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Swell Investing Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.8 / 5 (Excellent)
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Update. July 24, 2019. Swell Investing has ceased operation and is no longer accepting new email signups or investors.

Swell Investing is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser based in Santa Monica, California, whose brokerage services are provided by Folio Investments, an SEC registered broker-dealer and member of the FINRA/SIPC. Swell focuses on creating investment portfolios that track companies making a purposeful impact on the world by solving global challenges. Its portfolios include businesses that tackle matters such as renewable energy, disease eradication, and healthy living.

How is Swell Investing rated?

Breakdown

5.0/5
Features
4.6/5
Pricing and fees
4.8/5
Reputation

Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5 (Excellent)

Swell Investment a great alternative for people who are looking to invest in companies that are looking for an answer to some of the world's biggest issues and challenges. Customers pick one or more of seven specialized portfolios to determine where they want their money to go. Fees are fairly low at only 0.75% of an investor's annual account total. Being backing by a company as financially strong as Pacific Life further improves the company's standing with us. On the other hand, we recommend that day traders look elsewhere, as Swell is not a platform designed for the trading of individual stocks.

Swell Investing Account Features

Features - 5 / 5

Consumers can choose from seven managed portfolios—six specialized, one broad—to invest in through Swell: Zero Waste, Healthy Living, Green Tech, Renewable Energy, Clean Water, Disease Eradication, and the Impact 400. Each one focuses on different sectors of the economy and invests in stocks from businesses that tackle the specific global challenges which the portfolios are named for. Consumers can open either a traditional account or one of three IRA types: Traditional, Roth, and SEP. Those who want to open more than one account with Swell are free to do so.
Robo-advisor Type
Human Assisted
Account Minimum
$50
Goals
Save for Retirement
General Investing
Types of Assets
Stocks
Access to Financial Advisors
No
Automatic Portfolio Rebalancing
Yes
Tax Loss Harvesting
No
Direct Indexing
No

Investment Focus

Swell is an impact investing platform that helps customers invest in high-growth companies solving global challenges.

Swell Investing Fees & Commission

Pricing and fees - 4.6 / 5

There is no cost or commission for individual trades through Swell Investing, as the actual trading of stocks is done by managers behind the scenes. The only cost to invest with Swell is a single, flat fee. This fee is charged as 0.75% of your annual balance. Swell requires an initial minimum account balance of $50, but won’t penalize users if the market's performance causes their account to dip below $50.
Billing Frequency
Annual
Commission
N/A
Fees
Annual - Calculated and deducted monthly

Swell Investing Reputation & Customer Service

Reputation - 4.8 / 5

Swell Investing is backed by Pacific Life, an American insurance company with more than 150 years of service and attractive financial strength. Pacific Life boasts highly positive ratings from all three agencies we consider when reviewing financial strength: an AA- from Standard & Poor's, an A1 from Moody's, and an A+ from AM Best. Folio Investments is the provider of Swell's brokerage services and is a member of FINRA/the SIPC. There is not a single complaint filed in the CFPB for Swell Investing, Folio Investments, or Pacific Life. Customers are able to communicate with the business 24/7 through email, where the company can provide a phone number they can use to reach it Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm PST.
Year Founded
2015
Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) Complaints
0
SIPC Membership
Yes
Contact Methods
Phone
Email
Mobile App
No
Date Collected
2019-01-23

Free Customer Support

Customers may contact Swell customer service representatives through email at any point throughout the day. Calls are available 9 am–5 pm.

Company Profile

Full Name
Swell Investing
Company Website
Headquarters
301 Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica, CA, 90401

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