What does Oxford Advisory Group do?
Oxford Advisory Group is an advisor-led retirement and wealth management service focused on retirement income, investment planning, tax-aware planning, estate planning and related financial needs.
The service is mainly designed for people approaching retirement, retirees, and higher-net-worth households with more complex financial needs who want to work directly with an advisor.
Oxford Advisory Group is the public-facing financial services firm, while investment advisory and portfolio management services are provided through its affiliated but separate registered investment adviser, Oxford Wealth Group, LLC.
Key services:
- Retirement income strategies: Covering Social Security, pensions, investments, savings, annuities and bonds.
- Investment planning and portfolio management: It offers ongoing investment advice and portfolio management, usually through a discretionary model portfolio program overseen by an Oxford financial professional and sub-advised by third-party advisers.
- Financial planning: Plans may cover tax planning, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, cash flow, education planning, asset allocation comparisons and risk management.
- Tax preparation and tax advice: The firm offers tax guidance around federal and state filing, income records, deductions, business expenses, retirement contributions, retirement withdrawals, Social Security timing and investment tax issues.
- Estate planning support: Estate planning advisors can help account for assets, recommend an estate attorney, work with an attorney, advise on estate tax matters and monitor plans when circumstances change.
Investment philosophy:
Oxford’s investment approach is goals-based and client-specific. The portfolios may include domestic and international equities, ETFs, mutual funds, fixed income, REITs and commodities, with allocations based on objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs and client restrictions.
What are the pros and cons of Oxford Advisory Group?
Here is a look at the pros and cons of Oxford Advisory Group.
Pros of Oxford Advisory Group:
- Designed for complex retirement and wealth needs: It advises high-net-worth clients on the complexities that come with wealth, with a focus on tax-efficient strategies, estate planning and social security planning.
- Advisor-led planning team: The firm is made up of financial professionals, and lists financial planners and advisors with retirement, tax and investment planning roles.
- Broad planning scope: Services may cover retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance planning, cash flow, wealth transfer, long-term care, asset allocation comparisons and risk management.
Cons of Oxford Advisory Group:
- May be too much for simple needs: Investors who only want basic asset allocation or low-cost portfolio management may not need a planning-heavy advisor relationship.
- Higher cost for simple needs: Oxford Wealth charges advisory fees of up to 2% annually, plus separate financial planning fees in some cases. This may be less attractive for clients with simple needs.
- Less in-house portfolio control: Most clients use model portfolios that may be run through outside sub-advisers or platforms, which may not suit clients who want fully in-house investment management.
Oxford Advisory Group fees: How much does Oxford Advisory Group cost?
Oxford Wealth charges asset-based advisory fees for investment advisory and portfolio management services.
The advisory fees for services other than financial planning range from 0% to 2% annually and are billed monthly in arrears based on the average daily value of client assets during the prior month.
Financial planning is separate.
Clients who retain the firm for investment advisory services are assessed a one-time planning fee at the start of the relationship, negotiated based on complexity and scope. Standalone financial planning or consulting fees are generally flat fees from $500 to $3,000 per engagement.
Clients may also pay a separate fund, ETF, closed-end fund, custodian, brokerage, trade execution, transfer, tax or other third-party account costs.
What is Oxford Advisory Group’s minimum account size?
The firm does not currently have a minimum account size. However, the practical fit may still depend on whether the planning fee and asset-based advisory fee make economic sense for the client’s account size and planning needs.
Who should choose Oxford Advisory Group?
Oxford Advisory Group may fit investors who want an advisor-led retirement and wealth planning relationship.
Oxford Advisory Group works well for:
- Pre-retirees and retirees: The service is built around retirement income planning, social security, investments, annuities and tax-efficient withdrawals.
- Clients who want coordinated planning: Planning may include retirement, tax, insurance, estate, wealth transfer, long-term care and risk management topics.
- Investors who prefer discretionary management: The primary investment management service is a discretionary asset management program.
Who might not benefit as much:
- Fee-sensitive investors: A fee range up to 2% annually may be high relative to lower-cost advisory or investment options.
- Investors with simple investment needs: Oxford’s service can involve retirement income planning, financial planning, insurance planning, tax-related planning, and a wide range of investment vehicles, so it may be more complex than basic portfolio management requires.
- Investors outside Florida or South Carolina: Oxford provides investment and retirement planning services in Florida and South Carolina, so investors who want a local advisor in another state may find the service less convenient.
Oxford Advisory Group: Is it secure?
Oxford Advisory Group’s advisory service has standard regulatory and custody safeguards, but it does not remove investment risk.
Investment advisory services are provided through Oxford Wealth Group, a federally registered investment advisor, and client assets are generally held with third-party custodians such as Charles Schwab or Fidelity rather than physically held by Oxford.
The firm uses security measures to protect client information, but it also states that it cannot guarantee information will be free from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or alteration.
Oxford Advisory Group: Customer service
Oxford’s service model is advisor-led. The firm uses introductory and follow-up meetings by in-person meeting, phone, video conference or email to understand the client’s financial situation, goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs.
The firm also provides general contact options, office access, meeting scheduling and client login links.
Is Oxford Advisory Group worth it?
Oxford Advisory Group is mainly worth considering for retirees, pre-retirees, and wealth management clients who want advisor-led retirement income planning, portfolio management, financial planning, and related tax or estate planning support in one relationship.
Its main drawbacks are cost, with advisory fees up to 2% annually, and its use of model portfolios that are generally implemented through sub-advisers or platform providers. It may be less suitable for fee-sensitive investors or clients who want a simple, low-cost, investment-only service.
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