Stairway Partners, LLC

CRD#133157
Investment Advisor Firm

Answer a few questions and
get matched with an advisor.

Find an Advisor

Learn more about Stairway Partners, LLC

  • Overview
  • By the Numbers
  • Fee Structure
  • Types of Clients
  • Disclosures
  • State Registrations
  • Office Locations
  • Firm Advisors

    • Overview

    Stairway Partners, LLC operates as an advisory company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm oversees $1.1 billion in assets under management across 102 client accounts, making it one of the bigger investment advisory firms in the country by assets under management (AUM). Stairway Partners, LLC has a small team, including 3 financial advisors. Stairway Partners, LLC is not a registered broker-dealer, meaning the firm cannot buy and sell securities for its own accounts as well as its clients' and instead must go through a broker-dealer company to do so. Securities are tradable fiscal assets like equities, bonds and options.

    Stairway Partners, LLC oversees all of the firm's accounts on a discretionary basis. Discretionary management signifies that an investment advisor has the discretion to make transaction decisions for the client's account without needing to seek the client's consent. Stairway Partners, LLC's typical account size is $10.8 million. The typical advisor at Stairway Partners, LLC administers around 34 client accounts, placing it towards the middle in terms of personalization.

    The firm's headquarters is at 209 South Lasalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60604-1447. The company is legally allowed to serve investors across a few states, including Florida, Illinois, Minnesota and New Hampshire.

    Assets Under Management

    $1.1 billion

    Number of Advisors

    3

    Disclosures

    No

    Office Location

    209 South Lasalle Street
    Chicago, IL 60604-1447

    Stairway Partners, LLC by the Numbers

    Total Assets Under Management

    $1.1 billion

    National Average: $8.6 billion
    Total Number of Employees

    6

    National Average: 64
    Total Number of Accounts

    102

    National Average: 375,227
    Average Account Size

    $10.8 million

    National Average: $23.0 thousand
    Back to Overview
    Back to Overview

    Fee Structure

    Fees charged by financial advisors largely are based on which services the firm provides the client. However, fees billed by the company typically consist of the following fee structure: asset-based. Wrap fee programs, or the practice of bundling services for a single fee, are not offered by the company.

    Available

    • Offered by 69% of firms

      Percentage of Assets

      Show Explanation

      This fee, which is the most common fee type charged by advisors for portfolio management, is based on the amount of assets you have under management. Also referred to as an asset-based fee, this fee typically ranges from 0.50%-2.00% of AUM annually. You'll typically pay a lower rate the more assets you have under management.

    Unavailable

    • Find one of the 21% of firms that offer this fee type

      Hourly

      Show Explanation

      Like a lawyer, a financial advisor may charge you by the hour. This can be helpful if you are only looking for short-term or one-time advice. Rates typically range from $100-$300 per hour, depending on the complexity and level of services needed.

    • Find one of the 1% of firms that offer this fee type

      Commissions

      Show Explanation

      Occasionally, advisors earn commissions from selling financial products, such as securities or insurance policies, or making certain referrals or transactions. Advisors who earn commissions may be incentivized to make certain recommendations to clients in order to make a commission. Fee-only advisors do not earn commissions, while fee-based advisors may.

    • Find one of the 26% of firms that offer this fee type

      Performance-based

      Show Explanation

      Advisors only earn performance-based fees if a portfolio outperforms a defined benchmark. This fee may be calculated in a number of ways but most commonly is charged as a percentage of investment profits. Performance-based fees may incentivize advisors to make riskier decisions in order to generate higher returns.

    • Find one of the 0% of firms that offer this fee type

      Subscription

      Show Explanation

      Firms generally charge this fee for educational materials provided, such as a monthly magazine. This can be useful if you want to learn about investing or financial management on your own.

    • Find one of the 32% of firms that offer this fee type

      Fixed

      Show Explanation

      Fixed fees are a one-time, lump sum charged for a specific service, like the creation of a financial plan without subsequent implementation. This can be useful if you only need advice for one specific purpose, rather than a long-term advisor. Fixed fees usually range from $1,000 to $3,000.

    • Find one of the 10% of firms that offer this fee type

      Other

      Show Explanation

      Firms can sometimes charge customers using non-traditional fee structures. See this firm's Form ADV for more details.

    Back to Overview

    Types of Clients

    The company provides services to retail investors, high net worth investors, pension plans and charitable organizations. Out of its 102 accounts, Stairway Partners, LLC's biggest client type by number of accounts is high net worth investors, but it also serves 35 high-net-worth individuals. A high-net-worth individual is defined by the SEC as someone who has at least $750,000 under management or a net worth of more than $1.50 million or who is deemed a "qualified purchaser" (a standard met by having at least $5 million in investments). None of its accounts are represented by non-U.S. persons.

    • High-Net-Worth Individuals* - 66.04%
    • Other Individuals - 15.09%
    • Corporations - 11.32%
    • Charitable Organizations - 7.55%

    * The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines a high-net-worth individual as someone who has at least $750,000 under management.

    Find an advisor who will work directly with you

    Sometimes a big firm may not be able to give you the one-on-one service that you need. That's where we come in to help match you with great personal financial advisors. Click here to find your advisor matches today.

    Back to Overview

    Disclosures

    Stairway Partners, LLC does not have any disclosures.

    Please visit its Form ADV for more details.

    Back to Overview
    Back to Overview

    Find a financial advisor near you

    If you're interested in working with an advisor closer to you, we can help you find one. Click here to find your advisor matches today.

    Back to Overview

    Financial Advisors at Stairway Partners, LLC

    Stewart Rallis
    Minneapolis, MN
    Kevin Terhaar
    Chicago, IL
    James Jackson
    Minneapolis, MN

    Not sure which advisor is right for you? Use our matching tool

    Our matching tool simplifies the process of finding a financial advisor. To match you with top financial advisors nearby, we ask you a series of questions about your retirement plans, life status, investment goals and advisor preferences, which are all important topics to consider when choosing a financial advisor. Click here to find your advisor matches today

    Back to Overview

    The content in this profile was updated by SmartAsset on 4/16/2023. All advisor details come from publicly available data, and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the content. We are unable to make individual profile updates. If you want your profile removed temporarily or permanently, please contact profile-compliance@smartasset.com.

    The named financial professional and firm have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this profile and are not responsible for its accuracy. Profile content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named financial professional and firm. Financial professionals and firms having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s profiles.

    This profile may include a firm or advisor that has a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms or advisors. SmartAsset did not receive compensation for including any of the firms or advisors in the aforementioned profile.

    This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the advisor or firm mentioned in this profile. The matching tool does not include all available advisors and firms and matches based on specific criteria (investable assets, geography, and willingness to work with a remote advisor).

    Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the United States, which it authorizes the use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.