Karstens Investment Counsel, Inc. (Omaha)

Name: Karstens Investment Counsel, Inc.
Address: 10250 Regency Circle, Omaha, NE, 68114 4301
Telephone: 402-492-2727

Karstens Investment Counsel, Inc. is a large advisory firm based in Omaha. It manages $239.46 million of regulatory assets for 1,056 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2001 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Arizona, California, Colorado, and 4 other states.

Karstens Investment Counsel provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients, and pension consulting services. It prepares financial plans for more than 250 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

Karstens Investment Counsel: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of Karstens Investment Counsel, Inc. is $239.46 million. The firm's AUM has gone down by -30% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $170.64 million in discretionary accounts and $68.82 million in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $246.24 thousand each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $189.58 thousand.

Karstens Investment Counsel has custody of $3.56 million in cash and securities for 12 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 65% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is government bonds, which make up 13% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in exchange traded securities form 12% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay Karstens Investment Counsel, Inc. for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management and hourly charges. Compensation based on assets under management promotes a long-term relationship between a client and the adviser and helps align mutual interests. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients Michael Dean Karstens serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, charitable organizations, and high net worth individuals. The largest group of clients of Michael Dean Karstens is high net worth individuals with 81 clients and $159.69 million of assets under management. Among the 9 most similar advisory firms, Karstens Investment Counsel has the 4th highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $239.46 million for 270 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.

Karstens Investment Counsel doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at Karstens Investment Counsel, Inc.

The company employs 8 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 63 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.

Michael Dean Karstens has been acting as President since 1 May 1993. Deborah Lea Kavan joined the executive team most recently as the Cco.

Direct owners and executive officers

Name	Entity	Date acquired	Ownership	Employer ID
Michael Dean Karstens	President	1 May 1993	75% - 100%	1243189
Deborah Lea Kavan	Cco	1 Jan 2014	Other	6316462

Based in Omaha

The principal office where Karstens Investment Counsel, Inc. performs its advisory services is located at 10250 Regency Circle, Omaha, NE 68114 4301, 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 402-492-2727 or by fax 402-408-2680. The normal business hours are 8:30 am - 5:00pm on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at karstensinvestments.com.