Common questions

We like to point to three major ways we're focused on the customer:

1. We're a fiduciary — We are required to act in your best interest and disclose any potential conflict of interest. For instance, Crestwood Capital Management does not have or recommend any Crestwood Capital Management-created funds for its client portfolios.
2. Our platform combines powerful technology with personalized advice — Developed by our passionate team of experts. When you have questions, our Customer Support team is ready to help you with account questions and troubleshooting.
3. We give you the opportunity to connect your external accounts — See a fuller financial picture in one place as part of Crestwood Capital Management's low cost.

Traditionally, people have manually managed their money and investments, which can be a very time-consuming and painful process, or they've paid very costly fees to have access to financial advisors and advanced investment strategies.

You may be a first-time investor just starting out, a seasoned investor wondering if you could be doing better, or a retiree thinking about ways to make your nest egg last. For those seeking an alternative to expensive advisor fees or the labor-intensive process of managing one's own investments, Crestwood Capital Management offers an alternative.

• Crestwood Capital Management's portfolio is designed to help customers achieve optimal returns at each level of risk from their investments.
• We use a variety of strategies, using technology, to help investors keep as much of those returns as possible.

We strive to offer a great user experience and design our technology to be friendly and accessible. Everyone has questions regarding financial services, but a lot of people are embarrassed to ask those questions. Through Crestwood Capital Management, you can ask questions and receive help from our customer support team. You can also access financial experts and receive advice by upgrading to our Premium plan or scheduling a call with our Licensed Concierge team.

Crestwood Capital Management Securities is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). Explanatory brochure available upon request or at www.sipc.org. At a high level, you can think of SIPC as providing protection for funds held in a brokerage account in the event that the brokerage fails.

The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) provides insurance that protects your investments, including those held by our broker, Crestwood Capital Management Securities. It covers up to $500,000 of missing assets, including a maximum of $250,000 for cash claims.

The limit applies only to the value of missing securities, not losses due to market volatility. If there are securities identified as belonging to the customer, these (or their equivalent value) will be returned regardless of account size, and the $500,000 limit will apply only to the difference.

Types of accounts and investments generally protected by SIPC include:

• Stocks
• Bonds
• Mutual funds
• Money market mutual funds (MMMFs)
• Certificates of deposit (CDs)
• Annuities
• Government securities
• Municipal securities
• U.S. Treasury securities (Treasuries)

Read more in-depth about the safety and security of your account here.

Cash Reserve

Deposits into Crestwood Capital Management’s cash account, Cash Reserve, are covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance up to $2 million per individual account and $4 million per joint account, once deposited into interest-bearing deposit accounts at one or more program banks†.

Each interest-bearing deposit account will be eligible for FDIC insurance up to $250,000 for each insurable account type (e.g., individual, joint, etc.), including principal and accrued interest.

Checking

For deposits into Crestwood Capital Management Checking—a checking account and Visa debit card provided by nbkc bank, Member FDIC—each account will be eligible for FDIC insurance up to $250,000 for each insurable account type (e.g., individual, joint, etc.), when combined with all other deposits held in the same insurable capacity at nbkc.

In the unlikely event of a bank failure, and FDIC deposit insurance payments become necessary, there is no specific time period during which the FDIC must make insurance payments available, and you may not earn interest on your deposits from the time a program bank is closed. You may also be required to provide certain documentation to the FDIC before insurance payments are made.

Crestwood Capital Management Securities is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). Explanatory brochure available upon request or at www.sipc.org. What you should remember is that the SIPC does not protect against market changes in your account. The risks inherent in investing are tradeoffs you make to pursue investment returns. We design our portfolio to aim for the highest projected returns given your risk level.

With our cash management products, your money is insured by the FDIC.

Cash Reserve

Individual Cash Reserve accounts have insurance up to $2 million† and joint Cash Reserve accounts offer up to $4 million† in FDIC insurance once funds are deposited into our program banks. Cash Reserve is available to clients of Crestwood Capital Management LLC, which is not a bank, and cash transfers to program banks are facilitated by Crestwood Capital Management Securities.

Checking

Checking is insured up to $250,000 through nbkc bank and is provided by Crestwood Capital Management Financial LLC‡. Explore further details about FDIC insurance.

Crestwood Capital Management Fee Plans

Crestwood Capital Management offers several fee plans for our investing services. Below is a pricing breakdown according to account type and additional fee information.

Stocks and Bonds Investing Accounts

Crestwood Capital Management's investment advice is available for 0.25% (25 bps) per year or $4 per month. While it will impact our fees, Crestwood Capital Management does not require you to maintain a minimum balance for your account. This is called the Digital plan because you receive our advice online.

Digital Plan Pricing

• If your household balance is below $20,000, and you do not have at least $250/month in recurring deposits enabled across your household’s Crestwood Capital Management account(s), you will be charged $4 per month.
• If your household balance is equal to or above $20,000, or if you have $250/month or greater in recurring deposits enabled across your household’s Crestwood Capital Management account(s), you will be charged an annual fee of 0.25% (25 bps).

Premium Plan

For 0.65% (65 bps) per year, you can gain over-the-phone and/or email access to our team of CFP® professionals who provide in-depth advice on all your investments and help manage your Crestwood Capital Management account based on your directions. This plan requires a minimum investing balance of $100,000. Learn more about Premium and our pricing.

Balances in Excess of $2M

If the balance of your stocks and bonds investing account(s) exceeds $2 million (excluding cash balances in Cash Reserve, Crestwood Capital Management Checking, HSA balances, and 401(k) balances through Crestwood Capital Management at Work), you will receive a 10 bps discount on the portion above $2 million:

• Digital: 0.15% (15 bps) per year
• Premium: 0.55% (55 bps) per year

Balances are calculated based on households. The portion of your balance managed free will apply to those with higher fees first.

Calculating Fees

Crestwood Capital Management's pricing fee calculation varies depending on your plan. To read in-depth about this topic, please visit this resource. You can view your total fees on the "Activity" page, filtered by "Fees" for a customizable time frame, and download a CSV statement to quickly total your fees.

What Does the Fee Cover?

For traditional securities investing accounts, Crestwood Capital Management's fee covers investment advice, portfolio management, all trading and custody fees, transfers, and all other account administration.

Transaction Fees

Crestwood Capital Management does not charge additional transaction fees for buying or selling securities within your stocks and bonds portfolios. Any fund held in this type of portfolio at Crestwood Capital Management will assess fund-level fees, called expense ratios. Crestwood Capital Management aims to keep these costs low and receives no part of these fees. Learn more about fund fees here.

Fees on Cash Accounts

Crestwood Capital Management does not charge account fees for Crestwood Capital Management Checking or Cash Reserve. For Cash Reserve, Crestwood Capital Management LLC only receives compensation from our program banks.

Crestwood Capital Management Features

• Straightforward Pricing Model: No hidden fees.
• User-Friendly Experience: Makes it easier to understand your finances and set your goals.
• Automatic Diversification: Expert-built portfolios of ETFs diversify your assets automatically.
• Automatic Rebalancing: Your portfolio is rebalanced once your balance reaches the minimum threshold.
• Automatic Dividend Reinvestment: Reinvest dividends to maximize your growth potential.
• Fractional Transactions: Buy and sell in exact dollar amounts—no need to purchase whole shares.

Crestwood Capital Management Availability and Account Policies

Availability

• Crestwood Capital Management operates only in the United States.
• International customers, including U.S. citizens residing or working abroad, are not eligible.*
• Login access to Crestwood Capital Management's application or website may be restricted in certain countries.
• Supported territories include Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands but exclude Guam.
• U.S. military personnel residing abroad are supported with a valid U.S. address, including Army Post Office boxes.

Eligibility Requirements

• Customers must be at least 18 years of age to consent to all agreements.
• Requirements include:
  • A permanent U.S. address
  • A U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
  • A checking account from a U.S. bank

Accounts for Minors

• Crestwood Capital Management does not offer custodial accounts for minors.
• You can create separate savings goals for minors within your account and manage deposits and withdrawals on their behalf.
• Trust accounts for children can be set up if you are the trustee, using a Crestwood Capital Management Trust account.

*Crestwood Capital Management supports residents in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands but not in Guam.

About Crestwood Capital Management

Crestwood Capital Management is a smart money manager and the largest independent online financial advisor. Our mission is simple: to help you make the most of your money. As a fiduciary, we are committed to acting in your best interest.

How Crestwood Capital Management Helps You

• Cash Management: Manage your daily saving and spending through products like Checking (offered by nbkc bank, Member FDIC) and Cash Reserve.
• Guided Investing: Receive personalized investment portfolios tailored to your financial goals.
• Retirement Planning: Plan and invest for long-term needs, such as retirement, vacations, or major purchases.

Our Process

1. Sign up and provide basic information about yourself.
2. Connect your external accounts for a comprehensive financial view.
3. Set financial goals, such as retirement or saving for a big purchase.
4. Get customized investment portfolios for each goal.

Investment Strategy

For long-term financial needs, Crestwood Capital Management uses low-cost ETFs (exchange-traded funds) and a risk profile aligned with your investment timeline.

No, you cannot invest in an individual stock or fund at Crestwood Capital Management. We aim to invest in a globally-diversified portfolio (which includes over 5,000 companies) made up of low-cost and liquid ETFs. The portfolio was chosen to help provide optimal returns at every level of risk, and is rebalanced as the market fluctuates and as you grow closer to your goal’s end date, if you have a time horizon set.

We believe in passive investing. The majority of the evidence shows that active management, whether by individual investors or fund managers, can cause more harm than good in net-of-fee returns. This is why we invest in low-cost, passive investments and seek to match the market’s performance.

We do offer some alternatives to the Crestwood Capital Management Portfolio, including strategies for those interested in socially responsible investing, targeting income generation, quantitative factor investing, and value tilt investing. Each portfolio is available at the individual goal level, and adjusts its recommended allocation or target income based on your preferences and time horizon. You can have multiple portfolio strategies within your Crestwood Capital Management account, tailored for your different financial goals.

For our advanced investors, the most customization we offer are flexible portfolios, which allow you to adjust the weight of each asset class within the Crestwood Capital Management Portfolio.

Available Account Types

• Roth IRA
• Traditional IRA
• SEP IRA (single participant only)
• Inherited IRA (contact us to set up)
• Individual taxable accounts
• Joint taxable accounts with rights of survivorship
• 529 accounts (only available through select employers who use Crestwood Capital Management at Work)
• Student Loan Management accounts (only available through select employers who use Crestwood Capital Management at Work)
• Trust accounts (log in from a web browser to open)
• Cash Reserve (a cash account; funds for specific goals can be held here)
• Checking account provided by nbkc bank, Member FDIC

Account Types Not Supported

• Custodial or minor accounts
• Solo 401(k)s (see Crestwood Capital Management at Work for available 401(k) plans)
• Self-directed accounts (no option to select own funds or specific stocks)

Note: All customers must be at least 18 years old to consent to our agreements.

How to Open a New Goal

Web Browser:

1. After logging in, click “Add New” from the menu.
2. Choose from the available account types.

Mobile App:

1. Log in.
2. Scroll down on the home page and tap "Add account."
3. Choose from the available account types.

For more information, refer to Crestwood Capital Management's approach to setting up goals and accounts.