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Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC
6060 Parkland Boulevard, Suite 200
Cleveland, OH 44124
Phone: (216) 825-4000
Fax: (216) 825-4001
Website: www.Ancora.net
This brochure provides information about the qualification and business practices of
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC If you have any questions about the contents of this
brochure, please contact us at 216-825-4000, or by email at JGeers@ancora.net. 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 Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is available on the
SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is a registered investment advisor. Registration of
an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
December 31, 2025
Material Changes
Material Changes Since the Last Update
Since the last update to this brochure, no material changes have been made:
This Brochure, dated December 31, 2025 replaces our Form ADV Part 2A dated December 31,
2024.
Full Brochure Availability
The Firm Brochure is available by contacting Jason Geers at (216) 825-4000 or by e-mail at
JGeers@ancora.net or by visiting our web site at www.ancora.net
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Table of Contents
Material Changes ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Material Changes Since the Last Update ........................................................................................... 2
Full Brochure Availability ....................................................................................................................... 2
Advisory Business ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Firm Description ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Principal Owners .................................................................................................................................... 6
Types of Advisory Services .................................................................................................................. 6
Tailored Relationships ........................................................................................................................... 7
Other Services ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Client Assets ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Fees and Compensation ........................................................................................................................... 7
Portfolio Management ........................................................................................................................... 8
Life Planning & Wealth Advisory Services ......................................................................................... 8
Corporate Retirement Planning............................................................................................................ 9
Other Services ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Fee Billing and Fees Paid in Advance .............................................................................................. 10
Other Fees and Charges ..................................................................................................................... 10
Terminating Advisory Services ........................................................................................................... 11
Additional Compensation .................................................................................................................... 11
Performance-Based Fees & Side-by-Side Management ................................................................... 12
Sharing of Capital Gains or Capital Appreciation ............................................................................ 12
Types of Clients ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Description ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Account Minimums ............................................................................................................................... 12
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ......................................................... 12
Methods of Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 12
Investment Strategies .......................................................................................................................... 13
Risk of Loss ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Cybersecurity ........................................................................................................................................ 15
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Disciplinary Information ........................................................................................................................... 15
Legal and Disciplinary ......................................................................................................................... 15
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations .............................................................................. 16
Broker-dealer or Registered Representative ................................................................................... 16
Material Relationships or Arrangements within Financial Industry ............................................... 16
Recommend or Select Other Investment Advisers ......................................................................... 17
Other Services ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading ................ 20
Code of Ethics....................................................................................................................................... 20
Recommend Securities with Material Financial Interest ................................................................ 20
Invest in Same Securities Recommended to Clients ...................................................................... 20
Personal Trading Policies ................................................................................................................... 21
Cross Trading Policies ......................................................................................................................... 21
Brokerage Practices ................................................................................................................................ 22
Selecting Brokerage Firms ................................................................................................................. 22
Trading ................................................................................................................................................... 22
Research and Other Services ............................................................................................................ 23
Brokerage for Client Referrals ............................................................................................................ 25
Best Execution ...................................................................................................................................... 25
Directed Brokerage .............................................................................................................................. 25
Order Aggregation and Allocation...................................................................................................... 25
Review of Accounts ................................................................................................................................. 26
Periodic Reviews .................................................................................................................................. 26
Review Triggers .................................................................................................................................... 26
Regular Reports ................................................................................................................................... 27
Client Referrals and Other Compensation ........................................................................................... 27
Economic Benefits ............................................................................................................................... 27
Third Party Solicitors ............................................................................................................................ 27
Custody ...................................................................................................................................................... 28
Asset Custody ....................................................................................................................................... 28
Account Statements ............................................................................................................................. 28
Investment Discretion .............................................................................................................................. 28
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Discretionary Authority for Trading .................................................................................................... 28
Limited Power of Attorney ................................................................................................................... 29
Voting Client Securities ........................................................................................................................... 29
Proxy Voting .......................................................................................................................................... 29
Financial Information ............................................................................................................................... 30
Prepayment of Fees ............................................................................................................................. 30
Financial Condition............................................................................................................................... 30
Bankruptcy ............................................................................................................................................ 30
Requirements for State-Registered Advisers ...................................................................................... 30
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Advisory Business
Firm Description
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC (Ancora), is an investment advisor registered with the SEC. We
specialize in customized portfolio management for individual investors, high net worth individuals, families,
pensions, and profit-sharing plans.
Principal Owners
FOCUS FINANCIAL PARTNERS
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is part of the Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus LLC”)
partnership. Specifically, Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of
Focus LLC. Ferdinand FFP Acquisition, LLC is the sole managing member of Focus LLC. Ultimate
governance of Focus LLC is conducted through the board of directors at Ferdinand FFP Ultimate Holdings,
LP. Focus LLC is majority-owned, indirectly and collectively, by investment vehicles affiliated with Clayton,
Dubilier & Rice, LLC (“CD&R”). Investment vehicles affiliated with Stone Point Capital LLC (“Stone Point”)
are indirect owners of Focus LLC. Because Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is an indirect, wholly-
owned subsidiary of Focus Inc., CD&R and Stone Point investment vehicles are indirect owners of Ancora
Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. Focus LLC also owns other registered investment advisers, broker-dealers,
pension consultants, insurance firms, business managers and other firms (the “Focus Partners”), most of
which provide wealth management, benefit consulting and investment consulting services to individuals,
families, employers, and institutions. Some Focus Partners also manage or advise limited partnerships,
private funds, or investment companies as disclosed on their respective Form ADVs. Ancora Private Wealth
Advisors, LLC is managed by (“Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC Principals”), pursuant to a
management agreement between Terza Partners, LLC and Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. The
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC Principals serve as officers and leaders of Ancora Private Wealth
Advisors, LLC and, in that capacity, are responsible for the management, supervision and oversight of
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC.
Types of Advisory Services
We specialize in customized portfolio management for individual investors, high net worth individuals,
families, pensions, and profit-sharing plans. As part of this service, we generally create an investment
portfolio to meet the client’s particular investment goals. Portfolios may consist of a combination of individual
stocks, individual bonds, Mutual Funds, ETFS, other fixed income securities, as well as offering proprietary
funds and other affiliated companies services. Our firm may also perform the role of an asset allocator or
consultant for the trustees of qualified plans, foundations or endowments, and affluent families.
Our firm also provides lifetime planning and wealth advisory services, where we work closely with clients
and their industry professionals to help you define and set future needs and goals. Our review will include
client assets, liabilities, current and future cash flow and income needs, insurance needs, estate planning
and related legal documents, and projected Social Security and other pension benefits. Clients may ask for
additional services, fee changes or other terms in their agreements. We implement investment advice on
behalf of certain clients in held-away accounts that are maintained at independent third-party custodians.
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These held-away accounts are often 401(k) accounts, 529 plans and other assets that are not held at our
primary custodian(s). We review, monitor, and manage these held-away accounts in an integrated way with
client accounts held at our primary custodian(s). Further information about this service is available in Item
5.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended (“ERISA”) with respect to investment management services and investment advice
provided to ERISA plan clients, including ERISA plan participants. Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is
also a fiduciary under the Internal Revenue Code (the “IRC”) with respect to investment management
services and investment advice provided to ERISA plans, ERISA plan participants, IRAs and IRA owners
(collectively, “Retirement Account Clients”). As such, Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is subject to
specific duties and obligations under ERISA and the IRC that include, among other things, prohibited
transaction rules which are intended to prohibit fiduciaries from acting on conflicts of interest. When a
fiduciary gives advice in which it has a conflict of interest, the fiduciary must either avoid or eliminate the
conflict or rely upon a prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”).
As a fiduciary, we have duties of care and of loyalty to you and are subject to obligations imposed on us by
the federal and state securities laws. As a result, you have certain rights that you cannot waive or limit by
contract. Nothing in our agreement with you should be interpreted as a limitation of our obligations under
the federal and state securities laws or as a waiver of any unwaivable rights you possess. This document
will outline a typical client offering and interaction but it is important to understand each client situation is
different and that you should read and understand all documents that Ancora provides.
Tailored Relationships
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC can work with clients to make customized portfolios and provide
advice for special situations and needs.
Other Services
We offer clients the option of obtaining certain financial solutions from unaffiliated third-party financial
institutions through UPTIQ Treasury & Credit Solutions, LLC (together with UPTIQ, Inc. and its affiliates,
“UPTIQ”). Please see Items 5 and 10 for a fuller discussion of these services and other important
information.
We help our clients obtain certain insurance solutions by introducing clients to our affiliate, Focus Risk
Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus Financial Partners, LLC.
Please see Items 5 and 10 for a fuller discussion of these services and other important information.
Client Assets
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors manages accounts primarily on a discretionary basis, but will advise clients
on a non-discretionary basis under certain arrangements. As of December 31, 2025, we managed
approximately $ 3,776,712,376 in client assets on a discretionary basis and $ 122,915,933 on a non-
discretionary basis.
Fees and Compensation
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Management fees are based on the value of assets managed and fees are calculated as a percentage of
assets under management. Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC reserves the right to waive or discount
fees and minimums in certain instances.
Ancora may receive performance-based fees for certain specialized accounts. Please see the “Sharing of
Capital Gains or Capital Appreciation” section of this document for more details.
Portfolio Management
Fees are based upon the client's total relationship with Ancora. Holdings of mutual funds and investment
partnerships where Ancora acts as the investment manager, to the fund itself, are excluded from client’s
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC’s separately managed account’s (SMA) quarterly billing values. The
billing schedule will be included as part of your management agreement. Our firm may charge a minimum
annual fee for our services dependent on the scope of the relationship. The minimum may be waived or
reduced at the Firm’s discretion. This current fee schedule set forth below is for asset management
purposes. These fees do not include Wealth Planning or Consulting Services, which are charged based on
the scope of the engagement. Sub-Advised strategies, for example direct indexing, are provided by the
sub-advisers for an additional fee. These fees are separate and distinct from the Ancora investment
advisory fees.
Assets Under Management
Annual Advisory Fee
Up to 3 million
1.00%
3 million to 7 million
0.75%
7 million to 15 million
0.50%
15 million to 25 million
0.45%
25 million to 50 million
0.35%
50 million to 100 million
0.30%
Over 100 million
Negotiated
The above fees are progressive and are for the management of a client’s portfolio. For example, if a Client’s
account is $7 million in value, the quarterly fee is calculated by totaling ($3 million * .01) + ($4 million *
.0075), then taking the total sum and dividing by 4 to arrive at the total quarterly fee due.
Life Planning & Wealth Advisory Services
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC may charge a flat fee or a percentage of assets for Lifetime and
Wealth Advisory Services based on the scope of the engagement, the depth of issues covered, time
involved in preparation of the plan document(s) and the term of the engagement (i.e., one time plan versus
continually evolving plan). The fees will be transparent, outlined, and agreed to prior to commencement of
the engagement. Fees are billed quarterly in advance.
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Corporate Retirement Planning
Assets Under Management
Max Annual Advisory Fee
Up to $500,000
1.00% of Plan Assets
$500,000 to $999,999
0.75% of Plan Assets
$1,000,000 to $3,000,000
0.50% of Plan Assets
$3,000,000 to $7,000,000
0.25% of Plan Assets
Over $7,000,000
Negotiable
The fee-paying arrangements for pension consulting service will be determined on a case-by-case basis
and will be detailed in the signed agreement. Client(s) will be invoiced directly for the above fees.
Other Services
We offer clients the option of obtaining certain financial solutions from unaffiliated third-party financial
institutions through UPTIQ Treasury & Credit Solutions, LLC (together with UPTIQ, Inc. and its affiliates,
“UPTIQ”). Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus”) is a minority investor in UPTIQ, Inc. UPTIQ is
compensated by sharing in the revenue earned by such third-party financial institutions for serving our
clients. The revenue paid to UPTIQ also benefits UPTIQ Inc.’s investors, including Focus, our parent
company. When legally permissible, UPTIQ also shares a portion of this earned revenue with our affiliate,
Focus Solutions Holdings, LLC (“FSH”). For securities-backed lines of credit (“SBLOCs”) made to our
clients, UPTIQ will share with FSH up to 75% of all revenue it receives from such third-party financial
institutions. For other loans (except residential mortgage loans) made to our clients, UPTIQ will share with
FSH up to 25% of all revenue it receives from such third-party financial institutions. For cash management
products and services provided to our clients, UPTIQ will share with FSH up to 33% of all revenue it receives
from the third-party financial institutions and other intermediaries that provide administrative and settlement
services in connection with this program. Although the amount of these revenue-sharing payments to FSH
is not charged directly in the calculation of the interest rate paid by clients on credit solutions facilitated by
UPTIQ or the yield earned by clients on cash management solutions facilitated by UPTIQ, the compensation
earned by UPTIQ is an expense of the third-party financial institutions that informs the interest rate paid by
clients on credit solutions and the yield earned by clients on cash management solutions. FSH distributes
this revenue to us when we are licensed to receive such revenue (or when no such license is required) and
the distribution is not otherwise legally prohibited. Further information on this conflict of interest is available
in Item 10 of this Brochure. We help our clients obtain certain insurance solutions by introducing clients to
our affiliate, Focus Risk Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus
Financial Partners, LLC. FRS assists our clients with regulated insurance sales activity by advising our
clients on insurance matters and placing insurance products for them and/or referring our clients to certain
third-party insurance brokers (the “Brokers”), with whom FRS has agreements, which either separately or
together with FRS place insurance products for them. If FRS places an insurance product or refers one of
our clients to a Broker and there is a subsequent purchase of insurance through the Broker, then FRS will
receive a portion of the upfront and/or ongoing commissions associated with the sale by the insurance
carrier with which the policy was placed. The amount of revenue earned by FRS for the sale of these
insurance products will vary over time in response to market conditions and will also differ based on the
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type of insurance product sold and which Broker placed the policy. The amount of insurance commission
revenue earned by FRS is considered for purposes of determining the amount of additional compensation
that certain of our financial professionals are entitled to receive. Additionally, in exchange for allowing
certain of the Brokers to participate in the FRS platform and, thereby, to offer their services to our clients
and certain of our affiliates’ clients, FRS receives periodic fees (the “Platform Fees”) from such Brokers.
The Platform Fees are expected to change over time. Such Platform Fees are revenue for FRS and,
ultimately, for our common parent company, Focus, but we do not share in such revenue. FRS also
indirectly benefits from our clients’ use of the services insofar as such use incentivizes the Brokers to
maintain their relationship with FRS and to continue paying Platform Fees to FRS, which could also support
increases in the overall amount of the Platform Fee rates in the future. Further information on this conflict
of interest is available in Item 10 of this Brochure.
Fee Billing and Fees Paid in Advance
Fees are charged quarterly (1/4 of annual fee) in advance based upon the value of assets managed based
valuations done by the client's custodian or other pricing services at the end of each calendar quarter unless
the client has negotiated alternative terms.
When you sign your management agreement you may authorize Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC to
invoice your custodian or broker dealer to deduct your management fees. By signing a “Letter of
Authorization” or similar document, you authorize your custodian to automatically deduct the management
fees from your account and send them to Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. If your account does not
have sufficient cash to or money market funds balance to cover the fees, you may deposit additional funds
(subject to certain restrictions for IRA account and qualified retirement plan accounts) or make payment in
an alternative method acceptable to Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. If you do not deposit additional
funds into your account or make the payment in another manner, securities in your account will be sold in
an amount sufficient to cover the fees due. Your account custodian or broker dealer statement will reflect
the date and the amount deducted from your account. If you elect to pay Ancora Private Wealth Advisors,
LLC from an account outside of our management services, you will receive a quarterly invoice with
instructions on how and where to remit your payment.
Clients that open accounts after the beginning of a quarter will be charged in arrears at the end of the
quarter. This means you will receive two bills at the next quarter end. One bill for the portion of the quarter
your money has been invested and a second bill for the quarter for their quarterly management fee
consistent with all other customers.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does reserve the right to charge prorated fees for funds that are
deposited to an existing account during the quarter. Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does not typically
charge on investments that the client holds in their account and in which Ancora does not provide advice.
These assets are unsupervised and under the sole discretion of the client.
Other Fees and Charges
Our management fees are separate from charges assessed by third parties such as broker dealers,
custodians, and mutual fund companies. Brokerage and other transaction costs charged by broker dealers
executing transactions and custodians maintaining your assets are in addition to the management fees and
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are not negotiable. Mutual funds, variable annuities, insurance products and or other platforms will assess
other fees and expenses such as 12b-1 fees or commissions in connection with the placement of your
funds. For certain clients, we charge an advisory fee for services provided to the held-away accounts
mentioned above in Item 4, just as we do with client accounts held at our primary custodians(s). The specific
fee schedule charged by us is provided in the client’s investment advisory agreement with us. Additional
information and considerations that clients should review before making decisions can be found on form
CRS.
Terminating Advisory Services
Clients may terminate their advisory contract with Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC in writing at any
time. We recommend you use a mail service where a signed receipt is required. Fees will be refunded from
the date written notice has been received through the end of the calendar quarter. Your death will not
terminate the Investment Management Agreement or authority granted to Ancora Private Wealth Advisors,
LLC until we have received actual written notification of your death nor will a transfer in ownership in Ancora
(e.g. Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is sold).
Additional Compensation
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does not receive any additional direct compensation from managed
account clients other than detailed above. The firm may, however, receive indirect compensation or benefits
from parties such as executing brokers and custodians for aggregating business with their firm. These
benefits may include, but are not limited to, access to research, technology, and invitations to special events
including conferences.
Some employees of Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC are Registered Representatives of Inverness
Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Inverness Securities LLC is an affiliate of our firm. Our supervised
persons do accept compensation for the sale of securities or other investment products, including
distribution or 12b-1 fees from the sale of mutual funds. Our firm’s affiliation with Inverness Securities LLC
presents a conflict of interest and may give our firm and/or our supervised persons an incentive to
recommend investment products based on the compensation received. We mitigate this conflict by not
allowing advisors or the firm to receive both, securities-based commissions, and advisory fees on the same
investment. Employees of Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC that are registered with the Ohio
Department of Insurance may earn additional compensation for sales and referrals of insurance products.
Executing brokers and custodians for aggregating business with their firm, may provide benefits including,
but not limited to, access to research, technology, consulting services, and invitations to special events
including conferences. A conflict could be created by directing business to certain brokers or custodians
that provide the most benefits to Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. This conflict is mitigated by
presenting each client with the different fee structures and services provided by our broker and custodial
partners and letting each client select the firm that best suits their needs.
A portion of Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC events may be sponsored by mutual fund companies and
custodial partners. These companies may contribute money towards an event in exchange for an
opportunity to market their particular services. A conflict may exist because Ancora Private Wealth Advisors,
LLC may have incentive to place a client in particular funds or with a particular custodian based on this
sponsorship. This conflict is mitigated by our focus on long term performance track record as the
fundamental reason for selecting a particular fund and by presenting each client with the different fee
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structures and services provided by our broker and custodial partners and letting each client select the firm
that best suits their needs.
Performance-Based Fees & Side-by-
Side Management
Sharing of Capital Gains or Capital Appreciation
Typically, Ancora does not receive performance-based fees; that is fees based on a share of the capital
gains or appreciation of the assets of the client. An exception for Ancora would occur when a specifically
designated account which typically hold a single security or concentrated positions and earns a fee based
on a share of the capital gains or appreciation of the assets of the client. These investments may be similar
to those made in other strategies or customized managed portfolios, all of which may have separately
negotiated fees.
Types of Clients
Description
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC specializes in customized portfolio management for individual
investors, high net worth individuals and families, and pension, profit sharing and 401(k) plans.
Account Minimums
Generally, a client account must be a minimum of $750,000 unless related to other accounts which together
total $750,000. Our firm may charge a minimum annual fee for our services dependent on the scope of the
relationship. The minimum may be waived or reduced at the Firm’s discretion.
Methods of Analysis, Investment
Strategies and Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
Equity Methods of Analysis
Our equity investment methodology uses a combination of fundamental research and technical security
analysis to identify individual securities that are likely to generate superior returns over time while
minimizing risk of loss. We start with top-down analysis to judge risk versus return by looking at where we
are in the current economic cycle, by comparing market valuations relative to history, deciding which sectors
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will be positively affected by current market conditions, identifying themes that will drive markets over the
next market cycle, by examining the current political and regulatory environment, examining current Federal
Reserve Bank policy, and finally by looking at current market technical conditions. We emphasize downside
protection in our security selection. We favor high-quality companies that possess sustainable competitive
advantages, shareholder friendly management teams, strong financials and predictable earnings, cash flow
and dividends, global footprints, and a consistent record of rewarding shareholders over the long-term. We
look for securities fitting this general profile that are priced at or below their five-year average multiples of
earnings or cash flow. Our portfolios typically exhibit a contrarian bent with a valuation discount and yield
advantage to broad market averages such as the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index. We believe risk
management is of primary importance.
Portfolios are structured based on our outlook for the market and our opinion on various market sectors.
Portfolio are designed and managed individually through human direction rather than a quantitative model.
When managing portfolios we may use a combination of individual securities, mutual funds, and exchange
traded funds to achieve appropriate diversification and to achieve targeted exposure to attractive segments
of the markets. We may also employ alternative investments such as private equity, energy, and real estate
investments to add diversification or to hedge portfolios to stock market and interest rate risk.
Fixed Income Methods of Analysis
We analyze and invest in fixed income securities based on the current interest rate, economic, and
inflationary environment of the markets. We will structure fixed income portfolios using instruments issued
by the United States Government or agencies of the United States Government, states and municipalities,
Investment grade and non-investment grade U.S. and foreign corporations, foreign governments, and
convertible bonds or preferred stocks of high-quality U.S. and foreign corporations. Fixed Income mutual
funds or exchange traded funds may also be utilized. As to maturity and quality, the U.S. Treasury yield
curve and interest rate spreads (differential between treasuries and other types of securities) dictate how
bond portfolios are structured. Portfolio holdings are also structured to meet the income needs and risk
tolerance of the individual investor’s needs and our own interest rate and spread forecasts when considered
in relation to the individual investor’s specific circumstances.
Managed Allocation Methods of Analysis
For our managed portfolios we will sometimes purchase open end or closed end mutual funds. Ancora
Private Wealth Advisors, LLC uses mutual funds to diversify across asset classes or gain exposure to a
certain industry. The mutual funds selected by Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC are purchased at NAV.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does pay attention to the internal fees of mutual funds, but is seeking
strong investment choices. The mutual funds chosen are done so with the client specific situation in mind
therefore Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC seeks to find the class with the lowest cost given the clients’
needs.
Investment Strategies
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC manages portfolios for clients in the following separate
categories:
Custom Portfolios - We manage portfolios by first determining your risk profile and goals. Based on
this an asset an allocation strategy is determined. The portfolio can consist of a diverse mix of core
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equities, mutual funds, fixed income investments, and special situations. The core equities consist of
well-known companies in their industries and are chosen because we believe they offer superior long
term total return. They are bought at reasonable historic valuations. We use equity mutual funds or
ETFs to diversify quickly across all areas of the stock market. Special situations consist of companies
which may be smaller that are undergoing restructuring in their markets. These securities tend to be
riskier but offer greater upside potential. Income investments are typically bought to preserve capital.
They are generally government, corporate or municipal bonds. Income investments could also be in
more "aggressive income" securities such as high yield mutual funds, REITS or preferred stocks. Cash
or money markets may be held in your account depending on the availability of attractive investment
opportunities.
Potential Risks include a portfolio that may not keep pace with rising stock market indexes due to its
vast diversification and ETFs may not keep pace with the index they are tracking due to fees within the
fund and advisory fees.
Model Portfolios – ETFs/Mutual Funds - The process begins with a detailed client discussion of risk
tolerance and goals. We have created four asset allocation ranges and match the client’s risk and goals
to an asset allocation range. Within each range we will utilize either mutual funds or ETFs to create a
comprehensive diversified model. The model will be diversified across multiple asset classes and be
managed on a tactical basis. The goal is to maximize returns while minimizing risk for each stated risk
level. Mutual funds and ETFs are screened using proprietary metrics with a focus on low cost,
performance and yield. The best opportunities are placed into the portfolios and allocated across all
accounts invested in the model.
Potential Risks include a portfolio that may not keep pace with rising stock market indexes due to its
vast diversification and ETFs may not keep pace with the index they are tracking due to fees within the
fund and advisory fees.
Managed Allocation - This strategy is targeted toward helping high net-worth individuals preserve,
protect and grow their assets by utilizing traditional assets classes (large cap equities, small cap
equities, bonds) while also incorporating additional asset classes such as real assets (commodities,
REITs and infrastructure assets such as oil and gas pipeline operators) and alternative investments
(lower correlation, non-long only/hedged strategies) into client portfolios when appropriate. The
purpose of including these additional asset classes is to generate a potentially more diversified pool of
return streams through the use of active (individual stocks and mutual funds) and passive (ETFs)
management. The method can be tailored to cater to client’s specific risk tolerance and goals.
Potential Risks include a portfolio that may not keep pace with rising stock market indexes due to its
vast diversification and ETFs may not keep pace with the index they are tracking due to fees within the
fund and advisory fees.
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the
funds carefully before investing. Depending upon market conditions and the availability of attractive
investment opportunities, Ancora may hold cash or money market funds in lieu of, or as part of
each category.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. Investment values will
fluctuate both up and down, are subject to market volatility, and may be worth more or less than the original
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cost. All securities risk the loss of principal. In addition, while we believe our methodology and strategies
will be profitable, there is no assurance this will always be the case. Loses caused by fraudulent requests
due to a client’s identity thief or other client security breaches, and that originated from the client, is the
liability of the client.
While your brokerage account may allow margin transactions, we generally do not recommend the use of
margin. We want you to understand the risks of margin transactions and recommend that you read your
broker dealer’s written disclosure document describing margin trading and its related risks. Some of our
strategies may include option transactions. You should understand the risks involved when trading options
therefore Ancora recommends that you read the “Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options”
published by the Options Clearing Corporation.
Private investments generally involve risk factors including, but not limited to, the potential for complete
loss of principal, liquidity constraints, and lack of transparency. Unlike other traditional liquid investments
that a client may maintain, private placement investments do not provide daily liquidity or pricing. These
risk factors are detailed in each fund’s offering documents which are provided to each prospective investor
for review and consideration.
Cybersecurity
The computer systems, networks and devices used by Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC and service
providers to us and our clients to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections
designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and
telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various
protections utilized, systems, networks, or devices, potentially can be breached. A client could be
negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.
Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from
computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise
disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may
cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to a client;
impediments to trading; the inability by us and other service providers to transact business; violations of
applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other
compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential
information.
Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in
which a client invests; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market
operators, banks, brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions; and other parties. In addition, substantial
costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.
Disciplinary Information
Legal and Disciplinary
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SEC Registered Investment Advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal or
disciplinary events that would be material to your evaluation of Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC and
the integrity of our management of your assets.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC has no such information to report.
Other Financial Industry Activities and
Affiliations
Broker-dealer or Registered Representative
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC is affiliated with Inverness Securities, LLC, a FINRA member broker
dealer through common ownership. Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does not direct any trades for
managed accounts to Inverness Securities. Some employees of Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC may
be registered representatives of Inverness Securities, LLC and may earn fees as described in the
“Additional Compensation” section of this Brochure. No non-directed orders are placed through Inverness
Securities, LLC. Inverness Securities may act as a solicitor on behalf of affiliated or non-affiliated investment
products.
Material Relationships or Arrangements within Financial Industry
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC’s parent company is Ancora Holdings Group LLC who owns three
additional registered investment advisers with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission;
Ancora Advisors, LLC, Ancora Alternatives, LLC, and Ancora Retirement Plan Advisors, LLC. In addition,
it owns two insurance agencies: Ancora Insurance Solutions LLC and Inverness Securities LLC. Inverness
Securities is a FINRA & SIPC member broker dealer. These entities are considered affiliated through
common ownership.
Ancora Advisors LLC serves as investment manager for the Ancora Trust (also known as the Ancora Private
of Mutual Funds). Ancora Advisors’ investment managers serve as portfolio managers for the Ancora
Income Fund, Ancora/Thelen Small-Mid Cap Fund , Ancora MicroCap Fund (closed as of 02/07/2026) and
the Ancora Dividend Value Equity Fund. In addition, Ancora Advisors’ staff members serve as officers
and/or provide services to the Ancora Trust. Ancora Alternatives LLC serves as the General Partner and
investment manager to Ancora’s Private Funds and is registered with the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission as part of the services it performs for Ancora’s Commodity Fund. The private fund entities are
investment partnerships. Ancora Advisors LLC acts as a sub-adviser for several non-affiliated 40 act Funds.
Insurance services are offered through affiliate Ancora Insurance Solutions. As noted above in response to
Item 4, certain investment vehicles affiliated with CD&R collectively are indirect majority owners of Focus
LLC, and certain investment vehicles affiliated with Stone Point are indirect owners of Focus LLC. Because
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors LLC is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus Inc., CD&R and Stone
Point investment vehicles are indirect owners of Ancora Private Wealth Advisors LLC.
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Recommend or Select Other Investment Advisers
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC may also perform the role of the asset allocator or consultant for the
trustees of qualified plans, foundations or endowments, and sometimes affluent families. The services we
provide are as follows:
• Develop a formal written Investment Strategy Statement;
• Conduct all necessary 3rd party manager searches and conduct due diligence.
• Perform on-going asset allocation studies; and recommend investment managers or securities
based on client needs.
• Provide research assistance regarding stock, bonds and mutual funds held in client portfolios.
• Review all portfolios to make sure they are consistent with the investment strategy.
• Meet with the client or committee and provide asset allocation and performance reports periodically
(to be determined on strategy statement).
• Make sure all managers are complying with the Investment Strategy Statement;
• Help the client negotiate and reduce costs with 3rd party investment managers.
• Complete any specific projects the client may wish to review.
Other Services
UPTIQ Credit and Cash Management Solutions
We offer clients the option of obtaining certain financial solutions from unaffiliated third-party financial
institutions through UPTIQ Treasury & Credit Solutions, LLC (together with UPTIQ, Inc. and its affiliates,
“UPTIQ”). These third-party financial institutions are banks and non-banks that offer credit and cash
management solutions to our clients, as well as certain other unaffiliated third parties that provide
administrative and settlement services to facilitate UPTIQ’s cash management solutions. UPTIQ acts as
an intermediary to facilitate our clients’ access to these credit and cash management solutions.
We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus”). Focus is a minority investor
in UPTIQ, Inc. UPTIQ is compensated by sharing in the revenue earned by such third-party financial
institutions for serving our clients. The revenue paid to UPTIQ also benefits UPTIQ Inc.’s investors,
including Focus. When legally permissible, UPTIQ also shares a portion of this earned revenue with our
affiliate, Focus Solutions Holdings, LLC (“FSH”). For securities-backed lines of credit (“SBLOCs”) made to
our clients, UPTIQ will share with FSH up to 75% of all revenue it receives from such third-party financial
institutions. For other loans (except residential mortgage loans) made to our clients, UPTIQ will share with
FSH up to 25% of all revenue it receives from such third-party financial institutions. For cash management
products and services provided to our clients, UPTIQ will share with FSH up to 33% of all revenue it receives
from the third-party financial institutions and other intermediaries that provide administrative and settlement
services in connection with this program. Although the amount of these revenue-sharing payments to FSH
is not charged directly in the calculation of the interest rate paid by clients on credit solutions facilitated by
UPTIQ or the yield earned by clients on cash management solutions facilitated by UPTIQ, the compensation
earned by UPTIQ is an expense of the third-party financial institutions that informs the interest rate paid by
clients on credit solutions and the yield earned by clients on cash management solutions. FSH distributes
this revenue to us when we are licensed to receive such revenue (or when no such license is required) and
the distribution is not otherwise legally prohibited. This revenue is also revenue for FSH’s and our common
parent company, Focus. Additionally, the volume generated by our clients’ transactions allows Focus to
negotiate better terms with UPTIQ, which benefits Focus and us. Accordingly, we have a conflict of interest
when recommending UPTIQ’s services to clients because of the compensation to us and to our affiliates,
FSH and Focus, and the transaction volume to UPTIQ. We mitigate this conflict by: (1) fully and fairly
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disclosing the material facts concerning the above arrangements to our clients, including in this Brochure;
and (2) offering UPTIQ’s solutions to clients on a strictly nondiscretionary and fully disclosed basis, and not
as part of any discretionary investment services. Additionally, we note that clients who use UPTIQ’s
services will receive product-specific disclosure from the third-party financial institutions and other
unaffiliated third-party intermediaries that provide services to our clients.
We have an additional conflict of interest when we recommend credit solutions to our clients because our
interest in continuing to receive investment advisory fees from client accounts gives us a financial incentive
to recommend that clients borrow money rather than liquidate some or all of the assets we manage.
Credit Solutions
Clients retain the right to pledge assets in accounts generally, subject to any restrictions imposed by clients’
custodians. While credit solution programs that we offer facilitate secured loans through third-party financial
institutions, clients are free instead to work directly with institutions outside such programs. Because of the
limited number of participating third-party financial institutions, clients may be limited in their ability to obtain
as favorable loan terms as if the client were to work directly with other banks to negotiate loan terms or
obtain other financial arrangements.
Clients should also understand that pledging assets in an account to secure a loan involves additional risk
and restrictions. A third-party financial institution has the authority to liquidate all or part of the pledged
securities at any time, without prior notice to clients and without their consent, to maintain required collateral
levels. The third-party financial institution also has the right to call client loans and require repayment within
a short period of time; if the client cannot repay the loan within the specified time period, the third-party
financial institution will have the right to force the sale of pledged assets to repay those loans. Selling
assets to maintain collateral levels or calling loans may result in asset sales and realized losses in a
declining market, leading to the permanent loss of capital. These sales also may have adverse tax
consequences. Interest payments and any other loan-related fees are borne by clients and are in addition
to the advisory fees that clients pay us for managing assets, including assets that are pledged as collateral.
The returns on pledged assets may be less than the account fees and interest paid by the account. Clients
should consider carefully and skeptically any recommendation to pursue a more aggressive investment
strategy in order to support the cost of borrowing, particularly the risks and costs of any such strategy. More
generally, before borrowing funds, a client should carefully review the loan agreement, loan application,
and other forms and determine that the loan is consistent with the client’s long-term financial goals and
presents risks consistent with the client’s financial circumstances and risk tolerance.
We use UPTIQ to facilitate credit solutions for our clients.
Cash Management Solutions
For cash management programs, certain third-party intermediaries provide administrative and settlement
services to our clients. Engaging the third-party financial institutions and other intermediaries to provide
cash management solutions does not alter the manner in which we treat cash for billing purposes. Clients
should understand that in rare circumstances, depending on interest rates and other economic and market
factors, the yields on cash management solutions could be lower than the aggregate fees and expenses
charged by the third-party financial institutions, the intermediaries referenced above, and us. Consequently,
in these rare circumstances, a client could experience a negative overall investment return with respect to
those cash investments. Nonetheless, it might still be reasonable for a client to participate in a cash
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management program if the client prefers to hold cash at the third-party financial institutions rather than at
other financial institutions (e.g., to take advantage of FDIC insurance).
We use UPTIQ to facilitate cash management solutions for our clients.
Focus Risk Solutions
We help clients obtain certain insurance solutions by introducing clients to our affiliate, Focus Risk
Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus Financial Partners, LLC
(“Focus”). FRS assists our clients with regulated insurance sales activity by advising our clients on
insurance matters and placing insurance products for them and/or referring our clients to certain third-party
insurance brokers (the “Brokers”) with whom FRS has agreements, which either separately or together with
FRS place insurance products for them.
If FRS places an insurance product or refers one of our clients to a Broker and there is a subsequent
purchase of insurance through the Broker, then FRS will receive a portion of the upfront and/or ongoing
commissions associated with the sale by the insurance carrier with which the policy was placed. The
amount of revenue earned by FRS for the sale of these insurance products will vary over time in response
to market conditions and will also differ based on the type of insurance product sold and which Broker
placed the policy. The amount of insurance commission revenue earned by FRS is considered for purposes
of determining the amount of additional compensation that certain of our financial professionals are entitled
to receive. This revenue is also revenue for our and FRS’s common parent company, Focus. Additionally,
in exchange for allowing certain of the Brokers to participate in the FRS platform and, thereby, to offer their
services to our clients and certain of our affiliates’ clients, FRS receives periodic fees (the “Platform Fees”)
from such Brokers. The Platform Fees are expected to change over time. Such Platform Fees are revenue
for FRS and, ultimately, for our common parent company, Focus, but we do not share in such revenue.
FRS also indirectly benefits from our clients’ use of the services insofar as such use incentivizes the Brokers
to maintain their relationship with FRS and to continue paying Platform Fees to FRS, which could also
support increases in the overall amount of the Platform Fee rates in the future. Accordingly, we have a
conflict of interest when recommending FRS’s services to clients because of the compensation to certain
of our financial professionals and to our affiliates, FRS, and Focus. We address this conflict by: (1) fully
and fairly disclosing the material facts concerning the above arrangements to our clients, including in this
Brochure; and (2) offering FRS solutions to clients on a strictly nondiscretionary and fully disclosed basis,
and not as part of any discretionary investment services. Additionally, we note that clients who use FRS’s
services will receive product-specific disclosure from the Brokers and insurance carriers and other
unaffiliated third-party intermediaries that provide services to our clients.
The insurance premium is ultimately dictated by the insurance carrier, although in some circumstances the
Brokers or FRS may have the ability to influence an insurance carrier to lower the premium of the policy.
The final rate may be higher or lower than the prevailing market rate, and may be higher than if the policy
was purchased directly through the Broker without the assistance of FRS. We can offer no assurances that
the rates offered to you by the insurance carrier are the lowest possible rates available in the marketplace.
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Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest
in Client Transactions and Personal
Trading
Code of Ethics
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC has adopted a formal Code of Ethics. This Code of Ethics includes
requirements to make sure that we meet our fiduciary responsibilities which include the following subjects:
• The adviser’s fiduciary duty to its clients;
• Compliance with all applicable Federal Securities Laws;
• Reporting and review of personal securities transactions and holdings;
• Reporting of violations of the code; and
• The provision of the code to all supervised persons.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC will provide a copy of our Code of Ethics to clients and prospective
clients upon request. To obtain a copy contact Jason Geers at (216) 825-4000 or by e-mail at
JGeers@ancora.net. All Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC employees are required to affirm our Code
of Ethics at least annually.
Recommend Securities with Material Financial Interest
Frederick DiSanto was elected to the Board of Directors of The Eastern Company symbol “EML”, Ampco-
Pittsburgh Corp “AP” and Regional Brands Inc. symbol “RGBD“. A conflict of interest may exist because;
1) Mr. DiSanto in his capacity as a Chief Executive Officer for Ancora, has a fiduciary obligation to advisory
clients and 2) as a Director for this company, Mr. DiSanto has an obligation to take action in the best interest
of the company and their shareholders. In addition, there may be instances where Mr. DiSanto in his
position as a Director could become knowledgeable of material non-public information. If this situation
occurs, Ancora would be unable to purchase or sell securities related to these Corporation until that
information would become public information (information that is available to the general public). These
self-imposed black-out periods could cause Ancora to miss market opportunities in these Companies,
perceived to be available to investors of the general public.
Invest in Same Securities Recommended to Clients
On occasion, Ancora employees may decide to transact in securities that are also transacted in client
accounts or may transacted in securities in which a related person may have some financial interest. This
practice could create a conflict of interest if the transactions are structured to impact the market after the
employee has transacted in the security. Our Code of Ethics and Personal Securities Trading Policy
stipulates that our employees, with limited exceptions, may not transact in securities one day prior to or
after the firm transacting in such securities for its clients. Additionally, personal securities transactions for
common stocks, ETFs, preferred stocks, ADRs, closed-end funds, options, IPOs, private placements, and
mutual funds for which an affiliate serves as the investment adviser or sub-adviser must be preapproved.
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Employee transactions are reviewed daily for compliance with firm policy. The CCO can approve or deny
any employee trade, at their discretion.
Personal Trading Policies
Ancora has a formal Personal Securities Trading Policy. As part of this policy Ancora requires that our
employees and affiliated persons submit personal trading requests through our compliance software for
approval prior to placing their personal transactions. Further, employees must also submit a Personal
Securities Transaction Report quarterly and an Annual Holdings Report to the compliance department to
affirm that no reportable trades were done outside of the firm’s supervision. Other blackout period
restrictions on securities due to client trades and MNPI may be in place and are monitored by compliance.
The CCO will review any exception requests and make a determination if one will be granted on a case by
case basis and will hold ultimate authority on all exception requests.
Cross Trading Policies
A cross trade is a pre-arranged transaction between two or more accounts, each of which managed by the
same adviser. In some situations, the adviser may need to buy and sell the same security at substantially
similar times and the adviser may determine that crossing the transaction is beneficial to both clients as
opposed to exposing each individual trade to the current market. Ancora must always act in the best
interests of both the buyer and seller in any such transaction.
Each portfolio manager must notify Compliance prior to arranging a cross trade. Compliance will ensure
that the cross trade and the manner of execution are appropriate under applicable law. No cross trades will
be permitted without Compliance approval.
Ancora may use an unaffiliated broker-dealer or custodian to cross investments and/or cash between Client
accounts when such a transaction is advantageous for each participant. However, no accounts subject to
ERISA may participate in such transactions without receiving CCO approval and following compliance with
an applicable regulatory exemption.
Ancora may also use an affiliated broker-dealer to cross investments and/or cash between Client accounts
when such a transaction is advantageous for each participant. No accounts subject to ERISA may be
included in any cross trade, without receiving CCO approval and following compliance with an applicable
regulatory exemption.
In addition to the procedures described above, Ancora will follow additional procedures required by Rule
206(3)-2 under the Advisers Act when using an affiliated broker-dealer to cross assets and/or cash between
Client Accounts. Agency cross trade procedures include:
• Ancora will provide any Client that may participate in agency cross trades with full written disclosure
that Ancora or an affiliate will act as broker for, receive commissions from, and have a potentially
conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities regarding, both parties to such transactions;
• Any Clients that may participate in agency cross trades, after receiving full written disclosure, with
execute written consent prospectively authorizing such transactions;
• Ancora or its affiliate will send a written confirmation to any Client participating in an agency cross
transaction that includes:
I.
A statement of the nature of the transaction;
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II.
III.
IV.
The date the transaction took place;
An offer to furnish, upon request, the time when the transaction took place, and;
An offer to furnish, upon request, the source and amount of any other remuneration
received or to be received by Ancora and its affiliates in connection with the transaction
• Ancora or its affiliate(s) send to each Client, at least annually and as part of any written account
statement or summary, a written disclosure statement identifying the total number of agency cross
transactions since the date of the last such statement, as well as the total amount of all
commissions or other remuneration received or to be received by Ancora and its affiliates in
connection with such transactions.
• Each written disclosure statement and confirmation sent in connection with agency cross trades
must include a conspicuous statement that the Client’s consent to such transactions may be
revoked at any time by written notice to Ancora or its affiliates.
Brokerage Practices
Selecting Brokerage Firms
You are free to select any custodian / broker dealer for custody of your account.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC has established relationships with Charles Schwab and Fidelity.
Should you choose to place your assets at one of these brokerage firms, we will continue to be your primary
source of contact for all account related needs.
If you choose a brokerage firm that we do not have a relationship with, Ancora Private Wealth Advisors,
LLC will have limited capacity to service the account. Many services will have to be performed at the
custodian directly.
Please refer back to the “Additional Compensation” section of this document for any potential conflicts when
selecting your brokerage firm.
Trading
Trading instructions are given by a Portfolio Manager to a Trader verbally, in writing via email or hardcopy
trade ticket, and/or through the Company’s order management system. Verbally placed and emailed orders
will be reduced to a formal trade ticket by a Trader and will be confirmed with the Portfolio Manager prior
to executing the trade. The Brokerage Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving broker-dealers
to be utilized as execution counterparties. The Committee’s level of review of counterparties will be based,
in part, on the amount of counterparty risk the Company expects to incur with the broker-dealer. The Trader
decides upon the appropriate means of executing the trade. When determining which trading venue(s) to
use, the Trader may consider, among other things:
• Listed bids and asks;
• The opportunity for price improvement;
• Transaction costs;
• Anonymity;
• Liquidity;
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• Speed of execution;
• Quality of research;
• Expertise with difficult securities; and
• Trading style and strategy.
The Company will ensure that the execution and services of broker-dealers are fair and reasonable. The
Trader must ensure that Ancora creates and maintains a trade ticket, either electronically or in hard copy,
for each trade. Pursuant to Rule 204-2(a)(3) under the Advisers Act, the trade ticket must show:
If applicable, how the trade will be allocated among Clients;
• The terms and conditions of the order, instruction, modification, or cancellation;
• The person at Ancora who recommended the trade;
• The person at Ancora who placed the trade;
• The Client account(s) for which the trade was entered;
•
• The date the trade was entered;
• The broker-dealer or bank with which the trade was placed; and
• Whether the order was placed pursuant to Ancora’s discretionary authority.
All trade tickets will be time stamped for the time of entry by a Trader, and orders placed for the Mutual
Funds will also record the time such transaction was executed. All paper trade tickets will be retained by
the Company. Trades are communicated to broker-dealers by telephone, approved instance messaging
systems, and the order management system. Ancora uses Omgeo’s Affirm/Confirm solution to ensure that
executing broker-dealer trade details match the Company’s records and are promptly affirmed. Following
affirmation, Ancora maintains contact with both the custodian and executing broker-dealer to ensure
settlement takes place as expected. A fixed income Portfolio Manager will ensure that all trades are
confirmed in writing by the executing broker-dealer upon completion of the trade. Confirmations are
delivered by mail or electronic means. Each confirmation must include:
• The security traded;
• Whether the trade was a buy or a sell;
• The price;
• The quantity traded;
• The trade date;
• The settlement date; and
• All commissions, taxes, and other settlement charges.
Special requirements may arise for certain types of transactions such as swaps or options. Ancora typically
receives a daily feed from custodians into the Advent APX portfolio accounting system where the Company
can reconcile securities positions against the files provided by the custodians. Portfolio Managers
periodically review custodial records to identify any deviations from intended Client holdings. The CCO will
receive a daily electronic report with the previous day’s trading activity and review the report for any trading
abnormalities.
Research and Other Services
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC may direct brokerage for research in a “soft dollar” manner for any
account in which brokerage was not directed by the client. However, most research is done internally and
most non-directed trades are placed on the basis of execution quality and liquidity.
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Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does not currently receive any other material benefits for directing
brokerage.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC (Ancora), has entered into an arrangement with Fidelity, and Schwab
(together known as platform providers), to provide services which may include but are not limited to
custodial, execution of securities and administrative support. As part of the arrangement, the platform
providers will make available products and services to Ancora, at no additional charge, which without this
arrangement, Ancora might be compelled to purchase the same or similar services at its own expense.
Services that Benefit You. Platform provider’s brokerage services include access to a broad range of
investment products, execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets. The investment
products available through platform providers include some to which we might not otherwise have access
or that would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment by our clients. Platform provider’s
services described in this paragraph generally benefit you and your account.
Services that May Not Directly Benefit You. Platform providers also makes available to Ancora other
products and services that benefit Ancora but may not directly benefit you or your account. These products
and services assist Ancora in managing and administering our clients’ accounts. They include investment
research, both platform provider’s own and that of third parties. We may use this research to service all or
some substantial number of our clients’ accounts, including accounts not maintained at platform providers.
In addition to investment research, platform providers also make available software and other technology
that:
• provide access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account
statements);
facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts;
facilitate payment of our fees from our clients’ accounts; and
•
• provide pricing and other market data;
•
• assist with back-office functions, recordkeeping and client reporting.
Services that Generally Benefit Only Ancora. Platform providers also offer other services intended to
help Ancora manage and further develop our business enterprise. These services include:
technology, compliance, legal, and business consulting;
• educational conferences and events;
•
• publications and conferences on practice management and business succession; and
• access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants and insurance
providers.
Platform providers may provide some of these services themselves. In other cases, they will arrange for
third-party vendors to provide the services to Ancora. Platform providers may also discount or waive their
fees for some of these services or pay all or a part of a third party’s fees. Platform providers may also
provide Ancora with other benefits such as occasional business entertainment of our personnel.
As a result of receiving such services for no additional cost, Ancora may have an incentive to continue to
use or expand the use of the platform providers’ services. Ancora examined this potential conflict of interest
when it chose to enter into the arrangement with the platform providers and has determined that the
arrangement is in the best interest of Ancora’s clients and satisfies its client’s obligations, including its duty
to seek best execution.
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Ancora and the platform providers are not affiliates, and no broker dealer affiliated with Ancora is involved
in the relationship between Ancora and the platform providers
Brokerage for Client Referrals
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does not engage in the practice of directing brokerage trades for
client referrals.
Best Execution
As part of its fiduciary duty to Clients, Ancora has an obligation to seek the best price and execution of
Client transactions when Ancora is in a position to direct brokerage transactions. While not defined by
statute or regulation, “best execution” generally means the execution of Client trades at the best net price
considering all relevant circumstances. Ancora will seek best execution with respect to all types of Client
transactions, including equities, fixed income, options, futures, foreign currency exchange, and any other
types of transactions that may be made on behalf of Clients. Ancora will conduct the following types of
reviews to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative factors that influence execution quality:
Initial and periodic reviews of individual broker-dealers;
•
• Contemporaneous reviews by Ancora’s Traders;
• Quarterly meetings of the Brokerage Committee; and
• Third-party analyses.
Directed Brokerage
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC may trade based on the client’s direction. In those instances, clients
request that are placed directly with the client’s custodian. In some cases, the client may direct us to trade
the security with a certain brokerage firm and settle it with the client’s custodian as part of a COD
transaction.
Ancora aims to place all non-directed trades for the same side in the same security with the same broker
to aggregate orders and give all clients their pro-rata allocation of the trade at the same price. Ancora aims
for a similar process for directed brokerage. All orders for the same side in the same security with the same
directed broker will be aggregated and allocated pro-rata at the same price whenever possible. Ancora will
place non-directed trades before directed trades. Directed trades are grouped together and traded on a
rotational basis based on custodian. When placing Client transactions through multiple broker-dealers, a
rotation schedule is used to be fair to all Clients over time.
It is important to note that if you do not give Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC discretion to direct trades,
you may limit our ability to negotiate favorable commissions and seek best execution for trades in your
account. You may also be excluded from block trades and average price transactions.
Order Aggregation and Allocation
As part of Ancora’s fiduciary duty to its clients, Ancora has an obligation to seek best price and execution
for all trades, to trade assets in a manner that is fair to all clients, and to exercise diligence and care
throughout the trading process.
Ancora will aggregate trades whenever it has the ability to do so. Typically, directed brokerage and non-
directed brokerage orders cannot be combined.
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The Portfolio Manager will prepare a written preallocation that identifies each participating account and
each such account’s expected participation, measured in shares, principal value, as a percentage of the
block, or as a percentage of the account’s value. In determining the written preallocation, the Portfolio
Manager will consider each participating account’s size, diversification, cash availability, investment
objectives, and any other relevant factors. The Portfolio Manager will generally deliver the written
preallocation to the Trader before the Trader starts executing the block.
If the trade is fully filled by the end of the day, the Trader will give the executing broker-dealer allocation
instructions that match the written preallocation. If the trade is partially filled at the end of the day, the Trader
will instruct the broker-dealer to allocate the trade pro-rata based on the written preallocation. De minimis
deviations from the preallocation are permitted in the interest of placing round lots in Client accounts or to
meet certain minimum ticket charges.
If a Trader receives a new trade order for an investment where a block trade is already pending, the Trader
will form a new block that includes the new participants’ order, as well as the original participants’ order.
If a Portfolio Manager is unable to complete a written preallocation because an investment opportunity is
available for a limited time, then the Portfolio Manager will set the order size based on an estimate of the
appropriate level of participation for all Clients. The Portfolio Manager will provide a written allocation for
the trade to the Trader no later than the close of business on the trade date.
The Trader will place non-directed trades before directed trades. Directed trades are grouped together and
traded on a rotational basis based on custodian. When placing Client transactions through multiple broker-
dealers, the Traders will use a rotation schedule designed to be fair to all Clients over time. The Head
Trader is responsible for developing, and maintaining a record of, the rotation schedule. The CCO
periodically reviews pro rata allocations and rotational patterns for the directed account group.
Where applicable, Ancora may seek to step-out transactions amongst broker-dealers to include directed
traded with non-directed trades in an aggregated order. In all cases, the Trader will instruct executing
broker-dealers to allocate trades to specific Client accounts before the close of business on the trade date,
notwithstanding extenuating circumstances.
Review of Accounts
Periodic Reviews
Portfolio Managers review each portfolio at least annually. The frequency and level of review is determined
by the complexity of your portfolio, changes in economic or market conditions, tax law and your individual
situation. Portfolios are reviewed informally more frequently.
It is recommended that Investment Advisors meet with clients at least twice a year to review and go over
their account(s) with them in person. If it is discovered that a change in the client’s situation has materially
affected the way we are currently managing their portfolio(s), we will immediately and update our records
and management process to correspond to the changes.
We will base our management process on the original management agreement unless we are notified in
writing of changes.
Review Triggers
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Portfolio managers informally review portfolios at least monthly. When any security held by clients should
be sold, accounts are reviewed immediately; either just prior to or after the security is sold. When any
security is bought for clients, accounts are reviewed immediately; either prior to or just after the security is
purchased.
Regular Reports
The broker dealer handling your account or custodian typically sends you monthly, but at least quarterly
account statements. These Account statements show money balances, securities held in the account,
investment values and transactions made. Ancora also sends out quarterly reports that include the same
information noted above and other information such as performance of your investments. We encourage
you to review and compare the brokerage account statements with your Ancora reports. If you see a
discrepancy, please contact your investment representative and bring it to their attention.
Client Referrals and Other
Compensation
Economic Benefits
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC does not receive any direct or indirect economic benefits or
compensation for referring business other than described in the “Additional Compensation” section of this
document.
Third Party Solicitors
We may pay individuals or other organizations (solicitors or promoters) for client referrals and to introduce
potential clients to Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. Ancora has arrangements in place with certain
third parties, called promoters, under which such promoters refer clients to us in exchange for a percentage
of the advisory fees we collect from such referred clients. Such compensation creates an incentive for the
promoters to refer clients to us, which is a conflict of interest for the promoters. Rule 206(4)-1 under the
Advisers Act addresses this conflict of interest by, among other things, requiring disclosure of whether the
promoter is a client or a non-client and a description of the material conflicts of interest and material terms
of the compensation arrangement with the promoter. Accordingly, we require promoters to disclose to
referred clients, in writing: whether the promoter is a client or a non-client; that the promoter will be
compensated for the referral; the material conflicts of interest arising from the relationship and/or
compensation arrangement; and the material terms of the compensation arrangement, including a
description of the compensation to be provided for the referral. Clients obtained through this referral process
do not pay higher fees than clients not obtained through referrals. This means that no additional fees or
charges will be charged to the client because of the solicitor relationship.
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC’s parent company is Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus”). From
time to time, Focus holds partnership meetings and other industry and best-practices conferences, which
typically include Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC, other Focus firms and external attendees. These
meetings are first and foremost intended to provide training or education to personnel of Focus firms,
including Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. However, the meetings do provide sponsorship
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opportunities for asset managers, asset custodians, vendors and other third-party service providers.
Sponsorship fees allow these companies to advertise their products and services to Focus firms, including
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. Although the participation of Focus firm personnel in these meetings
is not preconditioned on the achievement of a sales target for any conference sponsor, this practice could
nonetheless be deemed a conflict as the marketing and education activities conducted, and the access
granted, at such meetings and conferences could cause Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC to focus on
those conference sponsors in the course of its duties. Focus attempts to mitigate any such conflict by
allocating the sponsorship fees only to defraying the cost of the meeting or future meetings and not as
revenue for itself or any affiliate, including Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC. Conference sponsorship
fees are not dependent on assets placed with any specific provider or revenue generated by such asset
placement. A list of entities that have provided conference sponsorship to Focus can be accessed on Focus’
website through the following link: https://focusfinancialpartners.com/conference-sponsors/
Custody
Asset Custody
Under SEC Rule 206(4)-2, Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC may be viewed for regulatory purposes
as having custody of certain client assets due to Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC’s ability to deduct
fees directly from certain client accounts.
Account Statements
The broker dealer handling your account or custodian typically sends you monthly, but at least quarterly
account statements. These account statements show money balances, securities held in the account,
investment values and transactions made. Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC also sends out quarterly
reports that include the same information noted above and other information such as performance of your
investments. We encourage you to review and compare the brokerage account statements with your
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC quarterly reports. If you see a discrepancy, please contact your
investment representative, and bring it to their attention.
Investment Discretion
Discretionary Authority for Trading
Most clients give Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC discretion over the selection, amount and timing of
securities to be bought and sold. This means that the portfolio manager or advisor representative may
purchase or sell securities consistent with your investment objectives without contacting you prior to
entering the transaction.
In a limited capacity, we may also manage assets on a non-discretionary basis and may perform Life
Planning and Wealth Advisory Services for accounts outside of assets management.
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Limited Power of Attorney
Investment management agreements often include limited power of attorney to permit Ancora to make
securities trades and other transactions on our clients’ behalf. However, the authority granted in those
agreements does not provide Ancora with the ability to transfer funds out of the client’s account to a third
party without the client’s prior permission. Investment authority may be subject to specific investment
objectives and guidelines and/or conditions imposed by you. For example, you may specify that the
investment in any particular stock or industry should not exceed specified percentages of the value of your
portfolio or you may have restriction or prohibitions of transactions in the securities of a specific company
industry such as no tobacco stocks. Please detail any such specifications or exception in writing prior to
engaging our services.
Voting Client Securities
Proxy Voting
As a general rule, most clients will enter into an agreement with or take actions to direct proxies to Ancora
to be voted. We have adopted a proxy voting policy which is reasonably designed to ensure that proxies
are voted in the best interests of our clients, consistent with stated investment objectives, in accordance
with our fiduciary duties and in accordance with SEC Rule 206(4)-6 of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940.
Clients are also free to vote their own proxies as they see fit.
Proxies are an asset of our client’s accounts and Ancora takes voting very seriously. Ancora will vote each
proxy in accordance with its fiduciary duty to its Clients. Ancora will generally seek to vote proxies in a way
that maximizes the value of Clients’ assets. However, Ancora will document and abide by any specific proxy
voting instructions conveyed by a Client with respect to that Client’s securities. Ancora also offers clients
the ability to vote in accordance with Taft-Hartley Guidelines. Clients may also retain the authority to vote
proxies.
The proxy voting policy is premised on the following principles:
• maximization of each investment's return is the primary component of the client's best
interests;
• good corporate governance will help maximize investment returns;
•
increasing shareholder involvement in corporate governance will help maximize
investment returns;
• antitakeover defenses inhibit maximization of investment returns; and
•
self-dealing by or conflicts of interest of company insiders are not in the client's best
interests.
• unless the client provides specific written instructions to Ancora the advisor will vote
proxies according to its policy under the authority granted by the client.
A copy of the firm’s proxy voting procedures is available upon request. Clients may obtain information on
how their proxies were voted and/or proxy voting procedures by writing the firm or contacting Jason Geers
at (216) 825-4000 or by e-mail at JGeers@ancora.net to request this information.
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Financial Information
Prepayment of Fees
Fees for your investment advisor services are generally charged quarterly in advance based upon the value
of assets managed, with valuations done by the client's custodian or other pricing services at the end of
each calendar quarter. We do not require more than one quarter of pre-paid fees.
Financial Condition
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC has no financial commitment that impairs its ability to meet contractual
and fiduciary commitments to clients.
Bankruptcy
Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC has not been subject to a bankruptcy proceeding.
Requirements for State-Registered
Advisers
This item does not apply to Ancora Private Wealth Advisors, LLC.
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