View Document Text
Item 1
Cover Page
Global Financial Private Client, LLC
Brochure
Dated: September 18, 2025
Contacts: Geoffrey A. Frazier
6000 Cattleridge Drive, Suite 200
Sarasota, Florida 34232
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Global
Financial Private Client, LLC. If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure,
please contact us at (941) 441-1624. 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 Global Financial Private Client, LLC also is available on the SEC’s
website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
References herein to Global Financial Private Client, LLC as a “registered investment adviser” or
any reference to being “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Item 2
Material Changes
There have been no material changes made to Global Financial Private Client, LLC’s Brochure since its
last Annual Amendment filing made on March 28, 2024.
Global Financial Private Client, LLC’s Chief Compliance Officer, Geoffrey A. Frazier, remains available
to address any questions that an existing or prospective client may have regarding this Brochure.
Item 3
Table of Contents
Item 1 Cover Page .................................................................................................................................... 1
Item 2 Material Changes .......................................................................................................................... 2
Item 3
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 2
Item 4 Advisory Business ........................................................................................................................ 3
Fees and Compensation ................................................................................................................ 8
Item 5
Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management .......................................................... 10
Item 6
Item 7
Types of Clients .......................................................................................................................... 10
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ................................................... 10
Item 9 Disciplinary Information ............................................................................................................ 13
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations .................................................................. 13
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading.............. 14
Item 12 Brokerage Practices .................................................................................................................... 15
Item 13 Review of Accounts .................................................................................................................... 16
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation .................................................................................. 16
Item 15 Custody ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Investment Discretion ................................................................................................................. 17
Item 16
Item 17 Voting Client Securities .............................................................................................................. 17
Item 18 Financial Information ................................................................................................................. 18
2
Item 4
Advisory Business
A. Global Financial Private Client, LLC (the “Registrant”) is a limited liability company
formed in September 2017 in the state of Florida. The Registrant became registered as an
Investment Adviser Firm in December 2017. The Registrant is principally owned by the
Geoffrey A. Frazier Trust, with Geoffrey Frazier as Trustee.
B.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
The Registrant provides discretionary and/or non-discretionary investment advisory
services on a fee basis. The Registrant’s annual investment advisory fee is based upon a
percentage (%) of the market value of the assets placed under the Registrant’s
management, generally between negotiable and 2.50%.
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE)
The Registrant may provide financial planning and/or consulting services (including
investment and non-investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance
planning, etc.) on a stand-alone separate fee basis.
Prior to engaging the Registrant to provide planning or consulting services, clients are
generally required to enter into a Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement with
Registrant 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 Registrant commencing services.
If requested by the client, Registrant may recommend the services of other professionals
for implementation purposes. The client is under no obligation to engage the services of
any such recommended professionals. The client retains absolute discretion over all such
implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from the
Registrant.
If the client engages any recommended unaffiliated professional, and a dispute arises
thereafter relative to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from
and against the engaged professional. At all times, the engaged licensed professional[s]
(i.e., attorney, accountant, insurance agent, etc.), and not the Registrant, shall be
responsible for the quality and competency of the services provided.
It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify the Registrant if there is ever any
change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing,
evaluating or revising Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or services.
RETIREMENT PLAN CONSULTING SERVICES
The Registrant also provides retirement plan consulting/management services, pursuant
to which it assists sponsors of self-directed retirement plans organized under the
Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). The terms and conditions of the
engagement shall be set forth in a Retirement Plan Services Agreement between the
Registrant and the plan sponsor.
3
To the extent that the plan sponsor engages the Registrant in an ERISA Section 3(21)
capacity, the Registrant will assist with the selection and/or monitoring of investment
options (generally open-end mutual funds and exchange traded funds) from which plan
participants shall choose in self-directing the investments for their individual plan
retirement accounts.
If the plan sponsor chooses to engage the Registrant in an ERISA Section 3(38) capacity,
Registrant may provide the same services as described above, but may also: create
specific asset allocation models that Registrant manages on a discretionary basis, which
plan participants may choose in managing their individual retirement account; and/or
modify the investment options made available to plan participants on a discretionary
basis. The terms and conditions of the engagement shall generally be set forth in a
Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement between the Registrant and the plan sponsor.
MISCELLANEOUS
Limitations of Financial Planning and Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation.
As indicated above, to the extent requested by a client, Registrant may provide financial
planning and related consulting services. Neither the Registrant nor its investment adviser
representatives assist clients with the implementation of any financial plan, unless they
have agreed to do so in writing. The Registrant does not monitor a client’s financial plan,
and it is the client’s responsibility to revisit the financial plan with the Registrant, if
desired.
Although the Registrant may provide recommendations regarding non-investment related
matters, such as estate planning and tax planning, the Registrant does not serve as a law
firm and no portion of Registrant’s services should be construed as legal services.
Accordingly, the Registrant does not prepare estate planning documents or tax returns.
To the extent requested by a client, we may recommend the services of other
professionals for certain non-investment implementation purpose (i.e., attorneys,
accountants, insurance, etc.). The client is under no obligation to engage the services of
any such recommended professional. The client retains absolute discretion over all such
implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from
Registrant and/or its representatives.
If the client engages any recommended unaffiliated professional, and a dispute arises
thereafter relative to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from
and against the engaged professional. At all times, the engaged licensed professional[s]
(i.e., attorney, accountant, insurance agent, etc.), and not the Registrant, shall be
responsible for the quality and competency of the services provided.
Non-Discretionary Service Limitations. Clients that determine to engage the Registrant
on a non-discretionary investment advisory basis must be willing to accept that the
Registrant cannot effect any account transactions without obtaining prior consent to any
such transaction(s) from the client. Therefore, in the event that Registrant would like to
make a transaction for a client’s account, (including in the event of an individual holding
or general market correction) and client is unavailable, the Registrant will be unable to
effect the account transaction (as it would for its discretionary clients) without first
obtaining the client’s consent.
4
Retirement Rollovers-Potential for Conflict of Interest. A client or prospective client
leaving an employer typically has four options regarding an existing retirement plan (and
may engage in a combination of these options): (i) leave the money in the former
employer’s plan, if permitted, (ii) roll over the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is
available and rollovers are permitted, (iii) roll over to an Individual Retirement Account
(“IRA”), or (iv) cash out the account value (which could, depending upon the client’s
age, result in adverse tax consequences). If Registrant recommends that a client roll over
their retirement plan assets into an account to be managed by Registrant, such a
recommendation creates a conflict of interest if Registrant will earn new (or increase its
current) compensation as a result of
the rollover. If Registrant provides a
recommendation as to whether a client should engage in a rollover or not (whether it is
from an employer’s plan or an existing IRA), Registrant is acting as a fiduciary within the
meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or the Internal
Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. No client is
under any obligation to roll over retirement plan assets to an account managed by
Registrant, whether it is from an employer’s plan or an existing IRA.
Private Investment Funds. Registrant also provides investment advice regarding private
investment funds. Registrant, on a non-discretionary basis, may recommend that certain
qualified clients consider an investment in private investment funds, the description of
which (the terms, conditions, risks, conflicts and fees, including incentive compensation)
is set forth in the fund’s offering documents. Registrant’s role relative to private
investment funds shall be limited to its initial and ongoing due diligence and investment
monitoring services. If a client determines to become a private fund investor, the amount
of assets invested in the fund(s) shall be excluded as part of “assets under management”
for purposes of Registrant calculating its investment advisory fee. Registrant’s fee shall
be in addition to the fund’s fees. Registrant’s clients are under absolutely no obligation to
consider or make an investment in any private investment fund(s).
Private investment funds generally involve various risk factors, including, but not limited
to, potential for complete loss of principal, liquidity constraints and lack of transparency,
a complete discussion of which is set forth in each fund’s offering documents, which will
be provided to each client for review and consideration. Unlike liquid investments that a
client may own, private investment funds do not provide daily liquidity or pricing. Each
prospective client investor will generally be required to complete a Subscription
Agreement, pursuant to which the client shall establish that he/she is qualified for
investment in the fund, and acknowledges and accepts the various risk factors that are
associated with such an investment.
In the event that Registrant references private investment funds owned by the client on
any supplemental account reports prepared by Registrant, the value(s) for all private
investment funds owned by the client shall reflect the most recent valuation provided by
the fund sponsor. However, if subsequent to purchase, the fund has not provided an
updated valuation, the valuation shall reflect the initial purchase price. If subsequent to
purchase, the fund provides an updated valuation, then the statement will reflect that
updated value. The updated value will continue to be reflected on the report until the fund
provides a further updated value.
As result of the valuation process, if the valuation reflects initial purchase price or an
updated value subsequent to purchase price, the current value(s) of an investor’s fund
holding(s) could be significantly more or less than the value reflected on the report.
5
Unless otherwise indicated, Registrant shall calculate its fee based upon the latest value
provided by the fund sponsor.
Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Assets. The Registrant does not recommend or
advocate for the purchase of, or investment in, Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, or digital assets.
Such investments are considered speculative and carry significant risk. For clients who
want exposure to Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, or digital assets, the Registrant, may advise
the client to consider a potential investment in corresponding exchange traded securities,
or an allocation to separate account managers and/or private funds that provide
cryptocurrency exposure.
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are digital assets that can be used for various purposes,
including transactions, decentralized applications, and speculative investments. Most
digital assets use blockchain technology, an advanced cryptographic digital ledger to
secure transactions and validate asset ownership. Unlike conventional currencies issued
and regulated by monetary authorities, cryptocurrencies generally operate without
centralized control, and their value is determined by market supply and demand. While
regulatory oversight of digital assets has evolved significantly since their inception, they
remain subject to variable regulatory treatment globally, which may impact their risk
profile and liquidity.
Given that cryptocurrency investments are speculative and subject to extreme price
volatility, liquidity constraints, and the potential for total loss of principal, the Registrant
does not exercise discretionary authority to purchase cryptocurrency investments for
client accounts. Any investment in cryptocurrencies must be expressly authorized by the
client. Clients who authorize the purchase of a cryptocurrency investment must be
prepared for the potential for liquidity constraints, extreme price volatility, regulatory
risk, technological risk, security and custody risk, and complete loss of principal.
Cross Transactions. In limited circumstances, Registrant may arrange for cross-
transactions pursuant to which the Registrant may cross transactions between two of its
managed client accounts (i.e., arranging for the clients’ securities trades by “crossing”
these trades when the Registrant believes that such transactions are beneficial to its
clients). For all such transactions, neither the Registrant nor any related person will be
acting as a broker or receive any commission or transaction-based compensation. The
client may revoke Registrant’s cross-transaction authority at any time upon written notice
to the Registrant.
Portfolio Activity. Registrant has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent with the
client’s best interest. As part of its investment advisory services, Registrant will review
client portfolios on an ongoing basis to determine if any changes are necessary based
upon various factors, including, but not limited to, investment performance, manager
tenure, style drift, and/or a change in the client’s investment objective. Based upon these
factors, there may be extended periods of time when Registrant determines that changes
to a client’s portfolio are neither necessary nor prudent. Clients nonetheless remain
subject to the fees described in Item 5 below during periods of account inactivity.
Cash Positions. Registrant continues to treat cash as an asset class. As such, unless
determined to the contrary by Registrant, all cash positions (money markets, etc.) shall
continue to be included as part of assets under management for purposes of calculating
Registrant’s advisory fee. At any specific point in time, depending upon perceived or
6
anticipated market conditions/events (there being no guarantee that such anticipated
market conditions/events will occur), Registrant may maintain cash positions for
defensive purposes. In addition, while assets are maintained in cash, such amounts could
miss market advances. Depending upon current yields, at any point in time, Registrant’s
advisory fee could exceed the interest paid by the client’s money market fund.
Cash Sweep Accounts. Certain account custodians can require that cash proceeds from
account transactions or new deposits, be swept to and/or initially maintained in a
specific custodian designated sweep account. The yield on the sweep account will
generally be lower than those available for other money market accounts. When this
occurs, to help mitigate the corresponding yield dispersion Registrant shall (usually
within 30 days thereafter) generally (with exceptions) purchase a higher yielding money
market fund (or other type security) available on the custodian’s platform, unless
Registrant reasonably anticipates that it will utilize the cash proceeds during the
subsequent 30-day period to purchase additional investments for the client’s account.
Exceptions and/or modifications can and will occur with respect to all or a portion of the
cash balances for various reasons, including, but not limited to the amount of dispersion
between the sweep account and a money market fund, the size of the cash balance, an
indication from the client of an imminent need for such cash, or the client has a
demonstrated history of writing checks from the account.
The above does not apply to the cash component maintained within a Registrant actively
managed investment strategy (the cash balances for which shall generally remain in the
custodian designated cash sweep account), an indication from the client of a need for
access to such cash, assets allocated to an unaffiliated investment manager and cash
balances maintained for fee billing purposes.
The client shall remain exclusively responsible for yield dispersion/cash balance
decisions and corresponding transactions for cash balances maintained in any Registrant
unmanaged accounts.
Client Obligations. In performing its services, Registrant 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 the Registrant if there is ever any change in their
financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or
revising Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Cybersecurity Risk. The information technology systems and networks that Registrant
and its third-party service providers use to provide services to Registrant’s clients employ
various controls that are designed to prevent cybersecurity incidents stemming from
intentional or unintentional actions that could cause significant interruptions in
Registrant’s operations and/or result in the unauthorized acquisition or use of clients’
confidential or non-public personal information.
In accordance with Regulation S-P, the Registrant is committed to protecting the privacy
and security of its clients' non-public personal information by implementing appropriate
administrative, technical, and physical safeguards. Registrant has established processes to
mitigate the risks of cybersecurity incidents, including the requirement to restrict access
to such sensitive data and to monitor its systems for potential breaches. Clients and
Registrant are nonetheless subject to the risk of cybersecurity incidents that could
7
ultimately cause them to incur financial losses and/or other adverse consequences.
Although the Registrant has established processes to reduce the risk of cybersecurity
incidents, there is no guarantee that these efforts will always be successful, especially
considering that the Registrant does not control the cybersecurity measures and policies
employed by third-party service providers, issuers of securities, broker-dealers, qualified
custodians, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchanges, and other financial
market operators and providers. In compliance with Regulation S-P, the Registrant will
notify clients in the event of a data breach involving their non-public personal
information as required by applicable state and federal laws.
Disclosure Statement. A copy of the Registrant’s written Brochure and Client
Relationship Summary (when appropriate) as set forth on Part 2 of Form ADV and Form
CRS, respectively, shall be provided to each client prior to, or contemporaneously with,
the execution of the Investment Advisory Agreement, Financial Planning and Consulting
Agreement and/or the Retirement Plan Services Agreement.
to providing
investment advisory services, an
C. The Registrant shall provide investment advisory services specific to the needs of each
client. Prior
investment adviser
representative will ascertain each client’s investment objective(s). Thereafter, the
Registrant 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 the Registrant’s services.
D. The Registrant does not participate in a wrap fee program.
E. As of March 7, 2025, the Registrant had $529,727,060 in assets under management on a
discretionary basis and $137,202,182 in assets under management on a non-discretionary
basis.
Item 5
Fees and Compensation
A.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
The Registrant’s annual investment advisory fee shall be based upon the value of the
client’s assets placed under the Registrant’s management/advisement and will generally
range from negotiable up to 2.50% as follows:
Assets Under Management Annual Fee (%)*
$5,000,000* - $10,000,000 1.00%
$10,000,001 - $20,000,000 0.75%
$20,000,001 and above 0.50%
* Subject to a minimum account size of $2,000,000
The Registrant, in its sole discretion, reduce or waive its minimum asset requirement
based upon certain criteria (i.e., anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated future
additional assets, dollar amount of assets to be managed, related accounts, account
8
composition, negotiations with client, etc.).
The Registrant’s investment advisory fee is negotiable at its discretion, depending upon
objective and subjective factors including but not limited to: 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; future earning
capacity; anticipated future additional assets; the professional(s) rendering the service(s);
prior relationships with the Registrant and/or its representatives, and negotiations with the
client.
As a result of these factors, similarly situated clients could pay different fees, the services
to be provided by the Registrant to any particular client could be available from other
advisers at lower fees, and certain clients may have fees different than those specifically
set forth above.
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE)
The Registrant may provide financial planning and/or consulting services (including
investment and non-investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance
planning, etc.) on a stand-alone fee basis. Registrant’s planning and consulting fees are
negotiable, but generally range from $5,000 to $25,000 on a fixed fee basis, and from
$350 to $575 on an hourly rate basis, depending upon the level and scope of the
service(s) required and the professional(s) rendering the service(s).
RETIREMENT PLAN CONSULTING SERVICES
The Registrant’s retirement plan consulting services fee is generally calculated based
upon a percentage of assets maintained within the plan. The terms and conditions of the
engagement shall generally be set forth in a Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement
between the Registrant and the plan sponsor. The Registrant’s retirement plan consulting
services fee generally ranges from 0.50% to 0.75%.
B. Clients may elect to have the Registrant’s advisory fees deducted from their custodial
account. Both Registrant's Investment Advisory Agreement and the custodial/clearing
agreement may authorize the custodian to debit the account for the amount of the
Registrant's investment advisory fee and to directly remit that management fee to the
Registrant in compliance with regulatory procedures.
In the limited event that the Registrant bills the client directly, payment is due upon
receipt of the Registrant’s invoice. The Registrant shall deduct fees and/or bill clients
quarterly in advance, based upon the value of the client’s account as of the last business
day of the previous quarter.
the Registrant shall generally recommend
C. As discussed below, unless the client directs otherwise or an individual client’s
that Fidelity
circumstances require,
Investments (“Fidelity”) serve as the broker-dealer/custodian for client investment
management assets.
Broker-dealers such as Fidelity charge brokerage commissions, transaction, and/or other
type fees for effecting certain types of securities transactions (i.e., including transaction
fees for certain mutual funds, and mark-ups and mark-downs charged for fixed income
transactions, etc.). The types of securities for which transaction fees, commissions, and/or
9
other type fees (as well as the amount of those fees) shall differ depending upon the
broker-dealer/custodian. While certain custodians, including Fidelity, generally (with the
potential exception for large orders) do not currently charge fees on individual equity
transactions (including ETFs), others do.
There can be no assurance that Fidelity will not change their transaction fee pricing in the
future.
Schwab may also assess fees to clients who elect to receive trade confirmations and
account statements by regular mail rather than electronically.
Clients will incur, in addition to Registrant’s investment management fee, brokerage
commissions and/or transaction fees, and, relative to all mutual fund and exchange traded
fund purchases, charges imposed at the fund level (e.g., management fees and other fund
expenses).
D. Registrant's annual investment advisory fee shall be prorated and paid quarterly, in
advance, based market value of the assets under management on the last business day of
the previous quarter.
The Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and the client will continue
in effect until terminated by either party by written notice in accordance with the terms of
the Investment Advisory Agreement. Upon termination, the Registrant shall refund the
pro-rated portion of the advanced advisory fee paid based upon the number of days
remaining in the billing quarter.
E. Neither the Registrant, nor its representatives accept new compensation from the sale of
securities or other investment products.
Item 6
Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
Neither the Registrant nor any supervised person of the Registrant accepts performance-
based fees.
Item 7
Types of Clients
The Registrant’s clients shall generally include individuals, business entities, trusts,
estates and charitable organizations.
Item 8
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
A. The Registrant may utilize the following methods of security analysis:
Fundamental - (analysis performed on historical and present data, with the goal
of making financial forecasts)
Technical – (analysis performed on historical and present data, focusing on price
and trade volume, to forecast the direction of prices)
10
Cyclical – (analysis performed on historical relationships between price and
market trends, to forecast the direction of prices)
The Registrant may utilize the following investment strategies when implementing
investment advice given to clients:
Long Term Purchases (securities held at least a year)
Short Term Purchases (securities sold within a year)
Trading (securities sold within thirty (30) days)
Investment Risk. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and it
should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment
strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or
undertaken by the Registrant) will be profitable or equal any specific performance
level(s). Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to
bear.
Investors generally face the following types investment risks:
Interest-rate Risk: Fluctuations in interest rates may cause investment prices to
fluctuate. For example, when interest rates rise, yields on existing bonds become less
attractive, causing their market values to decline.
Market Risk: The price of a security, bond, or mutual fund may drop in reaction to
tangible and intangible events and conditions. This type of risk may be caused by
external factors independent of the fund’s specific investments as well as due to the
fund’s specific investments. Additionally, each security’s price will fluctuate based
on market movement and emotion, which may, or may not be due to the security’s
operations or changes in its true value. For example, political, economic and social
conditions may trigger market events which are temporarily negative, or temporarily
positive.
Inflation Risk: When any type of inflation is present, a dollar today will not buy as
much as a dollar next year, because purchasing power is eroding at the rate of
inflation.
Reinvestment Risk: This is the risk that future proceeds from investments may have
to be reinvested at a potentially lower rate of return (i.e., interest rate). This primarily
relates to fixed income securities.
Liquidity Risk: Liquidity is the ability to readily convert an investment into cash.
Generally, assets are more liquid if many traders are interested in a standardized
product. For example, Treasury Bills are highly liquid, while real estate properties are
not.
Financial Risk: Excessive borrowing to finance a business’ operations increases the
risk of profitability, because the company must meet the terms of its obligations in
good times and bad. During periods of financial stress, the inability to meet loan
obligations may result in bankruptcy and/or a declining market value.
B. The Registrant’s method of analysis does not present any significant or unusual risks.
11
However, every method of analysis has its own inherent risks. To perform an accurate
market analysis the Registrant must have access to current/new market information. The
Registrant has no control over the dissemination rate of market information; therefore,
unbeknownst to the Registrant, certain analyses may be compiled with outdated market
information, severely limiting the value of the Registrant’s analysis. Furthermore, an
accurate market analysis can only produce a forecast of the direction of market values.
There can be no assurances that a forecasted change in market value will materialize into
actionable and/or profitable investment opportunities.
The Registrant’s primary investment strategies - Long Term Purchases and Short Term
Purchases - are fundamental investment strategies. However, every investment strategy
has its own inherent risks and limitations. For example, longer term investment strategies
require a longer investment time period to allow for the strategy to potentially develop.
Shorter term investment strategies require a shorter investment time period to potentially
develop but, as a result of more frequent trading, may incur higher transactional costs
when compared to a longer term investment strategy.
Borrowing Against Assets/Risks. A client who has a need to borrow money could
determine to do so by using:
Margin-The account custodian or broker-dealer lends money to the client. The
custodian charges the client interest for the right to borrow money, and uses the
assets in the client’s brokerage account as collateral; and,
Pledged Assets Loan- In consideration for a lender (i.e., a bank, etc.) to make a loan
to the client, the client pledges investment assets held at the account custodian as
collateral.
These above-described collateralized loans are generally utilized because they typically
provide more favorable interest rates than standard commercial loans. These types of
collateralized loans can assist with a pending home purchase, permit the retirement of
more expensive debt, or enable borrowing in lieu of liquidating existing account positions
and incurring capital gains taxes. However, such loans are not without potential material
risk to the client’s investment assets. The lender (i.e., custodian, bank, etc.) will have
recourse against the client’s investment assets in the event of loan default or if the assets
fall below a certain level. For this reason, Registrant does not recommend such
borrowing unless it is for specific short-term purposes (i.e., a bridge loan to purchase a
new residence). Registrant does not recommend such borrowing for investment purposes
(i.e., to invest borrowed funds in the market). Regardless, if the client was to determine to
utilize margin or a pledged assets loan, the following economic benefits would inure to
Registrant:
by taking the loan rather than liquidating assets in the client’s account, Registrant
continues to earn a fee on such Account assets; and,
if the client invests any portion of the loan proceeds in an account to be managed by
Registrant, Registrant will receive an advisory fee on the invested amount; and,
if Registrant’s advisory fee is based upon the higher margined account value,
Registrant will earn a correspondingly higher advisory fee. This could provide
Registrant with a disincentive to encourage the client to discontinue the use of
margin.
12
The Client must accept the above risks and potential corresponding consequences
associated with the use of margin or a pledged assets loan.
C. Currently, the Registrant primarily allocates client investment assets among various
individual equities (stocks), debt instruments (bonds) and Independent Managers on a
discretionary and/or non-discretionary basis in accordance with the client’s designated
investment objective(s).
Item 9
Disciplinary Information
Neither the Registrant nor any of its supervised persons have been the subject of a
disciplinary action.
Item 10
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
A. Neither the Registrant, nor its representatives, are registered or have an application
pending to register, as a broker-dealer or a registered representative of a broker-dealer.
B. Neither the Registrant, nor its representatives, are registered or have an application
pending to register, as a futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator, a
commodity trading advisor, or a representative of the foregoing.
C. Mr. Timm, in his individual capacity serves as the manager of an unaffiliated and
separate financial services, consulting, and private equity investment firm. This activity
does not present a material conflict of interest with clients.
For more information regarding this relationship, please refer to the Firm’s Form ADV
Part 2B entry for Mr. Timm.
GAF Consulting, LLC: The Registrant’s Management Member is also the sole owner
and Managing Member of GAF Consulting, LLC (“GAF”). GAF offers general
consulting services as part of its family office style approach. Mr. Frazier does not offer
investment advisory services through GAF. All investment advisory related services are
provided by the Registrant.
360 Tax Consulting, LLC: The Registrant’s Management Member, Geoffrey Frazier,
and Brian Timm are owners of 360 Tax Consulting, LLC (“360 Tax”), which is an
accounting firm. To the extent that 360 Tax provides accounting and/or tax preparation
services to any clients, including clients of Registrant, all such services shall be
performed by 360 Tax, independent of the Registrant. The Registrant shall not receive
any portion of the fees charged by 360 Tax. It is expected that the shareholders of 360
Tax, solely incidental to their respective practices as Certified Public Accountants, shall
recommend Registrant’s services to certain of its clients. 360 Tax is not involved in
providing investment advice on behalf of Registrant, nor does 360 Tax hold itself out as
providing advisory services on behalf of Registrant. No client of Registrant is under any
obligation to use the services of 360 Tax.
Conflict of Interest. The recommendation by Registrant that a client engage GAF or 360
Tax in their separate capacities as a consulting firm or an accounting firm, respectively,
13
presents a conflict of interest, as certain related persons could have the incentive to make
such a recommendation based on funds received, rather than on a particular client’s need.
No client is under any obligation to engage GAF or 360 Tax and clients are reminded that
they may engage other non-affiliated consulting firms or accounting firms.
D. The Registrant does not recommend or select other investment advisors for its clients for
which it receives a fee.
Item 11
Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
A. The Registrant maintains an investment policy relative to personal securities transactions.
This investment policy is part of Registrant’s overall Code of Ethics, which serves to
establish a standard of business conduct for all of Registrant’s Representatives that is
based upon fundamental principles of openness, integrity, honesty and trust, a copy of
which is available upon request.
In accordance with Section 204A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Registrant
also maintains and enforces written policies reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of
material non-public information by the Registrant or any person associated with the
Registrant.
B. Neither the Registrant nor any related person of Registrant recommends, buys, or sells for
client accounts, securities in which the Registrant or any related person of Registrant has
a material financial interest.
C. The Registrant and/or representatives of the Registrant may buy or sell securities that are
also recommended to clients. This practice may create a situation where the Registrant
and/or representatives of the Registrant are in a position to materially benefit from the
sale or purchase of those securities. Therefore, this situation creates a conflict of interest.
Practices such as “scalping” (i.e., a practice whereby the owner of shares of a security
recommends that security for investment and then immediately sells it at a profit upon the
rise in the market price which follows the recommendation) could take place if the
Registrant did not have adequate policies in place to detect such activities. In addition,
this requirement can help detect insider trading, “front-running” (i.e., personal trades
executed prior to those of the Registrant’s clients) and other potentially abusive practices.
The Registrant has a personal securities transaction policy in place to monitor the
personal securities transactions and securities holdings of each of the Registrant’s
“Access Persons”. The Registrant’s securities transaction policy requires that an Access
Person of the Registrant must provide the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee
with a written report of their current securities holdings within ten (10) days after
becoming an Access Person. Additionally, each Access Person must provide or make
available to the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee a list of reportable
transactions each calendar quarter as well as a written annual report of the Access
Person’s securities holdings; provided, however that at any time that the Registrant has
only one Access Person, he or she shall not be required to submit any securities report
described above.
D. The Registrant and/or representatives of the Registrant may buy or sell securities, at or
around the same time as those securities are recommended to clients. This practice
14
creates a situation where the Registrant and/or representatives of the Registrant are in a
position to materially benefit from the sale or purchase of those securities. Therefore, this
situation creates a conflict of interest. As indicated above in Item 11.C, the Registrant has
a personal securities transaction policy in place to monitor the personal securities
transaction and securities holdings of each of Registrant’s Access Persons.
Item 12
Brokerage Practices
A. The Registrant generally recommends that investment management accounts be
maintained at Fidelity. Prior to engaging Registrant to provide investment management
services, the client will be required to enter into a formal Investment Advisory Agreement
with Registrant setting forth the terms and conditions under which Registrant shall
manage the client's assets, and a separate custodial/clearing agreement with each
designated broker-dealer/ custodian.
Factors that the Registrant considers in recommending Fidelity (or any other broker-
dealer/custodian to clients) include historical relationship with the Registrant, financial
strength, reputation, execution capabilities, pricing, research, and service. In seeking best
execution, the determinative factor is not the lowest possible cost, but whether the
transaction represents the best qualitative execution. Accordingly, although Registrant
will seek competitive rates, it may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible rates for
client account transactions. The brokerage commissions or transaction fees charged by
the designated broker-dealer/custodian are exclusive of, and in addition to, Registrant's
investment management fee.
1. Available Research and Tools
Although not a material consideration when determining whether to recommend that
a client utilize the services of a particular broker-dealer/custodian, Registrant receives
from Fidelity (or another broker-dealer/custodian, investment platform, unaffiliated
investment manager, vendor, unaffiliated product/fund sponsor, or vendor) support
services and/or products. The Registrant does not believe any such support services
and/or products will be utilized with any regularity.
There is no commitment made by the Registrant to Fidelity or any other entity to
invest any specific amount or percentage of client assets in any specific mutual funds,
securities or other investment products.
2. The Registrant does not receive referrals from broker-dealers.
3. The Registrant does not accept directed brokerage arrangements (when a client
requires that account transactions be effected through a specific broker-dealer).
B. To the extent that the Registrant provides investment management services to its clients,
the transactions for each client account generally will be effected independently, unless
the Registrant decides to purchase or sell the same securities for several clients at
approximately the same time. The Registrant may (but is not obligated to) combine or
“bunch” such orders to seek best execution, to negotiate more favorable commission
rates or to allocate equitably among the Registrant’s clients differences in prices and
commissions or other transaction costs that might have been obtained had such orders
been placed independently. Under this procedure, transactions will be averaged as to
price and will be allocated among clients in proportion to the purchase and sale orders
15
placed for each client account on any given day. The Registrant shall not receive any
additional compensation or remuneration as a result of such aggregation.
Item 13
Review of Accounts
A. For those clients to whom Registrant provides investment supervisory services, account
reviews are conducted on a periodic basis by the Registrant's Managing Member, at least
investment supervisory clients are advised that it remains their
annually. All
responsibility to advise the Registrant of any changes in their investment objectives
and/or financial situation. All clients (in person or via telephone) are encouraged to
review financial planning issues (to the extent applicable), investment objectives and
account performance with the Registrant on an annual basis.
B. The Registrant may conduct account reviews on an other than periodic basis upon the
occurrence of a triggering event, such as a change in client investment objectives and/or
financial situation, market corrections and client request.
C. Clients are provided, at least quarterly, with written transaction confirmation notices and
regular written summary account statements directly from the broker-dealer/custodian
and/or program sponsor for the client accounts. The Registrant may also provide a written
periodic report summarizing account activity and performance.
Item 14
Client Referrals and Other Compensation
investment platform, unaffiliated
A. As referenced in Item 12.A.1 above, Registrant receives from Fidelity (or another broker-
dealer/custodian,
investment manager, vendor,
unaffiliated product/fund sponsor, or vendor) support services and/or products. The
Registrant does not believe any such support services and/or products will be utilized
with any regularity
B. The Registrant does not compensate, directly or indirectly, any person, other than its
representatives/employees, for client referrals.
Item 15
Custody
The Registrant shall have the ability to have its advisory fee for each client debited by the
custodian on a quarterly basis. Clients are provided, at least quarterly, with written
transaction confirmation notices and regular written summary account statements directly
from the broker-dealer/custodian and/or program sponsor for the client accounts. The
Registrant may also provide a written periodic report summarizing account activity and
performance.
To the extent that the Registrant provides clients with periodic account statements or
reports, the client is urged to compare any statement or report provided by the Registrant
with the account statements received from the account custodian.
The account custodian does not verify the accuracy of the Registrant’s advisory fee
calculation.
16
Custody Situations: The Registrant engages in other practices and/or services on behalf
of its clients that require disclosure at ADV Part 1, Item 9, which practices and/or
services are subject to an annual surprise CPA examination in accordance with the
requirements of Rule 206(4)-2 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Item 16
Investment Discretion
The client can determine to engage the Registrant to provide investment advisory services
on a discretionary basis. Prior to the Registrant assuming discretionary authority over a
client’s account, client shall be required to execute an Investment Advisory Agreement,
naming the Registrant as client’s attorney and agent in fact, granting the Registrant full
authority to buy, sell, or otherwise effect investment transactions involving the assets in
the client’s name found in the discretionary account.
Clients who engage the Registrant on a discretionary basis may, at any time, impose
restrictions, in writing, on the Registrant’s discretionary authority (i.e., limit the
types/amounts of particular securities purchased for their account, exclude the ability to
purchase securities with an inverse relationship to the market, limit or proscribe the
Registrant’s use of margin, etc.).
Item 17
Voting Client Securities
In accordance with its fiduciary duty to clients and Rule 206(4)-6 of the Investment
Advisers Act, the Registrant has adopted and implemented written policies and
procedures governing the voting of client securities. All proxies that the Registrant
receives will be treated in accordance with these policies and procedures.
The Registrant has engaged the services of Broadridge’s ProxyEdge platform to vote and
maintain records of all proxies.
The Registrant’s complete proxy voting policy, procedures, and those of its proxy voting
service providers, are available for client review. In addition, the Registrant’s complete
proxy voting record is available to clients, and only to our clients.
In addition, the Registrant has also contracted with Broadridge as provider to file Class
Actions "Proof of Claim" forms.
Occasionally, securities held in the accounts of clients will be the subject of class action
lawsuits. The Registrant has retained the services of Broadridge to provide a
comprehensive review of our clients’ possible claims to a settlement throughout the class
action lawsuit process. Broadridge actively seeks out any open and eligible class action
lawsuits. Additionally, Broadridge files, monitors and expedites the distribution of
settlement proceeds in compliance with SEC guidelines on behalf of clients. Clients may
choose to optout of this service.
Clients should contact Geoffrey A. Frazier, CCO, at (941) 441-1624 if they have any
questions or if they would like to review any of these documents.
17
Item 18
Financial Information
A. The Registrant does not solicit fees of more than $1,200, per client, six months or more in
advance.
B. The Registrant is unaware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its
ability to meet its contractual commitments relating to its discretionary authority over
certain client accounts.
C. The Registrant has not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition.
The Registrant’s Chief Compliance Officer, Geoffrey A. Frazier, remains available to
address any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the above
disclosures and arrangements.
18