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SEC File No. 801-41722
ESI Financial Advisors
• One National Life Drive • Montpelier, VT 05604 •
• (800) 344-7437 •
www.equity-services.com
ESI Illuminations (FMAX)
Form ADV, Part 2A - Appendix 1
August 11, 2025
This wrap fee program brochure (“Brochure”) provides information about the qualifications and
business practices of Equity Services, Inc. doing business as ESI Financial Advisors. If you have
any questions about the contents of this Brochure, please contact us at 1-800- 344-7437 and/or
ESICompliance@nationallife.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 ESI Financial Advisors also is available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The SEC’s website also provides information about any persons
affiliated with ESI Financial Advisors who are registered as investment adviser representatives of
ESI Financial Advisors.
ESI Financial Advisors is a registered investment adviser. Registration of an investment adviser
does not imply any level of skill or training. The oral and written communications of an adviser
provide you with information about which you determine to hire or retain an adviser.
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Item 2 – Material Changes
ESI Financial Advisors (“EFA”) has executed an agreement with Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser, LLC
(“FIWA”) whereby, effective October 1, 2025, ESI will utilize FIWA’s Fidelity Managed Account Xchange
(“FMAX”) platform. This change constitutes an assignment of existing clients’ advisory agreements from
Envestnet to FIWA and makes FIWA a co-advisor with EFA. In conjunction with this change, all ESI
Illuminations programs will only be offered as wrap fee programs. Item 4 (Services, Fees and Compensation)
of this Brochure provides a detailed explanation of advisory programs and account billing following this
change.
Please note that, as a current client of EFA, the March 28, 2025 version of ESI’s Form ADV Part 2A-
Appendix 1 which pertains to your selected program (i.e. ESI Illuminations, ESI Directions, or ESI
Compass) remains in effect until EFA’s scheduled conversion of existing ESI Illuminations accounts
to the FMAX platform in January 2026.
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Item 3 -Table of Contents
Item 2 – Material Changes ...................................................................................................... 2
Item 3 -Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... 3
Item 4 – Services, Fees and Compensation ............................................................................ 4
Item 5 – Account Requirements and Types of Clients ........................................................... 11
Item 6 – Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation ............................................................ 11
Item 7 – Client Information Provided to Portfolio Managers .................................................. 13
Item 8 – Client Contact with Portfolio Managers ................................................................... 13
Item 9 – Additional Information ............................................................................................. 13
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Item 4 – Services, Fees and Compensation
Equity Services, Inc. (“ESI”) is a registered broker/dealer, as well as a federally registered investment
adviser, doing business as ESI Financial Advisors (“EFA” or “the Firm”). ESI was founded in 1968 as an
affiliate of National Life Insurance Company (“National Life”), which began doing business in 1848. NLV
Financial Corporation is the sole shareholder of ESI, and the National Life Group companies, which includes
National Life and Life Insurance Company of the Southwest (“LSW”). EFA provides financial
planning/consulting services and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates,
charitable organizations, and retirement plans including pension and profit-sharing plans. EFA has been
registered with the SEC since 1992. As of 12/31/2024, the Firm managed approximately $1.9 billion in non-
discretionary assets and approximately $527 million in discretionary assets across its advisory programs.
Before investing in an advisory program, clients should decide if they are comfortable delegating the day-
to-day management of their account(s). Investors in advisory programs typically:
• Desire advice and guidance when making investment decisions;
• When working with a discretionary manager, are at ease with a financial professional making
their day-to-day investment decisions;
• Are willing to follow a disciplined investment strategy;
• Are comfortable paying quarterly, asset-based (percentage) fees for investments and advice
rather than individual commissions or sales charges.
EFA, through its Investment Adviser Representatives (“IAR” or “advisory representative”), offers asset
management programs intended to meet individuals’ needs and goals based on an analysis of their liquidity
needs, time frame, and income and tax bracket, as well as an evaluation of their risk tolerance and
investment objectives. The client’s advisory representative will seek to review and update this information
at least annually, or at the client’s request. EFA asset management programs use different investment
vehicles to meet a client’s needs and goals. Depending on the selected program, the following types of
investments are used:
oil and gas
U.S. government securities
Certificates of deposit
Options
Cash equivalents
Over-the-counter securities
Interests in partnerships
(real estate,
interests, equipment leasing)
Exchange-listed securities
Corporate debt securities
Municipal securities
Mutual fund shares
Interval fund shares
Recommended investment strategies are primarily long-term strategies. However, based on the client’s
needs and goals, short-term strategies and trading may be suitable, as well as margin transactions or option
writing (including covered options, uncovered options, or spreading strategies). Clients have the ability to
impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities, subject to the discretionary
manager’s ability to comply with the request. Clients should ensure they understand the nature of their
advisory agreement with EFA and any other third-party asset manager (“TPAM”) they engage to
provide asset management services.
ESI Illuminations
Working with Fidelity Institutional Wealth Advisors (“FIWA”)1, EFA offers a customized investment
management platform called ESI Illuminations (“Illuminations”) through FIWA’s advisory platform, Fidelity
Managed Account Xchange, or “FMAX”. EFA offers the following asset management programs on the ESI
Illuminations platform: Third-Party Strategist, Multi-Manager Accounts, Unified Managed Accounts,
Separately Managed Accounts and Advisor-as-Portfolio Manager. Clients work with their advisory
representative to determine an appropriate investment model to address their risk tolerance and investment
objectives.
Custody of client assets is maintained by National Financial Services, LLC ("NFS") with accounts registered
1 EFA and FIWA are not affiliated.
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in the client's name. A copy of this Brochure and of FIWA’s Form ADV Part 2A is given to Illuminations
clients. Additionally, clients choosing a third-party manager on the Illuminations platform will receive a Form
ADV Part 2A for the chosen manager.
EFA and its advisory representatives do not have authority to implement investment transactions on a
discretionary basis, except as noted below (see “Discretion”). Unless a third-party Strategist, other separate
account managers, or the advisory representative have been given discretionary authority by the client, all
transactions must be approved by the client.
Clients have the ability to place reasonable restrictions on the investments within the Illuminations
programs. This also includes the ability to place reasonable restrictions on the investments purchased
through separate account manager(s). Contact your advisory representative for assistance with facilitating
these restrictions.
Third-Party Strategist Programs
In the Third-Party Strategist program, FIWA makes available various asset management firms
(“Strategists”) to offer actively managed portfolios, comprised of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds.
These Strategists manage accounts on a discretionary basis. FIWA manages the programs pursuant to
trade and rebalancing instructions provided by the Strategist. Each Strategist establishes their own
minimum investment requirement(s) but reserves the right to permit initial investments below the stated
minimum, at their discretion.
Unified Managed Accounts (“UMA”)
The Illuminations UMA program gives clients the ability to utilize the services and strategies of multiple
managers within one brokerage account. EFA, through its IARs, builds and recommends UMA portfolios,
which provide diversification among strategies and/or third-party managers, as well as Separate Account
Managers. As the administrator, FIWA executes trading activity, as instructed by the various third-party
managers, and maintains the allocation in accordance with the client’s Statement of Investment Selection
(“SIS”). The platform technology provides the ability to unify multiple strategies and apply ongoing re-
balancing within one account.
Strategist Managed UMA programs give clients the ability to select a Strategist to build and manage
diversified UMA portfolios, which can incorporate general securities, as well as investment models managed
by other third-party Strategists. As the overlay manager, FIWA executes trading activity, as instructed by
the Strategist, who builds and manages the account on a discretionary basis, in accordance with the client’s
SIS.
Separately Managed Accounts (“SMA”) are available under the UMA program. SMAs give clients the ability
to invest in specific sectors and/or asset classes. The SMA manager is the discretionary manager and often
uses general securities but also has the option of utilizing mutual funds or ETFs. Clients utilizing a SMA in
their UMA portfolio have the ability to use additional overlay services, at an additional cost, such as tax
management and impact overlay (which allows the investor to incorporate certain policies, such as
Environmental and Social Governance (ESG), into their portfolio.
Advisor as Portfolio Manager (“APM”)
The Illuminations platform offers three programs in which IARs act as the portfolio manager: Flagship
Select, ESI Directions, and ESI Compass. Advisors who want to offer APM as a service to their clients are
subject to review and approval by the Firm prior to being granted access to these programs. Depending on
their qualifications, IARs may be restricted in which program(s) they can offer.
When selecting an APM program, the client and the IAR compile pertinent financial and other information
to develop an investment portfolio designed to meet the client’s goals and objectives. The advisory
representative uses a system provided by FMAX to analyze the client’s information and recommend an
appropriate asset allocation strategy, called an “investment model”. The investment model is based on the
client’s needs, objectives, investment time horizon, risk tolerance and other factors relevant to the client,
as applicable. The advisory representative builds and recommends an investment model in accordance
with the selected program. Advisory representatives may make different recommendations for similar
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investment strategies.
The Firm retains the option to waive advisory fees on load mutual fund positions transferred into the program
from other existing positions for certain periods of time, depending on the holding period of the transferred
position.
Flagship Select is an asset allocation program where the advisory representative will recommend
appropriate mutual funds, interval funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), and/or money market funds to
build the portfolios, and the client may choose to purchase the recommended securities.
ESI Directions is an asset allocation program similar in structure to Flagship Select, but differs in that, in
addition to the asset classes available through Flagship Select, the advisory representative can recommend
appropriate stocks, bonds, options, unit investment trusts, certificates of deposit, structured products, and
cash equivalents.
ESI Compass is an asset allocation program where the advisory representative will recommend appropriate
assets such as stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, interval funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs"), unit
investment trusts, certificates of deposit, structured products, and cash equivalents. ESI Compass differs
from the Firm’s other advisor-as-portfolio programs in that clients assign full discretionary trading authority to
their advisor.
For discretionary accounts (described under “Disclosure” below), model portfolios are constructed and
rebalanced by EFA and its advisory representatives in accordance with the client’s Advisory Agreement. For
non-discretionary accounts, the client must provide consent, prior to execution, for any transactions in their
account. EFA reserves the right to waive minimum investment requirements for accounts in the APM
programs.
Discretion
ESI Flagship Select and ESI Directions accounts established prior to March 30, 2016 did not grant the Firm
nor its advisory representatives the authority to exercise investment discretion (unless the client
subsequently granted this authority to their advisory representative in writing). The owner(s) of such
accounts can grant discretion, under the parameters listed below, by providing written authorization in a
form acceptable to the Firm at any time.
ESI Flagship Select and ESI Directions accounts established on or after March 30, 2016 grant the Firm
discretionary trading authority, which acts as an instruction from the client to the advisory representative
and the Firm to trade securities in the account, under the parameters listed below.
The discretionary investment and trading authority given to EFA, meaning the authority to rebalance the
existing holdings in a client’s account through purchasing and selling securities without first obtaining the
client’s express permission for each transaction, is permitted in the circumstances described below:
• Executing transactions in the account for the purpose of rebalancing the portfolio back to within the
client’s risk tolerance, as determined by the latest Investor Profile Questionnaire on file with the
Firm;
• Executing transactions when concerned that a variance may result because an account’s risk score
has changed;
• Using discretion as to the time the Firm will make a trade in the account and the price paid for
securities in accordance with the Firm’s obligation to seek best execution.
Neither EFA nor the IAR are permitted to introduce new holdings to the portfolio without the client’s express
permission.
Clients who choose to invest in the ESI Compass program sign an advisory agreement which grants EFA
and the IAR discretionary trading authority in the account. Under the Agreement, discretionary trading
authority includes any and all of the following:
• Selecting the investments for the account;
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• Removing investments from the account;
• Replacing an investment in the account with another investment;
• Where circumstances require, utilizing a transition fund, which is a short-term money market
vehicle, to facilitate an investment replacement. The decision to use a transition fund is solely in
the Firm’s discretion;
• Determining the asset allocations and changing an asset allocation at any time;
• Adding and removing asset allocation categories, which could result in the purchase or sale of
individual securities;
• Using discretion as to the time EFA will make a trade in their account and the price paid for
investments in accordance with the Firm’s obligation of best execution;
Investing funds and reinvesting all dividends and proceeds earned by the account;
• Aggregating trades;
•
• Automatically buying and selling securities to rebalance the account to the target asset allocation
when determined necessary by EFA;
• Deducting cash or selling money market shares and other assets for Program Fees and
deducting the proceeds from the account to pay EFA the advisory fee;
• Determining the appropriate mutual fund share classes for the account, which may not be the
lowest-priced share class in the particular mutual fund;
• Exchanging mutual fund shares into another mutual fund share class;
• Converting mutual fund shares from an existing share class to a share class available outside of
the ESI Compass account if the advisory agreement is terminated; and
Implementing any reasonable restrictions.
•
In no instance do either EFA or the IAR have authority to choose or change the client’s investment objective.
The discretionary investment and trading authority given to EFA can be exercised by the Firm and/or the
client’s IAR at any time and without prior notice to the client of each specific transaction. All clients receive
quarterly statements from National Financial Services, LLC (“NFS”), detailing activity in their account(s).
Clients should carefully review their statements upon receipt. Questions regarding trading activity should
be directed to the IAR.
Services
Illuminations provides clients with a range of investment advisory services. EFA, the advisory
representative, and FIWA each provide certain services through the platform. These services include:
• Assessment of the client’s investment needs and objectives;
• Recommendation of an investment model;
• Development and recommendation of an asset allocation model designed to meet the client’s
objectives;
• Evaluation of securities meeting the investment model and allocation criteria;
• Periodic reviews to ensure accounts adhere to policy guidelines and asset allocation;
• Recommendations for account rebalancing, if necessary;
• Online and paper reporting of account performance; and
• Custody services, trade execution, and confirmation and statement generation, through
NFS.
Though all of the above-referenced services may be offered, the client can select one or more of the
services. EFA does not require the client to utilize all services offered above. However, all Illuminations
assets are custodied at NFS.
Advisory representatives recommend securities to clients on the basis of the client’s individual financial
situation. Each client selects the account’s investment objective and has the opportunity to impose
reasonable restrictions on the recommendations the advisory representative makes to the client. On a
quarterly basis, they are reminded to confirm the accuracy of their information, and to determine if there are
any changes to their investment objectives or restrictions. The advisory representative is available to
answer any questions, and to implement any changes the client requests as a result of changes in their
finances, personal circumstances, or the financial markets.
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What Clients Should Know About Advisory Accounts
When making the determination of whether an Illuminations account is appropriate for their needs, clients
should bear in mind that fee-based accounts (commonly referred to as “advisory” accounts), when
compared with commission-based accounts (such as brokerage accounts), often result in lower transaction
costs during periods when trading activity is heavier, such as the year an account is established. However,
during periods when trading activity is lower, fee-based accounts may result in a higher annual cost to the
client than a traditional brokerage account. Thus, depending on a number of factors, the total cost under a
fee-based account, versus a commission-based account, can vary significantly. Factors which affect the cost
of maintaining an account include account size, amount of turnover within the account, type and quantities
of securities purchased or sold, commission rates, and the client’s tax situation.
In a wrap fee program, such as Illuminations, internal expenses, trading costs, and other administrative
expenses are included in the total fee paid by the client. As such, the advisory fee you negotiate with your
IAR may be higher for an account in a wrap fee program than it might be for accounts in other advisory
programs that offer similar services, but which do not offer a bundled approach to pricing. Clients should
ensure they understand the services and product features being provided for the fee they agree to pay, and
are free to accept or decline any program offered by EFA and/or the advisory representative.
Clients should discuss their program with their advisory representative and read this Brochure carefully, as
it explains the various offerings available on the Illuminations platform in detail.
Asset-Based Pricing (“ABP”)
Under ESI’s fully disclosed clearing agreement with NFS, ESI pays NFS a fee, based on the amount of
assets on the platform, for custodial and brokerage services for advisory accounts. This fee decreases as
more assets are placed on the platform. Therefore, ESI has a financial incentive to place more assets with
NFS to reduce its costs and increase its profit.
Because ESI pays this asset-based fee to NFS, NFS does not charge ESI fees commonly called “transaction
fees”, which are fees typically charged each time there is a purchase or sale of most mutual funds, bonds,
equities or options. Therefore, ESI will generally not charge transaction fees to accounts using ABP.
However, ESI will still charge ABP accounts service fees in conjunction with providing certain services. For
a comprehensive list of transaction and service fees, please consult your brokerage agreement or ESI’s
website (www.equity-services.com).
NFS does not charge ESI the asset-based fee on NTF2 funds, Fidelity retail funds, cash and cash
equivalents, and non-standard assets (which include: foreign securities, alternative investments, and non-
marketable securities). However, when these funds or programs are used in our programs, ESI’s program
fee under ABP remains the same. Therefore, ESI has an incentive to use these funds or programs, because
EFA will make more profit when they are used.
Fees and Expenses: 12b-1 Fees
Certain funds available on the Illuminations platform pay additional compensation to the Firm, such as 12b-
1 (trail) fees. Other funds available through the Illuminations platform do not pay the Firm 12b-1 fees. This
creates a conflict of interest, because it creates a financial incentive, specifically the receipt of additional
compensation, for ESI to recommend mutual funds with greater expenses.
To eliminate this conflict, 12b-1 fees charged to accounts on the Illuminations platform are credited back to
the customer by the custodian (i.e. NFS). Therefore, the Firm does not retain 12b-1 revenue from accounts
on the Illuminations platform.
Fees and Expenses: NTF, Non-NTF, and Asset-Based Pricing
Under the ABP structure, mutual funds with lower internal expenses are typically purchased, but the client
pays a program fee that covers transaction charges. NTF funds may not be purchased in accounts subject
to ABP. If you are not comfortable with the fees and expenses associated with NTF funds (compared to
less expensive alternatives), you should instruct your IAR to not recommend NTF funds, and you should not
2 No Transaction Fee (“NTF”) funds do not charge a separate transaction fee for trading activity.
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agree to purchase NTF funds.
Investor Fees
Under ABP, the total Investor Fee is comprised of:
1) the Program Fee;
2) the Intermediary, or “Advisory”, Fee (negotiated between the client and the IAR);
3) Third-party manager’s fee (if applicable).
The Program Fee you pay to use asset-based pricing ranges between 0.08% and 0.26%, based on the
assets under management and the selected program. EFA retains the Program Fee.
Annually, eligible IARs receive a portion of the Program Fee that was paid to the Firm, based on the average
monthly amount of total client assets they had on the Illuminations platform over the previous year.
Specifically, IARs receive payments according to the following schedule:
Average Monthly Balance on ESI
Illuminations Platform
$0 – $4,999,999
$5,000,000 - $25,000,000
$25,000,001 - $50,000,000
$50,000,001 - $75,000,000
$75,000,001 - 100,000,000
$100,000,001+
Credit
0%
0.01%
0.015%
0.02%
0.025%
0.03%
For illustrative purposes, under this model, an advisor whose average monthly AUM is $10 million would
receive $1,000 (or 0.01%) from EFA. This income is paid to the advisor out of the revenue that would
otherwise be retained by the Firm and does not result in an increased fee to your account. However, this
incentive creates a conflict of interest in that the advisor receives more compensation for placing assets on
the Illuminations platform than they might otherwise receive by using another asset management provider.
If you are not comfortable with this, you can select another advisory program offered by EFA that is not on
the Illuminations platform.
The Advisory Fee can range from 0%–2.00%. On a quarterly basis, a portion of the Advisory Fee (typically
between 50%-85%) is paid to the IAR according to their compensation agreement with EFA. The remaining
portion of the Advisory Fee is retained by EFA and/or the IAR’s supervisor, depending on the IAR’s
compensation schedule.
The Advisory Fee is negotiable and assessed on an individual basis according to methods disclosed to and
agreed upon in advance with the client via the Statement of Investment Selection (“SIS”). When determining
the Advisory Fee, the advisory representative considers, among other factors, the complexity of the work
performed, time involved, degree of responsibility of the advisory representative, special needs and
characteristics of the client, and the types of investments.
To the extent that the client engages one or more third-party asset managers through the Strategist, UMA
or SMA programs, those managers charge a separate management fee for services provided, which is
included in the total Investor Fee.
The Investor Fee is provided to the client in the SIS, which is provided to and signed by the client at the
time the account is opened. The quarterly Investor Fee is billed at the beginning of the quarter in which
services will be provided, based on the account’s average daily balance over the quarter that just ended. If
a client chooses to close their Illuminations account before the end of a quarter, they will receive a
reimbursement of fees paid, prorated for the number of days remaining in the quarter for which asset
management services will not be provided.
Certain accounts established prior to February 15, 2021 bill fees in arrears based on the average daily
balance of the account at the end of the quarter for which services were provided. Clients who choose to
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close such an account before the end of a quarter will be charged a prorated advisory fee for the number
of days in the quarter for which services were provided.
New accounts opened during the first or second month of the quarter are billed initially for the days from
inception to the end of the quarter, based on the initial value. New accounts opened during the last month
of the quarter are initially billed for the days from inception to the end of the month, plus the next full quarter.
The initial payment will become due in full on the date the account is accepted and will be based on the
account asset value as of that date. Subsequent quarterly investor fees will be calculated based upon the
account’s average daily balance over the quarter that just ended.
Investor fees may be more or less than if a client paid separately for investment advice, brokerage and other
services, or when compared to other available programs, subject to a number of factors, such as: the level
of trading in a client’s account and the cost of services, if provided separately. The compensation received
by the advisory representative through ESI Illuminations may be more or less than the compensation they
would have received if the client had participated in other programs or paid separately for advice, brokerage,
and other services. Accordingly, the IAR could have a financial incentive to recommend a wrap fee program
over other programs or services.
Fee adjustments for withdrawal of funds in one quarter will be made in the following quarter. Any fee owed
pursuant to the terms of the SIS will be deducted, by the custodian, from the client’s account. All fees paid
will be reported to the client on the quarterly statements.
If NFS is the custodian of the client’s account, cash balances in taxable accounts will be held in Fidelity
Government Money Market Fund (SPAXX) and cash balances in retirement accounts will be held in Fidelity
Cash Reserves (FDRXX), unless a different election is made by the client.
Additional Charges
The Program Fee does not cover certain charges associated with securities transactions in clients’ accounts,
including: (i) dealer markups, markdowns or spreads charged on transactions in over- the-counter
securities; (ii) costs relating to trading in certain foreign securities; (iii) the fees and expenses imposed by
mutual funds and closed-end funds, unit investment trusts, exchange- traded funds or real estate
investment trusts (such as operating expenses, management fees, redemption fees, 12b-1 fees and other
fees and expenses as stated in the fund’s prospectus or offering document); (iv) the charge to carry tax lot
information on transferred mutual funds or other pooled funds, postage and handling charges, returned
check charges, transfer taxes; stock exchange fees or other fees mandated by law, and (v) any brokerage
commissions or other charges, including contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSC”), imposed upon the
liquidation of “in-kind assets” that are transferred into the program. Liquidation of in-kind assets can result
in tax consequences. Clients should consult their tax advisor accordingly.
The Program Fee does not cover certain fees that are charged to clients by the custodian. Clients generally
also pay for specific account services, such as ACAT transfers, electronic fund and wire transfer charges,
and for other optional services elected by clients. Accounts with holdings that are not classified as NTF are
subject to transaction-based charges for the purchase and sale of non-NTF securities and mutual funds.
These transactional costs are borne by the advisory representative(s) on the account. The Program Fee
does not cover certain non-brokerage-related fees such as individual retirement account (“IRA”) trustee or
custodian fees, tax-qualified retirement plan account fees, and annual or termination fees for retirement
accounts (such as IRAs).
Clients often incur redemption fees when the advisory representative and the client determine to sell shares
of a security before the expiration of the security’s minimum holding period. Depending on the length of the
redemption period, the particular investment strategy, and/or market circumstances, the advisory
representative and the client may be able to minimize any redemption fees when it is reasonable to allow a
client to remain invested in a security until the minimum holding period expires. Please see the specific
mutual fund’s prospectus for detailed information regarding such fees. Certain applicable fees can be
avoided through the selection of mutual fund share classes which are not subject to such applicable fees, if
clients are eligible for such reduced fee share classes.
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Item 5 – Account Requirements and Types of Clients
The minimum account size to participate in programs offered on the Illuminations platform is generally
$50,000. The minimum account size is subject to review, at EFA’s discretion, based upon the circumstances
of each client. Certain programs, such as Strategist Managed UMAs, are designed for high-net worth clients
and generally maintain higher minimum initial investments.
Clients include individuals, corporations and other business entities, pension and profit-sharing plans,
trusts, estates and charitable organizations. The Firm does not permit municipal entity clients on the
Illuminations platform. The Firm reserves the right to prohibit anyone or any account type from investing in
any of its advisory programs if it believes the recommended program is not an appropriate investment
strategy for the client.
Item 6 – Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation
EFA has contracted with FIWA to provide performance reporting, fee calculation and billing, and to generate
suggested rebalancing trades for the client’s account. FIWA generates a Time Weighted Rate of Return
(“TWRR”), calculated net of all fees, for each account. This information is included on the client’s Quarterly
Performance Report. EFA does not calculate investment performance on a uniform basis. EFA does not
monitor or review performance data provided from FIWA for accuracy.
Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
EFA does not charge any performance-based fees (fees based on a share of capital gains or capital
appreciation of the assets of a client).
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
EFA’s advisory representatives generally use technical and/or fundamental analysis when analyzing
securities. Technical analysis generally involves studying trends and movements in a security’s price,
trading volume, and other market-related factors in an attempt to discern patterns. Fundamental analysis
generally involves assessing a company’s or security’s value based on factors such as sales, assets,
markets, management, products and services, earnings, and financial structure. Sources of information for
analysis include research material acquired from outside vendors, financial newspapers and magazines,
annual reports, prospectuses, filings with the SEC and company press releases.
Investment strategies used to implement investment advice to clients may include: long term purchases
(securities held at least a year), short term purchases (securities sold within a year), trading (securities sold
within 30 days), margin transactions, and option writing.
The IAR will utilize certain asset allocation tools and investment research materials prepared by third-party
investment advisers in constructing an appropriate asset allocation for a client and in monitoring the
performance of the investment portfolio selected.
Investing in securities involves several risks of which clients should be informed, and prepared to bear, prior
to investing. The list below explains the various forms of risk associated with investing in securities:
Common stocks may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time. Price changes
may occur in the market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry, or
sector of the market. In addition, the types of stocks in which a particular fund invests, such as value stocks,
growth stocks, large-capitalization stocks, mid-capitalization stocks, small-capitalization stocks and/or
micro-capitalization stocks, may underperform the market as a whole. In addition, growth stocks can be
more volatile than other types of stocks. Value stocks can continue to be undervalued by the market for long
periods of time. Additionally, dividends paid on common stocks can vary significantly over the short-term
and long-term. Dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of an issuer’s
board of directors. There is no guarantee that the issuers of common stocks in which a portfolio invests will
declare dividends in the future or that if declared they will remain at current levels or increase over time.
Fixed income risks include credit risk, interest rate risk, and high yield risk.
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Liquidity risk is the risk that an investor may not be able to sell shares at an advantageous time or price.
Interval funds, for example, offer investors the opportunity to generate income but only offer liquidation of
shares on a limited basis (for example: redemptions may be limited to a maximum of 5% of the fund’s assets)
and only during defined time periods. Additionally, there is no secondary market for interval fund shares.
Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security will be unable to make interest and principal payments
when due and the related risk that the value of a security may decline because of concerns about the
issuer’s ability to make such payments. Credit risk may be heightened for portfolios that invest in “high yield”
securities.
Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of a portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. Interest
rate risk is generally lower for shorter-term investments and higher for longer-term investments. Duration is
a common measure of interest rate risk. Duration measures a bond’s expected life on a present value basis,
taking into account the bond’s yield, interest payments and final maturity. The longer the duration of a bond,
the greater the bond’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
High yield, or below investment grade securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adviser
economic conditions than investment grade securities. In addition, the secondary trading market for below
investment grade securities may be less liquid. High yield securities generally have more volatile prices and
carry more risk to principal than investment grade securities.
International Investing Risk is the risk associated with investing in securities or issuers in markets other than
the United States. Foreign issuers may be subject to risks not typically associated with U.S. companies, such
as: currency risk, risks of trading in foreign securities markets, and political and economic risks.
Currency Risk is associated with the trading of securities in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Because
foreign securities generally trade in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in currency exchange
rates will affect an account’s value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains and losses realized
on the sale of securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value
of account.
Foreign Securities Market Risk is the risk that securities of many non-U.S. companies, or U.S. companies
with significant non-U.S. operations, may be less liquid, and their prices more volatile, than securities of
comparable U.S. companies. Securities of companies traded in many countries outside the U.S., particularly
emerging markets countries, may be subject to further risks due to the inexperience of local investment
professionals and financial institutions, the possibility of permanent or temporary termination of trading, and
greater spreads between bid and asked prices for securities. In addition, non-U.S. stock exchanges and
investment professionals are subject to less governmental regulation, and commissions may be higher than
in the U.S. Also, there may be delays in the settlement of non-U.S. stock exchange transactions.
Political and Economic Risks are a factor when investing in international companies due to varying levels of
stability in political, social, or economic factors in the country of the issuer of a security, the difficulty of
predicting international trade patterns, the possibility of the imposition of exchange controls, expropriation,
limits on removal of currency or other assets, and nationalization of assets.
Acting in their discretionary authority, unaffiliated TPAMs retain the ability, outside EFA’s control, to
implement changes to their managed portfolios. For example, a TPAM may determine to convert a
portfolio’s holdings from a mixture of mutual funds to solely the use of ETFs to lower expenses. While such
changes must be within the parameters of their investment mandate and must align with their fiduciary
responsibility, they can, on occasion, result in a taxable event for shareholders.
Additionally, income from foreign issuers may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. Non-U.S. companies
generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards or to other
regulatory requirements that apply to U.S. companies; therefore, less information may be available to
investors about non-U.S. issuers. In addition, some countries restrict foreign investment in their securities
markets, which may limit or preclude investment in certain countries or may increase the cost of investing.
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The above risks may be particularly significant in emerging markets countries. To the extent an account
invests in depositary receipts, it will be subject to the same risks as when investing directly in foreign
securities.
Voting Client Securities
As a matter of firm policy and practice, EFA does not have authority to and does not vote proxies on behalf
of advisory clients. Clients retain the responsibility for receiving and voting proxies for any and all securities
maintained in client portfolios. Upon request of the client, EFA may provide advice to clients regarding the
clients’ voting of proxies.
Item 7 – Client Information Provided to Portfolio Managers
EFA does not separately communicate information about our clients to portfolio managers.
Item 8 – Client Contact with Portfolio Managers
There are no restrictions placed on a client’s ability to contact their advisory representative.
Item 9 – Additional Information
Disciplinary Information
Registered investment advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal or disciplinary
events that would be material to an evaluation of EFA or the integrity of EFA’s management.
Pursuant to the Securities Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Share Class Selection Disclosure initiative,
Equity Services, Inc. (“ESI”) self-reported its use of mutual funds that paid fees to ESI pursuant to Rule
12b-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, in several of its advisory programs. Subsequently, the
SEC alleged that, during the period of January 1, 2014 to July 7, 2017, ESI did not adequately disclose
to its clients its receipt of, nor the conflict of interest created by, 12b-1 fee revenue and/or its selection
of mutual fund share classes that resulted in 12b-1 revenue to ESI.
Without admitting or denying the findings, ESI agreed to an order from the SEC which imposed the
following terms: (1) cease and desist from committing or causing any further violations of Section 206(2)
of the Advisors Act of 1940; (2) censure by the SEC; and (3) disgorgement of fees and prejudgment
interest to affected clients totaling $587,017.22. The settlement was accepted by the SEC on
September 30, 2019.
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
ESI is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC, FINRA and all fifty states. ESI devotes a substantial
portion of its time and derives a substantial portion of its revenue from its operations as a broker-dealer. As
a broker-dealer, ESI offers the following investment and insurance products: mutual funds, unit investment
trusts, variable annuities and variable life products, indexed annuity products, direct participation programs,
real estate investment trusts, and structured CDs. ESI also acts as the distributor of variable insurance
products underwritten and issued by National Life.
The Firm is under common control with NLG Capital, Inc., a registered investment adviser.
The Firm is an affiliate of National Life. Most of the Firm’s advisory representatives are also life insurance
agents of National Life. National Life provides space and certain other services to the Firm.
LSW is an affiliated insurance company that offers fixed annuity products. Many of the Firm’s advisory
representatives are appointed with LSW to sell fixed products.
The Firm and its affiliates receive, in the aggregate, more revenue in connection with the sale of affiliated
products than with unaffiliated products. This additional revenue often comes in the form of shared revenue
based on assets under management, administrative, distribution, and/or other fees for services provided by
affiliates of EFA in support of affiliated products. Thus, EFA has an incentive to offer affiliated products over
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unaffiliated products. As a result, the Firm faces a conflict of interest to the extent that it has an incentive to
promote certain programs which use affiliated products over other programs which don’t use affiliated
products (or use affiliated products to a lesser extent).
The Firm receives payments from firms or persons that offer asset management or separate account
products or services which are included in a preferred list of product providers (referred to as “Strategic
Partners”). These payments take the form of conference, program, or event attendance; participation or
exhibition fees; educational and training fees; or fees linked to program participation or specific marketing
initiatives within an existing program. None of these additional payments are paid or directed to any advisory
representative who sells these products. Nonetheless, when recommending an asset management
program to their clients these marketing payments and educational opportunities present a conflict of
interest to the extent that such payments incentivize advisory representatives to recommend Strategic
Partners, as opposed to other advisers that do not make such payments.
EFA has a selling agreement with Brinker Capital Management (“Brinker”) through which IARs solicit and
recommend accounts held directly with and managed by Brinker. EFA also offers Brinker’s management
services as a third-party Strategist on the Illuminations platform. Brinker accounts established through the
Illuminations platform enjoy certain benefits, including consolidated account statements and reporting
(beneficial to those using more than one Strategist), as well as added flexibility in changing and allocating
assets amongst Strategists on the platform, but are subject to the program fee that comes with utilizing the
Illuminations platform. Accounts that are established directly with Brinker, through EFA’s promoter
relationship, are not subject to a separate program fee. Accordingly, an IAR can retain more of your fee if
paying a program fee is not required. So, directly held Brinker accounts generally experience a lower overall
management fee than those that are established on the Illuminations platform (subject to the billing practices
of each IAR). This also creates a conflict for EFA in that regardless of your advisory fee, it receives more
revenue from accounts established on the Illuminations platform than it does from those established directly
with Brinker. If you are considering Brinker as a third-party manager, we encourage you to consult with your
advisor regarding which program (i.e. Third-Party Strategist through Illuminations or as a Promoter) best suits
your needs.
EFA offers advisory services through SEI, an independent registered investment adviser (see EFA’s Form
ADV 2A for a description of their services) on a co-advised basis. SEI’s Private Client Model accounts have
a lower administrative fee, compared to other offerings, such as those on the Illuminations platform. This
creates a conflict of interest for representatives in that they retain more of the advisory fee associated with
SEI accounts than with those in other available programs. Conversely, EFA is conflicted in that it is incented
to promote programs other than SEI which might otherwise generate more revenue to the Firm.
ESI in its capacity as a broker-dealer often executes securities transactions for its advisory clients, including,
but not limited to, transactions in securities distributed or underwritten by an affiliate. ESI has a fully
disclosed clearing relationship with NFS (an affiliate of Fidelity) for the purpose of offering stock, bond and
option trading.
ESI marks up the actual service and IRA fees charged in NFS brokerage accounts associated with the
Illuminations platform. ESI’s brokerage fee schedule can be viewed on its public website (www.equity-
services.com).
Block Trades
TPAMs available on the FMAX platform, acting in their capacity as discretionary advisers, have the ability
to place certain transactions in the same security purchased for multiple advisory accounts at the same
time. This practice is commonly referred to as “block trading” and is often used to obtain optimal execution
for clients. Once executed, the TPAM allocates the execution costs and the shares to participating accounts
pursuant to their internal policies. Accounts owned by IARs associated with our Firm but managed by
TPAMs will be allocated securities and costs from block trading in a manner that is consistent with the
treatment provided other client accounts.
Block trading is not permitted in the Firm’s Advisor-as-Portfolio Manager programs.
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NFS Business Development Credit
ESI’s fully disclosed clearing agreement with NFS includes the payment of a Business Development Credit,
which is solely reliant on ESI’s compliance with the terms and conditions of the clearing agreement and is
not shared with IARs. The Business Development Credit is an annual credit paid to ESI in five installments
over the course of a 12-month period, and is not related to the sale or offer of products or services, nor is it
dependent upon assets under management.
NFS Net Flows Credit
NFS pays additional compensation to ESI based upon whether it has added more assets (exclusive of
increases based on market performance) to the NFS platform, as compared to withdrawals from the
platform, over a 12-month period. This creates an incentive for ESI to recommend Illuminations versus
other advisory programs that are not on the NFS platform. Additionally, this creates an incentive to
recommend that clients maintain their Illuminations account instead of using another advisory program not
on the NFS platform. This credit is not shared with the advisory representative.
FMAX Transition Credit
ESI’s fully disclosed clearing agreement with NFS includes periodic payments for transitioning the Firm’s
proprietary advisory program (ESI Illuminations) to Fidelity’s FMAX platform. Payments are reliant on ESI’s
compliance with the terms and conditions of the clearing agreement and end on the second anniversary of
the transition’s effective date. These payments are not shared with IARs, nor do they depend upon the total
amount of assets under management or the number of accounts on the platform.
Outside Business Activities
Many IARs own and operate their own independent companies separate from EFA. Such IARs provide one
or more services through these unaffiliated companies including, but not limited to, accounting/tax services,
business consulting, and insurance brokerage services. If a client engages an IAR to provide any such
services, these services are offered and performed solely in the IAR’s private and/or professional capacity,
and not as a representative of the Firm.
For additional discussion of how the Firm identifies and addresses potential conflicts of interest, please
refer to “Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading”, below.
Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
EFA has adopted a Code of Ethics (“the Code”) that mandates high standards of business conduct and
professionalism. EFA, through its advisers, will provide a copy of its Code of Ethics to any client or
prospective client upon request.
In general, the Code addresses certain groups of persons: Supervised Persons and Access Persons. The
term “Supervised Persons” refers to any partner, officer, director, employee, or IAR of the Firm. “Access
Persons” represent a subset of this population, and refers specifically to those individuals who have access
to (1) nonpublic information regarding any clients’ trading activity, (2) nonpublic information regarding the
portfolio holdings of any reportable fund, or (3) those who are involved in making securities
recommendations to clients or who have access to such recommendations that are nonpublic.
The Code prohibits EFA's Supervised Persons from purchasing initial public offerings (“IPOs”) or trading on
material non-public information. Additionally, the Firm’s Access Persons are required to report their
securities holdings upon initial hire, and again annually. Quarterly reporting of personal securities
transactions is also required for Access Persons. EFA’s Supervised Persons must acknowledge the terms
of the Code annually.
The Code requires that advisory representatives render disinterested and impartial advice and make
appropriate recommendations to clients based on an analysis of their needs. Conflicts of interest arise when
a recommendation could result in additional compensation to the Firm and/or the advisory representative
through the Firm’s business relationships or through the execution of commissionable transactions. Such
conflicts are a consideration for the Firm’s Senior Business Risk Analysts in their review of new accounts
and transactions. The Firm addresses conflicts of interest and potential conflicts of interest by periodically
reviewing them during EFA’s senior management meetings, and through disclosure to its clients, such as
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that contained in this Brochure.
The firm and the advisory representative can face conflicts of interest when providing services to retirement
accounts. This occurs when an advisory representative recommends that a client transfer their retirement
account from a different financial institution to our firm, because doing so will result in the firm and the
advisory representative receiving compensation that we would not otherwise receive. Conflicts of interest
can also arise with existing customers, when an advisor recommends a new type of account that has a
different compensation structure that will increase compensation. For example, this could occur if an
advisory representative recommends transferring assets in a brokerage account (which generates
compensation when a transaction is made) to an advisory account (which charges an annual fee for ongoing
management). These conflicts can arise when an advisory representative recommends taking money from
a qualified plan and doing an IRA rollover; recommends that a client transfer assets from an IRA to a qualified
plan; recommends the transfer of an IRA account to a new IRA; recommends that a qualified plan transfer
assets to a new investment provider; or recommends that an IRA change the type of account being used
(such as recommending that a commission-based account be changed to a fee-based account).
All Supervised Persons whose activities could encompass the solicitation of government clients are
required to pre-clear political contributions to local or state candidates, or candidates for federal office who
currently hold a state or municipal office, to state and local political parties, or to political action committees.
Advisory representatives occasionally buy, hold, or sell securities for their own accounts that are also
recommended to, or bought or sold for, their clients at the same time or at different times as clients are
trading in these securities. However, neither EFA nor any employee may receive preferential treatment over
clients.
It is EFA’s policy that the Firm will not effect any principal or agency cross transactions for client accounts.
EFA will also not cross trades between client accounts. Principal transactions are generally defined as
transactions where an adviser (that is, an advisory firm), acting as principal for its own account or the
account of an affiliated broker-dealer, buys from or sells any security to any advisory client. An agency cross
transaction is defined as a transaction where a person acts as an investment adviser in relation to a
transaction in which the investment adviser, or any person controlled by or under common control with the
investment adviser, acts as broker for both the advisory client and for another person on the other side of
the transaction. Agency cross transactions arise when an adviser is dually registered as a broker-dealer or
has an affiliated broker-dealer. Cross trades occur where an adviser causes a client account to sell a
security to another client account, whether or not a commission is charged in the transaction.
EFA and its affiliates also contribute amounts to various non-cash and cash incentives paid to EFA’s
advisory representatives based on the achievement of specified sales goals for certain securities, as
described in “Client Referrals and other Compensation”. Incentive programs are reviewed by EFA’s
Compliance Department. The review of such programs seeks to ensure that all such incentives adhere to
applicable rules. Conflicts of interest are managed through public disclosure to clients and prospective
clients, which are available on the Firm’s public website.
Unaffiliated TPAMs occasionally pay travel, meal and other expenses for IARs and others who visit the
TPAM’s offices or other locations (including hotels and conference centers) to learn about its products and
services. This creates a conflict of interest for IARs who may be incented to favor doing business with certain
TPAMs over others on the basis of benefits received in conjunction with such visits.
EFA’s advisory representatives have an incentive to choose certain programs based on the maximum fee
that can be charged given the asset value of the account, as well as whether the advisory representative
bears additional program charges. This creates a conflict of interest for the IAR, as they generally retain
more of the revenue generated by fees in programs that do not include platform fees, transaction charges,
or other administrative fees as part of the overall advisory fee.
The Firm reviews potential conflicts of interest as part of its due diligence review of new and existing
programs. The Firm provides disclosure to clients and potential clients of its fee structure and revenue
agreements in this Brochure, as well as through the revenue sharing disclosure documents posted on its
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public website (www.equity-services.com).
Review of Accounts
IARs will attempt to schedule advisory account reviews no less than annually, though the client and IAR may
determine to meet more frequently at their discretion. Factors triggering such a review will include, but are not
limited to: changing circumstances in the client’s financial and personal life; the performance of the portfolio
in both absolute terms, and relative to the client’s goals, objectives and risk tolerance; and at the request
of the client. In most cases, the review will be conducted by the advisory representative who performed the
initial investment advisory services.
EFA utilizes software tools and/or reviews either exception reports or statements for accounts on which
EFA is adviser, to detect and make recommendations to correct variations from client mandates that are
beyond variance tolerances established by the Firm. For discretionary accounts, the Firm and/or the IARs
are authorized to rebalance the accounts to address variances that are beyond the Firm’s tolerances and
the IARs are authorized to do the same if they are concerned that a variance will result because an account’s
risk score has changed. In addition to review by advisory representatives, client accounts are reviewed by
EFA Senior Business Risk Analysts and/or other home office staff members.
Quarterly performance reports are generated and made available to clients with accounts in Illuminations
programs. Also, at least quarterly, NFS provides brokerage statements for all Illuminations accounts.
Client Referrals and Other Compensation
EFA pays individuals or entities, acting as bona fide promoters, a portion of the fee for service paid to EFA
by the client if the client is referred to EFA by the promoter. All such promoter arrangements will conform
to the requirements set forth in Rule 206(4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
In addition to the revenue sharing payments discussed above, ESI (acting in its capacity as broker/dealer)
also receives additional compensation for the sales of securities issued and/or distributed by members of
its Strategic Partners program. Certain other fund sponsors and/or TPAMs that do not participate in the
Strategic Partners program, but whose funds may be used in APM accounts, make marketing payments to
ESI to sponsor certain meetings or events. As such, the Firm has an incentive to promote use of these
funds, over other available funds, in programs in which the IAR acts as the portfolio manager. Additional
information regarding ESI’s Strategic Partners program is available at www.equity-services.com.
Certain funds available through the Illuminations platform pay additional compensation to ESI, such as 12b-
1 (trail) fees. Other available funds do not pay ESI 12b-1 fees. This creates a conflict of interest, because
ESI has a financial incentive to recommend mutual funds that generate 12b-1 revenue to the Firm. To
eliminate this conflict, 12b-1 fees charged to accounts on the Illuminations platform are credited back to the
customer by the custodian (i.e. NFS). Therefore, ESI does not receive 12b-1 revenue from accounts on the
Illuminations platform.
Certain product sponsors may make other payments to EFA intended to reimburse the firm's
representatives for marketing expenses, such as client seminars, marketing materials, etc. Marketing
reimbursements from sponsors are directed to EFA and subsequently paid by EFA to the representative.
Certain product sponsors and investment advisers may incur expense and/or provide reimbursement for
educational and training programs.
Compensation From Securities and Other Investments
ESI, acting in its capacity as a broker-dealer, sells various securities and investment products from a
number of different product sponsors, including ESI’s affiliates (i.e. National Life and LSW). These products
include mutual funds, variable annuities, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), structured CDs, variable
universal life insurance, options, municipal bonds, 529 college savings plans, and fixed indexed annuities.
Fixed indexed annuities are not securities products, and ESI sells these products through Registered
Representatives, who may be dually registered as IARs, in their capacity as insurance agents. Through its
Strategic Partner program, ESI has established additional relationships with various participating product
providers which pay additional compensation to ESI based on sales of their products. When your IAR sells
one of these products to you, ESI and your IAR can receive additional compensation from the transaction.
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This creates a conflict of interest in that there is an incentive to sell products for which the Firm and the
registered representative receives more compensation. The Firm reviews potential conflicts of interest as
part of its due diligence review of new and existing programs and product offerings. For a detailed
description of fees, expenses, and revenue from the sale of these products, please see ESI’s Regulation
Best Interest disclosure document at www.equity-services.com. To mitigate this conflict, ESI has policies
and procedures to ensure that recommendations made are in our clients’ best interest, which includes pre-
transaction and post-transaction reviews of recommendations.
Marketing and Training Support
Training and education expenses and reimbursements are paid out of the adviser or affiliate's assets, not
from the account assets, and are made to EFA in addition to annual service fees, and other fees and
expenses disclosed in the adviser's Form ADV Part 2A, which are available on request from the investment
adviser firm.
The Firm and its affiliates also contribute amounts to various non-cash and cash incentives paid to EFA’s
advisory representatives based on the achievement of specified sales goals for certain securities, including
(1) sponsoring sales contests and/or promotions in which participants receive awards or incentives such as
travel, merchandise, computer hardware and/or software; (2) paying for occasional meals, lodging and/or
entertainment; (3) making cash payments in lieu of business expense reimbursements; (4) making and
forgiving business-related loans; (5) cash bonuses and/or; (6) employee benefits, such as health insurance,
Social Security contributions, etc.
Current information regarding EFA’s Strategic Partners program may be found at www.equity-services.com
or by calling (800) 344-7437.
Financial Information
The Firm is not aware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability meet its
contractual commitments to clients, nor has EFA been the subject of a bankruptcy petition at any time during
the past ten years.
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