Bronfman Rothschild Review

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Bronfman Rothschild is a financial advisor firm that employs 64 financial advisors across its offices in Maryland, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York and Minnesota. Altogether, the firm lays claim to $5.8 billion in client assets under management (AUM). The firm works with a range of non-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations and businesses.

Bronfman Rothschild is a fee-based firm, as some members of its advisory staff have an opportunity to sell insurance policies on a commission basis. This is different from a fee-only firm, which would only receive compensation in the form of client fees.

Bronfman Rothschild Background

Prior to 2013, the firm was known as Baker Tilly Investment Advisors, LLC, and was established in 1997. In 2019, Bronfman Rothschild became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sontag Advisory, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor.

Bronfman Rothschild has a long list of advisory certifications, as its team includes 29 certified financial planners (CFPs), five certified public accountants (CPAs), four chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and one chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA).

What Types of Clients Does Bronfman Rothschild Accept?

Bronfman Rothschild works with just over 2,300 clients, almost 85% of whom are individuals (both with and without a high net worth). The rest of the client base is comprised of pensions and other retirement plans, charitable organizations and corporations.

Bronfman Rothschild Minimum Account Sizes

The minimum initial investments necessary to work with Bronfman Rothschild vary depending on the service you’re looking for. They go as follows:

• Bronfman Rothschild Wealth Solutions: $500,000
• Bronfman Rothschild Wealth Management: $2,000,000
• Bronfman Rothschild Wealth Pathways: $100,000
• Bronfman Rothschild Institutional: $5,000,000
• Bronfman Rothschild Select Services: $50,000
• Model Portfolio Management Service: None
• Bronfman Rothschild Retirement Plan Management Service: $250,000

Services Offered by Bronfman Rothschild

Bronfman Rothschild provides both investment management and financial planning services. It offers a deep catalogue of different investment strategies within these services. Here’s a breakdown:

• Investment management
• Bronfman Rothschild Wealth Solutions
• For clients with assets of between $500,000 and $2 million
• Bronfman Rothschild Wealth Management
  • For clients with more than $2 million in assets
• Bronfman Rothschild Wealth Pathways
  • Automated investing program offered through Schwab Institutional Intelligent Portfolios
• Bronfman Rothschild Institutional
• Bronfman Rothschild Select
  • Available to participants of retirement plans who are clients of the firm
• Trustee services
• Trust reporting services
• Selection of separate account managers
• Services to retirement accounts
• Financial planning
  
  • Financial statement preparation
  • Investment planning
  • Insurance planning
  • Risk management
  • Income tax planning
  • Retirement planning
  • Estate planning

Bronfman Rothschild Investment Philosophy

Bronfman Rothschild generally constructs client portfolios using a range of investments, potentially including mutual funds, variable annuities, stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), corporate bonds, government bonds and municipal bonds.

The firm’s advisors will determine the best investment strategy for each client by consulting with the client. Your advisor will take into account your personal risk tolerance, time horizon, investment objectives, income and liquidity needs, investment restrictions and more.

Fees Under Bronfman Rothschild

For its investment advisory services, Bronfman Rothschild charges fees as a percentage of each client’s AUM. These charges are broken down by which of the firm’s investment programs you select.

Financial planning fees at Bronfman Rothschild will generally come in the form of a flat fee between $2,500 and $10,000. Fees can also be on an hourly basis from $100 to $500.

What to Watch Out For

Fee-based Bronfman Rothschild employs advisors that are separately licensed as insurance agents. Under this license, these advisors may sell clients certain insurance products and earn commissions for doing so. Despite the potential conflict of interest this creates, Bronfman Rothschild abides by fiduciary duty, which means that it is legally bound to act in clients’ best interests at all times.

Disclosures

Bronfman Rothschild has no disclosures listed on its Form ADV, giving it a clean legal and regulatory record.

Opening an Account With Bronfman Rothschild

If you’re interested in working with Bronfman Rothschild, call its toll-free phone number at (888) 303-2357 or send an email to info@belr.com. You can also visit the firm’s website and fill out the contact form with your name, email and a message to have an advisor reach out to you.

Where Is Bronfman Rothschild Located?

Bronfman Rothschild has its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. that’s located about 20 miles to the northwest. The firm also has offices in Appleton, Wisconsin; Janesville, Wisconsin; Lake Country, Wisconsin; Madison, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis, Minnesota; New York City, New York; Reston, Virginia; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tips for Retirement Planning

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