Whitcomb & Hess, Inc. (Ashland)

Name: Whitcomb & Hess, Inc.
Address: 1020 Cleveland Avenue, Ashland, OH, 44805
Telephone: 419-289-7007

Whitcomb & Hess, Inc. is a large advisory firm based in Ashland. It manages $157.25 million of regulatory assets for 1,881 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2004 and has operated in the jurisdictions of California, Florida, Louisiana, and 4 other states.

Whitcomb & Hess provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients, pension consulting services, publication of newsletters, and educational seminars and workshops. It prepares financial plans for more than 10 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

Whitcomb & Hess: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of Whitcomb & Hess, Inc. is $157.25 million. The firm's AUM has grown by 91% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $109.36 million in discretionary accounts and $47.89 million in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $70.92 thousand each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $141.27 thousand.

Whitcomb & Hess has custody of $34.22 million in cash and securities for 315 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in investment and business development companies the most. They account for 91% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is cash and cash equivalents, which make up 6% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in exchange traded securities form 2% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay Whitcomb & Hess, Inc. for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management and fixed fees. Compensation based on assets under management promotes a long-term relationship between a client and the adviser and helps align mutual interests. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients James Howard Hess serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, charitable organizations, high net worth individuals, and pension and profit sharing plans. The largest group of clients of James Howard Hess is individuals with 920 clients and $89.7 million of assets under management. Among the 10 most similar advisory firms, Whitcomb & Hess has the 2nd highest percentage of individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $157.25 million for 971 clients that can include trusts, estates, and 401(k) plans and IRAs of individuals and their family members. None of the firm’s clients are foreign persons or businesses.

Whitcomb & Hess doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at Whitcomb & Hess, Inc.

The company employs 25 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 24 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 7 employees are registered as investment adviser representatives with the state securities authorities.

There isn’t anyone with the role of looking for and bringing in new clients on behalf of the firm. The firm doesn’t compensate employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees don’t receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

James Howard Hess has been acting as President since 1 Feb 1983. Aaron Lee Bates joined the executive team most recently as the Vice President And Chief Compliance Officer.

Direct owners and executive officers

Name	Entity	Date acquired	Ownership	Employer ID
James Howard Hess	President	1 Feb 1983	25% - 50%	4550720
William Stephen Harvey	Vice president	1 Aug 1986	Other	4550728
Roger John Kramer	Treasurer	1 Aug 1987	Other	4550732
Timothy James Rowsey	Vice president	1 Aug 1988	Other	4550735
Timothy James Rowsey	Chief compliance officer	1 Oct 2004	Other	4550735
Tami Lee Reynolds	Vice president	1 Jan 2010	Other	5962670
Eric Miller Key	Treasurer	1 Jan 2010	Other	5962697
Kim Elaine Tanner	Secretary	1 Jan 2010	Other	5962702
Aaron Lee Bates	Vice president and chief compliance officer	1 Aug 2011	Other	4657614

Based in Ashland

The principal office where Whitcomb & Hess, Inc. performs its advisory services is located at 1020 Cleveland Avenue, Ashland, OH 44805, which is also the mailing address of the firm. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 419-289-7007 or by fax 419-281-7432. The normal business hours are 8:00-5:00 on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at whitcomb.com.