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Firm Brochure
(Form ADV – Part 2)
March 31, 2025
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of
Wimmer Associates. If you have any questions about the contents of this Brochure, please
contact us by phone at 626-683-3150 or send an email to kkenney@wimmerassociates.com.
The information in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or by any state securities authority.
Wimmer Associates is a registered investment adviser. Registration of an Investment
Adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. The oral and written communications
of an Adviser provide information with which one can determine to hire or retain an
Adviser.
Additional information about Wimmer Associates is also available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
155 North Lake Avenue, Suite 440 Pasadena, California 91101
Telephone: (626) 683-3150 Website: www.wimmerassociates.com
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Item 2 – Material Changes
This Brochure dated March 31, 2025, contains no material change from the last annual
brochure offering dated March 31, 2024.
Currently, our Brochure may be requested by contacting Kathryn Kenney, Vice President at
626-683-3150 or via email to kkenney@wimmerassociates.com.
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Item 3 – Advisory Table of Contents
Item Number
Page Number
Item 1
Cover Page
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Item 2 Material Changes
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Item 3
Table of Contents
3
Item 4
Advisory Business
4
Item 5
Fees and Compensation
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Item 6
Performance-Based Fees
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Item 7
Types of Clients
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Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
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Item 9 Disciplinary Information
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Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
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Item 11 Code of Ethics
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Item 12 Brokerage Practices
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Item 13 Review of Accounts
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Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
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Item 15 Custody
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Item 16
Investment Discretion
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Item 17 Voting Client Securities
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Item 18 Financial Information
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Item 4 – Advisory Business
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 senior 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
All employees adhere to the Wimmer Associates Code of Ethics (See Item 11).
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Compensation
The compensation Wimmer Associates receives 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 derived 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 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, 2024, , Wimmer Associates had assets under management of
$441,066,000 ($394,841,000 on a discretionary basis and $46,225,000 on a non-discretionary
basis.)
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Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
Description
The specific way fees are charged by Wimmer Associates is established in a client’s written
agreement with Wimmer Associates. Fees are payable quarterly in advance and clients may
elect to be billed directly for fees or to authorize Wimmer Associates to debit fees from their
accounts.
Compensation provided to Wimmer Associates is negotiable and varies by client. Typically,
the firm charges a quarterly fee which may be structured as a percentage of assets under
management, a flat fee, or a combination of both. Factors influencing the fee structure
include portfolio value, cost basis of holdings, meeting frequency and location, discretionary
versus advisory authority, and account type (e.g., bond, equity, balanced, income, or growth).
For Clients that provide written authorization to the custodian of their investment accounts,
Wimmer Associates will arrange to have its management fee automatically deducted from
the Client’s account. In this case, the client’s custodian will send statements, at least
quarterly, to the client that will reflect the advisory fee paid to Wimmer Associates, but the
client should verify the accuracy of fees paid. For those clients that do not provide the
written authorization to the custodian of their accounts, Wimmer Associates will send an
invoice for Wimmer Associates’ fees directly to the client.
In addition to the above, at times, Wimmer Associates may accept "one-time" projects that
pertain directly to the investment services described above. Compensation for these
projects, which will in all cases not include ongoing monitoring performance reporting or
advice, is determined by an hourly fee equal to $480 per hour.
Other Fees
Wimmer Associates investment management fees are exclusive of brokerage commissions,
transaction fees, and other related costs and expenses which shall be incurred by the client.
Clients may incur certain charges imposed by custodians and brokers, and other third parties
such as custodial fees, wire transfer and electronic fund fees, and other fees and taxes on
brokerage accounts and securities transactions. Mutual funds and exchange traded funds
also charge internal management fees, which are disclosed in a fund’s prospectus. Such
charges, fees and commissions are exclusive of and in addition to Wimmer Associates’ fee.
Wimmer Associates shall not receive any portion of the commissions, fees and costs charged
by third parties.
In many cases, the client could invest in the same mutual fund or exchange traded fund
without paying an advisory fee to Wimmer Associates but would not then have the benefit
of Wimmer Associates’ advice, review, and monitoring. Occasionally, Wimmer Associates
may exclude the value of mutual fund shares held in a client’s account from the total account
value in calculating its fee for that client. Item 12 further describes the factors that Wimmer
Associates considers in selecting or recommending broker-dealers for client transactions and
determining the reasonableness of their compensation (e.g., commissions).
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Wimmer Associates believes that its fees are competitive with fees charged by other
investment advisers for comparable services. Comparable services may be available,
however, from other sources for lower fees than those charged by Wimmer Associates.
Termination of Agreement
Accounts initiated or terminated during a calendar quarter will be charged a prorated fee. A
client may terminate the management agreement with Wimmer Associates at any time.
Upon termination of any account, any prepaid, unearned fees will be promptly refunded.
Item 6 – Performance Based Fees
Wimmer Associates does not accept performance-based fee accounts due to the potential
conflict of interest. Performance-based compensation may create an incentive for the
adviser to recommend an investment that may carry a higher degree of risk to the client.
The nature of asset-based fees, however, allows Wimmer Associates to participate in the
growth of the client’s wealth. This also means that our asset-based fees can decline when
the client’s portfolio declines in value.
Item 7 – Types of Clients
Wimmer Associates provides investment supervisory services and investment management
services to individuals, trusts, family groups, and other types of entities that need ongoing
investment advice.
The minimum dollar amount of assets of a client under Wimmer Associates’ management is
$750,000. Wimmer Associates, in its discretion, may waive the minimum.
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
Wimmer Associates uses a fundamental approach focusing primarily on high quality equity
and fixed income securities. We utilize internally generated research, and draw from several
sources including, but not limited to, Morningstar and Value Line reports, fund
prospectuses, S&P reports, financial newspapers and magazines, research materials prepared
by others, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and annual reports.
Employees of Wimmer Associates may also attend meetings with corporate and fund
managers, listen to conference calls, and attend industry conferences.
Investment Strategies
Each client portfolio is constructed for an individual client. The investment strategy for a
specific client is based upon the financial objectives, income needs, and tax situation stated
by the client during consultations. The client may change these objectives at any time.
Wimmer Associates’ primary investment strategy is based on asset allocation in individual
stocks and other publicly traded instruments, municipal, corporate and government bonds
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and actively managed funds. We may also use passively managed index and exchange-traded
funds when appropriate for the client.
Risk of Loss
All investment programs involve risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. Our
investment approach keeps this risk of loss in mind. As with all investments, however,
clients face investment risks including the following: loss of principal, interest-rate risk,
market, inflation, currency, reinvestment, business, liquidity, and financial risk.
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
Registered investment advisors are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal
or disciplinary events that would be material in evaluating our firm or the integrity of our
management. Wimmer Associates and its employees have not been involved in any legal or
disciplinary events related to past or present investment activities.
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
The only business of Wimmer Associates is that of investment adviser. The firm does not
participate in any other industry business activities and does not have any arrangements that
are material to its advisory business or its clients with any related person.
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
and Personal Trading
Code of Ethics
Pursuant to SEC Rule 204A-1, Wimmer Associates has a written Code of Ethics in place,
and it is available to any client or prospective client upon request. Wimmer Associates
clients or prospective clients may request a copy of the firm's Code of Ethics by contacting
Kathryn Kenney by phone at 626-683-3150 or by email at kkenney@wimmerassociates.com.
Wimmer Associates Code of Ethics requires compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and
regulations governing our professional activities including prohibitions against Insider
Trading. It also requires employees to act with integrity, competence, dignity and in an
ethical manner. Employees must be alert to potential conflicts of interest and avoid those
situations. Protecting the private information related to our clients and our business is
another important requirement of the Code.
Wimmer Associates does not disclose any non-public personal information about its clients
or former clients to anyone, except as required by law or as requested by the client (e.g. to a
tax accountant.) Wimmer Associates restricts access to non-public personal information
about its clients to its employees who need to know that information for the purpose of
providing services to clients. Wimmer Associates maintains physical, electronic, and
procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards protecting clients’ personal
information.
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Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Wimmer Associates and its managers, members, and employees (“WA & Associates”) may
personally invest in securities that are also purchased for clients and may hold securities that
are later bought or sold on behalf of clients. In certain instances, transactions for Wimmer
Associates employees or employee-related accounts may be aggregated with client accounts
through block trading.
Block trading involving both client and employee accounts can present a potential conflict of
interest if allocations are determined after a trade is executed. This practice could create an
opportunity for an advisor to favor one client over another or prioritize an employee
account over a client account based on market conditions during trading hours.
To eliminate this risk, Wimmer Associates enforces a strict policy requiring all block order
allocations to be determined before any trade is placed. This pre-trade allocation process
ensures transparency, fairness, and equitable treatment for all accounts.
Personal Trading
Wimmer Associates access persons are required to obtain prior verbal approval for personal
transactions from either the Compliance Officer or the President of Wimmer Associates on
securities owned by clients of Wimmer Associates that have a market capitalization under $2
billion. Private placements and Initial Public Offerings are prohibited transactions.
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
Selecting Brokerage Firms
Wimmer Associates does not have any compensatory affiliation with product sales firms.
Specific custodian recommendations are made to clients based on their need for such
services. Wimmer Associates, when asked, recommends that clients establish accounts with
discount brokerage firms (qualified custodians), such as Charles Schwab and Fidelity
Investments. Our recommendation of these broker-dealers is based on a number of factors
and services provided including the following:
Reputation, financial strength, and stability
The range of available investment products (stocks, bonds (corporate, municipal, U.S.
Government Treasuries and Agency), mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), etc.)
Access to brokerage firm’s institutional trading platforms to execute client trades
Promptness of trade execution reports
The capability to clear, and settle trades
Custody of client assets
Reporting services and access to client account data (including confirmations, account
statements and tax information provided to clients).
The capability to facilitate client requested transfers and payments to and from client
accounts (bank wire transfers, check requests, internal client account journals etc.)
Quality of services and the competitive price of those services (commission rates, margin
interest rates, etc.)
Transaction, pricing and other market data provided
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Platform to facilitate payment of our fees from our client’s accounts
Wimmer Associates does not receive any direct or indirect compensation from any of these
arrangements in exchange for recommending to clients that they use such discount brokers
(except for software programs that provide electronic delivery of client information,
electronic trading platforms and other services offered by custodians for the benefit of
clients).
Wimmer Associates may also benefit from other services provided by custodians, such as
free research, seminars, and practice management advice. These benefits are standard in a
relationship with these custodians and are not in return for client recommendations or
transactions.
Soft Dollar Benefits
The term “Soft Dollar” describes an arrangement under which products or services other
than execution of securities transactions are obtained by an adviser in exchange for directing
client brokerage transactions to that broker. Wimmer Associates does not participate in any
soft dollar program and does not receive soft dollar benefits from any custodian.
Order Aggregation
Order aggregation is the process of adding together multiple orders into one larger order to
purchase or sell the same security. It is also referred to as “Block Trading.” Investment
advisers frequently aggregate orders for administrative convenience and to achieve lower
execution costs typically associated with larger orders. Generally, clients will receive the
average share price on trades executed via an aggregated order. Individual commission rates
will not be affected. The client will incur the same commission charge whether a trade order
is aggregated or executed individually. Wimmer Associates will attempt to aggregate orders
when it is determined it is prudent to place orders for the same security, at the same time, in
one or more client accounts. At times, transactions for Wimmer Associates employees, or
employee related accounts, may be aggregated with customer accounts in block trading.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
Regular Reports
Wimmer Associates furnishes written reports to clients on at least a quarterly basis. These
client reports include a letter summarizing our general view of the markets and the economy.
Our reports are generated from portfolio accounting software maintained by a third-party
vendor (Black Diamond) with the data usually supplied daily via a direct download from
each client’s custodian.
Periodic Reviews
Client assets are monitored each business day. At least once each calendar quarter, a Senior
Portfolio Manager (and/or the President of Wimmer Associates) analyzes the current
holdings of each client portfolio as they relate to the client's investment objectives and risk
tolerance, and to the current economic environment. Ad Hoc account reviews may be
triggered by changes in market conditions, new information about an investment, changes in
tax laws, changes in client’s objectives or by client request.
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Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Wimmer Associates does not participate in any referral program that involves receiving an
economic benefit or compensation from an outside party for referrals. Wimmer Associates
does not accept referral fees or any form of remuneration from other professionals when a
prospect or client is referred to them.
Item 15 – Custody
Clients will engage an independent brokerage firm, bank, or other qualified custodian of
their choice to maintain their accounts so that Wimmer Associates will not have physical
custody of clients’ assets, monies, or securities. Since Wimmer Associates may withdraw
advisory fees directly from clients’ accounts (as described in Item 5 – Fees and
Compensation), however, Wimmer Associates is considered to have custody in a limited
capacity. Again, this custody is due solely to the direct withdrawal of fees and does not
entail all the same legal and regulatory requirements as an investment adviser with physical
custody of clients’ assets, monies, or securities. The qualified custodian provides account
statements directly to clients at their address of record at least quarterly, however, most are
sent monthly and as account transactions occur.
We urge clients to carefully review and compare the account statements received from their
qualified custodian with the quarterly reports that we provide.
Item 16 – Investment Discretion
As described in Item 4 – Advisory Business (pages 4-5), Wimmer Associates manages
investment portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis. When a client grants investment
discretion to Wimmer Associates, Wimmer Associates has authority to supervise and direct
the investments of the client’s account without prior consultation with the client (meaning
we may buy or sell securities for a client portfolio without contacting the client prior to the
transaction for authorization). Wimmer Associates determines which securities are bought
and sold for the account and the total amount of such purchases and sales. Wimmer
Associates authority may be subject to conditions imposed by the client, such as restricting
or prohibiting transactions in certain securities or directing transactions be effected through
specific brokers or dealers. Typically, transactions are placed with the bank or brokerage
that has custody of the assets. The practice of rarely obtaining multiple bids may result in
less favorable pricing and fees for clients than may be available elsewhere.
Wimmer Associates will not exercise any discretionary power without first obtaining written
discretionary authority from the client. Discretionary authorization is granted in the
Investment Advisory Agreement we execute with our clients. Discretionary authority is also
granted by the limited power of attorney in the custodian’s account opening application
signed by the client. This authority, however, may be restricted by the terms agreed upon in
the Wimmer Associates Investment Advisory Agreement.
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Although investment decisions may be discussed and agreed on with clients prior to
implementation by Wimmer Associates, regardless of the discretionary status of that client’s
account, clients may retain Wimmer Associates on either a discretionary or non-discretionary
basis.
When the client does not grant Wimmer Associates investment discretion, Wimmer
Associates recommends to the client the identities and amounts of securities to be bought or
sold. If the client approves a recommended transaction and if Wimmer Associates has
trading authority, Wimmer Associates directs the execution of the recommended transaction.
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities
Wimmer Associates has contracted with an independent third party, Egan-Jones Proxy
Services, to vote the proxies on the securities held by our clients. Egan-Jones Proxy Services
researches the issues and makes informed recommendations to Wimmer Associates on each
ballot measure. We can follow those recommendations or use our judgment in casting the
votes. Egan-Jones Proxy Services maintains a detailed record on every vote cast and clients
may obtain a copy of the proxy voting record on request.
Our guiding principle is to vote proxies in the best interest of our clients. In situations
involving material conflicts that may arise between the interests of Wimmer Associates and
those of our clients, Wimmer Associates will follow the advice of Egan-Jones Proxy
Services. If Egan-Jones Proxy Services abstains from making a recommendation, Wimmer
Associates will analyze the issues and arrive at our own determination on how to vote.
Clients retain the right to vote their own holdings or may direct a proxy vote at any time by
calling or writing to inform us of their desired vote. Unless we hear from the client to the
contrary, however, we will assume that the client wishes to allow us to decide how the voting
of the proxies on his/her shares should be handled.
A copy of Wimmer Associates proxy voting policy is available upon request by contacting
Kathryn B. Kenney, Vice President of Portfolio Administration in our office.
Item 18 – Financial Information
Wimmer Associates does not have any financial impairment that would preclude the firm
from meeting contractual commitments to clients. A balance sheet is not required to be
provided because Wimmer Associates does not serve as a custodian for client funds or
securities, other than as described in Item 15 – Custody, and does not require prepayment of
fees of more than $1,200 per client, six months or more in advance.
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