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Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth Review

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This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

Brownson, Rehmus and Foxworth

Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth is a financial advisory firm with billions in assets under management (AUM). Principally located in Chicago and one of SmartAsset's top financial advisor firms in Illinois, the firm offers personalized financial counseling and non-discretionary investment advisory services to its clients.

Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth also has offices in New York City and Naples, Florida. 

Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth Background

Founded in 1969, Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth is a privately-owned corporation that continues to be controlled by its active principals. It is a boutique firm whose structure allows it to provide quality personalized financial and investment advice to each of its clients. 

The firm is currently controlled and owned in equal percentages by nine active principals. Founder Frederick O. Brownson is no longer an active principal or employee, but he continues to own a 10% non-voting, non-dilutable equity interest in the firm in the event of a sale or liquidation.

Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

In general, Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth provides financial counsel and non-discretionary investment advisory services (meaning that it does not have the power to execute trades for clients without clients' prior written authorization) to the following types of clients:

  • Individuals
  • High-net-worth individuals 
  • Pension and profit-sharing plans
  • Trusts
  • Estates
  • Private foundations
  • Endowments
  • Qualified retirement plans
  • Senior corporate executives
  • Charitable or tax-exempt organizations

Each principal of Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth establishes relationship asset minimums or annual fee minimums at his or her own sole discretion, usually based on what the principal deems his or her preferred minimum size of client. That being said, the individuals and families that the firm advises typically have in excess of $5 million of substantial investment assets. Minimum annual fees vary between principals, but tend to start at $25,000. 

Services Offered by Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth

As stated above, Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth offers personalized financial counseling and investment advisory services to its clients on a non-discretionary basis. This may include determination of financial objectives, identification of financial obstacles, cash flow analysis, insurance review, education funding and retirement and estate counseling.

Additionally, the firm may provide an ad hoc or project-based consultation to a client on an hourly basis if the principal or lead advisor deems such consultation appropriate given the circumstances.

Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth Investment Philosophy

The first step in Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth's advisory process is to gain an in-depth understanding of the client's current financial situation, needs, goals, objectives, attitudes, constraints, past experiences with investments, tax-sensitivity as well as their tolerance and capacity for risk. 

The firm generally focuses on long-term investing and highly diversified portfolios. Investment recommendations may include: no-load mutual funds (shares are sold without a commission or sales charge) and ETFs, equities, warrants, corporate debt securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit (CDs), municipal securities, U.S. government securities, options contracts, futures contracts, interested in limited partnerships and investment company securities. The firm also recommends third-party sponsored private investment vehicles that are not available to the broader public, including but not limited to private equity and credit funds, diversified hedge funds and private investment real estate funds.

Fees Under Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth

Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth charges a base fee to each client that is determined by the appropriate principal and approved by the client on a periodic basis to reflect the client relationship. Each principal will negotiate with each client to determine the amount of base fee the client will be charged based on a number of factors, including but not limited to the amount of assets under management, anticipated future assets, types of assets, complexity of services, service intensity, degree of custom work, time requirements, number of entities, number of the client's family members served, east of interaction and travel requirements.

Based on the various factors, the firm charges a base fee typically ranging from 0.15% to 1.00% of AUM, with fee rates generally lower for clients with more AUM and higher for clients with fewer AUM. The firm may agree with a client on additional fees on a case-by-case basis. 

With regard to corporate clients, Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth is retained by a corporation to provide financial counseling to key officers and executives. The firm charges an advisory fee on a sliding scale based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the total cash compensation paid to the executive, the range of services provided and the complexity of the executive's financial affairs.

For ad hoc or project-based consultation, the firm will charge the client an hourly fee, depending on the services provided and the experience, knowledgeand skill of the consultant. Hourly rates generally range from $150 to $500 per hour.

Learn more about advisors' typical costs here.

What to Watch Out For

According to its Form ADV filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth does not have any disclosures on its record. A disclosure is a regulatory, criminal or disciplinary action on a firm's record.

Again, it's important to note that the firm only provides non-discretionary investment advisory services, meaning that it does not have the power to execute trades for clients without clients' prior written authorization.

Opening an Account With Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth

To open an account with Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth, you can visit the firm's website or call (312) 346-5850.

All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.

Tips for Finding a Financial Advisor 

  • Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now
  • Ask candidates whether they adhere to the fiduciary standard of putting clients’ interests first. Yes is the ideal answer, of course. But they may follow a lower standard of providing only suitable recommendations.

How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research