BlackRock is a New York-based provider of worldwide investment management, risk management and advisory services. Founded in 1988, it acquired SSRM Holdings, the holding company of State Street Research & Management Company and State Street Realty, in February 2006. The firm manages stock, bond, real estate and balanced portfolios for both institutional and individual investors. BlackRock manages pension money for many of the largest corporate pension plans in the United States. The company also manages money for unions programs, public pension plans, foundations, endowments and mutual funds for nearly 650,000 shareholder accounts, as well as individually managed accounts for affluent investors. Headquartered in New York, BlackRock maintains offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, among others.