Baker Street Advisors is a large San Francisco-based financial advisory firm with billions of dollars in client assets under management (AUM). It provides clients with a variety of financial planning and investment management services. As a fee-only firm, all compensation Baker Street receives comes from client-paid fees.
Baker Street Advisors appears on SmartAsset's list of the top financial advisors in San Francisco. Over the past several years, it has also been ranked as one of the top financial advisor firms in the country by publications such as Barron's, Forbes and Financial Times.
Baker Street Advisors Background
Baker Street Advisors was founded in 2003 by Jeff Colin, who is a member of the firm's management committee and is also in charge of the firm’s investment strategy group. Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. owns a piece of Baker Street Advisors that it acquired in April 2015. The rest of the firm is owned by its partners.
The Baker Street team includes certified public accountants (CPAs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified financial planners (CFPs) and more.
Baker Street Advisors Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Baker Street Advisors works with both individual and institutional clients. All of its individual clients have a high net worth. Currently, its only institutional clients are charitable organizations. The firm also has the ability to work with trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans and other legal entities.
Since the firm only works with high-net-worth individual clients, its minimum account size is quite high. In fact, it sits at a lofty $5 million. However, the firm reserves the right to waive this minimum at its discretion.
Services Offered by Baker Street Advisors
Baker Street Advisors specializes in both financial planning and investment portfolio management. While the firm may provide clients with both financial planning and investment management at the same time, the former is specified in a separate agreement. These services typically include the following:
- Estate and trust services
- Risk management
- Insurance services
- Philanthropy services
- Income tax consulting and compliance services
- Bill paying services
- Wealth planning
- Estate planning
Baker Street Advisors Investment Philosophy
Baker Street Advisors has multiple levels to its investment philosophy. While the firm looks to tailor its investment decisions based on the goals and needs of each client, it also operates according to a few important guidelines. According to the firm's website, these are diversification, foresight, insight, risk control, knowledge, simplicity, detail and performance.
Based on the tenets above, the firm and its advisors believe that index-oriented equity strategies are preferable to active management and individual security selection. Advisors also use the principles of asset allocation when it comes to picking investments. The firm tends to invest for the long term, though it may employ some short-term strategies within its portfolio.
Baker Street Advisors Fees
The investment fees at Baker Street Advisors are charged based on an annual percentage of each client's total AUM. Although shown in annual rates, fees are charged on a quarterly basis.
| Baker Street Advisors Fee Schedule | |
| Portfolio Value | Annual Fee |
| First $4MM | 0.75% |
| $4M - $15MM | 0.50% |
| $15MM - $25MM | 0.40% |
| $25MM - $50MM | 0.30% |
| $50MM - $75MM | 0.20% |
| $75MM - $100MM | 0.10% |
| $100MM - $200MM | 0.07% |
| $200MM - $500MM | 0.05% |
| $500MM - $1BB | 0.03% |
| More than $1BB | 0.01% |
Here's a breakdown of what you can expect to pay as a client at Baker Street Advisors:
| *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 Baker Street Advisors* | |
| Your Assets | Baker Street Advisors Maximum Fee Amount |
| $500K | $3,750 |
| $1MM | $7,500 |
| $5MM | $30,000 |
| $10MM | $60,000 |
Financial planning fees are charged on a case-by-case basis, so there is no set fee schedule for them. However, fees can be either hourly, fixed or on a retainer.
What to Watch Out For
According to its SEC-filed Form ADV, Baker Street Advisors does not have any disclosures on its record.
Opening an Account With Baker Street Advisors
If you're interested in opening an account with Baker Street Advisors, you can call the firm at (415) 344-6180 or visit in person at its San Francisco office.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
Tips for Finding a Financial Advisor
- Whether you're investing for retirement, investing as a young professional, buying a new house or just trying to figure out how to lead a better financial life, a financial advisor can help you out. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- When searching for a financial advisor, its important to understand each advisor's fee schedule so you can plan out your costs. To learn about these charges, check out SmartAsset's guide to financial advisor fees.
