Benchmark
Investment
Advisors
About Our Firm

We help prosperous individuals and families make the best possible decisions about their financial lives.

One of the great myths about money is that the more you have, the easier everything gets. Truth is, with success and wealth, things often get complicated—requiring more attention, more sophistication, and more resources.

Key Advantages of Partnering with Benchmark

Expense-Saving Investment Management Process

Our investment management process results in the majority of the portfolio being invested in individual stocks and bonds.  As a result, the additional layer of mutual fund or exchange traded fund fees have been eliminated reducing the overall investment management cost to our clients.  Additionally, individual securities allow us to provide a much better after-tax results due to the increased efficiency of tax driven trading to reduce realized capital gains.

Recognized by Clients & Peers as One of the Top Wealth Managers

Our firm and its principals have consistently been named among the top wealth managers in Chicago in an annual survey of investors and other financial professionals by Chicago Magazine.

Institutional Quality Money Management

Investment management services provided by a former Wall Street research analyst and portfolio manager who invests assets thorough a collaborative, investment committee-led investment process.

Custom-Tailored Solutions

We come to understand the personal financial statements, risk preferences, and individual objectives of our clients, and come up with a customized investment and financial plan tailored to their unique requirements.

Independent & Conflict-Free

Our recommendations are entirely free of the conflicts of interest that are present in most traditional investment advisory models. We are not compensated on trading commissions or from kick-backs from investment product providers we utilize in our clients’ portfolio.  Our interests are perfectly aligned with our clients: managing the portfolio to maximize the return for the risk level each client is willing to take.

Highly Qualified & Credentialed Professionals

Our team represents highly trained and experienced financial professionals, having earned the most respected designations in our field (CFA), as well as others such as CPA and MBA.

In-House Research Staff

Our internal team uses proprietary methodology based on these firms ability to generate superior and sustainable cash flow returns on investment above their firm’s cost of capital employed in the business, as well as performs intense due diligence to identify attractive investment securities with an unlimited universe.

Collaboration with Clients’ Other Advisors

We are in close contact with clients’ advisors and that is where our cross training provides the greatest benefit. We work well with other complementary professionals because we understand their strategies, tools, and techniques. We collaborate with tax accountants, estate planners, family offices, private bankers, family/business attorneys, agents, and trustees to create a cohesive plan for the benefit of each client.

We believe that a long-term investment strategy incorporating an asset allocation framework is the key to providing consistent risk-adjusted returns. While we have a number of core strategies, our investment managers have considerable discretion to use their individual expertise in managing client portfolios, supported and directed by the central investment process.

We capture a broad set of investment ideas and engage every member of our team in the investment process. This flexibility enables us to attract and retain talented investment managers.

Investments are sourced on an open market basis using our in-house research team. This means that we utilize passive and active strategies, investing in equities, bonds and alternative investments, based on the investment’s suitability for our clients.

When making any investment decision we are always cognizant of the impact of taxes and expenses on performance.

Investment Process

Clients of Benchmark can expect a truly customized service, supported by a well-researched investment process designed to deliver appropriate risk-adjusted returns.

Client Objectives

The investment manager takes time to understand the specific circumstances of each client, constructing a portfolio to reflect his or her personal requirements. Clients receive regular updates and have direct access to the investment management team. This means we are able to respond to any changes in individual requirements, as well as changes in market conditions in a timely and effective way.

Risk Controls

The investment process is fundamental to our service; all our investment professionals participate in the investment process. Internal risk control and performance monitoring ensure that the investment approach consistently matches clients’ objectives and meets their expected standards.

Experienced Financial Professionals Ready & Willing To Earn Your Trust

One of the most important considerations that sets us apart from other investment management firms is our range of expertise and the depth of our experience. The proficiency in which we can apply our tools and investment products at our disposal is unmatched.

More about Benchmark’s methodology & tools