Overview
Assets Under Management: $384 million
Headquarters: ANNAPOLIS, MD
High-Net-Worth Clients: 40
Average Client Assets: $5 million
Services Offered
Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (ADV PART 2A)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $2,000,000 | 1.00% |
| $2,000,001 | $4,000,000 | 0.75% |
| $4,000,001 | and above | 0.40% |
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $10,000 | 1.00% |
| $5 million | $39,000 | 0.78% |
| $10 million | $59,000 | 0.59% |
| $50 million | $219,000 | 0.44% |
| $100 million | $419,000 | 0.42% |
Clients
Number of High-Net-Worth Clients: 40
Percentage of Firm Assets Belonging to High-Net-Worth Clients: 49.51
Average High-Net-Worth Client Assets: $5 million
Total Client Accounts: 349
Discretionary Accounts: 349
Regulatory Filings
CRD Number: 328178
Filing ID: 2008353
Last Filing Date: 2025-08-15 14:13:00
Website: https://curiowealth.com
Form ADV Documents
Primary Brochure: ADV PART 2A (2025-08-15)
View Document Text
Item 1 Cover Page
Curio Wealth, LLC
ADV Part 2A, Firm Brochure
Dated: August 15, 2025
721 Melvin Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-449-2599
www.curiowealth.com
ldippel@curiowealth.com
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business
practices of Curio Wealth. If you have any questions about the contents of
this brochure, please contact us at: 410-449-2599, or by email at:
LDIPPEL@CURIOWEALTH.COM. The information in this brochure has not
been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission, or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about Curio Wealth is available on the SEC’s website
at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov
References herein to Curio Wealth as a “registered investment adviser or
reference to being “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or
training.
Item 2
Material Changes
Since Curio Wealth’s last annual amendment filed on March 1, 2024, there have been
no material changes to this Brochure.
In addition, the Registrant has made disclosure changes, enhancements and additions
below at Items 5 and 7.
Item 3
Table of Contents
Item 2
Material Changes ..................................................................................... 2
Item 3
Table of Contents ..................................................................................... 2
Item 5
Fees and Compensation ........................................................................ 11
Item 6
Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management ................. 15
Item 7
Types of Clients ..................................................................................... 15
Item 8
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss .......... 16
Item 9
Disciplinary Information ........................................................................ 19
Item 10
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ............................. 20
Item 11
Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading ..................................................................................... 20
Item 12
Brokerage Practices ............................................................................... 20
Item 13
Review of Accounts ................................................................................ 23
Item 14
Client Referrals and Other Compensation ............................................ 23
Item 15
Custody .................................................................................................... 24
Item 16
Investment Discretion ............................................................................. 25
Item 17
Voting Client Securities .......................................................................... 25
Item 18
Financial Information .............................................................................. 26
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Item 4 Advisory Business
Firm Description
Curio Wealth, LLC is a limited liability company formed in the State of Maryland in
2023. It currently operates under the name Curio Wealth (referred to below as
Curio Wealth, Curio, us, our, or we) and has been registered with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission since October 2023.
Principal Owners
James S. Kantowski, Lyn Dippel, Jacob Sadler, Elizabeth Gillette, Yvonne
Scoggins, and Samantha Sachs are Curio Wealth’s principal owners.
Types of Advisory Services
Curio Wealth provides discretionary investment advisory services on a fee basis
as discussed in Item 5 below. Curio’s annual investment advisory fee shall include
investment advisory services, and, to the extent specifically requested by the
client, financial planning and consulting services. In the event that the client
requires extraordinary planning and/or consultation services (to be determined in
the sole discretion of Curio), Curio may determine to charge for such additional
services, the dollar amount of which shall be set forth in a separate written notice
to the client.
To commence the investment advisory process, Curio will ascertain each client’s
investment objective(s) and then allocate the client’s assets consistent with the
client’s designated investment objective(s), financial goals, income needs, tax
circumstances and risk tolerance. Once allocated, Curio provides ongoing
supervision of the account(s). Before engaging Curio to provide investment
advisory services, clients are required to enter into an Investment Advisory
Agreement with Curio setting forth the terms and conditions of the engagement
(including termination), describing the scope of the services to be provided, and
the fee that is due from the client. Clients may impose restrictions on investing in
certain securities or types of securities.
Curio Wealth also regularly furnishes advice to clients on matters not involving
securities, such as financial planning matters, taxation issues, and estate planning.
financial planning and discretionary
Curio Wealth provides personalized
investment management services to individuals, trusts, estates, and small
businesses and non-discretionary investment management services to one client
as an exception only. Advice is provided through consultation with the client and
may include: determination of financial objectives, identification of financial
problems, cash flow management, tax planning, insurance review, investment
management, education funding, retirement planning, and estate planning.
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Investment advice is an integral part of financial planning. In addition, Curio
Wealth advises clients regarding cash flow, college planning, retirement planning,
tax planning and estate planning.
A written evaluation of each client’s initial situation is usually provided to the client,
often in the form of a net worth statement. Periodic reviews are also communicated
to provide reminders of the specific courses of action that require attention. More
frequent reviews occur but are not necessarily communicated to the client unless
immediate changes are recommended.
Other professionals (e.g., lawyers, accountants, insurance agents) are engaged
directly by the client on an as-needed basis. Unless otherwise disclosed in this
brochure, conflicts of interest will be disclosed to affected clients in the unlikely
event they arise.
The initial meeting, which may be by telephone, is free of charge and is considered
an exploratory interview to determine the extent to which financial planning and
investment management may be beneficial to the client.
Financial Planning Agreement
A financial plan is designed to help the client with all aspects of financial planning
without ongoing investment management after the financial plan is completed.
The financial plan may include, but is not limited to: a net worth statement; a cash
flow statement; a review of investment accounts, including reviewing asset
allocation and providing repositioning recommendations; strategic tax planning; a
review of retirement accounts and plans including recommendations; a review of
insurance policies and recommendations for changes, if necessary; one or more
retirement scenarios; estate planning review and recommendations; and
education planning with funding recommendations.
Detailed investment advice is provided as part of a financial plan. Implementation
of the recommendations is at the discretion of the client.
Please Note: Planning Limitations. Registrant believes that it is important for the
client to address financial planning issues on an ongoing basis. Registrant’s
advisory fee, as set forth at Item 5 below, will remain the same regardless of
whether or not the client determines to address financial planning issues with
Registrant. It remains each client’s responsibility to promptly notify Registrant if
there is ever any change in his/her/its financial situation or investment objectives
for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising our previous recommendations
and/or services.
Advisory Service Agreement
Most clients choose to have Curio Wealth manage their assets in order to obtain
ongoing in-depth advice and life planning. All aspects of the client’s financial
affairs are reviewed, including those of their minor children, upon request.
Realistic and measurable goals are set and objectives to reach those goals are
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defined. As goals and objectives change over time, suggestions are made and
implemented on an ongoing basis.
The scope of work and fees for an Advisory Service Agreement is provided to the
client in writing prior to the start of the relationship. An Advisory Service Agreement
generally includes: cash flow management; insurance review; investment
management (including performance reporting); education planning; retirement
planning; estate planning; and tax planning, as well as the implementation of
recommendations within each area.
Although the Advisory Service Agreement is an ongoing agreement and constant
adjustments are required, the length of service to the client is at the client’s
discretion.
Asset Management
Assets are invested primarily in no-load mutual funds and exchange-traded funds
(ETFs), usually through discount brokers. Shareholders of mutual funds and ETFs
are indirectly responsible for the payment of the fees and expenses of these
investments, which include investment management fees that are disclosed in
each fund’s prospectus. Broker-dealers may also charge a transaction fee for the
purchase of some funds.
Stocks and bonds may be purchased or sold through a brokerage account when
appropriate. The brokerage firm may charge fees for certain stock and bond
trades. Curio Wealth does not receive any compensation, in any form, from fund
companies.
Investments may also include: equities (stocks), warrants, corporate debt
securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, municipal securities,
investment company securities (variable life insurance, variable annuities, and
mutual funds shares), U.S. government securities, and interests in partnerships.
Initial public offerings (IPOs) are not available through Curio Wealth.
Tax Preparation. Curio may be engaged for tax preparation and accounting-
related services. If a client determines to engage Curio, he/she does so per the
terms and conditions of a separate written agreement between Curio and the
client. The recommendation by Curio that a client engage Curio for tax preparation
and/or accounting-related services, presents a conflict of interest because Curio
will derive additional compensation from such engagement. No client or
prospective client is obligated to engage Curio. Clients are reminded that they can
engage other, non-affiliated, providers. Curio will work with the tax professional of
the client’s choosing.
ERISA PLAN and 401(k) INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENTS
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Trustee Directed Plans. Curio may be engaged to provide discretionary
investment advisory services to ERISA retirement plans, whereby the Firm shall
manage Plan assets consistent with the investment objective designated by the
Plan trustees. In such engagements, Curio will serve as an investment fiduciary as
that term is defined under The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(“ERISA”). Curio will generally provide services on an “assets under management”
fee basis per the terms and conditions of an Investment Advisory Agreement
between the Plan and the Firm.
Participant Directed Retirement Plans. Curio may also provide investment
advisory and consulting services to participant directed retirement plans per the
terms and conditions of a Retirement Plan Services Agreement between Curio and
the plan. For such engagements, Curio shall assist the Plan sponsor with the
selection of an investment platform from which Plan participants shall make their
respective investment choices (which may include investment strategies devised
and managed by Curio), and, to the extent engaged to do so, may also provide
corresponding education to assist the participants with their decision-making
process.
Client Retirement Plan Assets. If requested to do so, Curio shall provide
investment advisory services relative to 401(k) plan assets maintained by the client
in conjunction with the retirement plan established by the client’s employer. In such
event, Curio shall allocate (or recommend that the client allocate) the retirement
account assets among the investment options available on the 401(k) platform.
Curio’s ability shall be limited to the allocation of the assets among the investment
alternatives available through the plan. Curio will not receive any communications
from the plan sponsor or custodian, and it shall remain the client’s exclusive
obligation to notify Curio of any changes in investment alternatives, restrictions,
etc. pertaining to the retirement account. Unless expressly indicated by the Curio
to the contrary, in writing, the client’s 401(k) plan assets shall be included as assets
under management for purposes of Curio calculating its advisory fee.
Please Note: Non-Discretionary Service Limitations. Curio offers discretionary
and non-discretionary investment management services. Non-discretionary clients
must accept that Curio cannot effect any account transactions without obtaining
prior consent to any such transaction(s) from the client. Thus, in the event that
Curio would like to make a transaction for the client’s account, and client is
unavailable, Curio will be unable to effect the account transaction (as it would for
its discretionary clients) without first obtaining the client’s consent.
Miscellaneous
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Limitations of Financial Planning and Non-Investment Consulting/
Implementation Services. To the extent requested by the client, Curio will
generally provide financial planning and related consulting services regarding non-
investment related matters, such as tax and estate planning, insurance, etc. Curio
will generally provide such consulting services inclusive of its advisory fee set forth
at Item 5 below (exceptions could occur based upon assets under management,
special projects, stand-alone planning engagements, etc. for which Firm may
charge a separate or additional fee). Please Note. Curio believes that it is
important for the client to address financial planning issues on an ongoing basis.
Curio’s advisory fee, as set forth at Item 5 below, will remain the same regardless
of whether or not the client determines to address financial planning issues with
Curio. Please Also Note: Curio does not serve as an attorney, or insurance
agent, and no portion of our services should be construed as same. Accordingly,
Curio does not prepare legal documents, or sell insurance products. To the extent
requested by a client, we may recommend the services of other professionals for
non-investment implementation purpose (i.e., attorneys, accountants, insurance,
etc.). The client retains absolute discretion over all such implementation decisions
and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from Curio and/or its
representatives. If the client engages any professional (i.e., attorney, accountant,
insurance agent, etc.), recommended or otherwise, and a dispute arises thereafter
relative to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from
the engaged professional. At all times, the engaged licensed professional[s] (i.e.,
attorney, accountant, insurance agent, etc.), and not Curio, shall be responsible
for the quality and competency of the services provided.
Retirement Plan Rollovers. A client or prospective client leaving an employer
typically has four options regarding an existing retirement plan (and may engage
in a combination of these options): (i) leave the money in the former employer’s
plan, if permitted, (ii) roll over the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is
available and rollovers are permitted, (iii) roll over to an Individual Retirement
Account (“IRA”), or (iv) cash out the account value (which could, depending upon
the client’s age, result in adverse tax consequences). If Curio recommends that a
client roll over their retirement plan assets into an account to be managed by Curio,
such a recommendation creates a conflict of interest if Curio will earn a new (or
increase its current) advisory fee as a result of the rollover. Whether Curio provides
a recommendation as to whether a client should engage in a rollover or not, Curio
is acting as 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 retirement accounts. No client is under any obligation to roll over
retirement plan assets to an account managed by Curio.
Curio’s, Chief Compliance Officer, Lyn Dippel, remains available to address
any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the
conflicts of interest presented by such rollover recommendation.
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Please Note-Use of Mutual and Exchange Traded Funds: Curio utilizes mutual
funds and exchange traded funds for its client portfolios. In addition to Curio’s
investment advisory fee described below, and transaction and/or custodial fees
discussed below, clients will also incur, relative to all mutual fund and exchange
traded fund purchases, charges imposed at the fund level (e.g. management fees
and other fund expenses). Please Note-Use of DFA Mutual Funds: Curio utilizes
the mutual funds issued by Dimensional Fund Advisors (“DFA”). DFA funds are
generally only available through registered investment advisers approved by DFA.
Thus, if the client was to terminate Curio’ services, and transition to another adviser
who has not been approved by DFA to utilize DFA funds, restrictions regarding
additional purchases of, or reallocation among other DFA funds, will generally
apply. ANY QUESTIONS: Curio’s Chief Compliance Officer, Lyn Dippel,
remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective client
may have regarding the above.
investment
(including any
investment and/or
in ESG securities or
Please Note: Socially Responsible (ESG) Investing Limitations. Socially
Responsible Investing involves the incorporation of Environmental, Social and
Governance (“ESG”) considerations into the investment due diligence process.
ESG investing incorporates a set of criteria/factors used in evaluating potential
investments: Environmental (i.e., considers how a company safeguards the
environment); Social (i.e., the manner in which a company manages relationships
with its employees, customers, and the communities in which it operates); and
Governance (i.e., company management considerations). The number of
companies that meet an acceptable ESG mandate can be limited when compared
to those that do not, and could underperform broad market indices. Investors must
accept these limitations, including potential for underperformance. As with any type
of
investment strategies
recommended and/or undertaken by Registrant), there can be no assurance that
funds will be profitable, or prove
investment
successful. Registrant does not maintain or advocate an ESG investment strategy,
but will seek to employ ESG if directed by a client to do so. If implemented,
Registrant shall rely upon the assessments undertaken by the unaffiliated mutual
fund, exchange traded fund or separate account manager to determine that the
fund’s or portfolio’s underlying company securities meet a socially responsible
mandate.
Portfolio Activity. Curio has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent with
the client’s best interest. As part of its investment advisory services, we will review
client portfolios on an ongoing basis to determine if any changes are necessary
based upon various factors, including, but not limited to, investment performance,
fund manager tenure, style drift, account additions/withdrawals, and/or a change
in the client’s investment objective. Based upon these factors, there may be
extended periods of time when we determine that changes to a client’s portfolio
are neither necessary nor prudent. Of course, as indicated below, there can be no
assurance that investment decisions made by Curio will be profitable or equal any
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specific performance level(s). Clients nonetheless remain subject to the fees
described in Item 5 below during periods of account inactivity.
Client Obligations. In performing its services, Curio shall not be required to verify
any information received from the client or from the client’s other professionals and
is expressly authorized to rely thereon. It remains the client’s responsibility to
promptly notify us if there is ever any change in their financial situation or
investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating, or revising Curio’s
previous recommendations and/or services.
Reporting Services. Curio can also provide account reporting services, via
Tamarac, which can incorporate client investment assets that are not part of the
assets that Curio manages (the “Excluded Assets”). Unless agreed to otherwise,
the client and/or his/her/its other advisors that maintain trading authority, and not
Curio, shall be exclusively responsible for the investment performance of the
Excluded Assets. Unless also agreed to otherwise, Curio does not provide
investment management, monitoring or implementation services for the Excluded
Assets. If Curio is asked to make a recommendation as to any Excluded Assets,
the client is under absolutely no obligation to accept the recommendation, and
Curio shall not be responsible for any implementation error (timing, trading, etc.)
relative to the Excluded Assets. The client can engage Curio to provide investment
management services for the Excluded Assets pursuant to the terms and
conditions of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Curio and the client.
Disclosure Statement. A copy of Curio’s written Privacy Notice, Form CRS and
Disclosure Brochure and Brochure Supplement, as set forth on Parts 2A and 2B
of Form ADV, shall be provided to each client prior to, or contemporaneously with,
the execution of the Investment Advisory Agreement or Financial Planning and
Consulting Agreement.
Investment Risk. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk,
and it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment
or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies
recommended or undertaken by Curio) will be profitable or equal any specific
performance level(s).
Cash Sweep Accounts. Account custodians generally require that cash proceeds
from account transactions or cash deposits be swept into and/or initially maintained
in the custodian’s sweep account. The yield on the sweep account is generally
lower than those available in money market accounts. To help mitigate this issue,
Registrant shall generally purchase a higher yielding money market fund available
on the custodian’s platform with cash proceeds or deposits, unless Registrant
reasonably anticipates that it will utilize the cash proceeds during the subsequent
30-day period to purchase additional investments for the client’s account.
Exceptions and/or modifications can and will occur with respect to all or a portion
of the cash balances for various reasons, including, but not limited to, the amount
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of dispersion between the sweep account and a money market fund, an indication
from the client of an imminent need for such cash, or the client has a demonstrated
history of writing checks from the account. ANY QUESTIONS: Registrant’s Chief
Compliance Officer, Lyn Dippel, remains available to address any questions that
a client or prospective client may have regarding the above.
Other Assets. A client may:
investment strategies
hold securities that were purchased at the request of the client or acquired
prior to the client’s engagement of the Registrant. Generally, with potential
exceptions, the Registrant does not/would not recommend nor follow such
securities, and absent mitigating tax consequences or client direction to
the contrary, would prefer to liquidate such securities. Please Note:
If/when liquidated, it should not be assumed that the replacement
securities purchased by the Registrant will outperform the liquidated
positions. To the contrary, different types of investments involve varying
degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that future performance of
any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments
recommended or undertaken by
and/or
the Registrant) will be profitable or equal any specific performance
level(s)In addition, there may be other securities and/or accounts
owned by the client for which the Registrant does not maintain custodian
access and/or trading authority; and,
hold other securities and/or own accounts for which the Registrant does
not maintain custodian access and/or trading authority.
When agreed
to by
the Registrant,
Corresponding Services/Fees:
the
Registrant shall: (1) remain available to discuss these securities/accounts on an
ongoing basis at the request of the client; (2) monitor these securities/accounts on
a regular basis, including, where applicable, rebalancing with client consent;(3)
shall generally consider these securities as part of the client’s overall asset
allocation; and, (4) report on such securities/accounts as part of regular reports
that may be provided by the Registrant; and, (5) include the market value of all
such securities for purposes of calculating advisory fee.
WE DON’T RECOMMEND Cryptocurrency: For clients who want exposure to
cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, the Registrant, will advise the client to consider
a potential investment in corresponding exchange traded securities, or an
allocation to separate account managers and/or private funds that provide
cryptocurrency exposure. Crypto is a digital currency that can be used to buy
goods and services but uses an online ledger with strong cryptography (i.e., a
method of protecting information and communications through the use of codes)
to secure online transactions. Unlike conventional currencies issued by a monetary
authority, cryptocurrencies are generally not controlled or regulated, and their
price is determined by the supply and demand of their market. Because
cryptocurrency is currently considered to be a speculative investment, the
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10
Registrant will not exercise discretionary authority to purchase a cryptocurrency
investment for client accounts. Rather, a client must expressly authorize the
purchase of the cryptocurrency investment. Please Note: The Registrant does not
recommend or advocate the purchase of, or investment in, cryptocurrencies. The
Registrant considers such an investment to be speculative. Please Also Note:
Clients who authorize the purchase of a cryptocurrency investment must be
prepared for the potential for liquidity constraints, extreme price volatility and
complete loss of principal.
Cybersecurity Risk. The information technology systems and networks that
Registrant and its third-party service providers use to provide services to
Registrant’s clients employ various controls, which are designed to prevent
cybersecurity incidents stemming from intentional or unintentional actions that
could cause significant interruptions in Registrant’s operations and result in the
unauthorized acquisition or use of clients’ confidential or non-public personal
information. Clients and Registrant are nonetheless subject to the risk of
cybersecurity incidents that could ultimately cause them to incur losses, including
for example: financial losses, cost and reputational damage to respond to
regulatory obligations, other costs associated with corrective measures, and loss
from damage or interruption to systems. Although Registrant has established its
systems to reduce the risk of cybersecurity incidents from coming to fruition, there
is no guarantee that these efforts will always be successful, especially considering
that Registrant does not directly control the cybersecurity measures and policies
employed by third-party service providers. Clients could incur similar adverse
consequences resulting from cybersecurity incidents that more directly affect
issuers of securities in which those clients invest, broker-dealers, qualified
custodians, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other
financial market operators, or other financial institutions.
Curio Wealth does not participate in a wrap fee program.
As of December 31, 2024, Curio Wealth managed $384,296,399 in assets under
management on a discretionary basis and $0 in assets under management on a
non-discretionary basis.
Item 5
Fees and Compensation
funds,
Description
Curio Wealth is strictly a fee-only financial planning and investment management
firm. The firm does not receive commissions for purchasing or selling annuities,
insurance, stocks, bonds, mutual
limited partnerships, or other
commissioned products. The firm is not affiliated with entities that sell financial
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products or securities. No commissions in any form are accepted. No finder’s fees
are accepted.
Curio Wealth bases its fees on a percentage of assets under management, hourly
charges, and fixed fees (and does not charge any subscription fees).
The annual Advisory Service Agreement fee is based on a percentage of the
assets under management according to the following schedule. This annual fee
shall be paid quarterly, in advance, which is based upon the market value of the
assets under management on the last business day of the previous quarter.
1.00% on the first $2,000,000;
.75% on the next $2,000,000 (from $2,000,001 to 4,000,000); and
.40% on the assets above $4,000,000.
The Advisory Service Agreement fee is generally negotiable. As a result, similarly
situated clients could pay different fees, the services to be provided by Curio could
be available from other advisers at lower fees, and certain clients may have fees
different from those specifically set forth above. Curio will not adjust its fee for
client deposits, withdrawals, and/or transfers in and out of a client’s account during
a fee period. Fees will be prorated at the start or end of a client relationship that
begins or ends mid-quarter.
Financial plans are priced according to the degree of complexity associated with
the client’s situation. The fee for a financial plan is predicated upon the facts known
at the start of the engagement. The fee range, generally, is from $1,000 to $10,000
and is negotiable. Since financial planning is a discovery process, situations occur
wherein the client is unaware of certain financial exposures or predicaments.
In the event that the client’s situation is substantially different than disclosed at the
initial meeting, a revised fee will be provided for mutual agreement. The client
must approve the change of scope in advance of the additional work being
performed when a fee increase is necessary.
After delivery of a financial plan, future face-to-face meetings may be scheduled
as necessary for up to one month. Follow-on implementation work is billed
separately at the rate of $350 per hour.
Tax preparation services are priced according to the degree of complexity
associated with the client’s situation. The fee range, generally, is from $500 to
$3,000 and is negotiable.
The market value of the assets on which the fee is based will generally not be
reduced by the amount of any margin debit balances held by a client, even if some
or all of the assets in the client’s account are used to collateralize or secure the
loan represented by the margin balances. Curio has a financial incentive for a client
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to incur margin debt to finance purchases rather than selling securities and
withdrawing the cash because the net market value of the client’s account will be
maintained (and will not be offset by the amount of the margin debit held by the
client) resulting in a higher fee. Clients are solely responsible for determining
whether to incur margin debts. Curio does not recommend that clients incur margin
debit balances for investment purposes.
The advisory fee will be pro-rated, and paid quarterly, in advance, based upon the
market value of the assets on the last day of the previous quarter. Unless Curio
agrees otherwise, in writing, Curio shall debit the account directly for its advisory
fee. In the event of termination, Curio shall refund any unearned portion of the
advanced fee paid based upon the number of days remaining in the billing quarter.
Fee Dispersion. Curio, in its discretion, may charge a lesser investment advisory
fee, charge a flat fee, waive its fee entirely, or charge fee on a different interval,
based upon certain criteria (i.e. anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated
future additional assets, dollar amount of assets to be managed, related accounts,
account composition, complexity of the engagement, anticipated services to be
rendered, grandfathered fee schedules, employees and family members, courtesy
accounts, competition, negotiations with client, etc.). Please Note: As result of the
above, similarly situated clients could pay different fees. In addition, similar
advisory services may be available from other investment advisers for similar or
lower fees. ANY QUESTIONS: Curio’s Chief Compliance Officer, Lyn Dippel,
remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective client may
have regarding advisory fees.
Custodian Charges-Additional Fees. As discussed below at Item 12 below,
when requested to recommend a broker-dealer/custodian for client accounts,
Curio generally recommends that Schwab or Fidelity serve as the broker-
dealer/custodian for client investment management assets. The specific broker-
dealer/custodian recommended could depend upon the scope and nature of the
services required by the client. Broker-dealers such as Schwab and Fidelity charge
brokerage commissions, transaction, and/or other type fees for effecting certain
types of securities transactions (i.e., including transaction fees for certain mutual
funds, and mark-ups and mark-downs charged for fixed income transactions, etc.).
The types of securities for which transaction fees, commissions, and/or other type
fees (as well as the amount of those fees) shall differ depending upon the broker-
dealer/custodian (while certain custodians, including Schwab and Fidelity, do not
currently charge fees on individual equity transactions, others do). These
fees/charges are in addition to Curio’s investment advisory fee at Item 5 below.
Curio does not receive any portion of these fees/charges.
Fee Billing
Investment management fees are billed quarterly in advance, meaning that we
invoice you for the upcoming three-month billing period. Payment in full is expected
upon invoice presentation. Fees are usually deducted from a designated client
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account(s) to facilitate billing. The client must consent in advance to direct debiting
of their investment account.
Fees for financial plans are billed 50% in advance, with the balance due upon
completion of the financial plan. Services shall be rendered within six months,
except as a result of client delay.
Retainer Agreement
In limited circumstances, we may provide services on a fixed annual Retainer Fee
basis rather than on the above percentage of assets under management basis fee
schedule. A Retainer Fee is generally agreed upon when it is more appropriate to
work on a fixed-fee basis. The annual fee for a Retainer Agreement varies by
client and is based on the scope and complexity of the engagement (i.e.
anticipated consulting services, investable assets, etc.), and is negotiable. In
certain instances, a Retainer Fee may be higher than the percentage reflected
under the Advisory Service Agreement discussion. Clients are responsible for
negotiating those fees and selecting an arrangement that they are most
comfortable paying.
Hourly Planning Engagements
Curio Wealth occasionally provides hourly planning services for clients who need
advice on a limited scope of work. The hourly rate for limited scope engagements
is $350.00.
Advice Pay
Advice Pay is a service that allows for credit card payment of planning fees and a
monthly subscription flat fee for planning on an ongoing basis. Curio also offers an
option for planning and asset management on a flat fee basis, billed monthly or
quarterly through Advice Pay. Fees for subscription services are based on the
complexity of services.
Other Fees
Custodians may charge transaction fees on purchases or sales of securities,
including certain mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.
Curio Wealth, in its sole discretion, may charge a higher or lesser investment
advisory fee based upon certain criteria (e.g., historical relationship, type of assets,
anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated future additional assets, dollar
amounts of assets to be managed, related accounts, account composition,
negotiations with clients, etc.).
Expense Ratios
Shareholders of mutual funds and ETFs are indirectly responsible for the payment
of the fees and expenses of these investments, which include investment
management fees that are disclosed in each fund’s prospectus.
The sum of these expenses and fees are commonly referred to as an expense
ratio. For example, an expense ratio of 0.50 means that the mutual fund bares
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fees and expenses of 0.5%. These fees are in addition to the fees paid by you to
Curio Wealth.
Due Accounts and Termination of Agreement
Curio Wealth reserves the right to stop work on any account that is more than 60
days overdue. In addition, Curio Wealth reserves the right to terminate any
financial planning engagement where a client has willfully concealed or has
refused to provide pertinent information about financial situations when necessary
and appropriate, in Curio Wealth’s judgment, to providing proper financial advice.
Any unused portion of fees collected in advance will be refunded within 30 days.
The client or Curio may terminate an Advisory Service Agreement by written notice
to the other party. At termination, fees will be billed on a pro rata basis for the
portion of the quarter completed.
Brokerage
Please refer to Item 12 with respect to Curio Wealth’s brokerage practices.
Item 6
Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
Curio is not a party to any performance or incentive-related compensation
arrangements with its clients.
Item 7
Types of Clients
Description
Curio Wealth generally provides investment advice to individuals, pension and
profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, or charitable organizations, corporations or
business entities. Client relationships vary in scope and length of service.
Curio has an annual minimum fee requirement of $4,000, but does not have a
minimum asset requirement in order to engage its services. Please Also Note: In
the event that the client is subject to an annual minimum fee, the client could pay
a higher percentage fee than referenced above. Curio, in its discretion, may charge
a flat fee, waive its fee entirely, or charge fee on a different interval, based upon
certain criteria (i.e. anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated future additional
assets, dollar amount of assets to be managed, related accounts, account
composition, complexity of the engagement, anticipated services to be rendered,
grandfathered fee schedules, employees and family members, courtesy accounts,
competition, negotiations with client, etc.). Please Note: As result of the above,
similarly situated clients could pay different fees. In addition, similar advisory
services may be available from other investment advisers for similar or lower
fees.
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Item 8
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
Curio Wealth may utilize the following methods of security analysis:
Charting – (analysis performed using patterns to identify current trends and
trend reversals to forecast the direction of prices)
Fundamental – (analysis performed on historical and present data, with the
goal of making financial forecasts)
Technical – (analysis performed on historical and present data, focusing on
price and trade volume, to forecast the direction of prices)
Cyclical – (analysis performed on historical relationships between price and
market trends, to forecast the direction of prices)
The main sources of information for this analysis include financial newspapers and
magazines, research materials prepared by others, corporate rating services,
annual reports, prospectuses,
the Securities and Exchange
filings with
Commission, and company/fund press releases.
Other sources of information that Curio may use include Morningstar mutual fund
information, TD Ameritrade, Charles Schwab and Fidelity’s available research,
respective mutual fund websites and the internet.
Investment Strategies
Our primary investment strategy is to strategically allocate portfolios utilizing the
following:
Traditional Equity Investments, including equity mutual funds (with a “value”
bias)–This strategy is subject to stock market risk, meaning the securities
owned decline in value for extended periods due to the financial prospects of
individual companies or due to general market and economic conditions.
Long/Short and Market Neutral Funds, which tend to lower portfolio volatility.
In addition to the risks described above under traditional equity mutual funds,
this strategy involves the purchase of funds that could incur a loss as a result
of a “short sale” (where a security is borrowed by a fund and then sells it in
anticipation of buying the security back at a lower price) if the price of the
security sold short increases in value between the date of the short sale and
the date on which the fund purchases the security to replace the borrowed
security. In addition, a security “lender” may request, or market conditions may
dictate, that securities sold short be returned to the lender on short notice, and
the fund may have to buy the securities sold short at an unfavorable price. If
this occurs, any anticipated gain to the fund may be reduced or eliminated or
the short sale may result in a loss. The losses are potentially unlimited in a
short sale transaction. Short sales are speculative transactions and involve
special risks, including greater reliance on the fund manager’s ability to
accurately anticipate the future value of a security.
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Global Fixed Income Investments –Specific risks within this category include:
changes in interest rates will affect the value of the fund’s portfolio and its share
price and yield. Bond prices generally move in the opposite direction of interest
rates. Thus, as the prices of bonds in the fund adjust to a rise in interest rates,
the fund’s share price may decline. There are also risks associated with foreign
investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political
developments. Investments in developing markets involve greater risks related
to the same factors, in addition to those associated with their relatively small
size and lesser liquidity.
Long-Term Purchases –This strategy is subject to stock market risk, meaning
the securities owned decline in value for extended periods due to the financial
prospects of individual companies or due to general market and economic
conditions.
Short-Term Purchases–This strategy is subject to stock market risk, meaning
the securities owned decline in value for extended periods due to the financial
prospects of individual companies or due to general market and economic
conditions.
Trading–This strategy is subject to stock market risk, meaning the securities
owned decline in value for extended periods due to the financial prospects of
individual companies or due to general market and economic conditions.
Margin transactions and option writing. Curio Financial Services does not
employ any of these strategies directly. However, some of the mutual funds
and ETFs we purchase do employ these strategies. The use of options is
mostly used to help reduce risk within the fund purchased. Purchasing
securities on margin is also sometimes employed by a fund to enhance fund
performance – but this is used on an exceptionally low basis within the overall
allocation of client portfolios. The key risks associated with the strategy include:
a decline in the value of securities that are purchased on margin may require
the investor to provide additional funds to the firm that has made the loan to
avoid the forced sale of those securities or other securities in your account. It
is possible to lose more than your initial investment when you purchase a
security on margin; or the mutual fund manager’s ability to close out its option
position as a purchaser or seller of an over-the-counter or exchange-listed put
or call option is dependent, in part, upon the liquidity of the option market. There
can be significant differences between the securities and options markets that
could result in an imperfect correlation among these markets, causing a given
transaction not to achieve its objectives. The fund manager’s ability to utilize
options successfully will depend on the ability to predict pertinent market and
/or security movements, which cannot be assured.
Curio’s methods of analysis and investment strategies do not present any
significant or unusual risks. The investment strategy for a specific client is based
upon the objectives stated by the client during consultations. The client may
change these objectives at any time.
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Based on these strategies, Curio currently allocates investment assets generally
among mutual funds, exchange traded funds, individual equities, and individual
bonds.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear.
All investment programs have certain risks that are borne by the investor. Our
investment approach constantly keeps the risk of loss in mind. Investors face the
following investment risks:
Interest-rate Risk: Fluctuations in interest rates may cause investment prices
to fluctuate. For example, when interest rates rise, yields on existing bonds
become less attractive, causing their market values to decline.
factors
Market Risk: The price of a security, bond, or mutual fund may drop in reaction
to tangible and intangible events and conditions. This type of risk is caused by
external
independent of a security’s particular underlying
circumstances. For example, political, economic and social conditions may
trigger market events.
Inflation Risk: When any type of inflation is present, a dollar today will not buy
as much as a dollar next year, because purchasing power is eroding at the rate
of inflation.
Currency Risk: Overseas investments are subject to fluctuations in the value
of the dollar against the currency of the investment’s originating country. This
is also referred to as exchange rate risk.
Reinvestment Risk: This is the risk that future proceeds from investments may
have to be reinvested at a potentially lower rate of return (i.e. interest rate).
This primarily relates to fixed income securities.
Business Risk: These risks are associated with a particular industry or a
particular company within an industry. For example, oil-drilling companies
depend on finding oil and then refining it, a lengthy process, before they can
generate a profit. They carry a higher risk of profitability than an electric
company, which generates its income from a steady stream of customers who
buy electricity no matter what the economic environment is like.
Liquidity Risk: Liquidity is the ability to readily convert an investment into cash.
Generally, assets are more liquid if many traders are interested in a
standardized product. For example, Treasury Bills are highly liquid, while real
estate properties are not.
Financial Risk: Excessive borrowing to finance a business’ operations
increases the risk of profitability, because the company must meet the terms of
its obligations in good times and bad. During periods of financial stress, the
inability to meet loan obligations may result in bankruptcy and/or a declining
market value.
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Regulatory Risk. Changes in laws and regulations from any government can
change the market value of companies subject to such regulations. Certain
industries are more susceptible to government regulation. For example,
changes in zoning, tax structure or laws may impact the return on investments.
Mutual Fund Risk. Mutual funds are operated by investment companies that
raise money from shareholders and invests it in stocks, bonds, and/or other
types of securities. Each fund will have a manager that trades the fund’s
investments in accordance with the fund’s investment objective. Mutual funds
charge a separate management fee for their services, so the returns on mutual
funds are reduced by the costs to manage the funds. While mutual funds
generally provide diversification, risks can be significantly increased if the fund
is concentrated in a particular sector of the market. Mutual funds that are sold
through brokers are called load funds, and those sold to investors directly from
the fund companies are called no-load funds. Mutual funds come in many
varieties. Some invest aggressively for capital appreciation, while others are
conservative and are designed to generate income for shareholders. In
addition, the client’s overall portfolio may be affected by losses of an underlying
fund and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of an underlying
fund (such as the use of derivatives).
Exchange Traded Fund Risk. ETFs are marketable securities that are designed
to track, before fees and expenses, the performance or returns of a relevant
index, commodity, bonds or basket of assets, like an index fund. Unlike mutual
funds, ETFs trade like common stock on a stock exchange. ETFs experience
price changes throughout the day as they are bought and sold. In addition to
the general risks of investing, there are specific risks to consider with respect
to an investment in ETFs, including, but not limited to: (i) the price of an ETF
may or may not fluctuate with the price of the underlying securities that make
up the fund; (ii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high
leverage ratios; or (iii) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing
exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed
from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which
are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.
Item 9
Disciplinary Information
Legal and Disciplinary
Curio Wealth and its employees have not been the subject of any disciplinary
actions.
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Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Financial Industry Activities
Curio Wealth is not registered as a securities broker-dealer, or a futures
commission merchant, commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor, or
representative of the foregoing.
for non-investment
Curio Wealth does not serve as an attorney, accountant, or insurance agent, and
no portion of our services should be construed as same. Accordingly, Registrant
does not prepare legal documents, prepare tax returns, or sell insurance products.
To the extent requested by a client, we may recommend the services of other
implementation purpose (i.e., attorneys,
professionals
accountants, insurance, etc.).
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
Code of Ethics
The employees of Curio Wealth have committed to a Code of Ethics that is
available for review by clients and prospective clients upon request. The firm will
provide a copy of the Code of Ethics to any client or prospective client upon
request.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Curio Wealth and its employees may buy or sell securities that are also held by
clients. This practice may create a situation where Curio and/or representatives
of Curio are in a position to materially benefit from the sale or purchase of those
securities. Therefore, this situation may create a conflict of interest. No preferential
treatment is given to employee accounts. Employees must comply with the
provisions of the Curio Wealth Compliance Manual and employees’ trading activity
is monitored according to our Compliance Manual.
Personal Trading
Curio has a personal securities transaction policy in place to monitor the personal
securities transactions and securities holding of each of Curio’s employees The
Chief Compliance Officer of Curio Wealth is Lyn Dippel. She reviews all employee
trades each quarter. The personal trading reviews ensure that the personal trading
of employees does not affect the markets, and that clients of the firm receive
preferential treatment. Since most employee trades are small mutual fund trades
or exchange-traded fund trades, the trades do not affect the securities markets.
Item 12 Brokerage Practices
Selecting Brokerage Firms
Curio participates in the institutional advisor programs (the “Programs”) offered by
Charles Schwab Institutional and Fidelity Institutional. Charles Schwab Institutional
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is a division of Charles Schwab & Co, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC (“Charles
Schwab”). Fidelity Institutional is a division of Fidelity Investments, member of
FINRA/SIPC (“Fidelity”). Charles Schwab and Fidelity are unaffiliated SEC-
registered broker-dealers offering independent investment advisors services,
which include custody of securities, trade execution, clearance, and settlement of
transactions. Advisor receives some benefits from Fidelity and Charles Schwab
through its participation in the Programs.
Best Execution and Brokerage Practices
In the event that the client requests that Curio recommend a broker-
dealer/custodian for execution and/or custodial services (exclusive of those clients
that may direct [see below] Curio to use a specific broker-dealer/custodian), Curio
generally recommends that investment management accounts be maintained at
Charles Schwab or Fidelity. Prior to engaging Curio to provide investment
management services, the client will be required to enter into a formal agreement
with Curio setting forth the terms and conditions under which Curio shall manage
the client's assets, and a separate custodial/clearing agreement with each
designated broker-dealer/custodian.
Factors that we consider in recommending Charles Schwab or Fidelity (or any
other broker-dealer/custodian to clients) include historical relationship with Curio,
financial strength, reputation, execution capabilities, pricing, research, and service.
Although the commissions and/or transaction fees paid by our clients shall comply
with our duty to seek to obtain best execution, a client may pay a commission that
is higher than another qualified broker-dealer might charge to effect the same
transaction where we determine, in good faith, that the commission/transaction fee
is reasonable. 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. Accordingly, although Curio will seek competitive rates, it
may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rates for client account
transactions. The brokerage commissions or transaction fees charged by the
designated broker-dealer/custodian are exclusive of, and in addition to, our
investment management fee.
Research and Additional Benefits
As disclosed above, Curio participates in Charles Schwab and Fidelity’s Programs
and Curio may recommend Charles Schwab or Fidelity to Clients for custody and
brokerage services. There is no direct link between Curio’s participation in the
Programs and the investment advice it gives to its clients, although Curio receives
economic benefits through its participation in the Programs that are typically not
available to Charles Schwab or Fidelity’s 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 Curio participants;
access to block trading (which provides the ability to aggregate securities
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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 Curio by
third party vendors. Charles Schwab and Fidelity may also have paid for business
consulting and professional services received by Curio’s related persons. Some of
the products and services made available by Charles Schwab and Fidelity through
the Programs may benefit Curio but may not benefit its client accounts. These
products or services may assist Curio in managing and administering client
accounts, including accounts not maintained at Charles Schwab or Fidelity. Other
services made available by Charles Schwab or Fidelity are intended to help Curio
manage and further develop its business enterprise. The benefits received by
Curio or its personnel through participation in the Programs do not depend on the
amount of brokerage transactions directed to Charles Schwab and Fidelity. As part
of its fiduciary duties to clients, Curio endeavors at all times to put the interests of
its clients first. Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic
benefits by Curio or its related persons in and of itself creates a conflict of interest
and may indirectly influence the Advisor’s choice of Charles Schwab or Fidelity for
custody and brokerage services.
Curio’s clients do not pay more for investment transactions effected and/or assets
maintained at Charles Schwab or Fidelity as a result of this arrangement. There is
no corresponding commitment made by Curio to Charles Schwab or Fidelity or any
other entity to invest any specific amount or percentage of client assets in any
specific mutual funds, securities, or other investment products as a result of the
above arrangement.
Curio’s Chief Compliance Officer, Lyn Dippel, remains available to address
any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the
above arrangement and the conflict of interest this arrangement creates.
Directed Brokerage: Curio recommends that its clients utilize the brokerage and
custodial services provided by Charles Schwab or Fidelity. The Firm generally
does not accept directed brokerage arrangements (but could make exceptions). A
directed brokerage arrangement arises when a client requires that account
transactions be effected through a specific broker-dealer/custodian, other than one
generally recommended by Curio. In client directed brokerage arrangements, the
client will negotiate terms and arrangements for his/her account with his/her
designated broker-dealer, and we will not seek better execution services or prices
from other broker-dealers or be able to “batch” the client’s transactions for
execution through other broker-dealers with orders for other accounts managed by
us. As a result, a client may pay higher commissions or other transaction costs or
greater spreads, or receive less favorable net prices, on transactions for the
account than would otherwise be the case. Higher transaction costs adversely
impact account performance.
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Order Aggregation
Transactions for each client account will generally be effected independently
unless Curio decides to purchase or sell the same securities for several clients at
approximately the same time. Curio may (but is not obligated to) combine or
“bunch” orders for individual equity transactions (including ETFs) with the intention
to obtain better price execution, to negotiate more favorable commission rates, or
to allocate more equitably among Curio’s clients differences in prices and
commissions or other transaction costs that might have occurred had such orders
been placed independently. Under this procedure, transactions will be averaged
as to price and will be allocated among clients in proportion to the purchase and
sale orders placed for each client account on any given day. Curio does not
receive any additional compensation because of such aggregation
Item 13 Review of Accounts
Periodic Reviews
Account reviews are performed on an ongoing basis by James Kantowski, Jacob
Sadler, Yvonne Scoggins, Lyn Dippel, Elizabeth Gillette or Chad Whitzel, but no
less than quarterly. All clients are encouraged to review their financial situation,
investment objectives and account performance with Curio on an annual basis.
Review Triggers
Other conditions that may trigger a review are changes in the tax laws, new
investment information, market corrections, changes in a client's own situation and
by a client’s request.
Regular Reports
Clients receive periodic communications on at least an annual basis. Advisory
Service Agreement clients and Retainer Agreement clients usually receive
updates more regularly. The updates generally include a net worth statement,
portfolio statement, estate review, tax review, and a summary of objectives and
progress towards meeting those objectives.
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Incoming Referrals
Curio does not compensate, directly or indirectly, any person, other than its
representatives, for client referrals. Although Curio does not compensate, directly
or indirectly, any broker dealer or other financial institution for referring clients to
the firm, Curio may receive referrals from Charles Schwab.
Referrals Out
Curio Wealth does not accept referral fees or any form of remuneration from other
professionals when a prospect or client is referred to them.
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Other Compensation
As referenced in Item 12 above, Curio receives economic benefits from Charles
Schwab and Fidelity including support services and/or products without cost
(and/or at a discount). There is no corresponding commitment made by Charles
Schwab or Fidelity or any other entity to invest any specific amount or percentage
of client assets in any specific mutual funds, securities or other investment
products as a result of the above arrangement.
Curio’s Chief Compliance Officer, Lyn Dippel, remains available to address any
questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the above
arrangement and any corresponding conflict of interest.
Item 15 Custody
Account Statements
All assets are held at qualified custodians, which means the custodians provide
account statements directly to clients at their address of record at least quarterly.
Clients are urged to carefully review those account statements.
Performance Reports
Clients are urged to compare the account statements received directly from their
custodians to the performance report statements provided by Curio Wealth. The
account custodian does not verify the accuracy of Curio’s advisory fee calculation.
Net Worth Statements
Clients may be provided net worth statements and net worth graphs that are
generated from our wealth management system. Net worth statements contain
approximations of bank account balances provided by the client, as well as the
value of land and hard-to-price real estate. The net worth statements are used for
long-term financial planning where the exact values of assets are not material to
the financial planning tasks.
Custody
In addition, Curio and/or certain of its members engage in other services and/or
practices (i.e., bill paying, , trustee service, etc.) requiring disclosure at Item 9 of
Part 1 of Form ADV. These services and practices result in Curio having custody
under Rule 206(4)-2 of the Advisers Act. Per the Rule, having such custody
requires Curio to undergo an annual surprise CPA examination, and make a
corresponding Form ADV-E filing with the SEC, for as long as Curio provides such
services and/or engages in such practices. Curio’s Chief Compliance Officer, Lyn
Dippel, remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective
client may have regarding custody-related issues.
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Item 16 Investment Discretion
Discretionary Authority for Trading
Curio Wealth accepts discretionary authority to manage securities accounts on
behalf of clients. Curio Wealth has the authority to determine, without obtaining
specific client consent, the securities to be bought or sold, and the amount of the
securities to be bought or sold. Where a client has requested that Curio Wealth
purchase or hold a specific security, it consults with the client prior to each trade
in that security.
The client approves the custodian to be used and the commission rates paid to the
custodian. Curio Wealth does not receive any portion of the transaction fees or
commissions paid by the client to the custodian.
in writing, on Curio’s discretionary authority (i.e.,
limit
Clients who engage Curio on a discretionary basis may, at any time, impose
the
restrictions,
types/amounts of particular securities purchased for their account, exclude the
ability to purchase securities with an inverse relationship to the market, etc.).
Discretionary trading authority facilitates placing trades in your accounts on your
behalf so that we may promptly implement the investment policy that you have
approved.
Limited Power of Attorney
A limited power of attorney is a trading authorization for this purpose. You sign a
limited power of attorney so that we may execute the trades that you have
approved.
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
Proxy Votes
Curio Wealth does not vote proxies on securities. Clients are expected to vote their
own proxies. Clients maintain exclusive responsibility for: (1) directing the manner
in which proxies solicited by issuers of securities owned by the client shall be voted;
and (2) making all elections, decisions, and filings relative to any mergers,
acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings, class actions, or other type
actions or events pertaining to the client’s investment assets.
Clients will receive their proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian.
Clients may contact Curio Wealth to discuss any questions they may have with a
particular solicitation.
Each client has the right and responsibility to take any actions with respect to any
legal proceedings, including without limitation, bankruptcies and shareholder
litigation, and the right to initiate or pursue any legal proceedings, including without
limitation, shareholder litigation, including with respect to transactions, securities
or other investments held in the client’s account or the issuers thereof.
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Item 18 Financial Information
Financial Condition
Curio Wealth does not have any financial impairment that will preclude the firm
from meeting contractual commitments relating to its discretionary authority over
certain client accounts.
A balance sheet is not required to be provided because Curio Wealth does not
serve as a custodian for client funds or securities and does not require prepayment
of fees six months or more in advance.
Curio Wealth has not been the subject of bankruptcy petition.
Curio’s Chief Compliance Officer, Lyn Dippel, remains available to address
any questions regarding this Brochure.
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