Steven Ayers & Company

The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and portfolio construction services for individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. It reports managing approximately $88.6 million for about 67 clients and works with clients to establish objectives, risk tolerance, and an initial allocation tailored to those criteria.

Investment decisions are made through active, fundamental analysis aimed at maximizing risk-adjusted returns over long horizons, with a focus on valuation and company- or instrument-specific research. The adviser draws from a broad investable universe — U.S. and international equities, closed-end funds, business development companies, REITs, preferred and hybrid securities, and fixed income — and monitors holdings continuously with at least annual reviews and ongoing portfolio rebalancing.

Noteworthy distinctions include the firm’s regular work for charitable organizations, a client type less common among independent peers, and the principal’s professional credentialing and disclosed practice of making personal private equity investments that may sometimes overlap with client opportunities; such potential conflicts are disclosed to clients. The firm typically requires an account minimum of $250,000 (with exceptions), offers proxy voting on client accounts, and discloses trade aggregation and custody arrangements as part of its supervisory and compliance practices.