What does Plancorp do?
Plancorp is a fee-only, advisor-led wealth management firm serving clients through an integrated approach to financial planning and evidence-based investment management.
Plancorp overview:
Founded and registration | Founded in 1983; SEC-registered investment advisor |
|---|---|
Assets under management | $9,942,372,723 |
Main clients | Individuals and high-net-worth families, plus trusts and institutional clients |
Advisor scale | 56 CFP, CPA, and CFA designations |
Service model | Dedicated team-based service |
Main fee | Asset-based fee of up to 1.00% annually |
Minimum | $12,000 minimum annual fee |
How it works:
Plancorp begins with a strategy session to understand the client’s financial situation and goals. It then prepares a draft financial independence analysis using the client’s financial data and Monte Carlo modeling. The analysis is refined after the client signs on and updated over time as circumstances and planning needs change.
Key services:
- Financial Planning: May include
- Personal and financial goals and objectives
- Cash flow and income tax analysis
- Capital needs assessment
- Education funding analysis
- Retirement planning
- Estate planning coordination
- Asset protection planning
- Employee benefit analysis
- Investment Management: Ongoing discretionary or non-discretionary portfolio management based on the client’s goals, risk tolerance, liquidity needs and time horizon, using an investment policy statement and a diversified mix of funds and securities.
- Specialized planning: Charitable-giving strategies may be incorporated into the broader financial plan. Plancorp also provides equity-compensation planning covering restricted stock units and awards, employee stock purchase plans, stock options, tax considerations, selling strategies, and concentration risk.
Plancorp separately offers family office services for ultra-high-net-worth families, including financial infrastructure, philanthropy, generational and legacy planning, and professional proxy services.
Investment strategy:
Plancorp generally builds diversified, risk-based portfolios using
- Mutual funds and ETFs
- Stocks, bonds, and certificates of deposit (CDs)
- Municipal and US government securities
- Money market funds and real estate investment trusts (REITs)
Investment philosophy:
Plancorp follows a long-term investment approach grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory.
It seeks to manage portfolio risk through systematic diversification across asset classes rather than market timing or stock picking.
The firm evaluates asset classes using factors such as historical returns, expected volatility, and correlations, then applies selection criteria established by its investment committee and customizes the strategy through each client’s investment policy statement.
Portfolio decisions also reflect the client’s financial circumstances, goals, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and time horizon. Investing in securities involves the risk of loss, and past performance does not guarantee future returns.
What are the pros and cons of Plancorp?
Here is a look at the pros and cons of Plancorp.
Pros of Plancorp:
- Detailed planning scope: The service goes beyond portfolio management into tax, estate, insurance, education, retirement, and employee benefits.
- Team support: Clients receive a wealth manager, planner, and service consultant rather than depending on one advisor.
- Clear process: The FIA and team model make the client journey easier to understand.
- Evidence-based investing: The approach emphasizes diversification, low-cost vehicles, tax efficiency, and long-term discipline.
Cons of Plancorp:
- High minimum annual fee: Wealth-management clients pay at least $12,000 per year.
- Extra costs: Mutual fund, ETF, custodian, transaction, third-party manager, transfer, and account fees may be separate.
- Not for DIY traders: The service is planning-led and advisor-managed, not built for self-directed trading.
Plancorp fees: How much does Plancorp cost?
Plancorp generally charges asset-based or flat fees, with wealth management fees up to 1.00% annually. Fees are negotiable and may differ because of service scope, account circumstances, older grandfathered arrangements, or other factors considered by Plancorp.
Cost item | Fee |
|---|---|
Wealth management | Up to 1.00% of managed assets per year |
Pension consulting | $6,000 minimum annual fee |
Standalone financial planning | $12,000 minimum per year |
Tax-return services | $500 minimum per return per year |
Business owner succession planning | Flat fees generally range up to $40,000 |
Clients may separately pay fund expenses, brokerage costs, transfer fees, third-party manager fees, custodian charges and others.
What is Plancorp’s minimum account size?
Plancorp does not require a minimum account value; however, it does require a $12,000 minimum annual fee for wealth management services.
Who should choose Plancorp?
Plancorp works well for:
- Households with complex needs: Retirement, tax, estate, insurance, or equity-compensation decisions can be addressed together.
- High-income professionals: Employee benefits, equity compensation, and cash-flow planning may help executives.
- Ultra-high-net-worth families: Separate family office services may fit complex families.
- Investors seeking delegated management: Plancorp offers discretionary management built around a long-term, diversified strategy.
Who might not benefit as much:
- Smaller investors: The minimum fee may be disproportionate to the assets or planning required.
- DIY investors: Plancorp is not designed around self-directed trading tools.
- Limited-scope clients: The ongoing service model may be difficult to justify when only a one-time plan or help with a specific decision is needed.
Plancorp: Is it secure?
Plancorp is SEC-registered.
Client assets are held with third-party qualified custodians, principally TD Ameritrade, Charles Schwab or Fidelity, which send statements at least quarterly.
Plancorp says its portal encrypts data at rest and in transit, uses multi-factor authentication and endpoint monitoring, and does not store linked-account credentials. These measures do not prevent investment losses or eliminate cybersecurity risk.
Plancorp: Customer service
Plancorp provides advisor-led customer support through a dedicated team that typically includes a wealth manager, financial planner, and client services consultant.
Clients can communicate by phone, email, online contact form, videoconference, or in person.
Plancorp: Mobile App
Plancorp does not offer a dedicated mobile app. It pays BrightPlan for access to its digital platform, which provides financial goal tracking, educational resources, budgeting and spending tools, linked-account monitoring, digital financial coaching, and goals-based investment guidance.
Is Plancorp worth it?
Plancorp offers comprehensive advisor-led wealth management for clients who want investments connected to retirement, tax, estate, insurance, and family decisions.
Its team model and evidence-based process may suit financially complex households.
The trade-off is a $12,000 annual minimum, variable fee mechanics, and possible third-party costs, making it less suited to low-cost or limited-scope needs.
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