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Bay Harbor Wealth Management, LLC:
Form ADV Part 2A: Firm Brochure
Item 1 - Cover Page
Bay Harbor Wealth Management, LLC
201 International Circle
Suite 520
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030
410-403-2060
443-281-8377
www.BayHarborWealth.com
Date of Brochure: August 11, 2025
______________________________________________________________________________
the contents of
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Bay Harbor
Wealth Management, LLC (“BHWM,” “We,” “Us,” “Our” or the “Firm”). If you have any questions
this brochure, please contact Us at 410-403-2060 or
about
info@bayharborwealth.com. 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 Bay Harbor Wealth Management, LLC is also available on the
internet at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. You can view information on that website by searching for
the Firm’s name or by using its CRD number: 294000.
*Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
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Item 2 - Material Changes
Investment advisers are required to prepare a disclosure document such as this one, commonly
referred to as a “Brochure,” that describes the adviser and its business practices. We are required
to amend Our Brochure at least annually and provide clients and prospective clients with a
summary of any material changes since the previous annual amendment.
This version of Our Brochure, dated August 11, 2025, is an interim amendment. The material
changes to Our Brochure since Our last annual updating amendment dated March 26, 2025 are
as follows:
• We revised Item 5 to reflect that for BHWM directly-managed accounts, BHWM accounts
managed via the AssetMark platform and AssetMark managed accounts opened after
June 10 of 2025 (hereinafter referred to as “Newer Accounts”), as well as DFA managed
accounts, all fees paid to Third-Party Advisers or Platform Providers (“Third-Party Advisory
Fees”) are separate and in addition to the BHWM Advisory Fee. Please see Item 5 for
additional information.
• We further revised Item 5 to indicate that for Newer Accounts and DFA managed
accounts, the maximum BHWM Advisory Fee charged for these services is 1.25% of the
total assets under management, and to include a description of how BHWM Advisory Fees
are billed for private fund investments. Please see Item 5 for additional information.
Annually, We will ensure that you receive either an amended brochure or a summary of any
material changes to this and any subsequent Brochure within 120 days of the end of Our fiscal
year and promptly at any time if any of the information herein becomes materially inaccurate.
We will deliver a complete copy of Our Brochure upon your request at any time during the year.
Please contact Our President and Chief Compliance Officer, Lance Scott, at 410-403-2060 or via
email at info@bayharborwealth.com, to request a Brochure.
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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 Services ............................................................................................................ 4
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation .................................................................................................. 9
Item 6 – Performance Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management ............................................. 17
Item 7 – Types of Clients ............................................................................................................. 17
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ....................................... 17
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information ................................................................................................ 22
Item 10 – Financial Industry Affilations ....................................................................................... 22
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading 24
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices .................................................................................................... 25
Item 13 – Review of Accounts ..................................................................................................... 29
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation ................................................................... 29
Item 15 – Custody ....................................................................................................................... 30
Item 16 – Investment Discretion ................................................................................................. 31
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities ............................................................................................... 31
Item 18 – Financial Information .................................................................................................. 31
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Item 4 – Advisory Services
Our Firm is an investment adviser that primarily provides individuals, high net worth individuals
and other types of clients with discretionary investment advisory services. We are registered with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our Firm is a Limited Liability Company formed under
the laws of the State of Maryland. We have been operating in the financial services industry since
2011 and became registered as an investment adviser in 2018. Our Firm is wholly owned by Lance
Scott, who also serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer.
In each section below, you will find more information about the specific services We offer.
Types of Advisory Services Offered
The following are descriptions of the primary advisory services of BHWM. Please understand that
a written agreement, which details the exact terms of the service, must be signed by you and the
Firm before We can provide you the services described below. A more detailed explanation of
Our services is as follows:
1. Financial Planning & Consulting Services
Our Firm may provide stand-alone financial planning and consulting services to clients for the
management of financial resources based upon an analysis of current situation, goals, and
objectives. Financial planning services will typically involve preparing a financial plan or rendering
a financial consultation for clients based on the client’s financial goals and objectives. Not all
clients will receive a written financial plan. This planning or consulting may encompass
investment planning, retirement planning, estate planning, charitable planning, education
planning, corporate and personal tax planning, corporate structure, mortgage/debt analysis,
insurance analysis, or business and personal financial planning.
Written financial plans or financial consultations rendered to clients may include general
recommendations for a course of activity or specific actions to be taken by the clients.
Implementation of the recommendations will be at the discretion of the client. Clients are free
to implement recommendations through another financial advisor or firm and are under no
obligation to implement the recommendations through Us. Our Firm will provide such clients
with a summary of their financial situation, and observations for financial planning engagements.
2. Asset Management Services
We primarily provide direct asset management services to Our clients. As part of Our asset
management service, We create a portfolio tailored to the specific needs of the client, potentially
including individual stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), options, mutual funds and
other public and private securities or investments. Portfolios will be designed to meet a particular
investment goal, determined to be suitable to the client’s circumstances. Once the appropriate
portfolio has been determined, portfolios are continuously and regularly monitored, and if
necessary, rebalanced based upon the client’s individual needs, stated goals and objectives.
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Our Firm may utilize the services of various third-party investment advisory firms, third-party
managers, sub-advisers or co-advisers (collectively, “Third-Party Advisers”) for the management
of client accounts. Third-Party Advisers are typically made available by a third-party platform
provider (“Platform Provider”). We may also directly manage client accounts using a third-party
platform. Before selecting a firm or individual, Our Firm will ensure that the chosen party is
properly licensed or registered as required. We use Third-Party Advisers to aid in the
implementation of an investment portfolio, allocating client assets among such managers as
appropriate. In such cases, the Third-Party Advisers will be responsible for continuously
monitoring client accounts and making trades in client accounts when necessary. While the
chosen Third-Party Advisers will provide advice on specific securities and/or other investments
in connection with this service, Our Firm has discretionary authority to hire and fire such Third-
Party Advisers and reallocate assets among them as deemed appropriate. We will assist clients
with identifying their risk tolerance and investment objectives, and, in turn, We may retain Third-
Party Advisers in relation to their stated investment objectives and risk tolerance.
Some Third-Party Advisers are made available through an investment platform offered by
AssetMark, LLC (“AssetMark”). We also directly manage client accounts using the AssetMark
platform. Typically, when We recommend AssetMark to Our clients, each client then executes a
separate client services agreement with AssetMark that authorizes participation on the platform.
BHWM assists the client in selecting the risk/return objective and Third-Party Advisers that best
suit the client’s objectives. Although We have the authority to direct investments without further
specific authorizations by clients, in practice We often request that the client specifically directs
the account to be invested in accordance with the chosen investment solution. When the client
selects the investment solutions, the client further directs that the account be automatically
adjusted to reflect any adjustment in the asset allocation by the selected Third-Party Advisers.
This client authorization results in the purchase and sale of securities without further
authorization by the client or any other party at such time as the Third-Party Advisers changes
the composition of the selected model asset allocation.
Within the AssetMark platform BHWM may, without any further input from or permission of the
client, move client assets from one Third-Party Adviser to another, terminate the services of a
Third-Party Adviser with respect to a client, or reallocate client assets between Third-Party
Advisers.
Information regarding AssetMark and its platform can be found in the AssetMark Platform
Disclosure Brochure. In that Brochure, clients can read about, among other things, the account
minimums applicable to Third-Party Advisers or other investment programs available on the
platform. BHWM may have the ability to negotiate lower account minimums.
BHWM also recommends the sub-advisory services of Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (“DFA”). DFA
makes available certain investment strategies through its Unified Managed Account (“UMA”)
program. BHWM assists the client in selecting the strategy that best suits the client’s objectives.
DFA is responsible for managing the client’s assets in accordance with the selected investment
strategy. BHWM may also utilize models or strategies provided by DFA as part of its direct asset
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management services to clients, although those services are separate and distinct from DFA’s
sub-advisory services. Clients who are recommended DFA’s sub-advisory services will be asked
to complete an addendum to BHWM’s Investment Advisory Agreement detailing fees applicable
for DFA’s sub-advisory services, and will also receive a copy of DFA’s disclosure documents.
Prior to selecting Third-Party Advisers, Our Firm will conduct due diligence on these managers as
well as ongoing reviews of their management of client accounts. In order to assist in the selection
of a Third-Party Adviser, Our Firm will gather client information pertaining to financial situation,
investment objectives, and reasonable restrictions to be imposed upon the management of the
account.
Our Firm will review Third-Party Adviser reports provided to the client at least annually. Our Firm
will contact clients from time to time in order to review their financial situation and objectives;
communicate information to Third-Party Advisers as warranted; and, assist the client in
understanding and evaluating the services provided by the Third-Party Advisers. Clients will be
expected to notify Our Firm of any changes in their financial situation, investment objectives, or
account restrictions that could affect their financial standing.
We also offer asset management services for fee-based fixed annuity insurance products. We will
directly manage these annuity insurance products by reallocating buckets or sub-accounts within
the annuities in accordance with the client’s suitability profile. Clients who have elected to use
this service must also enter into a separate agreement with the product sponsor designating Our
Firm to manage the accounts. Insurance products may be available through other channels and
as a client you are not obligated to purchase products recommended by Us.
As part of Our asset management services, BHWM provides clients with access to a client portal
maintained with Black Diamond, a third-party portfolio management and reporting software. The
cost for the Black Diamond client portal is paid by BHWM, and clients are not charged for this
service. In addition to the client portal there is also an add-on feature, ByAllAccounts (“BAA”),
which enables clients to link their outside accounts to the platform so they can see and track
everything in one place. BHWM will incur an additional cost for any clients who elect to use the
BAA feature. BAA is offered to clients at BHWM’s sole discretion. This presents a conflict of
interest, in that BHWM is incentivized to not recommend the use of BAA in order to avoid the
additional cost. We address this conflict of interest by disclosing it here and ensuring BAA is
offered to any clients for which We determine it is in their best interest.
3. Retirement Plan Consulting Services
We offer non-discretionary retirement plan consulting services to employer-sponsored
retirement plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). Our
retirement plan consulting services include, but are not limited to, the following services:
Fiduciary Consulting Services
•
Investment Policy Statement Preparation. The Firm assists clients in the development or
review of an investment policy statement (“IPS”). The IPS establishes the investment
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policies and objectives for the plan. Clients have the ultimate responsibility and authority
to establish such policies and objectives and to adopt and amend the investment policy
statement.
•
investment reports that document
• Non-Discretionary Investment Advice. The Firm provides clients with general, non-
discretionary investment advice regarding asset classes and investment alternatives
available for the plan that are consistent with the plan’s IPS. The Firm assists clients with
the selection of a broad range of investment options consistent with the investment
option selection provisions of ERISA Section 404(c) and the regulations thereunder.
Clients have the final decision-making authority regarding the selection, retention,
removal and addition of any investment options.
Investment Monitoring and Reports. The Firm assists clients in monitoring investment
options by preparing periodic
investment
performance, consistency of fund management and conformance to the guidelines set
forth in the IPS and make recommendations to maintain or remove and replace
investment options. The Firm will meet with clients on a periodic basis to discuss the
reports and the investment recommendations.
• Qualified Default Investment Alternative Advice. The Firm provides clients with non-
discretionary investment advice to assist in developing qualified default investment
alternative(s) (“QDIA”), consistent with ERISA Section 404(c) and the regulations
thereunder, for participants who are automatically enrolled in the plan or who otherwise
fail to make an investment election. Clients retain the ultimate responsibility to comply
with the requirements of Section 404(c), to monitor Section 404(c) compliance, and to
follow the terms of the plan document.
The specific services to be provided will be listed in Our agreement with each retirement plan.
The Firm acknowledges that in performing the retirement plan consulting services listed above it
is acting as a “fiduciary” as such term is defined under ERISA Section 3(21)(A)(ii) for purposes of
providing non-discretionary investment advice only. The Firm acts in a manner consistent with
the requirements of a fiduciary under ERISA if, based upon the facts and circumstances, such
services cause the Firm to be a fiduciary as a matter of law. All recommendations are submitted
to the client for ultimate approval or rejection. The retirement plan which elects to implement
any recommendations made by Us is solely responsible for implementing all transactions.
Non-Fiduciary Services
• Education Services to Plan Committee. The Firm assists in the education of the
participants in the plan about general investment principles and the investment
alternatives available under the plan. Such education services may include preparation of
education materials and/or conducting investment education seminars and meetings for
participants. Education services do not take into account the individual circumstances of
each participant and do not refer to the appropriateness of any specific investment
alternatives or options for the participants.
• Participant Enrollment. The Firm assists clients with group enrollment meetings designed
investment and financial
to
increase plan participation among employees and
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understanding by the employees. These meetings do not include recommendations with
respect to any specific investment alternatives or options available to participants.
• Service Provider/Vendor Services. The Firm assists clients by arranging for the plan’s other
third-party service providers to offer these services, as agreed upon between Firm and
client. In such cases, the Firm acts only in accordance with instructions from the client
and shall not exercise any independent judgment or discretion.
Although an investment adviser is considered a fiduciary under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940 (the “Advisers Act”) and is required to meet the fiduciary duties required of an investment
adviser, the services listed above as “Non-Fiduciary” are not considered fiduciary services for the
purposes of ERISA since Our Firm is not acting as a fiduciary to the plan as the term “fiduciary” is
defined in Section 3(21)(A)(ii) of ERISA. The exact services provided to clients are listed and
detailed in the Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement.
Tailoring of Advisory Services
Our Firm offers individualized investment advice to Our asset management clients. General
investment advice will be offered to Our financial planning & consulting clients.
Each Asset 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.
Wrap Fee Programs
We provide discretionary investment advisory services primarily on a non-wrap fee basis. This
means that if the client engages Us, the client will select individual services on an unbundled
basis, paying for each service separately (i.e. investment advisory, trade execution, custody).
A wrap fee program is a program under which the client pays a single fee that covers both receipt
of investment advisory services and the execution of securities transactions. We do not sponsor
any wrap fee programs. However, some of the accounts offered on the AssetMark platform are
wrap fee accounts as the platform fee paid to AssetMark is a wrap fee. Clients who participate in
AssetMark’s wrap fee program will receive a copy of AssetMark’s Platform Disclosure Brochure
and should carefully review that brochure for additional information.
Conflicts of Interest
Please note that some of the Firm’s investment adviser representatives (“IARs”) are licensed to
sell insurance and related products with Bay Harbor Insurance, LLC, a licensed insurance
company. In such cases, the Firm’s IARs will earn typical and customary commission for the sale
of insurance products purchased for a client’s account. This represents a conflict of interest in
that Our representatives have an incentive to recommend purchasing insurance products based
on compensation received rather than on the needs of the client. These products may be
available through other channels and as a client you are not obligated to purchase products
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recommended by Our representatives. Please see Item 5 - Fees and Compensation and Item 10 -
Financial Industry Affiliations for more information.
When We provide investment advice to clients regarding their retirement plan account or
individual retirement account, We are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws
governing retirement accounts. The way We make money creates some conflicts with our client’s
interests, so We operate under a special rule that requires us to act in our client’s best interest
and not put our interest ahead of our clients. We may recommend that a client roll over their
retirement assets into an account to be managed by Us. A client or prospective client leaving an
employer typically has four options regarding an existing retirement plan (and may engage in a
combination of these options): (i) leave the money in the former employer’s plan, if permitted,
(ii) roll over the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is available and rollovers are permitted,
(iii) roll over to an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”), or (iv) cash out the account value (which
could, depending upon the client’s age, result in adverse tax consequences). A client or
prospective client with an IRA also has several options, including (i) leaving the money in the
current IRA, (ii) rolling over the assets to another IRA, (iii) rolling over the assets to an employer
plan, if one is available and rollovers are permitted, and (iv) cashing out the account value
(subject to possible tax consequences). If We are asked by a client or potential client to make a
recommendation from among these choices, We have a conflict of interest in that We have an
incentive to recommend that a client roll over their retirement assets into an account to be
managed by the Firm. Such a recommendation creates a conflict of interest as We will earn a new
(or increase Our current) BHWM Advisory Fee as a result of the rollover. We address this conflict
of interest by reviewing any such recommendation to ensure it is in the best interest of the client.
No client is under any obligation to roll over retirement assets to an account managed by Us.
Regulatory Assets Under Management
Our Firm managed $336,902,458 in client assets on a discretionary basis as of December 31,
2024.
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
In addition to the information provided in Item 4 – Advisory Business, this section provides
additional details regarding Our Firm’s services along with descriptions of each service’s fees and
compensation arrangements. It should be noted that lower fees for comparable service may be
available from other sources. The exact fees and other terms applicable to each client will be
outlined in the agreement between the client and the Firm.
Financial Planning & Consulting Services
For clients who have entered into a Financial Planning Agreement with Our Firm, We will charge
clients on an hourly or flat fee basis for any financial planning and/or consulting services to be
provided. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee charged, will be based on the scope
and complexity of Our engagement with the client. The maximum hourly fee to be charged will
not exceed $500 per hour. Flat fees will range from $500 to $10,000. Our Firm will require a
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retainer of fifty-percent (50%) of the ultimate financial planning or consulting fee at the time of
signing. The remainder of the fee will be directly billed to the client and due within thirty (30)
days of a financial plan being delivered or consultation rendered. Our Firm will not require a
retainer exceeding $1,200 when services cannot be rendered within 6 (six) months. BHWM
reserves the right to waive the financial planning fee or include financial planning services for
asset management clients in its sole discretion.
Asset Management Services
BHWM Advisory Fee
The total annual advisory fee charged by BHWM for asset management services (“Advisory Fee”
or “BHWM Advisory Fee”, as applicable) is negotiable and will be outlined in the Investment
Advisory Agreement signed by the client and Our Firm. For BHWM directly-managed accounts,
BHWM accounts managed via the AssetMark platform and AssetMark managed accounts opened
prior to June 10 of 2025 (hereinafter referred to as “Historical Accounts”), the maximum Advisory
Fee charged for these services is 1.4% of the total assets under management. For BHWM directly-
managed accounts, BHWM accounts managed via the AssetMark platform and AssetMark
managed accounts opened after June 10 of 2025 (hereinafter referred to as “Newer Accounts”),
as well as DFA managed accounts, the maximum BHWM Advisory Fee charged for these services
is 1.25% of the total assets under management. If a client’s assets are managed by a Third-Party
Adviser, the client will be provided with a copy of the chosen Third-Party Adviser ’s Form ADV
Part 2, all relevant Brochures, and the Third-Party Adviser ’s privacy policy.
Annualized BHWM Advisory Fees (or Advisory Fees for Historical Accounts) for BHWM directly-
managed accounts and DFA managed accounts 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. The BHWM Advisory
Fee charged for the partial quarter in which the client’s account is established is pro-rated for the
remainder of the quarter and billed in the month following the month in which the account was
established. BHWM Advisory Fees on the amount of any deposit made during a quarter that
exceeds $1,000 are assessed in arrears, based upon the amount of the deposit and prorated to
account for the number of days remaining in the quarter following the deposit. Credits for any
withdrawal made during a quarter that exceeds $1,000 are issued in the same manner for all
accounts directly managed by BHWM without the use of a Third-Party Adviser. The $1,000
threshold is based on individual transactions, not cumulative deposits/withdrawals during a
quarter.
BHWM Advisory Fees are generally waived for accounts managed directly by BHWM with total
assets valued less than $1,000 at the time of billing.
Our receipt of an asset-based fee presents a conflict of interest. This is because the more assets
there are in the client’s account, the more the client will pay in fees. Therefore, We have an
incentive to encourage clients to increase the assets in their accounts. We address this conflict
of interest by ensuring any such recommendations are in the client’s best interest.
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Third-Party Advisory Fees
For all managed by BHWM or AssetMark on the AssetMark platform, the Advisory Fee is billed
by AssetMark and the portion due to BHWM is remitted to BHWM by AssetMark, while the
portion of the Advisory Fee due to AssetMark is retained by AssetMark. AssetMark requires
clients to sign agreements specifically authorizing payment of AssetMark’s fees, but even in such
cases AssetMark’s fees are included in the Advisory Fee reflected in the Investment Advisory
Agreement.
For Newer Accounts managed by BHWM or AssetMark on the AssetMark platform, as well as DFA
managed accounts, all Third-Party Advisory Fees are separate and in addition to the BHWM
Advisory Fee. Each account is assigned a specific investment strategy and is subject to a BHWM
Advisory Fee charged by and paid to BHWM, as set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreement.
If a client account changes to a new strategy type, the BHWM Advisory Fee and Third-Party
Advisory Fee (collectively referred to as “Total Advisory Fee”) billing methodology and/or process
may also change depending on the selected strategy, as detailed in the Investment Advisory
Agreement or in the applicable addendum. Third-Party Advisory Fees apply only to those client
assets allocated to a Third-Party Adviser and/or Platform Provider.
AssetMark Platform
Annualized BHWM Advisory Fees (or Advisory Fees for Historical Accounts) and Third-Party
Advisory Fees for accounts managed by BHWM or AssetMark on the AssetMark platform are
billed quarterly in advance based on the market value of the account(s) on the last business day
of the previous quarter. The BHWM Advisory Fee and Third-Party Advisory Fees charged for the
partial quarter in which the client’s account is established are pro-rated for the remainder of the
quarter and billed in the month following the month in which the account was established.
BHWM Advisory Fees and Third-Party Advisory Fees on the amount of any deposit made during
a quarter that exceeds $1,000 are assessed in arrears, based upon the amount of the deposit and
prorated to account for the number of days remaining in the quarter following the deposit. There
is no credit to the BHWM Advisory Fee or Third-Party Advisory Fees for intra-quarter withdrawals
from accounts managed on the AssetMark platform. The $1,000 threshold is based on individual
transactions, not cumulative deposits/withdrawals during a quarter.
BHWM Advisory Fees or Third-Party Advisory Fees are not waived for accounts managed by
BHWM or AssetMark on the AssetMark platform with total assets valued less than $1,000 at the
time of billing.
On the AssetMark platform, fees for the Third-Party Adviser’s services and for AssetMark’s
services will be paid in the form of a cumulative “Platform Fee.” For Historical Accounts, this
Platform Fee is covered by and paid from the Advisory Fee the client pays BHWM. Fees and
compensation for using the AssetMark platform and Third-Party Advisers available on that
platform are described in more detail in the AssetMark Platform Disclosure Brochure or, if
applicable, in a separate disclosure BHWM delivers to you describing customized pricing.
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Please note that the Client Services Agreement (between each client and AssetMark) and the
AssetMark Platform Brochure both use different terminology to describe fees paid by the client
than the terminology used in this Brochure and in BHWM’s Investment Advisory Agreement.
AssetMark’s disclosure documents provide that the Total Advisory Fee applicable to each account
managed on the AssetMark platform will include:
1. Financial Advisor Fee (BHWM Advisory Fee),
2. AssetMark‘s Platform Fee, which includes any strategist or manager fee, as applicable,
and most custody fees (Third-Party Advisory Fee).
We have negotiated Platform Fees with AssetMark that are lower than their published fees in
most cases. However, Our continued ability to take advantage of these lower fees will not be
available if the total of Our overall assets managed through AssetMark reaches below a certain
level. The requirement of maintaining a certain amount of assets on the platform in order to
receive the lower fees can be waived by AssetMark in its discretion. However, this requirement
creates an incentive to continue to use AssetMark’s services, which presents a conflict of interest.
We address this conflict by ensuring any such recommendations are in the client’s best interest.
DFA UMA Platform
BHWM Advisory Fees for accounts managed by DFA on the UMA platform are billed in
accordance with the “BHWM Advisory Fee” section above. DFA’s Third-Party Advisory Fees are
billed quarterly in arrears based on the average daily value of the UMA account assets.
Specifically, such accounts will incur a Direct Security Sleeve Fee of 29 basis points (0.29%) for
managing direct security sleeves, and an ETF and Mutual Fund Sleeve Fee of 10 basis points
(0.10%) for managing ETF and mutual fund sleeves (excluding DFA ETFs and mutual funds).
Notwithstanding the above, DFA may, in its sole discretion, reduce the above percentage(s)
pursuant to a fee discount (as further detailed below).Clients will be asked to sign a DFA
Addendum in conjunction with our Investment Advisory Agreement containing additional
important details regarding DFA’s Third-Party Advisory Fees. Clients will also receive a copy of
DFA’s disclosure documents containing additional information regarding its fees and are
encouraged to carefully review such documents.
DFA offers lower Third-Party Advisory Fees based on the amount of client assets designated for
management with DFA. Specifically, if BHWM maintains certain amounts of client assets with
DFA, the Direct Security Sleeve Fee will be discounted. The exact thresholds and discount amount
are subject to change in DFA’s sole discretion. These lower fees mainly benefit our clients.
Nevertheless, we have an incentive to recommend DFA in order to obtain those lower fees for
our clients, which presents a conflict of interest. We address this conflict by ensuring any such
recommendations are in the client’s best interest.
Third-Party Advisory Fees are generally not negotiable by the client and are billed in accordance
with the Third-Party Adviser’s minimum account billing thresholds, as disclosed in their
respective disclosure brochures.
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BHWM Advisory Fees (or Advisory Fees for Historical Accounts) and Third-Party Advisory Fees
will be deducted from client account(s) by either BHWM or, if authorized by BHWM, a Third-Party
Adviser or Platform Provider. In rare cases, Our Firm will agree to direct bill clients. BHWM will
also agree to a fixed fee for management services in rare cases, paid annually in advance.
For clients who authorize deduction of BHWM Advisory Fees or Third-Party Advisory Fees, you
understand and acknowledge the following:
a) The client’s independent custodian sends statements at least quarterly showing the
market values for each security included in the account and all account disbursements,
including the amount of the BHWM 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) Our Firm does not currently send a copy of Our invoice to the client, but if We do a legend
urging the comparison of information provided in Our statement with those from the
qualified custodian will be included.
Fee-Based Annuities
With regards to accounts managed within a fee-based fixed annuity insurance product, We will
be paid a BHWM Advisory Fee (or Advisory Fee for Historical Accounts) in accordance with our
Investment Advisory Agreement and/or the client’s written agreement with the product sponsor.
We do not receive any commissions on these products. BHWM Advisory Fees for fee-based fixed
annuity insurance products are typically billed quarterly in arrears. BHWM Advisory Fees for the
initial period are pro-rated based on the number of days service was provided. BHWM Advisory
Fees are generally withdrawn directly from the client’s account(s) with the client’s written
authorization.
Some of Our IARs are also licensed to sell commissionable annuity insurance products with Bay
Harbor Insurance, LLC, an affiliated entity of BHWM. Depending on the product, certain types of
fee-based annuities will amount to greater overall compensation to Our Firm than Our advisory
affiliates would receive from the sale of similar commissionable annuities. Conversely, certain
types of commissionable annuities will amount to greater overall compensation to Our advisory
affiliates than Our Firm would receive from the recommendation of similar fee-based annuities.
This presents a conflict of interest in that We are incentivized to recommend the annuity which
will result in greater overall compensation to Our Firm or its advisory affiliates, rather than based
on Our client’s needs. We address this conflict by ensuring any recommendations of annuities
are in the client’s best interest.
Private Fund Investments
In limited situations, BHWM may recommend private fund investments to certain clients who
meet certain qualifications, such as an “Accredited Investor” as defined under Regulation D of
the Securities Act of 1933 or “Qualified Purchaser” as defined under the Investment Company
Act of 1940. BHWM Advisory Fees for private fund investments are billed in accordance with the
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“BHWM Advisory Fee” section above. If a client is recommended a private fund investment, the
client will be provided with a copy of the applicable subscription agreement and other offering
documents detailing the fund’s specific terms and conditions and are encouraged to carefully
review such documents.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
Our Firm charges an annual investment advisory fee for retirement plan consulting services. Fees
do not usually exceed 1% of the total plan assets placed under BHWM’s advisement. Fees are
billed to clients or deducted from the plan assets on a quarterly basis, in arrears, based upon the
agreed annual percentage rate. The exact annual fee and method of payment will be specified in
the Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement. Fees are negotiable.
Our receipt of an asset-based fee for retirement plan consulting services presents a conflict of
interest. This is because the more assets there are in the plan, the more the plan will pay in fees.
Therefore, We have an incentive to encourage plan participation among employees in order to
increase the amount of fees received from the plan. This conflict of interest is ameliorated by the
fact that plan participation is generally beneficial to most employees. We address this conflict of
interest by ensuring that the recommendations We make are in the best interest of the plan and
employees.
Other Types of Fees & Expenses
Clients are responsible for any transaction charges imposed by the custodian for trades executed
in their accounts. These transaction fees are separate from Our Firm’s Advisory Fees and will be
disclosed by the chosen custodian. With regards to accounts managed on the AssetMark
platform, this generally applies to any client’s portfolio in which we continue exclusively to use
models and Third-Party Advisers who We historically used for Our clients on the platform
previously made available to Our clients by Global Financial Private Capital, LLC (“Global”),
hereinafter referred to as “Global Legacy Sub-Advisers.” With the exception of State Street Global
Advisors (“SSGA”) strategies, all Global Legacy Sub-Advisers used by BHWM are classified as a
non-wrap fee account on the AssetMark platform, and clients are responsible for paying
transaction fees in those accounts, subject to the information in the next two paragraphs. A list
of those Third-Party Advisers is available for any client to review upon request. We have assured
the total cost to clients whose portfolio fits this description will be reasonable by negotiating low
Platform Fees with AssetMark and low transaction fees with Fidelity.
For clients invested in any other Third-Party Advisers or strategies on the AssetMark platform,
including SSGA strategies and DFA Core Market strategies, the Platform Fee includes an asset-
based transaction fee for transactions involving Chargeable Assets as defined in the Fidelity
Asset-Based Pricing Supplement (i.e. a wrap fee), and clients will generally not be charged
separately for these transactions. This includes all assets in the account except for cash and core
sweep vehicles, non-core Fidelity money market funds, no transaction fee (NTF) mutual funds,
mutual funds with a load or sales charge, Fidelity mutual funds, alternative investments, Unit
Investment Trusts (UITs), and international securities that settle and are held in local currency
(collectively referred to as "Non-Chargeable Assets"). Clients will incur transaction-based charges
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for transactions involving Non-Chargeable Assets in accordance with the Fidelity Schedule of
Charges. Clients will also incur other custodial fees including without limitation transfer taxes,
regulatory and exchange fees, electronic fund transfer fees, auction fees, debit balances, margin
interest, certain odd-lot differentials, other charges imposed by law, wire fees, check reorder
fees, and account closeout fees as described in the Fidelity Schedule of Charges.
Custodians may waive or lower transaction fees for certain transactions in accounts that have
elected to receive electronic statements and meet other applicable requirements. If the
custodian offers this option, clients who wish to avoid transaction fees should contact their
custodian for additional information. BHWM does not make any recommendations regarding
whether a client should receive paper or electronic statements.
If a client’s portfolio contains assets allocated to multiple Global Legacy Sub-Advisers, or a
mixture of both Global Legacy Sub-Advisers and Third-Party Advisers offered through the
AssetMark platform that are not Global Legacy Sub-Advisers, that client will not be responsible
for paying transaction fees regardless of whether electronic delivery is selected and regardless
of account size, as transaction costs will be included in the Platform Fee We pay to AssetMark.
All clients will be delivered a current and accurate schedule of transaction and other fees charged
by the custodian, and are encouraged to carefully review those documents. Those fees are
subject to change by the custodian, as set forth in the client’s custodial agreement with the
custodian.
Clients will typically pay charges imposed directly by a mutual fund, index fund, exchange traded
fund, or private 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). Those
fees are subject to change by the product sponsor, as set forth in the prospectus and the client’s
agreement with the product sponsor. Our Firm does not receive a portion of these fees. For more
information regarding brokerage practices, see Item 12.
With regards to accounts managed within a fee-based fixed annuity insurance product, clients
are responsible for certain fees charged by the insurance company, including mortality and
expense risk charges, rider fees, subaccount fees, and early surrender fees. These fees are in
addition to and exclusive of Our BHWM Advisory Fee or Advisory Fee, as applicable. The exact
charges will be specified in the client’s agreement with the product sponsor and the product
prospectus (if applicable). Clients are encouraged to review these documents carefully. Those
fees are subject to change by the product sponsor, as set forth in the client’s agreement with the
product sponsor.
Third-Party Advisers on the AssetMark Platform have discretion to engage in “trading away,”
which involves directing client trades away from Fidelity to an outside/third-party broker-dealer
or custodian for execution. Third-Party Advisers will only do so in the client’s best interest. If the
Third-Party Adviser engages in a trading away transaction, the client’s account will be subject to
additional costs, including a trade-away fee which is typically $20 per trade. Exact trade-away
fees are described in the schedule of fees charged by the custodian provided to all clients.
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For client accounts maintained at Schwab, Schwab generally does not charge you separately for
custody services but is compensated by charging you commissions or other fees on trades that it
executes or that settle into your Schwab account. Certain trades (for example, many mutual
funds, and U.S. exchange-listed equities and ETFs) may not incur Schwab commissions or
transaction fees. Schwab is also compensated by earning interest on the uninvested cash in your
account in Schwab’s Cash Features Program. We negotiated lower commission rates with Schwab
than their published fees based on the condition that We transfer a total of at least $210 million
of Our clients assets to accounts at Schwab within 12 months from the date of Our agreement
with Schwab, which did in fact occur. Schwab further reimbursed the Transfer of Account Exit
Fees of Our client accounts that transferred to Schwab within 12 months from the date of the
agreement (up to a set amount). These commitments benefit Our clients because the overall
commission rates and fees clients pay are lower than they would be otherwise. However, We
have an incentive to recommend Schwab due to the past and ongoing receipt of these benefits,
which presents a conflict of interest. We address this conflict of interest through our best
execution review, as further described in Item 12.
In addition to commissions or other fees for trades executed in the accounts, Schwab charges a
flat dollar amount as a “prime broker” or “trade away” fee for each trade that it has executed by
a different broker-dealer but where the securities bought or the funds from the securities sold
are deposited (settled) into the client’s Schwab account. These fees are in addition to the
commissions or other compensation the client pays the executing broker-dealer. Because of this,
in order to minimize trading costs, We have Schwab execute most trades for client accounts
maintained at Schwab. We have determined that having Schwab execute most trades is
consistent with our duty to seek best execution of client trades in client accounts maintained at
Schwab. Please see Item 12 for more information regarding brokerage practices.
Some of Our IARs are licensed to sell insurance and related products with Bay Harbor Insurance,
LLC, an affiliated entity of BHWM. IARs in such cases will earn typical and customary commission
for the sale of insurance products purchased for a client’s account. This represents a conflict of
interest in that IARs may recommend purchasing insurance products based on compensation
rather than on the needs of the client. To mitigate this conflict of interest, We require all
representatives who are licensed to offer insurance products to Our clients to assure that the
issuing insurer reviews the potential sale of any products for the purpose of determining
adherence to applicable insurance suitability standards, We fully disclose to a client when a
particular transaction will result in the receipt of commissions or other associated fees and We
require all representatives to seek prior approval of any outside employment activity so that We
may ensure that any conflicts of interest in such activities are properly disclosed. Insurance
products may be available through other channels and as a client you are not obligated to
purchase products recommended by Our representatives. You may purchase insurance products
through agents We recommend who are not affiliated with Us.
Termination & Refunds
Either party may terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement for Our asset management
service in writing at any time. If a client terminates within five (5) days of the date the agreement
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is signed, then the Firm will not charge any BHWM Advisory Fee or Advisory Fee, as applicable.
Upon notice of termination, Our Firm will process a pro-rata refund of the unearned portion of
the BHWM Advisory Fee or Advisory Fee charged in advance at the beginning of the quarter or
year.
Financial Planning & Consulting clients may terminate their agreement at any time before the
delivery of a financial plan by providing written notice. For purposes of calculating refunds, all
work performed by Us up to the point of termination shall be calculated at the hourly fee
currently in effect. Clients will receive a pro-rata refund of unearned fees based on the time and
effort expended by Our Firm.
Commissionable Securities Sales
Our Firm and representatives do not sell securities for a commission in advisory accounts.
Item 6 – Performance Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
BHWM does not charge performance-based fees (i.e., fees calculated based on a share of capital
gains upon, or capital appreciation of, the funds or any portion of the funds of an advisory client).
Additionally, We do not engage in side-by-side management of accounts.
Item 7 – Types of Clients
BHWM generally provides investment advice to the following types of clients:
•
Individuals
• High net worth individuals
• Trusts
Our Firm generally requires that new clients have a minimum liquid net worth of $500,000 for
Our asset management services. This minimum requirement is negotiable. Our Firm does not
generally impose any other requirements for opening and maintaining accounts or otherwise
engaging Us. Certain Third-Party Advisers recommended by BHWM may have different account
minimums, as described in those Third-Party Adviser’s respective disclosure brochures.
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
BHWM utilizes different methods of analysis and investment strategies. Each client’s portfolio
will be invested according to that client’s investment goals, objectives, timeline, present and
future income needs, and risk tolerance. We determine these objectives by working
collaboratively with clients and evaluating new account documents thoroughly.
Once We ascertain the client’s goals and objectives, We will develop specific risk-based asset
allocation guidelines for the client’s accounts. Risk-based asset allocation (RBAA) is an investment
strategy that uses risk-based models in a passive as well as tactical approach. Generally, We
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recommend ETFs and may also recommend equities, mutual funds, bonds and third-party
portfolios. We may also recommend Third-Party Advisers as appropriate.
Our investment strategies include long term buy and hold and short-term trading strategies. It is
important to remember that because market conditions can vary greatly, your asset allocation
guidelines are not necessarily strict rules. Rather, We review accounts individually, and may
deviate from the guidelines as We believe necessary or appropriate. The specific funds and
portfolios We recommend for your account will depend on market conditions and Our research
at the time.
In advising clients via the AssetMark platform, BHWM may select from mutual funds, exchange
traded funds (ETFs), and other investment solutions offered on the platform. These solutions are
provided by a number of institutional investment strategists and based on the information,
research, asset allocation methodology and investment strategies of those institutional
strategies, including AssetMark.
BHWM may also employ Third-Party Advisers who will actively manage portfolios in an attempt
to benefit from or protect against market volatility. These portfolios may not be suitable for
investors who require a very low trading activity through all market conditions. You have the
opportunity to place reasonable restrictions or constraints on the way your account is managed;
however, such restrictions may affect the composition and performance of your portfolio.
We base Our analysis predominantly on publicly available research such as regulatory filings,
press releases, competitor analyses, and in some cases research We receive from Our custodian
or other market analyses.
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. Prior to
entering into an Investment Management Agreement with BHWM, a client should carefully
consider: 1) committing to management only those assets that the client believes will not be
needed for current purposes and that can be invested on a long term basis; 2) that volatility from
investing in the stock market can occur; and 3) that over time the client’s assets may fluctuate
and at any time be worth more or less than the amount invested. It is impossible to name all
possible types of risks. Among the risks are the following:
• Political Risks. Most investments have a global component, even domestic stocks. Political
events anywhere in the world may have unforeseen consequences to markets around the
world.
• General Market Risks. Markets can, as a whole, go up or down on various news releases
or for no understandable reason at all. This sometimes means that the price of specific
securities could go up or down without real reason, and may take some time to recover
any lost value. Adding additional securities does not help to minimize this risk since all
securities may be affected by market fluctuations.
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• Currency Risk. Overseas investments are subject to fluctuations in the value of the dollar
against the currency of the investment’s originating country. This is also referred to as
exchange rate risk.
• Regulatory Risk. Changes in laws and regulations from any government can change the
value of a given company and its accompanying securities. Certain industries are more
susceptible to government regulation. Changes in zoning, tax structure or laws impact the
return on these investments.
• Tax Risks Related to Short Term Trading. Clients should note that the Firm may engage in
short-term trading transactions. These transactions may result in short term gains or
losses for federal and state tax purposes, which may be taxed at a higher rate than long
term strategies. BHWM endeavors to invest client assets in a tax efficient manner, but all
clients are advised to consult with their tax professionals regarding the transactions in
client accounts. Frequent trading can affect investment performance, particularly
through increased brokerage and other transaction costs and taxes.
• Risks Related to Investment Term. If you require Us to liquidate your portfolio during a
period in which the price of the security is low, you will not realize as much value as you
would have had the investment had the opportunity to regain its value, as investments
frequently do, or had We been able to reinvest in another security.
• Purchasing Power Risk. Purchasing power risk is the risk that your investment’s value will
decline as the price of goods rises (inflation). The investment’s value itself does not
decline, but its relative value does, which is the same thing. Inflation can happen for a
variety of complex reasons, including a growing economy and a rising money supply.
• Business Risk. These risks are associated with a particular industry or a particular company
within an industry. For example, oil-drilling companies depend on finding oil and then
refining it, a lengthy process, before they can generate a profit. They carry a higher risk
of profitability than an electric company, which generates its income from a steady
stream of customers who buy electricity no matter what the economic environment is
like.
• Liquidity Risk: Liquidity is the ability to readily convert an investment into cash. For
example, Treasury Bills are highly liquid, while real estate properties are not. Some
securities are highly liquid while others are highly illiquid. Illiquid investments carry more
risk because it can be difficult to sell them.
• Financial Risk. Excessive borrowing to finance a business’ operations decreases the risk of
profitability, because the company must meet the terms of its obligations in good times
and bad. During periods of financial stress, the inability to meet loan obligations may
result in bankruptcy and/or a declining market value.
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• Default Risk. This risk pertains to the ability of a company to service their debt. Ratings
provided by several rating services help to identify those companies with more risk.
Obligations of the U.S. government are said to be free of default risk.
• Risks specific to Third-Party Advisers and other managers. If We invest some of your
assets with another adviser, there are additional risks. These include risks that the other
manager is not as qualified as We believe them to be, that the investments they use are
not as liquid as We would normally use in your portfolio, or that their risk management
guidelines are more liberal than We would normally employ. You should always review
the Form ADV Part 2A (“Brochure”) of each Third-Party Adviser that manages your assets
to review the specific risks of their investment strategies.
• Risks specific to private funds. If you decide to invest some of your assets in private fund
investments, there are additional risks. Shares in private funds are not listed for trading
on any securities exchange and are highly illiquid assets for which there is no secondary
market. Shares are not transferable, and liquidity for investments in shares may typically
be provided only through periodic tender offers by the fund. Shares are generally not
redeemable at an investor’s option nor are they exchangeable for shares of any other
fund. Although a fund may offer to repurchase shares from time to time, it has no
obligation to do so, and will only do so in the amounts and on such terms and conditions
as the fund determines in its sole discretion. Shares are typically valued using Net Asset
Value, which is generally calculated by subtracting the fund’s liabilities and the liquidation
value of any outstanding preferred securities from the fund’s total assets and dividing the
result by the total number of shares of the fund outstanding. Net Asset Values are subject
to valuation risk and do not represent the actual price you would obtain if you attempted
to sell the investment. You should not expect to be able to resell shares regardless of how
the investment performs. If you are able to sell your shares, you will likely receive less
than your purchase price. Private fund investments should be considered a speculative
investment that entail substantial risks, and you should invest only if it can sustain a
complete loss of your investment. You will receive a prospectus prior to investing in any
private fund with additional risk disclosures specific to the fund and are encouraged to
review those documents carefully. The risks and other characteristics of investing in
interests in the fund are further explained in the private placement memorandum
(“PPM”), offering memorandum or prospectus. All fund investors should receive and
review those documents carefully before investing. All statements in this brochure are
expressly subject to, and qualified by, the documents pertaining to the specific
investment.
• Annuities. An annuity is a form of insurance where the seller or issuer (typically an
insurance company) makes a series of future payments to a buyer (annuitant) in exchange
for the immediate payment of a lump sum (single-payment annuity) or a series of regular
payments (regular payment annuity). The payment stream from the issuer to the
annuitant has an unknown duration based principally upon the date of death of the
annuitant. At this point the contract will terminate and the remainder of the fund
accumulated forfeited unless there are other annuitants or beneficiaries in the contract.
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Annuities can be purchased to provide an income during retirement. Annuities typically
impose a variety of fees and expenses, in addition to sales and surrender charges and
depending on the product, such as: mortality and expense risk charges; rider fees; sub
account fees; administrative fees; underlying fund expenses; and charges for special
features, all of which can reduce the return. Earnings in an annuity do not provide all the
tax advantages of 401(k)s and other before-tax retirement plans. Once the investor starts
withdrawing money from their annuity, earnings are taxed at the ordinary income rate,
rather than at the lower capital gains rates applied to other non-tax-deferred vehicles
which are held for more than one year. If the investor withdraws money from an annuity
before a certain age, they may also have to pay a tax penalty to the Internal Revenue
Service.
• Fixed Indexed Annuities. Fixed indexed annuities provide returns linked to the
performance of a market index, such as the S&P 500 Index. The buyer typically makes
either a lump sum payment or a series of payments to the insurance company which are
allocated to one or more indexed investment options. The insurance company credits the
buyer’s account with a return that is based on the indexed investment option’s return.
Based on the contract terms and features, this return may be lower than the actual index’s
gain. The insurance company also makes payments based in fixed amounts or in amounts
that increase by a fixed percentage. Often the interest rate is fixed for a number of years
and then changes periodically based on current rates. Payments in a fixed annuity
typically do not have cost-of-living adjustments to keep pace with inflation, so the value
of payments received may decline over time. Investment in an indexed annuity contract
is subject to both general market risk and the insurance company’s credit risk. Investment
in a fixed annuity contract is subject to the insurance company’s credit risk.
In addition, there is no assurance that a mutual fund, an ETF, or any security will achieve its
investment objective. The principal risks of investing in any mutual fund or ETF are market risk,
diversification risk and style risk (growth investing risk and mid-cap company risk). To the extent
that a mutual fund or ETF invests in foreign securities or debt securities, a fund would be subject
to foreign exposure risk, interest rate risk and credit risk. A fund may invest in derivative
instruments that carry derivative instruments risk. A principal risk is the risk that the value of
equity securities may decline. Although a mutual fund or ETF may be a diversified fund, it may
invest in securities of a limited number of issuers to achieve a potentially greater investment
return than a fund that invests in a larger number of issuers. As a result, price movements of a
single issuer’s securities will have a greater impact on this fund’s net asset value causing it to
fluctuate more than that of a more widely diversified fund. These and other risk considerations
are discussed in a fund’s prospectus. Past performance of investments is no guarantee of future
results.
Mutual fund investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal. Non-diversified funds
are more susceptible to financial, market and economic events affecting the particular issuers
and industry sectors in which they invest and therefore may be more volatile or risky than less
concentrated investments. There can be no assurance that any fund will be able to achieve its
21
investment objective. For more information on a particular fund’s associated risks, please refer
to that fund’s prospectus or equivalent disclosure document.
Due to the volatile nature and risks involved when investing in certain types of strategies and/or
securities, clients should be aware that the actual return and value of their account(s) may
fluctuate and at any point in time be worth more or less than the amount originally invested.
BHWM does not represent, guarantee or imply that the services or methods of analysis employed
by Us can or will predict future results, successfully identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate
clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
Our Firm is required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a
client’s evaluation of its advisory business or the integrity of its management personnel. We do
not have any required disclosures to report in response to this Item.
Item 10 – Financial Industry Affilations
BHWM is not registered as, and does not have applications pending to register as, a broker-
dealer. Furthermore, BHWM is not registered as, and does not have applications pending to
register as, a futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator, or commodity trading
adviser, nor are Our management or supervised persons registered or have applications pending
to register as associated persons thereof. BHWM does not have any relationship or arrangement
with any accountant or accounting firm that is material to Our advisory business or to Our clients,
nor do any of Our management persons have any such relationships.
Licensed Insurance Agents
Certain IARs of the Firm are independently licensed to sell insurance and annuity products
through Bay Harbor Insurance, LLC (“BHI”). When acting in this capacity, such IARs will receive
commissions for selling insurance and annuity products. These IARs have a conflict of interest to
recommend that clients purchase insurance products from them, since commissions may be
earned in addition to fees for advisory services. Clients are not obligated to purchase insurance
products through BHI.
BHI receives marketing materials from Advisors Excel, an insurance marketing organization
focused on helping independent advisers increase their life insurance and annuity business.
While much of this material benefits the business of BHI, (see above), BHWM also utilizes the
marketing material in connection with its advisory business. Advisors Excel receives marketing
compensation in connection with some of the insurance products purchased by Our clients
through BHI based on the recommendations of Our representatives. Although the receipt of such
marketing material is not conditioned upon any particular level of insurance business conducted
by BHI with Advisors Excel, the receipt of such material is implicitly based upon a continuation of
the relationship between the two firms. Furthermore, Advisors Excel offers trips to Our
representatives whose insurance production meets certain benchmarks. If Our representatives
qualify for a trip but do not go, Advisors Excel will compensate the representative directly with a
22
payment. This presents a conflict of interest, as Our representatives have a financial incentive to
recommend insurance products based on the compensation received, rather than based on the
client’s needs.
To mitigate the conflicts of interest described above, We require all representatives who are
licensed to offer insurance products to Our clients to assure that the issuing insurer reviews the
potential sale of any products for the purpose of determining adherence to applicable insurance
suitability standards. We also fully disclose to a client when a particular transaction will result in
the receipt of commissions or other associated fees, and We require all representatives to seek
prior approval of any outside employment activity so that We may ensure that any conflicts of
interest in such activities are properly disclosed. Insurance products may be available through
other channels and as a client you are not obligated to purchase products recommended by Our
representatives. You may purchase insurance products through agents We recommend who are
not affiliated with Us.
Certain IARs of the Firm who are licensed to sell insurance and annuity products are also
authorized to use the Certified Financial Planner and CFP® professional certification marks
(collectively, the “CFP® marks”) granted by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards,
Inc. (“CFP Board”). In order to use the CFP® marks, the IAR must agree to be bound by the CFP
Board Code of Ethics and standards of professional conduct. This includes adhering to a best
interest standard for insurance product recommendations, as opposed to the suitability
standard. Because the suitability standard is the less rigorous standard, IARs of the Firm who are
not CFPs® could be incentivized not to refer clients to IARs who are CFPs® for consultation and
advice regarding an insurance purchase. This is because such a referral may result in a
recommendation not to buy the product, and therefore eliminate the commission that would
otherwise be paid if the product were sold. This presents a conflict of interest. We mitigate this
conflict of interest through supervision and by ensuring clients are assigned to IARs based on
factors such as time and availability, as opposed to professional certifications.
Service on Global’s Advisory Council
Lance Scott formerly served on Global’s Advisory Council, in which role he provided input and
direction to Global’s management team. In connection with his service, Mr. Scott entered into
an Incentive Award Agreement with Global, under which he stood to receive an incentive cash
award based upon the occurrence of one or more events. One of the conditions of obtaining the
award was that Mr. Scott must cause BHWM to use the wealth management and technology
platform of Global for “substantially all” of its investment advisory business. This Award
Agreement gave rise to a conflict of interest, in that it incentivized Mr. Scott and BHWM to
recommend that its clients use the sub-advisory services of Global. Additionally, Mr. Scott’s
service on the Advisory Council raised similar conflict of interest concerns. BHWM addresses
these conflicts of interests by periodically assessing the relative value to its clients of using Global
Legacy Sub-Advisers on the AssetMark platform, compared to other Third-Party Advisers or
platforms, to assure the recommended Third-Party Adviser is in the best interest of the client.
23
After the acquisition of Global by AssetMark, Mr. Scott has no further role on the Global Advisory
Council. None of the specified events that would have triggered the payment of the incentive
cash payment materialized. Nevertheless, partially in consideration of Mr. Scott’s service on
Global’s Advisory Council, AssetMark paid BHWM a portion of the incentive compensation, based
on BHWM’s agreement to commit to using the AssetMark platform. Further information relating
to that payment and related arrangements with AssetMark, including a discussion of conflicts of
interest, are described below in Item 12 – Brokerage Practices.
Third-Party Advisers
BHWM has developed several programs, previously described in Item 5 of this Brochure,
designed to allow Us to recommend and select Third-Party Advisers for you. BHWM has a conflict
of interest in that We will only use or recommend Third-Party Advisers that have a relationship
with BHWM and have met the conditions of Our due diligence review. There may be other Third-
Party Advisers that may be suitable that We do not have a relationship with or that may be more
or less costly. To address this conflict, We consider the best interests of clients in selecting Third-
Party Advisers. You are under no obligation to utilize the services of the Third-Party Advisers We
recommend. Please refer to Items 4, 5 and 12 for further details regarding the programs, fees,
conflicts of interest and material arrangements when BHWM selects other investment advisers.
Real Estate Investment Fund
Lance Scott is a Limited Partner/Member in KDS Investments Fund I, LLC (“KDS”), an affiliated
entity created to invest in real estate projects. Mr. Scott is a passive investor of KDS and is not
involved in determining the investments of the fund. As an investor, he receives a pro-rata
distribution of profits from the fund. Neither BHWM nor Mr. Scott recommend KDS to clients of
BHWM. If BHWM or Mr. Scott were to recommend KDS to clients of BHWM, this would constitute
a conflict of interest in that BHWM and Mr. Scott have an incentive to recommend KDS based on
the compensation received by Mr. Scott, rather than on the client’s needs. We address this
potential conflict of interest by disclosing it here and not recommending KDS to clients of BHWM.
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
A. Code of Ethics Summary
BHWM has a fiduciary duty to its clients to act in their best interest. BHWM’s clients therefore
trust the Firm to use the highest standards of integrity when dealing with their assets and making
investments that impact their financial future. BHWM’s fiduciary duty compels all employees to
act with integrity in all of their dealings. Because the Firm’s investment professionals may
transact in the same securities for their personal accounts as they may buy or sell for client
accounts, it is important to mitigate potential and actual conflicts of interest. To that end, BHWM
has adopted personal securities transaction policies in the form of a Code of Ethics (“Code”). All
BHWM associated persons must follow BHWM’s Code, which sets the standard of business
conduct. BHWM requires all of its employees to comply with applicable federal securities laws,
and sets forth provisions regarding personal securities transactions to employees in its Code.
24
Additionally, the Code sets forth BHWM’s policies and procedures with respect to material, non-
public information and other confidential information, and the fiduciary duties that BHWM and
each of its employees has to each client. The Code is circulated at least annually to all employees,
and each employee annually certifies in writing that they have received and understand the Code.
BHWM will provide a copy of the Code to any client upon request.
B. Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
BHWM recognizes that the personal securities transactions of its members and employees
demand the application of practices designed to eliminate conflicts of interest, and BHWM
requires that all such transactions be carried out in a way that does not endanger the interest of
the client. At the same time, BHWM believes that if investment goals are similar for clients and
for members or employees of BHWM, it is logical and even desirable that there be common
ownership of some securities. This presents a conflict of interest, as it may be possible for
members or employees of BHWM to receive more favorable prices than clients. Therefore, in order
to address conflicts of interest, BHWM has adopted a set of procedures, included in the Code,
with respect to transactions effected by its officers, managers, members, and employees for their
personal accounts. It is BHWM’s policy that priority will always be given to the client’s order over
the order of their employees, with the exception of periodic rebalances. In the instances of
rebalancing, any employee accounts will be grouped in with client accounts and be part of the
random rebalancing, giving no priority to employee accounts over client accounts. To help
mitigate conflicts of interest associated with these practices, the compliance team of the Firm
reviews employee trades quarterly.
BHWM does not affect any principal or agency cross securities transactions for client accounts,
nor does it affect cross-trades between client accounts. Principal transactions are generally
defined as transactions where an adviser, acting as principal for its own account or the account
of an affiliated broker-dealer, buys from or sells any security to any advisory client. An agency
cross transaction is defined as a transaction where a person acts as an investment adviser in
relation to a transaction in which the investment adviser, or any person controlled by or under
common control with the investment adviser, acts as broker for both the advisory client and for
another person on the other side of the transaction.
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
Clients are under no obligation to act on the recommendations of BHWM. In the event that the
client requests that BHWM recommend a broker-dealer/custodian for execution and/or
custodial services, BHWM generally recommends that investment management accounts be
maintained at Fidelity Investments, LLC (“Fidelity”) or Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”).
Prior to engaging BHWM to provide investment management services, the client will be required
to enter into a formal Investment Advisory Agreement with BHWM setting forth the terms and
conditions under which BHWM shall manage the client’s assets, and a separate custodial/clearing
agreement with each designated broker-dealer/custodian. Not all advisers require clients to
direct brokerage.
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Factors that BHWM considers in recommending Fidelity, Schwab or any other broker-
dealer/custodian to clients include historical relationship with BHWM, financial strength,
reputation, execution capabilities, pricing, research, and service. Although the commissions
and/or transaction fees paid by BHWM clients shall comply with BHWM’s duty to obtain best
execution, a client may pay a commission that is higher than another qualified broker-dealer
might charge to effect the same transaction where BHWM determines, in good faith, that the
commission/transaction fee is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research
services received. 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. Accordingly, although
BHWM will seek competitive rates, it may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission
rates or the most favorable execution for client account transactions. The brokerage
commissions or transaction fees charged by the designated broker-dealer/custodian are
exclusive of, and in addition to, BHWM’s investment management fee. BHWM’s best execution
responsibility is qualified if securities that it purchases for client accounts are mutual funds that
trade at net asset value as determined at the daily market close.
The client receives confirmation of all transactions in the account and is free to terminate
participation in the platform and retain or dispose of any assets in the account at any time.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits
BHWM receives from Fidelity, Schwab or another broker-dealer/custodian without cost (and/or
at a discount) support services and /or products, certain of which assist BHWM to better monitor
and service client accounts maintained at such institutions. Included within the support services
that may be obtained by BHWM include investment-related research, pricing information, and
market data, software and other technology that provide access to client account data,
facilitation of trade execution and allocation of aggregated trade orders for multiple client
accounts, facilitation of payment of Our management fees from client accounts, assistance with
recordkeeping and client reporting, access to employee benefits providers or insurance
providers, compliance and/or practice management-related publications, discounted mailing
services, discounted or gratis consulting services, discounted and/or gratis attendance at
conferences, meetings and other educational and/or social events, marketing support, computer
hardware and /or software and /or other products used by BHWM in furtherance of its
investment advisory business operations. Our custodians provide some of these services directly
or, in other cases, arrange for third-party vendors to provide the services to Us. Our custodians
may also discount or waive fees for some of these services or pay all or a part of a third party’s
fees. Our custodians may also provide Us with other benefits, such as occasional business
entertainment of Our personnel.
BHWM entered into an agreement with Schwab under which Schwab agreed to pay for certain
technology, research, marketing, and compliance consulting products and services once the
value of Our clients’ assets in accounts at Schwab reaches certain thresholds. The agreement was
based on the condition that BHWM transfer at least $210 million in assets to Schwab client
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accounts within 12 months from the date of Our agreement with Schwab, which did in fact occur.
The receipt of these benefits creates an incentive for Us to recommend the use of Schwab rather
than making such a decision based exclusively on your interest in receiving best execution, which
is a conflict of interest. BHWM addresses this conflict by periodically evaluating and assessing
whether maintaining client assets at Schwab is in Our clients’ best interest, taking into
consideration the quality of the services provided by Schwab for the clients’ benefit, or available
to BHWM via Schwab in connection with services BHWM provides to its clients, costs to the client
and other factors.
BHWM received a one-time payment from AssetMark by electing to retain client assets on the
AssetMark platform in 2019, after AssetMark acquired Global. BHWM has also received
reimbursement of certain marketing or practice management expenses in the past under
AssetMark’s now-defunct business development program. AssetMark sponsors annual
conferences for participating financial advisory firms and/or financial advisors designed to
facilitate and promote the success of the firm, the adviser, or AssetMark. AssetMark offers
portfolio strategists (referred to elsewhere in this Brochure as “Third-Party Advisers”) and other
financial industry firms the opportunity to contribute to the costs of AssetMark’s annual
conferences and be identified as a sponsor. AssetMark also covers travel-related expenses for
certain financial advisors to attend AssetMark’s annual conferences, quarterly meetings, or to
conduct due diligence visits. BHWM personnel and BHWM representatives have participated in
these events in the past. In addition to and outside of the BDA Program, AssetMark contributes
to the costs incurred by certain advisers, including BHWM representatives, in connection with
conferences or other events. AssetMark also solicits research from financial advisors regarding
new products or services that AssetMark is considering for clients such as BHWM. In exchange
for this feedback and guidance, AssetMark may offer an incentive to the financial advisor for their
attendance at, or participation in, for example, a survey or focus-group. BHWM can also receive
discounted pricing or complimentary subscriptions from third-party service providers or from
AssetMark or its affiliates for services such as business consulting, practice management,
technology, financial planning tools and marketing-related tools and services as a result of their
participation in the platform. In certain cases, AssetMark receives a portion of the subscription
fees paid by BHWM to such third-party service providers. Discounted pricing and complimentary
subscriptions can be subsidized by AssetMark. These types of arrangements create conflicts of
interest, in that a BHWM adviser may be inclined to utilize the AssetMark platform in order to
receive and maximize these benefits. However, BHWM recognizes the conflict of interest and
manages that conflict by periodically evaluating and assessing whether maintaining assets on the
AssetMark platform is in the clients’ best interest, taking into consideration the quality of the
services provided by AssetMark for the clients’ benefit, or offered to BHWM via the platform in
connection with services BHWM provides to its clients, costs to the client and other factors.
AssetMark offers the Community Inspiration Award to honor selected financial advisors across
the US who have inspired others by supporting charitable organizations in their communities.
AssetMark would make a cash donation, subject to the published rules governing the program,
to BHWM’s nominated charity in accordance with guidelines as outlined in the AssetMark
Platform Disclosure Brochure.
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BHWM also receives research, analysis, market and other commentary, and access to
performance reporting software from AssetMark. As indicated above, certain of the support
services and /or products that may be received may assist BHWM in managing and administering
client accounts. Others do not directly provide such assistance, but rather assist BHWM to
manage and further develop its business enterprises.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has defined “soft dollar” practices as arrangements
under which products or services, other than execution of securities transactions, are obtained
by an investment adviser firm or through a broker-dealer in exchange for the direction by the
adviser of client brokerage transactions to the broker-dealer. BHWM receives the benefits from
Fidelity, Schwab and AssetMark described above in connection with client securities transactions.
We receive a benefit because We either do not have to produce or pay or receive a discount for
the research, products, or services. BHWM clients do not pay more for investment transactions
effected and/or assets maintained at Fidelity, Schwab or AssetMark as a result of this
arrangement. There is no corresponding commitment made by BHWM to Fidelity, Schwab or any
other entity to invest any specific amount or percentage of client assets in any specific mutual
funds, securities, or other investment products as a result of the above arrangement.
Nevertheless, receipt of the benefits described in this section from Fidelity, Schwab and
AssetMark creates a conflict of interest in that We have an incentive to recommend them based
on receipt of the benefits, rather than clients’ interest in receiving the most favorable execution.
BHWM manages that conflict of interest by conducting a best execution analysis to assure that
the total costs to the client is reasonable in relation to the value of the services provided.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
We do not receive referrals from broker-dealers. We do not consider such referrals in
recommending broker-dealers.
Directed Brokerage
We routinely recommend that a client direct Us to execute transactions through a specified
broker-dealer. By making such recommendations, We may be unable to achieve most favorable
execution of client transactions, and this practice may cost clients more money. Not all advisers
require their clients to direct brokerage.
Clients may select a broker/dealer or account custodian different from the one recommended by
BHWM and direct Us to use that broker/dealer or custodian to maintain custody of their assets.
We are not obligated to provide management services to the client through the use of that other
custodian and have discretion to reject the client’s request for directed brokerage. If We do not
agree to manage the client’s assets at another custodian, the client will be free to choose a
custodian recommended by BHWM or to choose another advisor to manage their assets. When
a client directs the use of a particular broker/dealer or other custodian, We may not be able to
obtain the best price and execution for the transaction. Clients who direct the use of a particular
broker/dealer or custodian may receive less favorable prices than would otherwise be the case
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if clients had not designated a particular broker/dealer or custodian. Further, directed trades may
be placed by BHWM after effecting non-directed trades.
We do not engage in the aggregate trading of multiple clients’ accounts at one time. Because We
do not engage in block trading when We have the opportunity to do so, sequential transactions
We execute for different clients in the same security can result in pricing discrepancies, with a
client’s price depending on the order in which the trades were filled. This may have the effect,
either on a per-transaction basis or over the long term, of favoring some clients over others. This
risk is greatly mitigated by the fact that We typically trade in highly liquid securities and trades
are routinely filled within a narrow range of prices.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
Our management personnel or financial advisors review accounts on at least an annual basis for
Our Asset Management clients. The nature of these reviews is to learn whether client accounts
are in line with their investment objectives, appropriately positioned based on market conditions,
and investment policies, if applicable. We attempt to understand anything that may have
changed in Our clients personal, professional, or financial situations.
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, requests by the client, etc.
Financial Planning clients will receive reviews of their written plans at their request. Our Firm
does not provide ongoing services to financial planning clients, but We are willing to meet with
such clients upon their request to discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances,
etc. Financial Planning clients do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their
financial plans unless they separately engage Our Firm for a post-financial plan meeting or update
to their initial written financial plan.
Client Reports
Asset management clients will receive written transaction confirmations from the account
custodian shortly after executing purchases or sales. Additionally, the account custodian will send
at least quarterly written statements for each quarter in which the client has an account under
management by Our Firm. These statements will provide details regarding account activity,
holdings, and performance. Our Firm provides investment performance reports to clients during
client reviews and/or upon request. Generally these reports contain a list of assets, investment
results and statistical data related to the client’s account. Clients are urged to carefully review
any such reports received and compare the reports to the custody statements they receive from
their custodian.
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
BHWM does not currently refer clients to other Investment Advisers. The only compensation
received from advisory services is the fees charged for providing investment advisory services as
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described in Item 5 of this Disclosure Brochure. BHWM receives no other forms of compensation
in connection with providing investment advice.
BHWM receives allowances and other compensation from third parties in connection with the
services We provide to Our clients. These create conflicts of interest. The arrangements related
to such compensation are discussed in detail in Item 12 above.
BHWM receives economic benefits from certain third-party model managers including access to
software and other technology to use in furtherance of Our business, such as tools to help
estimate healthcare costs, build custom client deliverables, portfolio construction tools, and
other client resource materials, and client event support services. Some of these tools and
services are available to all investment advisors and are not related to whether We do any
business with them. Nevertheless, these benefits create a conflict of interest in that We have an
incentive to make recommendations based on the receipt of these economic benefits, rather
than on the client’s needs. We address this conflict of interest by disclosing it here and ensuring
any recommendations are in the client’s best interest.
Item 15 – Custody
We have custody of client funds or securities because We are granted authority, upon written
consent from Our clients, to deduct the management fees directly from client accounts and to
delegate that authority to a financial institution. We also have custody due to Our standing
authority to make third-party transfers on behalf of Our clients who have granted Us this
authority. This authority is granted to Us by the client through the use of a standing letter of
authorization (“LOA”) established by the client with his or her qualified custodian. The standing
LOA authorizes Our Firm to disburse funds to one or more third parties specifically designated by
the client pursuant to the terms of the LOA, and can be changed or revoked by the client at any
time. We have implemented the safeguard requirements of SEC regulations by requiring
safekeeping of client funds and securities by a qualified custodian. We have further implemented
procedures to comply with the requirements outlined by the SEC in its February 1, 2017 No-
Action Letter to the Investment Adviser Association. We do not have physical custody of client
funds or securities. Custody of client accounts is held primarily at the Custodian.
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 will include a legend that recommends that the client
compare the account statements received from the qualified custodian with those received from
Our Firm. Clients are encouraged to raise any questions with Us about the custody, safety or
security of their assets and Our custodial recommendations.
BHWM urges clients to compare the account statements they receive from the custodian with
those they received from BHWM.
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Item 16 – Investment Discretion
Clients provide 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. Our Firm also has discretionary authority to hire and fire
investment managers and reallocate assets among said managers as deemed appropriate.
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
BHWM does not vote proxies on behalf of clients and therefore, shall have no obligation or
authority to take any action or render any advice with respect to the voting of proxies solicited
by or with respect to issuers of securities held in a client’s account. Custodians are directed to
forward all shareholder related materials to the owner of the account. Proxy voting for plans
governed by ERISA must conform to the plan document in effect. In a case where the investment
manager is listed as the fiduciary responsible for voting proxies, the responsibility will be
designated to another fiduciary and reflected in the plan document.
BHWM shall not be deemed to have proxy-voting authority solely as a result of providing advice
or information about a particular proxy vote to a client, but clients may contact BHWM with any
questions concerning a proxy solicitation. BHWM typically does not advise or act for clients with
respect to any legal matters, including bankruptcies and class actions, for the securities held in
clients’ accounts.
Item 18 – Financial Information
BHWM does not require or solicit prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees per client, six months
or more in advance. Therefore, BHWM is not required to include a balance sheet for its most
recent fiscal year.
BHWM is not subject to a financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability to
meet contractual commitments to clients. Finally, BHWM has not been the subject of a
bankruptcy petition at any time.
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