an Account With Trilogy Financial

If you’re looking to get in touch with someone at Trilogy Financial, you can give the firm a call at (844) 356-4934 or send an email to info@trilogyfs.com. You can also visit the firm’s website and fill out the contact form with your name, email, phone number and a message.

Tips for Finding a Financial Advisor

  • 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.
  • When searching for a financial advisor to work with, make sure you understand each advisor's fee schedule. This should be a major determinant in your final decision. If you aren't sure that you fully understand how financial advisor fees work, check out our guide to advisory fees.

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