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Item 1: Cover Page
Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure
March 2025
11812 San Vicente Blvd., Ste. 250
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Firm Contact:
Judith Lu
Chief Compliance Officer
firm
is also available on
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Blue Zone
Wealth Advisors, LLC. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact
us at jlu@bluezoneadvisory.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.
the SEC’s website at
information about our
Additional
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD #305943.
Please note that the use of the term “registered investment adviser” and description of our firm
and/or our associates as “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Clients are
encouraged to review this Brochure and Brochure Supplements for our firm’s associates who advise
clients for more information on the qualifications of our firm and our employees.
Item 2: Material Changes
Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC is required to make clients aware of information that has changed
since the last annual update to the Firm Brochure (“Brochure”) and that may be important to them.
Clients can then determine whether to review the brochure in its entirety or to contact us with
questions about the changes.
Since our firm’s last annual amendment filing on 03/25/2024, our firm has the following material
changes report:
• Our firm opened a new private fund in 2024 entitled “Glide Direct Series LLC – BZWA Hunter
Point Capital Investors Segregated Portfolio”. Please see Item 6 and 15 of this brochure for
more information.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Item 3: Table of Contents
Item 1: Cover Page .................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Item 2: Material Changes ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Item 3: Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Item 4: Advisory Business.................................................................................................................................................... 4
Item 5: Fees & Compensation ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management ........................................................................... 9
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements .................................................................................................... 9
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss ................................................................. 10
Item 9: Disciplinary Information..................................................................................................................................... 19
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations .................................................................................. 19
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in ............................................................................................... 19
Item 12: Brokerage Practices ........................................................................................................................................... 20
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans ....................................................................................................... 24
Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation ..................................................................................................... 24
Item 15: Custody .................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Item 16: Investment Discretion ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Item 17: Voting Client Securities ..................................................................................................................................... 26
Item 18: Financial Information ........................................................................................................................................ 26
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Item 4: Advisory Business
Our firm is dedicated to providing individuals and other types of clients with a wide array of
investment advisory services. Our firm is a limited liability company formed under the laws of the
State of Delaware in 2019 and has been in business as an investment adviser since that time. Our firm
is owned by Judith Lu (90%) and Joshua Sailar (10%).
The purpose of this Brochure is to disclose the conflicts of interest associated with the investment
transactions, compensation and any other matters related to investment decisions made by our firm
or its representatives. As a fiduciary, it is our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is
accomplished in part by knowing our client. Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory
practice with open lines of communication for many different types of clients to help meet their
financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time horizons. Working with clients to
understand their investment objectives while educating them about our process, facilitates the kind
of working relationship we value.
Types of Advisory Services Offered
Comprehensive Portfolio Management:
As part of our Comprehensive Portfolio Management service clients will be provided asset
management and financial planning or consulting services. This service is designed to assist clients
in meeting their financial goals through the use of a financial plan or consultation. Our firm conducts
client meetings to understand their current financial situation, existing resources, financial goals, and
tolerance for risk. Based on what is learned, an investment approach is presented to the client,
consisting of individual stocks, bonds, ETFs, options, mutual funds and other public and private
securities or investments. 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. Upon client request, our firm provides a summary of observations
and recommendations for the planning or consulting aspects of this service.
When deemed suitable for the client, our firm utilizes the sub-advisory services of a third-party
investment advisory firm or individual advisor to aid in the implementation of an investment
portfolio designed by our firm. Before selecting a firm or individual, our firm will ensure that the
chosen party is properly licensed or registered.
Asset Management:
As part of our Asset Management service, a portfolio is created, consisting of individual stocks, bonds,
exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), options, mutual funds and other public and private securities or
investments. The client’s individual investment strategy is tailored to their specific needs and may
include some or all of the previously mentioned securities. 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.
When deemed suitable for the client, our firm utilizes the sub-advisory services of a third-party
investment advisory firm or individual advisor to aid in the implementation of an investment
portfolio designed by our firm. Before selecting a firm or individual, our firm will ensure that the
chosen party is properly licensed or registered.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Financial Planning & Consulting:
Our firm provides a variety of standalone 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. This planning or
consulting may encompass Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Charitable
Planning, Education Planning, Corporate and Personal Tax Planning, Cost Segregation Study,
Corporate Structure, Real Estate Analysis, Mortgage/Debt Analysis, Insurance Analysis, Lines of
Credit Evaluation, or Business and Personal Financial Planning.
Written financial plans rendered to clients usually 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 as this service does not include investment management. Our firm
provides clients with a summary of their financial situation, and observations for financial planning
engagements. Financial consultations are not typically accompanied by a written summary of
observations and recommendations, as the process is less formal than the planning service. Assuming
that all the information and documents requested from the client are provided promptly, plans or
consultations are typically completed within 6 months of the client signing a contract with our firm.
Retirement Plan Consulting:
Our firm provides retirement plan consulting services to employer plan sponsors on an ongoing
basis. Generally, such consulting services consist of assisting employer plan sponsors in establishing,
monitoring and reviewing their company's participant-directed retirement plan. As the needs of the
plan sponsor dictate, areas of advising may include:
•
• Establishing an Investment Policy Statement – Our firm will assist in the development of a
statement that summarizes the investment goals and objectives along with the broad
strategies to be employed to meet the objectives.
Investment Options – Our firm will work with the Plan Sponsor to evaluate existing
investment options and make recommendations for appropriate changes.
•
• Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction – Our firm will develop strategic asset allocation
models to aid Participants in developing strategies to meet their investment objectives, time
horizon, financial situation and tolerance for risk.
Investment Monitoring – Our firm will monitor the performance of the investments and
notify the client in the event of over/underperformance and in times of market volatility.
• Participant Education – Our firm will provide opportunities to educate plan participants
about their retirement plan offerings, different investment options, and general guidance on
allocation strategies.
In providing services for retirement plan consulting, our firm does not provide any advisory services
with respect to the following types of assets: employer securities, real estate (excluding real estate
funds and publicly traded REITS), participant loans, non-publicly traded securities or assets, other
illiquid investments, or brokerage window programs (collectively, “Excluded Assets”). All retirement
plan consulting services shall be in compliance with the applicable state laws regulating retirement
consulting services. This applies to client accounts that are retirement or other employee benefit
plans (“Plan”) governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(“ERISA”). If the client accounts are part of a Plan, and our firm accepts appointment to provide
services to such accounts, our firm acknowledges its fiduciary standard within the meaning of Section
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3(21) or 3(38) of ERISA as designated by the Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement with respect to
the provision of services described therein.
Tailoring of Advisory Services
Our firm offers individualized investment advice to our Comprehensive Portfolio Management and
Asset Management clients. General investment advice will be offered to our Retirement Plan
Consulting and Financial Planning & Consulting clients.
Each Comprehensive Portfolio Management and 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.
Participation in Wrap Fee Programs
Our firm does not offer or sponsor a wrap fee program.
Regulatory Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2024, our firm manages $564,760,854 on a discretionary basis.
Item 5: Fees & Compensation
Compensation for Our Advisory Services
Comprehensive Portfolio Management:
Advisory fees for this service will be charged either on a percentage of assets under management
and/or for a fixed fee. If Client is charged as a percentage of assets under management, the maximum
annual fee charged for this service will not exceed 1.50%. Fixed Fees will not exceed $10,000,000 nor
represent a fee of more than 1.50% of the client’s assets under management. A combination of a fixed
fee and fee calculated according to Client’s assets under management may be negotiated. In such
cases the aggregate of the fixed fee and asset-based fee will not exceed 1.50%. Fees to be assessed
will be outlined in the advisory agreement to be signed by the client. Annualized fees are billed on a
pro-rata basis quarterly in arrears based on the value of the account(s) on the last day of the quarter.
Fees are negotiable and will be deducted from client account(s). Adjustments will be made for
deposits and withdrawals during the quarter. Clients should also be aware that our firm bills on cash
unless indicated otherwise in writing. In rare cases, our firm will agree to directly invoice. As part of
this process, Clients understand the following:
a) The client’s independent custodian sends statements at least quarterly showing the market
values for each security included in the Assets and all account disbursements, including the
amount of the advisory fees paid to our firm;
b) Clients will provide authorization permitting our firm to be directly paid by these terms. Our
firm will send an invoice directly to the custodian; and
c) If our firm sends a copy of our invoice to the client, a legend urging the comparison of
information provided in our statement with those from the qualified custodian will be
included.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
The combined annual fee charged to clients whose portfolios incorporate third party money
managers, sub advisors and/or separately managed accounts (collectively “third parties”) will not
exceed the maximum fee published above for this service. Our firm will debit its fees for this service
as laid out in the executed advisory agreement between the client and our firm. This fee shall be
exclusive of any fees assessed by a chosen third party. The third parties we recommend will not
charge you a higher fee than they would have charged without us introducing you to them. Third
parties establish and maintain their own billing procedures over which we have no control. In
general, they will directly bill you and you will receive a copy of the appropriate disclosure
documents that explain these procedures.
Asset Management:
The maximum annual fee charged for this service will not exceed 1.25%. Fees to be assessed will be
outlined in the advisory agreement to be signed by the client. Annualized fees are billed on a pro-rata
basis quarterly in arrears based on the value of the account(s) on the last of the quarter. Fees are
negotiable and will be deducted from client account(s). Adjustments will be made for deposits and
withdrawals during the quarter. Clients should also be aware that our firm bills on cash unless
indicated otherwise in writing. In rare cases, our firm will agree to directly invoice. As part of this
process, Clients understand the following:
a) The client’s independent custodian sends statements at least quarterly showing the market
values for each security included in the Assets and all account disbursements, including the
amount of the advisory fees paid to our firm;
b) Clients will provide authorization permitting our firm to be directly paid by these terms. Our
firm will send an invoice directly to the custodian; and
c) If our firm sends a copy of our invoice to the client, a legend urging the comparison of
information provided in our statement with those from the qualified custodian will be
included.
The combined annual fee charged to clients whose portfolios incorporate third party money
managers, sub advisors and/or separately managed accounts (collectively “third parties”) will not
exceed the maximum fee published above for this service. Our firm will debit its fees for this service
as laid out in the executed advisory agreement between the client and our firm. This fee shall be
exclusive of any fees assessed by a chosen third party. The third parties we recommend will not
charge you a higher fee than they would have charged without us introducing you to them. Third
parties establish and maintain their own billing procedures over which we have no control. In
general, they will directly bill you and you will receive a copy of the appropriate disclosure
documents that explain these procedures.
Financial Planning & Consulting:
Our firm charges on a flat fee basis for our stand-alone financial planning services. The total estimated
fee, as well as the ultimate fee charged, is based on the scope and complexity of our engagement with
the client. Flat fees will not exceed $100,000. The fee-paying arrangements will be determined on a
case-by-case basis and will be detailed in the signed consulting agreement. Our firm will not require
a retainer exceeding $1,200 when services cannot be rendered within 6 months.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Retirement Plan Consulting:
Our Retirement Plan Consulting services are billed based on the percentage of Plan assets under
management. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee charged, is based on the scope and
complexity of our engagement with the client. Fees based on a percentage of managed Plan assets
will not exceed 1.00%. The fee-paying arrangements will be determined on a case-by-case basis and
will be detailed in the signed consulting agreement.
Other Types of Fees & Expenses
Clients will incur transaction fees for trades executed by their chosen custodian, either based on a
percentage of the dollar amount of assets in the account(s) or via individual transaction charges.
These transaction fees are separate from our firm’s advisory fees and will be disclosed by the chosen
custodian. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) does not charge transaction fees for U.S. listed
equities and exchange traded funds.
Clients may also pay holdings charges imposed by the chosen custodian for certain investments,
charges imposed directly by a mutual fund, index fund, or exchange traded fund, which shall be
disclosed in the fund’s prospectus (e.g., fund management fees, distribution fees, surrender charges,
variable annuity fees, IRA and qualified retirement plan fees, mark-ups and mark-downs, spreads
paid to market makers, fees for trades executed away from custodian, wire transfer fees and other
fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and securities transactions). Our firm does not receive a
portion of these fees.
Termination & Refunds
Either party may terminate the advisory agreement signed with our firm for Comprehensive
Portfolio Management or Asset Management services in writing at any time. Upon notice of
termination pro-rata advisory fees for services rendered to the point of termination will be charged.
If advisory fees cannot be deducted, our firm will send an invoice for due advisory fees to the client.
Financial Planning & Consulting clients may terminate their agreement at any time before the
delivery of a financial plan by providing written notice. Upon notice of termination pro-rata financial
planning and/or consulting fees for services rendered to the point of termination will be charged.
Either party to a Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement may terminate at any time by providing
written notice to the other party. Full refunds will only be made in cases where cancellation occurs
within 5 business days of signing an agreement. After 5 business days from initial signing, either
party must provide the other party 30 days written notice to terminate billing. Billing will terminate
30 days after receipt of termination notice. Clients will be charged on a pro-rata basis, which takes
into account work completed by our firm on behalf of the client. Clients will incur charges for bona
fide advisory services rendered up to the point of termination (determined as 30 days from receipt
of said written notice) and such fees will be due and payable.
Commissionable Securities Sales
Our firm and representatives do not sell securities for a commission in advisory accounts.
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Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management
Our firm does not charge performance-based fees. However, clients invested in our firm’s Special
Purpose Vehicles (Blue Zone Wealth Advisors SPV I Simplifya, Glide Direct Series LLC – BZWA Hunter
Point Capital Investors Segregated Portfolio, and Glide Direct Series LLC – BZWA Whitehorse V
Secondaries Access Fund SP) (“Funds”) may be charged a performance-based fee upon the exit of the
Funds. As such, clients should be aware of the following information and qualifications to be charged
a performance-based fee.
Performance-based fees can only be assessed on a Qualified Client, with at least $1,100,000 under
management with our firm or a net worth of at least $2,200,000. A performance fee is a fee based on
a share of capital gains on or capital appreciation of the managed assets of a client.
Clients should be aware that those invested in the Funds have the ability to be charged up to 10% of
the profit over the life of the investment and shall be charged upon the exit of the Funds. The
performance fee is payable only if the net profits in the client account(s) exceed the performance
calculation of the previous year (a “high water mark”). At our discretion, our firm may waive all or
any portion of the performance fee or may agree with a client to other changes to the performance
fee by written agreement only.
In charging performance fees to some client accounts, our firm faces a conflict of interest as our firm
can potentially receive greater fees from client accounts having a performance-based compensation
structure than from accounts only charged an advisory fee. As a result, there exists an incentive to
direct our clients to our firm’s Special Purpose Vehicles that pays a performance fee. However, our
firm ensures that our Special Purpose Vehicle clients are not favored over our clients with non-
performance fee based accounts.
Performance based and non-performance-based accounts are periodically reviewed and compared.
In the event that our firm finds performance-based accounts are being unduly (i.e., consistently)
favored over non-performance-based accounts, our firm would take action to address the situation
on a case-by-case basis. This could include allowing non-performance-based accounts to trade before
performance based accounts to the extent practicable, or if the problem persists, not allowing new
performance based accounts, waiving our performance based fees or cancelling our performance
based fee arrangements altogether and in some cases, termination of firm personnel.
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements
Our firm has the following types of clients:
•
Individuals and High Net Worth Individuals;
• Trusts, Estates or Charitable Organizations;
• Pension and Profit Sharing Plans;
• Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and/or Other Business Types
Our firm does not impose requirements for opening and maintaining accounts or otherwise engaging
us.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
We use the following methods of analysis in formulating our investment advice and/or managing
client assets:
Charting: In this type of technical analysis, our firm reviews charts of market and security activity in
an attempt to identify when the market is moving up or down and to predict when how long the trend
may last and when that trend might reverse.
Duration Constraints: Our firm adhere to a discipline of generally maintaining duration within a
narrow band around benchmark duration in order to limit exposure to market risk. Our portfolio
management team rebalances client portfolios to their current duration targets on a periodic basis.
The risk of constraining duration is that the client may not participate fully in a large rally in bond
prices.
Fundamental Analysis: The analysis of a business's financial statements (usually to analyze the
business's assets, liabilities, and earnings), health, and its competitors and markets. When analyzing
a stock, futures contract, or currency using fundamental analysis there are two basic approaches one
can use: bottom up analysis and top down analysis. The terms are used to distinguish such analysis
from other types of investment analysis, such as quantitative and technical. Fundamental analysis is
performed on historical and present data, but with the goal of making financial forecasts. There are
several possible objectives: (a) to conduct a company stock valuation and predict its probable price
evolution; (b) to make a projection on its business performance; (c) to evaluate its management and
make internal business decisions; (d) and/or to calculate its credit risk.; and (e) to find out the
intrinsic value of the share.
When the objective of the analysis is to determine what stock to buy and at what price, there are two
basic methodologies investors rely upon: (a) Fundamental analysis maintains that markets may
misprice a security in the short run but that the "correct" price will eventually be reached. Profits can
be made by purchasing the mispriced security and then waiting for the market to recognize its
"mistake" and reprice the security.; and (b) Technical analysis maintains that all information is
reflected already in the price of a security. Technical analysts analyze trends and believe that
sentiment changes predate and predict trend changes. Investors' emotional responses to price
movements lead to recognizable price chart patterns. Technical analysts also analyze historical
trends to predict future price movement. Investors can use one or both of these different but
complementary methods for stock picking. This presents a potential risk, as the price of a security
can move up or down along with the overall market regardless of the economic and financial factors
considered in evaluating the stock.
Qualitative Analysis: A securities analysis that uses subjective judgment based on unquantifiable
information, such as management expertise, industry cycles, strength of research and development,
and labor relations. Qualitative analysis contrasts with quantitative analysis, which focuses on
numbers that can be found on reports such as balance sheets. The two techniques, however, will often
be used together in order to examine a company's operations and evaluate its potential as an
investment opportunity. Qualitative analysis deals with intangible, inexact concerns that belong to
the social and experiential realm rather than the mathematical one. This approach depends on the
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
kind of intelligence that machines (currently) lack, since things like positive associations with a
brand, management trustworthiness, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage and cultural
shifts are difficult, arguably impossible, to capture with numerical inputs. A risk in using qualitative
analysis is that subjective judgment may prove incorrect.
Quantitative Analysis: The use of models, or algorithms, to evaluate assets for investment. The
process usually consists of searching vast databases for patterns, such as correlations among liquid
assets or price-movement patterns (trend following or mean reversion). The resulting strategies may
involve high-frequency trading. The results of the analysis are taken into consideration in the
decision to buy or sell securities and in the management of portfolio characteristics. A risk in using
quantitative analysis is that the methods or models used may be based on assumptions that prove to
be incorrect.
Sector Analysis: Sector analysis involves identification and analysis of various industries or
economic sectors that are likely to exhibit superior performance. Academic studies indicate that the
health of a stock's sector is as important as the performance of the individual stock itself. In other
words, even the best stock located in a weak sector will often perform poorly because that sector is
out of favor. Each industry has differences in terms of its customer base, market share among firms,
industry growth, competition, regulation and business cycles. Learning how the industry operates
provides a deeper understanding of a company's financial health. One method of analyzing a
company's growth potential is examining whether the amount of customers in the overall market is
expected to grow. In some markets, there is zero or negative growth, a factor demanding careful
consideration. Additionally, market analysts recommend that investors should monitor sectors that
are nearing the bottom of performance rankings for possible signs of an impending turnaround.
Technical Analysis: A security analysis methodology for forecasting the direction of prices through
the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. A fundamental principle of technical
analysis is that a market's price reflects all relevant information, so their analysis looks at the history
of a security's trading pattern rather than external drivers such as economic, fundamental and news
events. Therefore, price action tends to repeat itself due to investors collectively tending toward
patterned behavior – hence technical analysis focuses on identifiable trends and conditions.
Technical analysts also widely use market indicators of many sorts, some of which are mathematical
transformations of price, often including up and down volume, advance/decline data and other
inputs. These indicators are used to help assess whether an asset is trending, and if it is, the
probability of its direction and of continuation. Technicians also look for relationships between
price/volume indices and market indicators. Technical analysis employs models and trading rules
based on price and volume transformations, such as the relative strength index, moving averages,
regressions, inter-market and intra-market price correlations, business cycles, stock market cycles
or, classically, through recognition of chart patterns. Technical analysis is widely used among traders
and financial professionals and is very often used by active day traders, market makers and pit
traders. The risk associated with this type of analysis is that analysts use subjective judgment to
decide which pattern(s) a particular instrument reflects at a given time and what the interpretation
of that pattern should be.
Investment Strategies We Use
We use the following strategies in managing client accounts, provided that such strategies are
appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk
tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations:
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Asset Allocation: The implementation of an investment strategy that attempts to balance risk versus
reward by adjusting the percentage of each asset in an investment portfolio according to the
investor's risk tolerance, goals and investment time frame. Asset allocation is based on the principle
that different assets perform differently in different market and economic conditions. A fundamental
justification for asset allocation is the notion that different asset classes offer returns that are not
perfectly correlated, hence diversification reduces the overall risk in terms of the variability of
returns for a given level of expected return. Although risk is reduced as long as correlations are not
perfect, it is typically forecast (wholly or in part) based on statistical relationships (like correlation
and variance) that existed over some past period. Expectations for return are often derived in the
same way.
An asset class is a group of economic resources sharing similar characteristics, such as riskiness and
return. There are many types of assets that may or may not be included in an asset allocation strategy.
The "traditional" asset classes are stocks (value, dividend, growth, or sector-specific [or a "blend" of
any two or more of the preceding]; large-cap versus mid-cap, small-cap or micro-cap; domestic,
foreign [developed], emerging or frontier markets), bonds (fixed income securities more generally:
investment-grade or junk [high-yield]; government or corporate; short-term, intermediate, long-
term; domestic, foreign, emerging markets), and cash or cash equivalents. Allocation among these
three provides a starting point. Usually included are hybrid instruments such as convertible bonds
and preferred stocks, counting as a mixture of bonds and stocks. Other alternative assets that may be
considered include: commodities: precious metals, nonferrous metals, agriculture, energy, others.;
Commercial or residential real estate (also REITs); Collectibles such as art, coins, or stamps;
insurance products (annuity, life settlements, catastrophe bonds, personal life insurance products,
etc.); derivatives such as long-short or market neutral strategies, options, collateralized debt, and
futures; foreign currency; venture capital; private equity; and/or distressed securities.
There are several types of asset allocation strategies based on investment goals, risk tolerance, time
frames and diversification. The most common forms of asset allocation are: strategic, dynamic,
tactical, and core-satellite.
• Strategic Asset Allocation: The primary goal of a strategic asset allocation is to create an asset
mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance between expected risk and return for a long-
term investment horizon. Generally speaking, strategic asset allocation strategies are
agnostic to economic environments, i.e., they do not change their allocation postures relative
to changing market or economic conditions.
• Dynamic Asset Allocation: Dynamic asset allocation is similar to strategic asset allocation in
that portfolios are built by allocating to an asset mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance
between expected risk and return for a long-term investment horizon. Like strategic
allocation strategies, dynamic strategies largely retain exposure to their original asset
classes; however, unlike strategic strategies, dynamic asset allocation portfolios will adjust
their postures over time relative to changes in the economic environment.
• Tactical Asset Allocation: Tactical asset allocation is a strategy in which an investor takes a
more active approach that tries to position a portfolio into those assets, sectors, or individual
stocks that show the most potential for perceived gains. While an original asset mix is
formulated much like strategic and dynamic portfolio, tactical strategies are often traded
more actively and are free to move entirely in and out of their core asset classes
• Core-Satellite Asset Allocation: Core-Satellite allocation strategies generally contain a 'core'
strategic element making up the most significant portion of the portfolio, while applying a
dynamic or tactical 'satellite' strategy that makes up a smaller part of the portfolio. In this
way, core-satellite allocation strategies are a hybrid of the strategic and dynamic/tactical
allocation strategies mentioned above.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Alternative Investments: Hedge funds, commodity pools, Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”),
Business Development Companies (“BDCs”), and other alternative investments involve a high degree
of risk and can be illiquid due to restrictions on transfer and lack of a secondary trading market. They
can be highly leveraged, speculative and volatile, and an investor could lose all or a substantial
amount of an investment. Alternative investments may lack transparency as to share price, valuation
and portfolio holdings. Complex tax structures often result in delayed tax reporting. Compared to
mutual funds, hedge funds and commodity pools are subject to less regulation and often charge
higher fees. Alternative investment managers typically exercise broad investment discretion and may
apply similar strategies across multiple investment vehicles, resulting in less diversification.
Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”): An ETF is a type of Investment Company (usually, an open-end
fund or unit investment trust) whose primary objective is to achieve the same return as a particular
market index. The vast majority of ETFs are designed to track an index, so their performance is close
to that of an index mutual fund, but they are not exact duplicates. A tracking error, or the difference
between the returns of a fund and the returns of the index, can arise due to differences in
composition, management fees, expenses, and handling of dividends. ETFs benefit from continuous
pricing; they can be bought and sold on a stock exchange throughout the trading day. Because ETFs
trade like stocks, you can place orders just like with individual stocks - such as limit orders, good-
until-canceled orders, stop loss orders etc. They can also be sold short. Traditional mutual funds are
bought and redeemed based on their net asset values (“NAV”) at the end of the day. ETFs are bought
and sold at the market prices on the exchanges, which resemble the underlying NAV but are
independent of it. However, arbitrageurs will ensure that ETF prices are kept very close to the NAV
of the underlying securities. Although an investor can buy as few as one share of an ETF, most buy in
board lots. Anything bought in less than a board lot will increase the cost to the investor. Anyone can
buy any ETF no matter where in the world it trades. This provides a benefit over mutual funds, which
generally can only be bought in the country in which they are registered.
One of the main features of ETFs are their low annual fees, especially when compared to traditional
mutual funds. The passive nature of index investing, reduced marketing, and distribution and
accounting expenses all contribute to the lower fees. However, individual investors must pay a
brokerage commission to purchase and sell ETF shares; for those investors who trade frequently,
this can significantly increase the cost of investing in ETFs. That said, with the advent of low-cost
brokerage fees, small or frequent purchases of ETFs are becoming more cost efficient.
Fixed Income: Fixed income is a type of investing or budgeting style for which real return rates or
periodic income is received at regular intervals and at reasonably predictable levels. Fixed-income
investors are typically retired individuals who rely on their investments to provide a regular, stable
income stream. This demographic tends to invest heavily in fixed-income investments because of the
reliable returns they offer. Fixed-income investors who live on set amounts of periodically paid
income face the risk of inflation eroding their spending power.
Some examples of fixed-income investments include treasuries, money market instruments,
corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, municipal bonds and international bonds. The primary risk
associated with fixed-income investments is the borrower defaulting on his payment. Other
considerations include exchange rate risk for international bonds and interest rate risk for longer-
dated securities. The most common type of fixed-income security is a bond. Bonds are issued by
federal governments, local municipalities and major corporations. Fixed-income securities are
recommended for investors seeking a diverse portfolio; however, the percentage of the portfolio
dedicated to fixed income depends on your own personal investment style. There is also an
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opportunity to diversify the fixed-income component of a portfolio. Riskier fixed-income products,
such as junk bonds and longer-dated products, should comprise a lower percentage of your overall
portfolio.
The interest payment on fixed-income securities is considered regular income and is determined
based on the creditworthiness of the borrower and current market rates. In general, bonds and fixed-
income securities with longer-dated maturities pay a higher rate, also referred to as the coupon rate,
because they are considered riskier. The longer the security is on the market, the more time it has to
lose its value and/or default. At the end of the bond term, or at bond maturity, the borrower returns
the amount borrowed, also referred to as the principal or par value.
Long-Term Purchases: Our firm may buy securities for your account and hold them for a relatively
long time (more than a year) in anticipation that the security’s value will appreciate over a long
horizon. The risk of this strategy is that our firm could miss out on potential short-term gains that
could have been profitable to your account, or it’s possible that the security’s value may decline
sharply before our firm makes a decision to sell.
Margin Transactions: Our firm may purchase stocks, mutual funds, and/or other securities for your
portfolio with money borrowed from your brokerage account. This allows you to purchase more
stock than you would be able to with your available cash, and allows us to purchase stock without
selling other holdings. Margin accounts and transactions are risky and not necessarily appropriate
for every client. The potential risks associated with these transactions are (1) You can lose more
funds than are deposited into the margin account; (2) the forced sale of securities or other assets in
your account; (3) the sale of securities or other assets without contacting you; and (4) you may not
be entitled to choose which securities or other assets in your account(s) are liquidated or sold to
meet a margin call.
Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests that
money in a variety of differing security types based on the objectives of the fund. The portfolio of the
fund consists of the combined holdings it owns. Each share represents an investor’s proportionate
ownership of the fund’s holdings and the income those holdings generate. The price that investors
pay for mutual fund shares are the fund’s per share net asset value (“NAV”) plus any shareholder fees
that the fund imposes at the time of purchase (such as sales loads). Investors typically cannot
ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence
which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades. With an individual
stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by
checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also
monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with
a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on
the fund’s NAV, which is calculated daily after market close.
The benefits of investing through mutual funds include: (a) Mutual funds are professionally managed
by an investment adviser who researches, selects, and monitors the performance of the securities
purchased by the fund; (b) Mutual funds typically have the benefit of diversification, which is an
investing strategy that generally sums up as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Spreading
investments across a wide range of companies and industry sectors can help lower the risk if a
company or sector fails. Some investors find it easier to achieve diversification through ownership of
mutual funds rather than through ownership of individual stocks or bonds.; (c) Some mutual funds
accommodate investors who do not have a lot of money to invest by setting relatively low dollar
amounts for initial purchases, subsequent monthly purchases, or both.; and (d) At any time, mutual
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fund investors can readily redeem their shares at the current NAV, less any fees and charges assessed
on redemption.
Mutual funds also have features that some investors might view as disadvantages: (a) Investors must
pay sales charges, annual fees, and other expenses regardless of how the fund performs. Depending
on the timing of their investment, investors may also have to pay taxes on any capital gains
distributions they receive. This includes instances where the fund performed poorly after purchasing
shares.; (b) Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given
time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing
of those trades.; and (c) With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-
time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or
your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—
or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases
or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which the fund might not calculate until
many hours after the investor placed the order. In general, mutual funds must calculate their NAV at
least once every business day, typically after the major U.S. exchanges close.
When investors buy and hold an individual stock or bond, the investor must pay income tax each year
on the dividends or interest the investor receives. However, the investor will not have to pay any
capital gains tax until the investor actually sells and makes a profit. Mutual funds, however, are
different. When an investor buys and holds mutual fund shares, the investor will owe income tax on
any ordinary dividends in the year the investor receives or reinvests them. Moreover, in addition to
owing taxes on any personal capital gains when the investor sells shares, the investor may have to
pay taxes each year on the fund’s capital gains. That is because the law requires mutual funds to
distribute capital gains to shareholders if they sell securities for a profit, and cannot use losses to
offset these gains.
Mutual Fund and/or Exchange Traded Fund (“ETF”) Analysis: Analysis of the experience and
track record of the manager of the mutual fund or ETF in an attempt to determine if that manager
has demonstrated an ability to invest over a period of time and in different economic conditions. The
underlying assets in a mutual fund or ETF are also reviewed in an attempt to determine if there is
significant overlap in the underlying investments held in another fund(s) in the Client’s portfolio. The
funds or ETFs are monitored in an attempt to determine if they are continuing to follow their stated
investment strategy. A risk of mutual fund and/or ETF analysis is that, as in all securities investments,
past performance does not guarantee future results. A manager who has been successful may not be
able to replicate that success in the future. In addition, as our firm does not control the underlying
investments in a fund or ETF, managers of different funds held by the Client may purchase the same
security, increasing the risk to the Client if that security were to fall in value. There is also a risk that
a manager may deviate from the stated investment mandate or strategy of the fund or ETF, which
could make the holding(s) less suitable for the Client’s portfolio.
Options: An option is a financial derivative that represents a contract sold by one party (the option
writer) to another party (the option holder, or option buyer). The contract offers the buyer the right,
but not the obligation, to buy or sell a security or other financial asset at an agreed-upon price (the
strike price) during a certain period of time or on a specific date (exercise date). Options are
extremely versatile securities. Traders use options to speculate, which is a relatively risky practice,
while hedgers use options to reduce the risk of holding an asset. In terms of speculation, option
buyers and writers have conflicting views regarding the outlook on the performance of a:
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• Call Option: Call options give the option to buy at certain price, so the buyer would want the
stock to go up. Conversely, the option writer needs to provide the underlying shares in the
event that the stock's market price exceeds the strike due to the contractual obligation. An
option writer who sells a call option believes that the underlying stock's price will drop
relative to the option's strike price during the life of the option, as that is how he will reap
maximum profit. This is exactly the opposite outlook of the option buyer. The buyer believes
that the underlying stock will rise; if this happens, the buyer will be able to acquire the stock
for a lower price and then sell it for a profit. However, if the underlying stock does not close
above the strike price on the expiration date, the option buyer would lose the premium paid
for the call option.
• Put Option: Put options give the option to sell at a certain price, so the buyer would want the
stock to go down. The opposite is true for put option writers. For example, a put option buyer
is bearish on the underlying stock and believes its market price will fall below the specified
strike price on or before a specified date. On the other hand, an option writer who sells a put
option believes the underlying stock's price will increase about a specified price on or before
the expiration date. If the underlying stock's price closes above the specified strike price on
the expiration date, the put option writer's maximum profit is achieved. Conversely, a put
option holder would only benefit from a fall in the underlying stock's price below the strike
price. If the underlying stock's price falls below the strike price, the put option writer is
obligated to purchase shares of the underlying stock at the strike price.
The potential risks associated with these transactions are that (1) all options expire. The closer the
option gets to expiration, the quicker the premium in the option deteriorates; and (2) Prices can move
very quickly. Depending on factors such as time until expiration and the relationship of the stock
price to the option’s strike price, small movements in a stock can translate into big movements in the
underlying options.
Private Funds: A private fund is an investment vehicle that pools capital from a number of investors
and invests in securities and other instruments. In almost all cases, a private fund is a private
investment vehicle that is typically not registered under federal or state securities laws. So that
private funds do not have to register under these laws, issuers make the funds available only to
certain sophisticated or accredited investors and cannot be offered or sold to the general public.
Private funds are generally smaller than mutual funds because they are often limited to a small
number of investors and have a more limited number of eligible investors. Many but not all private
funds use leverage as part of their investment strategies. Private funds management fees typically
include a base management fee along with a performance component. In many cases, the fund’s
managers may become “partners” with their clients by making personal investments of their own
assets in the fund. Most private funds offer their securities by providing an offering memorandum or
private placement memorandum, known as “PPM” for short.
The PPM covers important information for investors and investors should review this document
carefully and should consider conducting additional due diligence before investing in the private
fund. The primary risks of private funds include the following: (a) Private funds do not sell publicly
and are therefore illiquid. An investor may not be able to exit a private fund or sell its interests in the
fund before the fund closes.; and (b) Private funds are subject to various other risks, including risks
associated with the types of securities that the private fund invests in or the type of business issuing
the private placement.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Short Sales: A short sale is a transaction in which an investor sells borrowed securities in
anticipation of a price decline and is required to return an equal number of shares at some point in
the future. These transactions have a number of risks that make it highly unsuitable for the novice
investor. This strategy has a slanted payoff ratio in that the maximum gain (which would occur if the
shorted stock was to plunge to zero) is limited, but the maximum loss is theoretically infinite (since
stocks can in theory go up infinitely in price). The following risks should be considered: (1) In
addition to trading commissions, other costs with short selling include that of borrowing the security
to short it, as well as interest payable on the margin account that holds the shorted security. (2) The
short seller is responsible for making dividend payments on the shorted stock to the entity from
whom the stock has been borrowed. (3) Stocks with very high short interest may occasionally surge
in price. This usually happens when there is a positive development in the stock, which forces short
sellers to buy the shares back to close their short positions. Heavily shorted stocks are also
susceptible to “buy-ins,” which occur when a broker closes out short positions in a difficult-to-borrow
stock whose lenders are demanding it back. (4) Regulators may impose bans on short sales in a
specific sector or even in the broad market to avoid panic and unwarranted selling pressure. Such
actions can cause a spike in stock prices, forcing the short seller to cover short positions at huge
losses. (5) Unlike the “buy-and-hold” investor who can afford to wait for an investment to work out,
the short seller does not have the luxury of time because of the many costs and risks associated with
short selling. Timing is everything when it comes to shorting. (5) Short selling should only be
undertaken by experienced traders who have the discipline to cut a losing short position, rather than
add to it hoping that it will eventually work out.
Short-Term Purchases: When utilizing this strategy, our firm may also purchase securities with the
idea of selling them within a relatively short time (typically a year or less). Our firm does this in an
attempt to take advantage of conditions that our firm believes will soon result in a price swing in the
securities our firm purchase.
Third-Party Money Manager Analysis: The analysis of the experience, investment philosophies,
and past performance of independent third-party investment managers in an attempt to determine
if that manager has demonstrated an ability to invest over a period of time and in different economic
conditions. Analysis is completed by monitoring the manager’s underlying holdings, strategies,
concentrations and leverage as part of our overall periodic risk assessment. Additionally, as part of
the due-diligence process, the manager’s compliance and business enterprise risks are surveyed and
reviewed. A risk of investing with a third-party manager who has been successful in the past is that
they may not be able to replicate that success in the future. In addition, as our firm does not control
the underlying investments in a third-party manager’s portfolio, there is also a risk that a manager
may deviate from the stated investment mandate or strategy of the portfolio, making it a less suitable
investment for our clients. Moreover, as our firm does not control the manager’s daily business and
compliance operations, our firm may be unaware of the lack of internal controls necessary to prevent
business, regulatory or reputational deficiencies.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. While the stock
market may increase and the account(s) could enjoy a gain, it is also possible that the stock market
may decrease and the account(s) could suffer a loss. It is important that clients understand the risks
associated with investing in the stock market, and that their assets are appropriately diversified in
investments. Clients are encouraged to ask our firm any questions regarding their risk tolerance.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
Company Risk: When investing in stock positions, there is always a certain level of company or
industry specific risk that is inherent in each investment. This is also referred to as unsystematic risk
and can be reduced through appropriate diversification. There is the risk that the company will
perform poorly or have its value reduced based on factors specific to the company or its industry.
For example, if a company’s employees go on strike or the company receives unfavorable media
attention for its actions, the value of the company may be reduced.
ETF & Mutual Fund Risk: When investing in an ETF or mutual fund, you will bear additional
expenses based on your pro rata share of the ETF’s or mutual fund’s operating expenses, including
the potential duplication of management fees. The risk of owning an ETF or mutual fund generally
reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities, the ETF, or mutual fund holds. Clients will also
incur brokerage costs when purchasing ETFs.
Fixed Income Securities Risk: Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with
prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk,
which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may
cause your account value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed income securities
may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security.
Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, prepayment risk, valuation risk, and liquidity
risk. Credit risk is the chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely
manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to make such payments will cause the
price of a bond to decline.
Growth Securities Risk: Securities of companies perceived to be “growth” companies may be more
volatile than other stocks and may involve special risks. The price of a “growth” security may be
impacted if the company does not realize its anticipated potential or if there is a shift in the market
to favor other types of securities.
Liquidity Risk: Certain assets may not be readily converted into cash or may have a very limited
market in which they trade. Thus, you may experience the risk that your investment or assets within
your investment may not be able to be liquidated quickly, thus, extending the period of time by which
you may receive the proceeds from your investment. Liquidity risk can also result in unfavorable
pricing when exiting (i.e. not being able to quickly get out of an investment before the price drops
significantly) a particular investment and therefore, can have a negative impact on investment
returns.
Manager Risk: There is always the possibility that poor security selection will cause your
investments to underperform relative to benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment
objective.
Options Risk: Options on securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than an
investment in the underlying securities. Additionally, options have an expiration date, which makes
them “decay” in value over the amount of time they are held and can expire worthless. Purchasing
and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary
investment risks.
Past Performance: Charting and technical analysis are often used interchangeably. Technical
analysis generally attempts to forecast an investment’s future potential by analyzing its past
performance and other related statistics. In particular, technical analysis often times involves an
evaluation of historical pricing and volume of a particular security for the purpose of forecasting
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
where future price and volume figures may go. As with any investment analysis method, technical
analysis runs the risk of not knowing the future and thus, investors should realize that even the most
diligent and thorough technical analysis cannot predict or guarantee the future performance of any
particular investment instrument or issuer thereof.
Description of Material, Significant or Unusual Risks
Our firm generally invests client cash balances in money market funds, FDIC Insured Certificates of
Deposit, high-grade commercial paper and/or government backed debt instruments. Ultimately, our
firm tries to achieve the highest return on client cash balances through relatively low-risk
conservative investments. In most cases, at least a partial cash balance will be maintained in a money
market account so that our firm may debit advisory fees for our services related to our
Comprehensive Portfolio Management, services, as applicable.
Item 9: Disciplinary Information
There are no legal or disciplinary events that are material to the evaluation of our advisory business
or the integrity of our management.
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations
Representatives of our firm are licensed insurance agents. As a result of these transactions, they
receive normal and customary commissions. A conflict of interest exists as these commissionable
securities sales create an incentive to recommend products based on the compensation earned. To
mitigate this potential conflict, our firm will act in the client’s best interest.
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in
Client Transactions & Personal Trading
As a fiduciary, it is an investment adviser’s responsibility to provide fair and full disclosure of all material
facts and to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients at all times. Our fiduciary duty is the
underlying principle for our firm’s Code of Ethics, which includes procedures for personal securities
transaction and insider trading. Our firm requires all representatives to conduct business with the
highest level of ethical standards and to comply with all federal and state securities laws at all times.
Upon employment with our firm, and at least annually thereafter, all representatives of our firm will
acknowledge receipt, understanding and compliance with our firm’s Code of Ethics. Our firm and
representatives must conduct business in an honest, ethical, and fair manner and avoid all circumstances
that might negatively affect or appear to affect our duty of complete loyalty to all clients. This disclosure
is provided to give all clients a summary of our Code of Ethics. If a client or a potential client wishes to
review our Code of Ethics in its entirety, a copy will be provided promptly upon request.
Our firm recognizes that the personal investment transactions of our representatives demands the
application of a Code of Ethics with high standards and requires that all such transactions be carried out
in a way that does not endanger the interest of any client. At the same time, our firm also believes that if
investment goals are similar for clients and for our representatives, it is logical, and even desirable, that
there be common ownership of some securities.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
In order to prevent conflicts of interest, our firm has established procedures for transactions effected by
our representatives for their personal accounts1. In order to monitor compliance with our personal
trading policy, our firm has pre-clearance requirements and a quarterly securities transaction reporting
system for all of our representatives.
Neither our firm nor a related person recommends, buys or sells for client accounts, securities in
which our firm or a related person has a material financial interest without prior disclosure to the
client.
Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities and other investments that are also
recommended to clients. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place
client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which
is available upon request.
Likewise, related persons of our firm buy or sell securities for themselves at or about the same time they
buy or sell the same securities for client accounts. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our
related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of
Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Further, our related persons will refrain from buying
or selling the same securities prior to buying or selling for our clients in the same day unless included in
a block trade.
Item 12: Brokerage Practices
Custodian & Brokers Used
Our firm does not maintain custody of client assets (although our firm may be deemed to have
custody of client assets if give the authority to withdraw assets from client accounts. See Item 15
Custody, below). Client assets must be maintained in an account at a “qualified custodian,” generally
a broker-dealer or bank. Our firm recommends that clients engage The Schwab Advisor Services
division of Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. (“Schwab”), a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, member SIPC; or
Our firm is independently owned and operated and is not affiliated with either Schwab. Schwab will
hold client assets in a brokerage account and buy and sell securities when instructed. While our firm
recommends that clients use Schwab as custodian/broker, clients will decide whether to do so and
open an account with Schwab by entering into an account agreement directly with them. Our firm
does not open the account. Even though the account is maintained at Schwab, our firm can still use
other brokers to execute trades, as described in the next paragraph.
How Brokers/Custodians Are Selected
Our firm seeks to recommend a custodian/broker who will hold client assets and execute
transactions on terms that are overall most advantageous when compared to other available
providers and their services. A wide range of factors are considered, including, but not limited to:
•
•
combination of transaction execution services along with asset custody services (generally
without a separate fee for custody)
capability to execute, clear and settle trades (buy and sell securities for client accounts)
1 For purposes of the policy, our associate’s personal account generally includes any account (a) in the name of our associate, his/her spouse,
his/her minor children or other dependents residing in the same household, (b) for which our associate is a trustee or executor, or (c) which our
associate controls, including our client accounts which our associate controls and/or a member of his/her household has a direct or indirect
beneficial interest in.
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
•
capabilities to facilitate transfers and payments to and from accounts (wire transfers, check
requests, bill payment, etc.)
• breadth of investment products made available (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange
traded funds (ETFs), etc.)
• availability of investment research and tools that assist in making investment decisions
•
quality of services
competitiveness of the price of those services (commission rates, margin interest rates, other
fees, etc.) and willingness to negotiate them
reputation, financial strength and stability of the provider
•
• prior service to our firm and our other clients
• availability of other products and services that benefit our firm, as discussed below (see
“Products & Services Available from Schwab”)
Custody & Brokerage Costs
Schwab generally does not charge separately for custodial services but are compensated by charging
commissions or other fees to clients on trades that are executed or that settle into the Custodians’
account. In addition to commissions, Schwab charges a flat dollar amount as a “prime broker” or
“trade away” fee for each trade that our firm has executed by a different broker-dealer but where the
securities bought or the funds from the securities sold are deposited (settled) into a Schwab account.
These fees are in addition to the commissions or other compensation paid to the executing broker-
dealer. Because of this, in order to minimize client trading costs, our firm has Schwab execute most
trades for our clients’ accounts.
Products & Services Available from Schwab
Schwab Advisor Services is Schwab’s business serving independent investment advisory firms like
our firm. They provide our firm and clients with access to its institutional brokerage – trading,
custody, reporting and related services – many of which are not typically available to either Schwab’s
retail customers. Schwab also makes available various support services. Some of those services help
manage or administer our client accounts while others help manage and grow our business. Schwab’s
support services are generally available on an unsolicited basis (our firm does not have to request
them) and at no charge to our firm. The availability of Schwab’s products and services are not based
on the provision of particular investment advice, such as purchasing particular securities for clients.
Here is a more detailed description of the Schwab’s support services:
Services that Benefit Clients
Schwab’s institutional brokerage services include access to a broad range of investment products,
execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets. The investment products available
through these programs include some to which our firm might not otherwise have access or that
would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment by firm clients. Schwab’s services
described in this paragraph generally benefit clients and their accounts.
Services that May Not Directly Benefit Clients
Schwab also makes available other products and services that benefit our firm but may not directly
benefit clients or their accounts. These products and services assist in managing and administering
our client accounts. They include investment research, both proprietary to each custodian and that
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of third parties. This research may be used to service all or some substantial number of client
accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab. In addition to investment research, Schwab
also make available software and other technology that:
• provides access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account
statements);
facilitates trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts;
facilitates payment of our fees from our clients’ accounts; and
•
• provides pricing and other market data;
•
• assists with back-office functions, recordkeeping and client reporting.
Services that Generally Benefit Only Our Firm
Schwab also offers other services intended to help manage and further develop our business
enterprise. These services include:
technology, compliance, legal, and business consulting;
• educational conferences and events
•
• publications and conferences on practice management and business succession; and
• access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants and insurance providers.
Schwab may provide some of these services. In other cases, Schwab will arrange for third-party
vendors to provide the services to our firm. Schwab may also discount or waive fees for some of these
services or pay all or a part of a third party’s fees. Schwab may also provide our firm with other
benefits, such as occasional business entertainment for our personnel.
Irrespective of direct or indirect benefits to our clients through Schwab, our firm strives to enhance
the client experience, help clients reach their goals and put client interests before that of our firm and
associated persons.
Our Interest in Schwab’s Services.
The availability of these services from Schwab benefits our firm because our firm does not have to
produce or purchase them. Our firm does not have to pay for these services, and they are not
contingent upon committing any specific amount of business to Schwab in trading commissions or
assets in custody.
In light of our arrangements with Schwab, a conflict of interest exists as our firm may have incentive
to require that clients maintain their accounts with Schwab based on our interest in receiving
Schwab’s services that benefit our firm rather than based on client interest in receiving the best value
in custody services and the most favorable execution of transactions. As part of our fiduciary duty to
our clients, our firm will endeavor at all times to put the interests of our clients first. Clients should
be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by our firm or our related persons creates
a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence our firm’s choice of Schwab as a custodial
recommendation. Our firm examined this potential conflict of interest when our firm chose to
recommend Schwab and has determined that the recommendation is in the best interest of our firm’s
clients and satisfies our fiduciary obligations, including our duty to seek best execution.
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
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rates, and responsiveness. Although our firm will seek competitive rates, to the benefit of all clients,
our firm may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rates for specific client account
transactions. Our firm believes that the selection of the Schwab as a custodian and broker is in the
best interest of our clients. This is primarily supported by the scope, quality and price of Schwab’s
suite of services, and not solely the Schwab’s services that only benefit our firm.
Client Brokerage Commissions
Schwab does not make client brokerage commissions generated by client transactions available for
our firm’s use.
Client Transactions in Return for Soft Dollars
Our firm does not direct client transactions to a particular broker-dealer in return for soft dollar
benefits.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
Our firm does not receive brokerage for client referrals.
Directed Brokerage
Neither our firm nor any of our firm’s representatives have discretionary authority in making the
determination of the brokers-dealers and/or custodians with whom orders for the purchase or sale
of securities are placed for execution, and the commission rates at which such securities transactions
are conducted. Our firm routinely recommends that clients direct us to execute through a specified
broker-dealer. Our firm recommends the use of Schwab. Each client will be required to establish their
account(s) with Schwab if not already done. Please note that not all advisers have this requirement.
Special Considerations for ERISA Clients
A retirement or ERISA plan client may direct all or part of portfolio transactions for its account
through a specific broker or dealer in order to obtain goods or services on behalf of the plan. Such
direction is permitted provided that the goods and services provided are reasonable expenses of the
plan incurred in the ordinary course of its business for which it otherwise would be obligated and
empowered to pay. ERISA prohibits directed brokerage arrangements when the goods or services
purchased are not for the exclusive benefit of the plan. Consequently, our firm will request that plan
sponsors who direct plan brokerage provide us with a letter documenting that this arrangement will
be for the exclusive benefit of the plan.
Client-Directed Brokerage
Our firm does not allow client-directed brokerage outside our recommendations.
Aggregation of Purchase or Sale
Our firm provides investment management services for various clients. There are occasions on which
portfolio transactions may be executed as part of concurrent authorizations to purchase or sell the same
security for numerous accounts served by our firm, which involve accounts with similar investment
objectives. Although such concurrent authorizations potentially could be either advantageous or
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disadvantageous to any one or more particular accounts, they are affected only when our firm believes
that to do so will be in the best interest of the effected accounts. When such concurrent authorizations
occur, the objective is to allocate the executions in a manner which is deemed equitable to the accounts
involved. In any given situation, our firm attempts to allocate trade executions in the most equitable
manner possible, taking into consideration client objectives, current asset allocation and availability of
funds using price averaging, proration and consistently non-arbitrary methods of allocation.
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans
Our management personnel or financial advisors review accounts on at least an annual basis for our
Comprehensive Portfolio Management and 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. Our firm does not
provide written reports to clients, unless asked to do so. Verbal reports to clients take place on at
least an annual basis when our Comprehensive Portfolio Management clients are contacted.
Our firm may review client accounts more frequently than described above. Among the factors which
may trigger an off-cycle review are major market or economic events, the client’s life events, requests
by the client, etc.
Financial Planning clients do not receive reviews of their written plans unless they take action to
schedule a financial consultation with us. Our firm does not provide ongoing services to financial
planning clients, but 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.
Retirement Plan Consulting clients receive reviews of their retirement plans for the duration of the
service. Our firm also provides ongoing services where clients are met with upon their request to
discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Retirement Plan Consulting clients
do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their plans unless they choose to engage
our firm for ongoing services.
Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation
Schwab
Our firm receives economic benefit from Schwab in the form of the support products and services
made available to our firm and other independent investment advisors that have their clients
maintain accounts at Schwab. These products and services, how they benefit our firm, and the related
conflicts of interest are described above (see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices). The availability of
Schwab’s products and services is not based on our firm giving particular investment advice, such as
buying particular securities for our clients.
Product Sponsor Funded Events
Various product wholesalers provide financial assistance to allow us to sponsor client appreciation
events, or attend such events hosted by the product sponsor. This money is not directly tied to our
use of their products, nor is it contingent upon any future business to be directed to their products,
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Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, LLC
nonetheless it creates a conflict of interest that may incentivize us to utilize their products. Our firm
will adhere to our fiduciary duty to act in our client’s best interest when selecting what products to
use in client accounts.
Referral Fees
In accordance with Rule 206 (4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, our firm does not provide
cash or non-cash compensation directly or indirectly to unaffiliated persons for testimonials or
endorsements (which include client referrals).
Item 15: Custody
General Partner - Pooled Investment Vehicle
As General Partner of Special Purpose Vehicles (“Fund”) which our firm recommends to qualified
clients, our firm is deemed to have custody of the cash and securities held by the Fund. In compliance
with SEC Rule 206(4)-2(b)(4)(i), the Fund sends an audited financial statement, audited by a
registered Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) accountant, to each Fund investor
within 120 days of each Fund’s fiscal year end. By ensuing these steps are followed, our firm’s annual
surprise examination requirement is satisfied. Clients are encouraged to raise any questions with us
about the custody, safety or security of their assets and our custodial recommendations.
In addition, our firm is deemed to have custody of certain client assets if given the authority to
withdraw assets from client accounts, as further described below under “Third Party Money
Movement.” All our clients receive account statements directly from their qualified custodian(s) at
least quarterly upon opening of an account. We urge our clients to carefully review these statements.
Additionally, if our firm decides to send its own account statements to clients, such statements will
include a legend that recommends 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.
Third Party Money Movement:
On February 21, 2017, the SEC issued a no‐action letter (“Letter”) with respect to Rule 206(4)‐2
(“Custody Rule”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”). The letter provided
guidance on the Custody Rule as well as clarified that an adviser who has the power to disburse client
funds to a third party under a standing letter of instruction (“SLOA”) is deemed to have custody. As
such, our firm has adopted the following safeguards in conjunction with our custodian:
• The client provides an instruction to the qualified custodian, in writing, that includes the
client’s signature, the third party’s name, and either the third party’s address or the third
party’s account number at a custodian to which the transfer should be directed.
• The client authorizes the investment adviser, in writing, either on the qualified custodian’s
form or separately, to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or from
time to time.
• The client’s qualified custodian performs appropriate verification of the instruction, such as
a signature review or other method to verify the client’s authorization, and provides a
transfer of funds notice to the client promptly after each transfer.
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• The client has the ability to terminate or change the instruction to the client’s qualified
custodian.
• The investment adviser has no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the
third party, the address, or any other information about the third party contained in the
client’s instruction.
• The investment adviser maintains records showing that the third party is not a related party
of the investment adviser or located at the same address as the investment adviser.
• The client’s qualified custodian sends the client, in writing, an initial notice confirming the
instruction and an annual notice reconfirming the instruction.
Item 16: Investment Discretion
Clients must 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.
Item 17: Voting Client Securities
Our firm does not accept the proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients will receive proxies or
other solicitations directly from their custodian or a transfer agent. In the event that proxies are sent
to our firm, our firm will forward them to the appropriate client and ask the party who sent them to
mail them directly to the client in the future. Clients may call, write or email us to discuss questions
they may have about particular proxy votes or other solicitations.
Item 18: Financial Information
Our firm is not required to provide financial information in this Brochure because:
• Our firm does not require the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees when services cannot
be rendered within 6 months.
• Our firm does not take custody of client funds or securities.
• Our firm does not have a financial condition or commitment that impairs our ability to meet
contractual and fiduciary obligations to clients.
• Our firm has never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
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