The Welch Group, LLC (Birmingham)

Name: The Welch Group, LLC
Address: 3940 Montclair Rd, Birmingham, AL, 35213
Telephone: 205-879-5001

The Welch Group, LLC is a large advisory firm based in Birmingham. It manages $1.43 billion of regulatory assets for 1,002 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2001 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Alabama, California, Colorado, and 9 other states.

The Welch Group provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients, selection of other advisers, and advice on matters not involving securities.. It prepares financial plans for approximately 1,000 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

The Welch Group: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of The Welch Group, LLC is $1.43 billion, all of which is managed in discretionary accounts. The firm's AUM has grown by 865% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $1.43 billion in discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $1.43 million each.

The Welch Group has custody of $229.9 million in cash and securities for 230 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 56% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is investment and business development companies, which make up 39% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in cash and cash equivalents form 2% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay The Welch Group, LLC for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, and fixed fees. Flat-fee based compensation is the most transparent and the one you can safely predict in advance. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients The Welch Group 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 The Welch Group is high net worth individuals with 358 clients and $1.19 billion of assets under management. Among the 8 most similar advisory firms, The Welch Group has the highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $1.43 billion for 1,002 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.

The Welch Group doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at The Welch Group, LLC

The company employs 16 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 88 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 13 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 compensates employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees don’t receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

Charles Hugh Rankin Smith has served as the Chief Investment Officer since 1 Dec 2009. Henry Marshall Clay joined the executive team most recently as the Senior Investment Adviser.

Direct owners and executive officers

Name	Entity	Date acquired	Ownership	Employer ID
Stewart Henry Welch	Managing member	1 Jan 1986	75% - 100%	808380
Scott William Lee	Director of investment strategy & research	1 Feb 1999	Other	870335
Charles Gregory Weyandt	Chief compliance officer	1 May 2001	Other	4405547
Charles Hugh Rankin Smith	Director of financial planning	1 Dec 2004	Other	4452304
Charles Hugh Rankin Smith	Chief investment officer	1 Dec 2009	Other	4452304
James Woodard Peay	Senior investment adviser	1 May 2010	Other	3005421
Thomas Michael Wagner	Senior investment adviser	1 Jan 2013	Other	5502971
Kimberly Rose Reynolds	Senior investment adviser	1 Jan 2013	Other	5338554
Henry Marshall Clay	Senior investment adviser	1 Jan 2018	Other	6081892

Based in Birmingham

The principal office where The Welch Group, LLC performs its advisory services is located at 3940 Montclair Rd, Birmingham, AL 35213, 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 205-879-5001 or by fax 205-879-7979. The normal business hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at welchgroup.com and its LinkedIn profile.