Balser Wealth Management

Michael Balser, the firm's President and founder, leads all investment strategy and portfolio construction. He built the practice starting in 1998, and the firm's regulatory filings consistently list him as the key decision-maker for advisory services. There is no separate CIO; the investment function is closely held.

Functionally, Balser operates as a multi-family office for a concentrated client base of business owners and high-net-worth families, though the firm's legal structure is that of a registered investment advisor. It coordinates estate planning, tax strategy, and alternative investments in a manner typical of a small family office, but serves multiple unrelated families. The firm courts entrepreneurs rather than institutional pools of capital.

Balser's alternative sourcing relies heavily on direct real-estate acquisition in the Midwest and established relationships with private-credit managers and hedge-fund platforms. The firm does not run a proprietary deal-sourcing team; instead it evaluates third-party fund offerings and direct property opportunities that align with the tax sensitivities and liquidity profiles of its client base. Secondary-market interests offer a further avenue for private-market exposure.

Both. Balser evaluates limited-partnership commitments to third-party private-credit vehicles and hedge funds for its clients, while also facilitating direct ownership of income-producing real estate. The firm has historically shown a preference for direct property when it fits a client's control objectives and tax circumstances, but makes fund commitments for diversification and for asset classes in which it cannot source deals directly.

The firm has not publicly articulated a formal co-investment program. Client participation in GP-led opportunities is more likely to occur through secondary-market transactions or direct-property syndications than through systematic co-investment sidecars. The firm's size and single-office structure position it as a selective participant in private markets rather than a programmatic co-investor.

Yes. Balser's client base is concentrated in the industrial Midwest, with the greatest density in Ohio, Michigan, and western Pennsylvania. The firm's single Avon, Ohio office and its deep familiarity with the tax codes and business dynamics of the region reinforce this geographic concentration. It does not market nationally or maintain a presence in traditional wealth hubs like New York or San Francisco.

Tax positioning is the sequencing step that precedes asset allocation at Balser. Before a portfolio is constructed, the firm models the client's exposure to federal and state estate taxes, capital gains recognition, and Ohio-specific income-tax treatment. Asset classes and vehicle structures are then selected to optimize after-tax outcomes, which is why income-producing real estate and private credit—which can offer depreciation benefits and tax-deferred characteristics—feature prominently in client portfolios.