Kovitz Investment Group Partners is an investment advisor that has been managing its own investment strategies for years.
Headquartered in Chicago, Kovitz is a fee-based firm serving thousands of individual clients. The registered investment advisor (RIA) offers a vast selection of advisory services surrounding financial planning, investment management and family office services.
Kovitz also appears on SmartAsset's rankings of the top financial advisors in Chicago and top financial advisors in Illinois.
Kovitz Investment Group Partners Background
Founded in 2003 as Kovitz Investment Group, LLC, the firm has been under the ownership of Focus – a large network of registered investment advisor (RIA) firms – since 2016. In addition to its headquarters in Chicago, the firm has offices in 18 other cities throughout the country, from California to Florida.
The advisors who work at Kovitz hold a number of certifications, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified public accountant (CPA) and chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) designations.
Kovitz Investment Group Partners Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Kovitz Investment Group Partners works with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, other investment advisors, corporations, not-for-profits and estates.
While the firm doesn't have a set a minimum account size requirement, it typically prefers clients have at least $1 million to invest.
Services Offered by Kovitz Investment Group Partners
Kovitz Investment Group Partners offers discretionary investment management services to individuals and institutions, focusing on tailored portfolios of equities and fixed-income securities. The firm also offers specialized services through its various offices, including equity-focused strategies, retirement plan advisory and family office services.
It should be noted that financial planning is included as part of investment services, but is not available to everyone. The firm will determine who's eligible on a case-by-case basis.
Kovitz Investment Group Partners Investing Philosophy
Kovitz Investment Group Partners takes a disciplined, long-term approach to investing, emphasizing capital preservation and minimizing downside risk. Their equity strategy is grounded in a "business owner" mindset, where stocks are purchased only when their price is significantly below the intrinsic value of the company. They prioritize investing in industry-leading, well-capitalized companies with competitive advantages, while maintaining patience to let market values align with their analysis.
Kovitz emphasizes a long-term horizon, aligning with client interests and focusing on maximizing long-term net worth rather than short-term gains. Their fixed income strategy focuses on wealth preservation by constructing bond portfolios that add stability to client portfolios, purchasing bonds at favorable prices through diligent execution and managing risk through bond diversification and credit quality assessments.
Kovitz Investment Group Partners Fees
Kovitz Investment Group firm charges its clients an annual fee based on the fair market value of their assets under management (AUM) on the last day of the previous calendar quarter. Below, we’ve listed the firm’s standard fee schedule for clients within its separate accounts:
| Kovitz Investment Group Partners Standard Fee Schedule | |
| Amount of Assets | Annual Management Fee |
| Up to $5,000,000 | 1.00% |
| Additional assets between $5,000,000 - $10,000,000 | 0.85% |
| Additional assets between $10,000,000 - $20,000,000 | 0.75% |
| Additional assets between $20,000,000 - $35,000,000 | 0.65% |
| Additional assets between $35,000,000 - $50,000,000 | 0.55% |
| Additional assets over $50,000,000 | 0.50% |
However, the firm notes in their Form ADV brochure that accounts with less than $1 million are assessed a fee of 1.25%. Additionally, Kovitz also charges performance-based fees to its affiliated hedge funds.
What to Watch Out For
According to its latest filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Kovitz Investment Group Partners has no legal or disciplinary disclosures to report.
Something worth noting, though, is that financial advisors at Kovitz have a financial incentive to make certain recommendations, like investing in one of the firm's affiliated hedge funds or other private placements. While this is a conflict of interest, advisors have a fiduciary duty to provide recommendations in their clients' best interests.
Opening an Account with Kovitz Investment Group Partners
You can set up an account with Kovitz by either visiting one of its offices or contacting the firm's Chicago headquarteres at (312) 334-7300.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
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