DFX Intelligence
RIA Intelligence
Registered investment advisers, the advisors registered through them, the capital they report, the private vehicles they run and the people who own them, as a graph with a filing date behind every number. RAUM is what the adviser filed, a move is two registration dates, and a class is a rule you can read.
SEC-registered adviser
Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC
Latest filing Aug 26, 2026
First filing on the tape Mar 30, 2016 · 41 filings
SEC status approved since Apr 6, 2016
RAUM
$1.0B
reported, Item 5.F
Discretionary
99%
of RAUM
Private clients
94%
$977M individuals and HNW
Advisors
5
registered through the firm on IAPD
RAUM per advisor
$207M
derived; firm RAUM over IAPD count
Employees
9
8 advisory (5.B.1)
Offices
0
beyond the principal office
Private funds
0
reported on Schedule D
History
41 filings and snapshots on the tape
RAUM$1.0B as of Aug 26, 2026
Mar 28, 2017$189M then
HNW client RAUM$815M as of Aug 26, 2026
Mar 21, 2018$178M then
State-registered IARs (5.B.3)4 as of Aug 26, 2026
Mar 28, 20174 then
Employees (5.A)9 as of Aug 26, 2026
Mar 28, 20177 then
Private funds: no history
RAUM +26% over the last fiscal year+24% a year over threeIARs 6 to 4
Practice profile
derived from the filing of Aug 26, 2026; every figure names its basis
Archetypes, each a printed rule
- HNW wealth manager · private-client share of RAUM at least 50 percent and HNW share of private-client RAUM 50 to 90 percent
- Independent boutique · a wealth manager with no broker-dealer, bank or insurance affiliate, 2 to 25 advisors, one to three offices, no public reporting company control
- RAUM per advisor
- $207MderivedRAUM over IAPD advisors; not a book size
- Clients per advisor
- 171derivedindividual and HNW clients (5.D) over advisors
- Average HNW client
- $2.7MderivedHNW RAUM over HNW clients
- Average account
- $459,069derivedRAUM over accounts (5.F.2.f)
- Discretionary
- 99%derivedof RAUM
- Institutional
- 4.1%derivedpensions, charities, corporations, government, insurance, banks, other advisers
- Employees per advisor
- 1.8derivedItem 5.A over advisors
- Advisors per office
- 5.0derived1 offices incl. principal (1.F.5)
- RAUM growth, one year
- +26%derivedbetween the last two annual amendments
- Advisor growth, one year
- -33%derivedItem 5.B.3 between annual amendments
- Client growth, one year
- +11%derived
- Compensation
- percentage of assetsreportedItem 5.E
- Advisory activities
- financial planning, portfolio management for individualsreportedItem 5.G
- Financial planning clients
- 1,000reportedItem 5.H
- Custody
- $1.0B, 888 clientsreportedItem 9.A
- Ownership
- no PE, bank or public-company owner found on Schedule Aderived
- Advisor book size
- not public; not estimatedreported
Also answered yes on Form ADV
- buys or sells securities as principal to or from clients (8.A.2)
- has discretionary authority over which securities are bought or sold (8.C.1)
- receives research or other products from a broker-dealer, soft dollars (8.E)
- compensates persons for client referrals (8.G.1)
- compensates non-employees for client referrals (8.G.2)
- has custody of client cash or bank accounts (9.A.1.a)
- has custody of client securities (9.A.1.b)
Where the RAUM sits
Form ADV Item 5.D, latest filing
- High-net-worth individuals$815M79%
- Individuals$162M16%
- Pension and profit-sharing plans$36.4M3.5%
- Corporations and businesses$15.2M1.5%
- Charitable organizations$5.7M0.6%
- Individual clients
- 546reported
- HNW clients
- 307reported
- Pension plan clients
- 25reported
- Charitable clients
- 3reported
- Accounts
- 2,253reported
- Financial planning clients
- 1,000reported
- Wrap fee programs
- noreported
- Custody of client assets
- $1.0B for 888 clientsreported
- Compensation
- % of AUMreported
- Class basis
- private_client_share=0.94 fund_share=0.0 institutional_share=0.04 related_bd=false related_bank=false bd_reps=4.0derived
Advisors registered through the firm
5 on IAPD today, longest tenure first
| Name | Branch | Here since | In industry | Prior firms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Michael Marks | Buffalo, Ny | Apr 6, 2016 | 29 y | 2 |
| Phillip Kenneth Vance | Buffalo, Ny | Jun 8, 2016 | 33 y | 2 |
| Cynthia Eileen VanceCertified Financial Planner, Chartered Financial Consultant | Buffalo, Ny | Aug 12, 2021 | 33 y | 2 |
| Chelsea Lynn Blasch | Buffalo, Ny | Aug 16, 2021 | 14 y | 1 |
| John Lawrence Langer | Buffalo, Ny | Aug 16, 2021 | 26 y | 3 |
Advisor movement
2 left, 1 joined in 12 months
net -1 in 12 months0 left in 90 days0 joined in 90 daysdeparture rate 40% of current headcount2 left over 36 months
Left, latest
- Connor Joseph Rosenecker to Covenant WealthMar 16, 2026 · RIA to a state-registered adviser
- Christine Papelian to Illumination Wealth ManagementDec 8, 2025 · RIA to RIA
- Angela Marie Hall to Note Advisors, LLCDec 13, 2018 · RIA to RIA
Joined, latest
- Connor Joseph Rosenecker from Hightower Advisors, LLCDec 15, 2025 · Affiliated broker-dealer or bank to independent RIA
- Christine Papelian from LPL Financial LLCNov 12, 2024 · Affiliated broker-dealer or bank to independent RIA
- Chelsea Lynn Blasch from Sii Investments, Inc.Aug 16, 2021 · Affiliated broker-dealer or bank to independent RIA
- Angela Marie Hall from LPL Financial LLCApr 9, 2018 · RIA to RIA
- John Lawrence Langer from Sii Investments, Inc.Jun 13, 2016 · Other
- Phillip Kenneth Vance from Sii Investments, Inc.Jun 8, 2016 · Other
- Cynthia Eileen Vance from Sii Investments, Inc.Jun 8, 2016 · Other
- Christopher Michael Marks from Sii Investments, Inc.Apr 6, 2016 · Other
Teams: two or more advisors moving together within fourteen days, from one state
- 4 joined from Sii Investments, Inc.Feb 15, 2018 · Appleton, Wi
Private funds
No private fund reported.
Owners and control persons
Schedule A and B, latest filing
- Michael Christopher Marks · Chief Compliance Officercontrolsince 01/2016 · owns less than 5%
- Eileen Cynthia Vance · Chief Executive Officercontrolsince 01/2016 · owns less than 5%
- Kenneth Phillip Vance · Membercontrolsince 01/2016 · owns 25% to 50%
- Lawrence John Langer · Membersince 01/2016 · owns 10% to 25%
- George Mark Larussa · Chief Operating Officersince 07/2019 · owns less than 5%
Entity owners
- Sterling Delaware, LLC · Ownerdirect · owns 50% to 75%
Related persons
Schedule D 7.A
- Law Offices Of Christopher M. Marksy
- Law Offices Of Cynthia E. Vancey
Office movement
IAPD branch city; joins and departures in 12 months
| Office | Advisors | Joined | Left | Teams out | Forming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo, Ny · principal | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Offices
Schedule D 1.F, the 25 largest
No branch office listed.
ADV anomalies
1 against comparable advisers; where to look, not conclusions
- advisor count dropChange between filings · filing Mar 19, 2026advisory representatives (Item 5.B.3) moved from 6.0 to 4.0 (-33.0%) between the annual amendments of 2025-04-11 and 2026-03-19; the peer median change was 0.0% (999 comparable advisers, 1.0th percentile of changes)peers: independent wealth managers, $1B to $5B (999) · 1.4% percentile
What changed
consecutive filings, newest first
- Accounts · 2,038 to 2,253Dec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Advisory employees · 9 to 8Dec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- BD registered reps · 6 to 4Dec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- HNW clients · 243 to 307Dec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Individual clients · 524 to 546Dec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Assets in custody · $819M to $1.0BDec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Employees · 10 to 9Dec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- State-registered IARs · 6 to 4Dec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Discretionary RAUM · $814M to $1.0BDec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- HNW RAUM · $615M to $815MDec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Individual RAUM · $157M to $162MDec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Non-discretionary RAUM · $5.7M to $6.3MDec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- Pension RAUM · $30.0M to $36.4MDec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- RAUM · $819M to $1.0BDec 23, 2025 to Mar 19, 2026
- BD registered reps · 5 to 6Apr 11, 2025 to Dec 23, 2025
- Accounts · 1,939 to 2,038Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Corporate clients · 5 to 7Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- HNW clients · 192 to 243Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Individual clients · 533 to 524Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Pension plan clients · 82 to 25Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Assets in custody · $657M to $819MFeb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Insurance-licensed employees · 1 to 0Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Financial planning clients · More than 500 to More than 500Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Discretionary RAUM · $656M to $814MFeb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- HNW RAUM · $405M to $615MFeb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Individual RAUM · $194M to $157MFeb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Non-discretionary RAUM · $771,541 to $5.7MFeb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Pension RAUM · $42.7M to $30.0MFeb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- RAUM · $657M to $819MFeb 10, 2025 to Apr 11, 2025
- Advisory employees · 8 to 9Sep 24, 2024 to Nov 15, 2024
- Employees · 9 to 10Sep 24, 2024 to Nov 15, 2024
- Insurance-licensed employees · 0 to 1Sep 24, 2024 to Nov 15, 2024
- State-registered IARs · 5 to 6Sep 24, 2024 to Nov 15, 2024
- Accounts · 1,821 to 1,939Apr 17, 2023 to Mar 11, 2024
- Charity clients · 4 to 3Apr 17, 2023 to Mar 11, 2024
- HNW clients · 213 to 192Apr 17, 2023 to Mar 11, 2024
- Individual clients · 523 to 533Apr 17, 2023 to Mar 11, 2024
- Pension plan clients · 69 to 82Apr 17, 2023 to Mar 11, 2024
- Assets in custody · $544M to $657MApr 17, 2023 to Mar 11, 2024
- Discretionary RAUM · $543M to $656MApr 17, 2023 to Mar 11, 2024
Signals
6 dated events
- Sterling Investment Counsel, Llc reported RAUM $1.0B, up 26% from $819.3M (2025-12-23 to 2026-03-19)Mar 19, 2026 · RAUM change · derived
- Connor Joseph Rosenecker left Sterling Investment Counsel, Llc for Covenant Wealth (registered 2026-04-08)Mar 16, 2026 · Advisor changed firm · fact
- Christine Papelian left Sterling Investment Counsel, Llc for Illumination Wealth Management (registered 2025-12-10)Dec 8, 2025 · Advisor changed firm · fact
- Thomas James Goede (Chief Investment Officer) no longer on Schedule A of Sterling Investment Counsel, Llc (listed 2021-05-04, absent 2022-03-29)Mar 29, 2022 · Control person left · inference
- Sterling Investment Counsel, Llc reported RAUM $305.6M, up 50% from $204.0M (2017-07-07 to 2018-03-21)Mar 21, 2018 · RAUM change · derived
- Sterling Investment Counsel, Llc filed its initial SEC registration (Form ADV)Mar 30, 2016 · First SEC registration · fact
Across DFX
shared identifiers only, never a name match
No identifier-backed link to the venture, private equity, family office or sponsor graphs.
How to reach
public business contact points only, each with its source
- Firm profile
- LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/STERLING-INVESTMENT-COUNSEL-LLCreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
- Website
- STERINV.COMreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
- Principal office phone
- (716) 783-7054reportedpublic record, Form ADV, Aug 26, 2026
Provenance
- Form ADV
- SEC filing data 2011 to 2024 and the monthly roster 2025 onreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
- Advisors
- IAPD individual compilation feed, dailyreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
- Class
- Independent wealth managerderiveda rule over Items 5.D and 7.A
- RAUM per advisor
- $207Mderivedfirm RAUM over the IAPD count; not a book size
- Loaded
- Sep 14, 2026