AdvisorCensus / Financial advisors / New York / Buffalo / Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC
Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm in Buffalo, NY, registered since 2016, reporting $1 billion to $5 billion in regulatory assets under management in its Form ADV filing dated August 26, 2026.
Quick answers
From the filingHow is Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC compensated?
On its Form ADV (Item 5.E, October 2026), Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC reports these compensation arrangements: a percentage of assets under its management.
What does Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC's brochure say about its fees?
Its Form ADV Part 2A brochure dated May 14, 2026 states: Up to $500,000: 1.5% a year; Above $500,001: 1.25% a year. Fees can differ by service and may be negotiable; the brochure is the complete statement.
Where is Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC located?
Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC's principal office is in Buffalo, NY, according to its Form ADV.
Is Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC registered with the SEC or a state?
Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm, registered since 2016. Status as filed: Approved. CRD 282624.
How much does Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC manage?
Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC reports $1,034,282,441 in regulatory assets under management in its Form ADV filing dated August 26, 2026 (99% discretionary).
How have Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC's assets and staff changed since 2021?
In the Form ADV data for Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC: Regulatory assets under management: $503,168,651 in the October 2021 data and $1,034,282,441 in the October 2026 data, up 106%. Total employees: 9 in October 2021 and 9 in October 2026. Assets under management move with markets as well as with clients coming and going.
What types of clients does Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC serve?
By number of clients on Form ADV Item 5.D: individuals (other than high net worth individuals) (546); high net worth individuals (307); pension and profit sharing plans (but not the plan participants or government pension plans) (25).
Which custodians does Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC use?
Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC's most recent Form ADV filing (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3)) lists Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC as a custodian holding 10% or more of its separately managed account assets.
Does Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC report any disciplinary disclosures?
Reports no disclosure items on Form ADV Item 11. The detail of any item is on the firm's SEC record: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/282624
Does Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC state an account minimum?
Its Form ADV Part 2A brochure dated May 14, 2026 says: "There is no minimum account size requirement for any of SIC’s services."
What changed in Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC's recent Form ADV filings?
In the September 2026 filing data: Registered or notice-filed in CO.
From the Form ADV filing
Every figure below is as the firm filed it with regulators, as of October 2026.
How the firm is compensated
Item 5.E- A percentage of assets under your management
Item 5.E lists how the firm is compensated for its advice; Items 5.B, 6.A, and 7.A show whether its people or related companies can also earn commissions. Percentage of assets, fixed, hourly, subscription, and performance-based fees come from clients (a performance-based fee depends on investment results); commissions come with a sale or a trade, often from the company behind the product. How fees, commissions, and other arrangements differ
Fees and minimums
Form ADV Part 2A| Assets | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $500,000 | 1.5% |
| Above $500,001 | 1.25% |
The brochure's wording
Total Assets Under Management Annual Fee $0 - $500,000 1.50% $500,001 – And Up 1.25%
Account minimum: None
The brochure's wording
There is no minimum account size requirement for any of SIC’s services.
Minimum annual fee: $1,500
The brochure's wording
Relationships are subject to a minimum annual fee of $1,500.
As stated in the firm's Form ADV Part 2A brochure dated May 14, 2026. Fees can differ by service and may be negotiable; the brochure is the complete statement. Read the brochure on the SEC's IAPD site
Regulatory assets under management
Item 5.F$1,034,282,441 as of October 2026, filing dated August 26, 2026.
A measure of scale, not skill or returns. Discretionary means the firm decides trades; non-discretionary means clients approve each one. What assets under management means
Who the firm serves
Item 5.DA firm with no individual clients is an institutional manager even if it manages billions; the mix tells you whom the practice is built around.
Advisory services
Item 5.G- Financial planning services
- Portfolio management for individuals and/or small businesses
Registration and firm details
Items 1, 2, 5- Registration
- SEC-registered investment adviser. Status as filed: Approved.
- Registered since
- 2016 (10 years)
- Employees
- Total: 9. Performing investment advisory functions: 8.
- Wrap fee program participation
- No.
- Custodians (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3))
-
Custodians holding 10% or more of the firm's separately managed account assets, as filed on Form ADV (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3)). A custodian holds client assets; it does not endorse or supervise the firm. AdvisorCensus has no relationship with any custodian.
- States registered or notice-filed
-
15 states or jurisdictions
SEC-registered investment advisers are examined by the SEC. SEC, state, and exempt registration
Disclosures
Item 11None Reports no disclosure items on Form ADV Item 11. View on IAPD.
Item 11 asks about criminal, regulatory, and civil events involving the firm and its advisory personnel. The detail of each yes answer is on the IAPD record. Reading a firm's disclosures
Assets and staff over time
Items 5.A, 5.F| Data period | Assets under management | Employees | Filing dated |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $1,034,282,441 | 9 | August 26, 2026 |
| October 2025 | $819,283,156 | 10 | April 11, 2025 |
| October 2024 | $656,830,294 | 9 | September 24, 2024 |
| October 2023 | $543,606,529 | 9 | April 17, 2023 |
| October 2022 | $606,146,994 | 9 | March 29, 2022 |
| October 2021 | $503,168,651 | 9 | May 4, 2021 |
Regulatory assets under management: $503,168,651 in the October 2021 data and $1,034,282,441 in the October 2026 data, up 106%.
Total employees: 9 in October 2021 and 9 in October 2026.
As filed in each year's data for the same month. Assets under management move with markets as well as with clients coming and going; they measure scale, not skill or returns. Most firms update these figures once a year.
Changes in the filing
Last 12 months- September 2026
- Registered or notice-filed in CO.
- June 2026
- Updated its list of owners and control persons (Schedule A).
- April 2026
- Regulatory assets under management went from $819,283,156 to $1,034,282,441 (+26%).
- Employees performing advisory functions went from 9 to 8.
- Updated its list of owners and control persons (Schedule A).
- January 2026
- Registered or notice-filed in NJ.
- No longer registered or notice-filed in AZ, IL.
Compared month to month from the SEC's monthly adviser data and the state compilation feed. Owners and control persons are summarized, never named.
Websites listed on Form ADV
Item 1.ISource: Form ADV, as of October 2026. Values appear as filed; a value the firm did not report is shown as "Not reported."
Cite this page
AdvisorCensus. Sterling Investment Counsel, LLC (CRD 282624): Form ADV filing data as of October 2026. https://advisorcensus.com/firm/sterling-investment-counsel-llc-buffalo-ny-282624