Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc.
Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc. is a large financial advisor firm with its headquarters located in Portland, Oregon. The firm ranks on SmartAsset's list of the top financial advisor firms in Portland, as well as the top firms in the state of Oregon.
Advisors at Ferguson Wellman provide clients with investment management services as well as wealth management services, including financial planning.
Clients of this fee-only firm include both institutions and individuals.
In addition to being on two of SmartAsset's top financial advisor lists, Ferguson Wellman has a few awards and accolades to boast. Notably, the firm was named a 2020 top registered investment advisor (RIA) by Barron's, as well as a Top 50 Money Manager by the Portland Business Journal in 2019.
Ferguson Wellman Background
Ferguson Wellman Capital Management was founded in 1975 and is employee-owned.
The firm also has a separate investment divison called West Bearing Investments, through which it offers certain investment advisory services.
There are several financially certified employees at Ferguson Wellman Capital Management. These include chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified financial planners (CFPs), among others.
Ferguson Wellman Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Ferguson Wellman works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, pensions and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations or businesses.
If you're interested in opening an account with Ferguson Wellman, there is a $4 million minimum account size requirement. For those who work with West Bearing, the minimum is $1 million.
Services Offered by Ferguson Wellman
Ferguson Wellman provides investment management services, along with wealth management. The firm looks to be comprehensive when advising clients, taking into account their entire financial situation when making decisions. Wealth management includes a multitude of financial planning services, like financial forecasting, budget management, estate planning, tax guidance and charitable gift planning.
Ferguson Wellman's other investment management division, West Bearing, provides similar services to clients. Individuals working with West Bearing have access to personalized wealth management services and institutional clients can receive investment management services. This division of Ferguson Wellman tends to focus on building customized separately managed portfolios.
Ferguson Wellman Investment Philosophy
At the dawn of every client relationship, Ferguson Wellman and West Bearing work with them to determine their financial goals and objectives. This way, advisors are able to tailor their investment strategies to the individual needs of each client. This process includes taking note of a client's tolerance for risk, time horizon, income needs and desired investment strategies. Clients may limit the types of investments made on their behalf, as long as such restrictions are deemed reasonable.
While individual portfolios are personalized, the firm still uses an investment policy committee (IPC) to determine overall economic trends and asset allocation targets within the firm. Advisors use a wide range of investments and asset classes when building out client portfolios. With several specific investment strategies to potentially choose from, portfolios are typically constructed using mulitple strategies.
Fees Under Ferguson Wellman
Fees for investment management at Ferguson Wellman are charged based on a percentage of each client's total assets under management (AUM). There are three distinct fee schedules that are set up this way:
| Equity-Only and Balanced Portfolio | |
| Total AUM | Annual Fee |
| First $5MM | 0.85% |
| Next $5MM | 0.70% |
| Above $10MM | 0.50% |
| Fixed-Income Only Portfolio | |
| Total AUM | Annual Fee |
| First $10MM | 0.45% |
| Next $10MM | 0.35% |
| Above $20MM | 0.25% |
| West Bearing Investments | |
| Total AUM | Annual Fee |
| First $2MM | 1.00% |
| Above $2MM | 0.85% |
| Above $3MM | Eligible for alternate fee schedule |
These fees may be debited directly from clients' accounts, but they are also payable by check. Brokerage, transaction and other fees may also apply.
What to Watch Out For
Ferguson Wellman Capital Management has a clean legal and regulatory record according to its latest SEC filing.
Opening an Account with Ferguson Wellman
Those interested in opening an account with Ferguson Wellman can go to the firm's website or call (503) 226-1444. You can also visit the firm at its Portland office or connect over social media.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
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