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.

UnionBanc Investment Services 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.

Unionbanc Investment Services

Unionbanc Investment Services, LLC (UBIS) is distinctive in that it operates as both a registered broker-dealer and an investment advisor.

The financial advisor, which is based in Glendale, California, a Los Angeles suburb, has billions in assets under management (AUM). UBIS is a fee-based firm, so it earns compensation both from the services it provides and the products it sells. 

UnionBanc Investment Services Background

UBIS is a registered investment advisor (RIA) and subsidiary of MUFG Union Bank, N.A. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. is the parent company of both UBIS and Union Bank.

This firm has been in business as a broker-dealer since 1983. In 1999, UBIS began providing investment advisory services. 

UnionBanc Investment Services Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

UnionBanc serves individuals who do not have a high net worth, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, insurance companies, corporations and businesses. 

The firm’s minimum varies for different account types. When it comes to the firm’s Managed Account Solutions (MAS) program, it requires a minimum of $10,000 for Wealthbuilder accounts. Fund Strategist Portfolio (FSP) accounts come with a minimum of $50,000, $100,000 for Separately Managed Account Sub-programs (SMAs), while Unified Managed accounts (UMAs) come with a $150,000 minimum account size requirement. 

Services Offered by UnionBanc Investment Services 

UnionBanc provides the following advisory services:

  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)

UnionBanc Investment Services Investment Philosophy 

Before offering customized allocations, UBIS assesses each client’s investment objectives, goals and income needs, risk tolerance, time horizon and other financial information, according to its brochure. The firm uses Envestnet to allocate clients’ assets among investment options. 

UBIS primarily invests in exchange-traded equity securities, bonds, securities issued by registered investment companies and cash and cash equivalents.

UnionBanc Investment Services Fees

UBIS offers several fee schedules for its investment programs. Fees for Evestnet Overlay Management Services range from 0.05% to 0.10%, while the firm's Wealthbuilder program includes a 1.25% fee.

See the fee schedules for UBIS' other investment programs below:

Fund Strategist Portfolio Sub-program
Account size Program fee FA fee
First $250,000 1.07% - 2.39% 0.90% - 1.75%
Next $250,000 0.92% - 2.07% 0.75% - 1.50%
Next $500,000 0.81% - 1.79% 0.65% - 1.25%
Next $1,000,000 0.70% - 1.67% 0.55% - 1.15%
Next $3,000,000 0.65% - 1.52% 0.50% - 1.00%
Over $5,000,000+ 0.65% - 1.50% 0.50% - 1.00%

 

Separately Managed Account Program
Account size Program fee FA fee
First $250,000 1.69% - 2.54% 0.90% - 1.75%
Next $250,000 1.48% - 2.23% 0.75% - 1.50%
Next $500,000 1.34% - 1.94% 0.65% - 1.25%
Next $1,000,000 1.21% - 1.81% 0.55% - 1.15%
Next $3,000,000 1.14% - 1.64% 0.50% - 1.00%
Over $5,000,000+ 1.11% - 1.61% 0.50% - 1.00%

 

Unified Managed Account Program
Account size Program fee FA fee
First $250,000 1.25% - 2.10% 0.90% - 1.75%
Next $250,000 1.10% - 1.85% 0.75% - 1.50%
Next $500,000 0.90% - 1.50% 0.65% - 1.25%
Next $1,000,000 0.76% - 1.36% 0.55% - 1.15%
Next $3,000,000 0.69% - 1.19% 0.50% - 1.00%
Over $5,000,000+ 0.62% - 1.12% 0.50% - 1.00%

Learn more about advisors' typical costs here.

What to Watch Out For

UBIS has 9 disclosures listed on its Form ADV. In 2013, the state of New York fined a UBIS affiliate, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) $250 million for conducting billions of dollars of transactions for governments and private bodies in Iran, Sudan and Myanmar. The next year the state fined BTMU $315 million for watering down a report about transactions involving Iran and other sanctioned countries 

Potential investors should also consider the firm’s commission-based compensation arrangements. When advisors sell investment products for commissions, they may become incentivized to favor products with higher fees. Though UBIS is a fiduciary, this is important to keep in mind. 

Opening an Account with UnionBanc Investment Services

You can set up an account with UBIS by visiting any of the firm’s offices, or you can contact a financial advisor at (800) 634-1100.

All information is accurate as of the writing of this article

Investing Tips for Beginners

  • 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.

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