Overview
Stewardship Partners Investment Counsel, Inc. (Stewardship Partners) is a registered
investment advisory firm under the Investment Advisor Act of 1940.
(Registration with the SEC does not in any way constitute an endorsement by the SEC of an investment adviser’s skill or
expertise. Further, registration does not imply or guarantee that a registered adviser has achieved a certain level of skill,
competency, sophistication, expertise or training in providing advisory services to its clients).
Stewardship Partners was founded by Howard J. “Rusty” and Carol Leonard in 2000. Mr.
and Mrs. Leonard remain the principal owners.
Stewardship Partners provides investment advisory services, on a discretionary and non-
discretionary basis, for high net worth individuals and institutional clients. Each account is
managed in accordance with the investment objectives and any restrictions set by the
client.
In addition to portfolio management, Stewardship Partners may offer clients advice and
assistance in establishing their investment goals and objectives and asset allocation advice.
Our services may include evaluation of the client’s personal and financial circumstances,
needs and goals, including a review of financial and other assets, income risk tolerance, tax
status and other factors unique to the client. For institutional clients, we may review
governing legal documents, overall portfolio composition and size and expected inflow and
outflow of funds.
If appropriate for the client, Stewardship Partners may invest account assets in a
long/short strategy for selected clients whose risk profile is appropriate. The strategies
pursued will seek to achieve high returns by taking high risks, including investing with
borrowed funds and shorting stocks. Typically, this kind of fund is suitable only for those
investors who can understand and bear the risk of losing all or part of their investment.
For those clients whose accounts are managed by Stewardship Partners pursuant to a
wrap-fee, consulting, or other referral program, these services may be provided by the
third-party broker-dealer, investment advisor, trust company or other financial services
provider who sponsors the program. Under these arrangements, the financial services
provider typically interviews the client or
has the client complete a written questionnaire,
assesses the client’s financial situation and needs and makes a determination as to whether
the investment styles and services offered by Stewardship Partners would be appropriate
for the client before Stewardship Partners is retained to manage the client’s account. The
financial services provider also normally is responsible for determining and notifying
Stewardship Partners of any changes in the client’s investment objectives or personal or
financial circumstances that should be taken into account in managing the account.
Each client selects his or her own account custodian and may designate the broker-dealer
which Stewardship Partners normally is to place orders for securities transactions for the
account. In some cases, the client pays a single, asset-based fee to the designated broker-
dealer that covers both Stewardship Partners’ investment management fee plus the cost of
brokerage transactions executed by that broker-dealer for the account. In other cases,
Stewardship Partners’ advisory fee is the only asset-based fee and the client pays
separately for commissions and other transaction charges, custodial fees and other
expenses incurred in managing the account. Stewardship Partners does not make a
determination as to whether clients participating in wrap programs may be better suited
paying for brokerage execution and investment advice separately.
Portfolio Management
Most clients will retain Stewardship Partners on a discretionary basis. Pursuant to such an
arrangement, Stewardship Partners will normally have the authority to supervise and
direct the portfolio without prior consultation with the client. Once initial portfolio changes
are implemented Stewardship Partners will, on an ongoing basis, review the client
portfolios and monitor the investments to ensure that the arrangement of the portfolio is
still commensurate with the client's goals and objectives.
Stewardship Partners provides continuous and regular supervisory or management
services to securities portfolios. The assets we have under management, and the number of
accounts associated with them, as of September 30, 2023 are as follows:
Account Description US Dollar Amount Number of Accounts
Discretionary $58,217,382 332
Non-Discretionary $0 0
Total Assets Under Management $58,217,382 332