The Family Firm, Inc. (Bethesda)


The Family Firm, Inc. is a large advisory firm based in Bethesda. It manages $518.09 million of regulatory assets for 1,009 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2001 and has operated in the jurisdictions of California, Colorado, District of Columbia, and 4 other states.

The Family Firm provides financial planning services and portfolio management for individuals and small businesses. It prepares financial plans for more than 100 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

The Family Firm: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of The Family Firm, Inc. is $518.09 million. The firm's AUM has grown by 451% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $517.24 million in discretionary accounts and $852.67 thousand in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $515.69 thousand each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $142.11 thousand.
The Family Firm has custody of $9.42 million in cash and securities for 6 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 87% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is exchange traded securities, which make up 6% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in cash and cash equivalents form 6% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay The Family Firm, Inc. for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, and fixed 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 The Family Firm serves?

The firm provides services to individuals and high net worth individuals. The largest group of clients of The Family Firm is high net worth individuals with 147 clients and $486.02 million of assets under management. Among the 10 most similar advisory firms, The Family Firm has the highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $518.09 million for 199 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 Family Firm doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at The Family Firm, Inc.

The company employs 10 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 60 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 5 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
Mary Ann Malgoire Chief compliance officer 1 May 1984 Other 1842706
Nathan Joseph Gendelman Director of investments 1 Nov 2008 Other 4579975
Nathan Joseph Gendelman President & director of investments 1 Dec 2012 75% - 100% 4579975
Katherine Barrett Fries Chief compliance officer 1 Jan 2017 Other 4903342

Based in Bethesda

The principal office where The Family Firm, Inc. performs its advisory services is located at 8120 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814, 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 301-656-3999 or by fax 301-656-0935. The normal business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at familyfirm.com.