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Item 1 Title Page
Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC
Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure
December 12, 2025
7301 Mission Road, Suite 326, Prairie Village, KS 66208
Tel: (877) 363-1555 | www.fortiscapitaladvisors.com
(877)
363-1555
please
contact
us
at
or
via
email
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Fortis
Capital Advisors, LLC (“Fortis” or “Firm”). If you have any questions about the contents of
this Brochure,
at
compliance@fortiscapitaladvisors.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 Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC also is available on the SEC’s
website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
References herein to Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC as a “registered investment adviser” or any
reference to being “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
SEC NO. 801-69329
Item 2 - Summary of Material Changes
This item discusses specific material changes to the Fortis Brochure. Pursuant to current SEC Rules,
Fortis will ensure that clients receive a summary of any material changes to this and subsequent
Brochures within 120 days of the close of the firm’s fiscal year, which occurs at the end of the calendar
year. Fortis will disclose material changes as necessary. Fortis’ then-current Brochure may be requested
by a client or prospective client at any time, without charge.
Below is a summary of material changes to the following Items in this Brochure based on information
previously provided in our Brochure dated March 31 2024.
Item 4 Section A - Who is Fortis?
Felix Malitsky has been added as an owner of Fortis and Donatella Malitsky has been removed as an owner.
Item 4 Section B - What services do you offer?
The Firm is now offering investment advisory services to institutional clients. Additionally, the Firm is now
offering a cash platform through Flourish Cash, for which Fortis will receive a portion of the fee paid by the
Client.
Item 4, Section E - What are your Assets Under Management?
Amount of assets under management updated as of February 28, 2025.
Item 5, Section A (e) - Flourish Cash
The Firm added disclosures regarding the portion of the fee charged to the client by Flourish that is retained
by Fortis. We also updated the fee from 0.15% to 0.10% from the previous version of this Brochure.
Item 5, Section A (f) - Incentive Programs
The Firm added disclosures regarding occasional incentives offered to Advisors in addition to their standard
compensation.
Item 7, Section A - What type of clients do you service?
Added “institutional clients” since Fortis provides asset management for institutional investors.
Item 10, Section A - Management persons as a registered representative of a broker-dealer
CEO Roman Moldavsky recently became a registered representative of an unaffiliated broker-dealer.
Item 10, Section C (c) - Another Investment Adviser
Removed reference to ownership of CreativeOne Wealth, LLC, in which Rob Hagg is no longer an owner.
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Item 10, Section C (f) - Accountant or Accounting Firm
Felix Malitsky, who is an owner of Fortis, has been added as an owner of Tutum Strategies.
Item 10, Section C (h) - Insurance Companies
Momentum I, LLC, owned by Robert Hagg, is not an insurance company or agency and therefore reference
to it was removed.
Felix Malitsky, who is an owner of Fortis, has been added as an owner of Fortis Lux Insurance Agency, LLC.
Item 10, Section C (m) - Other names
Updated list of Doing Business As (DBA) names of Advisors’ entities providing services on behalf of the firm.
Item 12 - Brokerage Practices
Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC has recently been added as a preferred broker-dealer that is recommended
to clients.
Added language to indicate situations where we might recommend a different broker-dealer than Charles
Schwab, including in situations involving institutional investors.
Item 15, Section B - Custody of Assets
Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC has recently been added as a preferred broker-dealer that is recommended
to clients.
Item 16, Section A - Investment Discretion
Removed reference to the Firm voting proxies on behalf of clients, which Fortis does not engage in.
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Item 3 - Table of Contents
Item 1 Title Page
Item 2 - Summary of Material Changes
Item 3 - Table of Contents
Item 4 - Advisory Business
Item 5 - Fees and Compensation
Item 6 - Performance Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
Item 7 - Types of Clients
Item 8 - Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
Item 10 - Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Item 11 - Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
Item 12 - Brokerage Practices
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
Item 14 - Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Item 15 - Custody
Item 16 - Investment Discretion
Item 17 - Voting Client Securities
Item 18 - Financial Information
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Item 4 - Advisory Business
A. Who is Fortis?
Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC (“Fortis” or the “Firm”, “we,” “us,” or “our”) offers investment advice and
financial planning services on individual securities and portfolios of securities. The Firm was founded in
2020 in Prairie Village, Kansas and is owned by Robert M. Hagg, Felix Malitsky, and Roman Moldavsky
as a Delaware Limited Liability Company.
B. What services do you offer?
Portfolio Management Services. Fortis provides ongoing portfolio management services to
individuals, families, businesses, institutional clients, and other investment advisers. When providing
portfolio management services, the Firm not only makes recommendations related to investments, but
also implements these recommendations and provides ongoing monitoring and management of each
account. Each portfolio is tailored to the individual needs of a particular client (whether an individual, a
family, business, or institutional client) through an assessment conducted prior to an engagement.
Clients may impose restrictions related to the level of discretion granted, the types of investments used,
etc. Clients that decide to engage Fortis on a non-discretionary investment basis must be willing to
accept that Fortis cannot affect any account transactions without obtaining prior consent to any such
transaction(s) from the client. Thus, in the event of a market correction during which the client is
unavailable, Fortis will be unable to effect any account transactions (as it would for its discretionary
clients) without first obtaining the client’s consent. Terms of an actual engagement, including description
of service, limitations and restrictions, fees, etc., are all detailed before any engagement begins in a
written client agreement.
Financial Planning and Consulting Services. Fortis provides financial planning and/or consulting
services (including investment and non-investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance
planning, etc.) on a fixed fee or hourly fee basis. Prior to engaging Fortis to provide planning or
consulting services, clients are required to enter into a Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement
with Fortis setting forth the terms and conditions of the engagement (including termination), describing
the scope of the services to be provided, and the portion of the fee that is due from the client prior to
Fortis commencing services. The client always retains absolute discretion over all such implementation
decisions and always has the right whether to accept or reject any recommendation from Fortis. Please
Note: It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify Fortis if there is ever any change in their
financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising Fortis'
previous recommendations and/or services.
As indicated above, Fortis may provide financial planning and related consulting services regarding
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non-investment related matters, such as estate planning, tax planning, insurance, etc. Neither Fortis
nor its representatives serve as an attorney or accountant, and no portion of its services should be
construed as legal or accounting advice. Accordingly, Fortis does not prepare estate planning
documents or tax returns. To the extent requested by a client, Fortis may recommend the services of
legal or tax professionals. Clients are reminded that they always have the right to decide whether to
engage the services of any such recommended professional.
Implementation of Financial Planning Recommendations. The client retains absolute discretion over all
such implementation decisions and always has the right whether to accept or reject any
recommendation made by Fortis or its representatives or any affiliated entities. Clients may be offered
insurance products through Fortis' affiliate Fortis Brokerage Services, Inc., a New York licensed
insurance agency. In the event clients purchase any offered insurance products, commissions will be
paid to the above insurance agencies and the licensed representative, which is a conflict of interest.
Fortis will exercise its fiduciary duty in regard to any sale of such insurance products and clients are
reminded that they always have the right to decide whether to act on any such recommendations and to
purchase any insurance products from anyone they so choose. Such recommendations will only be
made in the clients best interest.
Tax Planning and Preparation. Clients may be offered tax planning and preparation services through
Fortis' affiliated entity, Tutum Strategies, LLC, or through an entity associated with an Advisor. In the
event that the Client engages any of these entities for their services, the advisor and/or Fortis will
benefit from that engagement, which causes a conflict of interest. The Client retains absolute discretion
over all such engagement and always has the right to accept or reject any recommendation made by
Fortis or its representatives or any affiliated entities. In addition, these services may or may not be
bundled along with the asset management pricing or financial plan pricing. Please discuss with your
Advisor regarding services provided.
Client Obligations. In performing its services, Fortis shall not be required to verify any information
received from the client or from the client’s other professionals, and is expressly authorized to rely
thereon. Moreover, each client is advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify Fortis if
there is ever any change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of
reviewing, evaluating or revising Fortis' previous recommendations and/or services.
Fortis shall provide investment services specific to the needs of each client. Prior to providing
investment services, an investment adviser representative will ascertain each client’s investment
objective(s). Thereafter, Fortis shall allocate and/or recommend that the client allocate investment
assets consistent with the designated investment objective(s). The client may, at any time, impose
reasonable restrictions, in writing, on Fortis' services.
Educational Workshops. Fortis provides educational workshops for those desiring information on
personal finance and investing. Topics may include issues related to general financial planning,
educational funding, estate planning, retirement strategies, insurance planning and various other
current economic or investment topics.
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Flourish Cash. Flourish Cash is an online platform that provides clients with competitive APY and
elevated FDIC coverage for their deposits placed at program banks. Flourish Cash is offered by
Flourish Financial LLC, a registered broker-dealer and FINRA member. Fortis is not affiliated with
Flourish or any of the program’s banks. Fortis Advisors are not acting as an investment advisory
representative or in a discretionary manner when inviting Clients to use Flourish and only do so with
your consent.
C. Do you customize your services?
Yes. We believe in providing customized investment advice to clients, and each Fortis' investment
advisor representative (“Advisor”) retains the authority to implement his or her own investment and
financial planning styles. Prior to making an investment recommendation or implementing an
investment strategy, we work with you to understand your financial needs and risk tolerance.
For certain clients, Fortis uses model portfolios together with a specific set of recommendations for
each client based on their personal restrictions, needs, and targets. If we use these model portfolios,
the client will not be able to impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities in
accordance with their values or beliefs unless the model portfolios are designed to accommodate such
values or beliefs. You will be responsible for notifying us of any updates regarding your financial
situation, investment objectives, or risk tolerance and whether you wish to impose or modify any
existing investment restrictions.
D. Do you have a program that wraps brokerage and advisory fees into one fee?
Yes. A wrap fee program is an investment program in which the client pays one stated fee that includes
management fees, transaction costs, and other administrative fees. Clients should refer to the
sponsor’s Wrap Fee Program Brochure and consult with their Advisor for any additional information or
questions they may have with respect to the specific wrap fee program. Wrap fee programs may cost a
client more or less than purchasing such services separately through one or more non-wrap account(s),
depending on the volume of trading and the size of a client’s account(s). In general, a wrap fee program
can be comparatively less expensive for actively traded accounts; conversely, non-wrap fee programs
can be comparatively less expensive for accounts in which there is minimal trading activity.
Fortis sponsors one wrap fee program: the Portfolio Manager’s Wrap Fee Program (“PMW”). To learn
more about our wrap fee programs you may request a copy of the PMW Wrap Fee Program Brochure.
If you receive services through a wrap fee program, you will only pay fees based on assets under
management and you will not pay a separate commission, ticket charge, or custodian fee, for the
execution of transactions in your account(s). Fortis and certain service providers, including (if
applicable) the platform provider, the custodian, and portfolio manager, will receive a portion of the fee
as compensation for services.
E. What are your Assets Under Management?
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Total Assets Under Management advised on a discretionary basis is $1,212,196,068 as of February 28,
2025. $0 is advised on a non-discretionary basis.
F.
IRA Rollover Recommendations
For purposes of complying with the DOL’s Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2020-02 where applicable,
we are providing the following acknowledgement to you.
When we provide investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual
retirement account, we are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement
accounts. The way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests, so we operate under a
special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. Under
this special rule’s provisions, we must:
● Meet a professional standard of care when making investment recommendations (give prudent
advice);
● Never put our financial interests ahead of yours when making recommendations (give loyal
advice);
● Avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interest, fees, and investments;
● Follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that we give advice that is in your best
interest;
● Charge no more than is reasonable for our services; and
● Give you basic information about conflicts of interest.
Item 5 - Fees and Compensation
A. How is Fortis compensated?
Fees charged are negotiable and may differ from client to client based upon services provided,
investment strategies utilized, the amount of assets to be managed; portfolio composition, the scope
and complexity of the engagement, the anticipated number of meetings and servicing needs, related
accounts; anticipated future additional assets, the professional(s) rendering the service(s), prior
relationships with Fortis and/or your Advisor and negotiations with the client. As a result, similarly
situated clients could pay different fees and the services to be provided by Fortis to any particular client
could be available from other advisers at lower fees.
Fortis believes that its fees are reasonable in relation to the services it provides and the fees charged
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by other investment advisers offering similar services. However, Fortis' fees may be higher than that
charged by other investment advisers offering similar services.
a. Assets Under Management Fees
Advisory fees and the timing of assessment are negotiated between you and your Advisor.
Fees can be charged as a flat fee percentage, linear fee percentage, or a tiered fee percentage
structure but cannot exceed 2.5% annually. Such advisory fees are based upon assets under
management (“AUM”). A new client will be charged a prorated fee for the initial quarter in which
services are rendered. No AUM fee adjustment will be made during any quarter for appreciation
or depreciation in the value of your assets. Fees will be assessed quarterly typically in advance
based on the value of the portfolio as of the last day of the previous quarter, as reported in our
data aggregation system
You should discuss with your Advisor the exact fee schedule agreed to be you in your advisory
agreement. You will receive a (30) day notice in writing of any changes to your fee schedule if
your fee will be increasing, but we have discretion for reducing fees without notice.
You should understand that the fee you negotiate with your Advisor can be higher than the fees
charged by other investment adviser representatives for similar services. This is the case, in
particular, if the fee is at or near the maximum fees rate set out above. Your Advisor is
responsible for determining your fee based on many factors, such as the total amount of assets
in the relationship, the complexity of the services, and the number and range of supplementary
advisory and client-related services to be provided. You should consider the level and
complexity of the consulting and/or advisory services to be provided when negotiating the fee
with your Advisor.
Please Note: Cash Positions. At any specific point in time, depending upon perceived or
anticipated market conditions/events (there being no guarantee that such anticipated market
conditions/events will occur), Fortis may maintain cash positions for defensive purposes. All
cash positions (money markets, etc.) shall be included as part of assets under management for
purposes of calculating Fortis' fee.
Clients typically elect to have Fortis' fees deducted from their custodial account(s). Both Fortis'
Investment Advisory Agreement and the custodial/clearing agreement may authorize the
custodian to debit the account for the amount of Fortis' investment advisory fee and to directly
remit that management fee to Fortis in compliance with regulatory procedures. In the limited
event that Fortis bills the client directly, payment is due upon receipt of Fortis' invoice. If Fortis is
deducting fees and/or billing clients quarterly in arrears, the fee will be based upon the market
value of the assets on the last business day of the preceding quarter, with the exception of the
initial month of engagement for which Fortis may charge in arrears.
The Investment Agreement between Fortis and the client will continue in effect until terminated
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by either party by written notice in accordance with the terms of the Investment Agreement.
Upon termination, Fortis shall refund the unearned prorated portion of the advanced fee paid
based upon the number of days remaining in the billing quarter.
b. Financial Planning and Consulting Services
Financial Planning and Consulting Services. Fortis' planning and consulting fees are negotiable
and may be complementary at Fortis' discretion, but generally range from $999 to $25,000 when
charged on a fixed fee basis or up to $500 per hour when charged on an hourly rate basis,
depending upon the level and scope of the service(s) required and the professional(s) rendering
the service(s).
c. Retirement Plan Fees
ERISA and Non-ERISA Employer Retirement Plan Consulting and Managed Account Fees are
subject to negotiation and are charged on an AUM, fixed, or hourly basis. Fortis provides
plan-level consulting and managed account services to retirement plans covered under ERISA.
Fees may be charged quarterly or monthly in arrears or in advance based on the assets as
calculated by the custodian or record keeper of the plan’s assets (without adjustments for
anticipated withdrawals by plan participants or other anticipated or scheduled transfers or
distribution of assets). If the services to be provided start any time other than the first day of a
quarter or month, the fee will be prorated based on the number of days remaining in the quarter
or month. If an agreement is terminated prior to the end of the billing cycle, your fee will be
prorated based on the number of days during the fee period services were provided (if your fees
are calculated in arrears) or you will receive a prorated refund of fees for days services were not
provided in the billing cycle (if your fees are calculated in advance). The fee schedule is
described in detail in Schedule A of your agreement. While the plan is ultimately obligated to
pay the fees, the plan sponsor may elect to pay the fees on the plan’s behalf. You may elect to
be billed directly or have fees deducted from plan assets.
d. Education Seminars
Educational Seminars. While certain Educational Seminars may be complementary at Fortis'
discretion, generally Educational Seminars attendees may be assessed a fee ranging from $40
to $100. The workshop fee is announced in advance and determined by the length of the event,
the number and expertise of the presenters involved, and whether or not educational materials
are being provided.
e. Flourish Cash
Fortis receives an admin/service annual fee of 0.10% of the value of the client’s Flourish Cash
account if a client participates in the cash management program from Flourish. This fee is
deducted from the client’s overall APY. This fee is not negotiable. This account is separate from
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Fortis' portfolio management fee, assets are not counted towards the portfolio management
household assets.
f.
Incentive Programs
In addition to their standard compensation arrangements, certain of our Advisors may be eligible
to receive additional bonuses or non-salary incentives through internal firm programs. These
programs may occasionally include contests or other performance-based awards tied to
achieving specific business objectives, such as increasing overall assets under management or
attracting new client relationships.
These incentive programs create a potential conflict of interest because they could motivate an
Advisor to recommend that clients add assets to their accounts or transfer assets to our
management in order to meet the program’s criteria.
this conflict,
the
To address
firm maintains supervisory procedures to review client
recommendations and requires that all investment advice be based solely on each client’s
investment objectives, risk tolerance, and best interests, without regard to any incentive
program.
B. How do we collect fees?
Fees are typically deducted directly from your account on a quarterly basis. Most clients will be charged
in advance at the beginning of every quarter, but this is negotiable with your Advisor.
What if I don’t want fees deducted from my account?
You may pay for your fees by personal check, credit/debit card or automated clearing house (ACH).
Fees are invoiced through a third party provider and due upon receipt. Since payment is conducted
through a third-party, Fortis does not have access to or maintain client payment information, including
credit cards.
C. What are other fees that I pay?
You should be aware that there are costs beyond the advisory fees you pay to Fortis. It is important to be
aware that in some instances costs beyond the advisory fees you pay may benefit Fortis and certain
related persons directly or indirectly and Fortis and its related persons receive certain benefits which
creates a material conflict of interest. See Item 5C4, 11, and 14 for more information.
a. Broker-dealer commissions and Custodian Fees
Unless you are receiving our services through a wrap fee program as described in Item 4D,
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above, you typically pay all brokerage commissions and custodian fees. Please review Item 12
for more information on our Brokerage Practices. Depending on the anticipated volume of trading
in your account, you will pay a transaction-based or asset-based fee related to your accounts.
With transaction-based pricing, if applicable, you will be charged a transaction fee per
transaction. For asset-based pricing, the fee is based on the assets in your account(s). This fee
is typically computed by the custodian on a monthly or quarterly basis and decided from your
account(s).
Custodians impose additional fees including without limitation: periodic distribution fees,
electronic fund and wire transfer fees, certificate delivery fees, reorganization fees, and fees for
paper statements.
Clients should refer to the custodian fee schedule provided at account opening for a description
of custodial fees that may apply to their account. These fees are subject to change at any time
at the discretion of the corresponding Broker or Custodian. Please refer to the "Brokerage
Practices" section (Item 12) of this Form ADV 2A for additional information.
b. Investment Product Fees
Additional fees including internal fees and charges associated with exchange traded funds
(“ETFs”), mutual funds or other investment vehicles utilized in your accounts have internal fees
and expenses. These fees and expenses are described in each fund's prospectus, and typically
include annual ongoing expenses and transaction fees paid when you buy or sell shares in a
fund. The ongoing expenses of a fund are summarized by the expense ratio, which generally
include a management fee, other fund expenses, and a possible distribution (12b-1) fee. These
expenses are paid for out of fund assets and not billed to investors directly, however, these
expenses have the effect of reducing the net investment return received by investors and are
therefore indirectly paid for by investors. If the fund also imposes sales charges, a client will
typically directly pay an initial or deferred sales charge when buying or selling the fund. A client
could invest in an ETF or mutual fund directly, without our services. In that case, the client would
not receive the services provided by our Firm which are designed, among other things, to assist
the client in determining which ETFs, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles are most
appropriate to each client's financial condition and objectives. Accordingly, the client should
review both the fees charged by the funds and our fees to fully understand the total amount of
fees to be paid by the client and to thereby evaluate the advisory services being provided.
In addition, clients always have the option to purchase investment products that we recommend
directly from the issuer or through a brokerage account not affiliated with Fortis.
Typically, the fees you pay that are associated with investment products are not paid directly or
indirectly to Fortis or its related persons.
c. Technology Fees
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A fee of $40 is charged annually per account for technology (used to support data reconciliation,
performance reporting, fee calculation and billing, research, client database maintenance,
payable reports, models, trading platforms, and other functions related to the administrative
tasks of managing client accounts), unless waived at our discretion. Technology Fees are in
addition to the fees stated in Section 5A above, and will be automatically debited from your
designated account in arrears on a quarterly basis or invoiced to you at the same billing
frequency described above (i.e. a $40 annual fee is charged $10 per quarter). Technology Fees
are paid in arrears, so there are no refunds processed.
D. Do I have to pay fees in advance of services?
AUM Fees may be charged one quarter (3 months) in advance or in arrears. Hourly Fees are paid in
arrears. Clients should refer to their written agreement with Fortis for specific information relating to
fees arrangements.
How do I get a refund?
Please notify us in writing if you wish to terminate your advisory agreement with us and the date on
which you would like it to terminate. A pro-rata portion of any advisory fees paid in advance will be
automatically refunded.
Refunded fees are typically credited to the account that was originally debited. In certain instances,
refunds are issued via check and mailed to you.
E. Do you accept compensation for the sale of securities?
Fortis does not accept compensation for the sale of securities.
Item 6 - Performance Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
Do you charge clients performance based fees or engage in side-by-side management?
No, Fortis does not charge you an additional fee based on the performance of your accounts
(performance-based fees) or engage in side-by-side management. Performance-based fees are fees that are
based on a share of capital gains or capital appreciation of a client’s account. Side-by-side management refers
to the practice of managing accounts that are charged performance-based fees while at the same time
managing accounts that are not charged performance-based fees. Fortis' fees are calculated as described
above in Item 5 - Fees and Compensation - and are not charged on the basis of a share of the capital gains
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upon, or capital appreciation of, the funds in a client’s account.
Item 7 - Types of Clients
A. What type of clients do you service?
We serve the investment needs of individual investors (including high net worth individuals), trusts,
business entities, retirement plans, institutional clients, and other investment advisers.
B. Do you have requirements for becoming a client?
We do not have a minimum account size. We do charge a minimum Assets Under Management Fee. In
some cases we may elect not to take on a client if we determine we are not best suited to meet their
investment needs. Also, we may terminate a client relationship if we feel we can no longer meet their
investment needs. We try to accommodate a wide range of custodians; however, we may refuse a
client who does not use a suggested/recommended custodian.
Item 8 - Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
A. Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies
The investment advice you receive is based on the experience and investment style of your Advisor.
Therefore, it is important to ask your Advisor about their experience, services, investment style and
review the Form ADV Part 2B - Brochure Supplement which provides additional background
information about your Advisor.
An analysis of your current financial situation, risk tolerance, and future needs will be used to help
determine the best investment vehicles to meet your investment objectives. The replacement of an
investment vehicle may be triggered by performance, a change in management, market outlook or a
client's personal financial situation.
Your Advisor may create his or her own unique portfolios for clients and there are no “standard”
portfolios. We customize portfolios in this way to meet a client’s individual needs. It will be difficult for
you to evaluate the past performance of a portfolio being recommended because your portfolio is likely
to be different from that of another client’s portfolio.
There are model portfolios available for some of our strategies and prospective and existing clients may
review these to help them understand a strategy.
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Portfolio strategies are typically combined and blended in an effort to meet the client’s investment
objectives. Strategies will also be changed in an effort to improve them. Below is a description of some
of the investment strategies we commonly use to manage client portfolios.
Investing in securities involves a risk of loss that you, as a client, should be prepared to bear.
1. Passively Managed Strategies
Our passively managed portfolios give investors a diversified portfolio targeted to goals, like
their estimated date of retirement. Use of index funds or passively managed asset class funds
reduces the risks associated with actively managed and tactical portfolios. Passively managed
strategies seek to track the returns of various asset classes or indexes available within the
publicly traded markets. The goal is to match the return of the targeted asset class or index
instead of trying to outperform it or reduce the risk present in that given asset class or index. We
attempt to meet client investment objectives and manage risks through asset allocation.
Risk may be managed by the asset allocation and security selection of the portfolio. Please see
material risks for more information.
2. Actively Managed Strategies
Active management seeks to exploit market inefficiencies by purchasing securities (stocks,
bonds or other investments) that are undervalued or by short selling securities that are
overvalued. Most of the actively managed portfolios at Fortis do not use shorting.
Active portfolio managers may use a variety of factors and strategies to construct their
portfolio(s). These
include quantitative measures such as price–earnings ratios and
price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratios, sector investments that attempt to anticipate long-term
macroeconomic trends (such as a focus on energy or housing stocks), technical analysis such
as price movement, and purchasing stocks of companies that are temporarily out-of-favor or
selling at a discount to their intrinsic value. Some actively managed funds also pursue strategies
such as risk arbitrage, short positions, option writing, and asset allocation. Generally, multiple
securities and/or investments are used to diversify a portfolio. The goal is to improve the
probability of a positive return.
When used, options strategies typically include buying puts to hedge equity risk, writing covered
calls for income generation, and buying calls as an equity substitute. Option strategies can
significantly increase risk and this may result in substantial losses. If you select to have options
be a part of your portfolio, you should consult your Advisor for clarification on whether they are
being used to increase or decrease risk in your portfolio.
Actively managed strategies vary greatly from one another so it is important to discuss and
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understand the investment methodology being used. Risks may be managed through asset
allocation, security selection and in some strategies, trading of securities. Actively managed
strategies can be deployed in the form of a separately managed account or a single investment
product (examples include: mutual fund, ETF, non-traded fund, and private funds). Please see
material risks for more information.
3. Tactically Managed Strategies
Tactically Managed Strategies seek to take advantage of short term and/ or longer term market
trends. Tactical investing involves taking long or short-term positions in a range of securities.
The manager then tactically trades and allocates to these securities in an effort to manage risk
and produce a positive return. Technical, quantitative and to a lesser degree fundamental
analysis is often an important consideration in tactical strategies as it can be helpful in
determining optimal entry and exit points.
Tactically Managed Strategies are generally more complex and involve different risks than
standard buy-and-hold investment strategies. Unlike Passively Managed Strategies and many
Actively Managed Strategies, the performance of the portfolio is primarily driven by the Trading
of Securities in the portfolio or strategy and not the long term holding of assets or securities.
Tactically managed strategies vary greatly from one another so it is important to discuss and
understand the investment methodology being used. Risks may be managed through Asset
Allocation, Security Selection and Trading of Securities. Please see material risks for more
information.
4. Blended Strategies
Blended Strategies involve blending of Passively Managed Strategies, Actively Managed
Strategies and Tactically Managed Strategies in the construction of your portfolio. Please see
the above descriptions of Passively Managed, Actively Managed and Tactically Managed
Strategies to understand more about these portfolios.
Blended strategies vary greatly from one another so it is important to discuss and understand
the investment methodologies being used. Risks may be managed through Asset Allocation,
Security Selection and Trading of Securities. Please see material risks for more information.
5. ESG Strategies
ESG investing is the practice of incorporating environmental, social and/or governance (ESG)
considerations into the portfolio construction and monitoring process. ESG is a term that is often
used synonymously with sustainable investing, socially responsible investing, mission-related
investing, or impact investing and screening. “Environment” focuses on themes including but not
limited to climate impact and greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, air and water
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pollution, water scarcity, biodiversity, sustainability practices, and site restoration issues. “Social”
focuses on themes including but not limited to human rights, local community impact and
employment, child labor, working conditions, health and safety, and anti-corruption issues.
“Governance” focuses on themes including but not limited to the alignment of stakeholders’
interests, executive compensation, board independence and composition, and other
shareholder rights issues. There are multiple approaches to ESG investing that may involve the
exclusion, integration, and/or engagement of particular companies, countries, municipalities,
factors, trends or other investment opportunities meeting certain criteria.
Fortis integrates ESG factors, including ESG risks and opportunities, into its investment
process. Fortis believes environmental, social and governance factors inherently impact a
company’s brand equity, employee satisfaction, competitive position, financial performance and
ultimately long-term shareholder value. Fortis employs an ESG scoring system to compare ESG
related risks and opportunities across our Qualified List. Fortis supplements its primary
bottom-up research with input from a third party ESG research and ratings services to help
ensure it has identified the most salient ESG factors and analyzed them.
Clients utilizing responsible investing strategies and environment, social responsibility and
corporate governance (ESG) factors may underperform strategies which do not utilize
responsible investing and ESG considerations. Responsible investing and ESG strategies may
operate by either excluding the investments of certain issuers or by selecting investments based
on their compliance with factors such as ESG. These strategies may exclude certain sectors or
industries from a client’s portfolio, potentially negatively affecting the client’s investment
performance. A client’s strategy may forgo some market opportunities available to portfolios that
do not use an ESG criteria. Stocks of companies with ESG practices may shift into and out of
favor with stock market investors depending on market and economic conditions. The client’s or
strategy’s performance may at times be better or worse than performance of accounts or
strategies that do not use an ESG criteria.
B. Material Risks
The methods used in our investment strategies carry material risks:
1. Asset Allocation
2. Security Selection
3. Trading of Securities
There are three additional material risks to be aware of when investing.
4. Fraud
5. Counterparties
6. Extraordinary Events
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There is no guarantee that the investment objectives of a client, account, investment or portfolio will be
met. The material risks described in this section help to explain how and when this can occur and the
risks accompany the investment advice provided by your advisor and our firm.
1. Asset Allocation
a. What is the risk of losing all or some of my investment?
In general, safer portfolios are constructed from large allocations to strategies that hold
cash, government and high-grade corporate bonds. Higher risk portfolios have larger
allocations to stocks. Tactical Portfolios will use trading strategies in seeking to meet
investment objectives. The asset allocation we recommend will vary depending on your
personal investment goals. A general guide to asset allocation is offered below.
Asset Allocation risks are present in all our investment strategies.
b. How would a market crash affect my portfolio?
Investing always involves a risk of loss, which you should be prepared to bear. See the
asset allocation descriptions below for more information. When investing there is always
the risk of losing all of your original investment. A very conservative portfolio has a much
lower probability of loss than a very aggressive portfolio or speculative portfolio.
c. How does changing my investment objectives affect my portfolio?
If your investment objectives change it can negatively affect your investment
performance. If the markets decline and your financial goals, risk tolerance or financial
needs change a change to a more conservative asset allocation may be required to
meet your new investment objectives. Such a change while consistent with your needs, it
can also negatively impact your investment performance.
When shifting to a more conservative asset allocation, typically riskier securities are sold
and more conservative securities like bonds are purchased. This has the effect of
reducing your allocation to securities (stocks) that are likely to produce better returns
than more conservative securities (bonds) as the markets recover from a decline.
Changes in investment objectives should be carefully considered and can be directed by
you or your advisor.
i.
Preservation Portfolio
A preservation portfolio is a portfolio that seeks to preserve capital and generate
a minimal level of capital growth and/or income as its secondary objective.
Preservation Portfolios tend to be invested in a mix of government and high
grade corporate fixed income securities with much less volatility than the S&P
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500. In addition, preservation tactical strategies may invest in riskier securities
and seek to use trading strategies to reduce the risk of those riskier securities.
ii. Conservative Portfolio
A conservative portfolio is a portfolio that seeks to generate a minimal level of
capital growth and/or income as its primary objective and preserve initial capital
as its secondary objective. Conservative portfolios tend to be invested in a mix of
income-producing securities with much less volatility than the S&P 500. In
addition, conservative tactical strategies may invest in riskier securities and seek
to use trading strategies to reduce the risk of those riskier securities.
iii. Moderate Portfolio
A moderate portfolio is a balanced portfolio that has both capital preservation,
income and/or growth as its objectives. Moderate portfolios tend to have volatility
less than the S&P 500. In addition, moderate tactical strategies may invest in
leveraged securities and seek to use trading strategies to reduce the risk of those
leveraged securities.
iv. Growth Portfolio
A growth portfolio is a growth portfolio managed to generate long-term capital
gains as its primary objective. Growth portfolios tend to be invested in a mix of
securities with potential for long-term capital appreciation with volatility similar to
the S&P 500. In addition, growth tactical strategies may invest in leveraged
securities and seek to use trading strategies to reduce the risk of those leveraged
securities.
v. Aggressive Growth Portfolio
An aggressive growth portfolio is a high growth portfolio managed to generate
above market capital gains as its primary objective. Aggressive Growth Portfolios
tend to be invested in a mix of securities with potential for capital appreciation
and loss with volatility in excess of the S&P 500. Aggressive trading, options,
derivatives, leverage and shorting may be used in a way that increases
investment risk.
vi.
Speculative Portfolio
A speculative portfolio is designed to be a high growth portfolio managed to seek
excessive capital gains as its primary objective. Speculative Portfolios tend to be
invested in a mix of speculative and risky securities with potential for excessive
capital appreciation and loss with volatility well in excess of the S&P 500.
Speculative trading, options, derivatives, leverage and shorting may be used in a
way that creates tremendous investment risk. A speculative portfolio presents a
heightened risk for partial or total loss of invested principal, and therefore you
should only invest in this type of portfolio if you are comfortable with a 100% loss
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of your investment.
2. Security Selection
The risk of loss in a portfolio can often be increased or decreased depending on the type of
security, the construction of the security and use of the security. Understanding the types of
risks that are present within the various securities and how we use those securities is important
to understanding your risk of loss. Our portfolios may use multiple asset classes, and multiple
security types to manage risk. This can make the portfolio harder to understand and each
individual security or asset class carries its own risk of loss.
Security Selection risks are present in all our investment strategies.
a. Equity Risks
Equity investments in public equities (stocks), Exchange Traded Products (“ETPs”), Real
Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”), Closed Ended Mutual Funds, Master Limited
Partnerships (“MLPs”), Business Development Corporations (BDCs), Partnerships,
investment companies and other equity securities are not guaranteed. This includes the
possibility of losses due to fluctuations in value, fraud, and withdrawals by other fund
shareholders. The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements
may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market
as a whole. In addition, the equity market tends to move in cycles which may cause
stock prices to fall for short or extended periods of time. Companies with a larger market
capitalization are typically less risky than companies with a smaller market capitalization.
Domestic stocks are considered less risky than international stocks. When making equity
investments you assume greater risks than when you invest in bonds or cash.
b. Derivative Risks
In financial markets a derivative instrument is a contract between two parties that
specifies conditions (dates, resulting values of the underlying variables, and notional
amounts) under which payments, or payoffs, are to be made between the parties.
The use of derivatives can result in large losses, total loss or money owed because of
leverage, or borrowing. Therefore, investors could lose large amounts if the price of the
underlying asset moves against their contract.
The loss due to a derivative investment can be unlimited. The most common derivatives
used by our firm are Options.
i. Option Risks
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Investments in option contracts are not guaranteed. Options should be
considered riskier than stocks, bonds or cash. You should familiarize yourself
with the type of option (i.e., put or call) and strategy your Advisor is
contemplating. Transactions in options carry a high degree of risk.
Buying an option is subject to the risk of losing the premium and transaction
costs. When the option is exercised or expires, the purchaser is responsible for
any unpaid premium outstanding at that time. If the purchased options expire
worthless, you will suffer a total loss of your investment, which will consist of the
option premium plus transaction costs.
Selling ("writing" or "granting") an option generally entails considerably greater
risk than purchasing options. Although the premium received by the seller is
fixed, the seller may sustain a loss well in excess of that amount. The seller will
be liable for additional margin to maintain the position if the market moves
unfavorably. The seller will also be exposed to the risk of the purchaser
exercising the option and the seller will be obligated to either settle the option in
cash or to acquire or deliver the underlying interest. If the option is "covered" by
the seller holding a corresponding position in the underlying interest or a future or
another option, the risk may be reduced. If the option is not covered, the risk of
loss can be unlimited.
c. Debt Risks
Investments in debt are not guaranteed. We commonly use debt instruments to provide
fixed income for a portfolio. The value of fixed income securities will fluctuate, which
means that a portfolio could lose money and an individual security can default causing
you to lose all of your original investment. Fixed income should be considered less risky
than investments in option contracts or equity, but more risky than cash. Preferred stock
and/or high yield fixed income can become as risky as an equity investment.
High credit quality fixed income securities (like US Treasuries) are less risky than low
credit quality fixed income securities (like junk bonds). Fixed income securities with a
longer maturity (bonds that mature in 30 years) are riskier than fixed income securities
with a shorter maturity (bonds that mature in 6 months). International bonds are
considered more risky than domestic bonds (because of currency risks). Higher yielding
investments are typically riskier than low yielding investments. A change in any of these
factors can cause your fixed income investment to fall in value and in some
circumstances become worthless.
Other risks affecting fixed income include elements consistent with other investments
such as: a change in economic conditions, fraud by the issuer, currency fluctuations,
inflation and a change in the US tax treatment.
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d. Structured Note Risks
Structured Notes are a debt obligation that is issued by a financial institution that also
contains an embedded derivative component that adjusts the security's risk-return
profile. The return performance of a structured note will track both the underlying debt
obligation and the derivative embedded within it. Its return is based on equity indexes, a
single equity, a basket of equities, interest rates, commodities, or foreign currencies. The
performance of a structured note is linked to the return on an underlying asset, group of
assets, or index.
As structured notes are both a debt instrument and a derivative instrument they are
complex and carry risks that are different from other securities. Some structured notes
have principal protection and others do not. For the ones that don't, it is possible to lose
some or all of the principal. That can happen with equity prices, interest rates,
commodity prices, and foreign exchange rates. Lack of liquidity is a risk for holders of
structured notes. Investors who are looking at a structured note should expect to hold
the instrument to its maturity date. Structured notes also suffer from higher default risk
than their underlying debt obligations and derivatives. If the issuer of the note defaults,
the entire value of the investment could be lost.
Important risks that can affect structured notes include: a change in economic
conditions, fraud by the issuer, currency fluctuations, market fluctuations, default, lack of
liquidity, call risk and risks associated with underlying derivatives.
e. Unregistered Investment Risks
Investments in unregistered investments (also known as limited partnerships, hedge
funds, private equity, direct investments or co-investments) carry a significant risk of
loss, including total loss of investment. To invest in investments that are unregistered
with a financial regulator, a client must be an accredited investor. Unregistered
investments tend to have less liquidity than traditional investments. Some require holding
periods of 5 to 10 years. They may use significant leverage, which can increase potential
gains as well as potential losses. Unregistered investments can be difficult to accurately
price (mark to market) and value. They may offer less transparency into the underlying
investments and do not offer investors the same protection as registered investments.
For this reason they carry significant risks, including the risk of fraud. Only sophisticated
investors who can bear a loss of investment should invest in unregistered investments.
f. Commodity and Precious Metal Risks
Investments in Commodities and Precious Metals are not guaranteed. The value of a
commodity or precious metal investment will fluctuate greater than an equity investment.
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You should consider an investment in these asset classes to be more risky than an
equity investment. You should expect to see changes in the value of these investments
in a range that is greater than an equity investment. If you cannot tolerate drastic
changes in value you should not invest in commodities or precious metals.
3. Trading of Securities
When we buy or sell a security, the trade affects whether you experience a gain or a loss. If your
personal situation changes which requires the sale of a security at an inopportune time, this can
significantly affect the performance of your investments. Market volatility may impair your
judgment and result in poor investment timing. Also, frequent trading or attempting to time the
market can increase your risk of loss. Additionally, frequent trading can have increased
brokerage and other transaction costs as well as unfavorable tax consequences, including wash
sale rule violations.
Trading risks are greatest in our Tactically Managed Strategies and Actively Managed
Strategies. Trading risks are less of a factor in Passively Managed Strategies.
a. Hedging Risks
from many
types of
financial
instruments,
Hedging an investment position is done to offset or reduce a potential loss. A hedge can
be constructed
including: stocks,
exchange-traded funds, insurance, forward contracts, swaps, options, many types of
over-the-counter and derivative products, and futures contracts.
Because hedging often involves the use of derivatives, the risks associated with those
instruments should be considered. Also hedging is not guaranteed to work. There are
times when a hedge can multiply losses and it should be understood that hedging may
reduce one risk while simultaneously increasing another.
b. Leverage Risks
The most obvious risk of leverage is that it multiplies losses. Leverage risk can occur in
many ways. Some examples include: margin on your account, investment products, and
companies that use leverage to conduct business. An investor who buys a stock on 50%
margin will lose 40% of his money if the stock declines 20%. If leverage is attained
through the use of derivatives it may involve a counterparty, either a creditor or a
derivative counterparty. If a derivative counterparty fails, unrealized gains on the contract
may be jeopardized. (See counterparty risks below) Leverage can increase both positive
and negative returns. In a declining market or sudden market crash leverage can result
in partial or complete loss of value in your account.
c. Liquidity Risks
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Investments can suddenly become illiquid and difficult to trade. Illiquid assets can be
particularly challenging to value and trade if no buyer or seller of an asset can be found.
Our AUM Fees, which are based on values provided to us by your custodian, may be
higher or lower than they would normally be for an asset with regular pricing information.
Markets that provide liquidity may change at any time, eliminating our ability to buy or
sell a specific security. Liquidity cannot be guaranteed and you risk not having the ability
to buy or sell an investment when investing. If we are forced to sell a security during a
period of time when there is little liquidity this may result in loss of value in that security
and your account. Liquidity cannot be guaranteed.
d. Market Timing Risks
We may attempt to time when buying, selling or shorting of public equities. Because it is
impossible for us to predict the best time to buy or sell a security, there is a risk that our
timing may not result in the best price. There is also the risk that the cost of trading
outweighs the benefit of the trading activity. The greater the frequency of trading the
greater the market timing risks and therefore day trading is especially risky/speculative.
Frequent trading in an effort to anticipate market movements may severely hurt the value
of a portfolio as this type of activity is highly speculative.
e. Selling Short Risks
In finance, short selling (also known as shorting or going short) is the practice of selling
assets that have not been purchased beforehand, but which the seller may have
borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical assets back at a later
date to return to that third party. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the
price of the assets. The short seller will incur a loss if the price of the assets rises, and
there is no theoretical limit to the loss that can be incurred by a short seller.
f. Tax Risks
A Client should understand that all or a portion of their securities may be sold either at
the initiation of or during the course of the management of their assets. Clients are
responsible for all tax liabilities arising from such transactions and Clients are
encouraged to seek the advice of a qualified tax professional. It is important to notify us if
your account requires special handling because of your tax situation.
Clients are responsible for all tax liabilities and are encouraged to see the advice of a
qualified tax professional.
4. Fraud Risks
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Risk of fraud is present when investing. This risk is present within the security, investment or
counterparties used while managing your account. An example of fraud risk is the risk that the
accounting within a publicly traded company is fraudulent. While we attempt to manage the risk
of fraud, the elimination of fraud risk cannot be guaranteed. The occurrence of fraud in a
security or investment will result in a partial or complete loss of value of your account.
Fraud risks are present in all our investment strategies.
5. Counterparty Risks
Investments we recommend or purchase on your behalf will contain various degrees of
counterparty risk. Counterparty risk can be described as is the risk associated with the other
party to a financial contract not meeting its obligations. Examples include when a counterparty
to a transaction is unable to pay out on a bond, credit derivative, trade credit insurance or
payment protection insurance contract, or other trade or transaction when it is supposed to.
While we attempt to manage counterparty risk, the elimination of counterparty risk cannot be
guaranteed. The failure of a counterparty in an investment, transaction or your account will
result in a partial or complete loss of value. In addition, we rely on counterparts to cooperate
with our technological programs and that also cannot be guaranteed. Although we seek best
execution during trading for each transaction, there is some risk involved that the counterparty
or technology platform may not perform as expected and could result in less-than-ideal
execution of transactions.
Counterparty risks are present in all our investment strategies.
6. Extraordinary Events
Extraordinary events are a part of the risks taken when investing. The risk of war, natural
disaster, pandemic, riots, strikes, cyber attack, economic crisis, infrastructure failure,
government failure and other unpredictable events are all present when investing. We cannot
eliminate Extraordinary Risks and the occurrence of such an event may make historically safe
assets or trading strategies suddenly riskier. The occurrence of an extraordinary event could
result in a partial or complete loss of value of your account.
Extraordinary event risks are present in all our investment strategies.
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
Has your firm or any management personnel of the firm been subject to any legal or disciplinary
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actions?
No. Fortis and its management persons have no reportable legal or disciplinary history.
Item 10 - Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
A. Are any of your management persons a registered representative of a broker-dealer?
Yes. Roman Moldavsky is a registered representative of Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, a broker
dealer that is not affiliated with Fortis
B. Are any of your management persons registered, or have an application pending to register, as
a futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor?
No.
C. Does your firm or management persons have any relationship or arrangement that is material to
your advisory business?
Yes. Please see Item 10C (a-m) below. In addition, you should be aware that certain Advisors are
engaged in other business activities which are disclosed in your Advisor’s Form ADV Part 2B: Brochure
Supplement. Some activities present a conflict of interest. Your Advisor is prohibited from engaging in
any practice that could jeopardize or disadvantage a client or a client account(s). Accordingly, each
representative is further required to acknowledge and adhere to the policies and procedures mandated
within the firm’s Code of Ethics (please see Item 11 for further information regarding the Code of
Ethics).
a. Broker-Dealer
No.
b. Investment Company
No.
c. Another Investment Adviser
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Yes. Chief Compliance Officer, Belena Vincetti, is the Chief Compliance Officer of Fortis and
Belpointe Asset Management, LLC, another SEC-registered RIA firm.
d. Futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator, or commodity trading advisor
No.
e. Bank or Thrift
No.
f. Accountant or accounting firm
Yes. Tutum Strategies, LLC (“Tutum”). Roman Moldavsky and Felix Malitsky are owners of
Tutum. Since Mr. Moldavsky and Mr. Malitsky have a financial interest in both Fortis and Tutum,
there is a financial incentive for Fortis to recommend you select Tutum for your accounting and
tax services. This creates a conflict of interest. Fortis addresses this conflict of interest by fully
disclosing it in this Brochure, by advising clients that they are free to elect a firm other than
Tutum for accounting and/or tax services, and by only recommending Tutum when believed to
be appropriate for a particular client. Fortis does not receive compensation from Tutum for
referring clients.
g. Lawyer or law firm
No.
h. Insurance company or agency
Yes. Fortis Brokerage Services, Inc. is partially owned by Donatella Malitsky and Roman
Moldavsky. Certain clients of Fortis will be offered fixed insurance products through Fortis
Brokerage Services. Fortis and its owners receive profits and agents are compensated through
payment of commissions and have a financial incentive to recommend Fortis Brokerage
Services, Inc. While Fortis and our Advisors must endeavor at all times to act as fiduciaries and
put the interests of the clients first, clients should be aware that this practice presents a conflict
of interest because individuals providing investment advice on behalf of the firm who are also
insurance agents have an incentive to recommend products to clients for the purpose of
generating commissions, rather than solely based on client needs. Clients are under no
obligation, contractually or otherwise, to purchase insurance products through any individual
affiliated with Fortis Brokerage Services.
Fortis Lux Insurance Agency, LLC is owned in part by Felix Malitsky and Roman Moldavsky.
Clients of Fortis will not be offered insurance products through Fortis Lux Insurance.
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i. Pension Consultant
No.
j. Real Estate Broker
No.
k. Sponsor or syndicator of limited partnerships
No.
l. Mortgage Broker
No.
m. Other names
Our firm offers services through our network of investment adviser representatives, which are
referred to in this Brochure as Advisors. Advisors will typically have their own legal business
entities whose trade names and logos are used for marketing purposes and appear on certain
marketing materials or client statements. The Client should understand that the businesses are
legal entities of the Advisor and not of our firm. The Advisors are under the supervision of our
firm, and the advisory services of the Advisor are provided through our firm. Fortis has the
arrangement described above with the following business entities or trade names that are
owned and operated by Advisors:
ClearPath Financial
Compass Wealth Solutions
Copa Wealth Strategies
Generations Wealth Partners
Gratus Wealth Management
Horizon Private Wealth
Isaac Financial
Joshpe Financial
LRVS Advisory Group
Network 1 Financial Private Wealth
PFS Advisors, LLC
Serenity Wealth Management
Timber Point Capital Management
Truvium Capital Partners, LLC
Turman Financial Group, LLC
Westlake Wealth Management, LLC
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D. Do you recommend or select other investment advisers for your clients and do you receive
compensation directly or indirectly from those advisers?
Yes. From time to time Fortis will recommend other investment advisers. In certain cases, Fortis will act
as a solicitor for other unaffiliated investment advisers. In those instances Fortis and its representatives
receive a portion of the fees you are charged directly from the unaffiliated adviser. This does not
change the fee that you, the client, pays.
E. Registered representatives of a Broker-Dealer
Certain Advisors are also registered representatives of an unaffiliated securities broker-dealer. If your
Advisor is registered with a securities broker-dealer, you can choose to work with that individual in his
or her separate capacity as a registered representative of a securities broker-dealer.
When acting in a separate capacity as a registered representative of a securities broker-dealer, your
Advisor will sell, for commissions, general securities products such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds,
ETFs, variable annuities and variable life products to you. As such, your Advisor will suggest that you
implement investment advice by purchasing securities products through a commission-based
brokerage account in addition to or in lieu of a fee-based investment-advisory account. This receipt of
commissions creates an incentive to recommend those products for which your Advisor will receive a
commission in his or her separate capacity as a registered representative of a securities broker-dealer.
Consequently, the objectivity of their advice rendered is biased and creates a conflict of interest due to
the receipt of commissions and other standard brokerage compensation. You are under no obligation to
use the services of your Advisor in this separate capacity and can select any broker-dealer you wish to
implement securities transactions.
Item 11 - Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
A. Can you briefly describe your code of ethics?
The Code of Ethics (“Code”) adopted by Fortis is designed to comply with Rule 204A-1 under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”).
This Code establishes rules of conduct for all employees of Fortis and is based upon the principle that
Fortis and its employees, including Advisors owe a fiduciary duty to Fortis clients to conduct their
affairs, in such a manner as to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients, (ii) taking
inappropriate advantage of their position with the Firm and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of
interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.
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Pursuant to Section 206 of the Advisers Act, both Fortis and its employees are prohibited from
engaging in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. Compliance with this section involves more
than acting with honesty and good faith alone. It means that Fortis and its employees have an
affirmative duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of its clients.
Can I get a copy of your Code of Ethics?
Yes, a copy of Fortis’ Code of Ethics is available upon request. You may make the request through your
Advisor or by emailing compliance@fortiscapitaladvisors.com.
B. Do you or a related person recommend to clients, or buy or sell for client accounts, securities in
which you or a related person has a material financial interest?
A portion of the investment product fees paid to Timber Point Global Allocation Fund (ticker: CGHIX)
and Timber Point Alternative Income Fund (ticker: AIIFX), (collectively referred to as “Timber Point
Funds”) is paid to related portfolio managers, David Cleary and Patrick Mullin, and their firm, Timber
Point Capital Management (“TPCM”) for the investment advisory services provided to the fund. The
Timber Point Funds have a net expense ratio of 2.56% (CGHIX) and 2.60% (AIIFX). David Cleary,
Patrick Mullin, and TPCM receive 0.90% (CGHIX) and 0.80% (AIIFX) for management of the Timber
Point Funds.
C. Do you or a related person invest in the same securities that you or a related person
recommends to clients?
Yes. Your Advisor, the people we supervise, or our affiliates may take positions in the same securities
as you. As a result, there will be times when a conflict of interest arises, and it is possible for an
investment decision to benefit them more than you. To manage these conflicts we have adopted the
following principles governing the personal investment activities of the people we supervise:
● The client's interests will be placed first at all times.
● All personal securities transactions will be conducted in such a manner as to avoid any actual or
potential conflict of interest.
● No access person may take inappropriate advantage of his or her positions.
D. Do people at your firm recommend securities to clients, or buy or sell securities for client
accounts, at or about the same time that he or she buys or sells the same securities for his or
her own account?
Yes, your Advisor is allowed to take positions in the same securities as you and as a regular course of
business your positions may be bought and sold alongside your Advisor. We have imposed policy
restrictions on all our personnel with respect to transactions in their own accounts and accounts over
which they have control or a beneficial interest. Trading restrictions prohibit unacceptable trading
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practices such as front running, crossing trades with customers, and insider trading. Our Code of Ethics
requires that we comply with applicable Federal securities laws and that we report violations of the
Code of Ethics. People we supervise must report their personal transactions and holdings periodically
and get preclearance before buying a security in an initial public offering or private offering.
When possible, people we supervise must trade alongside you and receive identical pricing. When this
is not possible (example: trading at various custodians) the people we supervise must first buy for your
accounts and then him/herself. When selling, a supervised person must sell his/her shares after a
Client's shares are sold. Even though Fortis believes that this places the Client in a favorable trading
position, this practice may result in Clients receiving worse pricing than access persons due to changes
in the market.
Item 12 - Brokerage Practices
A. What factors do you consider in selecting or recommending broker-dealers for my transactions
and determining the reasonableness of their compensation?
Fortis generally recommends that investment management accounts be maintained at Charles Schwab
& Co. Inc. (“Schwab”) and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“Fidelity”). Other custodians and/or
broker-dealers may be used depending upon the client’s needs. Examples of instances in which other
custodians may be utilized include retirement plans, variable products, and institutional trading. We are
independently owned and operated and are not affiliated with any Custodian. While we may
recommend certain Custodians, you will decide whether to do so and will open your account by
entering into an account agreement with them directly.
In all cases, the recommended Custodian is a securities broker-dealer and a member of the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. We believe that each
recommended Custodian provides quality execution services for you at competitive prices. Price is not
the sole factor we consider in evaluating best execution. We also consider the quality of the brokerage
services provided by the Custodian, including the value of the Custodian's reputation, execution
capabilities, commission rates, responsiveness to our clients and our firm and the value of services the
Custodian provides to Fortis and our clients. In recognition of the value of the services the Custodian
provides, you may pay higher commissions and/or trading costs than those that may be available
elsewhere.
a. Do you receive “Research” and other “soft dollar” benefits from custodians/brokers?
No, we do not receive soft dollar benefits from any Custodians, although they provide some
research services and other benefits that are generally available to all investment advisers that
manage client accounts through their respective platforms.
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b. Do you consider, in selecting or recommending broker-dealers, whether you or a related
person receives client referrals from a broker-dealer?
No.
c. Do you direct brokerage commissions or allow clients to direct brokerage commissions?
No. Fortis does not generally accept directed brokerage arrangements (when a client requires
that account transactions be effected through a specific broker-dealer).
Please Note: In the event that the client directs Fortis to effect securities transactions for the
client's accounts through a specific broker-dealer, the client correspondingly acknowledges that
such direction may cause the accounts to incur higher commissions or transaction costs than
the accounts would otherwise incur had the client determined to effect account transactions
through another custodian.
i. Do you routinely recommend, request or require that I execute transactions
through a specified broker-dealer?
Yes, as mentioned above, Fortis typically will recommend clients use Schwab or Fidelity
for their custodial services unless Schwab and Fidelity are unable to fulfill the client’s
needs.
ii. Am I permitted to direct brokerage to a specific broker-dealer?
In certain situations in which neither Schwab nor Fidelity offers the custodial services
needed, a client can direct brokerage to a specific broker-dealer. However, if a client
directs Fortis to use a particular broker, you should be aware of the following:
1. Our ability to seek the best sale or purchase price (best execution) may be
limited;
2. We may not be able to negotiate or renegotiate the commission rates with a
client's directed broker-dealer;
3. You will not be able to participate in volume discount commission rates that may
be negotiated with our existing broker-dealers;
4. You may forgo other benefits from savings on execution costs that may otherwise
be obtained by aggregating client orders.
B. Under what conditions do you aggregate the purchase or sale of securities for my accounts with
other client’s accounts?
We may aggregate transactions for your account(s) with the transactions of other clients. We do this to
avoid giving favorable pricing to one client over another.
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This practice will not reduce the costs charged to your account for those transactions. Our trading
policies require us to assign to your account the average price resulting from these aggregated trades.
If a trade order for a large group of clients is not completed, the shares will be allocated pro rata based
on the size of the account.
Our trade allocation policies may result in certain clients paying higher or lower prices for securities
than may otherwise have been obtained if the transactions had been executed separately.
C. Trade Errors
Fortis strives to avoid trading errors within client accounts and uses best efforts in doing so. For any
trade error that is determined to be the Adviser’s responsibility, accounts will be restored to the position
prior to the error. Fortis will reimburse accounts for losses resulting from trade errors, but shall not credit
accounts for such errors resulting in market gains.
D. Mutual Fund Share Class Selection
Mutual funds generally offer multiple share classes available for investment based upon certain
eligibility and/or purchase requirements. For instance, in addition to retail share classes (typically
referred to as class A, class B and class C shares), funds may also offer institutional share classes or
other share classes that are specifically designed for purchase by investors who meet certain specified
eligibility criteria, including, for example, whether an account meets certain minimum dollar amount.
Institutional share classes usually have a lower expense ratio than other share classes. When
recommending investments in mutual funds, it is our policy to review and consider available share
classes.
Our policy is to select the most appropriate share classes based on various factors including but not
limited to: minimum investment requirements, trading restrictions, internal expense structure,
transaction charges, availability and other factors. When considering all the appropriate factors, we can
select a share class other than the ‘lowest cost’ share class. In order to select the most appropriate
share class, we consider retail, institutional or other share classes of the same mutual fund. Regardless
of such considerations, you should not assume that your account will be invested in the share class
with the lowest possible expense ratio. Ask your Advisor whether a lower cost share class is available
instead of those selected by the Firm. Fortis periodically reviews the mutual funds held in client
accounts to select the most appropriate share classes in light of its duty to seek best execution.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
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A. Do you periodically review my accounts?
Yes. For those clients to whom Fortis provides investment supervisory services, account reviews are
conducted on an ongoing basis by Fortis' principals and/or Advisors. All investment supervisory clients
are advised that it remains their responsibility to advise Fortis of any changes in their investment
objectives and/or financial situation. All clients are requested to review financial planning issues (to the
extent applicable), investment objectives and account performance with Fortis on an annual basis.
B. Do you review my accounts other than on a periodic basis?
Review into asset allocation and security selection can be triggered by a number of factors. This may
include (but is not limited to) factors such as economic conditions, market conditions, security related
factors and a change in a client’s financial/investment needs or goals. You may call at any time during
normal business hours to speak directly with your Advisor about your account(s), financial situation, or
investment needs. You may trigger a review at any time by requesting a review of your account. No
formal instruction is provided on how to review client accounts. Your Advisor is permitted to use their
discretion on how and when to review your account. You should consult your Advisor on the frequency
and method of their reviews.
C. What is the content and frequency of regular reports you provide me?
Your Advisor may provide you access to a web portal that is generally updated and reconciled on a
daily basis. This site reports the holdings, balances, activity, fees and performance of your Account. At
times these updates will be delayed because of technical difficulties that are common with portfolio
accounting and data reconciliation.
The web portal is available at www.fortiscapitaladvisors.com. Fortis' reporting is only available
electronically through this portal. Please contact your Advisor if you wish to have access to the web
portal. We urge you to compare the electronic reports you receive from us with the reports you receive
from your custodian to ensure accuracy.
For retirement plan clients the type of reports and frequency is customized for each plan.
Statements from custodians report at least quarterly describing all activity in the client's account during
the preceding month/quarter, including all transactions made on behalf of the account, all contributions
and withdrawals made by the client, and all fees and expenses charged to the account. It also includes
the value of the account at both the beginning and end of the period.
Item 14 - Client Referrals and Other Compensation
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A. Are you compensated by anyone other than clients for the advice that you provide to clients?
Yes.
a. Recommendations to unaffiliated Advisors
Fortis may recommend clients to certain unaffiliated investment advisers. In such instances,
Fortis acts as a solicitor/promoter and receives a portion of the fee paid to the unaffiliated
investment adviser. This does not raise the fee paid by the client and the client receives all
required disclosure forms disclosing the terms of the solicitor/promoter relationship at the time
the solicitation is made.
b. Other compensation Fortis or its Related Persons receive from funds
A portion of the investment product fees paid to Timber Point Global Allocation Fund (ticker:
CGHIX) and Timber Point Alternative Income Fund (ticker: AIIFX), (collectively referred to as
“Timber Point Funds”) is paid to related portfolio managers, David Cleary and Patrick Mullin, and
their firm, Timber Point Capital Management (“TPCM”) for the investment advisory services
provided to the fund. The Timber Point Funds have a net expense ratio of 2.56% (CGHIX) and
2.60% (AIIFX). David Cleary, Patrick Mullin, and TPCM receive 0.90% (CGHIX) and 0.80%
(AIIFX) for management of the Timber Point Funds.
B. Do you compensate anyone who is outside your firm’s supervision for client referrals?
Yes. In order to receive a cash referral fee from our firm, Promoters must comply with the requirements
of the jurisdictions in which they operate. If you become a client, the Promoter that referred you to
Fortis will receive a percentage of the advisory fee you pay our firm for as long as you are a Fortis
client, or until such time as our agreement with the Promoter expires. You will not pay additional fees
because of this referral arrangement. Referral fees paid to a Promoter are contingent upon you entering
into an advisory agreement with our firm. Any such referral fee is paid solely from Fortis’ advisory fee,
and shall not result in any additional charge to the client. Therefore, a Promoter has a financial
incentive to recommend our firm to you for advisory services. This creates a conflict of interest;
however, you are not obligated to retain our firm for advisory services. Comparable services and/or
lower fees may be available through other firms.
Item 15 - Custody
A. Do you have custody of my assets?
Fortis does not maintain physical possession of client cash and/or securities. However, pursuant to
Rule 206(4)-2 of the Advisers Act, Fortis is deemed to have custody of client funds when it has the
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authority and ability to debit its fees directly from client accounts or to direct assets into or out of your
custodial account in accordance with a standing letter of authorization from the client. To mitigate any
potential conflicts of interests due to this arrangement, all client account assets are maintained with an
independent, non-affiliated qualified custodian. Clients should receive at least quarterly statements from
the qualified custodian that holds and maintains investment assets. Because the custodian does not
calculate the amount of the fees to be deducted, it is important for you to carefully review your
statements to verify the accuracy of the calculation, among other things.
B. Who can I use to custody my assets when working with you?
We typically recommend that you custody your assets at Schwab or Fidelity. We may work with clients
who custody assets at other locations in some circumstances.
C. How frequently will they send me a statement of my assets?
Statements from custodians report at least quarterly. Clients are asked to promptly notify Fortis if the
custodian fails to provide statements on each account held.
If a client receives account statements from both the Custodial and us or a third-party report provider,
client is urged to compare such account statements and advise us of any discrepancies between them.
D. How do you safeguard my assets?
Our recommended custodians are all members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation
(“SIPC”), and brokerage accounts maintained with them are protected by SIPC, which protects
brokerage accounts of each customer when a brokerage firm is closed due to bankruptcy or other
financial difficulties and customer assets are missing from accounts. SIPC protects brokerage accounts
of each customer up to $500,000 in securities, including a limit of $250,000 on claims for cash. Money
market funds held in a brokerage account are considered securities. For more information on SIPC
coverage, please review the brochure “How SIPC Protects You” available for free download at
www.sipc.org.
Certain assets are not eligible for SIPC protection. Among the assets typically not eligible for SIPC
protection are commodity futures contracts, precious metals, as well as investment contracts (such as
limited partnerships) and fixed annuity contracts that are not registered with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933.
In accordance with the SEC rule 15c3-3, often known as the “Customer Protection Rule”, a custodian
must protect client securities that are fully paid for by segregating them and ensuring that they are not
used for any other purpose, such as for loans to investors or institutions, corporate investment
purposes, and spending. This practice helps ensure that customers have access to these securities at
all times. Customer assets may still be subject to market risk and volatility.
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You have the option of using multiple custodians to provide yourself with greater SIPC coverage.
Item 16 - Investment Discretion
A. Do you have investment discretion?
Yes. When you provide us with limited-powers and authority to manage your accounts using our own
discretion, we will do so. These powers are authorized by you in your agreement with Fortis. In such
cases, we act as your agent, with respect to your account(s):
1. To make all investment decisions; and
2. To buy, sell and otherwise trade in securities or other related investments.
3. Discretion and authority includes the following: Asset Allocation Discretion; Security Selection
Discretion; Brokerage Discretion; and the amount and timing of associated transactions.
You may place reasonable restrictions on your account(s) through the use of written instructions to us
("Client Instructions"). This includes which individual securities to buy or sell. You may place these
restrictions in the form of limitations on a specific security or broad categories of securities, so long as
they can be reasonably implemented by us.
Even if you have given Fortis investment discretion, Fortis is not authorized to take the following actions
and therefore we must receive your written approval before: investing in privately offered securities,
purchasing insurance contracts, investing in non-registered investments, and opening or closing
Custodian accounts.
B. May I have my account managed on a non-discretionary basis?
No, we do not manage accounts on a purely non-discretionary basis.
We understand that clients sometimes want to take a more active role in the management of their
account(s), so clients should discuss their expectations for pre-approval of trades with their Advisor.
Therefore, it is important to understand the following:
On a best-efforts basis and when requested by clients, we attempt to not buy or sell a security without
first communicating our investment advice to you and receiving verbal authority to implement our
recommendations. Once we have received authority to implement a strategy, we will exercise the
following discretion:
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1. Power to exercise discretion in the selection of the security to be purchased or sold;
2. Power to exercise discretion on time and price;
3. Power to exercise discretion on the quantity of shares/amount of a security to be bought or sold;
4. Power to refuse an order from you to buy or sell a security because it violates our commitment to act
in your best interest at all times;
5. Power to exercise discretion on the broker to be used and brokerage commission rates to be paid.
Some disadvantages to having your account managed in this fashion are:
1. The price you receive for securities purchased or sold will be different from the price you would have
received as a traditional client.
2. The advice you receive can be delayed because we cannot reach you, are communicating with other
clients requesting pre-approval, and/or taking action first with our traditional clients.
Item 17 - Voting Client Securities
How do you handle the voting of proxies?
Fortis does not vote on client proxies. Clients maintain exclusive responsibility for: (1) directing the manner in
which proxies solicited by issuers of securities beneficially owned by the client shall be voted, and (2) making
all elections relative to any mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings or other type events
pertaining to the client’s investment assets.
Clients will receive their proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian. Clients may contact Fortis to
discuss any questions they may have with a particular solicitation.
Item 18 - Financial Information
A. Will you require or solicit prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees from me, six months or more
in advance?
No. Fortis does not solicit fees of more than $1,200 per client, six months or more in advance.
B. Are you facing any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair your ability to meet
contractual commitments to me?
No.
C. Have you been the subject of a bankruptcy petition at any time during the past ten years?
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No.
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