Overview

Assets Under Management: $843 million
Headquarters: SAN FRANCISCO, CA
High-Net-Worth Clients: 299
Average Client Assets: $2 million

Services Offered

Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting, Investment Advisor Selection

Fee Structure

Primary Fee Schedule (ADV PART 2A APPENDIX 1: WRAP FEE PROGRAM BROCHURE)

MinMaxMarginal Fee Rate
$0 and above 2.00%
Illustrative Fee Rates
Total AssetsAnnual FeesAverage Fee Rate
$1 million $20,000 2.00%
$5 million $100,000 2.00%
$10 million $200,000 2.00%
$50 million $1,000,000 2.00%
$100 million $2,000,000 2.00%

Clients

Number of High-Net-Worth Clients: 299
Percentage of Firm Assets Belonging to High-Net-Worth Clients: 79.55
Average High-Net-Worth Client Assets: $2 million
Total Client Accounts: 3,082
Discretionary Accounts: 3,075
Non-Discretionary Accounts: 7

Regulatory Filings

CRD Number: 289889
Filing ID: 2010214
Last Filing Date: 2025-08-18 14:34:00
Website: https://briofg.com

Form ADV Documents

Primary Brochure: ADV PART 2A APPENDIX 1: WRAP FEE PROGRAM BROCHURE (2025-04-15)

View Document Text
BrioFG.com Part 2A Appendix 1 of Form ADV: Wrap Fee Program Brochure BFG Wrap Program Sponsored by: Brio Financial Group 19 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94104 Firm Contact: Jay Zalewski Chief Compliance Officer April 14, 2025 This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Brio Consultants, LLC dba Brio Financial Group. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at 415-623-2450. 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 our firm is also available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD #289889. 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 Brio Financial Group is required to make clients aware of information that has changed since the last annual update to the Wrap Brochure (“Wrap 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 last annual update in March 2024, there have been the following material changes: Item 4 was updated to reflect the use of Altruist Financial LLC (“Altruist”) as a custodial option. 2 BrioFG.com ITEM 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS Item 1: Cover Page .......................................................................................................................................................1 Item 2: Material Changes ............................................................................................................................................2 Item 3: Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................3 Item 4: Services, Fees & Compensation....................................................................................................................4 Item 5: Account Requirements & Types of Clients .................................................................................................5 Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection & Evaluation .................................................................................................6 Item 7: Client Information Provided to Portfolio Manager(s) ............................................................................18 Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio Manager(s) ................................................................................................18 Item 9: Additional Information ...............................................................................................................................19 3 BrioFG.com ITEM 4: SERVICES, FEES & COMPENSATION Our firm manages assets for many different types of clients to help meet their financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time horizons. As a fiduciary it is our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is accomplished in part by knowing the client. Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory practice with open lines of communication. Working with clients to understand their investment objectives while educating them about our process, facilitates the kind of working relationship we value. Our firm sponsors and offers a wrap fee program. Our wrap fee program allows clients to pay a single fee for investment advisory services and associated custodial transaction costs. Because our firm absorbs client transaction fees, an incentive exists to limit trading activities in client accounts. Custodial transaction costs, however, are not included in the advisory fee charged by our firm for non-wrap services, and are to be paid by the client to their chosen custodian. Depending on the client’s account or portfolio trading activity, clients may pay more for using our wrap fee services than they would for using our non-wrap services. Prior to receiving services under the Program, clients are required to enter into a written agreement with BFG setting forth the relevant terms and conditions of the advisory relationship. Clients must also open a securities brokerage account and complete a new account agreement with a “qualified custodian” as that term is described in Rule 206(4)-2 of the Advisors Act. We currently recommend our clients use Schwab Advisor Services, a division of (“Schwab”) or Altruist Financial LLC (“Altruist”), but other custodians may be used in certain circumstances. Our Wrap Advisory Services Wrap Asset Management: As part of our Wrap 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. Fee Schedule BFG charges an annual advisory fee that is agreed upon with each client and set forth in an agreement executed by BFG and the client. The maximum annual fee charged for this service will not exceed 2.00%. Fees to be assessed will be outlined in each client’s Program Agreement. Annualized fees are billed on a pro-rata basis monthly in advance based on the average daily average value of the previous month, based on the value of the account(s) as provided by third-party necessary. BFG may include cash, accrued interest, accrued dividends, and securities purchased on margin (when applicable), in determining the market value for billing purposes. Fees are negotiable and will be deducted from Client account(s) by BFG and/or the chosen Sub-Adviser or SMA. Adjustments will be made for deposits and withdrawals during the month. In rare cases, BFG 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; 4 BrioFG.com 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, legend urging the comparison of information provided in our statement with those from the qualified custodian will be included. Factors upon which a different Program Fee may be based include, but are not limited to, the size and nature of the relationship, the services rendered, the nature and complexity of the products and investments involved, time commitments, and travel requirements. The Program Fee charged by the Firm will apply to all of the client’s assets in the Program, unless specifically excluded in the client agreement. Although BFG believes that its fees are competitive, clients should understand that lower fees for comparable services may be available from other sources and firms. For the sub-advisory services rendered to our clients, our firm typically compensates third party investment advisory firms or individual advisors a percentage of the overall investment advisory fee charged by our firm. The advisory fee pad shall not exceed he fee published for this service. The terms and conditions under which the client shall engage the third-party investment advisory firm or individual advisors shall be set forth in a separate agreement between the client and the designated third party. Clients may make additions to and withdrawals from their account at any time, subject to BFG’s right to terminate an account. Additions may be in cash or securities provided that the Firm reserves the right to liquidate transferred securities or decline to accept particular securities into a client’s account. Clients may withdraw account assets at any time on notice to BFG, subject to the usual and customary securities settlement procedures. However, the Firm generally designs its portfolios as long-term investments and the withdrawal of assets may impair the achievement of a client’s investment objectives. BFG may consult with its clients about the options and implications of transferring securities. Clients are advised that when transferred securities are liquidated, they may be subject to transaction fees, short-term redemption fees, fees assessed at the mutual fund level (e.g. contingent deferred sales charges) and/or tax ramifications. Other Types of Fees & Expenses: In addition to our advisory fees above, 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 (i.e., fund management fees, initial or deferred sales charges, mutual fund sales loads, 12b-1 fees, surrender charges, variable annuity fees, IRA and qualified retirement plan fees, and other fund expenses), 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. Wrap Fee Program Recommendations Our firm does not recommend or offer the wrap program services of other providers. ITEM 5: ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS & TYPES OF CLIENTS Our firm does not impose requirements for opening and maintaining accounts or otherwise engaging us. However, Brio does reserve the right to accept or decline a potential client for any reason in its sole discretion. 5 BrioFG.com 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. ITEM 6: PORTFOLIO MANAGER SELECTION & EVALUATION Selection of Portfolio Managers Our firm’s investment adviser representatives (“IARs”) act as portfolio manager(s) for this wrap fee program. A conflict arises in that other investment advisory firms may charge the same or lower fees than our firm for similar services. Our IARs are subject to individual licensing requirements as imposed by state securities boards. Our firm is required to confirm or update each IAR’s Form U4 on an annual basis. IAR supervision is conducted by our Chief Compliance Officer or management personnel. Advisory Business: Information about our wrap fee services can be found in Item 4 of this brochure. Our firm offers individualized investment advice to our Wrap Asset Management clients. Each Wrap 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 manage wrap fee accounts in a different fashion than non-wrap fee accounts. All accounts are managed on an individualized basis according to the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc. Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management: Brio does not charge performance-based fees or participate in side-by-side management. Performance- based fees are fees that are based on a share of a capital gains or capital appreciation of a client’s account. Side-by-side management refers to the practice of managing accounts that are charged performance-based fees while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged performance-based fees. Brio’s fees are calculated as described in Item 4 above. Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss: The following methods of analysis and investment strategies may be utilized in formulating our investment advice and/or managing client assets, provided that such methods and/or 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. 6 BrioFG.com General Risks of Owning Securities The prices of securities held in client accounts and the income they generate may decline in response to certain events taking place around the world. These include events directly involving the issuers of securities held as underlying assets of mutual funds in a client’s account, conditions affecting the general economy, and overall market changes. Other contributing factors include local, regional, or global political, social, or economic instability and governmental or governmental agency responses to economic conditions. Finally, currency, interest rate, and commodity price fluctuations may also affect security prices and income. The prices of, and the income generated by, most debt securities held by a client’s account may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of these securities. For example, the prices of debt securities in the client’s account generally will decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. In addition, falling interest rates may cause an issuer to redeem, “call” or refinance a security before its stated maturity, which may result in our firm having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities. Longer maturity debt securities generally have higher rates of interest and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities. Debt securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that the credit strength of an issuer will weaken and/or an issuer of a debt security will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest and the security will go into default. The guarantee of a security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government only covers the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. This means that the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Investments in securities issued by entities based outside the United States may be subject to increased levels of the risks described above. Currency fluctuations and controls, different accounting, auditing, financial reporting, disclosure, regulatory and legal standards and practices could also affect investments in securities of foreign issuers. Additional factors may include expropriation, changes in tax policy, greater market volatility, different securities market structures, and higher transaction costs. Various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions, or in receiving payment of dividends can increase risk. Finally, investments in securities issued by entities domiciled in the United States may also be subject to many of these risks. Methods of Analysis Securities analysis methods rely on the assumption that the companies whose securities are purchased and/ or sold, the rating agencies that review these securities, and other publicly-available sources of information about these securities, are providing accurate and unbiased data. While our firm is alert to indications that data may be incorrect, there is always a risk that our firm’s analysis may be compromised by inaccurate or misleading information. 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. Cyclical Analysis: Statistical analysis of specific events occurring at a sufficient number of relatively predictable intervals that they can be forecasted into the future. Cyclical analysis asserts that cyclical forces drive price movements in the financial markets. Risks include that cycles may invert or disappear and there is no 7 BrioFG.com expectation that this type of analysis will pinpoint turning points, instead be used in conjunction with other methods of analysis. 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. 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. 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, 8 BrioFG.com 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. 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. 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. Investment Strategies & Asset Classes 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. 9 BrioFG.com 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. Debt Securities (Bonds): Issuers use debt securities to borrow money. Generally, issuers pay investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the security and/or at maturity. Alternatively, investors can purchase other debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, which do not pay current interest, but rather are priced at a discount from their face values and their values accrete over time to face value at maturity. The market prices of debt securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality, and maturity. In general, market prices of debt securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. Bonds with longer rates of maturity tend to have greater interest rate risks. Certain additional risk factors relating to debt securities include: (a) When interest rates are declining, investors have to reinvest their interest income and any return of principal, whether scheduled or unscheduled, at lower prevailing rates.; (b) Inflation causes tomorrow’s dollar to be worth less than today’s; in other words, it reduces the purchasing power of a bond investor’s future interest payments and principal, collectively known as “cash flows.” Inflation also leads to higher interest rates, which in turn leads to lower bond prices.; (c) Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. Investors can also expect periods of economic change and uncertainty, which can result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. (d) Debt securities may contain redemption or call provisions entitling their issuers to redeem them at a specified price on a date prior to maturity. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a lower interest rate market, the account would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in decreased income to investors. Usually, a bond is called at or close to par value. This subjects investors that paid a premium for their bond risk of lost principal. In reality, prices of callable bonds are unlikely to move much above the call price if lower interest rates make the bond likely to be called.; (e) If the issuer of a debt security defaults on its obligations to pay interest or principal or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, the account may incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it.; (f) There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular debt securities, which may affect adversely the account’s ability to value accurately or dispose of such debt securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of debt securities. Our firm attempts to reduce the risks described above through diversification of the client’s portfolio and by credit analysis of each issuer, as well as by monitoring broad economic trends and corporate and legislative 10 BrioFG.com developments, but there can be no assurance that our firm will be successful in doing so. Credit ratings for debt securities provided by rating agencies reflect an evaluation of the safety of principal and interest payments, not market value risk. The rating of an issuer is a rating agency’s view of past and future potential developments related to the issuer and may not necessarily reflect actual outcomes. There can be a lag between the time of developments relating to an issuer and the time a rating is assigned and updated. 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. Equity Securities: Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. Equity securities typically consist of common stocks. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic and other conditions. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular equity securities, which may adversely affect Our firm ‘s ability to value accurately or dispose of such equity securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of equity securities. Investing in smaller companies may pose additional risks as it is often more difficult to value or dispose of small company stocks, more difficult to obtain information about smaller companies, and the prices of their stocks may be more volatile than stocks of larger, more established companies. Clients should have a long-term perspective and, for example, be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. 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 11 BrioFG.com 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 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 make 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 the money in a variety of differing security types based 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 is 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. 12 BrioFG.com 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 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 distribution they receive. This includes instances where the fund went on to perform 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 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. Options: An option is a financial derivative that represents a contract sold by one party (the option writer) to another party (the option holder). The contract offers the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call) or sell (put) 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: • 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 13 BrioFG.com 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 shorts 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. 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 notice 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. The potential risk associated with this investment strategy is associated with the currency or exchange rate. Currency or exchange rate risk is a form of risk that arises from the change in price of one currency against 14 BrioFG.com another. The constant fluctuations in the foreign currency in which an investment is denominated vis-à-vis one’s home currency may add risk to the value of a security. Currency risk is greater for shorter term investments, which do not have time to level off like longer term foreign investments. 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. Capital Risk: Capital risk is one of the most basic, fundamental risks of investing; it is the risk that you may lose 100% of your money. All investments carry some form of risk and the loss of capital is generally a risk for any investment instrument. 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. Credit Risk: Credit risk can be a factor in situations where an investment’s performance relies on a borrower’s repayment of borrowed funds. With credit risk, an investor can experience a loss or unfavorable performance if a borrower does not repay the borrowed funds as expected or required. Investment holdings that involve forms of indebtedness (i.e. borrowed funds) are subject to credit risk. Currency Risk: Fluctuations in the value of the currency in which your investment is denominated may affect the value of your investment and thus, your investment may be worth more or less in the future. All currency is subject to swings in valuation and thus, regardless of the currency denomination of any particular investment you own, currency risk is a realistic risk measure. That said, currency risk is generally a much larger factor for investment instruments denominated in currencies other than the most widely used currencies (U.S. Dollar, British Pound, German Mark, Euro, Japanese Yen, French Franc, etc.). Cybersecurity Risk: The risk related to unauthorized access to the systems and networks of BFG and its service providers. The computer systems, networks and devices used by BFG and service providers to us and our clients to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized, systems, networks or devices potentially can be breached. A client could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach. Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to a client; impediments to trading; the inability by us and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, 15 BrioFG.com or other compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issues of securities in which a client invests; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions; and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by those entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future. Economic Risk: The prevailing economic environment is important to the health of all businesses. Some companies, however, are more sensitive to changes in the domestic or global economy than others. These types of companies are often referred to as cyclical businesses. Countries in which a large portion of businesses are in cyclical industries are thus also very economically sensitive and carry a higher amount of economic risk. If an investment is issued by a party located in a country that experiences wide swings from an economic standpoint or in situations where certain elements of an investment instrument are hinged on dealings in such countries, the investment instrument will generally be subject to a higher level of economic risk. Equity (Stock) Market Risk: Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer. 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. Financial Risk: Financial risk is represented by internal disruptions within an investment or the issuer of an investment that can lead to unfavorable performance of the investment. Examples of financial risk can be found in cases like Enron or many of the dot com companies that were caught up in a period of extraordinary market valuations that were not based on solid financial footings of the companies. 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. Foreign Exposure Risk: Our firm may have exposure to foreign markets, including emerging markets, which can be more volatile than the U.S. markets. As a result, returns and net asset value may be affected to a large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange rates or political or economic conditions in a particular country. Any investments in emerging market countries may involve risks greater than, or in addition to, the risks of investing in more developed countries. Inflation Risk: Inflation risk involves the concern that in the future, your investment or proceeds from your investment will not be worth what they are today. Throughout time, the prices of resources and end-user products generally increase and thus, the same general goods and products today will likely be more 16 BrioFG.com expensive in the future. The longer an investment is held, the greater the chance that the proceeds from that investment will be worth less in the future than what they are today. Said another way, a dollar tomorrow will likely get you less than what it can today. Interest Rate Risk: Certain investments involve the payment of a fixed or variable rate of interest to the investment holder. Once an investor has acquired or has acquired the rights to an investment that pays a particular rate (fixed or variable) of interest, changes in overall interest rates in the market will affect the value of the interest-paying investment(s) they hold. In general, changes in prevailing interest rates in the market will have an inverse relationship to the value of existing, interest paying investments. In other words, as interest rates move up, the value of an instrument paying a particular rate (fixed or variable) of interest will go down. The reverse is generally true as well. Legal/Regulatory Risk: Certain investments or the issuers of investments may be affected by changes in state or federal laws or in the prevailing regulatory framework under which the investment instrument or its issuer is regulated. Changes in the regulatory environment or tax laws can affect the performance of certain investments or issuers of those investments and thus, can have a negative impact on the overall performance of such investments. 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. Market Risk: The value of your portfolio may decrease if the value of an individual company or multiple companies in the portfolio decreases or if our belief about a company’s intrinsic worth is incorrect. Further, regardless of how well individual companies perform, the value of your portfolio could also decrease if there are deteriorating economic or market conditions. It is important to understand that the value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, in response to changes in the market, and you could lose money. Investment risks include price risk as may be observed by a drop in a security’s price due to company specific events (e.g. earnings disappointment or downgrade in the rating of a bond) or general market risk (e.g. such as a “bear” market when stock values fall in general). For fixed-income securities, a period of rising interest rates could erode the value of a bond since bond values generally fall as bond yields go up. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Market Timing Risk: Market timing can include high risk of loss since it looks at an aggregate market versus a specific security. Timing risk explains the potential for missing out on beneficial movements in price due to an error in timing. This could cause harm to the value of an investor’s portfolio because of purchasing too high or selling too low. Mid-Sized Companies Risk: Investments in securities issued by mid-sized companies may involve greater risks than are customarily associated with larger, more established companies. Securities issued by mid- sized companies tend to be more volatile than securities issued by larger or more established companies and may underperform as compared to the securities of larger companies. 17 BrioFG.com Money Market Risk: An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although a money market fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund. Operational Risk: Operational risk can be experienced when an issuer of an investment product is unable to carry out the business it has planned to execute. Operational risk can be experienced as a result of human failure, operational inefficiencies, system failures, or the failure of other processes critical to the business operations of the issuer or counter party to the investment. Options Risk: Options on securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than an investment in the underlying securities. 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 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. Clients are advised that they should only commit assets for management that can be invested for the long term, that volatility from investing can occur, and that all investing is subject to risk. BFG does not guarantee the future performance of a client’s portfolio, as investing in securities involves the risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. Past performance of a security or a fund is not necessarily indicative of future performance or risk of loss. Voting Client Securities: Our firm does not accept the proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients retain the responsibility for receiving and voting proxies for all and any securities maintained in client portfolios. Clients may call, write or email us to discuss questions they may have about particular proxy votes or other solicitations. ITEM 7: CLIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO PORTFOLIO MANAGER(S) All accounts are managed by our in-house licensed IARs. The IAR selected to manage the client’s account(s) or portfolio(s) will be privy to the client’s investment goals and objectives, risk tolerance, restrictions placed on the management of the account(s) or portfolio(s) and relevant client notes taken by our firm. Please see our firm’s Privacy Policy for more information on how our firm utilizes client information. ITEM 8: CLIENT CONTACT WITH PORTFOLIO MANAGER(S) Clients are always free to directly contact their portfolio manager(s) with any questions or concerns about their portfolios or other matters. 18 BrioFG.com ITEM 9: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 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. Licensed Insurance Professionals Advisory persons of BFG are licensed as insurance professionals. Such persons earn commission-based compensation for selling insurance products to clients. Insurance commissions earned by advisory persons who are insurance professionals are separate from and in addition to BFG’s advisory fee. This practice presents a conflict of interest as an advisory person who is an insurance professional has an incentive to recommend insurance products for the purpose of generating commissions rather than solely based on client needs. BFG addresses this conflict through disclosure and strives to make recommendations which are in the best interests of its clients. Clients are under no obligation to purchase insurance products through any person affiliated with BFG. Third Party Money Managers In certain scenarios, BFG may use third party money managers. The compensation paid to our firm by third party managers may vary, and thus, creates a conflict of interest in recommending a manager who shares a larger portion of its advisory fees over another manager. Prior to referring clients to third party advisors, our firm will ensure that third party advisors are licensed or notice filed with the respective authorities. A potential conflict of interest in utilizing third party advisors may be an incentive to us in selecting a particular advisor over another in the form of fees or services. In order to minimize this conflict our firm will make our recommendations/selections in the best interest of our clients. 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. Personal securities transactions of supervised persons present potential conflicts of interest with the price obtained in client securities transactions or the investment opportunity available to clients. The Code addresses these potential conflicts by prohibiting securities trades that would breach a fiduciary duty to a client and requiring, with certain exceptions, supervised persons to report their personal securities holdings and transactions to BFG for review by the Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Code also requires supervised persons to obtain pre-approval of certain investments, including initial public offerings and limited offerings. BFG will provide a copy of the Code of Ethics to any client or prospective client upon request. 19 BrioFG.com Review of Accounts Our management personnel or financial advisors review accounts on at least an annual basis for our Wrap Asset Management clients. The nature of these reviews is to learn whether clients’ accounts are in line with their investment objectives, appropriately positioned based on market conditions, and investment policies, if applicable. 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. 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 Wrap Asset 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. Other Compensation BFG participates in Schwab’s institutional customer program and Advisor may recommend Schwab to Clients for custody and brokerage services. There is no direct link between Advisor’s participation in the programs and the investment advice it gives to its Clients, although Advisor receives economic benefits through its participation in the programs that are typically not available to Schwab retail investors. These benefits include the following products and services (provided without cost or at a discount): receipt of duplicate Client statements and confirmations; research related products and tools; consulting services; access to a trading desk serving Advisor participants; access to block trading (which provides the ability to aggregate securities transactions for execution and then allocate the appropriate shares to Client accounts); the ability to have advisory fees deducted directly from Client accounts; access to an electronic communications network for Client order entry and account information; access to mutual funds with no transaction fees and to certain institutional money managers; and discounts on compliance, marketing, research, technology, and practice management products or services provided to Advisor by third party vendors. Schwab may also have paid for business consulting and professional services received by Advisor’s related persons. Some of the products and services made available by Schwab through the program may benefit Advisor but may not benefit its Client accounts. These products or services may assist Advisor in managing and administering Client accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab. Other services made available by Schwab are intended to help Advisor manage and further develop its business enterprise. The benefits received by Advisor or its personnel through participation in the program do not depend on the amount of brokerage transactions directed to Schwab. As part of its fiduciary duties to clients, Advisor endeavors at all times to put the interests of its clients first. Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by Advisor or its related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence the Advisor’s choice of Schwab for custody and brokerage services. Additional Services Advisor’s receipt of additional services, if any, does not diminish its duty to act in the best interest of its Clients, including to seek best execution of trades for Client accounts. In addition, in connection with offering additional services to clients, third parties may compensate us and our affiliates for providing expanded services. BFG has an incentive to recommend the use of these additional services, including estate planning services, because they generate additional revenue for the firm. BFG mitigates this conflict of interest through disclosure and by only recommending services or products if we believe that they would meet client needs and that they would be in clients’ best interest. These products and services will only be provided to clients who wish to take advantage of them and clients have no obligation to participate in any additional product or service recommended by BFG. 20 BrioFG.com Client Referrals BFG seeks to enter into agreements with individuals and organizations for the referral of clients to us. All such agreements will be in writing and will comply with the applicable state and federal regulations. If a client is introduced to BFG by a solicitor, BFG will pay that solicitor a fee in accordance with the applicable federal and state securities law requirements. While the specific terms of each agreement may differ, generally, the compensation will be based upon BFG’s engagement of new clients and the retention of these clients and would be calculated using a varying percentage of the fees paid to BFG by such clients until the account is closed by written authorization from the client. Any such fee shall be paid solely from BFG’s fees, and shall not result in additional charges to the client. Each prospective client who is referred to BFG under such an agreement will receive a copy of this Brochure and a separate written disclosure document disclosing the nature of the relationship between the third party solicitor and BFG and the compensation that will be paid to the us by the third party. The solicitor is required to obtain the client’s signature acknowledging receipt of this Brochure and the solicitor’s written disclosure statement. Schwab Advisor Network® (“the Service”) Currently, BFG receives client referrals from Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) through BFG’s participation in Schwab Advisor Network® (“the Service”). The Service is designed to help investors find an independent investment advisor. Schwab is a broker-dealer independent of and unaffiliated with BFG. Schwab does not supervise Advisor and has no responsibility for BFG’s management of clients’ portfolios or Advisor’s other advice or services. BFG pays Schwab fees to receive client referrals through the Service. BFG’s participation in the Service raises potential conflicts of interest described below. BFG pays Schwab a Participation Fee on all referred clients’ accounts that are maintained in custody at Schwab and a separate one-time Transfer Fee on all accounts that are transferred to another custodian. The Transfer Fee creates a conflict of interest that encourages BFG to recommend that client accounts be held in custody at Schwab. The Participation Fee paid by BFG is a percentage of the value of the assets in the client’s account. BFG pays Schwab the participation Fee for so long as the referred client’s account remains in custody at Schwab. The Participation Fee and any Transfer fee is paid by BFG and not by the client. BFG has agreed not to charge clients referred through the Service fees or costs greater than the fees or costs BFG charges clients with similar portfolios who were not referred through the Service. The Participation and Transfer Fees are based on assets in accounts of BFG clients who were referred to Schwab and those referred clients’ family members living in the same household. Thus, BFG will have incentives to recommend that client accounts and household members of clients referred through the Service maintain custody of their accounts at Schwab. Financial Information BFG is not required to disclose any financial information pursuant to this item due to the following: a) BFG does not require or solicit the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees six months or more in advance of rendering services; b) BFG is unaware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet its contractual commitments relating to its discretionary authority over certain client accounts; and c) BFG has never been the subject of a bankruptcy petition. 21 BrioFG.com

Additional Brochure: ADV PART 2A: FIRM BROCHURE (2025-04-15)

View Document Text
BrioFG.com Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure Brio Financial Group 19 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94104 Firm Contact: Jay Zalewski Chief Compliance Officer April 14, 2025 This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Brio Consultants, LLC dba Brio Financial Group. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at 415-623-2450. 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 our firm is also available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD #289889. 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 Brio Financial Group 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 last annual update in March 2025, there have been the following material changes: Item 4 was updated to reflect that on March 16, 2025 ownership of Brio Consultants, LLC was transfered into Brio Financial Holdings, LLC, which itself is majority owned by Brio Legacy Holdings, LLC, majority owned by Brandon Miller. Item 12 was updated to reflect the use of Altruist Financial LLC (“Altruist”) as a custodial option. 2 BrioFG.com 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 ............................................................................8 Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements .................................................................................................8 Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss .....................................................................9 Item 9: Disciplinary Information ............................................................................................................................19 Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations ................................................................................19 Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions & Personal Trading ......................20 Item 12: Brokerage Practices ....................................................................................................................................20 Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans ...................................................................................................23 Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation ................................................................................................24 Item 15: Custody ........................................................................................................................................................26 Item 16: Investment Discretion ...............................................................................................................................26 Item 17: Voting Client Securities .............................................................................................................................26 Item 18: Financial Information ................................................................................................................................27 3 BrioFG.com 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 California in 2009 and has been in business as an investment adviser since 2017. Our firm is majority owned by Brio Financial Holdings, LLC, which itself is majority owned by Brio Legacy Holdings, LLC, majority owned by Brandon Miller. Our firm provides asset management and investment consulting services for many different types of clients to help meet their financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time horizons. As a fiduciary it is our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is accomplished in part by knowing the client. Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory practice with open lines of communication. 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 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 or financial consultations 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. 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 reviewingtheir company’s participant-directed retirement plan. As the needs of the plan sponsor dictate, areas of advising could include: investment options, plan structure and participant education. Retirement Plan Consulting services typically 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. 4 BrioFG.com • 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. 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 3(21) or 3(38) of ERISA as designated by the Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement with respect to the provision of services described therein. Referrals to Third Party Money Managers: Our firm utilizes the services of a third-party money manager for the management of client accounts. Investment advice and trading of securities will only be offered by or through the chosen third party money manager. Our firm will not offer advice on any specific securities or other investments in connection with this service. Prior to referring clients, our firm will provide initial due diligence on third party money managers and ongoing reviews of their management of client accounts. In order to assist in the selection of a third-party money manager, our firm will gather client information pertaining to financial situation, investment objectives, and reasonable restrictions to be imposed upon the management of the account. Our firm will periodically review third party money manager reports provided to the client at least annually. Our firm will contact clients from time to time in order to review their financial situation and objectives; communicate information to third party money managers as warranted; and, assist the client in understanding and evaluating the services provided by the third-party money manager. Clients will be expected to notify our firm of any changes in their financial situation, investment objectives, or account restrictions that could affect their financial standing. Tailoring of Advisory Services Our firm offers individualized investment advice to our Asset Management clients. General investment advice will be offered to our Financial Planning & Consulting, Retirement Plan Consulting, Portfolio Monitoring and Referrals to Third Party Money Management clients. Each Asset Management client has the opportunity to place reasonable restrictions on the types of investments to be held in the portfolio. Restrictions on investments in certain securities or types of securities may not be possible due to the level of difficulty this would entail in managing the account. 5 BrioFG.com Participation in Wrap Fee Programs Our firm offers and sponsors a wrap fee program. Asset Management services are only offered through wrapped accounts, which are managed on an individualized basis according to the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc. Please see our Part 2A, Appendix 1 (the “Wrap Fee Program Brochure”) for more information. Regulatory Assets Under Management As of December 31, 2024, our firm manages approximately $842,643,716 of client assets, with $839,326,630 being managed on a discretionary basis. ITEM 5: FEES & COMPENSATION Compensation for Our Advisory Services Asset Management: BFG charges an annual advisory fee that is agreed upon with each client and set forth in an agreement executed by BFG and the client. The maximum annual fee charged for this service will not exceed 2.00%. Annualized fees are billed on a pro-rata basis monthly in advance based on the average daily average value of the previous month, based on the value of the account(s) as provided by third-party sources, such as pricing services, custodians, fund administrators, and client-provided sources when necessary. BFG may include cash, accrued interest, accrued dividends, and securities purchased on margin (when applicable), in determining the market value for billing purposes. Fees are negotiable and will be deducted from Client account(s) by BFG and/or the chosen Sub-Adviser or SMA. Adjustments will be made for deposits and withdrawals during the month. In rare cases, BFG 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, legend urging the comparison of information provided in our statement with those from the qualified custodian will be included. For the sub-advisory services rendered to our clients, our firm typically compensates third party investment advisory firms or individual advisors a percentage of the overall investment advisory fee charged by our firm. The advisory fee paid shall not exceed the fee published for this service. The terms and conditions under which the client shall engage the third-party investment advisory firm or individual advisors shall be set forth in a separate agreement between the client and the designated third party. Clients may make additions to and withdrawals from their account at any time, subject to BFG’s right to terminate an account. Additions may be in cash or securities provided that the Firm reserves the right to liquidate transferred securities or decline to accept particular securities into a client’s account. Clients may withdraw account assets at any time on notice to BFG, subject to the usual and customary securities settlement procedures. However, the Firm generally designs its portfolios as long-term investments and 6 BrioFG.com the withdrawal of assets may impair the achievement of a client’s investment objectives. BFG may consult with its clients about the options and implications of transferring securities. Clients are advised that when transferred securities are liquidated, they may be subject to transaction fees, short-term redemption fees, fees assessed at the mutual fund level (e.g. contingent deferred sales charges) and/or tax ramifications. Financial Planning & Consulting: Our firm charges on a flat fee basis for financial planning and consulting 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. Certain clients may opt to use unaffiliated third parties for defined estate planning services under a separate agreement for a set fee. Flat fees will not exceed $25,000. The fee-paying arrangements for 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. Retirement Plan Consulting: Our Retirement Plan Consulting services are 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 for Retirement Plan Consulting service will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will be detailed in the signed consulting agreement. Clients will be invoiced directly for the fees. Referrals to Third Party Money Managers: The total annual advisory fee for this service shall not exceed 2.00%. A portion of this fee will be paid to our firm and will be outlined in the third-party money manager’s advisory agreement to be signed by the client. Clients will be provided with a copy of the chosen third party money manager’s Form ADV Part 2, all relevant Brochures, a solicitation disclosure statement detailing the fees to be paid to both firms and the third-party money manager’s privacy policy. All fees that our firm receives from the third-party money managers and the written separate disclosures made to clients regarding these fees comply with applicable state statutes and rules. The billing procedures for this service vary based on the chosen third party money manager. The total fee to be charged, as well as the billing cycle, will be detailed in the third-party money manager’s ADV Part 2A and separate advisory agreement to be signed by the client. These fees may include transaction charges and the fees/expenses charged by any custodian, subadvisor, mutual fund, ETF, separate account manager (and the manager’s platform manager, if any), limited partnership, or other advisor, transfer taxes, odd lot differentials, exchange fees, interest charges, ADR processing fees, and any charges, taxes or other fees mandated by any federal, state or other applicable law, retirement plan account fees (where applicable), margin interest, brokerage commissions, mark-ups or mark-downs and other transaction-related costs, electronic fund and wire fees, and any other fees that reasonably may be borne by a brokerage account. Other Types of Fees & Expenses Non-Wrap Clients will incur transaction charges for trades executed by their chosen custodian. These transaction fees are separate from our firm’s advisory fees and will be disclosed by the chosen custodian. 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 (i.e., fund management fees, initial or deferred sales charges, mutual fund sales loads, 7 BrioFG.com 12b-1 fees, surrender charges, variable annuity fees, IRA and qualified retirement plan fees, and other fund expenses), 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. Wrap clients will not incur transaction costs for trades by their chosen custodian. More information about this can be found in our separate Wrap Fee Program Brochure. Termination & Refunds Either party may terminate the advisory agreement signed with our firm for 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. For purposes of calculating refunds, all work performed by us up to the point of termination shall be calculated at the hourly fee currently in effect. Clients will receive a pro-rata refund of unearned fees based on the time and effort expended by our firm. 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. ITEM 6: PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES & SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT Brio does not charge performance-based fees or participate in side-by-side management. Performance- based fees are fees that are based on a share of a capital gains or capital appreciation of a client’s account. Side-by-side management refers to the practice of managing accounts that are charged performance-based fees while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged performance-based fees. Brio’s fees are calculated as described in Item 5 above. 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. 8 BrioFG.com Our firm does not impose requirements for opening and maintaining accounts or otherwise engaging us. However, Brio does reserve the right to accept or decline a potential client for any reason in its sole discretion. ITEM 8: METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES & RISK OF LOSS The following methods of analysis and investment strategies may be utilized in formulating our investment advice and/or managing client assets, provided that such methods and/or 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. General Risks of Owning Securities The prices of securities held in client accounts and the income they generate may decline in response to certain events taking place around the world. These include events directly involving the issuers of securities held as underlying assets of mutual funds in a client’s account, conditions affecting the general economy, and overall market changes. Other contributing factors include local, regional, or global political, social, or economic instability and governmental or governmental agency responses to economic conditions. Finally, currency, interest rate, and commodity price fluctuations may also affect security prices and income. The prices of, and the income generated by, most debt securities held by a client’s account may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the effective maturities and credit ratings of these securities. For example, the prices of debt securities in the client’s account generally will decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. In addition, falling interest rates may cause an issuer to redeem, “call” or refinance a security before its stated maturity, which may result in our firm having to reinvest the proceeds in lower yielding securities. Longer maturity debt securities generally have higher rates of interest and may be subject to greater price fluctuations than shorter maturity debt securities. Debt securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that the credit strength of an issuer will weaken and/or an issuer of a debt security will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest and the security will go into default. The guarantee of a security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government only covers the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. This means that the current market values for these securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Investments in securities issued by entities based outside the United States may be subject to increased levels of the risks described above. Currency fluctuations and controls, different accounting, auditing, financial reporting, disclosure, regulatory and legal standards and practices could also affect investments in securities of foreign issuers. Additional factors may include expropriation, changes in tax policy, greater market volatility, different securities market structures, and higher transaction costs. Various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions, or in receiving payment of dividends can increase risk. Finally, investments in securities issued by entities domiciled in the United States may also be subject to many of these risks. Methods of Analysis Securities analysis methods rely on the assumption that the companies whose securities are purchased and/ or sold, the rating agencies that review these securities, and other publicly-available sources of information about these securities, are providing accurate and unbiased data. While our firm is alert to indications that data may be incorrect, there is always a risk that our firm’s analysis may be compromised by inaccurate or misleading information. 9 BrioFG.com 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. Cyclical Analysis: Statistical analysis of specific events occurring at a sufficient number of relatively predictable intervals that they can be forecasted into the future. Cyclical analysis asserts that cyclical forces drive price movements in the financial markets. Risks include that cycles may invert or disappear and there is no expectation that this type of analysis will pinpoint turning points, instead be used in conjunction with other methods of analysis. 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. 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. 10 BrioFG.com 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. 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. 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. Investment Strategies & Asset Classes 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, 11 BrioFG.com 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. Debt Securities (Bonds): Issuers use debt securities to borrow money. Generally, issuers pay investors periodic interest and repay the amount borrowed either periodically during the life of the security and/or at maturity. Alternatively, investors can purchase other debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, which do not pay current interest, but rather are priced at a discount from their face values and their values accrete over time to face value at maturity. The market prices of debt securities fluctuate depending on such factors as interest rates, credit quality, and maturity. In general, market prices of debt securities decline when interest rates rise and increase when interest rates fall. Bonds with longer rates of maturity tend to have greater interest rate risks. Certain additional risk factors relating to debt securities include: (a) When interest rates are declining, investors have to reinvest their interest income and any return of principal, whether scheduled or unscheduled, at lower prevailing rates.; (b) Inflation causes tomorrow’s dollar to be worth less than today’s; in other words, it reduces the purchasing power of a bond investor’s future interest payments and principal, collectively known as “cash flows.” Inflation also leads to higher interest rates, which in turn leads to lower bond prices.; (c) Debt securities may be sensitive to economic changes, political and corporate developments, and interest rate changes. Investors can also expect periods of economic change and uncertainty, which can result in increased volatility of market prices and yields of certain debt securities. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. (d) Debt securities may contain redemption or call provisions entitling their issuers to redeem them at a specified price on a date prior to maturity. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a lower interest rate market, the account would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in decreased income to investors. Usually, a bond is called at or close to par value. This subjects investors that paid a premium for their bond risk of lost principal. In reality, prices of callable bonds are unlikely to move much above the call price if lower interest rates make the bond likely to be called.; (e) If the issuer of a debt security defaults on its 12 BrioFG.com obligations to pay interest or principal or is the subject of bankruptcy proceedings, the account may incur losses or expenses in seeking recovery of amounts owed to it.; (f) There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular debt securities, which may affect adversely the account’s ability to value accurately or dispose of such debt securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of debt securities. Our firm attempts to reduce the risks described above through diversification of the client’s portfolio and by credit analysis of each issuer, as well as by monitoring broad economic trends and corporate and legislative developments, but there can be no assurance that our firm will be successful in doing so. Credit ratings for debt securities provided by rating agencies reflect an evaluation of the safety of principal and interest payments, not market value risk. The rating of an issuer is a rating agency’s view of past and future potential developments related to the issuer and may not necessarily reflect actual outcomes. There can be a lag between the time of developments relating to an issuer and the time a rating is assigned and updated. 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. Equity Securities: Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. Equity securities typically consist of common stocks. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic and other conditions. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular equity securities, which may adversely affect Our firm ‘s ability to value accurately or dispose of such equity securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of equity securities. Investing in smaller companies may pose additional 13 BrioFG.com risks as it is often more difficult to value or dispose of small company stocks, more difficult to obtain information about smaller companies, and the prices of their stocks may be more volatile than stocks of larger, more established companies. Clients should have a long-term perspective and, for example, be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. 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 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 make a decision to sell. Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests the money in a variety of differing security types based 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 is 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. 14 BrioFG.com 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 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 distribution they receive. This includes instances where the fund went on to perform 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 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. 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. The potential risk associated with this investment strategy is associated with the currency or exchange rate. Currency or exchange rate risk is a form of risk that arises from the change in price of one currency against another. The constant fluctuations in the foreign currency in which an investment is denominated vis-à-vis one’s home currency may add risk to the value of a security. Currency risk is greater for shorter term investments, which do not have time to level off like longer term foreign investments. 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 15 BrioFG.com 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. Capital Risk: Capital risk is one of the most basic, fundamental risks of investing; it is the risk that you may lose 100% of your money. All investments carry some form of risk and the loss of capital is generally a risk for any investment instrument. 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. Credit Risk: Credit risk can be a factor in situations where an investment’s performance relies on a borrower’s repayment of borrowed funds. With credit risk, an investor can experience a loss or unfavorable performance if a borrower does not repay the borrowed funds as expected or required. Investment holdings that involve forms of indebtedness (i.e. borrowed funds) are subject to credit risk. Currency Risk: Fluctuations in the value of the currency in which your investment is denominated may affect the value of your investment and thus, your investment may be worth more or less in the future. All currency is subject to swings in valuation and thus, regardless of the currency denomination of any particular investment you own, currency risk is a realistic risk measure. That said, currency risk is generally a much larger factor for investment instruments denominated in currencies other than the most widely used currencies (U.S. Dollar, British Pound, German Mark, Euro, Japanese Yen, French Franc, etc.). Cybersecurity Risk: The risk related to unauthorized access to the systems and networks of BFG and its service providers. The computer systems, networks and devices used by BFG and service providers to us and our clients to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized, systems, networks or devices potentially can be breached. A client could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach. Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to a client; impediments to trading; the inability by us and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or other compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issues of securities in which a client invests; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions; and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by those entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future. 16 BrioFG.com Economic Risk: The prevailing economic environment is important to the health of all businesses. Some companies, however, are more sensitive to changes in the domestic or global economy than others. These types of companies are often referred to as cyclical businesses. Countries in which a large portion of businesses are in cyclical industries are thus also very economically sensitive and carry a higher amount of economic risk. If an investment is issued by a party located in a country that experiences wide swings from an economic standpoint or in situations where certain elements of an investment instrument are hinged on dealings in such countries, the investment instrument will generally be subject to a higher level of economic risk. Equity (Stock) Market Risk: Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer. 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. Financial Risk: Financial risk is represented by internal disruptions within an investment or the issuer of an investment that can lead to unfavorable performance of the investment. Examples of financial risk can be found in cases like Enron or many of the dot com companies that were caught up in a period of extraordinary market valuations that were not based on solid financial footings of the companies. 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. Foreign Exposure Risk: Our firm may have exposure to foreign markets, including emerging markets, which can be more volatile than the U.S. markets. As a result, returns and net asset value may be affected to a large degree by fluctuations in currency exchange rates or political or economic conditions in a particular country. Any investments in emerging market countries may involve risks greater than, or in addition to, the risks of investing in more developed countries. Inflation Risk: Inflation risk involves the concern that in the future, your investment or proceeds from your investment will not be worth what they are today. Throughout time, the prices of resources and end-user products generally increase and thus, the same general goods and products today will likely be more expensive in the future. The longer an investment is held, the greater the chance that the proceeds from that investment will be worth less in the future than what they are today. Said another way, a dollar tomorrow will likely get you less than what it can today. 17 BrioFG.com Interest Rate Risk: Certain investments involve the payment of a fixed or variable rate of interest to the investment holder. Once an investor has acquired or has acquired the rights to an investment that pays a particular rate (fixed or variable) of interest, changes in overall interest rates in the market will affect the value of the interest-paying investment(s) they hold. In general, changes in prevailing interest rates in the market will have an inverse relationship to the value of existing, interest paying investments. In other words, as interest rates move up, the value of an instrument paying a particular rate (fixed or variable) of interest will go down. The reverse is generally true as well. Legal/Regulatory Risk: Certain investments or the issuers of investments may be affected by changes in state or federal laws or in the prevailing regulatory framework under which the investment instrument or its issuer is regulated. Changes in the regulatory environment or tax laws can affect the performance of certain investments or issuers of those investments and thus, can have a negative impact on the overall performance of such investments. 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. Market Risk: The value of your portfolio may decrease if the value of an individual company or multiple companies in the portfolio decreases or if our belief about a company’s intrinsic worth is incorrect. Further, regardless of how well individual companies perform, the value of your portfolio could also decrease if there are deteriorating economic or market conditions. It is important to understand that the value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, in response to changes in the market, and you could lose money. Investment risks include price risk as may be observed by a drop in a security’s price due to company specific events (e.g. earnings disappointment or downgrade in the rating of a bond) or general market risk (e.g. such as a “bear” market when stock values fall in general). For fixed-income securities, a period of rising interest rates could erode the value of a bond since bond values generally fall as bond yields go up. Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Market Timing Risk: Market timing can include high risk of loss since it looks at an aggregate market versus a specific security. Timing risk explains the potential for missing out on beneficial movements in price due to an error in timing. This could cause harm to the value of an investor’s portfolio because of purchasing too high or selling too low. Mid-Sized Companies Risk: Investments in securities issued by mid-sized companies may involve greater risks than are customarily associated with larger, more established companies. Securities issued by mid- sized companies tend to be more volatile than securities issued by larger or more established companies and may underperform as compared to the securities of larger companies. Money Market Risk: An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Although a money market fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund. 18 BrioFG.com Operational Risk: Operational risk can be experienced when an issuer of an investment product is unable to carry out the business it has planned to execute. Operational risk can be experienced as a result of human failure, operational inefficiencies, system failures, or the failure of other processes critical to the business operations of the issuer or counter party to the investment. Options Risk: Options on securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than an investment in the underlying securities. 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 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. Clients are advised that they should only commit assets for management that can be invested for the long term, that volatility from investing can occur, and that all investing is subject to risk. BFG does not guarantee the future performance of a client’s portfolio, as investing in securities involves the risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. Past performance of a security or a fund is not necessarily indicative of future performance or risk of loss. 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 Asset 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 Licensed Insurance Professionals Advisory persons of BFG are licensed as insurance professionals. Such persons earn commission-based compensation for selling insurance products to clients. Insurance commissions earned by advisory persons who are insurance professionals are separate from and in addition to BFG’s advisory fee. This practice presents a conflict of interest as an advisory person who is an insurance professional has an incentive to recommend insurance products for the purpose of generating commissions rather than solely based on client needs. BFG addresses this conflict through disclosure and strives to make recommendations which are in the best interests of its clients. Clients are under no obligation to purchase insurance products through any person affiliated with BFG. 19 BrioFG.com Please see Item 4 above for more information about the selection of third party money managers. The compensation paid to our firm by third party managers may vary, and thus, creates a conflict of interest in recommending a manager who shares a larger portion of its advisory fees over another manager. Prior to referring clients to third party advisors, our firm will ensure that third party advisors are licensed or notice filed with the respective authorities. A potential conflict of interest in utilizing third party advisors may be an incentive to us in selecting a particular advisor over another in the form of fees or services. In order to minimize this conflict our firm will make our recommendations/selections in the best interest of our clients. 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. Personal securities transactions of supervised persons present potential conflicts of interest with the price obtained in client securities transactions or the investment opportunity available to clients. The Code addresses these potential conflicts by prohibiting securities trades that would breach a fiduciary duty to a client and requiring, with certain exceptions, supervised persons to report their personal securities holdings and transactions to BFG for review by the Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. The Code also requires supervised persons to obtain pre-approval of certain investments, including initial public offerings and limited offerings. BFG will provide a copy of the Code of Ethics to any client or prospective client upon request. Compliance with Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule Our firm provides investment advice to assets affected by the Department of Labor (“DOL”) Fiduciary Rule for a level fee. When Brio provides investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual retirement account, Brio is a fiduciary 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 Brio operates under a special rule that requires Brio to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. As a level-fee fiduciary, we maintain a non-variable compensation structure that is provided on the basis of a fixed percentage of the value of assets or a set fee that does not vary with the particular investment recommended, as opposed to a commission or other transaction based fee. ITEM 12: BROKERAGE PRACTICES Selecting a Brokerage Firm Our firm seeks to recommend a custodian who will hold client assets and execute transactions on terms that are overall most advantageous when compared to other available providers and their services. The factors considered, among others, are these: 20 BrioFG.com • Timeliness of execution • Timeliness and accuracy of trade confirmations • Research services provided • Ability to provide investment ideas • Execution facilitation services provided • Record keeping services provided • Custody services provided • Frequency and correction of trading errors • Ability to access a variety of market venues • Expertise as it relates to specific securities • Financial condition • Business reputation • Quality of services BFG generally recommends that its investment management clients utilize the custody and brokerage services of an unaffiliated broker/dealer custodians (a “BD/Custodian”) with which BFG has an institutional relationship. Each BD/Custodian provides custody of securities, trade execution, and clearance and settlement of transactions placed on behalf of clients by the Firm. We currently recommend clients use Schwab Advisor Services, a division of Charles Schwab & Co. (“Schwab”) or Altruist Financial LLC (“Altruist”). These firms are “qualified custodians” as that term is described in Rule 206(4)-2 of the Advisors Act and are nationally recognized discount broker-dealers that offer custody, record keeping, and reporting services. Clients are able to choose one or more of these institutions depending on their financial needs, preferences, and other factors listed above. Advisor also participates in Schwab Advisor Network® (“the Service”). Please see the disclosure under Item 14 below. Schwab enables us to obtain many no- load mutual funds without transaction charges and other no-load funds at nominal transaction charges. Schwab does not charge client accounts separately for custodial services. Client accounts will be charged transaction fees, commissions or other fees on trades that are executed or settle into the client’s custodial account. Transaction fees are negotiated with each Custodian and are generally discounted from customary retail commission rates. This benefits clients because the overall fee paid is often lower than would be otherwise. Custodians may make certain research and brokerage services available at no additional cost to our firm. Research products and services provided by the Custodians may include: research reports on recommendations or other information about particular companies or industries; economic surveys, data and analyses; financial publications; portfolio evaluation services; financial database software and services; computerized news and pricing services; quotation equipment for use in running software used in investment decision-making; and other products or services that provide lawful and appropriate assistance by the Custodians to our firm in the performance of our investment decision-making responsibilities. The aforementioned research and brokerage services qualify for the safe harbor exemption defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Schwab and Altruist do not make client brokerage commissions generated by client transactions available for our firm’s use. The aforementioned research and brokerage services are used by our firm to manage accounts 21 BrioFG.com for which our firm has investment discretion. Without this arrangement, our firm might be compelled to purchase the same or similar services at our own expense. 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 or Altruist as a custodial recommendation. We endeavor to recommend brokerage firms that we believe are in a position to offer our clients the best array of services appropriate for the client situation at a reasonable and competitive cost. Our non-wrap fee clients may pay a transaction fee or commission to Schwab or Altruist that is higher than another qualified broker dealer might charge to effect the same transaction where our firm determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided to the client as a whole. In seeking best execution, the determinative factor is not the lowest possible cost, but whether the transaction represents the best qualitative execution, taking into consideration the full range of a broker-dealer’s services, including the value of research provided, execution capability, commission rates, and responsiveness. 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. Soft Dollars Our firm does not receive soft dollars in excess of what is allowed by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The safe harbor research products and services obtained by our firm will generally be used to service all of our clients but not necessarily all at any one particular time. Client Brokerage Commissions Our firm does not direct client transactions to a particular broker-dealer in return for soft dollar benefits. Our firm does not receive brokerage for client referrals. Directed Brokerage In certain instances, clients may seek to limit or restrict our discretionary authority in making the determination of the brokers with whom orders for the purchase or sale of securities are placed for execution, and the commission rates at which such securities transactions are effected. Clients may seek to limit our authority in this area by directing that transactions (or some specified percentage of transactions) be executed through specified brokers in return for portfolio evaluation or other services deemed by the client to be of value. Any such client direction must be in writing (often through our advisory agreement), and may contain a representation from the client that the arrangement is permissible under its governing laws and documents, if this is relevant. Our firm provides appropriate disclosure in writing to clients who direct trades to particular brokers, that with respect to their directed trades, they will be treated as if they have retained the investment discretion that our firm otherwise would have in selecting brokers to effect transactions and in negotiating commissions and that such direction may adversely affect our ability to obtain best price and execution. In addition, our firm will inform clients in writing that the trade orders may not be aggregated with other clients’ orders and that direction of brokerage may hinder best execution. 22 BrioFG.com 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 allows clients to direct brokerage outside our recommendation. Our firm may be unable to achieve the most favorable execution of client transactions. Client directed brokerage may cost clients more money. For example, in a directed brokerage account, clients may pay higher brokerage commissions because our firm may not be able to aggregate orders to reduce transaction costs, or clients may receive less favorable prices. Trade Errors BFG’s goal is to execute trades seamlessly and in the best interests of the client. In the event a trade error occurs, BFG endeavors to identify the error in a timely manner, correct the error so that the client’s account is in the position it would have been had the error not occurred, and, after evaluating the error, assess what action(s) might be necessary to prevent a recurrence of similar errors in the future. Trade errors generally are corrected through the use of a “trade error” account or similar account at Schwab, or another BD, as the case may be. In the event an error is made in a client account custodied elsewhere, our firm works directly with the broker in question to take corrective action. In all cases, BFG will take the appropriate measures to return the client’s account to its intended position. Aggregation of Purchase or Sale To the extent that the Firm determines to aggregate client orders for the purchase or sale of securities, including securities in which the Firm’s supervised persons may invest, the Firm will generally do so in a fair equitable manner in accordance with applicable rules promulgated under the Advisers Act and guidance provided by the staff of the SEC and consistent with policies and procedures established by the Firm. ITEM 13: REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS OR FINANCIAL PLANS Our management personnel or financial advisors review accounts on at least an annual basis for our Asset Management clients. The nature of these reviews is to learn whether client accounts are in line with their investment objectives, appropriately positioned based on market conditions, and investment policies, if applicable. 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 Asset Management, and Third Party Money 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. 23 BrioFG.com 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. Regular Reports Written brokerage statements are generated no less than quarterly and are sent directly from the qualified custodian. These reports list the account positions, activity in the account over the covered period, and other related information. Clients are also sent confirmations following each brokerage account transaction unless confirmations have been waived. BFG may also determine to provide account statements and other reporting to clients on a periodic basis. BFG may also provide account reports during client meetings. Clients are urged to carefully review all custodial account statements and compare them to any statements and reports provided by BFG. BFG statements and reports may vary from custodial statements based on accounting procedures, reporting dates, or valuation methodologies of certain securities. ITEM 14: CLIENT REFERRALS & OTHER COMPENSATION Schwab As disclosed under Item 12 above, Advisor participates in Schwab’s institutional customer programs and Advisor may recommend Schwab to Clients for custody and brokerage services. There is no direct link between Advisor’s participation in the programs and the investment advice it gives to its Clients, although Advisor receives economic benefits through its participation in the programs that are typically not available to Schwab retail investors. These benefits include the following products and services (provided without cost or at a discount): receipt of duplicate Client statements and confirmations; research related products and tools; consulting services; access to a trading desk serving Advisor participants; access to block trading (which provides the ability to aggregate securities transactions for execution and then allocate the appropriate shares to Client accounts); the ability to have advisory fees deducted directly from Client accounts; access to an electronic communications network for Client order entry and account information; access to mutual funds with no transaction fees and to certain institutional money managers; and discounts on compliance, marketing, research, technology, and practice management products or services provided to Advisor by third party vendors. Schwab may also have paid for business consulting and professional services received by Advisor’s related persons. Some of the products and services made available by Schwab through the programs may benefit Advisor but may not benefit its Client accounts. These products or services may assist Advisor in managing and administering Client accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab. Other services made available by Schwab are intended to help Advisor manage and further develop its business enterprise. 24 BrioFG.com The benefits received by Advisor or its personnel through participation in the program do not depend on the amount of brokerage transactions directed to Schwab. As part of its fiduciary duties to clients, Advisor endeavors at all times to put the interests of its clients first. Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by Advisor or its related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence the Advisor’s choice of Schwab for custody and brokerage services. Additional Services Advisor’s receipt of additional services, if any, does not diminish its duty to act in the best interest of its Clients, including to seek best execution of trades for Client accounts. In addition, in connection with offering additional services to clients, third parties may compensate us and our affiliates for providing expanded services. BFG has an incentive to recommend the use of these additional services, including estate planning services, because they generate additional revenue for the firm. BFG mitigates this conflict of interest through disclosure and by only recommending services or products if we believe that they would meet client needs and that they would be in clients’ best interest. These products and services will only be provided to clients who wish to take advantage of them and clients have no obligation to participate in any additional product or service recommended by BFG. Schwab Advisor Network® (“the Service”) Currently, BFG receives client referrals from Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) through BFG’s participation in Schwab Advisor Network® (“the Service”). The Service is designed to help investors find an independent investment advisor. Schwab is a broker-dealer independent of and unaffiliated with BFG. Schwab does not supervise Advisor and has no responsibility for BFG’s management of clients’ portfolios or Advisor’s other advice or services. BFG pays Schwab fees to receive client referrals through the Service. BFG’s participation in the Service raises potential conflicts of interest described below. BFG pays Schwab a Participation Fee on all referred clients’ accounts that are maintained in custody at Schwab and a separate one-time Transfer Fee on all accounts that are transferred to another custodian. The Transfer Fee creates a conflict of interest that encourages BFG to recommend that client accounts be held in custody at Schwab. The Participation Fee paid by BFG is a percentage of the value of the assets in the client’s account. BFG pays Schwab the Participation Fee for so long as the referred client’s account remains in custody at Schwab. The Participation Fee and any Transfer fee is paid by BFG and not by the client. BFG has agreed not to charge clients referred through the Service fees or costs greater than the fees or costs BFG charges clients with similar portfolios who were not referred through the Service. The Participation and Transfer Fees are based on assets in accounts of BFG clients who were referred by Schwab and those referred clients’ family members living in the same household. Thus, BFG will have incentives to recommend that client accounts and household members of clients referred through the Service maintain custody of their accounts at Schwab. Referral Fees BFG seeks to enter into agreements with individuals and organizations for the referral of clients to us. All such agreements will be in writing and will comply with the applicable state and federal regulations. If a client is introduced to BFG by a solicitor, BFG will pay that solicitor a fee in accordance with the applicable federal and state securities law requirements. While the specific terms of each agreement may differ, generally, the compensation will be based upon BFG’s engagement of new clients and the retention of these clients and 25 BrioFG.com would be calculated using a varying percentage of the fees paid to BFG by such clients until the account is closed by written authorization from the client. Any such fee shall be paid solely from BFG’s fees, and shall not result in additional charges to the client. Each prospective client who is referred to BFG under such an agreement will receive a copy of this Brochure and a separate written disclosure document disclosing the nature of the relationship between the third party solicitor and BFG and the compensation that will be paid to the us by the third party. ITEM 15: CUSTODY All clients must utilize a “qualified custodian” as detailed in Item 12. Clients are required to engage the custodian to retain their funds and securities and direct BFG to utilize the custodian for the client’s securities transactions. BFG’s agreement with clients and/or the clients’ separate agreements with the B/D Custodian may authorize BFG through such BD/Custodian to debit the clients’ accounts for the amount of BFG’s fee and to directly remit that fee to BFG in accordance with applicable custody rules. The account custodian has physical custody of client assets, but the SEC deems BFG to have legal custody over these assets if the Firm is authorized to instruct the custodian to deduct Firm advisory fees directly from clients’ custodial accounts, when BFG personnel serve as trustee for advisory clients, general partner of a private investment fund, and when the Firm has the authority to instruct the custodian to transfer assets to third parties pursuant to standing letters of authorization (“SLOA”). BFG reports having custody of client assets under Item 9 Part 1 of Form ADV, and is required under Rule 206(4)-2 to obtain a custody audit to verify client assets over which they have authority as general partner or trustee. For the remaining assets, the SEC has exempted advisers from the custody audit requirement by rule or no-action relief. Clients will receive account statements directly from the custodian at least quarterly. They will be sent to the email or postal mailing address clients provide to the custodian. Clients should carefully review those statements promptly upon receipt, and to compare them with any reports they receive from BFG. Clients are encouraged to note that the account custodian does not verify the accuracy of BFG’s advisory fee calculation. For more information about custodians and brokerage practices, see “Item 12 - Brokerage Practices.” ITEM 16: INVESTMENT DISCRETION Clients have the option of providing 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. Should clients grant our firm non-discretionary authority, our firm would be required to obtain the client’s permission prior to effecting securities transactions. Limitations may be imposed by the client in the form of specific constraints on any of these areas of discretion with our firm’s written acknowledgment. ITEM 17: VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES Our firm does not accept the proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients retain the responsibility for receiving and voting proxies for all and any securities maintained in client portfolios. Clients may call, write or email us to discuss questions they may have about particular proxy votes or other solicitations. 26 BrioFG.com ITEM 18: FINANCIAL INFORMATION BFG is not required to disclose any financial information pursuant to this item due to the following: a) BFG does not require or solicit the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees six months or more in advance of rendering services; b) BFG is unaware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet its contractual commitments relating to its discretionary authority over certain client accounts; and c) BFG has never been the subject of a bankruptcy petition 27 BrioFG.com