West Branch Capital LLC (Amherst)

Name: West Branch Capital LLC
Address: 9 Research Drive, Amherst, MA, 01002
Telephone: 413-256-1225

West Branch Capital LLC is a large advisory firm based in Amherst. It manages $323.63 million of regulatory assets for 950 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2005 and has operated in the jurisdictions of California, Connecticut, Louisiana, and 9 other states.

West Branch Capital provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, and pension consulting services. It prepares financial plans for more than 10 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

West Branch Capital: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of West Branch Capital LLC is $323.63 million. The firm's AUM has grown by 1961% since the beginning of its operation, and $1.83 million of the total AUM is attributable to clients outside of the United States.

The firm manages $314.5 million in discretionary accounts and $9.13 million in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $331.75 thousand each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $4.56 million.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 28% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is investment grade corporate bonds, which make up 20% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in investment and business development companies form 19% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay West Branch Capital LLC for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, fixed fees, and performance-based fees. Hourly charges are usually charged for consulting work and special projects. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients West Branch Capital serves?

The firm provides services to individuals and high net worth individuals. The largest group of clients of West Branch Capital is high net worth individuals with 109 clients and $234.02 million of assets under management. Among the 10 most similar advisory firms, West Branch Capital has the highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $310.29 million for 307 clients that can include trusts, estates, and 401(k) plans and IRAs of individuals and their family members. 1% of the firm’s clients are foreign persons or businesses.

West Branch Capital doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at West Branch Capital LLC

The company employs 11 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 64 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.

Direct owners and executive officers

Name	Entity	Date acquired	Ownership	Employer ID
Ayaz Mahmud	Founder/ceo	1 Dec 2004	75% - 100%	1094095
James Andrew Gass	Member	1 Apr 2009	Other	5669187
James A Gass	None	1 Apr 2009	25% - 50%	5669187
Ann Terry Singer	Director of operations/chief compliance officer	1 Jun 2013	Other	4871194
Lori Mahmud	Chief compliance officer	1 Jun 2013	75% - 100%	6277783
Ayaz Mahmud	Chief compliance officer	1 Nov 2014	75% - 100%	1094095

Based in Amherst

The principal office where West Branch Capital LLC performs its advisory services is located at 9 Research Drive, Amherst, MA 01002 The mailing address of the firm is P.O. Box 2067, Amherst, MA 01004. An additional office of the firm is in Orleans, MA. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 413-256-1225 or by fax 413-253-5838. The normal business hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at westbranchcapital.com.