Sharkey Howes & Javer

Sharkey Howes & Javer

Founded in 1990 by Lawrence E. Howes and Joel D. Javer, Sharkey Howes & Javer established its practice in Denver, Colorado, as an integrated wealth management and registered investment advisory firm. The principals built the business around long-term financial planning relationships, serving individuals, businesses, trustees, and pension plans through a combination of investment advisory, tax planning, estate planning, and insurance services. The firm's investment approach centers on individualized portfolio management rather than pooled fund vehicles. It advises on asset allocation across public equities, fixed income, and insurance-based strategies, with financial planning serving as the entry point for most client relationships. Sharkey Howes & Javer does not operate proprietary funds or pursue institutional separate account mandates at scale; its model is built around direct advisory relationships with high-net-worth families and small institutional trustees. The geographic concentration remains the Mountain West, with the Denver metro area as the core client base. The firm maintains a lean partnership structure, with no disclosed external capital, acquisition activity, or multi-office expansion. As of 2025, no public record exists of team size, total regulatory assets under management, or formal succession planning. The firm's Form ADV filings with the SEC reflect its posture as a boutique advisory practice rather than a growth-oriented wealth platform. Lawrence Howes and Joel Javer remain the named principals, with no public announcements of next-generation leadership transitions. Sharkey Howes & Javer's structural differentiator is its durability as a founder-operated partnership in an industry increasingly dominated by consolidators and private-equity-backed roll-ups. The firm has remained independent for over three decades, relying on its in-house tax and estate planning capabilities to serve as the connective tissue between investment management and the broader financial lives of its clients. This integrated service model, rather than asset-gathering scale, defines its competitive posture.