Customers' Yachts Advisers, Inc.

Customers' Yachts Advisers is a fee-only registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individuals and household entities (individuals, IRAs, SEPs, and family trusts), overseeing about $12 million across roughly 13 client relationships. The firm states it targets long-term growth and also indicates an intention to pursue pension plans, foundations, and endowments in the future.

The firm implements a global, equity-oriented strategy largely through low-cost exchange-traded funds and emphasizes a “strong hands” approach that is not intended for short-term trading. Portfolios can drift from target allocations, sometimes holding more than 20% in cash or CDs and rebalancing infrequently; the firm uses AI tools to assist portfolio management while reserving final decisions for human judgment and may deviate from global diversification when it perceives information asymmetry.

Notable practices that distinguish the firm from many peers include a concentration of assets—more than half of AUM is held among a small number of related clients—and the retention of legacy accounts on closed, lower fee schedules, which the firm acknowledges creates potential conflicts it manages through equitable trade allocation efforts. The firm also commonly recommends discount broker-dealers that may impose monthly inactivity fees, does not routinely perform periodic account reviews unless requested by the client, and is led by a principal with a background in structured insurance products, market-making, valuation work and professional credentials (CFA, MBA, EA).