Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management Inc. (Chicago)


Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management Inc. is a large advisory firm based in Chicago. It manages $841.89 million of regulatory assets for 1,687 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2005 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Arizona, California, Colorado, and 20 other states.

Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for investment companies, portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles, and portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients. It prepares financial plans for more than 100 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management Inc. is $841.89 million, all of which is managed in discretionary accounts. The firm's AUM has grown by 107% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $841.89 million in discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $499.05 thousand each.
Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management has custody of $175.53 million in cash and securities for 160 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 50% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is investment grade corporate bonds, which make up 16% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in investment and business development companies form 12% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management Inc. for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, fixed fees, and performance-based 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 Sheldon Mark Pekin serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, investment companies, charitable organizations, high net worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, corporations or other businesses, and pension and profit sharing plans. The largest group of clients of Sheldon Mark Pekin is high net worth individuals with 314 clients and $572.96 million of assets under management. Among the 11 most similar advisory firms, Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management has the 4th highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $841.89 million for 765 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.

Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management also advises several private funds. Namely, one hedge fund, one real estate fund, and one private equity fund. The minimum investment commitment required of non-related persons ranges from $0 to $250,000.

Careers at Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management Inc.

The company employs 16 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 56 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 9 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.

Sheldon Mark Pekin has been acting as President since 1 May 2000. Adam Savitz Strauss joined the executive team most recently as the Co Chief Executive Officer.

Direct owners and executive officers


Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
Richard Allen Singer Senior vice-president 1 Mar 1990 Other 425205
William A Pekin Trust Shareholder 1 Jan 1993 Other xxx-xx-xxxx
Alan L Zable Chief financial officer and chief compliance officer 1 Jan 2000 Other 1413522
Sheldon Mark Pekin President 1 May 2000 Other 359431
Ronald Lee Strauss Senior vice-president 1 Jul 2000 Other 438196
Brandon Hardy Financial analyst 1 Jan 2001 Other 4125065
Brandon John Hardy Financial analyst 1 Jan 2001 Other 4125065
William Andrew Pekin Vice-president 1 Jan 2003 Other 2067982
William Andrew Pekin Senior vice-president 1 Jan 2005 25% - 50% 2067982
Sheldon Mark Pekin Senior vice-president 1 Jan 2005 Other 359431
Ronald Lee Strauss President 1 Jan 2005 25% - 50% 438196
Adam S. N. Strauss Gift Trust Shareholder 1 Jan 2007 Other xxx-xx-xxxx
Joshua D. Strauss Gift Trust Shareholder 1 Jan 2007 Other xxx-xx-xxxx
William George Schmidle Chief compliance officer 1 Jul 2007 Other 1101310
William George Schmidle Chief financial officer 1 Jan 2009 Other 1101310
Brandon John Hardy Senior vice-president 1 Dec 2011 Other 4125065
Patrick William Herrington Chief compliance officer and chief operating officer 1 Apr 2014 Other 5891592
Adam Savitz Strauss Co-chief executive officer 1 Jul 2014 25% - 50% 4893448
Joshua Daniel Strauss Co-chief executive officer 1 Jul 2014 25% - 50% 4860876

Indirect Owners

The SEC currently registers 3 indirect owners.

Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
Richard Allen Singer Trustee 1 Jan 1993 Other 425205
Adam Savitz Strauss Co-trustee 1 Jan 2007 Other 4893448
Joshua Daniel Strauss Co-trustee 1 Jan 2007 Other 4860876

Based in Chicago

The principal office where Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management Inc. performs its advisory services is located at 161 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60601 3340, 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 312-554-7525 or by fax 312-554-7502. The normal business hours are 8:30am- 5pm on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at pekinsinger.com and its LinkedIn profile.