A look at the Business Journal’s list
Bob Klein
Company: J.P. Morgan Securities
Location: Newport Beach
Years in Business: 27
Rank on Barron’s California list: 35
Education: economics bachelor’s, Davidson College, North Carolina, CFA
Notable
About $500 million in assets under management, spread for client base of small business owners and entrepreneurs. Average client has net worth of $5 million, $1.5 million under management. Devotée of market dynamics since childhood, when he bought first stock at age 11. Takes short as well as long positions.
Laila Pence
Company: Pence Wealth Management
Location: Newport Beach
Years in Business: 31
Rank on Barron’s California list: 61
Education: economics bachelor’s, University of California, Los Angeles
Notable
Manages about $635 million in assets with an average account size of $2 million. Typical client has a net worth of $5 million. Ranked No. 23 of all U.S. women advisers by Barron’s in 2010. Native of Egypt, has friends and family in the country. Keeps tabs on developments with satellite news from Egypt; concerned but hopeful on outcome. Husband Eldon Dryden Pence is chief investment officer. He has economics degree from Harvard University and served as Army intelligence officer specializing in psychological warfare.
Trudy Haussmann
Company: Haussmann Financial Inc.
Location: Newport Beach
Years in Business: 26
Rank on Barron’s California list: 63
Education: economics bachelor’s, University of California, Los Angeles
Notable
Tops this listing in terms of number of clients, with 2,800. Ranked No. 61 of all U.S. women advisers by Barron’s in 2010. Specializes in employee retirement accounts, with no set minimums. Manages about $840 million in assets with an average account size of $500,000. Typical client has net worth of $1.5 million. Firm has four other advisers.
Tom Blanchfield
Company: Bank of America, Merrill Lynch
Location: Newport Beach
Years in Business: 25
Rank on Barron’s California list: 78
Education: finance bachelor’s, University of Delaware
Notable
Onetime Wall Street analyst made the switch upon moving to Orange County more than 20 years ago. Handles bond allocations while partner Alex Stimpson specializes in stocks. They have $1.36 billion under management, with an average account size of $25 million. Clients mostly business owners or retired business owners with net worth in the $35-million range. Blanchfield, Stimpson use some funds that implement hedging strategies. Sees commodities as a good source of diversification. Bullish on stocks.
Marc Foster
Company: UBS Financial Services
Location: Newport Beach
Years in Business: 32
Rank on Barron’s California list: 93
Education: chemistry bachelor’s, California State University, Fullerton
Notable
Manages about $660 million in assets with average account size of $3 million for client base of current, retired business owners. Typical client has net worth of $10 million. Maintains cautious approach using stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds. Bullish on municipal bonds, international stocks. Told he was too green to serve as an adviser fresh out of college. Persevered and landed job at Paine Webber & Co., his first and only career stop. Paine Webber became part of UBS in 1999.
Sid Miramontes
Company: UBS Financial Services
Location: Brea
Years in Business: 15
Rank on Barron’s California list: 94
Education: mechanical engineering degree, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Notable
Longtime entrepreneur, took a do-it-yourself approach. Started when Miramontes went to an adviser to invest $40,000 in the market. Decided he could come up with better ideas, called the firm’s manager and got hired. Sticks to retirees, mostly blue-collar workers and middle-management types who’ve saved up. Manages about $286 million in assets with an average account size of $750,000. Typical net worth about $1.5 million.
