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Boomfish Wealth Group, LLC DBA Wealth With No
Regrets®
12600 Deerfield Parkway
Suite 475
Alpharetta, GA 30004
Telephone: 678-278-9632
www.wealthwithnoregrets.com
March 4, 2025
FORM ADV PART 2A
BROCHURE
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Boomfish Wealth
Group, LLC DBA Wealth With No Regrets®. If you have any questions about the contents of this
brochure, contact us at 678-278-9632. The information in this brochure has not been approved or
verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about Boomfish Wealth Group, LLC DBA Wealth With No Regrets® is available
on the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Boomfish Wealth Group, LLC DBA Wealth With No Regrets® is a registered investment adviser.
Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities
authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
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Item 2 Summary of 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.
Since the filing of our last annual updating amendment, dated March 19, 2024, we have the following
material changes to report:
1. Scott Noble has joined Barry Spencer as an owner of the Advisor. Please see Item 4 for
more information.
2. We revised Item 4 to clarify that we do not offer Retirement Plan Advisory Services. Please
see Item 4 for more information.
3. We have revised Item 5 to update that Advisor has entered into agreements with various
insurance companies to provide fee-based annuity products for the Advisor’s clients.
Advisor does not receive a commission on these products. For these products, Advisor will
be paid an asset-based management fee according to Advisor’s management fee (detailed
above) and/or in the client’s written agreement with the product sponsor. Portfolio
management fees are withdrawn directly from the client’s account(s) with the client’s written
authorization. With regard to fixed indexed annuity products individual accounts will be
maintained at the insurance company that issued the fixed indexed annuity product. Please
see Item 5 for more information.
4. We have revised Item 8 to update that Advisor may recommend advisory based annuity
products to clients. These annuities are insurance products issued by insurance companies
but distributed by registered investment advisers. Annuities make interest payments to the
investor over a fixed period of time based on a fixed rate, depending on the structure of the
annuity. Guarantees associated with annuities are backed and based on the claims-paying
ability of the issuing insurance company. Please see Item 8 for more information.
5. We have revised Item 10 to add a conflict of interest. Travis Raish, an investment adviser
representative with Circa Capital, LLC, an unaffiliated investment adviser, serves as part of
our investment committee and as our Chief Information Officer (CIO). Mr. Raish is
compensated on a basis point fee based on money managed. This presents a conflict of
interest as he has an incentive to grow the Advisor’s revenue and potentially receive
distributions or increased fees on managed money. Advisor manages this conflict by
assuring that the portfolios are designed to meet the clients’ needs, and that each client is
recommended a portfolio to meet those needs. We also monitor portfolio performance to
assure that the portfolios remain suitable.
6. We have revised Item 10 to add a conflict of interest. Mr. Spencer is the writing insurance
producer for all insurance and annuity contracts currently, whether placed by any of the
Advisor’s insurance licensees. With the relationship with Advisors Excel the Advisor pays
Advisors Excel or its affiliates for certain services (for instance Advisors Tech for tech
support and management), while the Firm receives some other services that we do not pay
for (such as tv production, certain Advisors Excel marketing material and white papers). The
Firm’s supervised persons are also eligible for trips based on production, coaching, and
access to educational events, some of which are paid for by Advisors Excel. Mr. Spencer
can also receive commission overrides from Advisors Excel on insurance and annuity
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contracts produced through Advisors Excel of up to 1.5% or more. The Firm is also eligible
for a long-term incentive program with Advisors Excel that can result in restricted stock /
units vesting over time. Please see Item 10 for more information.
7. We have revised Item 14 to reflect that our arrangement with Smart Asset has ended.
Additionally, ee have entered into an agreement with IRMAA Certified Planner to provide
electronic endorsements and listing services. This creates a conflict of interest because we
compensate them with a monthly fee for potential client leads for connecting us with
consumers who have indicated that they are interested in investment advisory services and
who may in turn enter into a client relationship with us. This referral fee is paid by us and
will not be passed on to you. This monthly compensation is owed regardless of whether we
enter into an advisory relationship with a lead and regardless of the amount we earn from
any such relationship, if any. We never charge a client more as a result of such referrals,
and always act in the best interest of our clients pursuant to our fiduciary duties. If you were
referred to us by IRMAA, you will receive specific disclosures regarding the compensation
arrangement between Advisor and them. Please see Item 14 for more information.
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Item 3 Table of Contents
Item 1 Cover Page…………………………………………………………………………………………1
Item 2 Summary of Material Changes .......................................................................................... 2
Item 3 Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. 4
Item 4 Advisory Business ............................................................................................................. 5
Item 5 Fees and Compensation ................................................................................................... 7
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management ............................................... 9
Item 7 Types of Clients ................................................................................................................ 9
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ........................................... 9
Item 9 Disciplinary Information ................................................................................................... 14
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ......................................................... 14
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading ... 15
Item 12 Brokerage Practices ...................................................................................................... 16
Item 13 Review of Accounts ....................................................................................................... 17
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation ..................................................................... 17
Item 15 Custody ......................................................................................................................... 18
Item 16 Investment Discretion .................................................................................................... 19
Item 17 Voting Client Securities ................................................................................................. 19
Item 18 Financial Information ..................................................................................................... 19
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Item 4 Advisory Business
General Information
Boomfish Wealth Group, LLC (“Advisor” or the “Firm”) was formed in 2011. Advisor is an SEC-
registered investment adviser. Conducting its business under the name Wealth With No Regrets®,
created and designed by Barry Spencer and Scott Noble, Advisor provides investment advisory
services and integrated financial planning services including, but not limited to: portfolio management,
retirement income planning, insurance planning and risk management (including long-term care,
Medicare supplement, life, disability, and annuities), tax planning, charitable planning, estate or legacy
planning to retail investors.
Barry H. Spencer and Scott Noble are the principal owners of Advisor. Please see Form ADV Part 2B
(Brochure Supplement) for more information on Mr. Spencer, Mr. Noble, and other individuals who
formulate investment advice and have direct contact with clients, or who have discretionary authority
over client accounts.
SERVICES PROVIDED
At the outset of each client relationship, Advisor spends time in conversation with you, asking clarifying
questions, discussing your investment experience and financial circumstances, and broadly identify
your major goals and priorities in order to customize your investment and financial plan.
Clients may elect to retain Advisor to prepare a full financial plan as described below. This written
report is presented to the client for consideration. In many cases, clients subsequently retain Advisor to
manage the investment portfolio on an ongoing basis.
For those clients that retain us for investment advisory services or portfolio management services
Advisor generally develops a financial outline tailored to you based on your financial circumstances,
priorities and goals, your risk tolerance level (the “Financial Profile” or “Profile”), your investment
objectives and guidelines, including your own investment restrictions.
The Financial Profile reflects the client’s current financial picture and a look to the future goals and
priorities of the client. The investment plan outlines the types of investments Advisor will make on
behalf of the client to meet those goals. The Profile is discussed regularly with each client but are not
necessarily written documents.
With respect to any account for which the Firm meets the definition of a fiduciary under Department of
Labor rules, Wealth With No Regrets® acknowledges that both the Firm and its Related Persons are
acting as fiduciaries. Additional disclosure may be found elsewhere in this Brochure or in the written
agreement between Wealth With No Regrets® and Client.
Integrated Financial Planning
One of the services offered by Advisor is financial planning, described below. This service may be
provided as a stand-alone service or may be coupled with ongoing portfolio management and/or
insurance solutions.
Financial planning generally includes advice that addresses one or more areas of a client's financial
situation, such as portfolio management, retirement income planning, insurance planning and risk
management (including long-term care, Medicare supplement, life, disability, and annuities), tax
planning, charitable planning, estate or legacy planning, budgeting and cash flow controls, and
education funding.
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Depending on a client’s particular situation, financial planning may include some or all of the following:
• Gathering factual information concerning the client's personal and financial situation;
• Assisting the client in establishing financial goals and priorities;
• Analyzing the client's present situation (which may include a review of current fees, costs,
investment allocation, risks, tax liability, distribution plan, legacy plan, adequacy of protection)
and anticipated future activities considering the client's financial goals and priorities;
• Identifying potential problems foreseen in the accomplishment of these financial goals and
priorities and offering alternative solutions to the problems for consideration;
• Making recommendations to help achieve retirement plan goals and priorities;
• Designing an investment portfolio to help meet the goals and objectives of the client;
• Providing estate planning ideas, strategy and design;
• Assessing risk and reviewing basic health, life, long-term care and disability insurance needs;
• Reviewing goals and priorities and measuring progress toward these goals.
Once financial planning advice is given, the client may choose to have Advisor implement the client’s
financial plan and manage the investment portfolio on an ongoing basis. However, the client is under
no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations made by Advisor under a financial planning
engagement and/or to engage the services of any recommended professional.
Stay the Course Planning
The recurring planning services that Advisor provides Client under the Stay the Course arrangement is
ongoing in nature and intended to ensure that Advisor and Client meet at least annually to remain on
course to their desired goals and priorities. This recurring planning begins after the initial planning is
complete and includes but is not limited to updating the plan, determining opportunities, performing
administrative duties, and determining risks that need to be addressed based on changing
circumstances. We also may interact with the other advisors of Client to help Client remain on course.
These services may include, but are not limited to, review of priorities and goals, financial plan
updates, cash flow planning for certain events such as education expenses or retirement, estate
planning analysis, charitable giving planning and strategies, income and estate tax analysis, and
review of a client’s insurance portfolio, as well as other matters specific to the client or upon request by
the client and agreed to by Advisor.
Portfolio Management
As described above, at the beginning of a client relationship, Advisor meets with the client, gathers
information, and performs research and analysis as necessary to develop the client’s investment plan.
The investment plan will be updated from time to time when requested by the client, or when
determined to be necessary or advisable by Advisor based on updates to the client’s financial or other
circumstances. We also meet with the client to develop an understanding of the client’s financial
objectives and goals. We will also discuss concepts related to risk, as well as the client’s ability and
willingness to take on risk in the client’s overall investment portfolio. We will ask the client questions
designed to determine the appropriate investment horizon, risk profile, financial goals, income and
other various items we deem necessary.
To implement the client’s investment plan, Advisor will manage the client’s investment portfolio on a
discretionary basis. As a discretionary investment adviser, Advisor will have the authority to supervise
and direct the portfolio without prior consultation with the client. We will also monitor the client’s
accounts to ensure that they are meeting the client’s investment objectives and other requirements. If
any changes are needed to the client’s investments, We will either make the changes or recommend
the changes to the client. These changes may involve selling a security or group of investments and
buying others or keeping the proceeds in cash or some liquid alternative. The client will receive written
or electronic confirmations from the client’s account custodian after any changes are made to the
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client’s account. The client will also receive statements at least quarterly from the client’s account
custodian.
We do not offer or provide advisory services to retirement plans, as distinguished from services
provided to participants with respect to their retirement plans.
Rollover Recommendations
Effective December 20, 2021 (or such later date as the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) Field
Assistance Bulletin 2018-02 ceases to be in effect)), for purposes of complying with the DOL’s
Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2020-02 (“PTE 2020-02”) where applicable, we are providing the
following acknowledgment to you.
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.
We benefit financially from the rollover of your assets from a retirement account to an account that we
manage or provide investment advice, because the assets increase our assets under management
and, in turn, our advisory fees. As a fiduciary, we only recommend a rollover when we believe it is in
your best interest.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2024, we provide continuous management services for $192,563,000 in client
assets on a discretionary basis and $1,099,000 in client assets on a non-discretionary basis. These
two amounts represent our regulatory assets under management. Additionally, we advise clients on
an additional $129,583,000 in client assets held in insurance and annuity products. Our total assets
under advisement is approximately $323,245,000.
Item 5 Fees and Compensation
General Fee Information
Fees paid to Advisor are exclusive of all custodial and transaction costs paid to the client’s custodian,
brokers or other third-party consultants. Please see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices for additional
information. Fees paid to Advisor are also separate and distinct from the fees and expenses charged
by mutual funds, ETFs (exchange traded funds) or other investment pools to their shareholders
(generally including a management fee and fund expenses, as described in each fund’s prospectus or
offering materials). The client should review all fees charged by funds, brokers, Advisor and others to
fully understand the total amount of fees paid by the client for investment and financial-related
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services. Clients have the option to purchase investment products recommended by Advisor through
other brokers or agents unaffiliated with Advisor.
Initial Financial Planning Fees
When Advisor provides initial stand-alone financial planning services to clients, Advisor assesses a
fixed fee based on the scope and complexity of the services rendered. You may also pay a fixed fee
for stand-alone advanced financial planning services, which typically range from $1,900 to $25,000 or
more based on scope and complexity and are negotiated at the time of the engagement. If a client
terminates this engagement early, they will be issued a pro-rata refund based on the time spent by
Advisor.
Stay the Course Planning Fees (Recurring Fees)
For recurring planning services after the initial financial planning is completed, Advisor and Client will
negotiate and agree to a recurring planning arrangement, the fees for which are billed quarterly on a
fixed fee basis in arrears, pursuant to the agreement between Advisor and Clients. Annual fees range
from $0 to $5,000.
Portfolio Management Fees
Wealth With No Regrets® assesses an annual fee of up to 0.35% per quarter (up to 1.4% annually).
This fee is separate from and in addition to any agreed upon Stay the Course planning fee. Our annual
portfolio management fee is billed and payable quarterly in advance based on the balance at the end
of the previous billing period. If management begins after the start of a quarter, fees will be prorated
accordingly and billed in arrears. Unless other arrangements are made, fees are debited directly from
client account(s). Advisor may, at its discretion, make exceptions to the foregoing or negotiate special
fee arrangements where Advisor deems it appropriate under the circumstances. There is no minimum
annual portfolio management fee for any account.
Our receipt of an asset-based fee presents a conflict of interest. This is because the more assets there
are in the client’s account, the more the client will pay in fees. Therefore, We have an incentive to
encourage clients to increase the assets in their accounts. We address this conflict of interest by
ensuring any such recommendations are in the client’s best interest.
Either Advisor or the client may terminate their Investment Advisory Agreement at any time, subject to
any written notice requirements in the agreement. In the event of termination, any paid but unearned
fees will be promptly refunded to the client based on the number of days that the account was
managed, and any fees due to Advisor from the client will be invoiced or deducted from the client’s
account prior to termination.
Payment of Portfolio Fees for Annuity Products
Advisor has entered into agreements with various insurance companies to provide fee-based annuity
products for the Advisor’s clients. Advisor does not receive a commission on these products. For these
products, Advisor will be paid an asset-based management fee according to Advisor’s management
fee (detailed above) and/or in the client’s written agreement with the product sponsor. Portfolio
management fees are withdrawn directly from the client’s account(s) with the client’s written
authorization. With regard to fixed indexed annuity products individual accounts will be maintained at
the insurance company that issued the fixed indexed annuity product.
Other Compensation
Certain individuals of Advisor are licensed to sell insurance and accordingly are entitled to receive
commissions or other remuneration on the sale of insurance products. As such, these individuals can
affect insurance transactions and will receive separate, yet customary compensation as determined by
the insurance carrier. To protect client interests, the Firm’s policy is to disclose all forms of
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compensation before any such transaction is executed. Under no circumstance will the client pay both
a commission to these individuals and a portfolio management fee to Advisor on the same pool of
assets. Clients are not required to purchase insurance products or services recommended by
individuals, nor are they required to purchase them through any Related Person of Advisor. For more
information, please see Item 10 of this Brochure.
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Advisor does not have any performance-based fee arrangements. “Side-by-Side Management” refers
to a situation in which the same firm manages accounts that are billed based on a percentage of
assets under management and at the same time manages other accounts for which fees are assessed
on a performance fee basis. Because Advisor has no performance-based fee accounts, it has no side-
by-side management.
Item 7 Types of Clients
Advisor serves individuals, high net worth individuals, small businesses, and charitable organizations.
Advisor does not generally impose a minimum portfolio value for conventional investment advisory
services or a minimum annual fee for such services.
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
In accordance with the Investment Plan, Advisor will primarily invest in equity securities (also known
simply as “equities” or “stock”); and may also invest in treasuries, bonds, ETFs, fee-based annuities,
and mutual funds for clients’ accounts. Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be
prepared to bear. See below for more information under “Risk of Loss”.
In making selections of individual stocks for client portfolios, Advisor will generally focus on
fundamental and technical analysis and think long-term.
Fundamental Analysis – involves review of the business and financial information about an issuer.
Without limitation, the following factors generally will be considered:
• General economic conditions;
• Country specific conditions;
• Industry specific conditions;
• Financial strength ratios;
• Profitability ratios;
• Valuation ratios;
• Growth rates; and
• Dividend yields
Material risks of fundamental analysis include that it is based on past data and events, sometimes
weeks or months old, and can therefore lag behind current market conditions.
Technical Analysis – involves studying past price patterns and trends in the financial markets to
predict the direction of both the overall market and specific stocks.
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Mutual funds and ETFs are evaluated and selected based on a variety of factors, including, without
limitation, fund strategy, past performance, fee structure, portfolio manager, fund sponsor, overall
ratings for safety and returns, and other factors.
Material risks of technical analysis include that it relies on historical price data and patterns to predict
future market movements. Because past performance does not always indicate future results,
technical analysis indicators can lead to false signals.
Investment Strategies
The strategic approach of Wealth With No Regrets® is to invest each portfolio in accordance with the
Plan that has been developed specifically for each client. This means that the following strategies may
be used in varying combinations over time for a given client, depending upon the client’s individual
circumstances.
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.
Short Term Purchases – securities purchased with the expectation that they will be sold within a
relatively short period of time, generally less than one year, to take advantage of the securities’ short-
term price fluctuations.
Options Trading/Writing – a securities transaction that involves buying or selling (writing) an option. If
you write an option, and the buyer exercises the option, you are obligated to purchase or deliver a
specified number of shares at a specified price at the exercise of the option regardless of the market
value of the security at expiration of the option. Buying an option gives you the right to purchase or sell
a specified number of shares at a specified price until the date of expiration of the option regardless of
the market value of the security at expiration of the option.
Investment Philosophy
There are five pillars of the Wealth With No Regrets® investment philosophy which form the foundation
of the Firm’s investment process.
1. We Invest For The Long Term
Investing, by its very nature, is a long-term process. The prices of investments can react to any
number of influences in the short run, most of which have little to do with the ability of the investment to
perform in the long run. Because investing is a long-term process, Wealth With No Regrets® believes
that a five year or longer perspective is a fair period for evaluating performance as it relates primarily to
achievement of goals and objectives of a particular client.
2. We Manage Risk
At Wealth With No Regrets®, we define risk as the potential for the permanent loss of capital. The
value of an investment will change constantly, which is to be expected, but it is difficult to recover from
an investment which experiences a large loss. We manage this risk in two ways; by focusing on price
and focusing on the fundamentals of the investment. We strive to build in downside protection and a
margin of safety by not paying too much for an investment. For this reason, we also invest a great deal
of time understanding the nature of the investments we are buying, looking for investments which have
competitive advantages. By focusing on both the price and the fundamentals of the investment, we
believe that investors’ capital will be protected and given the best opportunity to grow as well.
3. We are Opportunistic
Many managers are prohibited from managing outside of a particular size or style of investment. This
can lead that manager to perform well when their style, or “style box” is in vogue, but to suffer
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needlessly when their asset class is out of favor. At Wealth With No Regrets®, we believe the best way
to protect capital, and to give the portfolio opportunity for growth is to have the flexibility to go where
the opportunities are presenting themselves. For this reason, we seek out investments which are
believed to present the best opportunity for long-term performance regardless of size or domicile.
4. We are Focused
We believe that there is little point in conducting research, and investing in individual companies or
investments, if one doesn’t develop the conviction about an investment to allow it to have a potentially
meaningful positive impact on performance. While this approach can work for or against the manager,
focusing on selecting investments which are high quality, which have a defensible niche, and which we
can be bought at attractive prices has proven to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns over long periods
of time. By concentrating our efforts and our research, Wealth With No Regrets® leverages its time and
knowledge into quality investment ideas.
5. Wealth With No Regrets® Believes There Is No Substitute For Thinking Strategically
Because the amount of information about the markets and investing is overwhelming, it is easy for
investors to want to compartmentalize information, and to computerize their decision-making process.
It is not uncommon for many investors to use screening processes to derive their lineup of
investments, or to default to using charts, graphs and analyst reports to tell them when to buy or sell.
While information is valuable, we believe that there is no computer which can be substituted for the
human brain, and the systematic or repeatable critical thought processes which are essential to
making sound judgments about which companies have potential, and which do not. Portfolio
management is not well suited to processes which are designed to take the human element out of it,
despite the obvious faults of the human. In the end, there is a creative and scientific element to
managing money and constructing portfolios, and embracing both allows us to see opportunities for
what they are, as opposed to a series of data points. It is this element which prevents an investor from
buying a company which may be inexpensive, but which is inexpensive for good reasons.
Risk of Loss
While Advisor seeks to diversify clients’ investment portfolios across various asset classes or
strategies consistent with their overall Investment Plans in an effort to reduce risk of loss, all
investment portfolios are subject to risks. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that client
investment portfolios will be able to fully meet their investment objectives and goals, or that
investments will not lose money. Losses in value are a natural course of equity investing and cannot
be guaranteed or predicted in any way.
Below is a description of several of the principal risks that client investment portfolios face.
Management Risks. While Advisor manages client investment portfolios, or selects one or more
Managers based on Advisor’s experience, research and proprietary methods, the value of client
investment portfolios will change daily based on the performance of the underlying securities in which
they are invested. Accordingly, client investment portfolios are subject to the risk that Advisor or a
Manager allocates client assets to individual securities and/or asset classes that are adversely affected
by unanticipated market movements, and the risk that Advisor’s specific investment choices could
underperform their relevant indexes.
Risk of 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
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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.
Risks of Investments in Mutual Funds, ETFs and Other Investment Pools. As described above, Advisor
or a Manager(s) may invest client portfolios in mutual funds, ETFs and other investment pools (“pooled
investment funds”). Investments in pooled investment funds are generally less risky than investing in
individual securities because of their diversified portfolios; however, these investments are still subject
to risks associated with the markets in which they invest. In addition, pooled investment funds’ success
will be related to the skills of their particular managers and their performance in managing their funds.
Pooled investment funds are also subject to risks due to regulatory restrictions applicable to registered
investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Risks Related to Alternative Investment Vehicles. From time to time and as appropriate, Advisor may
invest a portion of a client’s portfolio in alternative investment vehicles. The value of client portfolios will
be based in part on the value of alternative investment vehicles in which they are invested, the success
of each of which will depend heavily upon the efforts of their respective Managers. When the
investment objectives and strategies of a Manager are out of favor in the market or a Manager makes
unsuccessful investment decisions, the alternative investment vehicles managed by the Manager may
lose money. A client account may lose a substantial percentage of its value if the investment objectives
and strategies of many or most of the alternative investment vehicles in which it is invested are out of
favor at the same time, or many or most of the Managers make unsuccessful investment decisions at
the same time.
Equity Market (Systematic) Risks. Advisor and any Manager(s) will generally invest portions of client
assets directly into equity investments, either in individual stocks or into pooled investment funds
(mutual funds or ETFs) that invest in the stock market. As noted above, while pooled investments have
diversified portfolios that may make them less risky than investments in individual securities, funds that
invest in stocks and other equity securities are nevertheless subject to the risks of the stock market.
These risks include, without limitation, the risks that stock values will decline due to daily fluctuations in
the markets, and that stock values will decline over longer periods (e.g., bear markets) due to general
market declines in the stock prices for all companies, regardless of any individual security’s prospects.
Fixed Income Risks. Advisor and any Manager(s) may invest portions of client assets directly into fixed
income instruments, such as bonds and notes, or may invest in pooled investment funds that invest in
bonds and notes. While investing in fixed income instruments, either directly or through pooled
investment funds, is generally less volatile than investing in stock (equity) markets, fixed income
investments nevertheless are subject to risks. These risks include, without limitation, interest rate risks
(risks that changes in interest rates will devalue the investments), credit risks (risks of default by
borrowers), or maturity risk (risks that bonds or notes will change value from the time of issuance to
maturity).
Foreign Securities Risks. Advisor and any Manager(s) may invest portions of client assets into pooled
investment funds that invest internationally. While foreign investments are important to the
diversification of client investment portfolios, they carry risks that may be different from U.S.
investments. For example, foreign investments may not be subject to uniform audit, financial reporting
or disclosure standards, practices or requirements comparable to those found in the U.S. Foreign
investments are also subject to foreign withholding taxes and the risk of adverse changes in
investment or exchange control regulations. Finally, foreign investments may involve currency risk,
which is the risk that the value of the foreign security will decrease due to changes in the relative value
of the U.S. dollar and the security’s underlying foreign currency.
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Political Risks. Most investments have a global component, even domestic stocks. Political events
anywhere in the world may have unforeseen consequences to markets around the world.
Currency Risk. Overseas investments are subject to fluctuations in the value of the dollar against the
currency of the investment’s originating country. This is also referred to as exchange rate risk.
Regulatory Risk. Changes in laws and regulations from any government can change the value of a
given company and its accompanying securities. Certain industries are more susceptible to
government regulation. Changes in zoning, tax structure or laws impact the return on these
investments.
Risks Related to Short Term Trading. Clients should note that Advisor may engage in short-term
trading transactions. These transactions may result in short term gains or losses for federal and state
tax purposes, which may be taxed at a higher rate than long term strategies. Advisor endeavors to
invest client assets in a tax efficient manner, but all clients are advised to consult with their tax
professionals regarding the transactions in client accounts.
Risks Related to Investment Term. If you require us to liquidate your portfolio during a period in which
the price of the security is low, you will not realize as much value as you would have had the
investment had the opportunity to regain its value, as investments frequently do, or had we been able
to reinvest in another security.
Purchasing Power Risk. Purchasing power risk is the risk that your investment’s value will decline as
the price of goods rises (inflation). The investment’s value itself does not decline, but its relative value
does, which is the same thing. Inflation can happen for a variety of complex reasons, including a
growing economy and a rising money supply.
Business Risk. These risks are associated with a particular industry or a company within an industry.
For example, oil-drilling companies depend on finding oil and then refining it, a lengthy process, before
they can generate a profit. They carry a higher risk of profitability than an electric company, which
generates its income from a steady stream of customers who buy electricity no matter what the
economic environment is like.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity is the ability to readily convert an investment into cash. For example, Treasury
Bills are highly liquid, while real estate properties are not. Some securities are highly liquid while others
are highly illiquid. Illiquid investments carry more risk because it can be difficult to sell them.
Financial Risk. Excessive borrowing to finance a business’ operations decreases the risk of
profitability, because the company must meet the terms of its obligations in good times and bad.
During periods of financial stress, the inability to meet loan obligations may result in bankruptcy and/or
a declining market value.
Options Risk. The purchaser of a put or call option can lose all the cost of the option (the premium).
Most options expire “out of the money,” meaning the purchased will lose his or her premium on most
options purchased. Selling puts and/or calls in a particular equity does not affect the downside risk of
owning that equity, as described in “Equity Market Risks,” above. There are additional significant risks
involved in selling uncovered or “naked” puts or calls, that is, puts or calls on securities in which you as
the client do not already own an underlying position in the security.
Risks related to Private Placements. A private placement (non-public offering) is an illiquid security
sold to qualified investors and are not publicly traded nor registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Private placements generally carry a higher degree of risk due to illiquidity. Most
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securities that are acquired in a private placement will be restricted securities and must be held for an
extended amount of time and therefore cannot be sold easily. The range of risks are dependent on the
nature of the partnership and are disclosed in the offering documents.
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.
Annuities: Insurance products issued by insurance companies but distributed by registered investment
advisers. Annuities make interest payments to the investor over a fixed period of time based on a fixed
rate, depending on the structure of the annuity. Guarantees associated with annuities are backed and
based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
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
Other Investment Adviser
Travis Raish, an investment adviser representative with Circa Capital, LLC, an unaffiliated investment
adviser, serves as part of our investment committee and as our Chief Information Officer (CIO). Mr.
Raish is compensated on a basis point fee based on money managed. This presents a conflict of
interest as he has an incentive to grow the Advisor’s revenue and potentially receive distributions or
increased fees on managed money. Advisor manages this conflict by assuring that the portfolios are
designed to meet the clients’ needs, and that each client is recommended a portfolio to meet those
needs. We also monitor portfolio performance to assure that the portfolios remain suitable.
Recommendation of Other Advisers
We do not presently recommend the use of other investment advisers, third-party managers, or sub-
advisors.
Insurance Agents
Some of our IARS are licensed insurance agents with Advisors Excel and recommend various
insurance products and annuities to you. We receive economic benefits such as earning commissions
on insurance products you purchase through our IARs in their individual capacity, sales trips and
discounted vendor services.
Mr. Spencer is the writing insurance producer for all insurance and annuity contracts currently, whether
placed by any of the Advisor’s insurance licensees. With the relationship with Advisors Excel the
Advisor pays Advisors Excel or its affiliates for certain services (for instance Advisors Tech for tech
support and management), while the Firm receives some other services that we do not pay for (such
as tv production, certain Advisors Excel marketing material and white papers). The Firm’s supervised
persons are also eligible for trips based on production, coaching, and access to educational events,
some of which are paid for by Advisors Excel. Mr. Spencer can also receive commission overrides
from Advisors Excel on insurance and annuity contracts produced through Advisors Excel of up to
1.5% or more. The Firm is also eligible for a long-term incentive program with Advisors Excel that can
result in restricted stock / units vesting over time.
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The receipt of these benefits by our Firm and our supervised persons creates a conflict of interest. We
mitigate this conflict by ensuring that all recommendations to purchase insurance are in the best
interest of the client. Clients are also not obligated to purchase insurance products through our IARs
and they can elect to purchase insurance products through an agent unaffiliated with Advisor.
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
Code of Ethics and Personal Trading
Advisor has adopted a Code of Ethics (“the Code”), the full text of which is available to any client or
prospective client upon request. Advisor’s Code has several goals. First, the Code is designed to
assist Advisor in complying with applicable laws and regulations governing its investment advisory
business. Under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Advisor owes fiduciary duties to its clients.
Pursuant to these fiduciary duties, the Code requires persons associated with Advisor (managers,
officers and employees) to act with honesty, good faith and fair dealing in working with clients. In
addition, the Code prohibits such associated persons from trading or otherwise acting on insider
information.
Next, the Code sets forth guidelines for professional standards for Advisor’s associated persons.
Under the Code’s Professional Standards, Advisor expects its associated persons to put the interests
of its clients first, ahead of personal interests. In this regard, Advisor associated persons are not to
take inappropriate advantage of their positions in relation to Advisor clients.
Third, the Code sets forth policies and procedures to monitor and review the personal trading activities
of associated persons. From time to time, Advisor’s associated persons may invest in the same
securities recommended to clients. Under its Code, Advisor has adopted procedures designed to
reduce or eliminate conflicts of interest that this creates. The Code’s personal trading policies include
procedures for limitations on personal securities transactions of associated persons, reporting and
review of such trading and pre-clearance of certain types of personal trading activities. These policies
are designed to discourage and prohibit personal trading that would disadvantage clients. The Code
also provides for disciplinary action as appropriate for violations.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
As outlined above, Advisor has adopted procedures to protect client interests when its associated
persons invest in the same securities as those selected for or recommended to clients. In the event of
any identified potential trading conflicts of interest, Advisor’s goal is to place client interests first.
Consistent with the foregoing, Advisor maintains policies regarding participation in initial public
offerings (“IPOs”) and private placements to comply with applicable laws and avoid conflicts with client
transactions. If an associated person of Advisor wishes to participate in an IPO or invest in a private
placement, he or she must submit a pre-clearance request and obtain the approval of the Chief
Compliance Officer.
Finally, if associated persons trade with client accounts (i.e., in a bundled or aggregated trade), and
the trade is not filled in its entirety, the associated person’s shares will be removed from the block, and
the balance of shares will be allocated among client accounts in accordance with Advisor’s written
policy.
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Item 12 Brokerage Practices
Best Execution and Benefits of Brokerage Selection
We do not have discretion to select the broker-dealer that will execute orders in client accounts.
Advisor seeks “best execution” for client trades, which is a combination of a few factors, including,
without limitation, quality of execution, services provided and commission rates. Therefore, Advisor
may use or recommend the use of brokers who do not charge the lowest available commission in the
recognition of research and securities transaction services, or quality of execution. Research services
received with transactions may include proprietary or third-party research (or any combination) and
may be used in servicing any or all of Advisor’s clients. Therefore, research services received may not
be used for the account for which the particular transaction was affected.
Advisor recommends that clients establish brokerage accounts with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
(“Schwab”), a FINRA registered broker-dealer, member SIPC, as the qualified custodian to maintain
custody of clients’ assets. Advisor will also affect trades for client accounts at Schwab, or may in some
instances, consistent with Advisor’s duty of best execution and specific agreement with each client,
elect to execute trades elsewhere. Although Advisor may recommend that clients establish accounts at
Schwab, it is ultimately the client’s decision to custody assets with Schwab. Advisor is independently
owned and operated and is not affiliated with Schwab.
Schwab Advisor Services provides Advisor with access to its institutional trading, custody, reporting
and related services, which are typically not available to Schwab retail investors. Schwab also makes
available various support services. Some of those services help Advisor manage or administer our
clients’ accounts while others help Advisor manage and grow our business. These services generally
are available to independent investment advisors on an unsolicited basis, at no charge to them. These
services are not soft dollar arrangements but are part of the institutional platform offered by Schwab.
Schwab’s brokerage services include the execution of securities transactions, custody, research, and
access to mutual funds and other investments that are otherwise generally available only to
institutional investors or would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment.
For Advisor client accounts maintained in its custody, Schwab generally does not charge separately for
custody services but is compensated by account holders through commissions and other transaction-
related or asset-based fees for securities trades that are executed through Schwab or that settle into
Schwab accounts. Schwab Advisor Services also makes available to Advisor other products and
services that benefit Advisor but may not directly benefit its clients’ accounts. Many of these products
and services may be used to service all or some substantial number of Advisor accounts, including
accounts not maintained at Schwab.
Schwab’s products and services that assist Advisor in managing and administering clients’ accounts
include software and other technology that (i) provide access to client account data (such as trade
confirmations and account statements); (ii) facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade
orders for multiple client accounts; (iii) provide, pricing and other market data; (iv) facilitate payment of
Advisor’s fees from its clients’ accounts; and (v) assist with back-office functions, recordkeeping and
client reporting.
Schwab Advisor Services also offers other services intended to help Advisor manage and further
develop its business enterprise. These services may include: (i) technology, compliance, legal and
business consulting; (ii) publications and conferences on practice management and business
succession; and (iii) access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants and insurance
providers. Schwab may make available, arrange and/or pay third-party vendors for the types of
services rendered to Advisor. Schwab Advisor Services may discount or waive fees it would otherwise
charge for some of these services or pay all or a part of the fees of a third-party providing these
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services to Advisor. Schwab Advisor Services may also provide other benefits such as educational
events or occasional business entertainment of Advisor personnel, all of which creates a conflict of
interest.
Advisor benefits by not having to produce or pay for the research and services provided by Schwab.
Advisor has an incentive to select or recommend Schwab based on our interest in receiving research
and other products and services rather than on clients’ interest in receiving the most favorable
execution. In evaluating whether to recommend that clients’ custody their assets at Schwab, Advisor
may take into account the availability of some of the foregoing products and services and other
arrangements as part of the total mix of factors it considers and not solely on the nature, cost or quality
of custody and brokerage services provided by Schwab.
Directed Brokerage
The Advisor does not generally allow directed brokerage accounts.
Aggregated Trade Policy
Advisor typically directs trading in individual client accounts as and when trades are appropriate based
on the client’s Investment Plan, without regard to activity in other client accounts. However, from time
to time, Advisor may aggregate trades together for multiple client accounts, most often when these
accounts are being directed to sell the same securities. If such an aggregated trade is not completely
filled, Advisor will allocate shares received (in an aggregated purchase) or sold (in an aggregated sale)
across participating accounts on a pro rata or other fair basis; provided, however, that any participating
accounts that are owned by Advisor or its officers, directors, or employees will be excluded first.
Item 13 Review of Accounts
Managed portfolios are reviewed at least annually but may be reviewed more often if requested by the
client, upon receipt of information material to the management of the portfolio, or at any time such
review is deemed necessary or advisable by Advisor. These factors generally include but are not
limited to, the following: change in general client circumstances (for example: marriage, divorce,
retirement); or economic, political or market conditions. Barry Spencer, Managing Member and Chief
Investment Officer, Scott Noble, Chief Operating Officer and Investment Adviser Representative, and
Travis Raish, Investment Adviser Representative are involved in the review of client accounts.
For those clients to whom Advisor provides separate financial planning and/or consulting services but
not portfolio management services, reviews are conducted on an as needed or agreed upon basis.
Such reviews are conducted by one of Advisor’s investment adviser representatives or principals.
Account custodians are responsible for providing monthly or quarterly account statements which reflect
the positions (and current pricing) in each account as well as transactions in each account, including
fees paid from an account. Account custodians also provide prompt confirmation of all trading activity,
and year-end tax statements, such as 1099 forms.
In addition, Advisor will provide quarterly performance reports to client and additional reports at the
request of the client.
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Other Compensation
We have entered into an agreement with IRMAA Certified Planner to provide electronic endorsements
and listing services. This creates a conflict of interest because we compensate them with a monthly fee
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for potential client leads for connecting us with consumers who have indicated that they are interested
in investment advisory services and who may in turn enter into a client relationship with us. This
referral fee is paid by us and will not be passed on to you. This monthly compensation is owed
regardless of whether we enter into an advisory relationship with a lead and regardless of the amount
we earn from any such relationship, if any. We never charge a client more as a result of such referrals,
and always act in the best interest of our clients pursuant to our fiduciary duties. If you were referred to
us by IRMAA, you will receive specific disclosures regarding the compensation arrangement between
Advisor and them.
As noted above, Advisor receives an economic benefit from Schwab in the form of support products
and services it makes available to Advisor and other independent investment advisors whose clients
maintain accounts at Schwab. These products and services, how they benefit our firm, the related
conflicts of interest, and how we mitigate these conflicts of interest are described in Item 12 -
Brokerage Practices. The availability of Schwab’s products and services to Advisor is based solely on
our participation in the program, and not on the provision of any particular investment advice. Advisor
also receives economic benefit from Advisor Excel in the form of commissions and other services.
These services, how they benefit our firm, the related conflicts of interest, and how we mitigate these
conflicts of interest are described in Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations.
Item 15 Custody
Schwab is the custodian of nearly all client accounts at Advisor. From time to time, however, clients
may select an alternate broker to hold accounts in custody. In any case, it is the custodian’s
responsibility to provide clients with confirmations of trading activity, tax forms and at least quarterly
account statements. Clients are advised to review this information carefully, and to notify Advisor of
any questions or concerns. Clients are also asked to promptly notify Advisor if the custodian fails to
provide statements on each account held.
Advisor is deemed to have limited custody of client accounts by virtue of the firm’s ability to withdraw
fees directly from client accounts.
Standing Letters of Authorization
Our firm, or persons associated with our firm, may effect transfers from client accounts to one or more
third parties designated, in writing, by the client without obtaining written client consent for each
separate, individual transaction, as long as the client has provided us with written authorization to do
so. Such written authorization is known as a Standing Letter of Authorization. An investment advisory
Firm with authority to conduct such third-party transfers on a client's behalf has access to the client's
assets, and therefore has custody of the client's assets in any related accounts.
However, we do not have to obtain a surprise annual audit, as we otherwise would be required to by
reason of having custody, as long as we meet the following criteria:
1. You provide a written, signed instruction to the qualified custodian that includes the third party’s
name and address or account number at a custodian;
2. You authorize us in writing to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or
from time to time;
3. Your qualified custodian verifies your authorization (e.g., signature review) and provides a
transfer of funds notice to you promptly after each transfer;
4. You can terminate or change the instruction;
5. We have no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third party, the
address, or any other information about the third party;
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6. We maintain records showing that the third party is not a related party to us nor located at the
same address as us; and
7. Your qualified custodian sends you, in writing, an initial notice confirming the instruction and an
annual notice reconfirming the instruction.
We hereby confirm that we meet the above criteria.
From time to time and in accordance with Advisor’s agreement with clients, Advisor will provide
additional reports. The account balances reflected on these reports should be compared to the
balances shown on the brokerage statements to ensure accuracy. At times there may be small
differences due to the timing of dividend reporting, pending trades or other similar issues.
Item 16 Investment Discretion
Before we can buy or sell securities on your behalf, you must first sign our discretionary management
agreement and the appropriate trading authorization forms.
You may grant our Firm discretion over the selection and amount of securities to be purchased or sold
for your account(s) without obtaining your consent or approval prior to each transaction. You may
specify investment objectives, guidelines, and/or impose certain conditions, restrictions, or investment
parameters for your account(s). 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. We are also given the authority to hire and fire a third-party advisory relationship without
client consent, although we current do not use or recommend third-party advisors.
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
As a policy and in accordance with Advisor’s client agreement, Advisor does not vote proxies related to
securities held in client accounts. The custodian of the account will normally provide proxy materials
directly to the client. Advisor will not vote proxies even if the custodian, whether with or without the
authorization of the client, requests that the Advisor vote proxies. Clients may contact Advisor with
questions relating to proxy procedures and proposals; however, Advisor generally does not research
particular proxy proposals.
Item 18 Financial Information
Advisor does not require nor solicit prepayment of more than $1200 in fees per client, six months or
more in advance.
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