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Blue Summit Financial Group, Inc.
d/b/a Blue Summit Wealth Management
4660 La Jolla Village Drive, Suites 100 & 200
San Diego, CA 92122
Telephone: (619) 698-4330
Facsimile: (619) 698-0430
www.bluesummitwealth.com
FORM ADV PART 2A
BROCHURE
January 14, 2026
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Blue Summit
Wealth Management. If you have any questions about the contents of this Brochure, please contact us
at 4660 La Jolla Village Drive, Suites 100 & 200 San Diego, CA 92122 or (619) 698-4330. 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.
Blue Summit Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser. Registration of an Investment
Adviser does not imply any level of skill or training. The oral and written communications of an Adviser
provide you with information about which you determine to hire or retain an Adviser.
Additional information about Blue Summit Wealth Management also is available on the SEC's website
at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The searchable CRD number for Blue Summit Wealth is: 148782.
Item 2 Material Changes
Form ADV Part 2 requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when information
becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser's disclosure brochure,
the adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description of the material changes.
There are no material changes in this brochure from the last annual updating amendment of Blue
Summit Wealth Management on 01/27/2025. Material changes relate to Blue Summit Wealth
Management’s policies, practices or conflicts of interests.
You may request a current copy of this document by contacting the Service Team at Blue Summit
Wealth Management at (619) 698-4330 or service@bluesummitwealth.com. Our Brochure is also
available on our web site www.bluesummitwealth.com free of charge.
Additional information about of Blue Summit Wealth Management is also available via the SEC's web
site www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The SEC's web site also provides information about any persons
affiliated with Blue Summit Wealth Management who are registered, or are required to be registered,
as investment adviser representatives of Blue Summit Wealth Management.
Item 3 Table of Contents
Item 2 Material Changes ..................................................................................................... 2
Item 3 Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 3
Item 4 Advisory Business .................................................................................................... 4
Item 5 Fees and Compensation .......................................................................................... 7
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management .................................... 11
Item 7 Types of Clients ..................................................................................................... 11
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ................................ 11
Item 9 Disciplinary Information .......................................................................................... 15
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ................................................ 15
Item 11 Code of Ethics ...................................................................................................... 16
Item 12 Brokerage Practices ............................................................................................. 18
Item 13 Review of Accounts .............................................................................................. 19
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation ............................................................ 19
Item 15 Custody ................................................................................................................ 20
Item 16 Investment Discretion ........................................................................................... 20
Item 17 Voting Client Securities ........................................................................................ 20
Item 18 Financial Information ............................................................................................ 21
Additional Information ....................................................................................................... 21
Item 4 Advisory Business
Description of Firm
Blue Summit Financial Group, Inc. doing business as Blue Summit Wealth Management ("Blue Summit
Wealth Management") is a registered investment adviser primarily based in San Diego, CA. Blue
Summit Wealth Management has been incorporated in the State of California since January 2006, and
previously did business as Seid Financial (2000), and Judith L. Seid, Financial Consultant (1994).
The following paragraphs describe our services and fees. Refer to the description of each investment
advisory service listed below for information on how we tailor our advisory services to your individual
needs. As used in this brochure, the words "we," "our," and "us" refer to Blue Summit Wealth
Management and the words "you," "your," and "client" refer to you as either a client or prospective
client of our firm.
A. Financial Planning - Scope of Services
We offer financial planning services which typically involve providing a variety of advisory services to
clients regarding the management of their financial resources based upon an analysis of their
individual needs. These services can range from broad-based financial planning to consultative or
single subject planning. If you retain our firm for financial planning services, we will meet with you to
gather information about your financial circumstances and objectives. We may also use financial
planning software to determine your current financial position and to define and quantify your long-term
goals and objectives. Once we specify those long-term objectives (both financial and non-financial), we
will develop shorter-term, targeted objectives. Once we review and analyze the information you provide
to our firm and the data derived from our financial planning software, we will deliver a written plan to
you, designed to help you achieve your stated financial goals and objectives.
Financial plans are based on your financial situation at the time we present the plan to you, and on the
financial information you provide to us. You must promptly notify our firm if your financial situation,
goals, objectives, or needs change.
Pursuant to California Code of Regulations, 10 CCR Section 260.235.2, Blue Summit Wealth
Management hereby makes the following statement: in the context of providing financial planning
services, a conflict exists between the interest of Blue Summit Wealth Management and the interests
of the client. This conflict exists because as part of its financial plan, a client can be advised to engage
us for portfolio management services which will provide additional income to our firm. Further, the
client is under no obligation to act upon Blue Summit Wealth Management recommendations, and if
the client elects to act on any of the recommendations, the client is under no obligation to affect the
transactions through Blue Summit Wealth Management and always has the right to implement any
investment advice at any financial institution of their choosing.
All material conflicts of interest under CCR Section 260.238 (k) are disclosed regarding the investment
adviser, its representatives or any of its employees, which could be reasonably expected to impair the
rendering of unbiased and objective advice.
While the firm endeavor at all times to offer clients its specialized services at reasonable costs, the
fees charged by other advisers for comparable services may be lower than the fees charged by Blue
Summit Wealth Management.
B. The Blue Summit Experience
Blue Summit Wealth Management has developed "The Blue Summit Experience" in order to lead our
clients through the process of goal identification, analysis of client's current financial situation and
development of recommendations that will assist client in meeting their long term personal and
financial goals. This may include lifetime cash flow projections taking into consideration all expected
sources of income and assets, life goals, planned expenses, cash flow needs, inflation, and taxes.
Clients are then provided with a total portfolio recommendation to include investments, insurance, tax
planning, & estate planning recommendations. Updates of client's financial plan are provided on an
annual basis. Coordination with client's tax & estate planning professionals is provided, if needed.
“Our heart-felt commitment to putting our clients' needs first drives our
high-level, professional approach to financial services.”
The following areas are analyzed during the “Blue Summit Experience”
• Lifestyle & Life Goals
• Retirement Planning
Objectives
• Risk Tolerance Analysis
• Investment Planning &
Recommendations
• Real Estate Analysis
• Cash Flow Needs
• Transition Planning
• Retirement Account
Analysis
• Life Insurance Needs Analysis
• Long Term Care Insurance Needs
• Risk Management Review
• Tax Planning
• Estate Planning
• College Funding
• Inheritance Planning
Clients who request a comprehensive financial plan are provided a written plan that may include a
personal balance sheet and lifetime cash flow and other projections. Because financial plans are by
their nature forward looking, some assumptions and projections of these assumptions such as inflation
or the estimated life of a client must be made. Blue Summit Wealth Management, does not forecast,
project or guarantee performance of investments. All reports, financial statement projections and
analyses are intended exclusively for the clients use in developing and implementing their financial
plan. In view of this limited purpose, the statements should not be considered complete financial
statements. It is likely that there will be differences between projected and actual results because
events vary, and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected and such differences may be
material.
The financial plan assumptions and reports are primarily a tool to alert clients to certain possibilities.
The reports are not intended to nor do they provide any guaranty about future events including an
individual’s investment returns. The implementation of the plan is solely the client's responsibility and
at the clients’ discretion. Similar services may be available from other providers for more or less than
the fees charged by Blue Summit Wealth Management. Clients always have the right to implement any
investment advice at any financial institution of their choosing.
A financial planning engagement letter is signed by both client and advisor at the start of the agreed
upon work. Blue Summit Wealth Management does not provide any ongoing oversight or
management of financial plans, strategies, assets or investments. The financial planning engagement
may provide for an annual (or otherwise agreed upon and indicated time period) periodic review and
update of the plan.
In addition, Blue Summit Wealth Management provides pension consulting services. Depending on
the needs of the client and size of the business, this may include advising business owners on the
selection of pension plan options such as 401k, SEP, Simple, or other plan types. As well, Blue
Summit Wealth Management may provide educational meetings for employees and plan participants to
assist in understanding their retirement plan choices. This is normally provided on an annual or semi-
annual basis, or as agreed upon by advisor and client. This may include education on asset allocation,
risk vs. return, plan overview, vesting, matching contributions, Roth vs. Traditional contributions, loan
provisions, and online account access among others topics.
Blue Summit Portfolio Management Services
Clients choosing Blue Summit Wealth Management to provide ongoing portfolio management services
enter into a written Investment Advisory Agreement, where Blue Summit Wealth Management and our
investment adviser representatives provide portfolio management services on a continuous and
ongoing basis guided by the individual needs of the client. Using the information provided by you, the
investment advice and recommendations are tailored to your individual situation. We regularly inquire
about, and you are responsible for providing updated information about your investment goals, time
horizon, and risk tolerance.
We use a third-party platform to facilitate management of held away assets such as defined
contribution plan participant accounts, with discretion. The platform allows us to avoid being
considered to have custody of Client funds since we do not have direct access to Client log-in
credentials to affect trades. We are not affiliated with the platform in any way and receive no
compensation from them for using their platform. A link will be provided to the Client allowing them to
connect an account(s) to the platform. Once Client account(s) is connected to the platform, Adviser will
review the current account allocations. When deemed necessary, Adviser will rebalance the account
considering client investment goals and risk tolerance, and any change in allocations will consider
current economic and market trends. The goal is to improve account performance over time, minimize
loss during difficult markets, and manage internal fees that harm account performance. Client
account(s) will be reviewed at least quarterly and allocation changes will be made as deemed
necessary.
Pension Consulting Services
We offer pension consulting services to employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries based upon the
needs of the plan and the services requested by the plan sponsor or named fiduciary. In general, these
services may include an existing plan review and analysis, plan-level advice regarding fund selection
and investment options, education services to plan participants, investment performance monitoring,
and/or ongoing consulting. These pension consulting services will generally be non-discretionary and
advisory in nature. The ultimate decision to act on behalf of the plan shall remain with the plan sponsor
or other named fiduciary.
We may also assist with participant enrollment meetings and provide investment-related educational
seminars to plan participants on such topics as:
• Diversification
• Asset allocation
• Risk tolerance
• Time horizon
Our educational seminars may include other investment-related topics specific to the particular plan.
We may also provide additional types of pension consulting services to plans on an individually
negotiated basis. All services, whether discussed above or customized for the plan based upon
requirements from the plan fiduciaries (which may include additional plan-level or participant-level
services) shall be detailed in a written agreement and be consistent with the parameters set forth in the
plan documents.
Written Acknowledgement of Fiduciary Status
When we provide investment advice to you regarding your 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 your interests, so we operate under a
special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. Under
this special rule’s provisions, we must:
• Meet a professional standard of care when making investment recommendations (give prudent
advice);
• Never put our financial interests ahead of yours when making recommendations (give loyal
advice);
• Avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interest, fees, and investments;
• Follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that we give advice that is in your best
interest;
• Charge no more than is reasonable for our services; and
• Give you basic information about conflicts of interest.
Wrap Fee Programs
We do not participate in any wrap fee program.
Assets Under Management
As of December 2025, we provide continuous management services for $ 211,359,841.00in client
assets on a discretionary basis.
Item 5 Fees and Compensation
Portfolio Management Services
Our annual fee for portfolio management services is a maximum of 1.5% depending upon the market
value of your assets under our management, the type and complexity of the asset management
services provided, as well as the level of administration requested either directly or assumed by the
client. Assets in each of your account(s) are included in the fee assessment unless specifically
identified in writing for exclusion.
The annual fee for our portfolio management services is billed quarterly, in arrears, based on the value
of the account on the last business day of the quarter. If the management agreement does not span
the entire quarterly billing period, the fee will be prorated based on the number of days the account is
open during the billing period. Your account custodian will send client statements, at least quarterly,
showing all disbursements for the account including the amount of the advisory fee, if deducted directly
from the account. We urge you to review your account statements to verify the accuracy of the fee
calculation as the account custodian will not determine whether the fee has been properly calculated.
See Brokerage Practices (Item 12) in this brochure for more information about your account
custodian(s).
If the portfolio management agreement is executed at any time other than the first day of a calendar
quarter, our fees will apply on a pro rata basis, which means that the advisory fee is payable in
proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you are a client. Our advisory fee is
negotiable, depending on individual client circumstances.
We will deduct our fee directly from your account through the qualified custodian holding your funds
and securities. We will deduct our advisory fee only when the following requirements are met:
• You provide our firm with written authorization permitting the fees to be paid directly from your
account held by the qualified custodian.
• The qualified custodian agrees to send you a statement, at least quarterly, indicating all
amounts disbursed from your account including the amount of the advisory fee paid directly to
our firm.
You may terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement without fee or penalty by providing written
notice to Blue Summit Wealth Management within five (5) business days from our execution of the
agreement. Thereafter, either party may terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement by providing
written notice.
Fees may either be paid by check or deducted from client account, as agreed upon by client.
Depending on client's situation and needs, fees may be negotiable. When providing portfolio
management services Blue Summit Financial Advisors, there may be account management fees,
mutual fund fees and/or custody fees. For non-discretionary accounts, clients are not required to
implement the advice given by us. If clients choose to implement any advice we provide, they are not
required to implement it through us or our representatives. Fees and/or commissions from investment
products are the primary source of advisor compensation. Advisor will not collect both asset-based
advisory fees and commission-based fees for the same investment.
Different types of investments carry different fee structures. These fees are discussed further in Item 8
as well as fully discussed with clients in advance of any investment being made and fully disclosed in
prospectus and/or account service agreements used in conjunction with setting up these accounts.
Financial Planning Services
Blue Summit Wealth Management may calculate its fee for financial planning services on an hourly
basis at $275 per hour or as a fixed fee to be agreed upon with the client in a written agreement before
work is performed. Fixed fees normally range from $3,500 to over $10,000 depending upon the
complexity of the engagement. If a down payment is collected and the engagement is terminated
before completion, any collected but yet unearned fees will be promptly refunded to the client on a pro
rata basis. Lower fees for comparable services may be available from other sources.
We will not require prepayment of a fee more than six months in advance and in excess of $500.
At our discretion, we may offset our financial planning fees to the extent you implement the financial
plan through our Portfolio Management Service.
You may terminate the financial planning agreement upon Written notice to our firm. If you have pre-
paid financial planning fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated refund of those
fees based on the number of hours or percentage of work completed. If financial planning fees are
payable in arrears, you will be responsible for a prorated fee based on services performed prior to
termination of the financial planning agreement.
Pension Consulting Services (not offered to Colorado or Arizona clients)
Our advisory fees for these customized services will be negotiated with the plan sponsor or named
fiduciary on a case-by-case basis.
You may terminate the pension consulting services agreement upon Written notice to our firm. You will
incur a pro rata charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the agreement, which means
you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you are a
client. If you have pre-paid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated
refund of those fees.
Valuation of Publicly Traded Securities
Publicly traded securities in your account(s) managed by us are held at the custodian that we
recommend, but is ultimately chosen by you. We use the securities valuation provided by the
independent qualified custodian for reporting and billing purposes. Publicly traded securities are
usually valued as of the end of business on the last trading day of the calendar quarter.
Investment Company Fees
Investment company funds (e.g., mutual funds or ETFs) that are held by you will bear their own
internal transaction and execution costs, as well as directly compensate their investment managers
along with internal administrative services. Some funds pay 12b-1 fees, distribution fees, and/or
shareholder service fees to broker-dealers that offer investment company funds to their clients. These
fees affect the net asset value of the fund shares and are indirectly borne by fund shareholders such
as you.
Some fund companies have imposed a redemption fee. A redemption fee is another type of fee that
some funds charge their shareholders when shares are sold or redeemed within a short period of time
from the purchase of the fund shares. Although a redemption fee is deducted from redemption
proceeds just like a deferred sales load, it is not considered to be a sales load. Unlike a sales load,
which is generally used to compensate brokers, a redemption fee is typically used to defray fund costs
associated with a shareholder's redemption and is paid directly to the fund, not to a broker. The SEC
generally limits redemption fees to 2%. In most cases, the funds will use the "first-in, first-out" (FIFO)
method to determine the holding period. Under this method, the date of the redemption will be
compared with the earliest purchase date of shares held in the account. While it is not the general
practice of Blue Summit Wealth Management to sell client's securities in a period that would generate
a redemption fee we might do so if we believe the sale is in your best interests, or if fund shares must
be redeemed to pay fees from the account.
A complete explanation of these charges is contained in the Prospectus and Statement of Additional
Information for each investment company fund. You can get a prospectus through the investment
company website, by telephone, or by mail.
Additional Fees and Expenses
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may invest, or recommend that you invest, in
mutual funds and exchange traded funds. The fees that you pay to our firm for investment advisory
services are separate and distinct from the fees and expenses charged by mutual funds or exchange
traded funds (described in each fund's prospectus) to their shareholders. These fees will generally
include a management fee and other fund expenses. You will also incur transaction charges and/or
brokerage fees when purchasing or selling securities. These charges and fees are typically imposed by
the broker-dealer or custodian through whom your account transactions are executed. We do not
share in any portion of the brokerage fees/transaction charges imposed by the broker-dealer or
custodian. To fully understand the total cost you will incur, you should review all the fees charged by
mutual funds, exchange traded funds, our firm, and others. For information on our brokerage practices,
refer to the Brokerage Practices section of this brochure.
Other Types of Fees and Expenses
In addition to the investment advisory fees you pay to us, you will pay transaction fees (commissions)
to your custodian or broker-dealer for executing securities transactions and charges for special
services elected by you or us. These fees may include:
• periodic distribution fees
• electronic fund and wire transfer fees
• certificate delivery fees
• reorganization fees
• account transfer fees (outbound)
• returned check fees
• international security transfer fees
• overnight mail and check fees
• Rule 144 transfer fees
• transfer agent fees
This list is not meant to be all inclusive. Any fee on a special service incurred by the client will be fully
disclosed. Please refer to Item 12 of this document for an explanation of our brokerage practices.
State of California Required Disclosures
While our firm endeavors at all times to offer clients specialized services at reasonable costs, the fees
charged by other investments advisers for comparable services may be lower than the fees charged by
our firm.
Compensation for the Sale of Securities or Other Investment Products
The owners of Blue Summit Wealth Management and its Investment Advisor Representatives are also
licensed as insurance agents. During the course of providing services to a client, they may recommend
that you purchase, sell, or hold an insurance product. Our investment advisor representatives, when
acting as insurance agents, will receive compensation usually based upon the size (premium amount)
and/or type of insurance product. The receipt of the fees and commissions creates a financial incentive
for the investment advisor representatives to recommend one investment choice or insurance product
over another. This incentive creates a conflict of interest between you and Blue Summit Wealth
Management where the investment advisor representatives has an incentive to recommend investment
products based on the compensation received, rather than on your needs. You acknowledge that the
investment advisor representatives will receive payment in addition to any investment advisory or
financial planning fee(s) paid by you. To address these conflicts, we review the costs and expenses
associated with investments selected for, or recommended to, you to assure that the costs incurred are
reasonable with respect to the services provided. You are under no obligation, contractually or
otherwise, to purchase any insurance products through any person affiliated with our firm. Clients
have the right to purchase insurance products from the insurance agent of your choice.
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Blue Summit Wealth Management does not charge any performance-based fees (fees based on a
share of capital gains on or capital appreciation of the assets of a client). We do not participate in side-
by-side management, which is the practice of managing accounts that are charged performance-based
fees while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged performance-based fees. Our
fees are calculated as described in the Fees and Compensation section above, and are not charged
on the basis of a share of capital gains upon, or capital appreciation of, the funds in your advisory
account.
Item 7 Types of Clients
Blue Summit Wealth Management's clients include, but are not limited to the following: individuals, high
net worth individuals, inheritors, qualified and non-qualified accounts, corporate accounts, private
trusts, private fiduciaries, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, foundations, &
endowments.
In general, we do not require a minimum dollar amount to open and maintain an advisory account;
however, we have the right to terminate your Account if it falls below a minimum size which, in our sole
opinion, is too small to manage effectively.
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
When we select individual investments in a Blue Summit Managed Portfolio for a client we use both
qualitative and quantitative criteria. We begin with a broad universe of mutual funds that employ social
and environmental criteria in their investment process, we use a scoring methodology to rank funds
based on a number of criteria including their performance, expenses, manager tenure, and inception
date of the fund. Funds are regularly reviewed to assure they meet a minimum threshold in order to
maintain a position in the portfolio. Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be
prepared to bear.
Socially Responsible Investing
Sustainable Investing, also called Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), incorporates the fact that there
are two impacts to your investments. Your investments are working for you financially as well as
helping support the companies you invest in. Through working with third party money managers with
SRI portfolios, who may also engage in shareholder activism, and by also promoting community
investing, we are committed to assisting investors in promoting sustainable business practices while
earning competitive returns.
Blue Summit Wealth Management advisors actively recommend Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
for our clients. We believe that by investing in companies with positive practices and products and by
avoiding investment in irresponsible companies, investors can achieve market rate returns.
Our clients include those that are looking to use the power of financial investments to create
sustainable social change.
General Risks to Investing
Investing is not without risk and involves the risk of loss of principal which you should be prepared to
bear. We use several strategies to try to reduce risk, including diversifying a portfolio across multiple
asset classes and monitoring the portfolio and the markets for changes in fundamentals. Despite these
strategies, historical evidence clearly shows that every asset class has experienced severe declines in
value sometimes sustained over many years throughout several periods of time in history. In addition,
each of our strategies to minimize risk may not achieve that goal as the benefits of diversification
decline if asset classes become more correlated. As with any investment, you could lose all or part of
your investments managed by Blue Summit Wealth Management, and your account's performance
could trail that of other investments. Securities in your portfolio(s) or in underlying investments such as
mutual funds may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset
classes.
Our Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies
We may use one or more of the following methods of analysis or investment strategies when providing
investment advice to you:
Fundamental Analysis - involves analyzing individual companies and their industry groups, such as a
company's financial statements, details regarding the company's product line, the experience and
expertise of the company's management, and the outlook for the company and its industry. The
resulting data is used to measure the true value of the company's stock compared to the current
market value.
Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis is that information obtained may be incorrect and the analysis
may not provide an accurate estimate of earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's value. If
securities prices adjust rapidly to new information, utilizing fundamental analysis may not result in
favorable performance.
Modern Portfolio Theory - a theory of investment which attempts to maximize portfolio expected
return for a given amount of portfolio risk, or equivalently minimize risk for a given level of expected
return, by carefully diversifying the proportions of various assets.
Risk: Market risk is that part of a security's risk that is common to all securities of the same general
class (stocks and bonds) and thus cannot be eliminated by diversification.
Long-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that the value of those securities
will grow over a relatively long period of time, generally greater than one year.
Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally assumes the financial markets will go up in the
long-term which may not be the case. There is also the risk that the segment of the market that you are
invested in or perhaps just your particular investment will go down over time even if the overall
financial markets advance. Purchasing investments long-term may create an opportunity cost -
"locking-up" assets that may be better utilized in the short-term in other investments.
Our investment strategies and advice may vary depending upon each client's specific financial
situation. As such, we determine investments and allocations based upon your predefined objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other various suitability factors.
Your restrictions and guidelines may affect the composition of your portfolio. It is important that you
notify us immediately with respect to any material changes to your financial circumstances,
including for example, a change in your current or expected income level, tax circumstances, or
employment status.
Tax Considerations
Our strategies and investments may have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless we
specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in the
management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you consult with a tax professional regarding the investing of your assets.
Custodians and broker-dealers must report the cost basis of equities acquired in client accounts. Your
custodian will default to the First-In First-Out ("FIFO") accounting method for calculating the cost basis
of your investments. You are responsible for contacting your tax advisor to determine if this accounting
method is the right choice for you. If your tax advisor believes another accounting method is more
advantageous, provide written notice to our firm immediately and we will alert your account custodian
of your individually selected accounting method. Decisions about cost basis accounting methods will
need to be made before trades settle, as the cost basis method cannot be changed after settlement.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent or
guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully
identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
We cannot offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past
performance is in no way an indication of future performance.
Other Risk Considerations
When evaluating risk, financial loss may be viewed differently by each client and may depend on many
different risks, each of which may affect the probability and magnitude of any potential loses. The
following risks may not be all-inclusive but should be considered carefully by a prospective client
before retaining our services.
Liquidity Risk: The risk of being unable to sell your investment at a fair price at a given time due to high
volatility or lack of active liquid markets. You may receive a lower price, or it may not be possible to sell
the investment at all.
Credit Risk: Credit risk typically applies to debt investments such as corporate, municipal, and
sovereign fixed income or bonds. A bond issuing entity can experience a credit event that could impair
or erase the value of an issuer’s securities held by a client.
Inflation and Interest Rate Risk: Security prices and portfolio returns will likely vary in response to
changes in inflation and interest rates. Inflation causes the value of future dollars to be worth less and
may reduce the purchasing power of a client’s future interest payments and principal. Inflation also
generally leads to higher interest rates which may cause the value of many types of fixed income
investments to decline.
Horizon and Longevity Risk: The risk that your investment horizon is shortened because of an
unforeseen event, for example, the loss of your job. This may force you to sell investments that you
were expecting to hold for the long term. If you must sell at a time that the markets are down, you may
lose money. Longevity Risk is the risk of outliving your savings. This risk is particularly relevant for
people who are retired or are nearing retirement.
Recommendation of Particular Types of Securities
We primarily recommend Mutual Fund. However, we may advise on other types of investments as
appropriate for you since each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each type of
security has its own unique set of risks associated with it and it would not be possible to list here all of
the specific risks of every type of investment. Even within the same type of investment, risks can vary
widely. However, in very general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an investment, the higher
the risk of loss associated with the investment.
Money Market Funds: A money market fund is technically a security. The fund managers attempt to
keep the share price constant at $1/share. However, there is no guarantee that the share price will stay
at $1/share. If the share price goes down, you can lose some or all of your principal. The U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") notes that "While investor losses in money market
funds have been rare, they are possible." In return for this risk, you should earn a greater return on
your cash than you would expect from a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insured
savings account (money market funds are not FDIC insured). Next, money market fund rates are
variable. In other words, you do not know how much you will earn on your investment next month. The
rate could go up or go down. If it goes up, that may result in a positive outcome. However, if it goes
down and you earn less than you expected to earn, you may end up needing more cash. Another risk
you are taking with money market funds has to do with inflation. Because money market funds are
considered to be safer than other investments like stocks, long-term average returns on money market
funds tends to be less than long term average returns on riskier investments. Over long periods of
time, inflation can eat away at your returns.
Certificates of Deposit: Certificates of deposit are generally the safest type of investment since they
are insured by the federal government up to a certain amount. However, because the returns are can
be lower than other types of investments, it is possible for inflation to outpace the return. Likewise, U.S.
government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, but it is also
possible for the rate of inflation to exceed the returns.
Municipal Securities: Municipal securities, while generally thought of as safe, can have significant
risks associated with them including, but not limited to: the credit worthiness of the governmental entity
that issues the bond; the stability of the revenue stream that is used to pay the interest to the
bondholders; when the bond is due to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same amount of interest or yield to maturity.
Bonds: Corporate debt securities (or "bonds") are typically safer investments than equity securities,
but their risk can also vary widely based on: the financial health of the issuer; the risk that the issuer
might default; when the bond is set to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same rate of return.
Stocks: There are numerous ways of measuring the risk of equity securities (also known simply as
"equities" or "stock"). In very broad terms, the value of a stock depends on the financial health of the
company issuing it. However, stock prices can be affected by many other factors including, but not
limited to the class of stock (for example, preferred or common); the health of the market sector of the
issuing company; and, the overall health of the economy. In general, larger, better established
companies ("large cap") tend to be safer than smaller start-up companies ("small cap") are but the
mere size of an issuer is not, by itself, an indicator of the safety of the investment.
Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds: Mutual funds and exchange traded funds ("ETF") are
professionally managed collective investment systems that pool money from many investors and invest
in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, other mutual funds, other securities, or any
combination thereof. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund's investments in accordance
with the fund's investment objective. While mutual funds and ETFs generally provide diversification,
risks can be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a particular sector of the market,
primarily invests in small cap or speculative companies, uses leverage (i.e., borrows money) to a
significant degree, or concentrates in a particular type of security (i.e., equities) rather than balancing
the fund with different types of securities. ETFs differ from mutual funds since they can be bought and
sold throughout the day like stock and their price can fluctuate throughout the day. The returns on
mutual funds and ETFs can be reduced by the costs to manage the funds. Also, while some mutual
funds are "no load" and charge no fee to buy into, or sell out of, the fund, other types of mutual funds
do charge such fees which can also reduce returns. Mutual funds can also be "closed end" or "open
end". So-called "open end" mutual funds continue to allow in new investors indefinitely whereas
"closed end" funds have a fixed number of shares to sell which can limit their availability to new
investors.
ETFs may have tracking error risks. For example, the ETF investment adviser may not be able to
cause the ETF’s performance to match that of the its Underlying Index or other benchmark, which may
negatively affect the ETF's performance. In addition, for leveraged and inverse ETFs that seek to track
the performance of their Underlying Indices or benchmarks on a daily basis, mathematical
compounding may prevent the ETF from correlating with performance of its benchmark. In addition, an
ETF may not have investment exposure to all of the securities included in its Underlying Index, or its
weighting of investment exposure to such securities may vary from that of the Underlying Index. Some
ETFs may invest in securities or financial instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but
which are expected to yield similar performance.
Real Estate Investment Trust: A real estate investment trust ("REIT") is a corporate entity which
invests in real estate and/or engages in real estate financing. A REIT reduces or eliminates corporate
income taxes. REITs can be publicly or privately held. Public REITs may be listed on public stock
exchanges. REITs are required to declare 90% of their taxable income as dividends, but they actually
pay dividends out of funds from operations, so cash flow has to be strong or the REIT must either dip
into reserves, borrow to pay dividends, or distribute them in stock (which causes dilution). After 2012,
the IRS stopped permitting stock dividends. Most REITs must refinance or erase large balloon debts
periodically. The credit markets are no longer frozen, but banks are demanding, and getting, harsher
terms to re-extend REIT debt. Some REITs may be forced to make secondary stock offerings to repay
debt, which will lead to additional dilution of the stockholders. Fluctuations in the real estate market can
affect the REIT's value and dividends. Any REITs placed in clients' portfolios would either be
exchange-listed or open-ended mutual funds.
Item 9 Disciplinary Information
We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a client's
evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. We do not have any required
disclosures under this item.
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
We have not provided information on other financial industry activities and affiliations because we do
not have any relationship or arrangement that is material to our advisory business or to our clients with
any of the types of entities listed below.
1. broker-dealer, municipal securities dealer, or government securities dealer or broker.
2. investment company or other pooled investment vehicle (including a mutual fund, closed-end
investment company, unit investment trust, private investment company or "hedge fund," and
offshore fund).
3. other investment adviser or financial planner.
4. futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator, or commodity trading advisor.
5. banking or thrift institution.
6. accountant or accounting firm.
7. lawyer or law firm.
8. insurance company or agency.
9. pension consultant.
10.
11.
real estate broker or dealer.
sponsor or syndicator of limited partnerships.
Ms. Seid is a licensed life and health insurance agent with the State of California. She is licensed as
an independent agent and therefore is able business with many different insurance companies and
may sell insurance products to the client if recommended in a financial plan or requested client. This
practice presents a conflict of interest because persons providing investment advice on behalf of our
firm who are insurance agents have an incentive to make recommendations for the purpose of
generating commissions and that are not in your best interests rather than solely based on your
needs. Clients always have the right to purchase insurance products from the insurance agent of their
choice.
Mr. Seid is a captain at Abso Corp.
As discussed in Item 4, Advisory Services, Blue Summit Wealth Management may be used to
implement financial recommendations made in the financial planning process. These may include,
among others the use of stocks, bonds, fixed and variable annuities, mutual funds, real estate
investment trusts, public direct participation programs, life insurance, and long term care insurance.
Associated persons of the firm may purchase or sell personally for her own account the same mutual
fund shares that they recommend for Clients in her role as investment advisor representative of Blue
Summit Wealth Management, however, we do not buy or sell other securities that we also recommend
to advisory clients. In order to address the conflicts of interest that arise in connection with such
transactions related to purchases or sales in the same mutual funds, Blue Summit Wealth
Management monitors the securities trading activities of all of its advisory employees which includes a
quarterly review by Mr. Seid or his designee of reports of trading activities by associated persons on a
quarterly basis.
Item 11 Code of Ethics
Description of Our Code of Ethics
We strive to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing our practices. Therefore, our Code
of Ethics includes guidelines for professional standards of conduct for persons associated with our
firm. Our goal is to protect your interests at all times and to demonstrate our commitment to our
fiduciary duties of honesty, good faith, and fair dealing with you. All persons associated with our firm
are expected to adhere strictly to these guidelines. Persons associated with our firm are also required
to report any violations of our Code of Ethics. Additionally, we maintain and enforce written policies
reasonably designed to prevent the misuse or dissemination of material, non-public information about
you or your account holdings by persons associated with our firm.
Clients or prospective clients may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting us at the
telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES:
Blue Summit Wealth Management as a Registered Investment Advisor and all Investment Advisory
Representatives of the firm are fiduciaries and thereby have the responsibility to provide professional
judgment, ongoing and unbiased investment advice, and proper care when dealing with their clients.
All communication with the public should reflect integrity and be conducted in an ethical manner. As
fiduciaries, Blue Summit Wealth Management and its Investment Advisory Representatives recognize
that their clients deserve a duty:
• of honesty and fair dealing and that their interests come first. Blue Summit Wealth Management
and its Investment Advisory Representatives must at all times put the best interests of the
clients ahead of their own interests,
• that in all personal securities transactions, any actual or potential conflicts of interest must be
avoided. At all times the advisor's position of trust and responsibility must not be abused,
• that information concerning their identity of security holdings and financial characteristics as
well as their personal information, is confidential and will be protected and guarded,
• that IARs will not take inappropriate advantage of their positions,
• of independent professional judgment in the investment decision-making process.
Additionally, Blue Summit Wealth Management's ethics & values include the following:
Respect: We nurture and maintain a culture of respect in all we do.
Commitment to Quality: We provide high quality consulting services and investment choices
and specialized assistance to each client.
Integrity: We operate in a fiscally as well as a socially responsible manner, proactively
promoting ethical behavior among professional peers and within our wider communities.
Professional Education: We continually work to maintain and improve our professional
knowledge and competence. We refer our clients to appropriate professionals when their needs
go beyond our knowledge and skills.
Privacy and Confidentiality: We respect the confidentiality of any information acquired in the
course of our work, and we do not disclose such information to others, except as authorized or
when otherwise legally obligated to do so. We do not use confidential information acquired in
the course of our work for any personal advantage.
Business Conduct: Conduct business with uncompromising integrity and professionalism
And these are also values that guide our actions everyday:
Take pride in our work
Pay attention to detail
Make it easy to work with us
Make and meet commitments
Work as a team with respect and trust for each other
Strive to execute flawlessly
Listen and respond to our clients
Have sensitivity to client's concerns
Always act with client's best interest in mind
Give back to the community
Blue Summit Wealth Management anticipates that, in appropriate circumstances, consistent with
clients’ investment objectives, it will cause accounts over which advisors at Blue Summit Wealth
Management, has management authority to effect, and will recommend to investment advisory clients
or prospective clients, the purchase or sale of securities in which Blue Summit Wealth Management its
affiliates and/or clients, directly or indirectly, have a position of interest.
Blue Summit Wealth Management’s employees and persons associated with Blue Summit Wealth
Management are required to follow Blue Summit Wealth Management’s Code of Ethics. Subject to
satisfying this policy and applicable laws, officers, directors and employees of Blue Summit Wealth
Management and its affiliates may trade for their own accounts in securities which are recommended
to and/or purchased for Blue Summit Wealth Management’s clients. The Code of Ethics is designed to
assure that the personal securities transactions, activities and interests of the employees of Blue
Summit Wealth Management will not interfere with (i) making decisions in the best interest of advisory
clients and (ii) implementing such decisions while, at the same time, allowing employees to invest for
their own accounts. Nonetheless, because the Code of Ethics in some circumstances would permit
employees to invest in the same securities as clients, there is a possibility that employees might
benefit from market activity by a client in a security held by an employee. It is Blue Summit Wealth
Management’s policy that the firm will not affect any principal or agency cross securities transactions
for client accounts. Blue Summit Wealth Management will also not cross trades between client
accounts. Employee trading is continually monitored under the Code of Ethics, and to reasonably
prevent conflicts of interest between Blue Summit Wealth Management and its clients.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Neither our firm nor any persons associated with our firm has any material financial interest in client
transactions beyond the provision of investment advisory services as disclosed in this brochure.
Item 12 Brokerage Practices
Blue Summit Wealth Management will recommend brokerage firms/custodians to be used in
connection with securities transactions for a client's account. In placing such securities transactions,
Blue Summit Wealth Management will use its best efforts to obtain prompt execution of transactions at
favorable prices and at commissions that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received. While you
are free to choose any broker-dealer or other service provider as your custodian, we recommend that
you establish an account with a brokerage firm with which we have an existing relationship. Such
relationships may include benefits provided to our firm, including but not limited to market information
and administrative services that help our firm manage your account(s). We believe that the
recommended broker-dealers provide quality execution services for our clients at competitive prices.
Price is not the sole factor we consider in evaluating best execution. We also consider the quality of
the brokerage services provided by recommended broker-dealers, including the value of the firm's
reputation, execution capabilities, commission rates, the frequency of failed trades and ability to work
with Blue Summit Wealth Management's Operation Department to resolve problems and
responsiveness to our clients and our firm. In recognition of the value of the services recommended
broker-dealers provide, you may pay higher commissions and/or trading costs than those that may be
available elsewhere.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
We do not receive client referrals from broker-dealers in exchange for cash or other compensation,
such as brokerage services or research.
Economic Benefits
As a registered investment adviser, we have access to the institutional platform of your account
custodian. As such, we will also have access to research products and services from your account
custodian and/or other brokerage firm. These products are in addition to any benefits or research we
pay for with soft dollars, and may include financial publications, information about particular companies
and industries, research software, and other products or services that provide lawful and appropriate
assistance to our firm in the performance of our investment decision-making responsibilities. Such
research products and services are provided to all investment advisers that utilize the institutional
services platforms of these firms, and are not considered to be paid for with soft dollars. However, you
should be aware that the commissions charged by a particular broker for a particular transaction or set
of transactions may be greater than the amounts another broker who did not provide research services
or products might charge.
In some situations, we primarily recommend our clients use Pershing LLC as their account custodian.
Blue Summit Wealth Management is not affiliated with Pershing LLC. Pershing LLC does not supervise
Blue Summit Wealth Management our employees.
Directed Brokerage
Block Trades
We do not combine multiple orders for shares of the same securities purchased for advisory accounts
we manage (this practice is commonly referred to as "block trading") because we invest solely in
Mutual Funds which do not trade in blocks.
Item 13 Review of Accounts
Allen Trim, Partner & CCO, will monitor your accounts on an ongoing basis and will conduct account
reviews at least weekly, to ensure the advisory services provided to you are consistent with your
investment needs and objectives. Additional reviews may be conducted based on various
circumstances, including, but not limited to:
• contributions and withdrawals,
• year-end tax planning,
• market moving events,
• security specific events, and/or,
• changes in your risk/return objectives.
The individuals conducting reviews may vary from time to time, as personnel join or leave our firm.
We will not provide you with regular written reports. You will receive trade confirmations and monthly or
quarterly statements from your account custodian(s).
Robert Seid, will review financial plans as needed, depending on the arrangements made with you at
the inception of your advisory relationship to ensure that the advice provided is consistent with your
investment needs and objectives. Generally, we will contact you periodically to determine whether any
updates may be needed based on changes in your circumstances. Changed circumstances may
include, but are not limited to marriage, divorce, birth, death, inheritance, lawsuit, retirement, job loss
and/or disability, among others. We recommend meeting with you at least annually to review and
update your plan if needed. Additional reviews will be conducted upon your request. Such reviews and
updates may be subject to our then current hourly rate. We will not provide regular written reports for
financial planning and consulting services. If you implement financial planning advice, you will receive
trade confirmations and monthly or quarterly statements from relevant custodians.
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
As disclosed under the Fees and Compensation section in this brochure, persons providing investment
advice on behalf of our firm are licensed insurance agents. For information on the conflicts of interest
this presents, and how we address these conflicts, refer to the Fees and Compensation section.
Refer to the Brokerage Practices section above for disclosures on research and other benefits we may
receive resulting from our relationship with your account custodian.
Blue Summit makes available cash management solutions that are sponsored by IFI Network. Blue
Summit earns a referral fee from IFI Network if their clients participate in their program. Advisor firm's
referral fee is 37.6 bps. The interest rate clients receive from the IFI Network program are net of all
fees, including the fee to the advisor firm. Blue Summit will assist clients in the on-boarding and
ongoing account maintenance that is associated with the IFI Network program.
Blue Summit may retain third parties to act as solicitors/promoters for Blue Summit’s investment
management services. Compensation with respect to the foregoing will be fully disclosed to each client
to the extent required by applicable law. Blue Summit will ensure each solicitor/promoter is properly
exempt or registered in all appropriate jurisdictions. All such referral activities will be conducted in
accordance with the Advisers Act, where applicable.
Item 15 Custody
As paying agent for our firm, your independent custodian will directly debit your account(s) for the
payment of our advisory fees. This ability to deduct our advisory fees from your accounts causes our
firm to exercise limited custody over your funds or securities. We do not have physical custody of any
of your funds and/or securities. Your funds and securities will be held with a bank, broker-dealer, or
other qualified custodian. Clients should receive at least quarterly statements from the broker dealer,
bank or other qualified custodian that holds and maintains client's investment assets. Blue Summit
Wealth Management urges our clients to carefully review such statements for accuracy. Reports
provided by Blue Summit Wealth Management may vary from custodial statements based on
accounting procedures, reporting dates, or valuation methodologies of certain securities.
Blue Summit recommends its clients to use Pershing as its custodian. The custodian chosen by our
clients does not oversee our actions or activities. We are not affiliated with any custodian we
recommend. The custodian does not supervise our firm, its agents or activities.
Item 16 Investment Discretion
If you chose Blue Summit Wealth Management to provide ongoing supervision and management of
your account, (a Blue Summit Managed Portfolio) you grant Blue Summit Wealth Management a
limited power of attorney to select, purchase, or sell securities without obtaining your specific consent
within the account(s) you have under our management. The limited powers of attorney are granted in
the written Investment Advisory Agreement entered into between us. There are no restrictions upon
the securities that may be purchased, sold, or held in your account unless you provide these
restrictions to us in writing. For example, you may specify that the investment in any particular stock or
industry should not exceed specified percentages of the value of the portfolio and/or restrictions or
prohibitions of transactions in the securities of a specific industry or security. Refer to the Advisory
Business section in this brochure for more information on our discretionary management services.
In their individual capacity as investment advisor representatives of Blue Summit Wealth Management,
advisers may receive discretionary authority from the client for account management provided. In all
cases, however, such discretion is to be exercised in a manner consistent with the stated investment
objectives for the particular client account.
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
Blue Summit Wealth Management recognizes that socially conscious investors have dual objectives. In
addition to economic gain, our clients are concerned with good corporate governance, the ethical
behavior of corporations, and the impact of corporate actions on a healthy society and the natural
environment that supports it.
When a third-party money manager provides ongoing day to day management of Client accounts, the
third-party money manager will provide proxy voting services. Blue Summit Wealth Management does
not have any authority to and does not vote proxies on behalf of advisory clients. Clients retain the
responsibility for receiving and voting proxies for any and all securities maintained in client portfolios.
Blue Summit Wealth Management may provide advice to clients regarding their voting of
proxies. However, in the event we were to receive any written or electronic proxy materials, we would
forward them directly to you by mail, unless you have authorized our firm to contact you by electronic
mail, in which case, we would forward any electronic solicitations to vote proxies.
If the investment account is for a pension or other employee benefit plan governed by ERISA, you
direct us not to vote proxies for securities held in the account, because the right to vote such proxies is
expressly reserved for you or your plan fiduciary not Blue Summit Wealth Management. If an outside
third-party advisor is managing all or a portion of your investments, they will vote proxies for
investments they manage.
Item 18 Financial Information
Our firm does not have any financial condition or impairment that would prevent us from meeting our
contractual commitments to you. We do not take physical custody of client funds or securities, or serve
as trustee or signatory for client accounts, and, we do not require the prepayment of more than $1,200
in fees six or more months in advance. Therefore, we are not required to include a financial statement
with this brochure.
Blue Summit Wealth Management has no financial commitment that impairs its ability to meet
contractual and fiduciary commitments to clients, and has not been the subject of a bankruptcy
proceeding.
Additional Information
Trade Errors
In the event a trading error occurs in your account, our policy is to restore your account to the position
it should have been in had the trading error not occurred. Depending on the circumstances, corrective
actions may include canceling the trade, adjusting an allocation, and/or reimbursing the account.
Class Action Lawsuits
We do not determine if securities held by you are the subject of a class action lawsuit or whether you
are eligible to participate in class action settlements or litigation nor do we initiate or participate in
litigation to recover damages on your behalf for injuries as a result of actions, misconduct, or
negligence by issuers of securities held by you.
IRA Rollover Considerations
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may recommend that you withdraw the assets
from your employer's retirement plan and roll the assets over to an individual retirement account
("IRA") that we will manage on your behalf. If you elect to roll the assets to an IRA that is subject to our
management, we will charge you an asset-based fee as set forth in the agreement you executed with
our firm. This practice presents a conflict of interest because persons providing investment advice on
our behalf have an incentive to recommend a rollover to you for the purpose of generating fee-based
compensation rather than solely based on your needs. You are under no obligation, contractually or
otherwise, to complete the rollover. Moreover, if you do complete the rollover, you are under no
obligation to have the assets in an IRA managed by our firm.
Many employers permit former employees to keep their retirement assets in their company plan. Also,
current employees can sometimes move assets out of their company plan before they retire or change
jobs. In determining whether to complete the rollover to an IRA, and to the extent the following options
are available, you should consider the costs and benefits of:
1. Leaving the funds in your employer's (former employer's) plan.
2. Moving the funds to a new employer’s retirement plan.
3. Cashing out and taking a taxable distribution from the plan.
4. Rolling the funds into an IRA rollover account.
Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages and before making a change we encourage
you to speak with your CPA and/or tax attorney.
If you are considering rolling over your retirement funds to an IRA for us to manage here are a few
points to consider before you do so:
1. Determine whether the investment options in your employer's retirement plan address your
needs or whether you might want to consider other types of investments.
a. Employer retirement plans generally have a more limited investment menu than IRAs.
b. Employer retirement plans may have unique investment options not available to the
public such as employer securities, or previously closed funds.
2. Your current plan may have lower fees than our fees.
a. If you are interested in investing only in mutual funds, you should understand the cost
structure of the share classes available in your employer's retirement plan and how the
costs of those share classes compare with those available in an IRA.
b. You should understand the various products and services you might take advantage of
at an IRA provider and the potential costs of those products and services.
3. Our strategy may have higher risk than the option(s) provided to you in your plan.
4. Your current plan may also offer financial advice.
5. If you keep your assets titled in a 401k or retirement account, you could potentially delay your
required minimum distribution beyond age 70.5.
6. Your 401k may offer more liability protection than a rollover IRA; each state may vary.
a. Generally, federal law protects assets in qualified plans from creditors. Since 2005, IRA
assets have been generally protected from creditors in bankruptcies. However, there
can be some exceptions to the general rules so you should consult with an attorney if
you are concerned about protecting your retirement plan assets from creditors.
7. You may be able to take out a loan on your 401k, but not from an IRA.
8. IRA assets can be accessed any time; however, distributions are subject to ordinary income tax
and may also be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty unless they qualify for an exception
such as disability, higher education expenses or the purchase of a home.
9. If you own company stock in your plan, you may be able to liquidate those shares at a lower
capital gains tax rate.
10.
Your plan may allow you to hire us as the manager and keep the assets titled in the plan
name.
It is important that you understand the differences between these types of accounts and to decide
whether a rollover is best for you. Prior to proceeding, if you have questions contact your investment
adviser representative, or call our main number as listed on the cover page of this brochure.