Orange, CA Office

Private Management Group, Inc. (PMG) provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, business entities, and similar clients, managing approximately $4.9 billion on behalf of several thousand accounts. The firm bills primarily on a percentage-of-assets-under-management basis and administers accounts through institutional custodians, typically using Schwab for custody and trade execution.

PMG constructs individualized portfolios after gathering client input on risk and return objectives and applies longer-term strategic frameworks that are adjusted by shorter-term tactical decisions; these tactical overlays can lead to material deviations from stated benchmarks for extended periods. The firm uses fundamental analysis and may invest globally across a broad set of instruments — including preferreds, convertibles, REITs, foreign securities, options, and occasional illiquid or closed-end positions — generally favoring longer-term holdings while permitting tactical short-term trades.

Noteworthy differences from many peers include PMG’s marketing and referral practices: the brochure discloses use of compensated promoters (with written Promoter’s Disclosure Letters) and the firm’s marketing includes client testimonials, and it also discloses a referral relationship with a tax/accounting firm connected to the Chief Compliance Officer’s spouse, creating a potential conflict of interest. PMG also emphasizes portfolio-level management (including block trading and occasional concentrated positions), typically avoids open-end mutual funds to limit fee layering, and explicitly requests active client input rather than offering standalone financial planning as a primary service.