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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...
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.
General information
Firm type
Bank / Wealth / Trust
Year founded
1990
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Denver
Corporate office
Denver, CO, United States
Principals
Lawrence E. Howes
Co-Founder
Joel D. Javer
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What services does Sharkey Howes & Javer provide?
The firm offers investment advisory, portfolio management, financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, and insurance planning. Its service model is structured to deliver integrated wealth management from a single fiduciary point of contact. The client base includes individuals, businesses, trustees, and pension plans.
Who are the key investment decision-makers at Sharkey Howes & Javer?
Specific named principals are not publicly identified in available records. The firm operates as an established RIA, and the founding generation — Sharkey, Howes, and Javer — likely held the initial leadership roles. Current control persons and investment committee membership would be detailed in the firm's Form ADV, which is publicly accessible through the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database.
How does the firm charge for its services?
As a registered investment adviser, Sharkey Howes & Javer likely utilizes a fee-based model common among independent RIAs, such as a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, or fixed retainer fees. The exact fee schedule would be disclosed in the firm's Form ADV Part 2A brochure. No performance-fee or carried-interest structures are publicly associated with the firm.
Does Sharkey Howes & Javer manage proprietary funds or institutional capital?
There is no public record of proprietary mutual funds, ETFs, or LP-structured investment vehicles managed by Sharkey Howes & Javer. The firm's registered advisory profile suggests client assets are managed through separately managed accounts or via third-party platform models rather than commingled fund structures.
Is Sharkey Howes & Javer affiliated with a larger financial institution or broker-dealer?
No public evidence indicates affiliation with a larger bank, broker-dealer, or roll-up RIA platform. The firm operates under its own brand and likely serves as an independently owned practice. Any custodian relationships — such as with Schwab or Fidelity — would be standard operational partnerships, not ownership ties.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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