Sterling Investment Management provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for institutions, publishing newsletters, and education planning. Financial planning was provided to 51–100 clients last fiscal year.
Sterling Investment Management reports 151 clients. They include 74 high-net-worth individuals, 65 individual clients and 7 charitable organizations. Of its assets, 100.0% ($409M across 399 accounts) are managed with discretion.
| Client type | Clients | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 43% | 8% |
| High-net-worth individuals | 49% | 79% |
| Charitable organizations | 5% | 6% |
| State or municipal government entities | <1% | 1% |
| Corporations and other businesses | 3% | 6% |
Client breakdown and activity details
| Client type | Clients | Regulatory AUM | AUM share | Avg. per client |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 65 | $32.5M | 7.9% | $500K |
| High-net-worth individuals | 74 | $322M | 78.6% | $4.35M |
| Charitable organizations | 7 | $26.2M | 6.4% | $3.74M |
| State or municipal government entities | Fewer than 5 | $4.52M | 1.1% | $4.52M |
| Corporations and other businesses | Fewer than 5 | $24.2M | 5.9% | $6.04M |
| Total | 151 | $409M | 100% | — |
- Clients
- 65
- Regulatory AUM
- $32.5M
- AUM share
- 7.9%
- Avg. per client
- $500K
- Clients
- 74
- Regulatory AUM
- $322M
- AUM share
- 78.6%
- Avg. per client
- $4.35M
- Clients
- 7
- Regulatory AUM
- $26.2M
- AUM share
- 6.4%
- Avg. per client
- $3.74M
- Clients
- Fewer than 5
- Regulatory AUM
- $4.52M
- AUM share
- 1.1%
- Avg. per client
- $4.52M
- Clients
- Fewer than 5
- Regulatory AUM
- $24.2M
- AUM share
- 5.9%
- Avg. per client
- $6.04M
Total
- Clients
- 151
- Regulatory AUM
- $409M
- 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
- 51–100
Sterling Investment Management charges 0.95%–1.00% a year for its Investment Management. The fee is billed in advance, is negotiable and has a $10,000 annual minimum. The brochure also prices one other service, listed under fee details.
Fee details and sources
Other fees
- Professional Advisory Services
- Services outside the normal advisory agreements are billed at $500 per hour, rounded up to the next full hour.
John Payne owns 75% or more of Sterling Investment Management. The leadership team of Sterling Investment Management includes Chief Investment Officer John Payne and Chief Compliance Officer Crystal Kelly. It has 8 employees, 4 of them in advisory roles.
Leadership
- Crystal KellyChief Compliance Officer
- John PayneManaging Partner, Chief Investment Officer
- Arumayta ArguelloPortfolio Manager
Investment adviser representatives
4 representatives listed in the SEC register as of 9 October 2026.
Staff
- 8 employees
- 4 in advisory functions
- 3 state-registered reps
- Owns 75% or more of Sterling Investment Management, LLC
John Payne
Control person · since September 1995
- Owns 5% to 10% of Sterling Investment Management, LLC
Crystal Kelly
since May 2015
- Owns 5% to 10% of Sterling Investment Management, LLC
Arumayta Arguello
since January 2022
Sterling Investment Management’s regulatory assets grew from $354M (March 2021) to $409M (March 2026); clients were 151 in both filings and employees rose from 7 to 8.
Figures from each annual filing
| Filed | Regulatory AUM | Clients | Employees | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | $409M | 151 | 8 | 2 |
| March 2025 | $361M | 148 | 8 | 2 |
| March 2024 | $371M | 152 | 8 | 2 |
| March 2023 | $342M | 160 | 8 | 2 |
| March 2022 | $338M | 149 | 7 | 2 |
| March 2021 | $354M | 152 | 7 | 2 |
Besides its headquarters, Sterling Investment Management has 1 office, with 2 listed addresses in Arizona.
Arizona · 2 listed addresses
- 6262 North Swan RD., Suite 210, TucsonHQ
- 16427 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Contact and registration details
- Legal name
- Sterling Investment Management, LLC
- Headquarters
- 6262 North Swan RD., Suite 210, Tucson, AZ 85718
- Phone
- 520-293-3311
- @sterling-investment-management
- SEC file
- 801-50373
- Founded
- 1995
- Structure
- Arizona LLC
- Fiscal year end
- December
Sterling Investment Management uses Charles Schwab ($409M) as custodian for its separately managed accounts. Sterling Investment Management has custody of client assets.
- Charles SchwabCharles Schwab & Co., Inc. · San Francisco, CA · $409M100%
At year end, Sterling Investment Management’s separately managed accounts were largely in stocks (47%) and bonds (36%). Its reported 13F holdings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 total $182M across 66 positions; the largest are Vanguard Mortgage-backed Securities ETF (8.2%), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Del CL B New (6.7%) and SPDR Gold Shares (6.5%).
What the accounts hold
- Stocks47%
- Funds13%
- Bonds36%
- Investment grade corporate bonds16%
- U.S. government and agency bonds15%
- High-yield corporate bonds5%
- Cash4%
Reported 13F holdings
- $182M
- Reported 13F value
- 66
- Positions
- 51.6%
- In the 10 largest
- +9.4%
- Value vs. prior quarter
- Vanguard Mortgage-backed Securities ETFETF8.2%
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Del CL B New6.7%
- SPDR Gold SharesETF6.5%
- GE Aerospace Com New5.6%
- Janus Henderson Aaa Clo ETFETF4.9%
- S&P Global Inc.4.4%
- Proshares Short S&P500ETF4.2%
- Moodys Corp.3.9%
- Visa Inc. Com CL A3.9%
- State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETFETF3.4%
Together, the ten largest are 51.6% of reported value.
How many clients does Sterling Investment Management have?
Sterling Investment Management has 151 clients and manages $409 million for them, as of March 2026. They include 74 high-net-worth individuals, 65 individual clients and 7 charitable organizations.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.D and 5.F, filed 18 March 2026
What services does Sterling Investment Management offer?
Sterling Investment Management provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for institutions, publishing newsletters, and education 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 Sterling Investment Management charge?
Sterling Investment Management charges 0.95%–1.00% a year for its Investment Management. The fee is billed in advance, is negotiable and has a $10,000 annual minimum.
Source: STERLING INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ADV 2A & 2B, filed 18 March 2026
Which custodians does Sterling Investment Management use?
Sterling Investment Management’s separately managed account assets are held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (San Francisco, CA), with $409M. Only custodians holding at least a tenth of those assets are named.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedule D, Section 5.K.(3), filed 18 March 2026
How many financial advisors does Sterling Investment Management have?
Sterling Investment Management has 3 investment adviser representatives registered with state securities authorities, out of 8 employees, and 4 perform investment advisory functions. None are registered representatives of a broker-dealer or licensed insurance agents.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.A and 5.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
What does Sterling Investment Management invest in?
At the end of its last fiscal year, Sterling Investment Management’s separately managed accounts held 47% exchange-traded equities, 16% investment grade corporate bonds, 15% U.S. government and agency bonds, 13% registered funds (mutual funds, ETFs, BDCs), 5% high-yield corporate bonds and 4% cash and equivalents.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.K.(1) and 7.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
Who owns Sterling Investment Management?
Sterling Investment Management’s direct owners are John Payne (75% or more), Crystal Kelly (5% to 10%) and Arumayta Arguello (5% to 10%).
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedules A and B, filed 18 March 2026
How does Sterling Investment Management get paid?
Sterling Investment Management is paid through a percentage of assets under management and hourly charges. 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
How do I contact Sterling Investment Management?
Sterling Investment Management’s main office is at 6262 North Swan RD., Suite 210, Tucson, AZ 85718. Its phone number is 520-293-3311. Its website is sterlinginvestmentmanagement.com.