First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc. (Pasadena)


First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc. is a large advisory firm based in Pasadena. It manages $330.78 million of regulatory assets for 341 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 27 other states.

First Wilshire Securities Management provides portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles, and portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients. It doesn't provide financial planning services to its clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

First Wilshire Securities Management: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc. is $330.78 million, all of which is managed in discretionary accounts. The firm's AUM has grown by 713% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $330.78 million in discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $970.02 thousand each.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 84% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is cash and cash equivalents, which make up 14% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in investment grade corporate bonds form 1% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc. for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management and performance-based fees. The adviser charges an additional fee when a set benchmark is outperformed. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients First Wilshire Securities Management serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, charitable organizations, high net worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, corporations or other businesses, and pension and profit sharing plans. The largest group of clients of First Wilshire Securities Management is high net worth individuals with 215 clients and $197.55 million of assets under management. Among the 10 most similar advisory firms, First Wilshire Securities Management has the 4th lowest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $330.78 million for 341 clients that can include trusts, estates, and 401(k) plans and IRAs of individuals and their family members. 1% of the firm’s clients are foreign persons or businesses.

First Wilshire Securities Management also advises several private funds. Namely, two hedge funds. The minimum investment commitment required of non-related persons ranges from $500,000 to $1,000,000.

Careers at First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc.

The company employs 15 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 47 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 5 employees are registered as investment adviser representatives with the state securities authorities.

There are 3 people with the role of looking for and bringing in new clients on behalf of the firm. The firm compensates employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees don’t receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

Direct owners and executive officers


Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
Fredrick Leonard Astman Chairman, director 1 Jun 1980 50% - 75% 8323
Dirk Jr Wagenaar Vice president 1 May 1996 Other 869054
Dirk Jr Wagenaar Chief compliance officer 1 Feb 2001 Other 869054
Scott William Hood President & ceo 1 Jun 2002 75% - 100% 1788066
Mitchell Wayne Howard Chief compliance officer, v.p., compliance & operations 1 Apr 2005 Other 4889657
Feliks Zlochistyy Finop 1 Oct 2009 Other 5138497
Thomas Herbert Hanson V.p. & chief operating officer 1 Feb 2010 Other 603752
Matthew James Dunn Chief compliance officer 1 Feb 2010 Other 4882331
Matthew James Dunn Chief compliance officer / finop 1 Oct 2010 Other 4882331
Inc. First Wilshire Securities Management Parent company 1 May 2012 75% - 100% 95-2844956
Feliks Zlochistyy Finop 1 Dec 2012 Other 5138497
Mitchell Wayne Howard Chief compliance officer & finop 1 Apr 2013 Other 4889657
Steven Lee Thornton Compliance officer 1 Jul 2016 Other 4496384
Nicole Elizabeth Green Coo 1 Nov 2018 Other 7052406
Scott William Hood Chairman, cco 1 Jul 2019 25% - 50% 1788066
Howard Haoming Lu President & ceo 1 Jul 2019 50% - 75% 4927988
William Adam Caton Portfolio manager 1 Jul 2019 Other 4539052

Based in Pasadena

The principal office where First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc. performs its advisory services is located at 1214 East Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91106 3171, 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 626-796-6622 or by fax 626-796-8990. The normal business hours are 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at firstwilshire.com.