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Item 1: Cover Page
Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure
February 2026
180 Wealth Advisors, LLC
32125 32nd Avenue South, Suite 100
Federal Way, WA 98001
www.180Wealth.com
Firm Contact:
Brett A. Garver
Chief Compliance Officer
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of 180 Wealth
Advisors, LLC. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at
(253) 394-0720. The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any State Securities Authority. Additional
information about our firm is also available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by
searching CRD #284921.
Please note that the use of the term “registered investment adviser” and description of our firm
and/or our associates as “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Clients are
encouraged to review this Brochure and Brochure Supplements for our firm’s associates who advise
clients for more information on the qualifications of our firm and our employees.
Item 2: Material Changes
180 Wealth Advisors, LLC is required to make clients aware of information that has changed since
the last annual update to the Firm Brochure (“Brochure”) and that may be important to them. Clients
can then determine whether to review the brochure in its entirety or to contact us with questions
about the changes.
Since our last Other Than Annual Amendment filed on November 12, 2025, we no material changes
to disclose.
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Item 3: Table of Contents
Item 1: Cover Page ....................................................................................................................................... 1
Item 2: Material Changes ............................................................................................................................ 2
Item 3: Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 3
Item 4: Advisory Business .......................................................................................................................... 4
Item 5: Fees & Compensation ..................................................................................................................... 6
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management .............................................................. 8
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements ................................................................................... 8
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss ........................................................ 8
Item 9: Disciplinary Information .............................................................................................................. 18
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations .................................................................... 18
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions & Personal Trading ........... 19
Item 12: Brokerage Practices ................................................................................................................... 20
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans ..................................................................................... 23
Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation ................................................................................... 23
Item 15: Custody ....................................................................................................................................... 23
Item 16: Investment Discretion ............................................................................................................... 24
Item 17: Voting Client Securities .............................................................................................................. 24
Item 18: Financial Information ................................................................................................................ 25
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Item 4: Advisory Business
Our firm is dedicated to providing individuals and other types of clients with a wide array of
investment advisory services. Our firm is a limited liability company formed under the laws of the
State of Washington in 2017. Our firm is wholly owned by Richard Buchan and Darren Henke.
Our firm provides portfolio management services for many different types of clients to help meet
their financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time horizons. As a fiduciary it is
our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is accomplished in part by knowing the client.
Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory practice with open lines of communication.
Working with clients to understand their investment objectives as it relates to their goals while
educating them about our process, facilitates the kind of working relationship we value.
Types of Advisory Services Offered
Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management:
As part of our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management service, clients are offered asset
management services with the option of financial planning or consulting services. These services are
designed to assist clients in meeting their financial goals through the use of a financial planning or
consultation. Our firm conducts client meetings to understand their current financial situation,
existing resources, financial goals, and tolerance for risk. Based on what is learned, an investment
strategy is presented to the client, consisting of individual stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, private
equity and other public and private securities or investments. Once the appropriate portfolio strategy
has been determined, the strategy is implemented and the portfolios are continuously and regularly
monitored, and if necessary, changes are made based upon the client’s individual needs, stated goals
and objectives. Upon client request, our firm provides a summary of observations and
recommendations for the planning or consulting aspects of this service.
As part of our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management service, our firm may utilize the sub-
advisory services of a third-party investment advisory firm (“Sub-Adviser”) or separately managed
account (“SMA”) to aid in the implementation of an investment portfolio designed by our firm. Before
selecting a Sub-Adviser or SMA, our firm will ensure that the chosen party is properly licensed or
registered.
Retirement Plan Consulting:
Our firm provides retirement plan consulting services to employer plan sponsors on an ongoing
basis. Generally, such consulting services consist of assisting employer plan sponsors in establishing,
monitoring and reviewing their company's participant-directed retirement plan. As the needs of the
plan sponsor dictate, areas of advising could include: investment options, plan structure and
participant education. Retirement Plan Consulting services typically include:
Establishing an Investment Policy Statement – Our firm can assist in the development of a
statement that summarizes the investment goals and objectives along with the broad
strategies to be employed to meet the objectives.
Investment Options – Our firm can work with the Plan Sponsor to evaluate existing
investment options and make recommendations for appropriate changes.
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Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction – Our firm can develop strategic asset allocation
models to aid Participants in developing strategies to meet their investment objectives, time
horizon, financial situation and tolerance for risk.
Investment Monitoring – Our firm can monitor the performance of the investments and notify
the client in the event of over/underperformance and in times of market volatility.
In providing services for retirement plan consulting, our firm does not provide any advisory services
with respect to the following types of assets: employer securities, real estate (excluding real estate
funds and publicly traded REITS), participant loans, non-publicly traded securities or assets, other
illiquid investments, or brokerage window programs (collectively, “Excluded Assets”). All retirement
plan consulting services shall be in compliance with the applicable state laws regulating retirement
consulting services. This applies to client accounts that are retirement or other employee benefit
plans (“Plan”) governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(“ERISA”). If the client accounts are part of a Plan, and our firm accepts appointment to provide
services to such accounts, our firm acknowledges its fiduciary standard within the meaning of Section
3(21) or 3(38) of ERISA as designated by the Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement with respect to
the provision of services described therein.
Regarding retirement investors/rollovers from retirement plans, a client or prospect leaving an
employer has four options regarding what to do with their retirement plan:
Leave money in former employer plan if permitted
Roll the assets into a new employer plan if available or permitted
Roll over to an Individual Retirement Account/IRA
Cash out plan which may result in adverse tax consequences or penalties
When we recommend you rollover or transfer existing retirement assets to our management with
180 Wealth, it is important we disclose that a conflict of interest may arise. This is because we will
earn an advisory fee when we manage more assets. We only make a recommendation after
determining what is in your best interest. We also make any recommendation as a fiduciary as
defined by ERISA or the Internal Revenue code with respect to our ongoing investment advisory
recommendations and discretionary assets management as described in our client “Wrap”
Comprehensive Portfolio Management Agreement.
Tailoring of Advisory Services
Our firm offers individualized investment advice to our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management
clients. General investment advice will be offered to our Retirement Plan Consulting clients. Each
Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management client has the opportunity to place reasonable restrictions
on the types of investments to be held in the portfolio. Restrictions on investments in certain securities
or types of securities may not be possible due to the level of difficulty this would entail in managing
the account.
Participation in Wrap Fee Programs
Our firm offers a wrap fee program as further described in Part 2A, Appendix 1 (the “Wrap Fee
Program Brochure”). The vast majority of our clients are participating in a wrap fee program, which
allows clients to pay a single fee for investment advisory services and associated custodial
transaction costs. Because our firm absorbs client transaction fees for clients participating in a wrap
fee program, an incentive exists to limit trading activities in client accounts. Custodial transaction
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costs, however, are not included in the advisory fee charged by our firm for our Retirement Plan
Consulting (non-wrapped) service and are to be paid by the client to their chosen custodian.
Depending on the client’s account or portfolio trading activity, clients may pay more for using our
wrap fee services than they would for using our non-wrap services. All accounts are managed on an
individualized basis according to the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc.
Regulatory Assets Under Management
As of December 31st, 2025, we manage a total of $1,359,025,816 in client assets. Our firm manages
$1,331,343,193 on a discretionary basis and $27,682,623 on a non-discretionary basis.
Item 5: Fees & Compensation
Compensation for Our Advisory Services
Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management:
Market Value of Portfolio
Up to $999,999
$1,000,000 - $4,999,999.99
$5,000,000 - $9,999,999.99
Over $10,000,000
Annual Fee
1.50%
1.00%
0.70%
Negotiable
The maximum annual advisory fee charged for this service will not exceed 1.50%. Fees to be assessed
will be outlined in the advisory agreement to be signed by the client. Annualized fees are billed on a
pro-rata basis quarterly in advance based on the value of the account(s) on the last day of the
previous quarter. Our firm bills on cash unless otherwise agreed to in writing. Fees are negotiable
and will be deducted from client account(s). Adjustments will be made for deposits and withdrawals
during the quarter. In rare cases, our firm will agree to directly invoice.
As part of this process, Clients understand the following:
a) The client’s independent custodian sends statements showing the market values for each
security included in the Assets and all account disbursements, including the amount of the
advisory fees paid to our firm;
b) Clients will provide authorization permitting our firm to be directly paid by these terms. Our
firm will send an invoice directly to the custodian; and
c) If our firm sends a copy of our invoice to the client, a legend urging the comparison of
information provided in our statement with those from the qualified custodian, will be
included.
For the sub-advisory or SMA services rendered, the fee assessed will be distributed between our firm
and the chosen Sub-Adviser or SMA and will not exceed the annual fee percentage listed above.
Financial Planning & Consulting:
Our firm offers a complimentary financial plan through the wrap program. For individuals looking
for only Financial planning advise, the firm can utilize a negotiated hourly fee and/or a negotiated
flat fee for financial planning and consulting services. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate
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fee charged, is based on the scope and complexity of our engagement with the client. The fee-paying
arrangements will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will be detailed in the signed consulting
agreement.
Retirement Plan Consulting:
Our Retirement Plan Consulting services are billed a fee based on the percentage of Plan assets under
management. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee charged, is based on the scope and
complexity of our engagement with the client. Fees based on a percentage of managed Plan assets
will not exceed 3%. The fee-paying arrangements for Retirement Plan Consulting service will be
determined on a case-by-case basis and will be detailed in the signed consulting agreement.
Other Types of Fees & Expenses
Clients who have signed a Retirement Plan Consulting (Non-Wrap) Agreement can incur transaction
charges for trades executed in their accounts. If transaction fees occur, they are separate from our
firm’s advisory fees and will be disclosed by the chosen custodian.
Clients may also pay charges imposed directly by a mutual fund, index fund, or exchange traded fund,
which shall be disclosed in the fund’s prospectus (i.e., fund management fees, initial or deferred sales
charges, mutual fund sales loads, 12b-1 fees, surrender charges, variable annuity fees, IRA and
qualified retirement plan fees, and other fund expenses). Our firm does not receive a portion of these
fees.
Wrap fee clients will not incur transaction costs for trades. More information about this can be found
in our separate Wrap Fee Program Brochure.
Termination & Refunds
Either party may terminate the advisory agreement signed with our firm for Wrap Comprehensive
Portfolio Management service in writing at any time. Upon notice of termination our firm will
process a pro-rata refund of the unearned portion of the advisory fees charged in advance at the
beginning of the quarter.
Either party to a Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement may terminate at any time by providing
written notice to the other party. Full refunds will only be made in cases where cancellation occurs
within 5 business days of signing an agreement. After 5 business days from initial signing, either
party must provide the other party 30 days’ written notice to terminate billing. Billing will terminate
30 days after receipt of termination notice. Clients will be charged on a pro-rata basis, which takes
into account work completed by our firm on behalf of the client. Clients will incur charges for bona
fide advisory services rendered up to the point of termination (determined as 30 days from receipt
of said written notice) and such fees will be due and payable.
Commissionable Securities Sales
Our firm and representatives do not sell securities for a commission in advisory accounts.
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Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management
Our firm does not charge performance-based fees.
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements
Our firm has the following types of clients:
Individuals and High Net Worth Individuals;
Trusts, Estates or Charitable Organizations;
Pension and Profit Sharing Plans;
Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and/or Other Business Types
Our firm does not impose requirements for opening and maintaining accounts or otherwise engaging
us.
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss
The following methods of analysis and investment strategies may be utilized in formulating our
investment advice and/or managing client assets, provided that such methods and/or strategies are
appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk
tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations.
General Risks of Owning Securities
The prices of securities held in client accounts and the income they generate may decline in response
to certain events taking place around the world. These include events directly involving the issuers
of securities held as underlying assets of mutual funds in a client’s account, conditions affecting the
general economy, and overall market changes. Other contributing factors include local, regional, or
global political, social, or economic instability and governmental or governmental agency responses
to economic conditions. Finally, currency, interest rate, and commodity price fluctuations may also
affect security prices and income.
The prices of, and the income generated by, most debt securities held by a client’s account may be
affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of
these securities. For example, the prices of debt securities in the client’s account generally will decline
when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. In addition, falling interest rates may
cause an issuer to redeem, “call” or refinance a security before its stated maturity, which may result
in our firm having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities. Longer maturity debt
securities generally have higher rates of interest and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than
shorter maturity debt securities. Debt securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility
that the credit strength of an issuer will weaken and/or an issuer of a debt security will fail to make
timely payments of principal or interest and the security will go into default.
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The guarantee of a security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S.
government only covers the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. This
means that the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates.
Investments in securities issued by entities based outside the United States may be subject to
increased levels of the risks described above. Currency fluctuations and controls, different
accounting, auditing, financial reporting, disclosure, regulatory and legal standards and practices
could also affect investments in securities of foreign issuers. Additional factors may include
expropriation, changes in tax policy, greater market volatility, different securities market structures,
and higher transaction costs.
Finally, various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio
transactions, or in receiving payment of dividends can increase risk. Finally, investments in securities
issued by entities domiciled in the United States may also be subject to many of these risks.
Methods of Analysis & Investment Strategies We Use
Charting: In this type of technical analysis, our firm reviews charts of market and security activity in
an attempt to identify when the market is moving up or down and to predict when how long the trend
may last and when that trend might reverse.
Cyclical Analysis: Statistical analysis of specific events occurring at a sufficient number of relatively
predictable intervals that they can be forecasted into the future. Cyclical analysis asserts that cyclical
forces drive price movements in the financial markets. Risks include that cycles may invert or
disappear and there is no expectation that this type of analysis will pinpoint turning points, instead
be used in conjunction with other methods of analysis.
Cash & Cash Equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents generally refer to either United States dollars
or highly liquid short-term debt instruments such as, but not limited to, treasury bills, bank CD’s and
commercial papers. Generally, these assets are considered nonproductive and will be exposed to
inflation risk and considerable opportunity cost risk. Investments in cash and cash equivalents will
generally return less than the advisory fee charged by our firm. Our firm may recommend cash and
cash equivalents as part of our clients’ asset allocation when deemed appropriate and in their best
interest. Our firm considers cash and cash equivalents to be an asset class. Therefore, our firm assess
an advisory fee on cash and cash equivalents unless indicated otherwise in writing.
Fundamental Analysis: The analysis of a business's financial statements (usually to analyze the
business's assets, liabilities, and earnings), health, and its competitors and markets. When analyzing
a stock, futures contract, or currency using fundamental analysis there are two basic approaches one
can use: bottom up analysis and top down analysis. The terms are used to distinguish such analysis
from other types of investment analysis, such as quantitative and technical. Fundamental analysis is
performed on historical and present data, but with the goal of making financial forecasts. There are
several possible objectives: (a) to conduct a company stock valuation and predict its probable price
evolution; (b) to make a projection on its business performance; (c) to evaluate its management and
make internal business decisions; (d) and/or to calculate its credit risk.; and (e) to find out the
intrinsic value of the share.
When the objective of the analysis is to determine what stock to buy and at what price, there are two
basic methodologies investors rely upon: (a) Fundamental analysis maintains that markets may
misprice a security in the short run but that the "correct" price will eventually be reached. Profits can
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be made by purchasing the mispriced security and then waiting for the market to recognize its
"mistake" and reprice the security; and (b) Technical analysis maintains that all information is
reflected already in the price of a security. Technical analysts analyze trends and believe that
sentiment changes predate and predict trend changes. Investors' emotional responses to price
movements lead to recognizable price chart patterns. Technical analysts also analyze historical
trends to predict future price movement. Investors can use one or both of these different but
complementary methods for stock picking. This presents a potential risk, as the price of a security
can move up or down along with the overall market regardless of the economic and financial factors
considered in evaluating the stock.
Mutual Fund and/or Exchange Traded Fund (“ETF”) Analysis: Analysis of the experience and
track record of the manager of the mutual fund or ETF in an attempt to determine if that manager
has demonstrated an ability to invest over a period of time and in different economic conditions. The
underlying assets in a mutual fund or ETF are also reviewed in an attempt to determine if there is
significant overlap in the underlying investments held in another fund(s) in the Client’s portfolio. The
funds or ETFs are monitored in an attempt to determine if they are continuing to follow their stated
investment strategy. A risk of mutual fund and/or ETF analysis is that, as in all securities
investments, past performance does not guarantee future results. A manager who has been
successful may not be able to replicate that success in the future. In addition, as our firm does not
control the underlying investments in a fund or ETF, managers of different funds held by the Client
may purchase the same security, increasing the risk to the Client if that security were to fall in value.
There is also a risk that a manager may deviate from the stated investment mandate or strategy of
the fund or ETF, which could make the holding(s) less suitable for the Client’s portfolio.
Long-Term Purchases: Our firm may buy securities for your account and hold them for a relatively
long time (more than a year) in anticipation that the security’s value will appreciate over a long
horizon. The risk of this strategy is that our firm could miss out on potential short-term gains that
could have been profitable to your account, or it’s possible that the security’s value may decline
sharply before our firm make a decision to sell.
Margin Transactions: We will purchase stocks for your portfolio with money borrowed from your
brokerage account. This allows you to purchase more stock than you would be able to with your
available cash, and allows us to purchase stock without selling other holdings. Margin accounts and
transactions are risky and not necessarily suitable for every client. The potential risks associated
with these transactions are: (1) You can lose more funds than are deposited into the margin account;
(2) the forced sale of securities or other assets in your account; (3) the sale of securities or other
assets without contacting you; and (4) you may not be entitled to choose which securities or other
assets in your account(s) are liquidated or sold to meet a margin call.
Short Sales: A short sale is a transaction in which an investor sells borrowed securities in
anticipation of a price decline and is required to return an equal number of shares at some point in
the future. These transactions have a number of risks that make it highly unsuitable for the notice
investor. This strategy has a slanted payoff ratio in that the maximum gain (which would occur if the
shorted stock was to plunge to zero) is limited, but the maximum loss is theoretically infinite (since
stocks can in theory go up infinitely in price). The following risks should be considered: (1) In
addition to trading commissions, other costs with short selling include that of borrowing the security
to short it, as well as interest payable on the margin account that holds the shorted security. (2) The
short seller is responsible for making dividend payments on the shorted stock to the entity from
whom the stock has been borrowed. (3) Stocks with very high short interest may occasionally surge
in price. This usually happens when there is a positive development in the stock, which forces short
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sellers to buy the shares back to close their short positions. Heavily shorted stocks are also
susceptible to “buy-ins,” which occur when a broker closes out short positions in a difficult-to-borrow
stock whose lenders are demanding it back. (4) Regulators may impose bans on short sales in a
specific sector or even in the broad market to avoid panic and unwarranted selling pressure. Such
actions can cause a spike in stock prices, forcing the short seller to cover short positions at huge
losses. (5) Unlike the “buy-and-hold” investor who can afford to wait for an investment to work out,
the short seller does not have the luxury of time because of the many costs and risks associated with
short selling. Timing is everything when it comes to shorting. (5) Short selling should only be
undertaken by experienced traders who have the discipline to cut a losing short position, rather than
add to the position hoping that it will eventually work out.
Short-Term Purchases: When utilizing this strategy, our firm may also purchase securities with the
idea of selling them within a relatively short time (typically a year or less). Our firm does this in an
attempt to take advantage of conditions that our firm believes will soon result in a price swing in the
securities our firm purchase. The potential risk associated with this investment strategy is associated
with the currency or exchange rate. Currency or exchange rate risk is a form of risk that arises from
the change in price of one currency against another. The constant fluctuations in the foreign currency
in which an investment is denominated vis-à-vis one's home currency, may add risk to the value of a
security. Currency risk is greater for shorter term investments, which do not have time to level off
like longer term foreign investments.
Technical Analysis: A security analysis methodology for forecasting the direction of prices through
the study of past market data, comparing primarily price and volume. A fundamental principle of
technical analysis is that a market's price reflects all relevant information, so their analysis looks at
the history of a security's trading pattern rather than external drivers such as economic, fundamental
and news events. Therefore, price action tends to repeat itself due to investors collectively tending
toward patterned behavior – hence technical analysis focuses on identifiable trends and conditions.
Technical analysts also widely use market indicators of many sorts, some of which are mathematical
transformations of price, often including up and down volume, advance/decline data and other
inputs. These indicators are used to help assess whether an asset is trending, and if it is, the
probability of its direction and of its continuation. Technicians also look for relationships between
price/volume indices and market indicators. Technical analysis employs models and trading rules
based on price and volume transformations, such as the relative strength index, moving averages,
regressions, inter-market and intra-market price correlations, business cycles, stock market cycles
or, classically, through recognition of chart patterns. Technical analysis is widely used among traders
and financial professionals and is very often used by active day traders, market makers and pit
traders. The risk associated with this type of analysis is that analysts use subjective judgment to
decide which pattern(s) a particular instrument reflects at a given time and what the interpretation
of that pattern should be.
Trading: Our firm may purchase securities with the idea of selling them very quickly (typically
within 30 days or less). Our firm does this in an attempt to take advantage of our predictions of brief
price swings. Trading involves risk that may not be suitable for every investor, and may involve a
high volume of trading activity. Each trade generates a commission and the total daily commission
on such a high volume of trading can be considerable. Active trading accounts should be considered
speculative in nature with the objective being to generate short-term profits. This activity may result
in the loss of more than 100% of an investment.
Investment Strategies & Asset Classes
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Asset Allocation: The implementation of an investment strategy that attempts to balance risk versus
reward by adjusting the percentage of each asset in an investment portfolio according to the
investor's risk tolerance, goals and investment time frame. Asset allocation is based on the principle
that different assets perform differently in different market and economic conditions. A fundamental
justification for asset allocation is the notion that different asset classes offer returns that are not
perfectly correlated, hence diversification reduces the overall risk in terms of the variability of
returns for a given level of expected return. Although risk is reduced as long as correlations are not
perfect, it is typically forecast (wholly or in part) based on statistical relationships (like correlation
and variance) that existed over some past period. Expectations for return are often derived in the
same way.
An asset class is a group of economic resources sharing similar characteristics, such as riskiness and
return. There are many types of assets that may or may not be included in an asset allocation strategy.
The "traditional" asset classes are stocks (value, dividend, growth, or sector-specific) or a "blend" of
any two or more of the preceding; large-cap versus mid-cap, small-cap or micro-cap; domestic,
foreign [developed], emerging (or frontier markets), bonds (fixed income securities) more generally:
investment-grade or junk [high-yield]; government or corporate; short-term, intermediate, long-
term; domestic, foreign, emerging markets, and cash or cash equivalents. Allocation among these
three provides a starting point. Usually included are hybrid instruments such as convertible bonds
and preferred stocks, counting as a mixture of bonds and stocks. Other alternative assets that may be
considered include: commodities: precious metals, nonferrous metals, agriculture, energy, others.;
Commercial or residential real estate (also REITs); Collectibles such as art, coins, or stamps;
insurance products (annuity, life settlements, catastrophe bonds, personal life insurance products,
etc.); derivatives such as long-short or market neutral strategies, collateralized debt, and futures;
foreign currency; venture capital; private equity; and/or distressed securities.
Debt Securities (Bonds): Issuers use debt securities to borrow money. Generally, issuers pay
investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the
security and/or at maturity. Alternatively, investors can purchase other debt securities, such as zero
coupon bonds, which do not pay current interest, but rather are priced at a discount from their face
values and their values accrete over time to face value at maturity. The market prices of debt
securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality, and maturity. In
general, market prices of debt securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest
rates fall. Bonds with longer rates of maturity tend to have greater interest rate risks.
Certain additional risk factors relating to debt securities include: (a) When interest rates are
declining, investors have to reinvest their interest income and any return of principal, whether
scheduled or unscheduled, at lower prevailing rates.; (b) Inflation causes tomorrow’s dollar to be
worth less than today’s; in other words, it reduces the purchasing power of a bond investor’s future
interest payments and principal, collectively known as “cash flows.” Inflation also leads to higher
interest rates, which in turn leads to lower bond prices.; (c) Debt securities may be sensitive to
economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. Investors can
also expect periods of economic change and uncertainty, which can result in increased volatility of
market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be
affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the
security or other assets or indices. (d) Debt securities may contain redemption or call provisions
entitling their issuers to redeem them at a specified price on a date prior to maturity. If an issuer
exercises these provisions in a lower interest rate market, the account would have to replace the
security with a lower yielding security, resulting in decreased income to investors. Usually, a bond is
called at or close to par value. This subjects investors that paid a premium for their bond risk of lost
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principal. In reality, prices of callable bonds are unlikely to move much above the call price if lower
interest rates make the bond likely to be called.; (e) If the issuer of a debt security defaults on its
obligations to pay interest or principal or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, the account may
incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it.; (f) There may be little trading in
the secondary market for particular debt securities, which may affect adversely the account's ability
to value accurately or dispose of such debt securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions,
whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of debt
securities.
Our firm attempts to reduce the risks described above through diversification of the client’s portfolio
and by credit analysis of each issuer, as well as by monitoring broad economic trends and corporate
and legislative developments, but there can be no assurance that our firm will be successful in doing
so. Credit ratings for debt securities provided by rating agencies reflect an evaluation of the safety of
principal and interest payments, not market value risk. The rating of an issuer is a rating agency's
view of past and future potential developments related to the issuer and may not necessarily reflect
actual outcomes. There can be a lag between the time of developments relating to an issuer and the
time a rating is assigned and updated.
Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”): An ETF is a type of Investment Company (usually, an open-end
fund or unit investment trust) whose primary objective is to achieve the same return as a particular
market index. The vast majority of ETFs are designed to track an index, so their performance is close
to that of an index mutual fund, but they are not exact duplicates. A tracking error, or the difference
between the returns of a fund and the returns of the index, can arise due to differences in
composition, management fees, expenses, and handling of dividends. ETFs benefit from continuous
pricing; they can be bought and sold on a stock exchange throughout the trading day. Because ETFs
trade like stocks, you can place orders similar to trading individual stocks - such as limit orders, good-
until-canceled orders, stop loss orders etc. They can also be sold short. Traditional mutual funds are
bought and redeemed based on their net asset values (“NAV”) at the end of the day. ETFs are bought
and sold at the market prices on the exchanges, which resemble the underlying NAV but are
independent of it. However, arbitrageurs will ensure that ETF prices are kept very close to the NAV
of the underlying securities. Although an investor can buy as few as one share of an ETF, most buy in
board lots. Anything bought in less than a board lot will increase the cost to the investor. Anyone can
buy any ETF no matter where in the world it trades. This provides a benefit over mutual funds, which
generally can only be bought in the country in which they are registered.
One of the main beneficial features of ETFs is their low annual fees, especially when compared to
traditional mutual funds. The passive nature of index investing, reduced marketing, and distribution
and accounting expenses all contribute to the lower fees. However, individual investors must pay a
brokerage commission to purchase and sell ETF shares; for those investors who trade frequently,
this can significantly increase the cost of investing in ETFs. That said, with the advent of low-cost
brokerage fees, small or frequent purchases of ETFs are becoming more cost efficient.
Equity Securities: Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. Equity securities
typically consist of common stocks. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other
things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic and other conditions. For example,
prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties
(such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. There may be little trading in
the secondary market for particular equity securities, which may adversely affect Our firm 's ability
to value accurately or dispose of such equity securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions,
whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of equity
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securities. Investing in smaller companies may pose additional risks as it is often more difficult to
value or dispose of small company stocks, more difficult to obtain information about smaller
companies, and the prices of their stocks may be more volatile than stocks of larger, more established
companies. Clients should have a long-term perspective and, for example, be able to tolerate
potentially sharp declines in value.
Fixed Income: Fixed income is a type of investing or budgeting style for which real return rates or
periodic income is received at regular intervals and at reasonably predictable levels. Many Fixed-
income investors are retired individuals who rely on their investments to provide a regular, stable
income stream. This demographic tends to invest heavily in fixed-income investments because of the
reliable returns they offer. Fixed-income investors who live on set amounts of periodically paid
income face the risk of inflation eroding their spending power.
Some examples of fixed-income investments include treasuries, money market instruments,
corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, municipal bonds and international bonds. The primary risk
associated with fixed-income investments is the borrower may default on his payment. Other
considerations include exchange rate risk for international bonds and interest rate risk for longer-
dated securities. The most common type of fixed-income security is a bond. Bonds are issued by
federal governments, local municipalities and major corporations. Fixed-income securities are
recommended for investors seeking a diverse portfolio. The percentage of the portfolio dedicated to
fixed income depends on one’s own personal investment style. There is also an opportunity to
diversify the fixed-income component of a portfolio. Riskier fixed-income products, such as junk
bonds and longer-dated products, should comprise a lower percentage of your overall portfolio.
The interest payment on fixed-income securities is considered regular income and is determined
based on the creditworthiness of the borrower and current market rates. In general, bonds and fixed-
income securities with longer-dated maturities pay a higher interest rate, also referred to as the
coupon rate, because they are considered riskier. The longer the security is on the market, the more
time it has to lose its value and/or default. At the end of the bond term, or at bond maturity, the
borrower returns the amount borrowed, also referred to as the principal or par value.
Individual Stocks: A common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders
of common stock may exercise control by electing a board of directors and voting on corporate policy.
Investing in individual common stocks provides us with more control of what you are invested in and
when that investment is made. Having the ability to decide when to buy or sell helps us determine
the time to take gains or losses. Common stocks, however, bear a greater amount of risk when
compared to certificate of deposits, preferred stock and bonds. It is typically more difficult to achieve
diversification when investing in individual common stocks. Additionally, common stockholders are
on the bottom of the priority ladder for ownership structure; if a company goes bankrupt, the
common stockholders do not receive their money until the creditors and preferred shareholders
have received their respective share of the leftover assets.
Margin Transactions: Our firm may purchase stocks, mutual funds, and/or other securities for your
portfolio with money borrowed from your brokerage account. This allows you to purchase more
stock than you would be able to with your available cash, and allows us to purchase stock without
selling other holdings. Margin accounts and transactions are risky and not necessarily appropriate
for every client. The potential risks associated with these transactions are (1) You can lose more
funds than are deposited into the margin account; (2) the forced sale of securities or other assets in
your account; (3) the sale of securities or other assets without contacting you; and (4) you may not
be entitled to choose which securities or other assets in your account(s) are liquidated or sold to
meet a margin call.
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Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests the
money in a variety of differing security types based the objectives of the fund. The portfolio of the
fund consists of the combined investment holdings it owns. Each share represents an investor’s
proportionate ownership of the fund’s holdings and the income generated by those holdings. The
price that investors pay for mutual fund shares is the fund’s per share net asset value (“NAV”) plus
any shareholder fees that the fund imposes at the time of purchase (such as sales charges). Investors
typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they
directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades.
With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information
with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser.
Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second.
By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will
typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which is calculated daily after market close.
The benefits of investing through mutual funds include: (a) Mutual funds are professionally managed
by an investment adviser who researches, selects, and monitors the performance of the securities
purchased by the fund; (b) Mutual funds typically have the benefit of diversification, which is an
investing strategy that generally sums up as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Spreading
investments across a wide range of companies and industry sectors can help lower the risk if a
company fails or a sector declines. Some investors find it easier to achieve diversification through
ownership of mutual funds rather than through ownership of individual stocks or bonds.; (c) Some
mutual funds accommodate investors who do not have a lot of money to invest by setting relatively
low dollar amounts for initial purchases, subsequent monthly purchases, or both.; and (d) At any
time, mutual fund investors can readily redeem their shares at the current NAV, less any fees and
charges assessed on redemption.
Mutual funds also have features that some investors might view as disadvantages: (a) Investors must
pay sales charges, annual fees, and other expenses regardless of how the fund performs. Depending
on the timing of their investment, investors may also have to pay taxes on any capital gains
distribution they receive. This includes instances where the fund performs poorly after the investor
purchased shares.; (b) Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at
any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or
the timing of those trades.; and (c) With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close
to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a
broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour
to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor
purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which the fund might not
calculate until many hours after the investor placed the order. In general, mutual funds must calculate
their NAV at least once every business day, typically after the major U.S. exchanges close.
When investors buy and hold an individual stock or bond, the investor must pay income tax each year
on the dividends or interest the investor receives. However, the investor will not have to pay any
capital gains tax until the investor actually sells and makes a profit. Mutual funds are different. When
an investor buys and holds mutual fund shares, the investor will owe income tax on any ordinary
dividends in the year the investor receives or reinvests them. Moreover, in addition to owing taxes
on any personal capital gains when the investor sells shares, the investor may have to pay taxes each
year on the fund’s capital gains. That is because the law requires mutual funds to distribute capital
gains to shareholders if they sell securities for a profit, and cannot use losses to offset these gains.
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Private Equity: Private equity is an equity investment into non-public companies. Private equity
funds hold illiquid positions (for which there is no active secondary market) and typically only invest
in the equity and debt of target companies, which are generally taken private and brought under the
private equity manager's control. Risks associated with private equity include:
• Funding Risk: The unpredictable timing of cash flows poses funding risks to investors.
Commitments are contractually binding and defaulting on payments results in the loss of
private equity partnership interests. This risk is also commonly referred to as default risk.
• Liquidity Risk: The illiquidity of private equity partnership interests exposes investors to
asset liquidity risk associated with selling in the secondary market at a discount on the
reported NAV.
• Market Risk: The fluctuation of the market has an impact on the value of the investments
held in the portfolio.
• Capital Risk: The realization value of private equity investments can be affected by
numerous factors, including (but not limited to) the quality of the fund manager, equity
market exposure, interest rates and foreign exchange.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. While the stock
market may increase and the account(s) could enjoy a gain, it is also possible that the stock market
may decrease and the account(s) could suffer a loss. It is important that clients understand the risks
associated with investing in the stock market, are appropriately diversified in investments, and ask
any questions they may have.
Capital Risk: Capital risk is one of the most basic, fundamental risks of investing; it is the risk that
you may lose 100% of your money. All investments carry some form of risk and the loss of capital is
generally a risk for any investment instrument.
Credit Risk: Credit risk can be a factor in situations where an investment’s performance relies on a
borrower’s repayment of borrowed funds. With credit risk, an investor can experience a loss or
unfavorable performance if a borrower does not repay the borrowed funds as expected or required.
Investment holdings that involve forms of indebtedness (i.e. borrowed funds) are subject to credit
risk.
Currency Risk: Fluctuations in the value of the currency in which your investment is denominated
may affect the value of your investment and thus, your investment may be worth more or less in the
future. All currency is subject to swings in valuation and thus, regardless of the currency
denomination of any particular investment you own, currency risk is a realistic risk measure. That
said, currency risk is generally a much larger factor for investment instruments denominated in
currencies other than the most widely used currencies (U.S. dollar, British pound, German mark,
Euro, Japanese yen, French franc, etc.).
Economic Risk: The prevailing economic environment is important to the health of all businesses.
Some companies, however, are more sensitive to changes in the domestic or global economy than
others. These types of companies are often referred to as cyclical businesses. Countries in which a
large portion of businesses are in cyclical industries are thus also very economically sensitive and
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carry a higher amount of economic risk. If an investment is issued by a party located in a country that
experiences wide swings from an economic standpoint or in situations where certain elements of an
investment instrument are hinged on dealings in such countries, the investment instrument will
generally be subject to a higher level of economic risk.
Financial Risk: Financial risk is represented by internal disruptions within an investment or the
issuer of an investment that can lead to unfavorable performance of the investment. Examples of
financial risk can be found in cases like Enron or many of the dot com companies that were caught
up in a period of extraordinary market valuations that were not based on solid financial footings of
the companies.
Fixed Income Securities Risk: Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with
prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk,
which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may
cause your account value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed income securities
may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security.
Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, prepayment risk, valuation risk, and liquidity
risk. Credit risk is the chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely
manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to make such payments will cause the
price of a bond to decline.
Inflation Risk: Inflation risk involves the concern that in the future, your investment or proceeds
from your investment will not be worth what they are today. Throughout time, the prices of resources
and end-user products generally increase and thus, investors expect the same general goods and
products today will likely be more expensive in the future. The longer an investment is held, the
greater the chance that the proceeds from that investment will be worth less in the future than what
they are today. Said another way, a dollar tomorrow will likely get you less than what it can today.
Interest Rate Risk: Certain investments involve the payment of a fixed or variable rate of interest to
the investment holder. Once an investor has acquired or has acquired the rights to an investment that
pays a particular rate (fixed or variable) of interest, changes in overall interest rates in the market
will affect the value of the interest-paying investment(s) they hold. In general, changes in prevailing
interest rates in the market will have an inverse relationship to the value of existing, interest-paying
investments. In other words, as interest rates move up, the value of an instrument paying a particular
rate (fixed or variable) of interest will go down. The reverse is generally true as well.
Legal/Regulatory Risk: Certain investments or the issuers of investments may be affected by
changes in state or federal laws or in the prevailing regulatory framework under which the
investment instrument or its issuer is regulated. Changes in the regulatory environment or tax laws
can affect the performance of certain investments or issuers of those investments and thus, can have
a negative impact on the overall performance of such investments.
Liquidity Risk: Certain assets may not be readily converted into cash or may have a very limited
market in which they trade. Thus, you may experience the risk that your investment or assets within
your investment may not be able to be liquidated quickly, thus, extending the period of time by which
you may receive the proceeds from your investment. Liquidity risk can also result in unfavorable
pricing when selling (i.e. not being able to quickly get out of an investment before the price drops
significantly) a particular investment and therefore, can have a negative impact on investment
returns.
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Market Risk: The value of your portfolio may decrease if the value of an individual company or
multiple companies in the portfolio decreases or if our belief about a company’s intrinsic worth is
incorrect. Further, regardless of how well individual companies perform, the value of your portfolio
could also decrease if there are deteriorating economic or market conditions. It is important to
understand that the value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, in response to changes in
the market, and you could lose money. Investment risks include price risk as may be observed by a
drop in a security’s price due to company specific events (e.g. earnings disappointment or downgrade
in the rating of a bond), or general market risk (e.g. such as a “bear” market when stock values fall in
general). For fixed-income securities, a period of rising interest rates could erode the value of a bond
since bond values generally fall as bond yields go up. Past performance is not a guarantee of future
returns.
Past Performance: Charting and technical analysis are often used interchangeably. Technical
analysis generally attempts to forecast an investment’s future potential by analyzing its past
performance and other related statistics. In particular, technical analysis oftentimes involves an
evaluation of historical pricing and volume of a particular security for the purpose of forecasting
where future price and volume figures may go. As with any investment analysis method, technical
analysis runs the risk of not knowing the future and thus, investors should realize that even the most
diligent and thorough technical analysis cannot predict or guarantee the future performance of any
particular investment instrument or issuer thereof.
Description of Material, Significant or Unusual Risks
Our firm generally invests client cash balances in money market funds, FDIC-Insured Certificates of
Deposit, high-grade commercial paper and/or government backed debt instruments. Ultimately, our
firm tries to achieve the highest return on client cash balances through relatively low-risk
conservative investments. In most cases, at least a partial cash balance will be maintained in a money
market account so that our firm may debit advisory fees for our services related to our Wrap
Comprehensive Portfolio Management service, as applicable.
Item 9: Disciplinary Information
There are no legal or disciplinary events that are material to the evaluation of our advisory business
or the integrity of our management.
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations
Our firm is not registered, nor does it have an application pending to register, as a broker-dealer,
registered representative of a broker dealer, investment company or pooled investment vehicle,
other investment adviser or financial planner, futures commission merchant, commodity pool
operator, commodity trading advisor, banking or thrift institution, accountant or accounting firm,
lawyer or law firm, insurance company or agency, pension consultant, real estate broker or dealer or
a sponsor or syndicator of limited partnership, or an associated person of the foregoing entities.
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Some of the Representatives of our firm are licensed insurance agents. If offering insurance products,
they may receive a fee as the result of the insurance sale. A conflict of interest may arise as these
insurance sales may create an incentive to recommend products based on the compensation
earned. To mitigate this potential conflict, our representative will act in the client’s best interest.
Some of the representatives of our firm can provide mortgage services. Our advisory services are
separate and distinct from the compensation paid for mortgage services. Clients are under no
obligation to utilize this service and will not be actively solicited.
Certain representatives of our firm provide tax preparation services. In such capacity, they assist with
income tax preparation or filing services. These services are independent of our investment advisory
services and are governed under a separate engagement agreement.
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in
Client Transactions & Personal Trading
As a fiduciary, it is an investment adviser’s responsibility to provide fair and full disclosure of all material
facts and to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients at all times. Our fiduciary duty is the
underlying principle for our firm’s Code of Ethics, which includes procedures for personal securities
transaction and insider trading. Our firm requires all representatives to conduct business with the
highest level of ethical standards and to comply with all federal and state securities laws at all times.
Upon employment with our firm, and at least annually thereafter, all representatives of our firm will
acknowledge receipt, understanding and compliance with our firm’s Code of Ethics. Our firm and
representatives must conduct business in an honest, ethical, and fair manner and avoid all circumstances
that might negatively affect or appear to affect our duty of complete loyalty to all clients. This disclosure
is provided to give all clients a summary of our Code of Ethics. If a client or a potential client wishes to
review our Code of Ethics in its entirety, a copy will be provided promptly upon request.
Our firm recognizes that the personal investment transactions of our representatives demands the
application of a Code of Ethics with high standards and requires that all such transactions be carried out
in a way that does not endanger the interest of any client. At the same time, our firm also believes that if
investment goals are similar for clients and for our representatives, it is logical, and even desirable, that
there be common ownership of some securities.
In order to prevent conflicts of interest, our firm has established procedures for transactions effected by
our representatives for their personal accounts1. In order to monitor compliance with our personal
trading policy, our firm has pre-clearance requirements and a quarterly securities transaction reporting
system for all of our representatives.
Neither our firm nor a related person recommends, buys or sells for client accounts, securities in
which our firm or a related person has a material financial interest without prior disclosure to the
client.
1 For purposes of the policy, our associate’s personal account generally includes any account (a) in the name of our associate, his/her spouse,
his/her minor children or other dependents residing in the same household, (b) for which our associate is a trustee or executor, or (c) which our
associate controls, including our client accounts which our associate controls and/or a member of his/her household has a direct or indirect
beneficial interest in.
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Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities and other investments that are also
recommended to clients. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place
client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which
is available upon request.
Likewise, related persons of our firm buy or sell securities for themselves at or about the same time they
buy or sell the same securities for client accounts. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our
related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of
Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Further, our related persons will refrain from buying
or selling the same securities prior to buying or selling for our clients in the same day unless included in
a block trade.
Item 12: Brokerage Practices
Selecting a Brokerage Firm
Our firm does not maintain custody of client assets. Client assets must be maintained by a qualified
custodian. Our firm seeks to recommend a custodian who will hold client assets and execute
transactions on terms that are overall most advantageous when compared to other available
providers and their services. The factors considered, among others, are these:
Timeliness of execution
Timeliness and accuracy of trade confirmations
Research services provided
Ability to provide investment ideas
Execution facilitation services provided
Record keeping services provided
Custody services provided
Frequency and correction of trading errors
Ability to access a variety of market venues
Expertise as it relates to specific securities
Financial condition
Business reputation
Quality of services
With this in consideration, our firm has an arrangement with National Financial Services LLC and
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (collectively, and together with all affiliates, "Fidelity"), a qualified
custodian from whom our firm is independently owned and operated. Fidelity offers services to
independent investment advisers which includes custody of securities, trade execution, clearance
and settlement of transactions. Fidelity enables us to obtain many no-load mutual funds without
transaction charges and other no-load funds at nominal transaction charges. Fidelity does not charge
client accounts separately for custodial services. Client accounts will be charged transaction fees,
commissions or other fees on trades that are executed or settle into the client’s custodial account.
Transaction fees are negotiated with Fidelity and are generally discounted from customary retail
commission rates. This benefits clients because the overall fee paid is often lower than would be
otherwise.
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Fidelity may make certain research and brokerage services available at no additional cost to our firm.
Research products and services provided by Fidelity may
include: research reports on
recommendations or other information about particular companies or industries; economic surveys,
data and analyses; financial publications; portfolio evaluation services; financial database software and
services; computerized news and pricing services; quotation equipment for use in running software
used in investment decision-making; and other products or services that provide lawful and appropriate
assistance by Fidelity to our firm in the performance of our investment decision-making responsibilities.
The aforementioned research and brokerage services qualify for the safe harbor exemption defined in
Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The safe harbor research products and services
obtained by our firm will generally be used to service all of our clients but not necessarily all at any
one particular time. As part of our arrangement, Fidelity will reimburse transaction expenses
associated with client account transfers for a limited period of time.
Fidelity does not make client brokerage commissions generated by client transactions available for
our firm’s use. The aforementioned research and brokerage services are used by our firm to manage
accounts for which our firm has investment discretion. Without this arrangement, our firm might be
compelled to purchase the same or similar services at our own expense.
As part of our fiduciary duty to our clients, our firm will endeavor at all times to put the interests of
our clients first. Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by our firm
or our related persons creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence our firm’s
choice of Fidelity as a custodial recommendation. Our firm examined this potential conflict of interest
when our firm chose to recommend Fidelity and have determined that the recommendation is in the
best interest of our firm’s clients and satisfies our fiduciary obligations, including our duty to seek best
execution.
Fidelity also makes available to our firm other services intended to help our firm manage and further
develop our business enterprise. These services may include professional compliance, legal and
business consulting, and marketing. Fidelity may also make available, arrange and/or pay vendors
for these types of services rendered to our firm by independent third parties. Fidelity may discount
or waive fees it would otherwise charge for some of these services or pay all or a part of the fees of a
third-party providing these services to our firm. While, as a fiduciary, our firm endeavors to act in
our clients’ best interests, our recommendation/requirement that clients maintain their assets in
accounts at Fidelity may be based in part on the benefit to our firm of the availability of some of the
foregoing products and services and other arrangements and not solely on the nature, cost, or quality
of custody and brokerage services provided by Fidelity, which creates a potential conflict of interest.
Our Retirement Plan Consulting (Non-Wrap) fee clients may pay a transaction fee or commission to
Fidelity that is higher than another qualified broker dealer might charge to effect the same
transaction where our firm determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to
the value of the brokerage and research services provided to the client as a whole.
In seeking best execution, the determinative factor is not the lowest possible cost, but whether the
transaction represents the best qualitative execution, taking into consideration the full range of a
broker-dealer’s services, including the value of research provided, execution capability, commission
rates, and responsiveness. Although our firm will seek competitive rates, to the benefit of all clients,
our firm may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rates for specific client account
transactions.
Soft Dollars
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Our firm does not receive soft dollars in excess of what is allowed by Section 28(e) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. The safe harbor research products and services obtained by our firm will
generally be used to service all of our clients but not necessarily all at any one particular time.
Client Brokerage Commissions
Fidelity does not make client brokerage commissions generated by client transactions available for
our firm’s use. Our firm does not direct client transactions to a particular broker-dealer in return for
soft dollar benefits.
Directed Brokerage
In certain instances, clients may seek to limit or restrict our discretionary authority in making the
determination of the brokers with whom orders for the purchase or sale of securities are placed for
execution, and the commission rates at which such securities transactions are effected. Clients may
seek to limit our authority in this area by directing that transactions (or some specified percentage
of transactions) be executed through specified brokers in return for portfolio evaluation or other
services deemed by the client to be of value. Any such client direction must be in writing (often
through our advisory agreement), and may contain a representation from the client that the
arrangement is permissible under its governing laws and documents, if this is relevant.
Our firm provides appropriate disclosure in writing to clients who direct trades to particular brokers,
that with respect to their directed trades, they will be treated as if they have retained the investment
discretion that our firm otherwise would have in selecting brokers to effect transactions and in
negotiating commissions and that such direction may adversely affect our ability to obtain best price
and execution. In addition, our firm will inform clients in writing that the trade orders may not be
aggregated with other clients’ orders and that direction of brokerage may hinder best execution.
Special Considerations for ERISA Clients
A retirement or ERISA-plan client may direct all or part of portfolio transactions for its account
through a specific broker or dealer in order to obtain goods or services on behalf of the plan. Such
direction is permitted provided that the goods and services provided are reasonable expenses of the
plan incurred in the ordinary course of its business for which it otherwise would be obligated and
empowered to pay. ERISA prohibits directed brokerage arrangements when the goods or services
purchased are not for the exclusive benefit of the plan. Consequently, our firm will request that plan
sponsors who direct plan brokerage provide us with a letter documenting that this arrangement will
be for the exclusive benefit of the plan.
Aggregation of Purchase or Sale
Our firm provides investment management services for various clients. There are occasions on which
portfolio transactions may be executed as part of concurrent authorizations to purchase or sell the same
security for numerous accounts served by our firm, which involve accounts with similar investment
objectives. Although such concurrent authorizations potentially could be either advantageous or
disadvantageous to any one or more particular accounts, they are affected only when our firm believes
that to do so will be in the best interest of the effected accounts. When such concurrent authorizations
occur, the objective is to allocate the executions in a manner which is deemed equitable to the accounts
involved. In any given situation, our firm attempts to allocate trade executions in the most equitable
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manner possible, taking into consideration client objectives, current asset allocation and availability of
funds using price averaging, proration and consistently non-arbitrary methods of allocation.
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans
Our management personnel or financial advisors review accounts regularly for our Wrap
Comprehensive Portfolio Management clients. The nature of these reviews is to learn whether client
accounts are in line with their investment objectives as they pertain to their goals, appropriately
positioned based on market conditions, and investment policies, if applicable. Our firm does not
provide written reports to clients, unless asked to do so. Verbal reports to clients take place regularly
when clients are contacted. Our firm may review client accounts more frequently than described
above. Among the factors which may trigger an off-cycle review are major market or economic
events, the client’s life events, or requests by the client, etc.
Retirement Plan Consulting clients receive reviews of their retirement plans for the duration of the
service. Our firm also provides ongoing services where clients are met with upon their request to
discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Retirement Plan Consulting clients
do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their plans unless they choose to engage
our firm for ongoing services.
Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation
Fidelity
Except for the arrangements outlined in Item 12 of this brochure, we have no additional
arrangements to disclose.
Referral Fees
Our firm does not pay referral fees (non-commission based) to independent solicitors (non-
registered representatives) for the referral of their clients to our firm in accordance with Rule 206
(4)-3 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Item 15: Custody
All of our clients receive account statements directly from their qualified custodians at least quarterly
upon opening of an account. If our firm decides to also send account statements to clients, such notice
and account statements include a legend that recommends that the client compare the account
statements received from the qualified custodian with those received from our firm.
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180 Wealth Advisors, LLC
The SEC issued a no-action letter (“Letter”) with respect to the Rule 206(4)-2 (“Custody Rule”) under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”). The letter provided guidance on the Custody
Rule as well as clarified that an adviser who has the power to disburse client funds to a third party
under a standing letter of instruction (“SLOA”) is deemed to have custody. As such, our firm has
adopted the following safeguards. As such, our firm has adopted the following safeguarding
procedures in conjunction with our custodian, Fidelity:
Fidelity’s forms, used to establish a standing letter of authorization, include the name and
account number on the receiving account and must be signed by the client.
Fidelity’s SLOA forms currently require client’s signature.
Fidelity performs verification on all SLOA forms and sends a transfer of notice to the client
promptly following the transaction.
Clients always have the ability to terminate (or amend) an SLOA in writing.
Our firm has no authority, or ability, to amend the third party designated on a standing
instruction.
Our firm maintains records showing the third party is not a related party of our firm or
located at our firm.
Fidelity notifies the client in writing when a new standing instruction is set up. Clients also
receive an annual mailing reconfirming the existence of the standing instruction.
Clients are encouraged to raise any questions with us about the custody, safety or security of their
assets and our custodial recommendations.
Item 16: Investment Discretion
Clients have the option of providing our firm with investment discretion on their behalf, pursuant to
an executed investment advisory client agreement. By granting investment discretion, our firm is
authorized to execute securities transactions, determine which securities are bought and sold, and
the total amount to be bought and sold. Limitations may be imposed by the client in the form of
specific constraints on any of these areas of discretion with our firm’s written acknowledgement.
Item 17: Voting Client Securities
Our firm does not accept proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients are given the option when
they open an account with the firm to have all proxy materials, prospectuses and annual reports sent
directly to them or to 180 Wealth Advisors. If clients elect to have all material sent to 180 Wealth it
will not be maintained for recordkeeping. Voting proxies and understanding prospectuses are
important parts of being a shareholder and we do not want to minimize this process. With regards to
corporate actions, 180 Wealth has contracted with a third-party service/Broadridge Investor
Communication Solutions, to allow clients the option to handle class actions regarding
securities. Clients always retain the right to change their elections and handle class actions
themselves.
Broadridge Investor communication Solutions may have collected fees on the recovery of monies due
upon post settlements of collective action lawsuits, regulatory disgorgements, and lawsuits
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180 Wealth Advisors, LLC
pertaining to securities and financial instruments. In compliance with the Fair Funds Act, Broadridge
Investor communication Solutions may no longer fee on or withhold recovered monies from the
settlement of collective action lawsuits, regulatory disgorgements, and lawsuits pertaining to
securities and financial instruments. All proceeds from settlements and class action lawsuits will be
sent to the client in full.
Item 18: Financial Information
Our firm is not required to provide financial information in this Brochure because:
We do not require the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees when services cannot be
rendered within 6 months.
We do not take custody of client funds or securities.
We have never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
We do not have a financial condition or commitment that impairs our ability to meet
contractual and fiduciary obligations to clients.
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180 Wealth Advisors, LLC