MagnifyMoney 
Stratos Wealth Partners is an independent investment advisory firm headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio. The firm has built a national network of financial advisors who are largely independent contractors. These advisors offer financial planning, portfolio management and other services primarily to individual investors as well as to certain institutional investors, such as charitable organizations.
The bottom line: Stratos Wealth Partners is a wealth management and financial planning firm with a large network of independent advisors located across the country.
| Assets under management: $8,498,228,840 | |
| Minimum investment: Varies by account type for portfolio management | |
| Individual investor to advisor ratio: 55:1 | |
| Fee structure: A percentage of AUM, hourly charges, fixed fees, other (a percentage of AUM with third-party managers) | |
| Headquarters: 3750 Park East Drive, Suite 200 Beachwood, OH 44122 Website: www.stratoswealthpartners.com Phone: 440-519-2500 |
All information included in this profile is accurate as of August 25, 2021. For more information, please consult Stratos Wealth Partners’ website.
Stratos Wealth Partners was founded in 2008 by its current CEO, Jeff Concepcion. Of its team of close to 500 employees, around 260 serve in investment advisory roles. Some of the firm’s employees are also separately licensed as broker-dealers and insurance agents, and a handful work as registered investment advisors for other investment advisory firms as well.
The firm’s advisors are generally independent contractors. Thus, they may market their services under their own name or brand, but still work for and are registered under Stratos Wealth Partners. The firm’s network of advisors receives services such as compliance, technology, operations and marketing support from the firm.
Additionally, many of these advisors hold equity in the firm’s owner, Stratos Wealth Holdings, LLC. Stratos Wealth Holdings also owns the registered investment advisor Fundamentum, which primarily acts as a sub-advisor and offers portfolio options to clients of Stratos Wealth Partners.
Before founding Stratos Wealth Partners, Jeff Concepcion spent two decades in senior management positions at Lincoln Financial. He has been featured in publications including CityWireUSA, RIABiz and Barron’s. Additionally, he hosts a podcast called The Evolving Advisor, which offers tips and knowledge to independent advisors.
Most of Stratos Wealth Partners’ clients are individual investors. The firm also serves some high net worth investors, who the SEC defines as those with at least $750,000 in assets under management or an overall net worth of at least $1.5 million.
There is no minimum asset amount required for the firm’s financial planning services. For investing services, the minimum investment varies by account type. The firm’s robo-advisor program, offered through LPL Financial using FutureAdvisor, requires a $5,000 investment. Minimums for third-party investment advisory programs range from $10,000 to $250,000.
Stratos Wealth Partners primarily offers portfolio management and financial planning to individuals and families. For financial planning, clients can opt for the one-time creation of a financial plan, continuous services or hourly consulting services. As for investment management, clients can choose to have their advisor build a custom portfolio, or pick from various model portfolios and strategies offered by affiliated and unaffiliated portfolio managers. Clients also have the choice between using a wrap fee program, which bundles advisory, trading and custodian charges into one fee, or paying separately for each of those services.
Stratos Wealth Partners also advises certain individuals on their retirement plans, through the Retirement Plan Consulting Program. Finally, certain employers pay the firm to provide financial planning services to their employees.
Separately, many of the firm’s advisors are licensed through LPL Financial as broker-dealers. Thus, in addition to providing ongoing services, these advisors also buy and sell securities for clients who pay per transaction.
Here is a full list of services offered by Stratos Wealth Partners:
Since investment advisors at Stratos Wealth Partners are generally independent contractors, advisors make their own investment decisions based on the client’s situation. No single firm philosophy exists.
Clients can choose to give their advisors full discretion over their account, meaning clients do not sign off on each transaction, or they can retain control of trading decisions, known as non-discretionary management. The vast majority of the firm’s assets under management are managed on a discretionary basis, however.
As for how client money is allocated, advisors can create custom portfolios based on a client’s goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. Alternatively, clients can choose among portfolios offered by sister firm Fundamentum, which is a registered investment advisor also owned by Stratos Wealth Holdings, LLC. Clients also have access to certain other third-party managers, including LPL Financial, where many of Stratos’ advisors are also registered as broker-dealers.
Client money may be invested across:
Investment advisory fees: The annual advisory fee for the firm’s investment management services is typically calculated as a percentage of assets under management. Fees are negotiable and vary by advisor, since each advisor acts as an independent contractor. That said, the firm has instituted a maximum rate for each program that advisors cannot exceed.
For the firm’s managed account programs, the maximum annual advisory fee a client can pay is 3.00% of assets under management, with 2.00% being the maximum Stratos advisory fee and 1.00% being the maximum third-party investment advisory fee. The maximum fee charged for advisory programs offered through LPL Financial is also 3.00%, as outlined in the table below.
| Stratos Wealth Partners Fees for LPL Advisory Programs | |
|---|---|
| Manager Access Select Program | 3.00% |
| Optimum Market Portfolios Program | 2.50% |
| Personal Wealth Portfolios Program | 2.50% |
| Model Wealth Portfolios Program | 2.83% |
| Small Market Solution Program | 1.20% |
| Guided Wealth Portfolios Program | 1.35% |
Keep in mind that clients who do not have a wrap fee account may still owe trading and custody charges. Clients in both wrap and non-wrap accounts will owe internal fees for mutual funds and ETFs in which they are invested.
Financial planning fees: Clients pay separately for financial planning services. Fees vary by advisor and service but the firm has instituted maximum rates. Hourly fees typically max out at $500 per hour, and advisors will provide an estimate of how many hours they’ll need prior to beginning the work.
Stratos Wealth Partners discloses no criminal, civil or regulatory actions over the last 10 years and thus has a clean disciplinary record. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires all registered investment advisors to disclose any legal or regulatory actions against the firm, its employees or its affiliates that are material to a client’s evaluation of the firm or the integrity of the management team in its Form ADV paperwork.
For more information on the firm, you can go to its IAPD page.
To find a Stratos Wealth Partners advisor in your state, you can use the firm’s search tool on its website. Interested parties can also reach out to the firm directly on their contact page by filling out the form. Keep in mind that some advisors use their own brand names but are still affiliated with Stratos Wealth Partners.
Clients of the firm typically use LPL Financial, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade or Charles Schwab for custody services, although not all services are available through all custodians. Clients using certain third-party investment managers may need to sign a separate agreement with them.
Account reviews are generally provided on an ongoing basis, including when using third-party managers. Clients will receive regular written reports and statements on their account.
Stratos Wealth Partners offers advisory services through independent advisors across the country. The firm lists nearly 100 office locations in its Form ADV filings, with offices in the following states:
Investors may consider Stratos Wealth Partners if they are looking for independent registered investment advisors who are unaffiliated with the large banks and financial institutions and accept clients with less money to invest.
That said, you should directly address with each potential advisor their fees and services, since no standardized list exists for you to browse in advance. You’ll also want to confirm with the advisor why they are recommending a specific investment, product or custodian, since they may stand to earn revenue from making certain recommendations, creating potential conflicts of interest. Before you make your decision, make sure to research multiple firms to ensure you find the right advisor for you.
Amanda GenglerAmanda Gengler has been researching and writing about finance for more than 15 years. She honed her personal finance writing as a journalist at Money magazine for a decade.
Read More
