Friedberg Investment Management (FIM) is an independent, fee-based, money management firm. We are not affiliated with any brokerage firm, mutual fund organization, financial planning firm or insurance company, and we do not charge commissions. We are, therefore, free to make what we deem to be unbiased investment decisions for each of our clients.

Investment management is not so much the management of money as it is the management of risk. Most investors take either too much risk or too little. At FIM, we believe the challenge is to invest each client’s dollars to obtain the highest possible return commensurate with the degree of risk each client is willing and able to assume. For some clients, this means seeking long term growth in the stock market. For others, it means earning substantial interest or dividend income, ideally rising over time, without significant risk to principal.

How Does FIM Operate?

FIM manages each portfolio separately--there is no comingling or pooling of funds. FIM does not take custody of a client’s funds or securities. We simply establish accounts at fully insured brokerage firms which offer our clients low commissions, and we manage these accounts through limited power-of-attorney. We issue a statement every month showing profit or loss as well as holdings, and we are accessible to our clients every day.

Client Relationships

Unlike a mutual fund, each investor has direct access to the individuals at FIM who manage their portfolios. And unlike a brokerage firm, the principals of FIM are decision makers, not order takers. Portfolios are thus very closely tailored to the needs of each investor. We work very hard to earn the trust of our investors, many of whom have been with us for many years.

Who Are FIM’s Clients? 

Our clients are primarily individuals and small retirement plans. FIM can manage IRAs, Roths, individual 401-ks, SEPs, trusts and custodial accounts that are oriented to each investor’s preference. We manage growth and balanced portfolios for investors seeking appreciation and income generating portfolios for investors desiring income

The Human Touch

The key to our success is to utilize the human touch – to look beyond the numbers in order to identify companies with products or managements that make them special. Our four analysts gather data not only by reading business and corporate literature, but also by visiting company facilities, meeting with corporate executives, listening in on conference calls and attending investment conferences. The decision to place a security on the “approved to buy” list is made by our investment committee, which currently consists of our four research analysts.

FIM pursues long-term investment objectives with a patient, prudent style of investing. We buy only publicly traded securities. In pursuit of growth objectives, we concentrate on relatively young companies with a competitive edge in the marketplace and ample room for expansion. A typical growth portfolio contains 15 to 20 stocks in a variety of industries. On the conservative side, we seek income and/or safety of principal through investments in utility stocks, real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships (MLPs) and bonds (where appropriate). We strongly prefer growing income streams from these types of securities to the steady income from bonds. Balanced portfolios, seeking some growth but greater stability than growth accounts, are comprised of a mixture of all of the above types of securities.

How Did FIM Originate?

Jeffrey L. Friedberg was raised in a small coal-mining town in eastern Pennsylvania. He graduated first in his high school class, earned Dean’s List while at MIT and was awarded a graduate Fellowship at Caltech. Although his degrees were in Geology and Geophysics, Friedberg became actively involved in the stock market while pursuing a rewarding career in Geophysics. In 1979, Friedberg decided to become registered and licensed as an Investment Advisor in order to invest other people’s money as he was investing his own. He thus founded FIM, in effect transforming an enjoyable sideline into a successful business endeavor.