2020-2021 RANKING & REVIEWS
BEST INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Intro: Rating the Largest & Top Investment Firms in 2020-2021
Investments can make a big difference in planning for the future and building wealth. But those that are inexperienced and try to go it alone without help from asset management firms can end up losing a lot of money.
The benefit that global investment companies bring to the table include a stable of experienced professionals, intensive research and advanced analytics, and the expertise to balance risk and reward.
Most people would not try to do their own plumbing or electrical work on their home; they rely on a trained professional to do it right. It’s similar when it comes to investing your hard-earned money and working with professionals at financial investment companies.
There are several considerations when it comes to finding the best investment company to work with. Do you start with banks that have investment divisions? Or try traditional brokerage firms, which are still a very popular investment option for many people?
Due to their size and popularity, brokerages are typically the least expensive, and they provide flexible options, including face-to-face meetings and online trading capabilities.
However, working with top investment firms that are connected to a big bank where you have other accounts can be more convenient. The fact that you already have a relationship with the financial institution also may bring other perks.
No matter which type of entity you choose as your top investment company, there are some common considerations to help you pick the best investment firm for your financial needs. These include:
- Top investment companies offer strategies that are tailored to both your wealth-building potential and risk tolerance.
- The largest investment firms will offer multiple varied investment strategies to build retirement savings.
- Tailored rather than “cookie-cutter” portfolios are hallmarks of the best investment firms.
- The best investment companies will put the interests of their clients first.
The largest investment companies and top-rated investment firms will offer a broad array of investment products at varying risk levels. More options are a big benefit of working with larger asset management firms over smaller ones with fewer options.
Award Emblem: Top 11 Best Investment Companies
So, which firms are the biggest and top investment firms to consider?
AdvisoryHQ has reviewed multiple organizations, and the following review and ranking of the best investment firms and the largest investment companies covers the popular traditional brokerages.
You’ll find highlights of how the firm earned a spot on our list and key reasons why each top-rated investment firm was chosen. We’ll also detail factors that make the investment company unique and why you may want to consider working with them.
This 2020-2021 review and ranking of the top investment companies and the biggest investment management firms is designed to serve as a helpful guide for anyone looking for a brokerage.
Top 11 Best Investment Companies | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Best Investment Firms | 2020-2021 Ratings |
| BlackRock | 5 |
| BNY Mellon Investment Management | 5 |
| Capital Group | 5 |
| Charles Schwab | 5 |
| Fidelity Investments | 5 |
| Goldman Sachs | 5 |
| PIMCO | 5 |
| Prudential Financial | 5 |
| State Street Global Advisors | 5 |
| Vanguard | 5 |
| J.P. Morgan Asset Management | 3 |
Table: Top 11 Best Investment Companies | Above list is sorted by rating
What’s the Difference Between Fee-Only, Fee-Based, & Commission-Based Investment Firms?
Understanding how an investment firm is compensated is important when you’re choosing the best investment management company to work with. There are some key differences between the three main fee structures that you’ll find.
Top investment firms can work under one of the three main compensation structures, which are:
- Fee-only
- Fee-based
- Commission-based
Many investors are unfamiliar with the differences between these fee structures. However, they can make a big difference in how you feel about the investment management companies you’re considering. They’re often a deciding factor for investors in choosing who to trust with investment guidance.
Fee-Only
If a top investment firm states that it is “fee-only,” this means that the firm’s advisors do not accept any commissions or incentives from third parties that sell financial products or services. The advisors’ only form of compensation is from client fees.
The fee-only pricing structure minimizes the inherent conflicts of interest that accompany the recommending and selling of investment products. A fee-only investment company is in a better position to act solely in the interest of its clients.
Fee-Based
A fee-based investment firm is compensated by client fees as well; however, its advisors are also free to accept commissions, referral fees, or other incentives from companies who provide financial products.
Because the fee-based structure creates some potential conflict of interest, many fee-based investment firms will become fiduciaries to help offset the potential for conflict. Any firm can be a fiduciary (fee-only, fee-based, or commission-based).
As a fiduciary, an investment firm is legally responsible to fully disclose any conflicts of interest, be transparent, and put the interests of its clients ahead of those of the firm and its advisors.
Commission-Based
Investment firm advisors working with a commission-based structure will typically be compensated through commissions from purchasing and selling financial products in their clients’ portfolios.
Generally, high-net-worth investors find that the unique services offered by commission-based firms provide the best investment returns and often are accompanied by “white-glove” treatment and other personalized services.
2020-2021’s Best & Biggest Investment Firms
Where Can I Find Fee-Only or Fee-Based Investment Firms?
In addition to reviewing the best and largest investment companies on this top-rated list, there are several other fee-only or fee-based options out there among local financial firms. Many provide additional services, such as accounting and tax management.
If you are interested in fee-only or fee-based financial advisors, you can visit the links below for our comprehensive rankings by region or city, which use fee-only and fee-based structures as ranking factors.
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2020-2021 AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top-rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top-rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Investment Companies
Below, please find a detailed review of each investment company on our list of 2020-2021 best investment firms. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these top-rated investment firms to score so high in our selection ranking.
Click on any of the names below to go directly to the review section for that firm.
- BlackRock
- BNY Mellon Investment Management
- Capital Group
- Charles Schwab
- Fidelity Investments
- Goldman Sachs
- PIMCO
- Prudential Financial
- State Street Global Advisors
- Vanguard
- J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Click below for previous years’ rankings:
- 2019 Ranking: 10 Biggest & Best Investment Companies
- 2018 Ranking: Top 11 Biggest & Best Investment Companies
- 2017 Ranking: Top 10 Investment Companies
- 2016 Ranking: Top 10 Investment Companies
BlackRock Review
BlackRock has been helping clients take control of their financial security for over 30 years. This is one of the largest investment companies in the world and is also an investment technology provider.
As of March 31, 2020, the firm managed approximately $6.47 trillion in assets for clients. This top-rated investment firm was started in 1988 with just eight people, and today has grown to 70 offices in 30 countries serving investors from all walks of life.
BlackRock doesn’t specifically state whether it is fee-only, fee-based, or commission-based. We always recommend confirming the fee structure with your advisor before working with a firm.
This best investment company is a fiduciary, pledging to always put its clients’ interests ahead of its own.
Key Factors That Led Us to Rank BlackRock as One of the Top Investment Companies
Alternative Investments
One of the benefits of working with global investment companies is that these firms have a unique understanding of the interconnectedness of the global economy. The advisors at these firms also live it daily throughout their worldwide offices.
BlackRock understands that investing only in stocks and bonds may not be the most advantageous way to create and cultivate a diversified portfolio to protect yourself from potential regional or global economic downturns.
One of the service areas of this firm is alternative investments, which add a unique and distinctively performing component to a portfolio for further diversification beyond stocks and bonds.
Some of the alternative investment options BlackRock offers include:
- Hedge Funds
- Private Equity
- Commodities
- Real Estate & Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Adding alternative investments can help the investor lower their risk and optimize their returns, which is something that BlackRock has extensive experience in as one of the best investment companies.
BlackRock Retirement Solutions Group
One of the major reasons that investors look to top-rated investment firms as well as the biggest investment firms is for retirement solutions. This is a universal need that nearly everyone faces at one time or another, and it’s one BlackRock is intently focused on.
BlackRock Retirement Solutions Group was started in 2019 by this top investment firm as a new initiative to explore innovative solutions to the more pressing retirement challenges. This includes an initiative with Microsoft to “reimagine retirement.”
Additionally, the company shares a series of retirement insight articles on its website, designed to give investors the information they need to make better-informed decisions about their future or current retirement needs.
Rating Summary
BlackRock is one of the biggest investment firms in the world, which gives the firm’s investors resources they can tap into that might not be found at smaller investment management companies.
The fiduciary commitment of this top-rated investment company provides clients with peace of mind that their BlackRock advisor is making portfolio recommendations in their best interests and not based upon any commission structure.
BlackRock has the expertise that extends to investment management technology, alternative investments, and corporate sustainability. The firm earns 5-stars as one of the best investment firms to consider working with for asset management in 2020-2021.
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BNY Mellon Investment Management Review
BNY Mellon is a top investment company with a one-of-a-kind pedigree. The firm was founded in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton, making it not only one of the largest, but also one of the oldest asset management firms.
As one of the biggest investment companies, BNY Mellon has $1.8 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2020. It additionally has $35.2 trillion in assets under custody/administration.
This top global investment company has a presence in 35 countries around the world. BNY Mellon is a fee-based investment firm that is also a fiduciary and that strives to help individuals and institutions alike succeed in their financial endeavors.
Key Factors That Enabled BNY Mellon to Rank as One of the Top Investment Companies
Industry Segments
BNY Mellon stands out from many of the other largest investment management firms because its advisors have expertise in a wide variety of industry segments. The depth of experience of its advisors allows them to deliver customized investment strategies for each distinct sector.
Every industry and individual investor has unique financial needs, goals, and varying financial complexity. By specializing in a variety of industry sectors, BNY Mellon offers those clients additional benefits from personalized knowledge and advice.
Industry segments served by this best investment company include the following:
- Advisors
- Banks
- Broker-dealers
- Consultants
- Corporations
- European Pensions
- Family Office & High-Net-Worth Individuals
- Independent Financial Advisors
- Insurance Companies
- Investment Managers
- Sovereign Institutions
- Wealth Managers
Boutique Approach
One of the primary ways BNY Mellon stands out from other top-rated investment firms is its boutique approach to investment management. This is something that many investors are looking for, but you can’t always find when you work with large global investment companies.
While BNY Mellon may be one of the largest investment companies in the world, its focus is still square on each and every client. As such, the firm’s advisors deliver services as if they were working at a smaller boutique investment firm.
The firm’s family of companies features globally diversified investment boutiques, wealth management, and global distribution companies.
For those organizations or individuals looking for financial investment companies that blend the advantages of a full-service investment firm with highly tailored expert advice, BNY Mellon will be a great option.
Rating Summary
With a rich history spanning more than 230 years, BNY Mellon has weathered multiple economic markets and kept the same spirit of innovation, collaboration, and client-centric focus.
From investment and wealth management to liquidity services, this is one of the best investment firms to work with for a wide range of portfolio options and financial services.
BNY Mellon focuses on the client first offering multiple financial education opportunities, such as a podcast. The firm has earned a 5-star rating as one of the best investment companies to consider working with in 2020-2021.
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Capital Group Review
Helping people get from “Can I?” to “I Can” for almost 90 years, Capital Group is one of the largest and best investment firms. It has 29 offices throughout the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
Under the Capital Group umbrella are American Funds, which has over $2.0 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2019, and Capital Group Private Markets, which has more than $1.7 trillion in AUM.
The firm works with fee-based programs and upholds fiduciary standards of transparency and always putting the client’s best interest first when making financial recommendations.
Key Factors That Enabled Capital Group to Rank as One of the Top Investment Companies
Success-Driven Approach
As one of the best investment companies, Capital Group works under an investor-specific philosophy, driven by an emphasis on research and a long-term view.
This is one of the top investment firms that takes a boutique approach to offer portfolio management solutions. The firm’s advisors look at financial goals in terms of client goals, such as a comfortable retirement or buying a new home, rather than just numbers.
Capital Group uses a system that prioritizes superior and repeatable fund results. The firm’s funds also have multiple managers to ease the risk and bring a diverse mix of experience.
Uniquely, associates at this top-rated investment company are significant investors in the firm’s offerings, meaning that associates are equally as interested in producing investment results as clients are, and they invest alongside them.
2020-2021’s Best and Largest Investment Firms
Long-Term Investing Experience
An important part of any top investment firm is taking a long-term view and really getting to know clients. The advisors at Capital Group have done this well, and the firm’s client retention rate shows it.
This is the best investment company to consider if you’re looking for an advisor to be with you for the “long haul,” and there to help you realize the portfolio foundations laid years earlier. Ninety-four percent of the firm’s clients have been with it for at least a decade or more.
This top investment firm takes a long-term approach and makes a commitment to clients to always be there for them through life’s challenges and triumphs and market fluctuations.
Rating Summary
Throughout its history, Capital Group has remained true to its values, which put the power of relationship forming first and foremost. While the firm may take a boutique approach, it has all the resources that you would expect from any large top investment company.
This is one of the top asset management firms in the world that uses a distinctive approach to portfolio management. The firm uses The Capital SystemSM, which combines independent and high-conviction decision-making with multiple perspective diversity.
With a personalized approach and an emphasis on strategic research, Capital Group earns a 5-star rating as one of the best investment management firms to consider partnering with in 2020-2021.
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Charles Schwab Review
Offering a modern way to build wealth, Charles Schwab is one of the top investment firms and one that was built around a simple idea of “put the client first.”
The firm has $3.5 trillion in total client assets and 20,200 employees as of March 31, 2020. Charles Schwab offers over 360 branches throughout 45 U.S. states. This top investment company offers investor services as a full-service brokerage and advisor services.
This best investment company is fee-based and its independent registered investment advisors are fiduciaries. The firm states that it chooses to operate under the fiduciary standard because “it’s the right thing to do.”
Key Factors That Led Us to Rank Charles Schwab as One of the Top Investment Companies
Global Trading
While Charles Schwab offices may be U.S. based, this is one of the top investment firms that offers global investment opportunities. Its Schwab Global Account allows investors to trade online through Schwab in international markets.
This account facilitates trading in 12 of the top-traded foreign markets in their local currencies, offering U.S. investors more diverse investment strategies. Some of the account features include:
- No account or trade minimum
- Real-time quotes during foreign market hours
- Multi-currency statement reporting
By offering the ability to trade globally, Schwab offers more opportunities for its U.S. investors, putting itself on par with more global investment companies.
Schwab Intelligent Income™
This is one of the investment management companies that is looking toward the future with modern investment tools. One of these is Schwab Intelligent Income™, which offers investors a way to generate a monthly paycheck from their retirement investments.
Moving from a regular paycheck to the uncertainty of retirement can be daunting. This tool by Schwab is designed to alleviate that stress by helping bridge the gap with regular monthly payments.
Wondering how much money you could withdraw monthly based upon your retirement savings and other factors? You can use an investment tool on the firm’s website to find out. For example, if you had $500,000 at retirement, wanted it to last 30 years, and were a conservative investor, you could potentially withdraw $1,660 monthly.
This modern focus on retirement investment makes Charles Schwab one of the best investment firms to consider for a retirement portfolio and automated technology that makes post-retirement funding streamlined.
Rating Summary
Investors looking for investment strategies tailored to their needs and powered by technology will find a good match with Charles Schwab. The firm’s client-centric approach has been a founding cornerstone of the company.
Uniquely, Schwab is one of the few top-rated investment firms to offer a satisfaction guarantee. The firm’s website states that if for any reason you’re not completely satisfied, your fee or commission will be refunded.
With a modern take on investing and a comprehensive approach, Charles Schwab is one of the best and largest investment companies to consider working with in 2020-2021 and earns a 5-star rating.
Fidelity Investments Review
Fidelity Investments is one of the top investment companies that’s an industry leader in trading and believes in straight-forward pricing to make investing easy for its clients.
As of December 2019, this top-rated investment management firm had $3.2 trillion in discretionary assets under management. The firm serves clients from 10 regional offices and over 190 investor centers throughout the U.S.
Fidelity is a fee-based investment advisor and includes compensation details on its website, offering transparency to potential clients. The firm is also a fiduciary that puts its clients’ interests above its own.
Key Factors That Allowed Fidelity to Rank as One of the Best Investment Firms
Transparent Pricing
When selecting from the top investment companies, one of the key considerations for investors is often the pricing and fees they have to pay. Fidelity appreciates this and includes a fee schedule on its website for potential investors.
Not only does the firm offer some of the most competitive pricing, even compared to many other top investment firms, it also offers the flexibility that makes it easy for those new to investing to get started.
There are no annual account fees and no minimums to invest. The firm states that its margin rates (as low as 4.00%) are among the most competitive of any other financial investment companies.
Fidelity provides charts of their portfolio advisory fees as well, so investors always know what they’re going to be paying upfront.
Active Trader Pro
When reviewing and ranking the top investment companies and the biggest investment firms, technology and proprietary offerings are an important differentiator. This is especially true in today’s climate of mobility and where smartphone use for financial transactions is at an all-time high.
Fidelity is one of the top-rated investment firms for many reasons, and one of them is its signature Active Trader Pro platform. This great example of modern trading technology empowering users to maximize the value of their investments.
This customizable platform allows clients to create their own personal online trading experience with streaming, customizable quotes and watch lists, and real-time alerts.
This digital tool also uses Trade Armor®, which helps investors define entry and exit investment strategies and visualize a trade’s potential risk and reward.
Rating Summary
Fidelity is one of the best investment companies to look at if you’re new to investing because the firm works to make portfolio management as easy as possible for clients.
As one of the largest investment firms around, Fidelity fosters a spirit of constant innovation as a way to deliver more value to their clients and ensure they always have investing tools on the cutting-edge.
With a comprehensive approach and foundation of trust and fee transparency, Fidelity is awarded a 5-star rating as one of the best investment management firms to consider partnering with in 2020-2021.
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Goldman Sachs Review
With a promise to commit people, capital, and ideas to help clients, Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment management firm. The firm’s history began in 1869 when its very first office was opened.
The firm prides itself on forming a diverse, determined, and dedicated team that is designed to meet the unique needs of each and every client in the global communities it serves, which span multiple countries.
The company is a fee-based investment management firm and upholds a fiduciary commitment to its clients to always work in their best interests and provide fee transparency.
2020-2021 Ranking of the Largest & Best Investment Management Firms
Key Factors That Enabled Us to Rank Goldman Sachs as One of the Top Investment Companies
Expert Investment Management
As one of the best financial investment companies, Goldman Sachs provides two divisions of investment management for clients to take advantage of Asset Management and Private Wealth Management.
With a culture of excellence and high client satisfaction, Goldman Sachs employs rigorous research and a disciplined investment process. Individuals and organizations looking for broad industry expertise can benefit from the following when using the firm’s asset management services:
- A full array of asset classes, including fixed income, money markets, public and private equity, commodities, hedge funds, and real estate
- A global network of over 2,000 investment professionals
- Customized, integrated solutions for portfolio design, asset allocation, and financial advisory services
For high-net-worth individuals, families, and select endowments and foundations, Private Wealth Management services are designed to identify and deploy unique investment opportunities. Clients can take advantage of:
- A holistic, customized approach
- Broad wealth management experience from investment professionals
- Compelling research and industry insights across a wide range of topics
- Online and mobile account access
- A wide range of services, including private banking, advisory, and solutions for portfolio trading, hedging, and structuring
Global Investment Research
A hallmark of this top-rated investment company is its intense focus on research. The research arm of Goldman Sachs is designed to provide insights and analysis on things like currency and commodities markets, equity, and fixed income.
Their Global Investment Research division covers a variety of areas to power smarter investments, including the following covering over 25 stock markets and 50 economies and regions around the world:
- Portfolio strategy
- Economics
- Derivatives
- Equity
- Credit securities
Offering high-level advisory services to policymakers, regulators, and investors, the level of global perspectives provided by Goldman Sachs can’t always be found at other top investment firms.
Rating Summary
Few of the best investment firms do the type of widespread, global investment research as Goldman Sachs. This is also a full-service firm, offering consumer investments, investment banking, and lending.
Those looking for sustainable investing will also find this offered through Goldman Sachs. The company is one of the top investment firms for investors from all walks of life to consider due to its deep bench of expertise in a variety of areas.
With a culture of excellence, an emphasis on expert research, and personalized client solutions, Goldman Sachs is awarded a 5-star rating as one of the top investment firms to consider partnering with in 2020-2021.
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PIMCO Review
Helping investors all over the world successfully navigate decades of market change, PIMCO is a top-rated investment company that was founded in 1971. The firm has 17 locations around the globe and over 250 experienced portfolio managers.
As of March 31, 2020, PIMCO had $1.78 trillion in assets under management, making them one of the largest investment companies in the world. Its clients include individual investors, family offices, financial advisors, foundations, corporations, pension funds, and central banks.
PIMCO is a trademark of Allianz Asset Management of America. Our review could not confirm whether the firm operates on a fee-only or fee-based basis. However, based upon certain announcements, the firm does appear to be fee-based. We always recommend confirming the compensation structure with any small or large investment firm prior to engaging their services.
Key Factors That Enabled PIMCO to Rank as One of the Top Investment Companies
The Investment Process
Each of the names on this list of the largest investment companies and the top-rated investment firms has a unique approach and process. It’s often that process that draws new investors and keeps current clients working with a firm for years.
At PIMCO, this process has been honed and refined over many decades, and it includes insights from the PIMCO Cyclical Forums and the annual Secular Forum. This provides clients with a quantitative analysis that takes both short and long-term trends into consideration.
Cyclical Forums look at the market and economic trends over the next six to 12 months, while the Secular Forum takes a longer-term view with projections for the coming three to five years.
These top-down perspectives are then paired with bottom-up input from specialists. All decisions are driven by the Investment Committee, which includes only the most senior investment professionals.
Short-Term Investment Strategies
In many instances, investors are searching for the best investment firms that offer value-creating, diverse, short-term strategies as well as long-term investment strategies.
While many of the top-rated investment firms are well-versed in long-term strategies, not all make short-term investments as high a priority.
PIMCO is not only one of the largest investment firms and one of the best investment companies in the world, but they also feature intelligent and comprehensive and well-rated short-term investment strategies.
Potential advantages of short-term strategies from PIMCO include return potential above cash, capital preservation, liquidity for non-immediate needs, low volatility as compared to more risky assets. These strategies are complementary to traditional bond allocations.
The entire portfolio management process is comprehensive and includes five cornerstones:
- Overview
- Economic forums
- Investment Committee
- Research and analysis
- Portfolio management
Rating Summary
Investors looking for resilient market strategies will appreciate the expertise that PIMCO has in this area. Portfolio Managers at this top investment company have an average of 16 years of experience.
Hallmarks of PIMCO include introducing investors to a total return approach to fixed income investing and a relentless pursuit of helping clients achieve their financial objectives, no matter what the market condition may be.
With an innovative spirit and full-bodied approach to portfolio management, PIMCO earns a 5-star rating as a top investment company to consider partnering with in 2020-2021.
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Prudential Financial Review
For over 140 years, Prudential Financial is has been focused on helping both individual and institutional clients protect and grow their wealth. The firm works with clients in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America, offering a variety of financial products and services.
As of December 31, 2019, Prudential had $1.551 trillion in assets under management. Through its subsidiaries, it serves customers in over 40 countries and has approximately 51,000 team members worldwide.
The firm operates under a fee-based structure and offers a “one-stop-shop” for multiple financial services, including investments, annuities, life insurance, health insurance, workplace benefits, and retirement solutions.
Key Factors That Enabled Prudential Financial to Rank as One of the Top Investment Companies
Strategic Investment Research Group
Founded over 30 years ago, the Prudential Financial Strategic Investment Research Group (SIRG) provides customized investment solutions to help wealth managers meet every client’s needs.
This investment research group contains more than 25 professionals, each with an average of 15 years of experience in investment research. This group helps Prudential stand out among other top investment firms and helps its advisors tailor solutions to each client.
Highlighted research includes topics such as factor performance amid market volatility, active management outlook with a forward-looking perspective, and the best approaches to trade execution.
Top-Rated Asset Management Firms
Fund Commentaries
Part of what makes Prudential Financial one of the best investment companies to work with is its dedication to transparency and investor education. This is particularly true where mutual funds are concerned.
Fund Commentaries offer investors a detailed analysis of equity, specialty, global/international equity, taxable fixed income, and tax-exempt fixed-income funds.
Investors have access to detailed information on fund performance, which shows total returns and expenses on a timescale from the past month to the past ten years.
This resource gives investors an extremely helpful look at investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of each fund prior to investing. Data like Morningstar Ratings are also included.
Prudential Financial is a great investment firm option for those who value transparency and easy to access statistics about financial products they may be considering.
Rating Summary
For those that want to work with a well-respected name and full-service firm, Prudential Financial is an excellent option among the best investment firms. With insurance, workplace benefits, annuities, and more, customers have multiple financial product and service options.
This top-rated investment firm additionally offers a financial education section on its website with a variety of topics of interest to consumers, including timely topics such as how the CARES Act might impact you and tips for buying life insurance.
With a focus on making financial products as comprehensive as possible and a strong investment research group, Prudential Financial is awarded a 5-star rating as one of the best investment firms you may want to consider in 2020-2021.
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J.P. Morgan Asset Management Review
Serving corporations and individuals in over 100 countries, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is one of the largest investment management companies and part of J.P. Morgan, which has a rich legacy dating back to 1799.
This top-rated investment firm had $2.096 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2020. The firm upholds a fiduciary responsibility that is the core principle of its business. Advisors are experienced in offering investment strategies that span the full spectrum of asset classes.
The firm is a fee-based top investment company that works with individuals, advisors, and institutions to provide world-class clients with solutions and strategies that generate excess returns.
Key Factors That Enabled Us to Rank J.P. Morgan as One of the Top Investment Companies
SmartRetirement Target Date Funds
One of the signature product offerings available to clients of J.P. Morgan is the SmartRetirement Income Fund. It offers a series of target-date funds in an all-in-one diversified investment.
As one of the biggest investment firms and also one of the best investment companies to work with, J.P. Morgan has a mix of both active and passive strategies in the fund designed for optimum asset allocation throughout the retirement investment horizon.
With a focus on retirement outcomes, the goal is to help participants achieve the income-replacement levels they require to live comfortably throughout their retirement.
Funds are managed by the Multi-Asset Solutions team. This team is the only target date portfolio team named a winner of the Morningstar Allocation Fund Manager of the Year award.
The SmartRetirement Income Fund is managed using proprietary insight into asset allocation, risk management, and selection of investments, offering a robust strategy for building up a retirement nest egg.
The strategic allocation includes a mix of products such as U.S. large-cap equity, U.S. small/mid-cap equity, emerging markets equity, REITs, high yield, and more.
Tax-Advantaged Investing
One of the keys to the success of a top-rated investment firm that offers financial advantages to its clients is the ability to offer tax-smart investment strategies.
As one of the best investment companies, strategies that maximum tax benefits are something J.P. Morgan specializes in. When an investor works with a firm offering advantageous tax planning strategies, they can reduce their IRS liabilities and keep more of their earnings.
With tax-advantaged investing from J.P. Morgan, accounts have the potential to compound and gain value more quickly. Depending upon the account and strategy a client selects, taxes may be deferred until withdrawals begin, or they might be altogether eliminated.
J.P. Morgan offers several different strategies to help clients reduce taxes, including tax-free municipal bond funds, investing for dividends, contributing as much as possible for tax-advantaged accounts, and long-term investing strategies.
Rating Summary
J.P. Morgan has a reputation for analysis-driven portfolio options and well-managed funds. Clients have the benefit of knowing that experts have reviewed multiple market factors and run a number of simulations to provide clients with plans designed to perfectly meet their financial goals.
However, while it’s nearly impossible for every worldwide investment company to avoid legal issues, J.P. Morgan has had a significant share of legal troubles.
Since the 2008 financial crash, J.P. Morgan has been hit with numerous class-action lawsuits and SEC fines for mismanagement, failure to disclose conflicts of interest, and advisors making recommendations that were to their benefit rather than the client’s. For this reason, we’ve scored them with 3-stars.
Luckily, these issues seem to be in the past and confined to a timeframe between 2007-2017, which helps the firm maintain a spot on this list of best investment companies.
Still, potential investors should be aware that, although J.P. Morgan is a top-rated investment firm, these past legal issues should be taken into consideration while evaluating its investment strategies, services, and fiduciary commitment.
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Conclusion—2020-2021 Top Investment Companies
Investing your money to make a better life for the future can come with both excitement and trepidation. You’ll want to make sure you take your time to find the best investment firm for your needs and one that you trust to be there for you.
When working with one of the largest investment companies, many investors get a sense of security due to the vast research resources and economies of scale the firm’s offer for investment management and other financial services.
If you’re looking for the best investment firms and largest investment companies in the world, then you’ll find them on this top-rated list. Despite working with large institutions, you’ll see that these firms are also very much in tune with the needs of individual consumers.
It is a good idea before deciding on a top investment firm to speak with advisors at least three to four firms, so you can ensure you’ve carefully considered all your options.
All of the companies on this list of top-rated investment firms have the tools and resources to help you build a custom portfolio of investments designed specifically for your future life goals.
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Image sources:
- https://unsplash.com/photos/EMPZ7yRZoGw
- https://www.capitalgroup.com/
- https://www.goldmansachs.com/worldwide/
- https://www.prudential.com/home-page-6
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