West Branch Capital Review
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March 1st, 2022
West Branch Capital, registered in 2005, serves 13 state(s) with a licensed staff of 6 advisors. West Branch Capital manages $439.9 million and provides investment advisory services for 359 clients (1:60 advisor/client ratio).
Firm Information
| Summary | Firm |
| Overall Rating | |
| Minimum Investment | $1,000,000 |
| Average Client Balance | $1,225,345 |
| Total AUM | $439.9 million |
| Advisor / Client Ratio | 1:60 |
| Website | Visit Site |
| Phone Number | 413-256-1225 |
| Headquarters | Amherst, MA |
| Locations | See locations |
| SEC Filings | View SEC IAPD CRD #133813 |
Disciplinary Questions
After checking the disciplinary records of West Branch Capital, our system found no disciplinary questions to ask. Checks take place monthly.
Conflict Questions
After checking the regulatory records of West Branch Capital, our system has identified the following question(s) to ask. Learn more.
Does West Branch Capital offer products that have performance-based fees, or does it accept performance-based fees? Will any of my assets be invested in those products?
When performance-based fees are charged, the financial advisor is paid for outperforming a benchmark, typically an index. While this may seem like an attractive compensation structure to ensure your advisor is making your money work for you, often, the managers of those products are incentivized to take inappropriate risks to beat their performance benchmark. For instance, research has shown that mutual funds that use incentive fees take on more risk that funds that do not, and tend to double down and increase their risk following a poor performance. This could be detrimental to a client during down markets.
Does West Branch Capital perform side-by-side management? How does West Branch Capital mitigate conflicts that arise from managing accounts with differing fee structures?
This typically occurs when firms manage mutual funds or hedge funds alongside smaller retail accounts. Side-by-side management can create an incentive for the advisor to favor the larger funds, potentially leading to unequal trading costs and unfavorable trade executions for their retail clients.
Does West Branch Capital accept soft-dollar benefits? How do these benefits affect the firm’s selection of a broker-dealer partner?
West Branch Capital receives soft-dollar benefits that could incentivize them to push trades through broker-dealers that provide advantages to the firm instead of through broker-dealers that could provide the best trade execution for their clients.
Which securities does West Branch Capital trade for itself that it will also be recommending to me?
West Branch Capital has marked in their disclosures that they trade recommended securities. While this often can be seen as "eating your own cooking," there are several inherent conflicts that can arise. For example, front running is when a financial professional buys or sell securities ahead of their client. In short, any financial professional should disclose all positions they hold (or have sold short) that they will also be recommending to you.
Our system found no other conflict questions to ask. Checks take place monthly.
Disciplinary History
An important aspect of the Trust Algorithm is processing the SEC Form ADV Part 1 filing of each Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). “Item 11 Disclosure Information” contains a list of valuable disclosures that are relevant for Americans.
As identified in SEC Form ADV Part 1, Item 11 “Disclosure Information”, the Trust Algorithm identified the following disciplinary disclosures for West Branch Capital:
Cost
Unfortunately, there is no single, uniform pricing standard for working with a financial advisor. Catchphrases, including "fee-only," can be helpful; however, Americans often get confused with competitors promoting "fee-based" in response.
Ultimately, to understand the underlying costs of advisory services, we always recommend asking for an itemized fees breakdown and reading the firm's ADV Part 2 Brochure (Item 5, "Fees and Compensation").
FAQs
What services can West Branch Capital provide?
As a financial advisory firm, West Branch Capital can provide a variety of financial planning services for Americans. Financial advisors help you achieve your life goals, e.g., saving for retirement, by creating a comprehensive financial plan and managing your investment portfolio (e.g., stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds).
Financial planning services can include tax planning, estate planning, retirement planning, or life-based event planning such as saving for college, getting married, purchasing a home, paying down debt, or planning an inheritance.
Where is West Branch Capital headquartered? Which states do its financial advisors serve?
West Branch Capital is headquartered in Amherst, MA and currently serves in 13 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia.
What is the average client balance at West Branch Capital?
While West Branch Capital advises clients across a variety of portfolio sizes, the average client balance is currently $1,225,345. In total, West Branch Capital manages $439,899,182 in assets.
What is the historical performance of West Branch Capital?
Neither the SEC nor FINRA tracks portfolio performance metrics for the financial planning industry. As a result, unlike hedge funds, there is no historical performance for any financial advisory firm. Financial plans and investment portfolios are always unique to the client's personal financial situation.
Can I write a review of West Branch Capital or file a complaint?
investor.com relies on regulatory data from the SEC to rate and review financial advisor firms. As a result, we do not support personal reviews on the site. To file a complaint or dispute with this firm, please fill out the SEC Investor Complaint Form.
Other Firms
Penobscot Investment Management Company, Blueprint Financial Services, Slater Wealth Planning, Versant Capital Management
This automated report was generated using SEC and FINRA data and was last updated on March 1st, 2022*. For data support, email "support@investor.com". Views: 369 (trailing six months). Firms that receive a 4.5 or 5-star rating are considered Trusted by investor.com. Learn more.
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