Blume Capital Management, Inc. (Berkeley)


Blume Capital Management, Inc. is a large advisory firm based in Berkeley. It manages $357.84 million of regulatory assets for 776 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2004 and has operated in the jurisdictions of California, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas.

Blume Capital Management provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, and portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles. It prepares financial plans for more than 25 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

Blume Capital Management: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of Blume Capital Management, Inc. is $357.84 million, all of which is managed in discretionary accounts. The firm's AUM has grown by 461% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $357.84 million in discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $461.14 thousand each.
Blume Capital Management has custody of $142.38 million in cash and securities for 114 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 56% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is investment and business development companies, which make up 30% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in cash and cash equivalents form 9% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay Blume Capital Management, Inc. for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, and fixed fees. 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 James Beryl Blume serves?

The firm provides services to individuals and high net worth individuals. The largest group of clients of James Beryl Blume is high net worth individuals with 110 clients and $318.93 million of assets under management. Among the 10 most similar advisory firms, Blume Capital Management has the 2nd highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $355.5 million for 202 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.

Blume Capital Management also advises several private funds. Namely, one other private fund. The minimum investment commitment required of non-related persons is $200,000 for each fund.

Careers at Blume Capital Management, Inc.

The company employs 7 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 57 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 4 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.

James Beryl Blume has been acting as President since 1 Jun 2009. Peter Bray Reidenbach joined the executive team most recently as the Owner And Chief Investment Officer.

Direct owners and executive officers


Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
James Beryl Blume President 1 Aug 1993 75% - 100% 4392313
Jeffrey Valentine St.Claire Principal 1 May 2004 Other 3119309
Jeffrey Valentine St.Claire Managing director/ chief compliance officer 1 Dec 2006 Other 3119309
James Beryl Blume Chairman/ceo 1 Jun 2009 50% - 75% 4392313
Jeffrey Valentine St. Claire President and chief compliance officer 1 Jun 2009 Other 3119309
Jeffrey Valentine St.Claire President / chief compliance officer 1 Jun 2009 25% - 50% 3119309
Geraldine Imperial Marania Chief compliance officer 1 Jan 2010 Other 1730981
Peter Bray Reidenbach Owner and director 1 Aug 2013 Other 5892558
Peter Bray Reidenbach Owner and chief investment officer 1 Oct 2015 Other 5892558

Based in Berkeley

The principal office where Blume Capital Management, Inc. performs its advisory services is located at 1708 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709, which is also the mailing address of the firm. An additional office of the firm is in Orinda, CA. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 510-549-3534 or by fax 510-644-3410. The normal business hours are 7:30 am - 4:30 pm on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at blumecapital.com.