Clients generally include individuals (including high-net-worth individuals), business entities, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations.
TCI Wealth Advisors’ services can be grouped into three main areas: ongoing wealth management, financial planning, and retirement planning services.
Ongoing wealth management
TCI Wealth Advisors is a fee-only registered investment advisor that provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, with planning available when requested.
Client interaction generally looks like:
Discovery and plan design: TCI starts by discussing clients' goals and key financial context, then builds a portfolio where asset allocation comes first, followed by selecting implementation vehicles and monitoring over time.
Discretionary or non-discretionary management: Clients can authorize TCI to trade under the advisory agreement, or choose a non-discretionary setup in which trades require client approval.
45-day check-up: TCI then has a follow-up meeting about 45 days after the plan is put in motion to organize paperwork, confirm comfort with the relationship, and address outstanding issues.
Financial planning
TCI's planning approach includes several planning “strategy” areas used to support an integrated advisory relationship.
Examples include:
Life strategy
Cash flow strategy
Tax planning
Estate planning
Insurance planning
Financial education
Financial planning and consulting may be included in the ongoing advisory relationship upon specific request or provided separately under a stand-alone planning agreement.
Retirement planning
TCI offers several retirement-related services, including:
Retirement plan consulting for plan sponsors, including ERISA 3(21) and 3(38) roles, depending on the engagement.
Services to trustee-directed and participant-directed plans, including assisting with selecting an investment platform and (when engaged) participant education.
401(k) allocation guidance for individual clients, limited to the options available in the employer plan (and these assets may be included in AUM for fee calculation unless stated otherwise).
What are the pros and cons of TCI Wealth Advisors?
Using TCI Wealth Advisors for ongoing investment management and planning comes with several potential advantages and trade-offs. Here are some to get you started.
Pros of TCI Wealth Advisors:
Advisor-led, fee-only model: TCI provides human-advisor investment management and planning on a fee-only basis and does not accept compensation from the sale of securities or investment products.
Flexible management structure: Clients can choose between discretionary management (where TCI trades within agreed authority) and non-discretionary advice (where client approval is required before trades).
Planning available in multiple formats: Financial planning and consulting can be delivered as part of the ongoing advisory relationship when requested, or as a stand-alone engagement under a separate agreement.
Tiered advisory fees with breakpoints: Fee schedules that generally range from 0.25% to 1.00%, with lower percentage tiers at higher asset levels and alternative structures for certain client groups.
ASPIRE program for young professionals: TCI describes its ASPIRE program as providing young professionals with access to financial planning and investment management, emphasizing early-stage planning for those without significant investment assets.
Cons of TCI Wealth Advisors:
The fee structure can be complex: The firm has multiple schedules, for example, legacy clients, new clients, retirement plans, and ASPIRE. It also states that fees may be negotiated or adjusted, so similarly situated clients could pay different fees.
Minimum annual fees apply in some cases: While there is no annual minimum under the standard fee schedule, it lists a $1,000 minimum annual fee for non-employer-sponsored retirement plans and a $2,500 minimum annual fee for ASPIRE clients.
Non-discretionary accounts may be less responsive: For non-discretionary clients, transactions can’t be executed without prior client consent, which may affect timing.
Additional costs beyond advisory fees: Clients may also pay custodian or brokerage transaction fees, fund-level expenses for mutual funds and ETFs, possible “trade-away” charges in some cases, and additional fees if independent managers are used.
TCI Wealth Advisors fees: How much does TCI Wealth Advisors cost?
TCI Wealth Advisors' asset-based advisory fee is generally between 0.25% and 1.00% of assets under management (AUM), with different schedules for legacy clients, new clients, and certain retirement plan engagements.
Some clients may also pay a retainer, and they may still incur third-party costs, such as custodian transaction fees and mutual fund/ETF expenses.
Here is a breakdown of TCI Wealth Advisors' fee.
Standard fee schedule (legacy clients):
| Asset level | Annual advisory fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $2 million | 1.00% |
| Next $3 million | 0.75% |
| Over $5 million | 0.50% |
Standard fee schedule (new clients):
Up to $1,999,999: 0.2500% per quarter (annualized 1.00%)
From $2 million: $3,000 quarterly retainer ($12,000 annually) plus:
| Total portfolio value | Quarterly fee | Annualized fee |
|---|---|---|
| $0 to $10 million | 0.10% | 0.40% |
| $10 to $20 million | 0.075% | 0.30% |
| Above $20 million | 0.0625% | 0.25% |
If accepted below $400,000, TCI says it may charge up to 1.00% of AUM.
Retirement plan-related fees:
| Value of plan assets | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| $0 – $500,000 | 0.85% |
| $500,000 – $2,500,000 | 0.65% |
| $2,500,000 – $5,000,000 | 0.45% |
| $5,000,000 – $10,000,000 | 0.30% |
| $10,000,000+ | 0.10% |
Retirement plan consulting:
| Plan assets | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $5 million | 0.50% |
| Over $5 million | 0.36% |
Stand-alone financial planning and consulting fees:
For clients who engage TCI for stand-alone planning/consulting:
Fixed fee (generally): $500–$1,500
Hourly rate (generally): $150–$250
Other costs clients may pay:
TCI’s disclosures explain that clients may also pay third-party costs, including:
Brokerage/custodial transaction fees or other charges (vary by custodian and transaction type)
Mutual fund and ETF internal expenses (fund-level management fees and other expenses)
Potential “trade-away” fees in certain execution arrangements
Separate independent manager fees if a portion of assets is allocated to unaffiliated managers
What is TCI Wealth Advisors’ minimum account size?
TCI Wealth Advisors does not list a single, firm-wide minimum account size.
Instead, minimums are expressed primarily as annual fees for certain client types.
Minimums disclosed by service type：
| Service/client type | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| Standard investment advisory services | No stated minimum account size |
| Non-employer-sponsored retirement plans | $1,000 minimum annual fee |
| ASPIRE program clients | $2,500 minimum annual fee |
Who should choose TCI Wealth Advisors?
TCI Wealth Advisors is designed for clients who value structured guidance, long-term portfolio management, and ongoing conversations around goals rather than self-directed or automated investing.
TCI Wealth Advisors works well for:
Investors seeking a long-term advisory relationship: The firm focuses on ongoing portfolio management built around goals, risk tolerance, and asset allocation, rather than one-time advice or tactical trading.
Clients who want human advisors, not automation: Services are advisor-led, with discretionary or non-discretionary management options, rather than robo-advising.
High-net-worth and complex households: Tiered fee schedules and the ability to coordinate investment management with broader planning discussions can suit clients with larger or more complicated financial situations.
Clients who want planning alongside investments: Financial planning can be integrated into the advisory relationship when requested or provided separately under a stand-alone planning agreement.
Young professionals starting early (ASPIRE clients): TCI’s ASPIRE program is designed for younger professionals seeking access to structured planning and investment management earlier in their careers, even without significant assets.
Who might not benefit as much:
Hands-on or self-directed investors: Those who prefer managing their own portfolios or making frequent trading decisions may find limited value in a full-service advisory model.
Cost-sensitive investors with smaller balances: Minimum annual fees for some services can result in a higher effective percentage cost at lower asset levels.
Investors looking for fully digital or automated tools: TCI’s service model centres on ongoing interaction with human advisors and scheduled review meetings, rather than automated portfolio management, self-directed dashboards, which may feel less suitable for investors who prefer a primarily digital experience.
Short-term or tactical traders: The firm emphasizes long-term, disciplined investing rather than short-term strategies or active trading.
TCI Wealth Advisors: Is it secure?
TCI is a SEC-registered investment adviser and provides advice under a fiduciary standard, meaning it is required to act in clients’ best interests when making recommendations.
Client assets are held at independent third-party custodians, not by TCI itself. When recommending a custodian, TCI generally points clients to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., and clients enter a separate custodial agreement directly with the custodian.
TCI also states that it uses information technology systems with controls intended to reduce cybersecurity incidents, while acknowledging that these efforts may not always be successful.
TCI Wealth Advisors: Customer service
TCI Wealth Advisors’ customer service is built around a human, advisor-led relationship, supplemented by more traditional support channels.
Rather than relying on automated help tools or in-app messaging, clients generally interact with the firm through direct contact with advisors and staff, along with standard phone and office-based support.
Beyond advisor meetings, TCI maintains physical office locations across the western United States and offers phone-based communication, which provides a more traditional service option for clients who prefer speaking with a representative or meeting in person.
TCI Wealth Advisors: Mobile app
TCI Wealth Advisors offers a dedicated “TCI Wealth Advisors App” positioned as a companion to its advisor-led service rather than a standalone, self-directed trading platform.
The app is designed to give clients visibility into their financial picture and an easy way to share information with their advisor.
The app focuses on providing an intuitive financial dashboard of your finances, document vault, interactive reports, budgeting tools and more, not active trading tools.
Key features include:
An interactive financial dashboard showing a consolidated view of a client’s finances
Dynamic reports with current investment information
Document vault for securely sending and receiving files with an advisor
Budgeting and planning tools to support ongoing financial discussions
Is TCI Wealth Advisors worth it?
Whether TCI Wealth Advisors is worth it depends on the type of investor and the kind of relationship they’re looking for.
For investors who want a human, advisor-led experience, TCI can be a good fit.
TCI may also suit clients with more complex needs or growing financial lives, including high-net-worth households, business owners, and professionals who want investment management paired with broader planning. Its ASPIRE program extends that model to younger professionals who want to start planning earlier, even without significant assets.
However, TCI is likely less compelling for cost-sensitive investors or those seeking automation. Investors who prefer low-cost automated portfolios, frequent trading, or self-service tools may find better value elsewhere.
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