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Item 1: Cover Page for Part 2A of Form
ADV: Firm Brochure
March 28, 2025
353 Piercy Road
San Jose, CA 95138
408-840-4030
www.ConcentrumWealth.com
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of
Concentrum Wealth Management, Inc. If you have any questions about the contents of this
brochure, please contact us by telephone at 408-840-4030. 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 Concentrum Wealth
Management, Inc. also is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by
searching CRD# 167151.
Please note that the use of the term “registered investment adviser” and description of
Concentrum Wealth Management, Inc. and/or our associates as “registered” does not imply a
certain level of skill or training. You are encouraged to review this Brochure and Brochure
Supplements for our firm’s associates who advise you for more information on the
qualifications of our firm and our employees.
Item 2: Material Changes to Our Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure
Concentrum Wealth Management, Inc. (“CWM”) is required to advise you of any material changes to
our Firm Brochure (“Brochure”) from our last annual update, identify those changes on the cover
page of our Brochure or on the page immediately following the cover page, or in a separate
communication accompanying our Brochure.
Since our last annual amendment filing on March 26, 2024, we have the following changes to report:
Item 12 – Added Fidelity as a qualified custodian we recommend.
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Item 3: Table of Contents
Item 1: Cover Page for Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure ............................................................................... 1
Item 2: Material Changes to Our Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure ........................................................... 2
Item 3: Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Item 4: Advisory Business.................................................................................................................................................... 4
Item 5: Fees & Compensation ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management ........................................................................... 8
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements .................................................................................................... 9
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss ................................................................. 10
Item 9: Disciplinary Information..................................................................................................................................... 14
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations .................................................................................. 14
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions & Personal Trading ............. 14
Item 12: Brokerage Practices ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans ....................................................................................................... 18
Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation ..................................................................................................... 19
Item 15: Custody .................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Item 16: Investment Discretion ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Item 17: Voting Client Securities ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Item 18: Financial Information ........................................................................................................................................ 20
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Item 4: Advisory Business
We are dedicated to providing individuals and other types of clients with a wide array of investment
advisory services. Our firm is a corporation formed in the State of California. Our firm has been in
business as an investment adviser since 2013 and is owned equally by Jeffery E. Fong and Jay C. Fong.
Advisory Services We Offer
Wrap Asset Management:
We offer Asset Management services through wrapped accounts only. Please see our separate Wrap
Fee Program Brochure for complete information regarding this advisory service.
When appropriate, we use a third-party platform to facilitate management of held away assets such
as defined contribution plan participant accounts, with discretion, and may leverage an Order
Management System to implement tax-efficient asset location and opportunistic rebalancing
strategies on behalf of the client. The platform allows us to avoid being considered to have custody
of Client funds since we do not have direct access to Client log-in credentials to affect trades. We are
not affiliated with the platform in any way and receive no compensation from them for using their
platform. A link will be provided to the Client allowing them to connect an account(s) to the platform.
Once a Client account(s) is/are connected to the platform, CWM will review the current account
allocations. When deemed necessary, CWM will rebalance the account considering client investment
goals and risk tolerance, and any change in allocations will consider current economic and market
trends. The goal is to improve account performance over time, minimize loss during difficult markets,
and manage internal fees that harm account performance. Client account(s) will be reviewed at least
quarterly and allocation changes will be made as deemed necessary.
Held Away Accounts – Portfolio Monitoring
Our Held Away Accounts Service provides for general asset allocation guidance within parameters of
accounts held with outside custodians. This service is solely consultative in nature and involves
minimal on-going supervision, trading, or discretion with respect to securities transactions. Clients
are responsible for placing and executing their own trades, either on their own or with another
investment adviser. We will link the positions to our data aggregation software when available, but
otherwise provide non-continuous and periodic outside account monitoring.
Financial Planning & Consulting:
We provide a variety of financial planning and consulting services to individuals, families and other
clients regarding the management of their financial resources based upon an analysis of the client’s
current situation, goals, and objectives. Generally, such financial planning services will 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 one or more of the
following areas: 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, Business and Personal Financial Planning.
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Our 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. For example,
recommendations may be made that the clients begin or revise investment programs, create or revise
wills or trusts, obtain or revise insurance coverage, commence or alter retirement savings, or
establish education or charitable giving programs. It should also be noted that we refer clients to an
accountant, attorney, or other specialist, as necessary for non-advisory related services. For written
financial planning engagements, we provide our clients with a written summary of their financial
situation, observations, and recommendations. For financial consulting engagements, we usually do
not provide our clients with a written summary of our observations and recommendations as the
process is less formal than our planning service. Plans or consultations are typically completed within
six (6) months of the client signing a contract with us, assuming that all the information and
documents we request from the client are provided to us promptly. Implementation of the
recommendations will be at the discretion of the client.
Investment Advisory Services for Retirement Plans:
We offer discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory and consulting services to
pension and employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries based upon the needs of the plan and the
services requested by the plan sponsor or named fiduciary. In general, these services may include
an existing plan review and analysis, plan-level advice regarding fund selection and investment
options, education services to plan participants, investment performance monitoring, and/or
ongoing consulting. These investment advisory and consulting services will generally be provided
on a non-discretionary basis, but may be discretionary in certain cases. When CWM provides non-
discretionary services, the ultimate decision to act on behalf of the plan shall remain with the plan
sponsor or other named fiduciary.
CWM acting as an investment manager under ERISA § 3(38): For the purposes of ERISA § 3(38),
CWM may serve as the investment manager, who exercises discretionary authority with regard to
the mutual funds and other investment vehicles that it selects for investment under the Plan.
Therefore, CWM is not a “fiduciary” pursuant to ERISA except to the extent it renders “investment
advice” to the plan within the meaning of section 3(38) of ERISA and Department of Labor
regulations there under. Under ERISA § 3(38), CWM acts as the advisor with discretionary
authority with regard to the investments managed for the plan, allowing the plan sponsor to
transfer liability for selecting‚ monitoring‚ and replacing the investment options to CWM, the
investment manager.
Furthermore, under ERISA §3(38), the participants are responsible for any individual investment
selections made under the plan.
The plan investment advisory and investment and fiduciary consulting services provided by CWM
are tailored to the specific needs of the plan client. The investment advisory services are provided
in accordance with the Investment Policy Statement, and if one does not exist such similar
information or guidance as provided by plan sponsors, plan trustees, and/or investment
committees.
CWM acting as an advisor under ERISA § 3(21): For the purposes of ERISA § 3(21), CWM does not
exercise any discretionary authority or control respecting management of the plan or management
or disposition of its assets or have any discretionary authority or discretionary responsibility in the
administration of the plan. Therefore, CWM is not a “fiduciary” pursuant to ERISA except to the
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extent it renders “investment advice” to the plan within the meaning of section 3(21) of ERISA and
Department of Labor regulations there under.
Under ERISA § 3(21), CWM acts as the advisor making investment recommendations, but it is
ultimately up to the plan sponsor to decide whether and how to implement these
recommendations.
Furthermore, under ERISA § 3(21), the participants are responsible for any individual investment
selections made under the plan.
Other Services: As part of providing the discretionary or non-discretionary investment services to
plans, CWM may provide certain information and services to the plan and the plan
sponsor/trustees. These other services are designed to assist the plan sponsor/trustees in meeting
their management and fiduciary obligations to the plan.
We may assist with participant enrollment meetings and provide investment-related educational
seminars to plan participants on such topics as:
Diversification
Asset allocation
Risk tolerance
Time horizon
Our educational seminars may include other investment-related topics specific to the particular
plan.
We may also provide additional types of consulting services to plans on an individually negotiated
basis. All services, whether discussed above or customized for the plan based upon requirements
from the plan fiduciaries (which may include additional plan-level or participant-level services)
shall be detailed in a written agreement and be consistent with the parameters set forth in the plan
documents.
Referrals to Third Party Money Managers:
We assist clients in identifying an appropriate third party money manager. We provide initial due
diligence on third party money managers and ongoing reviews of their management of your account.
In order to assist clients in the selection of a third party money manager, we typically gather
information from the client about their financial situation, investment objectives, and reasonable
restrictions they can impose on the management of the account, which are often very limited. It is
important to note that we do not offer advice on any specific securities or other investments in
connection with this service. Investment advice and trading of securities is only offered by or through
the third party money managers to clients.
We periodically review third party money managers’ reports provided to the client, but no less often
than on an annual basis. Our associates contact the clients from time to time, as agreed to with the
client, 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. The client will be expected to notify us of any
changes in his/her financial situation, investment objectives, or account restrictions that could affect
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their account. The client may also directly contact the third party money manager managing the
account or sponsoring the program.
Tailoring of Advisory Services
We offer individualized investment advice to clients utilizing our Wrap Asset Management, Financial
Planning & Consulting, Pension Consulting, and Referrals to Third Party Money Managers. Each 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.
CWM is a fiduciary under ERISA with respect to investment management services and investment
advice provided to ERISA plan clients, including ERISA plan participants. CWM is also a fiduciary
under the Internal Revenue Code (the “IRC”) with respect to investment management services and
investment advice provided to ERISA plans, ERISA plan participants, individual retirement accounts
and individual retirement account owners (collectively “Retirement Account Clients”). As such, CWM
is subject to specific duties and obligations under ERISA and the IRC, that include, among other things,
prohibited transaction rules which are intended to prohibit fiduciaries from acting on conflicts of
interest. When a fiduciary gives advice in which it has a conflict of interest, the fiduciary must either
avoid or eliminate the conflict or rely upon a prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”).
Participation in Wrap Fee Programs
Our firm manages only wrap fee accounts, which are managed on an individualized basis according
to the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc.
Regulatory Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2024, we manage1 $806,036,843 in assets on a discretionary basis and
$3,303,890 on a non-discretionary basis.
Item 5: Fees & Compensation
How We Are Compensated for Our Advisory Services
Wrap Asset Management:
Please see our Wrap Fee Program Brochure.
Held Away Accounts – Portfolio Monitoring
For portfolio monitoring and data aggregations of assets held away from our primary custodian, we
charge 1.00% on all assets under management. The fees are negotiable and will generally be debited
1 Please note that our method for computing the amount of “client assets we manage” can be different from the method for computing
“assets under management” required for Item 5.F in Part 1A of Form ADV. However, we have chosen to follow the method outlined for
Item 5.F in Part 1A of Form ADV. If we decide to use a different method at a later date to compute “client assets we manage,” we must keep
documentation describing the method we use and inform you of the change. The amount of assets we manage may be disclosed by rounding
to the nearest $100,000. Our “as of” date must not be more than three months before the date we last updated our Brochure in response
to Item 4.E of Form ADV Part 2A.
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from an account under our management, or directly invoiced, and these terms shall be set forth in
the executed agreements. For fees associated with Held Away Accounts for which we have
discretionary trading authority (as described above in Item 4), please see our Wrap Fee Program
Brochure.
Financial Planning & Consulting:
We charge on an hourly or flat fee basis for financial planning and consulting services. The total
estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee that we charge you, is negotiated based on the scope and
complexity of our engagement with you. Our hourly fees are $350 for financial advisors, $150 per
hour for para-planners and $75 for administrative time. Flat fees generally range from $2,000 to
$30,000. We require a retainer of fifty-percent (50%) of the ultimate financial planning or consulting
fee with the remainder of the fee directly billed to you and due to us within thirty (30) days of your
financial plan being delivered or consultation rendered to you. In all cases, we will not require a
retainer exceeding $1,200 when services cannot be rendered within 6 (six) months.
Pension Consulting:
We charge for our pension consulting services either as a flat fee, or a percentage of assets under
management. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee that we charge you, is negotiated
based on the scope and complexity of our engagement with you. Our maximum annual percentage
fee shall not exceed 1.00% of assets under management. Our flat fees generally range up to $30,000.
The fee-paying arrangements for pension consulting service will be determined on a case-by-case
basis and will be detailed in the signed Pension Consulting Agreement. The client will be invoiced
directly for the fees.
Other Fees
Wrap fee clients will receive our Form ADV, Part 2A, Appendix 1 (the “Wrap Fee Program Brochure”).
Wrap fee clients will not incur transaction costs for trades. More information about this is disclosed
in our separate Wrap Fee Program Brochure.
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.
Refunds Following Termination
We charge our advisory fees quarterly in advance. In the event that you wish to terminate our
services, we will refund the unearned portion of our advisory fee to you. You need to contact us in
writing and state that you wish to terminate our services. Upon receipt of your letter of termination,
we will proceed to close out your account and process a pro-rata refund of unearned advisory fees.
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 disclosed in the
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executed advisory agreement. Clients will receive a pro-rata refund of unearned fees based on the
time and effort expended by our firm.
Commissionable Securities and Insurance Sales
Certain representatives of our firm, in their individual capacities, sell securities for a commission. In
order to sell securities for a commission, our supervised persons are registered representatives of an
unaffiliated broker-dealer. Our supervised persons receive compensation for the sale of securities or
other investment products, including distribution or service (“trail”) fees from the sale of mutual
funds. You should be aware that the practice of accepting commissions for the sale of securities:
1) Presents a conflict of interest and gives our firm and/or our supervised persons an incentive to
recommend investment products based on the compensation received, rather than on your
needs. We generally address commissionable sales conflicts that arise when explaining to clients
that commissionable securities sales creates an incentive to recommend products based on the
compensation we and/or our supervised persons may earn and may not necessarily be in the
best interests of the client or when recommending commissionable mutual funds, explaining that
“no-load” funds are available through our firm if the client wishes to become an investment
advisory client.
2) In no way prohibits you from purchasing investment products recommended by us through other
brokers or agents which are not affiliated with us.
Representatives of our firm are also insurance agents/brokers. They offer insurance products and
receive customary fees as a result of insurance sales. A conflict of interest exists as these insurance
sales create an incentive to recommend products based on the compensation supervised persons
receive. We address this conflict by disclosure to clients and reminding them that they are under no
obligation to purchase insurance products recommended by our supervised persons.
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management
We do not charge performance fees to our clients.
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements
We have the following types of clients:
Individuals and High Net Worth Individuals;
Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans;
Trusts, Estates or Charitable Organizations; and
Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and/or Other Business Types.
We do not have requirements for opening and maintaining accounts or otherwise engaging us.
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Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
We use the following methods of analysis in formulating our investment advice and/or managing
client assets:
Charting;
Fundamental;
Technical; and
Cyclical.
Investment Strategies We Use
We use the following strategies in managing client accounts, provided that such strategies are
appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk
tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations:
Long Term Purchases (Securities Held At Least a Year);
Short Term Purchases (Securities Sold Within a Year);
Trading (Securities Sold Within 30 Days);
Short Sales;
Private Placements;
Margin Transactions; and
Option Writing, including Covered Options, Uncovered Options, or Spreading Strategies;
Structured Products: Structured products are designed to facilitate highly customized risk-return
objectives. While structured products come in many different forms, they typically consist of a debt
security that is structured to make interest and principal payments based upon various assets, rates,
or formulas. Many structured products include an embedded derivative component. Structured
products may be structured in the form of a security, in which case these products may receive
benefits provided under federal securities law, or they may be cast as derivatives, in which case they
are offered in the over-the-counter market and are subject to no regulation.
Investing in structured products includes significant risks, including valuation, lack of liquidity, price,
credit, and market risks. The relative lack of liquidity due to the highly customized nature of the
investment. Moreover, the full extent of returns from the complex performance features is often not
realized until maturity. As such, structured products tend to be more of a buy-and-hold investment
decision rather than a means of getting in and out of a position with speed and efficiency.
Another risk with structured products is the credit quality of the issuer. Although the cash flows are
derived from other sources, the products themselves are legally considered to be the issuing financial
institution's liabilities. The vast majority of structured products are from high-investment-grade
issuers only. Also, there is a lack of pricing transparency. There is no uniform standard for pricing,
making it harder to compare the net-of-pricing attractiveness of alternative structured product
offerings than it is, for instance, to compare the net expense ratios of different mutual funds or
commissions among broker-dealers.
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
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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.
Options: An option is a financial derivative that represents a contract sold by one party (the option
writer) to another party (the option holder, or option buyer). The contract offers the buyer the right,
but not the obligation, to buy or sell a security or other financial asset at an agreed-upon price (the
strike price) during a certain period of time or on a specific date (exercise date). Options are
extremely versatile securities. Traders use options to speculate, which is a relatively risky practice,
while hedgers use options to reduce the risk of holding an asset. In terms of speculation, option
buyers and writers have conflicting views regarding the outlook on the performance of a:
Call Option: Call options give the option to buy at certain price, so the buyer would want the
stock to go up. Conversely, the option writer needs to provide the underlying shares in the
event that the stock's market price exceeds the strike due to the contractual obligation. An
option writer who sells a call option believes that the underlying stock's price will drop
relative to the option's strike price during the life of the option, as that is how he will reap
maximum profit. This is exactly the opposite outlook of the option buyer. The buyer believes
that the underlying stock will rise; if this happens, the buyer will be able to acquire the stock
for a lower price and then sell it for a profit. However, if the underlying stock does not close
above the strike price on the expiration date, the option buyer would lose the premium paid
for the call option.
Put Option: Put options give the option to sell at a certain price, so the buyer would want the
stock to go down. The opposite is true for put option writers. For example, a put option buyer
is bearish on the underlying stock and believes its market price will fall below the specified
strike price on or before a specified date. On the other hand, an option writer who sells a put
option believes the underlying stock's price will increase about a specified price on or before
the expiration date. If the underlying stock's price closes above the specified strike price on
the expiration date, the put option writer's maximum profit is achieved. Conversely, a put
option holder would only benefit from a fall in the underlying stock's price below the strike
price. If the underlying stock's price falls below the strike price, the put option writer is
obligated to purchase shares of the underlying stock at the strike price.
The potential risks associated with these transactions are that (1) all options expire. The closer the
option gets to expiration, the quicker the premium in the option deteriorates; and (2) Prices can move
very quickly. Depending on factors such as time until expiration and the relationship of the stock
price to the option’s strike price, small movements in a stock can translate into big movements in the
underlying options.
Covered Calls: The risks associated with this type of strategy involve having the underlying stock
called away. Each contract has a strike price at which the writer of the contract agrees to allow the
purchaser call the stock away from the writer. This can create a taxable event whereby the writer of
the option is required to recognize a capital gain on the underlying security. Furthermore, the market
price could appreciate beyond the strike price, forcing the writer to sell their holdings below current
market value.
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Uncovered Options: Uncovered option writing is suitable only for the knowledgeable investor who
understands the risks, has the financial capacity and willingness to incur potentially substantial
losses, and has sufficient liquid assets to meet applicable margin requirements. If the value of the
underlying instrument moves against an uncovered writer’s options position, our firm may request
significant additional margin payments. If an investor does not make such margin payments, we may
be forced to close stock or options positions in the investor’s account.
The potential loss of uncovered call writing is unlimited. The writer of an uncovered call is in an
extremely risky position and may incur large losses if the value of the underlying instrument
increases above the exercise price.
As with writing uncovered calls, the risk of writing uncovered put options is substantial. The writer
of an uncovered put option bears a risk of loss if the value of the underlying instrument declines
below the exercise price. Such loss could be substantial if there is a significant decline in the value of
the underlying instrument.
Short Sales: A short sale is a transaction in which an investor sells borrowed securities in
anticipation of a price decline and is required to return an equal number of shares at some point in
the future. These transactions have a number of risks that make it highly unsuitable for the novice
investor. This strategy has a slanted payoff ratio in that the maximum gain (which would occur if the
shorted stock was to plunge to zero) is limited, but the maximum loss is theoretically infinite (since
stocks can in theory go up infinitely in price). The following risks should be considered: (1) In
addition to trading commissions, other costs with short selling include that of borrowing the security
to short it, as well as interest payable on the margin account that holds the shorted security. (2) The
short seller is responsible for making dividend payments on the shorted stock to the entity from
whom the stock has been borrowed. (3) Stocks with very high short interest may occasionally surge
in price. This usually happens when there is a positive development in the stock, which forces short
sellers to buy the shares back to close their short positions. Heavily shorted stocks are also
susceptible to “buy-ins,” which occur when a broker closes out short positions in a difficult-to-borrow
stock whose lenders are demanding it back. (4) Regulators may impose bans on short sales in a
specific sector or even in the broad market to avoid panic and unwarranted selling pressure. Such
actions can cause a spike in stock prices, forcing the short seller to cover short positions at huge
losses. (5) Unlike the “buy-and-hold” investor who can afford to wait for an investment to work out,
the short seller does not have the luxury of time because of the many costs and risks associated with
short selling. Timing is everything when it comes to shorting. (5) Short selling should only be
undertaken by experienced traders who have the discipline to cut a losing short position, rather than
add to it hoping that it will eventually work out.
Private Funds: A private fund is an investment vehicle that pools capital from a number of investors
and invests in securities and other instruments. In almost all cases, a private fund is a private
investment vehicle that is typically not registered under federal or state securities laws. So that
private funds do not have to register under these laws, issuers make the funds available only to
certain sophisticated or accredited investors and cannot be offered or sold to the general public.
Private funds are generally smaller than mutual funds because they are often limited to a small
number of investors and have a more limited number of eligible investors. Many but not all private
funds use leverage as part of their investment strategies. Private funds management fees typically
include a base management fee along with a performance component. In many cases, the fund’s
managers may become “partners” with their clients by making personal investments of their own
assets in the fund. Most private funds offer their securities by providing an offering memorandum or
private placement memorandum, known as “PPM” for short.
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The PPM covers important information for investors and investors should review this document
carefully and should consider conducting additional due diligence before investing in the private
fund. The primary risks of private funds include the following: (a) Private funds do not sell publicly
and are therefore illiquid. An investor may not be able to exit a private fund or sell its interests in the
fund before the fund closes; and (b) Private funds are subject to various other risks, including risks
associated with the types of securities that the private fund invests in or the type of business issuing
the private placement.
Cryptocurrency Products: We may recommend investment in digital (crypto) currency products.
These products are typically structured as a trust or exchange traded fund which pool capital
together to purchase holdings of digital currencies or derivatives based on their value. Such products
are extremely volatile and are suitable only as a means of diversification for investors with high risk
tolerances. Furthermore, these securities carry very high internal expense ratios, and may use
derivatives to achieve leverage or exposure in lieu of direct cryptocurrency holdings. This can result
in tracking error and may sell at a premium or discount to the market value of their underlying
holdings. Security is also a concern for digital currency investments which make them subject to the
additional risk of theft.
Cybersecurity Risks: The computer systems, networks, and devices used by CWM 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. Clients 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 may 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 additional compliance costs;
as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.
Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers 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 these entities in order to prevent any
cybersecurity breaches in the future.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. While the stock
market may increase and your account(s) could enjoy a gain, it is also possible that the stock market
may decrease and your account(s) could suffer a loss. It is important that you understand the risks
associated with investing in the stock market, are appropriately diversified in your investments, and
ask us any questions you may have.
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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
CWM has management persons that are registered representatives of an unaffiliated broker-dealer.
Some of our clients are involved in the management of products in which we invest client assets.
While our firm does not stand to receive any additional compensation than our advisory fees already
assessed on client assets invested in such product(s), this advisory relationship creates a conflict of
interest in that personnel of CWM have an incentive to recommend clients utilize such product(s) in
furtherance of maintaining the client advisory relationship between CWM and the client(s) involved
in the management of such product(s).
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation, or Interest in Client
Transactions, & Personal Trading
We recognize that the personal investment transactions of members and employees of our firm demand
the application of a high Code of Ethics and require that all such transactions be carried out in a way that
does not endanger the interest of any client. At the same time, we believe that if investment goals are
similar for clients and for members and employees of our firm, it is logical and even desirable that there
be common ownership of some securities.
Therefore, in order to prevent conflicts of interest, we have in place a set of procedures (including a pre-
clearing procedure) with respect to transactions effected by our members, officers, and employees for
their personal accounts2. In order to monitor compliance with our personal trading policy, we have a
quarterly securities transaction reporting system for all of our associates.
Furthermore, our firm has established a Code of Ethics which applies to all of our associated persons. An
investment adviser is considered a fiduciary. 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. We have a fiduciary duty to all clients. Our fiduciary duty is considered the core
underlying principle for our Code of Ethics which also includes Insider Trading and Personal Securities
Transactions Policies and Procedures. We require all of our supervised persons 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 or affiliation and at least annually thereafter, all supervised persons will sign an
acknowledgement that they have read, understand, and agree to comply with our Code of Ethics. Our
firm and supervised persons must conduct business in an honest, ethical, and fair manner and avoid all
circumstances that might negatively affect or appear to affect our duty of complete loyalty to all clients.
This disclosure is provided to give all clients a summary of our Code of Ethics. However, if a client or a
2 For purposes of the policy, our associate’s personal account generally includes any account (a) in the name of our associate, his/her spouse,
his/her minor children or other dependents residing in the same household, (b) for which our associate is a trustee or executor, or (c) which our
associate controls, including our client accounts which our associate controls and/or a member of his/her household has a direct or indirect
beneficial interest in.
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potential client wishes to review our Code of Ethics in its entirety, a copy will be provided promptly upon
request.
Neither our firm nor a related person recommends to clients, or buys or sells for client accounts,
securities in which our firm or a related person has a material financial interest.
Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities and other investments that are also
recommended to clients. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place
client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which
is available upon request.
Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities for themselves at or about the same time they buy
or sell the same securities for client accounts. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related
persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a
copy of which is available upon request.
Item 12: Brokerage Practices
Selecting a Brokerage Firm
We seek to recommend a custodian/broker who will hold your assets and execute transactions on
terms that are overall most advantageous when compared to other available providers and their
services. We consider a wide range of factors, including, among others, these:
Ability to maintain the confidentiality of trading intentions
Timeliness of execution
Timeliness and accuracy of trade confirmations
Liquidity of the securities traded
Willingness to commit capital
Ability to place trades in difficult market environments
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
Your assets must be maintained in an account at a “qualified custodian,” generally a broker-dealer or
bank. All clients will have the opportunity to select the custodian and/or broker-dealer of choice; however,
we generally recommend that our clients use Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”), a registered broker-
dealer, member SIPC, as the qualified custodian. In certain situations, we may recommend the brokerage
and custodial services of Fidelity Investments, Inc. (“Fidelity”), a registered broker-dealer, as an alternative
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to Schwab. The services and benefits we receive by participation in the institutional program of Fidelity are
similar to Schwab’s services and benefits described below.
Products and services available to us from Schwab
Schwab Advisor Services is Schwab’s business serving independent investment advisory firms like ours.
They provide us and our clients with access to their institutional brokerage services (trading, custody,
reporting, and related services), many of which are not typically available to Schwab retail customers.
However, certain retail investors may be able to get institutional brokerage services from Schwab
without going through our firm. Schwab also makes available various support services. Some of those
services help us manage or administer our clients’ accounts, while others help us manage and grow our
business. Schwab’s support services are generally available at no charge to us. Following is a more
detailed description of Schwab’s support services:
Services that benefit you. Schwab’s institutional brokerage services include access to a broad range of
investment products, execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets. The investment
products available through Schwab include some to which we might not otherwise have access or that
would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment by our clients. Schwab’s services
described in this paragraph generally benefit you and your account.
Services that do not directly benefit you. Schwab also makes available to us other products and
services that benefit us but do not directly benefit you or your account. These products and services
assist us in managing and administering our clients’ accounts and operating our firm. They include
investment research, both Schwab’s own and that of third parties. We use this research to service all or
a substantial number of our clients’ accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab. In addition
to investment research, Schwab also makes available software and other technology that:
• Provide access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account
statements)
• Facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts
• Provide pricing and other market data
• Facilitate payment of our fees from our clients’ accounts
• Assist with back-office functions, record keeping, and client reporting
Services that generally benefit only us. Schwab also offers other services intended to help us manage
and further develop our business enterprise. These services include:
• Educational conferences and events
• Consulting on technology and business needs
• Publications and conferences on practice management and business succession
• Access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants, and insurance providers
• Marketing consulting and support
Schwab provides some of these services itself. In other cases, it will arrange for third-party vendors to
provide the services to us. Schwab also discounts or waives its fees for some of these services or pays all
or a part of a third party’s fees. Schwab also provides us with other benefits, such as occasional business
entertainment of our personnel. If you did not maintain your account with Schwab, we would be
required to pay for these services from our own resources.
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Our interest in Schwab’s services
The availability of these services from Schwab benefits us because we do not have to produce or
purchase them. We don’t have to pay for Schwab’s services. The fact that we receive these benefits from
Schwab is an incentive for us to recommend the use of Schwab rather than making such decision based
exclusively on your interest in receiving the best value in custody services and the most favorable
execution of your transactions. This is a conflict of interest. We believe, however, that taken in the
aggregate, our recommendation of Schwab as custodian and broker is in the best interests of our clients.
Our selection is primarily supported by the scope, quality, and price of Schwab’s services (see “Selecting
a Brokerage Firm”) and not Schwab’s services that benefit only us.
Soft Dollars
We do not receive any soft dollar benefits nor does our firm direct client transactions to a particular
broker-dealer in return for soft dollar benefits.
Although the non-soft dollar investment research products and services that may be obtained by our
firm will generally be used to service all of our clients, a brokerage commission paid by a specific
client may be used to pay for research that is not used in managing that specific client’s account. Our
firm does not accept products or services that do not qualify for Safe Harbor outlined in Section 28(e)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, such as those services that do not aid in investment decision-
making or trade execution.
Client Brokerage Commissions
We do not acquire client brokerage commissions (or markups or markdowns).
Brokerage for Client Referrals
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.
We provide 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 we 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, we will inform you in writing that your trade orders may not be aggregated
with other clients’ orders and that direction of brokerage may hinder best execution.
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Permissibility of Client-Directed Brokerage
We do not allow client-directed brokerage outside our recommendations.
Aggregation of Purchase or Sale
We perform investment management services for various clients. There are occasions on which
portfolio transactions may be executed as part of concurrent authorizations to purchase or sell the same
security for numerous accounts served by our firm, which involve accounts with similar investment
objectives. Although such concurrent authorizations potentially could be either advantageous or
disadvantageous to any one or more particular accounts, they are affected only when we believe that to
do so will be in the best interest of the effected accounts. When such concurrent authorizations occur,
the objective is to allocate the executions in a manner which is deemed equitable to the accounts
involved. In any given situation, we attempt to allocate trade executions in the most equitable manner
possible, taking into consideration client objectives, current asset allocation, and availability of funds
using price averaging, proration, and consistently non-arbitrary methods of allocation.
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans
We review accounts on at least a quarterly basis for our Wrap Asset Management and Third Party
Money 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. We do not provide written reports to clients, unless asked to do so.
Verbal reports to clients take place on at least an annual basis.
Only our Financial Advisors or Portfolio Managers will conduct reviews. We 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.
Pension Consulting clients receive reviews of their pension plans for the duration of the pension
consulting service. We also provide ongoing services to Pension Consulting clients where we meet
with such clients upon their request to discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances,
etc. Pension Consulting clients do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their
pension plans unless they choose to contract with us for ongoing Pension Consulting services.
Financial Planning clients who also engage our firm for our Wrap Asset Management services receive
annual reviews of their written plans. Typically, we do not provide ongoing services to standalone
financial planning clients. However, we are willing to meet with such clients upon their request to
discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Standalone Financial Planning
clients do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their financial plans unless they
separately contract with us for a post-financial plan meeting or update to their initial written
financial plan.
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Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation
Referral Fees
We do not pay referral fees to independent solicitors for the referral of their clients to our firm in
accordance with Rule 206(4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Item 15: Custody
Our firm does not have custody of client funds or securities. All of our clients receive account
statements directly from their qualified custodians at least quarterly upon opening of an account. If
our firm decides to also send account statements to clients, such notice and account statements
include a legend that recommends that the client compare the account statements received from the
qualified custodian with those received from our firm. Clients are encouraged to raise any questions
with us about the custody, safety, or security of their assets and our custodial recommendations.
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, we are
authorized to execute securities transactions, which securities are bought and sold, the total amount
to be bought and sold, and the costs at which the transactions will be effected. Limitations may be
imposed by the client in the form of specific constraints on any of these areas of discretion with our
firm’s written acknowledgement.
Item 17: Voting Client Securities
We do not and will not accept the proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients will receive proxies
or other solicitations directly from their custodian or a transfer agent. In the event that proxies are
sent to our firm, we will forward them on to you and ask the party who sent them to mail them
directly to you in the future. Clients may call, write, or email us to discuss questions they may have
about particular proxy votes or other solicitations.
Third party money managers selected or recommended by our firm may vote proxies for clients.
Therefore, except in the event a third party money manager votes proxies, clients maintain exclusive
responsibility for: (1) directing the manner in which proxies solicited by issuers of securities
beneficially owned by the client shall be voted, and (2) making all elections relative to any mergers,
acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings or other type events pertaining to the client’s
investment assets. Therefore (except for proxies that may be voted by a third-party money manager),
our firm and/or the client shall instruct the qualified custodian to forward to copies of all proxies and
shareholder communications relating to the client’s investment assets.
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Item 18: Financial Information
We are not required to provide financial information in this Brochure because:
Our firm does not require the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees when services cannot
be rendered within 6 months.
Our firm does not take custody of client funds or securities.
Our firm does not have a financial condition or commitment that impairs our ability to meet
contractual and fiduciary obligations to clients.
Our firm has never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
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