# Ballast Advisors

Ballast Advisors is a Multi Family Office based in West Des Moines, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Multi Family Office
- **Headquarters:** West Des Moines, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** West Des Moines, IA, United States
- **Founded:** 2015
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** ballast-advisors.com

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 282369
- **SEC file number:** 801-120829
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** No
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/282369

## About

Ballast Capital Advisors opened in 2015 in West Des Moines, founded by David Byrnes to serve individuals, trusts, and business entities across the Midwest. The firm operates as a registered investment adviser, combining financial planning, tax strategy, and investment management under one roof — a structure designed to eliminate the coordination gaps that arise when families use separate providers for each function. Ballast runs discretionary portfolios, constructing allocations across equities, fixed income, and alternatives. The firm emphasizes direct management of client assets rather than relying on packaged products or external sub-advisors, which allows it to tailor tax-loss harvesting and position sizing to each family's specific circumstances. Its footprint concentrates on Iowa and neighboring Midwestern states, where the firm competes with both national wirehouses and smaller local RIAs for relationships typically ranging from high-net-worth individuals to institutional trusts. The firm reports a team that includes a dedicated chief compliance officer, Dan Bell, reflecting the regulatory rigor expected of a fiduciary under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Ballast's structural differentiator is its integration of tax planning as a core investment function — not a separate service line. Many RIAs outsource tax preparation or treat it as an ancillary referral; Ballast embeds tax-awareness into portfolio construction directly, a model more commonly associated with single-family offices than with suburban advisory practices. This architecture suits business owners and trust beneficiaries navigating concentrated positions, estate freezes, and multi-entity liquidity events.

## People

- David Byrnes — President
- Dan Bell — Chief Compliance Officer

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Ballast Capital Advisors?

David Byrnes, the firm's president and founder, oversees investment strategy as part of Ballast's integrated advisory model. The firm operates with a flat structure where portfolio management is handled in-house rather than outsourced. Dan Bell serves as chief compliance officer, ensuring fiduciary obligations are met under SEC registration.

### Does Ballast Capital Advisors use third-party investment managers?

Ballast manages portfolios on a discretionary basis using its own research and allocation decisions. The firm does not position itself as a fund-of-funds or a platform that distributes external manager strategies. This in-house approach gives the firm full control over tax-loss harvesting, position sizing, and rebalancing across household accounts.

## Related profiles

- [Ball State University Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/ball-state-university-endowment)
- [Ballestas Advisors](https://altss.com/profile/ballestas-advisors)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

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