Aspen Wealth Management is a financial advisor firm headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas that works primarily with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, but it also offers its services to institutional clients.
The firm was founded in 2000 by its current president, Trevor Holsinger. It offers a wide range of wealth management services, specialty services and corporate services to its clients. And as a fee-only firm, Aspen Wealth Management's revenue comes solely from the advisory fees that clients pay, not third-party commissions for recommending products and services.
Aspen Wealth Management Background
Aspen Wealth Management was founded in 2000 by Trevor Holsinger. Holsinger has continued to serve as president of the firm, and Steve Small and Darrin Wolff have since joined as investment advisors. Small is also the firm’s chief compliance officer. Before founding Aspen Wealth Management, Holsinger was the vice president of planning at a different financial services firm in Kansas City.
The team at Aspen Wealth Management does not appear to hold any financial certifications like the certified financial planner (CFP) designation.
Aspen Wealth Management Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Aspen Wealth Management offers services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, charities, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, corporations and other business entities.
The firm does not have a minimum account size requirement, although it will assess a minimum quarterly fee of $250 on accounts with less than $100,000.
Services Offered by Aspen Wealth Management
Aspen Wealth Management offers a fairly wide range of services to its clients, especially for a three-person firm. The firm services include:
- Wealth Management
- Investment Management
- Financial Planning
- Integrated Specialty Services
- Concierge services
- Charitable giving
- Client education
- Legal services
- Banking/credit services
- Insurance planning
- Tax planning
- Corporate Retirement Plan Management
Aspen Wealth Management Investment Philosophy
Aspen Wealth Management begins the investment management process by identifying the individual objectives of each client, as well as that client’s time horizon. Aspen encourages every client to adopt a long-term perspective and consider investing for at least five years.
After objectives have been established, the firm uses a fundamental risk analysis to determine an asset allocation that makes sense for those objectives. Aspen Wealth Management also urges its clients that the consistent implementation of both investment strategies and financial plans are just as important as the formulations of those strategies and plans.
Fees Under Aspen Wealth Management
Fees for investment management services from Aspen Wealth Management are negotiable and may vary depending on the size and complexity of your account. That said, the fees will typically adhere to the following schedule:
| Investment Management Fees | |
| Account Size | Fee Percentage |
| First $1MM | 1.00% |
| Next $2MM | 0.70% |
| Above $3M | 0.50% |
These fees will be paid quarterly, in arrears. Here's how much you would pay in advisory fees based on the size of your account:
| *Estimated investment management fees do not include brokerage, custodial, third-party manager or other fees, which can vary in amount. | |
| Estimated Investment Management Fees at Aspen Wealth Management* | |
| Your Assets | (Firm Name) Fee Amounts |
| $500K | $5,000 |
| $1MM | $10,000 |
| $5MM | $34,000 |
| $10MM | $59,000 |
For financial planning services, the fee may be a fixed amount or based on the client’s gross annual income. Half the fee will be paid when the client accepts the client services agreement, and the other half will be paid once Aspen presents the completed plan.
What to Watch Out For
Aspen Wealth Management has filed one disclosure. In 2017, the Missouri Securities Division alleged that the firm was doing business in the state of Missouri without the proper registration. Aspen Wealth Management didn’t admit to or deny the allegations, but the firm agreed to pay a fine of $25,000.
Aspen Wealth Management is a three-person firm with just over 100 clients and around $45 million in assets under management. This is to say that the firm is a relatively small operation. If you’re looking for a smaller firm, then Aspen could be a great fit for you. However, if you see yourself working with a firm that has a network of thousands of advisors, you may want to look elsewhere. It all depends on what you’re looking for.
Opening an Account With Aspen Wealth Management
There are a few different ways you can get in touch with Aspen Wealth Management. You can visit the firm’s website and fill out the contact form with your name, email address and message. You can also call the firm at (913) 491-0500, or you can email one of the advisors, Steve Small, at steve@aspenwealth.com.
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