• Your investments are important. Advisory Services can help them receive the care they deserve.
• Your investments can be professionally managed or a Financial Advisor can help you manage them yourself.
• Wells Fargo Advisors programs allow flexibility to help you reach your goals. 

Managing investments 

A lot may be riding on your investments: retirement, children’s or grandchildren’s education, your financial legacy. Your investment plan should get the attention it deserves. 

Some investors enjoy managing their own plan. They are confident in their abilities and have the time to research and monitor their investments’ performance. 

You’re not alone if you don’t fall into that category. Like many others, you may want to work with a professional by taking advantage of an advisory program.

 

Using an advisory program 

You can save time and have a professional manage your investments when you use the services of an advisory program. 

Advisory programs generally fall into two categories. One gives another party the power to make decisions for your account’s day-to-day management. This means you can allow a portfolio manager — in some cases your Financial Advisor — to decide when to buy, sell, and hold investments without consulting you. 

Your portfolio manager will make decisions based on a variety of factors: 

• Your long-term objectives
• The time you have to reach your objectives
• Your risk tolerance 

In the other program, you collaborate with your Financial Advisor. We will provide you with objective advice and guidance based on your needs, goals, and today’s investment environment, to help you make your own buy, sell, and hold decisions. 

Fee replaces commissions 

So how can an advisory account differ from a traditional brokerage account? One difference is how you pay for the services you receive. In an advisory account program, you generally pay a fee. This is often charged on a quarterly basis based on a percentage of your account’s value. In a traditional brokerage account you would pay a commission for each transaction. 

Flexible range of alternatives 

You can choose which advisory services program you implement. Wells Fargo Advisors offers an array of programs. You can decide what products you would like to have managed, such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks, bonds, and commodity-based investments. 

We can discuss the programs with you and see what fits your situation – and what makes you feel more confident in helping you reach your goals. 

Next steps

Decide if you would like some extra help with making your investment decisions.

Make an appointment to talk with us about advisory accounts.



The fees for advisory programs are asset-based and assessed quarterly in advance. There may be a minimum fee to maintain this type of account. Fees include advisory services, performance measurement, transaction costs, custody services, and trading. These fees do not cover the fees and expenses of any underlying exchange traded fund (ETF), closed-end funds, or mutual funds in the portfolio. Advisory accounts are not designed for excessively traded or inactive accounts and are not appropriate for all investors. Please carefully review the Wells Fargo Advisors advisory disclosure document for a full description of our services, including fees and expenses. The minimum account size for these programs is between $10,000 and $2,000,000.

• Saving for your child’s or grandchild’s education doesn’t have to derail your retirement savings plan.
• 529 plans and trust funds are designed to help save for a child’s education.
• Financial aid may be another option

Retirement vs. education

As a parent or grandparent, you’re probably considering how to balance paying for college while planning for your retirement. Many families use some combination of savings, investments, borrowing, and financial aid (if available).

There are options for financing college, but Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network believes saving for retirement should be the higher priority for many investors.

If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, consider putting your savings there first, especially if there is a company match. After that, contribute to your child’s education account.

Save as early as possible

As you can imagine, the sooner you start saving for your child’s or grandchild’s education, the more money you may have later.

One popular way to save is the 529 college savings plan. These are tax-advantaged accounts administered by states and institutions. Parents, grandparents, relatives, and friends can contribute.

Other college savings accounts include custodial accounts in the child’s name and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts.

Please consider the investment objectives, risk, charges and expenses carefully before investing in a 529 savings plan. The official statement, which contains this and other information, can be obtained by calling your Financial Advisor. Read it carefully before you invest.

Qualified Coverdell Education Savings Account distributions are not subject to state and local taxation in most states.

Establish an educational trust fund

Setting up an educational trust fund designed for your child’s education is also an option. When a grandparent or benefactor establishes an education trust, the terms of the trust can be specified. This can include who controls the money, how it will be used, and for whom the trust benefits.

It’s a good idea for grandparents to involve parents when it comes to helping with college savings. How they choose to save could impact any potential financial aid the child may receive.

Consider financial aid

A variety of factors play into financial aid eligibility. Don’t assume your child or grandchild won’t qualify for financial aid.

Start thinking about applying for aid during high school. Visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Financial Aid Office for information about eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and types of federal financial loans and aid.

For nonfederal financial aid, visit the College Board’s College Scholarship Service (CSS)/Financial Aid PROFILE® application for information on qualifying.

Factor in income and existing investments

Other investment sources may help pay for college, and keep you from tapping your retirement savings. Those may include stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

It’s a balancing act

As you plan for the future, keep in mind the three C’s of college funding: consistency, communication, and compromise.

Planning for retirement, managing your investment portfolio, and funding a college education is a balancing act. The trick is to plan ahead.

We can help you come up with a plan that considers all aspects.

Next steps

Ask us how you can save for both retirement and education.
Start saving for college when your child or grandchild is young.
Even if you don’t think you’ll qualify, apply for financial aid.


Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to non-affiliated companies of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network and its affiliates do not provide legal or tax advice.

• You have many options for investing.
• Investments should work together to help you accomplish your financial goals.

Types of investments

Part of the investment planning process is making investment choices that fit your investment strategy. Those investments should work together to help you accomplish your financial goals. We’re dedicated to providing you a wide range of investment products and services to help you meet them. 

As an investor, you have many options. Common types of investments include: 

• Stocks  - An investment giving you partial ownership in a company based on the number of shares you purchase. Stocks tend to fluctuate more in the short term, but may perform well over time. 
• Bonds  - An investment that functions as a loan to a government or institution in return for regular interest payments. Bonds can provide more stability than stocks, even though bonds have historically provided lower returns than stocks. 
• Mutual funds - A fund allowing you to pool your money with others in a professionally managed portfolio. Mutual funds offer diversification through a mix of investments, such as stocks or bonds.¹
• Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) - A basket of securities traded throughout the day — just like individual stocks — on a national stock exchange. Like mutual funds, you purchase shares of an overall fund rather than individual investments.¹
• Annuities - A contract between you and an insurance company requiring the insurer to make payments to you, either immediately or in the future. You make contributions to the annuity for a guaranteed income stream.²
• Brokered certificates of deposit (CDs) - Brokered CDs are issued by banks, purchased in bulk by securities firms and sold to clients. Investors do not receive physical certificates for their brokered CDs, but instead receive a periodic account statement detailing their CD holdings.³  Brokered CDs’ market value may fluctuate over time.   

Contact a Financial Advisor to learn more about the types of investments to consider for your portfolio.

Next steps

• Understand the variety of investments available.
• Talk with your Financial Advisor about investment choices.

¹Investment returns may fluctuate and are subject to market volatility, so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, or sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. 

²Variable annuities are long-term investments appropriate for retirement funding and are subject to market fluctuations and investment risk. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Guarantees apply to minimum income from an annuity; they do not guarantee an investment return or the safety of the underlying funds.

³Generally, CDs may not be withdrawn prior to maturity. CDs are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor per insured depository institution for each account ownership category. CDs may be issued by out of state institutions.