Bason Asset Management

Bason Asset Management works with individuals and families as well as retirement plans, foundations, endowments, and other nonprofit organizations, providing portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm also serves as a fiduciary for ERISA retirement plans, offering 3(21) and 3(38) services including plan benchmarking and 408(b)(2) fee and service disclosure.

Bason’s investment philosophy is explicitly passive and grounded in the Efficient Market Hypothesis; client portfolios are custom-built but primarily implemented with mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, with ongoing monitoring, rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting recommendations, and quarterly performance reporting. The firm accepts discretionary authority over accounts while generally preferring to discuss trades with clients and avoids active stock and bond selection for new positions.

What distinguishes Bason from many peers is the combination of a large reported asset base (roughly $846 million in managed assets) relative to its advisory staff and an uncommon fee model: investment management fees are not tied to portfolio value but are billed as flat/retainer arrangements rather than a percentage of assets. The firm is independent of broker-dealers, receives custodial support (notably from Charles Schwab) without commission arrangements, and does not proxy vote client securities.