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Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs
Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC
245 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 563-7000
June 23, 2025
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Fidelity
Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC (“FIWA”), a Fidelity Investments company, as well as information
about FIWA’s discretionary management services.
Throughout this brochure and related materials, FIWA refers to itself as a “registered investment
adviser” or “being registered.” These statements do not imply a certain level of skill or training.
If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please call us at 617-563-7000. The
information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about FIWA is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
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SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES
The SEC requires registered investment advisers to provide and deliver an annual summary
of material changes to their advisory services program brochure (also referred to as the Form
ADV Part 2A). The section below highlights only material revisions that have been made from
March 31, 2025, through June 23, 2025. Additional information about FIWA is available on
the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Capitalized terms are defined herein.
No material changes were made from March 31, 2025, through June 23, 2025.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES .............................................................................................................. 2
ADVISORY BUSINESS ....................................................................................................................................... 4
FEES AND COMPENSATION ............................................................................................................................ 6
PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT ............................................................ 7
TYPES OF CLIENTS .......................................................................................................................................... 7
METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, AND RISK OF LOSS ............................................. 8
DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION ....................................................................................................................... 19
OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS ................................................................ 19
CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL
TRADING .......................................................................................................................................................... 24
BROKERAGE PRACTICES .............................................................................................................................. 25
REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS ................................................................................................................................. 26
CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION ................................................................................... 26
CUSTODY ......................................................................................................................................................... 27
INVESTMENT DISCRETION ............................................................................................................................ 27
VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES ........................................................................................................................ 28
FINANCIAL INFORMATION .............................................................................................................................. 29
REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE-REGISTERED ADVISERS ............................................................................ 29
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ADVISORY BUSINESS
Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC (“FIWA”) is a registered investment adviser (“RIA”) and
an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC (collectively with FIWA and its affiliates, “Fidelity
Investments,” “Fidelity,” “us,” or “we”). FIWA was formed in 2016. This brochure covers FIWA’s
provision of customized separately managed account services to clients (“Fidelity Institutional
Custom SMAs”).
FIWA also offers several other products and services. Brochures dedicated to these other FIWA
products and services can be found on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
FIWA provides customized separately managed account portfolios to clients (“Accounts” or
“Account”) which are generally individuals and entities representing such individuals, including
other registered investment advisers (“RIAs”), and other institutional accounts (i.e., endowments,
foundations) (each a “Client” and collectively, “Clients”). FIWA has delegated to its affiliate,
Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (“FMR” and collectively with FIWA, “Fidelity”),
discretionary management authority over the Accounts subject to FIWA’s supervision and
oversight. Please see FMR’s Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs and Model Portfolio Services
Form ADV Brochure (“FMR Form ADV Brochure”) for more information about FMR and its
discretionary management investment process. FIWA provides Fidelity Institutional Custom
SMAs to Accounts where FIWA’s affiliate, National Financial Services LLC (“NFS”), is
appointed by the Client as custodian to the Account (“On-Platform Accounts”) and to Accounts
that do not use NFS for these services (“Off-Platform Accounts”). Fidelity does not and will not
act as a fiduciary with respect to Accounts as defined under the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and related rules and regulations.
Accounts invest generally in equity or fixed income securities (i.e., a single asset class) and are
managed by FMR in accordance with Client mandated investment guidelines with a certain
portion of assets retained in cash subject to FMR’s discretion.
Clients can select from different equity or fixed income Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs
strategies based on their market exposure needs. Clients using equity strategies can elect to
apply tax management considerations, customize benchmarks by applying investment
restrictions, and/or blend certain existing equity strategies to create a new blended strategy.
Clients using fixed income strategies can customize their portfolio by applying investment
restrictions. A state-preference option is also available for eligible clients. With the state
preference option, state tax-exempt income is emphasized over national diversification.
For Clients that use equity strategies and elect to apply tax management considerations,
Accounts are managed using additional investing techniques that seek to enhance after-tax
returns, including, without limitation, harvesting tax losses and the potential deferral of capital
gains while also seeking to reduce tracking error to the benchmark whenever possible after
taking into consideration the tax consequences. For these Accounts, FMR considers the
potential effects of capital gains when making investment decisions. Clients can select the level
of tax management for their Account based on their tax management needs and risk
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considerations. As investing techniques that consider tax consequences are applied to
Accounts, trades could trigger taxable gains if the securities traded have appreciated in value
since they were purchased. FMR considers multiple risks and costs in addition to investing
techniques that consider tax consequences in managing the Account. Accordingly, Clients should
understand that they could incur gains or have adverse tax consequences as a result of the
management of an Account. The Accounts are actively managed taking into account federal
income taxes but are not managed in consideration of state or local taxes; foreign taxes; federal
tax rules applicable to entities; or estate, gift, or generation skipping transfer taxes. FIWA does
not provide tax advice. A Client should consult its own tax advisor before entering into an
agreement with FIWA.
For Clients that do not apply tax management considerations, Accounts are managed using
investment techniques that focus on managing risk and seeking to provide investment returns that
correspond to the performance of the selected strategy’s benchmark.
Accounts may employ Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs equity strategies that focus on reducing
ownership of issuers in the strategy’s benchmark that have less favorable sustainability ratings
(“Sustainable Strategies”). The Sustainable Strategies investable universe is derived by an
evaluation of sustainability characteristics through a process that includes proprietary research
and third-party data. Please note that the Sustainable Strategies goal of delivering a portfolio
that reduces ownership of issuers that have less favorable sustainability ratings in its
benchmark could constrain the degree to which tax management techniques can be
implemented and potentially result in significant tax consequences. In addition, investing based
on sustainability factors may cause an Account to forgo certain investment opportunities
available to Accounts that do not use such criteria.
Investment Restrictions
A Client has the ability to impose reasonable restrictions on the management of its Account. Any
proposed restriction is subject to Fidelity’s approval. Reasonable restrictions can include
prohibitions such as with respect to the purchase of a particular individual security or security
group classification such as a sector or industry. In situations where the underlying constituents of
a security group classification change, Fidelity will update existing restrictions accordingly.
Further, where there is a classification change that causes an Account to hold a security that
would otherwise be excluded, Fidelity will not be required to immediately sell or otherwise dispose
of the security. Rather, Fidelity will be permitted to dispose of such security in an orderly fashion
at such time as it reasonable deems to be in the applicable Account’s best interest. Although
Fidelity will not cause an Account to purchase a particular security that has been restricted,
Fidelity may buy or sell third-party ETFs that themselves may invest in such restricted securities
as restrictions are not applied on a look-through basis to collective investment products. Accounts
with Client-imposed restrictions will experience different performance from Accounts without
restrictions, possibly producing lower overall results. In the absence of a Client proposed
restriction that has been accepted by Fidelity, Fidelity takes no responsibility to limit investments
in any securities.
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Assets Under Management
As of April 30, 2025, FIWA managed $7,280,730,970 of client assets on a discretionary basis.
As of April 30, 2025, FIWA did not have any non-discretionary regulatory assets under
management.
FEES AND COMPENSATION
Investment management fees charged to FIWA’s Clients are based on the type of strategy and
amount of assets held in the Account. Fees are generally based on an Account’s average net
assets over a specified period of time (e.g., quarterly). In general, the investment management
fee for an equity strategy is 16 – 28 bps and for a fixed income strategy is 18 – 30 bps.
Investment management fees will vary based on a variety of factors, including portfolio size,
breakpoints, type of product structure, servicing requirements, asset aggregation among
accounts, and any minimum fee arrangement. Investment management fees will also vary
based on how the product is accessed (e.g., through affiliated and unaffiliated managed
account programs, platforms or offerings). Investment management fees can be higher or
lower across the different managed account programs, platforms or offerings where the
Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs are available. Fees may be subject to negotiation. In
addition, certain of FIWA’s Clients can have arrangements providing for the lowest available
fee for a particular investment strategy under most favored nation clauses, or for a waiver of all
or a portion of their fees. Such arrangements can also take into account the scope of a Client’s
relationship with FIWA and its affiliates and provide for an additional discount from the rates
noted above.
Compensation to FIWA is payable on a quarterly basis in arrears or on such other terms as
FIWA may from time to time agree or as FIWA may be entitled to under the terms of
investment management agreements.
FIWA receives its investment management fee from its Clients. Clients’ Accounts will be
subject to other fees and expenses independent of any investment advisory fee that FIWA
receives, such as custodial, brokerage, other transaction costs and if applicable, fees paid to
an investment adviser other than FIWA or its affiliates and service fees imposed by a
managed account program or platform. For information regarding FMR’s brokerage
arrangements, see the FMR Form ADV Brochure and the section entitled “Brokerage
Practices.”
When FIWA delegates investment management authority to FMR for Fidelity Institutional
Custom SMAs under a sub-advisory arrangement, FIWA compensates FMR for those services
out of the fee it receives from Clients. If a Client has directed FIWA to use the services of a
third-party model provider for use in management of its Account and FIWA has agreed to such
parameters in the investment management agreement, FIWA or its affiliates may pay such
third-party model provider out of FIWA’s management fee or the Client may pay the third-party
model provider directly.
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PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
FIWA does not charge any performance-based fees for Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs.
Conflicts of interest are present in providing Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs to Clients, on
the one hand, and FMR’s discretionary management, including trades for other accounts or
products it manages, on the other hand. Please see the FMR Form ADV Brochure for
information on the conflicts of interest related to its discretionary management investment
services.
Under the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, FIWA owes a fiduciary duty to its Clients,
consisting of a duty of care and a duty of loyalty. Although the application of FIWA’s fiduciary
duty may be shaped by the investment management agreement with Clients, this duty cannot,
unless specifically set forth in statute, be waived by contract or practice. Accordingly,
investment management agreements with FIWA that include an express limitation of FIWA’s
liability for acts of gross negligence, negligence, or similar standards are not applicable to
FIWA’s federal fiduciary duty owed to the Client. Clients will have the right to seek redress
against FIWA for such non-waivable fiduciary violations in addition to other rights the Client may
have under state and federal law. As noted above, FIWA does not and will not act as a fiduciary
with respect to Client Accounts as defined under ERISA and related rules and regulations and
will not accept such clients.
TYPES OF CLIENTS
FIWA’s Clients are generally individuals and entities representing such individuals, including
other RIAs, and other institutional accounts (i.e., endowments, foundations). FIWA will
generally accept only Accounts on a fully discretionary basis within the parameters described
in each investment management agreement with a Client. Other accounts may be considered
on a case-by-case basis.
Client Accounts generally require $250,000 account size minimum. Account size minimums
can be waived at FIWA’s discretion. Please note that if an Account balance falls below the
minimum stated above, it can affect Fidelity’s ability to manage the Account as provided for in
the Client agreement. Pursuant to the terms of its agreements, Fidelity can terminate its
management services, with respect to Accounts that fall below the minimum asset levels as
may be determined by Fidelity from time-to-time and in its sole discretion.
Upon direction from a Client, Fidelity will terminate and liquidate the securities in an Account.
During the liquidation process, any preferences, guidelines or restrictions previously selected to
be applied to the Account will be disregarded.
Account Funding
Clients can fund their Account with cash, cash equivalents and/or securities. These securities must
be held free and clear of any liens, pledges, or other legal or contractual restrictions. At times,
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Fidelity will not accept individual securities due to regulatory restrictions or internal guidelines.
Fidelity will determine, in its sole discretion, which securities will be eligible to be managed in an
Account.
The Client is responsible for transferring a non-eligible security back to the account from which
the Client transferred assets or another account as determined by the Client.
If transitions of assets into a Client’s Account are made without notice to Fidelity, certain assets or
portions of assets may be rejected or sold down if required in Fidelity’s sole discretion. Fidelity
takes no responsibility for any losses or tax consequences associated with unauthorized transfers
of assets in the Accounts.
METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, AND RISK OF LOSS
Equity Strategies
FMR implements equity strategies through a disciplined investment approach utilizing
systematic portfolio construction and rebalancing techniques with a focus on managing risk.
For accounts managed to a selected equity benchmark, FMR seeks to approximate the pre-
tax risk and return characteristics of the benchmark. For Accounts that invest in Sustainable
Strategies, FMR seeks to reduce ownership of issuers in a portfolio’s benchmark that have
less favorable sustainability ratings based on an evaluation of sustainability characteristics
using a process that includes proprietary research and third-party data practices. FMR will
apply exclusion criteria that seek to exclude issuers that are directly engaged in, and/or derive
significant revenue from, certain industries or product lines. At present, these include civilian
semi-automatic firearms, tobacco production, for-profit prisons, controversial weapons (e.g.,
cluster munitions, land mines), and thermal coal production and/or mining.
For Accounts that elect to apply tax management considerations, FMR seeks to provide
improved after-tax returns over a designated benchmark by employing tax management
techniques such as tax loss harvesting and potential deferral of capital gains are deployed. In
selecting portfolio holdings, risk factors, such as market capitalization, industry exposures,
and valuation and growth measures are considered, alongside estimated transaction costs,
predicted tracking error, and when applicable to the Account, tax consequences.
In investing for these Accounts, FMR will invest in equity securities including, but not limited to,
American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) and in
certain circumstances, ETFs managed by unaffiliated investment advisers. With respect to
strategies that consist of investing in unaffiliated ETFs, the factors considered when making an
investment include, but are not limited to, fund performance, a fund manager’s experience and
investment style, and fund characteristics such as expense ratio, asset size, and liquidity.
FMR invests in securities of companies engaged in a variety of economic sectors and
industries that are domiciled and traded in the U.S. and outside the U.S.; in stocks with growth
or value characteristics; and in companies with market capitalizations of all sizes.
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Fixed Income Strategies
FMR implements fixed income strategies through an actively managed approach which
emphasizes fundamental research and disciplined risk management driven by top-down
economic perspectives and bottom-up issuer specific research of Fidelity’s analysts and traders.
Structural features of bonds are analyzed and evaluated by the team using a suite of models
and tools developed by Fidelity’s Quantitative analysts. Traders use proprietary technology to
communicate market information to the team to identify ideas and transact, seeking
inefficiencies in the municipal market. Our diversified approach does not depend on any single
type of exposure to drive returns.
In investing for Accounts that are managed using a fixed income strategy, FMR will invest in
fixed income securities. FMR will invest the portfolio's assets among different market sectors (for
example, general obligation bonds of a state or bonds financing a specific project) and different
maturities based on its view of the relative value of each sector or maturity.
Please see the FMR Form ADV Brochure for additional information regarding its discretionary
management investment process.
Conflicts of Interest
In buying securities for Clients, which in limited circumstances may include ETFs unaffiliated with
Fidelity, Fidelity receives flat, annual fees (1) from certain product providers to compensate
Fidelity for maintaining the infrastructure required to accommodate that provider’s investment
products on Fidelity’s various platforms and (2) from certain investment managers who are
invited to participate in access, engagement, and analytics programs established by Fidelity.
Fidelity also receives asset-based fees or fixed fees from certain ETF providers for platform and
data support. With regard to iShares ETFs, Fidelity receives compensation for services provided
to iShares ETFs in connection with reduced or commission-free ETFs, and compensation in
connection with a marketing program with respect to iShares funds, including ETFs in Client
Accounts.
For On-Platform Accounts, Client Accounts include a core transaction account that holds
assets in a position awaiting further investment or withdrawal (“Core Position”). Depending on
the type of brokerage account and the entity that serves as the introducing broker dealer
associated with the Client Account, the available Core Position options may differ. Core
Position options include but are not limited to Fidelity money market mutual funds, FDIC-
insured bank sweep product, and FCASH. For non-retirement Client Accounts where Fidelity
Brokerage Services LLC (“FBS”) serves as the introducing broker dealer to the Client Account
and NFS provides custody and clearing services to the Client Account, FCASH is the default
Core Position and generally the only available Core Position option. Retirement Client
Accounts and Client Accounts where FBS does not serve as the introducing broker dealer to
the Client Account may have different Core Position options. FCASH is an interest-bearing
account offering managed by Fidelity. Fidelity invests FCASH funds in interest bearing
instruments and other investments. FCASH balances are not segregated and may be used in
NFS’ business. Fidelity may, but is not required to, pay interest on FCASH balances. Any
interest paid to Clients is typically less than the interest earned by Fidelity. Fidelity and its
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affiliates retain any portion of the interest earned but not paid to Clients. FCASH has no
separate fees, nor is it a money market mutual fund, or a bank deposit account, and is not
covered by FDIC insurance. FIWA and its affiliates may receive an economic benefit on certain
Core Positions in Client Accounts including management fees, mutual fund distribution and/or
shareholder servicing revenue, interest, or other fees. To the extent that these benefits vary
based on the Core Position utilized, FIWA has a potential conflict of interest with respect to the
variations in such benefits. For Off-Platform Accounts, unaffiliated broker-dealers/custodians
are responsible for determining available Core Position options.
Material Investment Risk and Risk of Loss
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. An investment may be risky and may not
be suitable for a Client’s goals, objectives and risk tolerance. An investment’s value may be
volatile and any investment involves the risk that you may lose money.
Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against a loss.
There is no guarantee that the use of Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs will achieve any
particular result.
term instruments and can decline significantly in response to
‐
‐
Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Generally, among asset classes stocks are
more volatile than bonds or short
adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Although the bond
market is also volatile, lower
quality debt securities including leveraged loans generally offer
higher yields compared to investment grade securities, but also involve greater risk of default
or price changes. Foreign markets can be more volatile than U.S. markets due to increased
risks of adverse issuer, political, market or economic developments, all of which are magnified
in emerging markets. SMAs may have additional risks.
Many factors affect investment performance. Strategies that pursue investments in equities will
be subject to stock market volatility, and strategies that pursue fixed income investments (such
as bond or money market funds) will see values fluctuate in response to changes in interest
rates. Developments that disrupt global economies and financial markets, such as war, acts of
terrorism, economic sanctions, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues,
recessions or other events may magnify factors that affect performance. In addition, some
countries experience low or negative interest rates, from time to time, which may magnify
interest rate risk for the markets as a whole and for strategies.
All strategies are ultimately affected by impacts to the individual issuers, such as changes in
an issuer’s profitability and credit quality, or changes in tax, regulatory, market, or economic
developments. Entities providing credit support or a maturity-shortening structure also can be
affected by these types of changes, and if the structure of a security fails to function as
intended, the security could decline in value. Municipal securities backed by revenues from a
specific project or tax pledge can be negatively affected by the discontinuance of the project
or taxation supporting the payment of interest and principal on the security. If the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) determines an issuer of a municipal security has not complied with
applicable tax requirements, interest from the security could become taxable and the security
could decline significantly in value. Generally, FMR purchases municipal securities whose
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interest, in the opinion of bond counsel, is free from federal income tax. FMR cannot
guarantee that this opinion is correct, and there is no assurance that the IRS will agree with
bond counsel's opinion. Issuers or other parties generally enter into covenants requiring
continuing compliance with federal tax requirements to preserve the tax-free status of interest
payments over the life of the security. If at any time the covenants are not complied with, or if
the IRS otherwise determines that the issuer did not comply with relevant tax requirements,
interest payments from a security could become federally taxable, possibly retroactively to the
date the security was issued. For certain types of structured securities, the tax status of the
pass-through of tax-free income may also be based on the federal tax treatment of the
structure.
A decline in the credit quality of an issuer can cause the price of a security to decrease. Lower-
quality debt securities (those of less than investment-grade quality, also referred to as high-yield
debt securities or junk bonds) involve greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in
the credit quality of the issuer. The value of lower-quality debt securities can be more volatile
due to increased sensitivity to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic
developments. Non-diversified funds and accounts that invest in a smaller number of individual
issuers can be more sensitive to these changes.
Strategies that pursue investments in fixed-income securities will see values fluctuate in
response to changes in interest rates. In general, the price of a debt security can fall when
interest rates rise and can rise when interest rates fall. Securities with longer maturities can
be more sensitive to interest rate changes, meaning the longer the maturity of a security, the
greater the impact a change in interest rates could have on the security's price. Short-term
and long-term interest rates do not necessarily move in the same amount or the same
direction. Short-term securities tend to react to changes in short-term interest rates, and long-
term securities tend to react to changes in long-term interest rates. Securities with floating
interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their
interest rates do not rise as much as interest rates in general.
Additionally, accounts that pursue debt investments are subject to risks of prepayment, when
an issuer of a security can repay principal prior to the security’s maturity, or default, as well as
changes to bankruptcy or debtor relief laws, which may impede collection efforts or alter
timing and amount of collections. Securities subject to prepayment can offer less potential for
gains during a declining interest rate environment and similar or greater potential for loss in a
rising interest rate environment. In addition, the potential impact of prepayment features on
the price of a debt security can be difficult to predict and result in greater volatility. Securitized
debt securities, which include commercial mortgage-backed securities, are dependent on the
cash flows generated by the underlying loans, receivables, or other assets, can be
significantly affected by changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the
underlying assets and their structure, and the creditworthiness of the originators of the loans
or other receivables or the entities providing credit support. Because of the fragmented and
thinly traded nature of the bond market, and because of client-specific factors, two Accounts
invested in fixed income in the same amount and on the same date could have entirely different
individual fixed income securities in their Accounts.
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Non-diversified funds, separately managed accounts, and accounts that invest in a smaller
number of individual issuers can be more sensitive to these changes. Nearly all investments or
accounts are subject to volatility in non-U.S. markets, through either direct exposure or indirect
effects on U.S. markets from events abroad. Those investments and accounts that are exposed
to emerging markets are potentially subject to heightened volatility from greater social,
economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties, as the extent of economic development,
political stability, market depth, infrastructure, capitalization, and regulatory oversight can be
less than in more developed markets.
Investments or accounts that pursue strategies that concentrate in particular industries or are
otherwise subject to particular segments of the market (e.g., money market funds’ exposure to the
financial services industry, municipal funds’ exposure to the municipal bond market, or
international, emerging markets or frontier markets funds’ exposure to a particular country or
region) are more significantly impacted by events affecting those industries or markets. Municipal
securities can be significantly affected by political changes as well as uncertainties in the
municipal market related to taxation, legislative changes, or the rights of municipal security
holders. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance similar projects, especially
those relating to education, health care, transportation, and utilities, conditions in those sectors
can affect the overall municipal market. Budgetary constraints of local, state, and federal
governments upon which the issuers may be relying for funding may also impact municipal
securities. In addition, changes in the financial condition of an individual municipal insurer can
affect the overall municipal market, and market conditions may directly impact the liquidity and
valuation of municipal securities. The value of securities of issuers in the real estate industry can
be affected by changes in real estate values and rental income, property taxes, interest rates, tax
and regulatory requirements, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, and the issuer's
management skill.
Strategies that lead funds, separately managed accounts, or accounts to invest in other funds
bear all the risks inherent in the underlying investments in which those funds invest, and
strategies that pursue leveraged risk, including investment in derivatives, such as swaps (interest
rate, total return, and credit default), and futures contracts and forward-settling securities, magnify
market exposure and losses. Additionally, investments and accounts are subject to operational
risks, which can include risk of loss arising from failures in internal processes, people, or systems,
such as routine processing errors or major systems failures, or from external events, such as
exchange outages.
High-risk strategies have the potential for substantial returns; however, there are
correspondingly significant risks involved in the strategies and they are not intended for all
types of Clients. Clients who choose to follow high-risk strategies should be aware that there is
the possibility of significant losses up to and including the possibility of the loss of all assets
placed in the strategies. It is strongly recommended that Clients diversify their investments and
do not place all their investments in high-risk investment strategies.
Concentrated, non-diversified or sector strategies investing more of their assets in a few
holdings involve additional risks, including share price fluctuations, because of the increased
concentration of investments. The lack of industry diversification subjects the Client to
increased industry-specific risks. Accounts that employ equity and fixed income stand-alone
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strategies are expected to have increased risk and volatility as compared with Accounts that
hold a mixture of equities and fixed income investments.
Certain ETFs utilize leverage. The use of leverage by an ETF increases the risk to the
portfolio. The more a portfolio invests in leveraged instruments, the more the leverage will
magnify gains or losses on those investments. Due to the complexity and structure of these
portfolios, they may not perform over time in direct or inverse correlation to their underlying
index.
Please see the mutual fund and ETF prospectuses, applicable Form ADV Part 2A brochures,
and/or related offering documents for more details on risks.
In addition to the risks noted above, the following risks apply to certain investment strategies:
Liquidity Risk
Investing in certain types of securities that are thinly traded, or investing in bonds, ETFs, or
mutual funds that invest in thinly traded securities, introduces liquidity risk. Liquidity risk is a
financial risk that, for a certain period of time, a security or commodity cannot be readily traded
in the market or cannot be traded without a significant discount to the market price. All tradable
assets assume some level of liquidity risk. For example, alternative mutual funds and ETFs
may use techniques such as shorting of securities, leverage, and derivatives, all of which may
have liquidity risks if there are no buyers and sellers available or if a counterparty cannot fulfill
the order.
Investing in Mutual Funds and ETFs
Clients bear all the risks of the investment strategies employed by mutual funds and ETFs,
including the risk that a mutual fund or ETF will not meet its investment objectives. For the
specific risks associated with a mutual fund or ETF, please see its prospectus.
ETFs
An ETF is a security that trades on an exchange and can seek to track an index, a commodity,
or a basket of assets. ETFs can be actively or passively managed. The performance of a
passively managed ETFs might not correlate with the performance of the asset it seeks to track.
ETFs trade on secondary markets or exchanges and are exposed to market volatility and the
risks of the ETF’s underlying securities. ETFs that use derivatives, leverage, or complex
investment strategies are subject to additional risks. Share trading can be halted or the security
could cease to trade on an exchange. Trading volume and liquidity can vary and could affect the
ability to buy or sell shares, or could cause the market price of shares to experience significant
premiums or discounts relative to the value of the assets underlying the shares. Because ETFs
trade on exchanges, buyers and sellers experience a spread between the bidding price and the
asking price, and the size of these spreads can vary significantly. ETFs can also have unique
risks depending on their structure and underlying investments.
Money Market Funds
A Client could lose money by investing in a money market fund. Although a money market fund
seeks to preserve the value of a Client’s investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it
will do so. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank account and is not insured or
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guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. Fidelity, the sponsor of Fidelity’s
money market funds, is not required to reimburse money market funds for losses, and a Client
should not expect that Fidelity will provide financial support to a Fidelity money market fund at
any time, including during periods of market stress. Fidelity’s government and U.S. Treasury
money market funds will not impose a fee upon the sale of a client’s shares.
Quantitative Investing
Funds or securities selected using quantitative analysis can perform differently from the market
as a whole as a result of the factors used in the analysis, the weight placed on each factor,
changes to the factors’ behavior over time, market volatility, or the quantitative model’s
assumption about market behavior. In addition, quantitative investment strategies rely on
algorithmic processes, and therefore may be subject to the risks described below under the
heading, “Operational Risks.”
Growth Investing
Growth stocks can react differently to issuer, political, market, and economic developments than
the market as a whole and other types of stocks. Growth stocks tend to be more expensive
relative to their earnings or assets compared with other types of stocks. As a result, growth stocks
tend to be sensitive to changes in their earnings and more volatile than other types of stocks.
Value Investing
Value stocks can react differently to issuer, political, market, and economic developments than
the market as a whole and other types of stocks. Value stocks tend to be inexpensive relative to
their earnings or assets compared with other types of stocks. However, value stocks can
continue to be inexpensive for long periods of time and, as a result, might never realize their full
expected value.
Credit Risk
Changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, and changes in specific
economic or political conditions that affect a particular type of security or issuer, can increase
the risk of default by an issuer or counterparty, which can affect a security’s or instrument’s
credit quality or value. Lower-quality debt securities and certain types of other securities involve
greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer.
Foreign Exposure
Investing in foreign securities and securities of U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations
are subject to interest rate, currency exchange rate, economic, tax, operational, regulatory and
political risks, all of which are likely to be greater in emerging markets. These risks are
particularly significant for investment strategies that focus on a single country or region or
emerging markets, or for clients who elect to increase foreign stock exposure. Foreign markets
can be more volatile than U.S. markets and can perform differently from the U.S. market.
Emerging markets can be subject to greater social, economic, regulatory, and political
uncertainties and can be extremely volatile. Foreign exchange rates can also be extremely
volatile. Foreign markets can also offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. For
example, foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial
reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S.
issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers might not be available, and it could be
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difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis.
Regulatory enforcement can be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors
could have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries. Furthermore, investments in
securities of foreign entities can result in clients owning an interest in a “passive foreign
investment company” (a “PFIC”). Clients holding an interest in a PFIC could be subject to
additional tax liabilities and filing requirements as a result of such investments. The rules
regarding investments in PFICs are complex, and Clients are urged to consult their tax advisors.
Risks of Investing in American Depositary Receipts
American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of an
underlying foreign issuer that are issued by depositary banks and generally trade on an
established market in the U.S. or elsewhere. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the
underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs are
subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. The
depositary bank can charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and
interest, and for corporate actions. In addition, certain ADRs are not traded on a national
securities exchange, can be less liquid than other investments, and could therefore be more
difficult to trade effectively. Investing in ADRs can make it more difficult for U.S. persons to
benefit from applicable treaty rates that could otherwise reduce withholding on any distributions
from the underlying foreign issuer. Recovery of any extra foreign tax withheld can be costly and
complex, and recovery might not be available for certain registration types such as individual
retirement accounts.
Derivatives
Generally speaking, a derivative is a financial contract whose value is based on the value of a
financial asset (such as a stock, bond, or currency), a physical asset (such as gold, oil, or
wheat), or a market index (such as the S&P 500® Index). Some forms of derivatives, such as
exchange-traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indexes, have been trading
on regulated exchanges for decades. These types of derivatives are standardized contracts that
can easily be bought and/or sold, and whose market values are determined and published daily.
Non-standardized derivatives (such as swap agreements), on the other hand, tend to be more
specialized or complex, and can be more difficult to value and illiquid. Derivatives could involve
leverage because they can provide investment exposure in an amount exceeding the initial
investment.
Real Estate
Real estate is a cyclical industry that is sensitive to interest rates, economic conditions (both
nationally and locally), property tax rates, and other factors. Changes in real estate values or
economic downturns can have a significant negative effect on issuers in the real estate industry
including REITs.
Commodity-Linked Investments
Commodity-linked investments can be leveraged and can be more volatile and less liquid than the
underlying commodity, instruments, or measures. The performance of commodity-linked
investments can be affected by the performance of individual commodities and the overall
commodities markets, as well as by weather, political, tax, and other regulatory and market
developments. A commodity-linked investment is subject to credit risks associated with the issuer
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of, or counterparty to, the commodity-linked investment. The commodities industries can be
significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices; the rate of commodity
consumption; world events including international monetary and political developments; import
controls, export controls, and worldwide competition; exploration and production spending; and tax
and other government regulations and economic conditions.
Currency Exposure
Certain securities can be exposed to foreign currencies and, as a result, could experience losses
based solely on the relative strength or weakness of foreign currencies versus the U.S. dollar and
changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. Currency
transactions tied to emerging markets can present market, credit, liquidity, legal, political, and other
risks different from, or greater than, the risks of currency transactions tied to developed foreign
countries.
Illiquid Investments
Illiquid securities sometimes trade infrequently in the secondary market. As a result, valuing an
illiquid security can be more difficult, and buying and selling an illiquid security at an acceptable
price can be more difficult or delayed. Difficulty in selling an illiquid security can result in a loss.
The relative liquidity of any investment, particularly those that trade on exchanges, can vary, at
times significantly.
Portfolio Turnover Risk
Certain strategies engage in active and frequent trading leading to increased portfolio turnover,
higher transaction costs, and the possibility of increased capital gains, including short-term
capital gains that are generally taxable as ordinary income.
Legislative and Regulatory Risk
Investments could be adversely affected by new (or revised) laws or regulations. Changes to
laws or regulations could impact the securities markets as a whole, specific industries, or
individual issuers of securities. Generally, the impact of these changes will not be fully known for
some time.
Tracking Error
Tracking error risk applies, which means the performance might not match that of the
benchmark it attempts to track, either on a daily or aggregate basis. Factors such as fees and
trading expenses, client-imposed restrictions, imperfect correlation between the portfolio’s
investments and the index, changes to the composition of the index and regulatory policies all
contribute to tracking error. Tracking error risk might cause the performance of a Client portfolio
to be less or more than expected.
Sustainable Strategies
Investing based on sustainability factors may cause an account to forgo certain investment
opportunities available to accounts that do not use such criteria. Because of the subjective
nature of sustainable investing, there can be no guarantee that criteria used by Fidelity or a
third-party, as applicable, in its sustainable strategies will reflect the beliefs or values of any
particular account. Certain sustainability-related exclusions are based in whole or in part on
data provided by one or more third-party vendor(s) and are, therefore, subject to each
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vendor's industry and product line definitions (which may vary from those of Fidelity) and
data limitations. Data used in applying the exclusion criteria may include inputs self-
disclosed by companies as well as estimates where public disclosures are unavailable.
Additionally, Fidelity relies upon information and data obtained through third-party
reporting, which, if incomplete or inaccurate, could result in Fidelity imprecisely evaluating
an issuer’s practices with respect to material sustainability factors.
Tax Management Investing Risk
Investment strategies that seek to enhance after-tax performance may be unable to fully realize
strategic gains or harvest losses due to various factors, including market conditions. At times,
investing techniques that consider tax consequences may cause a Client portfolio to hold a
security in order to achieve more favorable tax treatment or to sell a security in order to create
tax losses if consistent with an Account’s investment guidelines. A tax loss realized by a Client
after selling a security will be deferred if the Client purchases the same or substantially the
same security within thirty days (either before or after such sale). Although FMR generally seeks
to avoid “wash sales,” FMR may not avoid wash sales in all circumstances, including as a result
of trading by a Client in portfolios not managed by FIWA and FMR. A wash sale may also be
triggered for a Client when FMR has sold a security for loss harvesting in an Account and
shortly thereafter FIWA and FMR are directed by the Client to invest additional cash resulting in a
repurchase of the security.
FIWA relies on information provided by Clients in an effort to provide investing techniques that
seek to enhance after tax returns. FIWA cannot guarantee the effectiveness of these investing
techniques. FIWA considers multiple risks and costs in addition to investing techniques that
consider tax consequences in managing an Account, and therefore changes could be made to
an Account even if such changes trigger significant tax consequences.
Regulatory and Issuer Specific Limits
Due to regulatory and issuer-specific limits that apply to the ownership of securities of certain
issuers, Fidelity limits investments in the securities of such issuers. Similar limitations apply to
futures and other derivatives, such as options. In addition, Fidelity from time-to-time determines
that, because of regulatory requirements that apply to Fidelity in relation to investments in a
particular country or in an issuer operating in a particular regulated industry, investments in the
securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country or operating in that
regulated industry above certain thresholds is impractical or undesirable. The foregoing limits
and thresholds may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts (or certain
subsets of accounts) managed, sponsored, or owned by, or otherwise attributable to, Fidelity.
For investment risk management and other purposes, Fidelity also generally applies internal
aggregate limits on the amount of a particular issuer’s securities that are owned by all such
accounts. In connection with the foregoing limits and thresholds, FMR limits or excludes clients’
investments in particular issuers, futures, derivatives and/or other instruments (or limits the
exercise of voting or other rights) and investment flexibility may be restricted. In addition, to the
extent that client accounts already own securities that directly or indirectly contribute to such an
ownership threshold being exceeded, Fidelity generally sells securities held in such accounts to
bring account-level and/or aggregate ownership below the relevant threshold. If any such sales
result in realized losses or gains for client accounts, those client accounts may bear such losses
or gains depending on the particular circumstances. If transitions of assets into a Client’s
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Account are made without notice to Fidelity, certain assets or portions of assets may be rejected
or sold down if required in Fidelity’s discretion. Fidelity takes no responsibility for any losses or
tax consequences associated with unauthorized transfers of assets in the Accounts.
Cybersecurity Risks
With the increased use of technologies to conduct business, FIWA and its affiliates are
susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks despite taking reasonable
steps to mitigate them. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or
unintentional events that can arise from external or internal sources. Cyber-attacks include, but
are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or
malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information;
corrupting data, equipment, or systems; and causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks can
also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as
causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable
to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting FIWA, its affiliates, or any other service providers
(including but not limited to custodians, transfer agents, and financial intermediaries used by
Fidelity or by an issuer of securities) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business
operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the ability to calculate asset
prices, impediments to trading, the inability to transact business, destruction to equipment and
systems, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational
damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar
adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting issuers of securities in which
an account invests, counterparties with which an account engages in transactions,
governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators,
banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial
intermediaries and service providers) and other parties.
Operational Risks
Operational risks can include risks of loss arising from failures in internal processes, people, or
systems, such as routine processing incidents or major systems failures, or from external
events, such as exchange outages. For example, computer, communications, data processing,
networks, backup, business continuity or other operating, information or technology systems,
including those FIWA outsources to other providers, may fail to operate properly or become
disabled, overloaded or damaged as a result of a number of factors. These factors could
include events that are wholly or partially beyond FIWA’s control and may have a negative
impact on our ability to conduct business activities. Though losses arising from operating,
information or technology systems failures could adversely affect a Client account’s
performance, such losses would likely not be reimbursable under FIWA’s policies. Algorithms
can be used by FIWA and its affiliates and contribute to operational risks. There is a risk that the
data input into the algorithms could have errors, omissions, or imperfections, or that the
algorithms do not operate as intended. Any decisions made in reliance on incorrect data or
algorithms that do not operate as intended can expose Clients to potential risks. Issues in the
algorithm are often extremely difficult to detect and can go undetected for long periods of time or
never be detected. These risks are mitigated by testing and human oversight of the algorithms
and their output. FIWA believes that the oversight, testing, and monitoring performed on
algorithms and their output will enable the parties described above to identify and address
issues appropriately. However, there is no assurance that the algorithms will always work as
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intended. In general, we will not assess each Client’s account individually, nor will there be a
process to override the outcome of the algorithm with respect to any particular account.
Errors
Although FIWA and its affiliates take reasonable steps to avoid errors, occasionally errors do
occur. FIWA maintains policies and procedures that address the identification and correction of
errors, consistent with applicable standard of care, to ensure that Clients are treated fairly
when an error has been detected.
FIWA seeks to identify errors and works with appropriate parties to correct errors as quickly as
is reasonably possible. The determination of whether an incident constitutes an error is made
by FIWA or its affiliates, in their sole discretion. FIWA will evaluate each situation
independently, and unless prohibited by applicable law, we can net a Client’s gains and losses
from the error or a series of related errors with the same root cause and compensate Clients for
the net loss. This corrective action can result in financial or other restitution to the Client Account,
or inadvertent gains being reversed out of the Client Account.
For Off-Platform Accounts, the error correction policies and procedures of unaffiliated broker-
dealers/custodians will apply in the review and resolution of any applicable incidents or errors
in Client Accounts.
DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
There are no legal or disciplinary events that are material to a Client’s or prospective Client’s
evaluation of FIWA’s business or the integrity of its management personnel.
OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
FIWA is a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC, a Delaware limited liability company that,
together with its affiliates and subsidiaries, is generally known to the public as “Fidelity
Investments” or “Fidelity.” Various direct or indirect subsidiaries of FMR LLC are engaged in
investment advisory, brokerage, banking, or insurance businesses. From time to time, FIWA or
Clients will have material business relationships with the subsidiaries and affiliates of FMR
LLC. In addition, the principal officers of FIWA serve as officers and/or employees of affiliated
companies that are engaged in various aspects of FMR LLC’s businesses. In addition, FIWA
or its affiliates provide certain investment management personnel to or use the investment
management personnel of certain affiliates under personnel sharing arrangements or other
inter-company agreements.
FIWA is not registered as a broker-dealer, municipal adviser, futures commission merchant,
commodity pool operator, or commodity trading advisor, nor does it have an application
pending to register as such. Certain management persons of FIWA are registered
representatives, employees, and/or management persons of FBS, NFS, and/or FDC, who are
FIWA affiliates and registered broker-dealers.
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FIWA has, and Clients could have, a material relationship with the following affiliated
companies:
Investment Companies and Investment Advisers
• Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (“FMR”), a wholly owned subsidiary of
FMR LLC, is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(the “Advisers Act”). FMR provides investment management services, including to
registered investment companies in the Fidelity group of funds and to clients of other
affiliated and unaffiliated advisers. FMR also provides model portfolio construction
services to FIWA in connection with the Fidelity Model Portfolio Solutions and portfolio
management services as a sub adviser to FIWA for its Fidelity Institutional Custom
SMAs.
• FIAM LLC (“FIAM”), a wholly owned subsidiary of FIAM Holdings LLC, which in turn is
wholly owned by FMR LLC, is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act,
and is registered with the Central Bank of Ireland. FIAM provides investment
management services, including to registered investment companies in the Fidelity
group of funds, and to clients of other affiliated and unaffiliated advisers.
• FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited (“FMR UK”), an indirect, wholly owned
subsidiary of FMR, is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, has
been authorized by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority to provide investment
advisory and asset management services, and is registered with the Central Bank of
Ireland. FMR UK provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to
certain collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) issuers and as a sub-adviser to certain
of FMR’s clients, including investment companies in the Fidelity group of funds, and
provides trading services to FMR and its affiliates. FMR UK provides portfolio
management services as an adviser or sub-adviser to clients of other affiliated and
unaffiliated advisers. FMR UK is also authorized to undertake insurance mediation as
part of its benefits consulting business.
• Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (“FMR Japan”), a wholly owned
subsidiary of FMR, is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act and has
been authorized by the Japan Financial Services Agency (Kanto Local Finance Bureau)
to provide investment advisory and discretionary investment management services.
FMR Japan provides investment management services, including to registered
investment companies in the Fidelity group of funds, and to clients of other affiliated and
unaffiliated advisers.
• Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited (“FMR Hong Kong”), a wholly
owned subsidiary of FMR, is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act,
and has been authorized by the Hong Kong Securities & Futures Commission to advise
on securities and to provide asset management services. FMR Hong Kong provides
investment management services, including to registered investment companies in the
Fidelity group of funds, and to clients of other affiliated and unaffiliated advisers.
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• Strategic Advisers LLC (“Strategic Advisers”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fidelity
Advisory Holdings LLC, which in turn is wholly owned by FMR LLC, is a registered
investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Strategic Advisers is registered with the U.S.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) under the Commodity Exchange Act
of 1936 (“CEA”), as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”). Strategic Advisers is a member
of the National Futures Association (“NFA”). Strategic Advisers provides discretionary
and non-discretionary advisory services, and acts as the investment manager to
registered investment companies that invest in affiliated and unaffiliated funds. Strategic
Advisers serves as the sponsor and discretionary manager to investment advisory
programs and can retain the services of affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers and
model providers for its advisory programs. Strategic Advisers provides model portfolio
construction services to FIWA in connection with the Fidelity Model Portfolio Solutions.
• Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (“FDS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC, is a
registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act. FDS is registered with the CFTC
under the CEA, as a CPO and a commodity trading adviser (“CTA”). FDS is a member
of the NFA. FDS provides portfolio management services as an adviser and, where
required, a CPO to registered investment companies, unregistered investment
companies (private funds), business development companies (“BDCs”) and separately
managed accounts.
Participating Affiliates
• Fidelity Business Services India Private Limited (“FBS India”), with its registered office
in Bangalore, is incorporated under the laws of India and is ultimately owned by FMR
LLC through certain of its respective direct or indirect subsidiaries. Certain employees of
FBS India (FBS India Associated Employees) may from time to time provide certain
research services for FIWA, which FIWA provides to its customers. FBS India is not
registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and is deemed to be a
“Participating Affiliate” of FIWA (as this term has been used by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission’s Division of Investment Management in various no-action
letters granting relief from the Advisers Act’s registration requirement for certain
affiliates of registered investment advisers). FIWA deems FBS India and each of the
FBS India Associated Employees as “associated persons” of FIWA within the meaning
of Section 202(a)(17) of the Advisers Act. FBS India Associated Employees and FBS
India, through such employees, may contribute to FIWA’s research process and may
have access to information concerning investment research reports and ratings prior to
the dissemination of such reports and ratings to FIWA’s customers. As a Participating
Affiliate of FIWA, FBS India has agreed to submit itself to the jurisdiction of United
States courts for actions arising under United States securities laws in connection with
investment advisory activities conducted for FIWA’s customers. FIWA maintains a list of
FBS India Associated Employees whom FBS India has deemed “associated persons,”
and FIWA will make the list available to its current U.S. clients upon request.
Broker-Dealers
• Fidelity Global Brokerage Group, Inc. (“FGBG”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR
LLC, wholly-owns six broker-dealers: Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, National
Financial Services LLC, Fidelity Distributors Company LLC, Fidelity Prime Financing
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LLC, Digital Brokerage Services LLC and Green Pier Fintech LLC. FGBG and FMR
Sakura Holdings, Inc., both wholly-owned subsidiaries of FMR LLC, along with other
third-party financial institutions, have ownership interests in Kezar Markets, LLC.
Transactions for certain clients of FIWA, as well as clients of FIWA’s affiliates, are
executed through two alternative trading systems, the LeveL ATS and the Luminex
ATS, that are both operated by Kezar Trading, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Kezar Markets, LLC.
• FDC, a wholly owned subsidiary of FGBG, which in turn is wholly owned by FMR LLC,
is a registered broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange
Act”). FDC is the principal underwriter for business development companies (“BDCs”)
and general distributor of shares of the Fidelity family of registered investment
companies (including, open-end mutual funds, ETFs, and closed-end funds). FDC
markets products such as mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, private funds, and
commingled pools advised by FMR, its affiliates, or certain unaffiliated advisers to
certain third-party financial intermediaries and institutional investors.
• NFS, a wholly owned subsidiary of FGBG, which in turn is wholly owned by FMR LLC,
is a registered broker-dealer under the Exchange Act. NFS is a fully disclosed clearing
broker-dealer that provides clearing, settlement, and execution services for other
broker-dealers, including its affiliates FBS and Digital Brokerage Services LLC. Fidelity
Capital Markets (“FCM”), a division of NFS, provides trade executions for Fidelity
affiliates and other clients. Additionally, FCM operates CrossStream®, an alternative
trading system that allows orders submitted by its subscribers to be crossed against
orders submitted by other subscribers. FCM may charge a commission to both sides of
each trade executed in CrossStream®. CrossStream® is used to execute transactions for
certain FIWA advisory clients and FIWA’s affiliates’ investment company and other
advisory clients. NFS also provides securities lending services to certain of FMR’s or
FMR’s affiliates’ clients and may borrow securities from affiliated and unaffiliated funds.
NFS provides transfer agent or subtransfer agent services and other custodial services
to certain Fidelity clients. For On-Platform Accounts, NFS acts as clearing broker and
custodian for Clients, and provides administrative, clerical, and back-office services to
FIWA in connection with Clients.
• Kezar Trading, LLC, a registered broker-dealer and operator of alternative trading
systems (“ATS”), operates the Luminex ATS and the LeveL ATS, which allow orders
submitted by their subscribers to be crossed against orders submitted by other
subscribers. Kezar Trading, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kezar Markets, LLC.
Fidelity Global Brokerage Group, Inc. and FMR Sakura Holdings, Inc., both wholly
owned subsidiaries of FMR LLC, along with other third-party financial institutions,
have ownership interests in Kezar Markets, LLC. Kezar Trading, LLC charges a
commission to both sides of each trade executed in the Luminex ATS and LeveL
ATS. The Luminex ATS and LeveL ATS are used to execute transactions for certain
FIWA advisory clients and FIWA’s affiliates’ investment company and other advisory
clients. NFS serves as a clearing agent for transactions executed in the Luminex
ATS.
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• FBS, a wholly owned subsidiary of FGBG, which in turn is wholly owned by FMR LLC, is
a registered broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and provides brokerage products
and services, including the sale of shares of registered investment companies, in the
Fidelity group of funds to individuals and institutions, including retirement plans
administered by Fidelity affiliates. In addition, along with Fidelity Insurance Agency, Inc.
(“FIA”), FBS distributes insurance products, including variable annuities, which are
issued by Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company (“FILI”) and Empire Fidelity
Investments Life Insurance Company® (“EFILI”), both Fidelity affiliates. FBS provides
shareholder services to certain of Fidelity’s clients. Pursuant to a referral agreement and
for compensation FBS acts as a solicitor for the Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs.
• Digital Brokerage Services LLC (“DBS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of FGBG, is a
registered broker-dealer under the Exchange Act. DBS provides securities brokerage
services to a retail customer base through digital mobile application-based brokerage
platform. DBS clears all customer transactions through NFS and Green Pier Fintech LLC,
each an affiliated registered broker-dealer, on a fully disclosed basis.
Insurance Companies or Agencies
• FILI, a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC, is engaged in the distribution and
issuance of life insurance and annuity products that offer shares of registered
investment companies managed by Fidelity affiliates.
• EFILI, a wholly owned subsidiary of FILI, is engaged in the distribution and issuance of
life insurance and annuity products that offer shares of registered investment
companies managed by Fidelity affiliates to residents of New York.
• FIA, a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC, is engaged in the business of selling life
insurance and annuity products of affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies.
Banking Institutions
• Fidelity Management Trust Company (“FMTC”), a wholly owned subsidiary of FMTC
Holdings LLC, which in turn is wholly owned by FMR LLC, is a limited-purpose trust
company organized and operating under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts that provides non-discretionary trustee and custodial services to
employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts through which individuals
can invest in affiliated or unaffiliated registered investment companies. FMTC also
provides discretionary investment management services to institutional clients. FIWA
provides non-discretionary investment management services to FMTC as part of
FMTC’s Fidelity Flex workplace savings plan fiduciary offering.
• Fidelity Personal Trust Company, FSB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fidelity Thrift
trustee services, custody,
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Holding Company, Inc., which in turn is wholly owned by FMR LLC, is a federal savings
bank that offers fiduciary services that include trustee or co
principal and income accounting, investment management services, and recordkeeping
and administration.
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CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT
TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL TRADING
FIWA has adopted a Code of Ethics for Personal Trading (the “Code of Ethics”). The Code of
Ethics applies to officers, directors, employees (including certain contractors), and other
supervised persons of FIWA and requires that they place the interests of clients above their
own. The Code of Ethics establishes securities transaction requirements for all covered
employees and their covered persons, including their spouses. More specifically, the Code of
Ethics contains provisions requiring the following:
• Standards of general business conduct reflecting the investment advisers’ fiduciary
obligations;
• Compliance with applicable federal securities laws;
• Employees and their covered persons move their covered accounts to FBS unless
an exception exists or prior approval is obtained;
• Reporting and review of personal securities transactions and holdings for persons
with access to certain nonpublic information;
• Prohibition of purchasing securities in initial public offerings unless an exception has
been approved;
• Reporting of Code of Ethics violations; and
• Distribution of the Code of Ethics to all supervised persons, documented through
acknowledgments of receipt.
Core features of the Code of Ethics generally apply to all Fidelity employees. The Code of
Ethics also imposes additional restrictions and reporting obligations on certain advisory
personnel, research analysts, and portfolio managers. Such restrictions and reporting
obligations include (i) the preclearing of transactions in covered securities with limited
exceptions, (ii) a prohibition on investments in limited offerings without prior approval, (iii) a
prohibition on personal trading by a portfolio manager within seven days before or after a trade
in any covered security of the same issuer by a fund or account managed by such portfolio
manager except in limited circumstances, (iv) the reporting of transactions in covered
securities on a quarterly basis with limited exceptions, (v) the reporting of securities accounts
and holdings of covered securities at the time of hire and annually thereafter, (vi) restricts the
selling short of a covered security, and (vii) the disgorgement of profits from short-term
transactions with limited exceptions. Violation of the Code of Ethics requirements can also
result in the imposition of remedial action. The Code of Ethics will generally be supplemented
by other relevant Fidelity policies, including the Policy on Inside Information, Rules for Broker-
Dealer Employees, and other written policies and procedures adopted by Fidelity and FIWA. A
copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided on request.
From time to time, Fidelity personnel can buy or sell securities for themselves and also
recommend those securities to clients. The conflicts of interest involved in such activities are
contemplated in the Code of Ethics and other relevant Fidelity policies. In particular, the Code
of Ethics and other Fidelity policies are designed to make it clear to Fidelity personnel that they
should never place their personal interests ahead of Fidelity’s clients in an attempt to benefit
themselves or another party. The Code of Ethics and other Fidelity policies impose sanctions if
these requirements are violated.
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From time to time, in connection with our business, certain Fidelity personnel may obtain
material nonpublic information that is usually not available to other investors or the general
public. In compliance with applicable laws, Fidelity has adopted a comprehensive set of
policies and procedures that prohibit the use of material nonpublic information by investment
professionals and other employees.
In addition, Fidelity has implemented a Corporate Gifts & Entertainment Policy intended to set
standards for business entertainment and the giving or receiving of gifts, help employees make
sound decisions with respect to these activities, and ensure that the interests of Fidelity’s
clients come first. Similarly, to support compliance with applicable “pay-to-play” rules, Fidelity
has implemented a Personal Political Contributions & Activities policy which requires
employees to pre-clear political contributions and activities. Fidelity also has a Global Anti-
Corruption Policy regarding commercial bribery and bribery of government officials that
prohibits directly or indirectly giving, offering, authorizing, promising, accepting, or receiving
any bribe, facilitation payment, kickback, or payoff (whether in cash or any other form) with the
intent to improperly obtain or retain business or any improper advantage.
BROKERAGE PRACTICES
FIWA retained the services of FMR to provide discretionary investment management for the
Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs. Please see the FMR Form ADV Brochure for
additional information regarding its discretionary management investment process,
including brokerage practices.
For certain Accounts, Clients have directed Fidelity to generally execute all brokerage
transactions for equity securities with an affiliated broker-dealer such as NFS or certain
unaffiliated broker-dealers, however, Fidelity may execute securities transactions with any
unaffiliated broker-dealer or bank if Fidelity has formed a reasonable belief that execution quality
would meet Fidelity’s overall best execution standards. In these situations, the Client
acknowledges and agrees that this directed brokerage may result in the Client not obtaining or
negotiating as favorable a price or execution as could possibly be obtained using a non-directed
broker-dealer and that Fidelity’s ability to aggregate orders and achieve volume discounts could
possibly be negatively affected in some transactions.
For On-Platform Accounts, NFS receives remuneration, compensation, or other consideration for
directing some customer orders for equity securities to certain market centers for execution. Such
consideration may include financial credits, monetary payments, rebates, volume discounts, or
reciprocal business. The details of any credit, payment, rebate, or other form of compensation
received in connection with the routing of a particular order will be provided upon request, and an
explanation of order-routing practices will be provided on an annual basis. In addition, from time
to time, FIWA or its affiliates may provide aggregated trade execution data to customers and
prospective customers.
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REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
FIWA has delegated portfolio management services for its Clients to FMR. On a daily basis,
FMR will evaluate Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs with respect to a variety of factors to
determine whether the Account may benefit from trading that day. Common reasons Clients
experience trading in their Accounts include changes in the model or index, market fluctuations,
tax management opportunities, and Client requested activities such as cash deposits or
withdrawals. FMR does not anticipate that each Fidelity Institutional Custom SMA will be traded
each day. Each of the securities purchased in an Account will appear on a Client’s account
statement. Securities selected for Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs may be individually
tailored based on a Client’s existing holdings and unique financial situation and, where
applicable, on the tax attributes of the assets in an Account. A Client can expect that the
securities that compose his or her Fidelity Institutional Custom SMA vary, perhaps significantly,
from the securities purchased for another Client’s Account managed using the same strategy.
In its role as an adviser, FIWA may supply Clients, with periodic reports providing, among
other items, comparative performance data. Reports may also be prepared when requested by
Clients, and Clients of FIWA may receive customized or different reports than other Clients.
Clients should compare any reports that FIWA provides with the account statements received
from the account custodian.
For Clients that access Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs through another RIA, the RIA will
contact the Client at least annually to evaluate whether there have been any changes to the
Client’s personal financial situation that could affect the Client’s investment objective (e.g., risk
tolerance, tax situation, planned investment horizon, etc.) or Account including whether the Client
wishes to impose any reasonable restrictions on the management of the Account or reasonably
modify any existing restrictions. For Clients that contract directly with FIWA, FIWA will contact the
Client at least annually for the same purpose. The RIA or FIWA will also send its Clients a
reminder at least quarterly to notify them of any change in their financial situation, investment
objectives, or to impose reasonable restrictions on the management of their Accounts or
reasonably modify any existing restrictions. Clients are responsible for notifying their RIA or
FIWA of any changes to their financial situation, investment objectives, or any other changes
regarding the management of their Account. FIWA communicates the information obtained from
Clients to FMR as necessary for the management the Account.
CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION
FIWA compensates its affiliate FBS for Client referrals. FIWA or its affiliates compensate
unaffiliated parties for promotion of the Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs on such party’s
managed account platforms or through other venues. In such cases, such promotion will be
treated as an endorsement and in compliance with applicable law.
In some instances, FIWA may pay an intermediary platform a technology or similar fee to
enable the administration of the Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs on such platform. Such fee
is not an endorsement by any platform sponsor of Fidelity Institutional Custom SMAs or any
related advisory services provided by FIWA or its affiliates.
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FIWA representatives are generally also registered with one or more of our affiliated broker-
dealers, FBS, NFS, and FDC. These representatives receive a salary, bonus, and non-cash
incentives. Bonus and non-cash incentives can vary and are based on criteria including
success in meeting sales goals and total assets.
CUSTODY
FIWA does not maintain custody for Clients’ assets, however, it is deemed to have custody of
Client assets in situations where it is authorized to deduct advisory fees from Client Accounts.
FIWA has a reasonable basis to believe such Client Accounts receive a custodian statement on
at least a quarterly basis.
FIWA is also deemed to have custody of On-Platform Accounts because FIWA’s affiliate, NFS,
is the custodian to those Accounts. NFS, a registered broker-dealer, has custody of On-Platform
Account assets and performs certain services for the benefit of those Clients, including trade
execution, as well as custodial and related services. Certain representatives of FIWA and NFS
share premises and have common supervision. Clients will be sent at least quarterly statements
from NFS with pertinent account information. Client statements may also be available online at
Fidelity.com or WealthscapeSM and by enrolling in electronic delivery.
Clients are encouraged to carefully review custodian statements and to compare such official
custodial records to any reports that FIWA may provide Clients or their advisors.
INVESTMENT DISCRETION
While Clients are required to grant discretionary investment authority to FIWA so that such
discretion can be passed to FMR, FIWA does not exercise such investment discretion with
respect to the purchase or sale of securities for any Client Account. FIWA has delegated to
FMR discretionary management authority over the Client Accounts which, includes discretion to
effect trades in those Accounts, subject to FIWA’s supervision and oversight. When selecting
securities and trading accounts, FMR complies with its policies and procedures, along with
account investment guidelines and restrictions as memorialized in the investment management
agreement or other operative agreement of the Client. If a Client or its authorized agent of the
Client executes trades in a Client’s Account notwithstanding the authority granted to FIWA,
neither FIWA nor any of its affiliates are responsible for any losses, errors, performance
deviations or impacts, costs, adverse tax consequences, negative effects on the Account’s
ability to achieve its investment objectives, or any other effects on such Accounts as a result of
such trading activity. In limited circumstances and at a Client’s direction, FIWA has agreed to
utilize a third-party model or the Client’s model as described in the investment guidelines to the
investment management agreement. FIWA maintains discretion over such Account subject to
the parameters described in those guidelines, however, FIWA is not responsible for any
losses, errors, performance deviations or impacts, costs, adverse tax consequences or
negative effects on the Account’s ability to achieve its investment objectives, or any other
effects on such Accounts as a result of use of such model for such Clients, including the model
provider’s failure to update timely or accurately the information provided.
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VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
When authorized by Clients, Fidelity generally cast votes on behalf of Client Accounts by proxy
at shareholder meetings of issuers in which Fidelity invests Client assets. For the Clients’
Accounts, Fidelity does not vote proxies of certain non-U.S. securities. Fidelity has established
formal written proxy voting guidelines (the “Guidelines”) that are designed to ensure that
proxies on behalf of the Fidelity Funds or Client Accounts (to the extent authorized by Clients)
are voted in a manner consistent with the best interests of shareholders and Clients. Fidelity
invests in the ordinary course of business and not with the intended effect of changing or
influencing control of an issuer. Fidelity has also adopted the Guidelines as part of its proxy
voting policies and procedures in accordance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act. FMR
provides proxy voting services to FIWA and its affiliates.
Fidelity votes on behalf of the Fidelity Funds or Client Accounts (to the extent authorized by
Clients) in accordance with the Guidelines.
In evaluating proxies, Fidelity considers factors that are financially material to individual
companies and investing funds’ or Client Accounts’ investment objectives and strategies in
support of maximizing long-term shareholder value. This includes considering the company’s
approach to financial, operational, human and natural capital and the impact of that approach
on the potential future value of the business.
Fidelity will vote on proposals not specifically addressed by the Guidelines based on an
evaluation of a proposal's likelihood to enhance the long-term economic returns or profitability
of the company or to maximize long-term shareholder value.
Securities on Loan
Securities on loan as of a record date cannot be voted. In certain circumstances, Fidelity may
recall a security on loan before record date (for example, in a particular contested director
election or a noteworthy merger or acquisition). Generally, however, securities out on loan
remain on loan and are not voted because, for example, the income a fund or Client Account
derives from the loan outweighs the benefit the fund or Client Account receives from voting the
security. In addition, Fidelity may not be able to recall and vote loaned securities if Fidelity is
unaware of relevant information before record date or is otherwise unable to timely recall
securities on loan.
Compliance with Legal Obligations and Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Voting of shares is conducted in a manner consistent with Fidelity’s fiduciary obligations to the
funds and accounts, and all applicable laws and regulations. In other words, Fidelity votes in a
manner consistent with the Guidelines and in the best interests of the funds/accounts and their
shareholders, as applicable, and without regard to any other Fidelity companies' business
relationships. Fidelity takes its responsibility to vote shares in the best interests of the funds or
accounts seriously and has implemented policies and procedures to address actual and
potential conflicts of interest.
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Investment Proxy Research (“IPR”), which is part of the Fidelity Fund and Investment
Operations department, is charged with administering the Guidelines as agent to facilitate the
voting of proxies. IPR votes proxies without regard to any other Fidelity companies’ business
relationships with that portfolio company. Like other Fidelity employees, IPR employees have a
fiduciary duty to never place their own personal interest ahead of the interests of
funds/accounts and their shareholders, as applicable, and are instructed to avoid actual and
apparent conflicts of interest. In the event of a conflict of interest, Fidelity employees will follow
the escalation process included in Fidelity's corporate policy on conflicts of interest.
Clients may obtain a complete set of Guidelines, as well as a record of how their proxies were
voted, by contacting FIWA at the address or phone number found on the cover of this
brochure.
In certain cases, Clients have not provided Fidelity the authority to vote proxies. Such Clients
should obtain proxies from their custodian or other service provider.
Clients may not direct Fidelity’s vote if FIWA has been given proxy voting authority, subject to
applicable law.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
FIWA does not solicit prepayment of fees greater than 6 months in advance. FIWA is not
aware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet contractual
commitments to Clients.
REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE-REGISTERED ADVISERS
FIWA is not registered with any state securities authority.
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