For many people, the idea of a full-service financial planning professional can seem daunting. It's difficult to know what you'll pay, and you might need a large account minimum to get started.
Facet aims to change the idea of full-service financial planning to make it more accessible, including providing you with a dedicated Certified Financial Planner (CFP). If you're looking for a holistic approach to financial planning, this Facet review can help you decide if this company is the right option for you.
What is Facet?
Facet is a wealth management firm founded in 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. The company has more than 20,000 members. Its backers include Warburg Pincus, a well-known global equity firm, and Multiplier Capital, a growth financing platform.
Facet aims to be a full-service financial planning firm, offering personalized asset management as well as a breadth of targeted services that encompass estate, education, retirement, insurance, and tax planning. Facet can also help with other important aspects of your financial life, including creating a plan for retirement income. Its financial professionals can even walk you through choosing your benefits at work.
How does Facet work?
With Facet, members are matched with a CFP, who is backed by a larger team of specialists. The idea is that you work with one person who understands your situation and your goals, similar to what you'd experience with a more traditional financial planner. Facet asks you to link all your financial accounts so your CFP can get a complete picture of your finances and provide up-to-date financial and investment advice. Facet uses phone calls and video conferencing to meet with members all over the United States, rather than focusing on in-person interactions.
Instead of charging a fee based on assets under management (AUM), Facet charges a flat annual fee. The fee is fixed and based on your actual needs. Fees range from $2,600 to $8,700 per year, depending on your situation and the services you receive from Facet.
Once you have a membership with Facet, you can get help and guidance from your dedicated CFP on items that are covered by your fee. This can include learning how to invest money, managing your portfolio, creating plans to help you pay for your child's college, or planning your retirement income. Regular meetings with your CFP can help you stay on track or tweak your plan as needed.
Facet at-a-glance
| Minimum investment required | $0 to become a member; $250 for Facet's Short-Term Strategy portfolio |
| Fees | $2,600 - $8,700 per year depending on services |
| Account types supported |
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| Brokerages it works with | Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Apex |
| Features |
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| Visit Facet |
What services does Facet offer?
Facet offers a variety of financial planning and other services that can help you manage your money throughout your life, including:
- Retirement planning: Step-by-step plan designed to help you with saving for retirement by guiding you as you set goals, whether you're using a company plan or an IRA.
- Asset management: After evaluating your needs, Facet will put together a portfolio designed to help you meet your long-term and short-term financial goals.
- Education planning: If you want to help pay for your child's education, Facet can help you get on track and come up with a plan to pay for college.
- Family planning: This service is designed to help you plan for various life goals and milestones that are important to you, such as buying a home, going on vacation, or getting married.
- Tax planning: Get assistance with your taxes by learning how to minimize your tax liability today as well as in the future.
- Insurance planning: This service may help you figure out how to protect your assets and pass your wealth on to others. It can also include offering assistance as you navigate open enrollment and choose your employee benefits.
- Estate planning: Get help with creating a plan to help ensure that your loved ones are cared for. Facet's estate planning services are offered by wealth.com, which works with your needs and state laws to put together a plan that makes sense.
- Retirement income: Once you reach retirement, Facet can help with determining how to best support your lifestyle and which sources to draw from initially.
Who can use Facet?
For the most part, Facet is available to anyone who can pay the flat fee. However, Facet is likely best suited for young professionals and couples who have a growing net worth. For those building their investments but unable to meet the account minimums imposed by other full-service firms, Facet can also be a viable choice.
Those who have more complicated situations could also benefit from Facet since they might be able to save on fees due to the flat rate. Facet fees top out at $8,700 per year, depending on which services members access.
It could also be a good option for those anticipating or going through major life milestones, such as having a baby or saving for college. You should consider your individual situation and financial needs as you might decide to use these services, even if you don't meet these criteria exactly.
The pros of Facet
- Dedicated CFPs: You have access to a dedicated financial professional who knows your situation and provides you with ongoing advice and help.
- Fiduciary: Facet CFPs are fiduciaries, which means they have to consider your best interests when making recommendations and managing your wealth.
- Flat fee doesn't change: Rather than charging based on AUM, Facet has a flat fee that won't change when your situation becomes more complicated or your assets grow. There isn't an additional fee for investment management.
- Online portal: Facet features an easy-to-use dashboard that can let you see your financial situation quickly and easily. Plus, you can keep track of your goals and manage your appointments with your dedicated CFP.
The cons of Facet
- No in-person meetings: All of Facet's meetings are handled via video or phone. If you want to sit down with someone, this can be a drawback.
- Limited investment account management: You can build a portfolio that fits your goals with Facet. For accounts that aren't directly managed by Facet, your CFP can make strategy recommendations but cannot make trades or adjustments.
- Flat fee can be high: For those with a lot of assets, the flat fee can potentially provide annual savings over an assets under management model. However, for those with fewer assets, the flat fee might be relatively high. For example, a robo-advisor might charge 0.25% annually, but if you only have $150,000 that's a fee of just $375. In comparison, even the lowest Facet membership fee is $2,600 annually.
FAQs about Facet
How much does Facet cost?
Facet costs between $2,600 and $8,700 per year, depending on your situation and the services you're likely to need. They run occasional sales.
Can you trust a financial advisor?
There are good financial advisors and some that aren't as good. In general, when looking for a financial advisor, it can make sense to find someone with credentials, as well as someone who's a fiduciary. A fiduciary is required to make recommendations that align with your best interests.
What is Facet's fee structure?
Facet operates using a flat fee. Many other advisors, including robo-advisors, charge fees based on a percentage of assets under management.
Is Facet worth it?
Whether Facet is worth it depends on your goals and situation. If you're looking for full-service help with comprehensive financial planning and have a growing net worth, Facet can be worth it.
How to get started with Facet
Facet offers an in-depth onboarding process, which helps them get a feel for your goals and financial situation. Here's how to get started with Facet:
- Schedule an introductory call: Select the 'How It Works' tab and then click the 'Book Your Free Intro Call' button on the website to schedule an introductory call.
- Introductory call: This free call helps Facet get a better idea of your goals and provides insight into how they work with members. If you choose to move on from this step, Facet matches you with a CFP who best fits your needs.
- Sign up: If you decide to use Facet, you sign up and decide which membership tier fits your needs.
- Meet with a planner: Meet with a CFP virtually to discuss in greater depth your goals and concerns. Facet will use this information to create a personalized roadmap for reaching your goals.
Alternatives to consider
While Facet is certainly worth considering if you're interested in a holistic financial planning solution, you might decide it isn't the right fit for you. There are alternative wealth-building options available, including some of the best brokerage accounts:
Betterment
Betterment is a robo-advisor that can help you build and manage your investment portfolio. It also offers cash management products. Betterment offers three pricing tiers based on AUM: 0.25% for accounts with less than $1 million, 0.15% for accounts between $1 million and $2 million, and 0.10% for accounts with more than $2 million.
Premium members pay a 0.65% advisory free and gives you access to CFP services.
If you have a smaller portfolio, it might cost less to use Betterment. Although you won't have the same access to customized plans or a dedicated CFP professional.
Wealthfront
Like other robo-advisors, Wealthfront manages your portfolio and charges fees based on the size of your account. Wealthfront only has one fee for management. You'll pay 0.25%, regardless of your account balance. Additionally, it provides access to a 529 account to save for college, IRAs to save for retirement, and cash management products for shorter-term savings. Wealthfront has a $500 account minimum to get started investing, but it also offers automated tools designed to help you budget for important milestones like buying a home.
Wealthfront can be a good choice for someone who wants lower fees and isn't worried about ongoing personalized help.
If you're still looking for additional low-cost investing options, check out our picks for the best investment apps.