Firm Description
Wimmer Associates began offering its investment advisory services on March 9, 2003. The
firm is federally registered with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) as a
Registered Investment Adviser.
Wimmer Associates provides investment supervisory services and investment management
services to individuals, trusts and estates, family groups, and other types of entities that need
ongoing investment advice. These services include advice on structuring a client’s portfolio
given the client’s objectives (return requirements and risk tolerance) and circumstances (time
horizons, liquidity needs, tax planning, education funding and other special considerations).
Wimmer Associates then tailors its portfolio recommendations to meet the specific needs of
the client and updates these recommendations as appropriate.
Wimmer Associates manages investment portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis.
Clients, however, do not have to grant Wimmer Associates this discretion or they may grant
discretion but may impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities.
For discretionary accounts, unless otherwise limited by the clients, Wimmer Associates is
authorized to enter into any type of investment transaction that it deems appropriate for its
clients (meaning the client grants Wimmer Associates permission to buy and sell securities
for their portfolio without prior authorization for a transaction), according to the terms of
the account agreement. The types of investments that we consider for client portfolios are
limited to individual stocks, bonds, and other fixed-income securities in addition to
exchange-traded funds and mutual funds. We do not invest client monies in alternative
investments, real property, illiquid limited partnerships, variable annuities, or other insurance
products.
Qualifications
Wimmer Associates requires that each of its investment advisory personnel have at least a
master’s degree or a CFA certification and/or many years of experience in portfolio
management. The CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation is a globally respected,
graduate-level investment credential established in 1962 and awarded by the CFA Institute
— the largest global association of investment professionals.
To earn the CFA charter, candidates must: 1) pass three sequential, six-hour examinations; 2)
have at least four years of qualified professional investment experience; 3) join CFA Institute
as members; and 4) commit to abide by, and annually reaffirm, their adherence to the CFA
Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct which requires CFA charter
holders to:
Place their clients’ interests ahead of their own
Maintain independence and objectivity
Act with integrity
Maintain and improve their professional competence
Disclose conflicts of interest and legal matters
The professionals in our organization with a CIC designation follow the Standards of
Practice as set
forth by the Investment Council Association of America. And all employees
adhere to the Wimmer Associates Code of Ethics (See Item 11).
Compensation
Wimmer Associates compensation is solely from fees paid directly by clients. We do not
receive commissions based on the client’s purchase of any financial product. No
commissions in any form are accepted and no referral fees are paid or accepted. No benefits
are received from bank custodians or broker-dealers based on client securities transactions
(“soft dollar benefits”).
We may recommend other professionals (e.g., lawyers, accountants, insurance agents, real
estate agents, etc.) at the request of the client. Other professionals are engaged directly by
the client on an as-needed basis even when recommended by the Advisor.
Assets under Wimmer Associates management are held in the client’s name by independent
bank custodians or broker-dealers of the client’s choice, including Charles Schwab & Co,
Fidelity Investments, Northern Trust, and others. Wimmer Associates does not act as a
custodian of client assets.
Principal Owners
The firm was founded, and is owned in its entirety, by Katherine J. Wimmer and
Warren R. Wimmer.
Katherine J. Wimmer, President, CFA (born January 14, 1953). She graduated from The
Darden School, University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 1983 with an MBA. From 1996
to 2003, Kathy was a vice president and principal at Philip V. Swan Associates, LLC. From
1988 to 1996, she was a vice president at Payden & Rygel Investment Counsel. From 1983
to 1987, Kathy held an equity analyst position at William O'Neil and Company. She was a
founding board member of Bloom Again Foundation and the San Rafael Library Associates.
Kathy is a past president of the Estate Planning Council of San Gabriel Valley and remains a
member. Kathy is a past chair of Huntington Memorial Hospital Planned Giving Advisory
Board as well as past chair of the Pasadena Library Commission. She currently serves as
treasurer on the board of The Friends of the Pasadena Public Library.
Warren R. Wimmer, Principal (born November 1, 1957). Warren graduated cum laude from
the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1979 with a B.A. in Political Science. He was
awarded a Master of Science in Foreign Service degree with an emphasis on energy and
natural resources by Georgetown University in 1983. Warren co-authored the World Bank
volume, “Attracting Foreign Investment in Lesser Developed Countries”. Returning to his
native California, Warren had a fifteen-year career in international banking. He was on the
board of the Alliance for Housing and Healing for twenty years and is a past president.
Warren is a founding member of the Global Leaders Assembly Foundation and currently
serves on its board.
Managed Assets
As of December 31, 2023, Wimmer Associates had assets under management of
$392,159,000 ($365,269,000 on a discretionary basis and $26,890,000 on a non-discretionary
basis.)