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SoFi Personal Finance Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 3.8 / 5 (Very good)
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Social Finance, Inc. (SoFi) is an online lender that provides student loan refinancing, personal loans, mortgage loans, and more recently, investment management services. Founded in 2011, the company was originally focused on student loan refinancing before branching out into different areas of personal finance. SoFi is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and, according to its latest filing, currently has $43.5 million under management.

How is SoFi rated?

Breakdown

4.8/5
Ease of Use
4.8/5
Features
4.8/5
Data Protection
0.0/5
Cost

Overall Rating: 3.8 / 5 (Very good)

SoFi makes investing easy, understandable, and affordable. The company gets high marks from us for a variety of factors, including its pricing, comprehensive services, smart investing methods, and transparency.

The company has waived all management fees, making it even more affordable for beginning investors to get started. SoFi also makes its services available to a wider variety of investors than most of its competitors by letting customers open an account with only $1.

There are substantial perks for wealth management customers as well, including invites to community events, career coaching, discounts on other SoFi products, and free access to financial advisors. Although its services are classified as robo-advisory (investment decisions are made mostly by algorithm), this is not necessarily a drawback. Their system is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, an idea that won its creator a Nobel prize and is highly regarded as a smart way to invest. With this method, SoFi can truly diversify your portfolio by spreading funds over thousands of individual assets, which reduces your losses if one asset class or company suffers a downturn. The algorithm will also rebalance your portfolio automatically, so it keeps the proportion you choose throughout time. For example, if you designate your portfolio as 80% stocks, 20% bonds, then the algorithm will adjust it to keep this balance. Additionally, SoFi also gives free access to (human) financial advisors so you have the support you need.

Lastly, there is the transparency factor. SoFi says its advisors do not receive fees or compensation from funds in order to make their picks. They also publish their portfolio picks weekly and their methodology is clearly defined and explained, which are all great signs for an investment firm. Overall, SoFi is an excellent choice for those who are ready to begin investing and want to do so in a simple, affordable way.

SoFi Services & Features

Ease of Use - 4.8 / 5

SoFi focuses on Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), a type of mutual fund with lower fees and lower taxes than a traditional one. SoFi's algorithms make sure your portfolio is truly diversified by investing in a wide array of asset classes, like US and international stocks, high-yield bonds, real estate, short-term treasury bonds, and stock markets in different countries.
Investment Advice for Beginners
Yes
Investment Suggestions
Stocks
Bonds
Mutual Funds
Index Funds
Other Investment Vehicles
REITs
Real Time Stock Ticker
No
Dividend Analysis
No
Retirement Planning
Yes
Other Services
Savings

Advisors

Although SoFi Wealth Management is a robo-advisory service, it does provide its members with free financial planning with human advisors at no cost.

SoFi Pricing

Features - 4.8 / 5

SoFi Wealth Management will not be charging management fees — period. The company makes it possible to start investing with a low amount of money by letting customers open an account with just $1.

SoFi Customer Support

Data Protection - 4.8 / 5

Although SoFi has an A+ grade with the Better Business Bureau, the BBB indicates that they are not accredited, possibly due to complaints stating that many consumers were approved for loans and then later denied without providing any reason. The BBB sent a letter to the company requesting they address the issue but thus far, they have not. Most reviews and complaints center around their personal loan products, not their wealth management division. On Trustpilot, SoFi gets a great rating of 8.9 out of 10, with many customers praising the simplicity and efficiency of their loan-approval process.
Year Founded
2012
BBB Rating
A+
Number of BBB Positive Reviews
31
Number of BBB Negative Reviews
110
Trust Pilot Rating
8.9 out of 10
Date Collected
2018-06-06
Mobile App
Yes
Support Hours
Monday – Thursday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM PT Friday 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM PT
Contact Method
Live Chat
Email
Phone

Company Profile

Full Name
SoFi Personal Finance
Company Website
Headquarters
375 Healdsburg Avenue, Suite 280, Healdsburg, CA, 95448

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Top Rated
Our Partner
  • No management fees
  • Member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which protects your account up to $500,000
  • Keeps your information safe with SSL encryption, 2-factor authentication, Face ID and Touch ID on mobile 
  • Start investing with just $1
  • Registered with the SEC and member of FINRA
  • Expert financial advisors available