Newman Dignan & Sheerar provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for institutions, pension consulting, estate planning, insurance, and tax planning. Financial planning was provided to 11–25 clients last fiscal year.
Newman Dignan & Sheerar reports 536 clients. They include 269 individual clients, 249 high-net-worth individuals and 8 charitable organizations. Of its assets, 98.5% ($720M across 1,177 accounts) are managed with discretion; $10.9M across 5 accounts are not.
| Client type | Clients | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 50% | 9% |
| High-net-worth individuals | 46% | 84% |
| Pension and profit-sharing plans | <1% | 1% |
| Charitable organizations | 1% | 5% |
| Corporations and other businesses | 1% | <1% |
Client breakdown and activity details
| Client type | Clients | Regulatory AUM | AUM share | Avg. per client |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 269 | $65.1M | 8.9% | $242K |
| High-net-worth individuals | 249 | $617M | 84.4% | $2.48M |
| Pension and profit-sharing plans | Fewer than 5 | $10.5M | 1.4% | $2.62M |
| Charitable organizations | 8 | $36.9M | 5.0% | $4.61M |
| Corporations and other businesses | 6 | $1.71M | 0.2% | $286K |
| Total | 536 | $731M | 100% | — |
- Clients
- 269
- Regulatory AUM
- $65.1M
- AUM share
- 8.9%
- Avg. per client
- $242K
- Clients
- 249
- Regulatory AUM
- $617M
- AUM share
- 84.4%
- Avg. per client
- $2.48M
- Clients
- Fewer than 5
- Regulatory AUM
- $10.5M
- AUM share
- 1.4%
- Avg. per client
- $2.62M
- Clients
- 8
- Regulatory AUM
- $36.9M
- AUM share
- 5.0%
- Avg. per client
- $4.61M
- Clients
- 6
- Regulatory AUM
- $1.71M
- AUM share
- 0.2%
- Avg. per client
- $286K
Total
- Clients
- 536
- Regulatory AUM
- $731M
- AUM share
- 100%
- Avg. per client
- —
- Clients outside the U.S.
- 0%
- Clients advised without assets under management last fiscal year
- 0
- Private funds advised
- 0
- Financial planning clients last fiscal year
- 11–25
Newman Dignan & Sheerar charges 0.35%–1.00% a year for its Investment Advisory Services. The fee is billed in arrears and is negotiable. The brochure also prices one other service, listed under fee details.
Fee details and sources
Other fees
- Stand-Alone Financial Consulting
- Consulting on investment and non-investment matters, billed on an hourly or fixed-fee basis under a Limited Consulting Agreement that sets out the fee due before services begin.
William Newman owns 50% to 75% of Newman Dignan & Sheerar. The leadership team of Newman Dignan & Sheerar includes President William Newman and Chief Compliance Officer Richard Cavanagh. It has 9 employees, 6 of them in advisory roles.
Leadership
William NewmanPresident and Principal
John SheerarVice President and Principal- Richard CavanaghChief Compliance Officer
Investment adviser representatives
6 representatives listed in the SEC register as of 9 October 2026.
Staff
- 9 employees
- 6 in advisory functions
- 7 state-registered reps
- 1 insurance agent
- 1 soliciting firm
- Owns 50% to 75% of Newman Dignan & Sheerar, Inc
William Newman
Control person · since March 1992
- Owns 25% to 50% of Newman Dignan & Sheerar, Inc
John Sheerar
Control person · since March 1997
Newman Dignan & Sheerar’s regulatory assets grew from $542M (March 2021) to $731M (May 2026); clients rose from 442 to 536 and employees from 8 to 9.
Figures from each annual filing
| Filed | Regulatory AUM | Clients | Employees | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $731M | 536 | 9 | 3 |
| March 2025 | $669M | 471 | 8 | 3 |
| March 2024 | $613M | 448 | 8 | 3 |
| March 2023 | $538M | 464 | 8 | 2 |
| April 2022 | $606M | 446 | 8 | 2 |
| March 2021 | $542M | 442 | 8 | 1 |
Besides its headquarters, Newman Dignan & Sheerar has 2 offices (2 private residences, listed without an address), with 1 listed address in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island · 1 listed address
- 260 West Exchange Street, Suite 302, ProvidenceHQ
Other business names
Newman Dignan & Sheerar has reported 1 other business name to the SEC.
- NDS Wealth Advisors
Contact and registration details
- Legal name
- Newman Dignan & Sheerar, Inc
- Headquarters
- 260 West Exchange Street, Suite 302, Providence, RI 02903
- Website
- newmandignan.com
- Phone
- 401-351-4010
- @89658940
- SEC file
- 801-41412
- Founded
- 1992
- Structure
- Rhode Island corporation
- Fiscal year end
- December
Newman Dignan & Sheerar uses Charles Schwab ($723M) as custodian for its separately managed accounts. Newman Dignan & Sheerar has custody of $270M in client assets for 137 clients.
- Charles SchwabCharles Schwab & Co., Inc. · Westlake, TX · $723M100%
At year end, Newman Dignan & Sheerar’s separately managed accounts were mostly in funds (61%) and stocks (28%). Its reported 13F holdings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 total $523M across 197 positions; the largest are Schwab Dow Jones US Large Cap ETF (8.8%), Applied Finance Valuation Lg Cap ETF (6.3%) and Schwab Dow Jones US Div Eq ETF (5.7%).
What the accounts hold
- Stocks28%
- Funds61%
- Bonds4%
- U.S. government and agency bonds2%
- State and local bonds1%
- Investment grade corporate bonds1%
- Cash9%
Reported 13F holdings
- $523M
- Reported 13F value
- 197
- Positions
- 39.9%
- In the 10 largest
- +10.1%
- Value vs. prior quarter
- Schwab Dow Jones US Large Cap ETFETF8.8%
- Applied Finance Valuation Lg Cap ETFETF6.3%
- Schwab Dow Jones US Div Eq ETFETF5.7%
- Alphabet, Inc.. CL A3.3%
- Dimensional Emerg Core Equity Mkt ETFETF3.2%
- Apple, Inc.3.1%
- Victoryshares Core Intermediate Bond ETFETF3.0%
- Abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETFETF2.4%
- Nvidia Corp.2.1%
- JPMORGAN Core Plus Bond ETFETF1.9%
Together, the ten largest are 39.9% of reported value.
How many clients does Newman Dignan & Sheerar have?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar has 536 clients and manages $731 million for them, as of May 2026. They include 269 individual clients, 249 high-net-worth individuals and 8 charitable organizations.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.D and 5.F, filed 6 May 2026
What services does Newman Dignan & Sheerar offer?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for institutions, pension consulting, estate planning, insurance, and tax planning.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 5.G, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file; Part 2A brochure, Item 4
How much does Newman Dignan & Sheerar charge?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar charges 0.35%–1.00% a year for its Investment Advisory Services. The fee is billed in arrears and is negotiable.
Source: ADV PART 2A, filed 31 March 2026
Which custodians does Newman Dignan & Sheerar use?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar’s separately managed account assets are held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Westlake, TX), with $723M. Only custodians holding at least a tenth of those assets are named.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedule D, Section 5.K.(3), filed 6 May 2026
How many financial advisors does Newman Dignan & Sheerar have?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar has 7 investment adviser representatives registered with state securities authorities, out of 9 employees, and 6 perform investment advisory functions. 0 employees are registered representatives of a broker-dealer and 1 employee is a licensed insurance agent.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.A and 5.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
What does Newman Dignan & Sheerar invest in?
At the end of its last fiscal year, Newman Dignan & Sheerar’s separately managed accounts held 61% registered funds (mutual funds, ETFs, BDCs), 28% exchange-traded equities, 9% cash and equivalents, 2% U.S. government and agency bonds, 1% state and local bonds and 1% investment grade corporate bonds.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.K.(1) and 7.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
Who owns Newman Dignan & Sheerar?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar’s direct owners are William Newman (50% to 75%) and John Sheerar (25% to 50%).
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedules A and B, filed 6 May 2026
How does Newman Dignan & Sheerar get paid?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar is paid through a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, fixed fees and other compensation. Its Form ADV lists no commissions or performance-based fees among how it is paid.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 5.E, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
Is Newman Dignan & Sheerar registered with the SEC?
Yes, Newman Dignan & Sheerar has been registered with the SEC as an investment adviser since 7 May 1992. Its CRD number is 107565 and its SEC file number is 801-41412.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 1, filed 6 May 2026; IAPD firm record
How do I contact Newman Dignan & Sheerar?
Newman Dignan & Sheerar’s main office is at 260 West Exchange Street, Suite 302, Providence, RI 02903. Its phone number is 401-351-4010. Its website is newmandignan.com.