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Wilmington Trust Investment 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.

As its name indicates, Wilmington Trust Investment Management (WTIM) is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The firm has additional offices spread across the country. 

WTIM employs a large team of advisors, some of whom are also broker-dealer representatives. These advisors can earn additional compensation when recommending certain products and services, which means WTIM is considered a fee-based firm.

Wilmington Trust Investment Management Background

WTIM was founded in 2005. It’s a wholly owned subsidiary of Wilmington Trust Corporation, which is owned by M&T Bank Corporation. (M&T, by the way, stands for Manufacturers and Traders.) The parent company is a publicly-traded bank holding company whose ticker symbol is MTB.  

Being part of a large bank, WTIM is affiliated with a number other financial services companies. They include: Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc.; M&T Securities, Inc.; Manufacturers and Traders and Trust Company (M&T Bank); Wilmington Funds Management Corporation and Wilmington Trust Company.

Wilmington Trust Investment Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

WTIM is open to working with individuals, IRAs, certain single-employer retirement plans, trusts, corporations and business entities. However, the firm's current client pool entirely comprises individuals below the high-net-worth threshold. 

The minimum for separately managed accounts (SMAs) is $3,000,000.

Services Offered by Wilmington Trust Investment Management

 

WTIM focuses solely on portfolio management, and as a result, doesn't offer financial planning or consulting services. However, WTIM provides portfolio management through separately managed accounts (SMAs), which may appeal to potential clients looking for customized portfolios. 

WTIM exclusively manages client accounts on a discretionary basis, meaning the firm has full control over investment decisions and individual transactions.

Wilmington Trust Investment Management Investing Philosophy

WTIM's investment strategy is built on asset allocation or finding a strategic mix of assets that aligns with a client's risk tolerance and goals. Generally, assets are invested in exchange-traded products, mutual funds, individual securities, closed-end funds and/or model portfolios.

To evaluate and select investments, the firm relies on fundamental, technical and quantitative methods of analysis. 

Fees Under Wilmington Trust Investment Management

Management fees for SMAs are charged as a percentage of assets under management (AUM) according to this tiered schedule:

Annual Wrap Fees  for the Portfolio Architect Program
AUM Annual Fee
First $3,000,000 1.10%
Next $2,000,000 0.80%
Next $5,000,000 0.60%
Next $10,000,000 0.50%
Above $20,000,000 0.45%

What to Watch Out For

Wilmington Trust Investment Management has one regulatory disclosure on its Form ADV stemming from Securities and Exchange allegations from 2020. To resolve the matter without admitting or denying the allegations, the firm paid over $1.3 million in disgorgement, civil penalty and prejudgement interest on Oct. 12, 2023. 

As mentioned earlier, WTIM advisors do not offer financial planning. If you need help with estate planning or other non-securities-related advice, this firm may not be a good fit.  

Additionally, some advisors are also brokers. If you are working with an advisor who has dual roles, make sure you know which hat they are wearing when making a recommendation. Additional compensation, like sales commissions, presents a conflict of interest for the advisor. 

Opening an Account With Wilmington Trust Investment Management

If you're interested in working with Wilmington Trust Investment Management, go ahead and reach out over the phone to get in touch most easily. You can also visit the firm in person or reach out via its website.

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

Tips for Finding the Right Financial Advisor 

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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