What does Matson Money do?
Matson Money is an investment management firm that provides asset allocation services through independent financial advisors.
Matson Money has operated as an investment adviser since 1991 and is principally owned by Mark Matson.
The firm provides asset allocation investment advisory services to individuals, high net worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing accounts, corporations and other business entities. As of Dec. 31, 2025, Matson Money reported $12.25 billion in discretionary assets under management.
Key service:
- Matson Money advisory programs: Including three advisory programs
- Matson fund platform: This is Matson Money’s main platform advisory service.
- Frontier adjusted portfolio program: This program allocates client assets generally to one or more Free Market Funds and adjusts participating portfolios annually to manage risk over time.
- Private account asset allocation: This limited program is available only to clients with certain unaffiliated variable annuities and to clients of certain Referrers at Matson Money’s discretion.
- Asset allocation advice: Matson Money’s core service is recommending asset allocation for clients and allocating client assets.
- Matson-managed mutual funds: Matson Money manages six no-load mutual fund series.
- There are three Free Market Funds: Free Market US Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed-Income Fund and Free market fixed-income fund.
- The other three are Matson Money Funds used in certain variable annuity and variable life insurance structures.
The Matson fund platform:
Clients complete a questionnaire, and Matson Money assigns the account to one of four investment strategies.
Investment strategy | Target asset allocation range |
|---|---|
Aggressive growth | Between 86% and 98% equities, remainder in fixed income |
Long-Term growth | Between 66% and 85% equities, remainder in fixed income |
Balanced growth | Between 33% and 65% equities, remainder in fixed income |
Income & rowth | Between 0% and 32% equities, remainder in fixed income |
As a general matter, clients can select a specific model asset allocation within the target range for their investment strategy.
Model portfolio | Asset allocation |
|---|---|
Aggressive growth | 95% equities / 5% fixed income |
Long-Term growth | 85% equities / 15% fixed income |
Long-Term growth | 75% equities / 25% fixed income |
Balanced growth | 60% equities / 40% fixed income |
Balanced growth | 50% equities / 50% fixed income |
Balanced growth | 40% equities / 60% fixed income |
Income & growth | 25% equities / 75% fixed income |
Fixed income | 0% equities / 100% fixed income |
Investment philosophy:
Matson Money’s investment philosophy is centered on long-term asset allocation rather than stock picking or market timing.
The firm builds portfolios using mutual funds and ETFs that target different asset classes, then periodically reviews, rebalances and, when needed, adjusts those allocations.
Its approach is based on academic investment concepts such as modern portfolio theory, the efficient market hypothesis (EMH) and the Fama/French five-factor model.
Matson Money focuses on diversification, risk exposure and long-term market behavior instead of trying to predict short-term market moves.
What are the pros and cons of Matson Money?
Matson Money’s main strength is its structured, research-based asset allocation process.
Pros of Matson Money:
- Disciplined asset allocation: The portfolios are built around model allocations, rebalancing and long-term market research.
- Advisor-supported access: Clients work with an independent advisor who handles the relationship, questionnaire, routine account questions and goal discussions.
- No formal account minimum disclosed: The Matson fund platform, frontier adjusted portfolio program and private account asset allocation platform have no minimum investment requirements.
Cons of Matson Money:
- Total fees can be layered: Investors may bear fund expenses, embedded Matson fund advisory fees, referrer fees, custodian fees, and other transaction or product costs.
- Limited customization in core programs: Matson fund platform clients choose an allocation through the questionnaire process but generally cannot impose account restrictions.
- Service experience depends on the independent advisor: Matson Money generally works through referrers, who handle most client communication and routine account questions, so the client experience may vary by advisor.
Matson Money fees: How much does Matson Money cost?
Matson Money’s cost depends heavily on the program and the independent advisor relationship.
Category | Fee |
|---|---|
Matson funds advisory fee | Up to 0.50% annually of each Fund’s average daily net assets |
Referrer fee | 0.25% to 1.40% of client assets under management |
For the limited Private account asset
allocation program, Matson Money provides a separate representative fee schedule:
Assets under management | Annual rate |
|---|---|
First $500,000 | 2.00% |
Next $500,000 | 1.00% |
Next $3 million | 0.75% |
Over $4 million | 0.50% |
Fees for clients investing more than $1 million with Matson Money may be negotiable.
Clients may pay brokerage commissions, transaction fees, custodial fees, mutual fund or ETF expenses, variable annuity costs, and other related expenses that are separate from Matson Money’s and referrers’ fees.
What is Matson Money’s minimum account size?
The Matson fund platform, frontier adjusted portfolio program, and private account asset allocation platform have no minimum investment requirements.
Who should choose Matson Money?
Matson Money works well for:
- Investors who want a model-based portfolio: Matson Money is built around preset asset allocation strategies, including aggressive growth, long-term growth, balanced growth, income & growth, and fixed income.
- Clients who prefer advisor guidance: The independent advisor helps gather client information, update goals and risk tolerance, and answer most account questions.
- Long-term investors who accept a research-driven approach: The firm’s strategy is based on asset allocation, broad diversification, rebalancing, and long-term academic research, not stock picking or market timing.
Who might not benefit as much:
- DIY investors: People who want to build and manage a simple low-cost index portfolio on their own may find the advisor-led structure unnecessary.
- Investors who want highly customized portfolios: The core service is mainly an asset allocation program using model strategies and mutual funds, not a fully personalized stock or fund-selection service.
- Fee-sensitive investors: Clients may pay multiple layers of costs, including fund expenses, referrer fees, custodian fees, and other account-related charges.
Matson Money: Is it secure?
Matson Money is an SEC-registered investment adviser.
Client assets are held with third-party custodians rather than physically held by Matson Money; for non-ERISA accounts, Axos, Schwab, and Pershing are available custodians.
The firm also limits its authority over client accounts. Matson Money can direct investments in the account, but it cannot direct a custodian to distribute assets for other purposes without the client’s express approval.
The firm also uses administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, limits employee access to personal financial information, uses forced SSL encryption, keeps website access read-only, blocks saved login credentials, and performs encrypted backups.
Matson Money: Customer service
Matson Money provides general contact through its website form and office contact options, but the service model is still advisor-led; routine account questions and day-to-day support are generally handled by the independent advisor or Referrer.
Matson Money: Mobile App
Matson Money has a dedicated investor app called Matson Money, published by Matson Money, Inc.
The app lets clients track portfolio performance, access financial insights, and monitor progress toward long-term investment goals. It is mainly a portfolio-monitoring and account-insight app, not a full self-directed trading platform.
Is Matson Money worth it?
Matson Money may be worth considering for investors who want an advisor-led asset allocation program and are comfortable working mainly through an independent advisor.
Its strengths are a clear investment philosophy, discretionary portfolio management, quarterly review, and no disclosed minimum account requirement.
The main trade-offs are layered costs, limited customization in the core model portfolios, and a client experience that depends heavily on the independent advisor relationship.
For investors seeking low-cost DIY indexing, direct portfolio control, or highly personalized portfolio construction, Matson Money may be less compelling.
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