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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
www.harborassetplanning.com
Item 1 – Cover Page
Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
PO Box 78
Belmont MA 02478
617-489-0324
www.harborassetplanning.com
January 2026
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of
Harbor Asset Planning, Inc. (“Harbor Asset”). you have If any questions about the contents
of this Brochure, please contact us at eginsberg@harborasset.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.
Harbor Asset is a registered investment adviser. Registration of an Investment Adviser
does not imply any level of skill or training. The oral and written communications of an
Adviser provide you with information about which you determine to hire or retain an
Adviser.
Additional information about Harbor Asset also is available on the SEC’s website
at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov under CRD #144944.
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
www.harborassetplanning.com
Item 2 – Material Changes
The purpose of this Item is to identify specific material changes that have been made to this
Brochure and provide clients with a summary of such changes. We will also reference the
date of our last annual update of our brochure.
The only material changes made in this brochure, which was last updated in August,
2024, appear in Item 4, Assets Under Management and Item 5, Fees and Compensation.
These changes reflect the increase in assets under Harbor Asset’s management and
fees charged by Harbor Asset’s custodian, Fidelity Institutional.
In the past we have offered or delivered information about our qualifications and business
practices to clients on at least an annual basis. Pursuant to new SEC Rules, we will ensure
that you receive a summary of any materials changes to this and subsequent Brochures
within 120 days of the close of our business’ fiscal year. We may further provide other
ongoing disclosure information about material changes as necessary.
We will further provide you with a new Brochure as necessary based on changes or new
information, at any time, without charge.
Currently, our Brochure may be requested by contacting Ellen Ginsberg, JD, CFP® at 617-
489-0324 or eginsberg@harborasset.com. Our Brochure is also available on our web site
www.harborassetplanning.com, also free of charge.
Additional information about Adviser is also available via the SEC’s web site
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The SEC’s web site also provides information about any persons
affiliated with Harbor Asset who are registered, or are required to be registered, as
investment adviser representatives of Harbor Asset.
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
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Item 3 -Table of Contents
Item 1 – Cover Page ............................................................................................................................................... i
Item 2 – Material Changes.................................................................................................................................. ii
Item 3 -Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................. iii
Item 4 – Advisory Business ............................................................................................................................... 1
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation .................................................................................................................... 4
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management .................................................... 6
Item 7 – Types of Clients .................................................................................................................................... 6
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ............................................. 6
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information ................................................................................................................... 7
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ............................................................. 8
tem 11 – Code of Ethics ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices....................................................................................................................... 10
Item 13 – Review of Accounts ....................................................................................................................... 10
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation ............................................................................ 11
Item 15 – Custody .............................................................................................................................................. 11
Item 16 – Investment Discretion .................................................................................................................. 11
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities ................................................................................................................ 12
Item 18 – Financial Information ................................................................................................................... 12
Item 19 – Requirements for State-Registered Advisers ....................................................................... 12
Brochure Supplement(s)
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
www.harborassetplanning.com
Item 4 – Advisory Business
Harbor Asset provides fee-only financial planning and investment management services
to individuals, retirement plans, trusts and estates on an hourly basis, for an annual fee, or
as a percentage of assets under management, depending on each client's specific
circumstances and needs. Harbor Asset provides advice on cash flow, debt management,
budgeting, divorce planning, insurance, employee benefits, education planning,
retirement planning, long term care issues, estate planning, tax management, and
portfolio design and allocation.
Harbor Asset is strictly a FEE-ONLY financial services firm. The firm does not sell insurance
or other financial products, and is not affiliated with any entity that sells financial products.
No commissions, finder’s fees or referral fees in any form are sought or accepted.
Harbor Asset has been in business since 2007.
Investment Management Services
Clients may engage Harbor Asset to design, implement and manage an investment portfolio
based upon the client's financial goals, investment time-frame and risk tolerance. Harbor
Asset will then provide ongoing review and analysis of the portfolio's asset allocation and
performance.
In creating a client's investment portfolio, Harbor Asset believes that proper diversification
is the most important element. Harbor Asset uses nonproprietary software to conduct
complex levels of analysis to produce a target asset mix which considers the relative risk
and return relationships among asset classes and the relationships between those asset
classes. The objective is to achieve a model portfolio that will produce an optimal
investment return commensurate with the level of risk a client is willing to accept. Harbor
Asset works with each client to ensure that the client understands and considers various
types of investment risks and their possible impact. Optimal asset allocation will be
reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that a client's model does not need to change based
on a client's evolving circumstances and to determine whether rebalancing needs to occur.
Harbor Asset also emphasizes low cost as an important factor in choosing investment
vehicles.
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
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Financial Planning Services
Clients may engage Harbor Asset to provide a broad range of financial planning and
consulting services. The client may desire a comprehensive plan analyzing all factors of
their financial circumstances, or may instead seek advice pertaining to a specific problem,
goal or need, such as divorce, retirement, insurance, and estate planning. Harbor Asset
takes a hands-on approach to helping clients reach their short-term or long-term financial
goals.
Each client will enter into an Investment Advisory and/or Financial Planning Agreement
with Harbor Asset setting forth the terms and conditions under which Harbor Asset will
manage the client's assets or provide financial planning services. Each such Agreement will
continue in effect until terminated by either party by written notice in accordance with the
terms of that Agreement. In case of termination, the applicable fees will be prorated through
the date of termination.
Principal Owners
Ellen Ginsberg, JD, CFP ®
Born: 1960
Educational Background:
University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, B.A. Asian Studies, 1982
Boston College Law School, Newton MA, JD, 1988
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford MA, Master of Law and Diplomacy, 1989
Business Background:
Ameriprise Financial Services 2006-2007
HarborTech Components, President, 1992-2006
Shaw Pittman, Attorney, 1989-1992
Scott Leabman, JD
Born: 1961
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
www.harborassetplanning.com
Educational Background:
University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, B.A. Legal Studies, 1983
Suffolk Law School, Boston MA, JD 1990
Business Background:
Riptide Management, Inc., Vice President, 2004-2007
HarborTech Components, Vice President, 1992-2004
CFP Designation
®
and federally registered CFP (with flame
®
marks”) are professional certification marks granted
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP
design) marks (collectively, the “CFP
in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”).
®
certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation
®
certification. It is recognized in the United States
®
The CFP
requires financial planners to hold CFP
and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2)
stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that
govern professional engagements with clients. Currently, more than 62,000 individuals
have obtained CFP
certification in the United States.
®
marks, an individual must satisfactorily fulfill the
To attain the right to use the CFP
following requirements:
•
•
®
Certification Examination. The
•
Education – Complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the
financial planning subject areas that CFP Board’s studies have determined as
necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services,
and attain a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited United States college or
university (or its equivalent from a foreign university). CFP Board’s financial
planning subject areas include insurance planning and risk management, employee
benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning,
and estate planning;
Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP
examination, administered in 10 hours over a two-day period, includes case studies
and client scenarios designed to test one’s ability to correctly diagnose financial
planning issues and apply one’s knowledge of financial planning to real world
circumstances;
Experience – Complete at least three years of full-time financial planning-related
experience (or the equivalent, measured as 2,000 hours per year); and
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
•
Standards of Professional Conduct
www.harborassetplanning.com
, a set of
®
Ethics – Agree to be bound by CFP Board’s
documents outlining the ethical and practice standards for CFP
professionals.
®
•
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and
marks:
ethics requirements in order to maintain the right to continue to use the CFP
Standards of
Code of Ethics
Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two
Professional Conduct
years, including two hours on the
and other parts of the
, to maintain competence and keep up with developments in the
•
Standards of Professional Conduct
.
®
professionals provide financial
®
professionals
financial planning field; and
Ethics – Renew an agreement to be bound by the
The Standards prominently require that CFP
planning services at a fiduciary standard of care. This means CFP
must provide financial planning services in the best interests of their clients.
®
professionals who fail to comply with the above standards and requirements may be
®
CFP
subject to CFP Board’s enforcement process, which could result in suspension or
Assets Under Management
permanent revocation of their CFP
certification.
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Discretionary
Amounts:
Non Discretionary Amounts:
Date Calculated:
$
187,283,095
1/07/20
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Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
Clients receiving Investment Management Services will pay an annual fee equal to one
percent (1%) of the market value of the assets being managed, with a minimum fee of
$6,000 per year. For clients with margin accounts, the fee will be based on the net asset
value of the assets being managed. This fee will be paid quarterly, in arrears, based upon
the market value of the assets on the last business day of the previous quarter. Harbor
Asset may, at its sole discretion, charge a lower or flat investment management fee based
upon such criteria as anticipated future assets to be invested, financial planning or other
related services to be provided or limited financial resources of the client.
Clients receiving Financial Planning Services will be charged either a flat annual fee or an
hourly fee, depending on the scope of the services to be provided. Harbor Asset’s hourly
fee ranges from $300 to $350 per hour. The flat fee ranges from $6,000 to $25,000 per year
and is based on the complexity of the Client’s situation, amount of assets, and the amount of
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time necessary to complete the required work. All fees except for the minimum fee are
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subject to negotiation. The amount to be charged will be clearly stated in the Financial
Planning Agreement. Clients receiving both Investment Management and Financial
Planning Services will pay only one fee. Harbor Asset will invoice the client at the end of
each calendar quarter. In the event a client's circumstances change, or the scope of the
engagement becomes broader or narrower than anticipated, a revised fee will be
negotiated and the Financial Planning Agreement amended in writing. Either Harbor Asset
or the client may terminate the Financial Planning Agreement by giving thirty days advance
written notice to the other party. Upon termination, any fees paid in advance will be
prorated to the date of termination and any excess fees will be refunded to the client.
Harbor Asset’s fees are exclusive of brokerage transaction fees, and other related costs
and expenses which shall be incurred by the client. Clients may incur certain charges
imposed by custodians, brokers, third party investment and other third parties, such as
fees charged by managers, custodial fees, deferred sales charges, transfer taxes, wire
transfer and electronic fund fees, and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and
securities transactions. Harbor Asset’s custodian, Fidelity Institutional, currently charges
an account fee of $15 per account per quarter, and clients who enroll in electronic
delivery of account documents will not pay any transaction fees to buy or sell stocks,
exchange traded funds or bonds. Clients will not pay transaction fees to buy or sell
mutual funds that are included in Fidelity’s network of No Transaction Fee Funds. The
transaction fee to buy or sell mutual funds that are not part of Fidelity’s no Transaction Fee
Funds program is $30. Clients who are not enrolled in electronic delivery will pay $4.95 to
buy or sell stocks or exchange traded funds. These transaction fees are not paid to, or set
by, Harbor Asset, and are subject to change without notice.
Mutual funds and exchange traded funds also charge internal management fees, which are
disclosed in a fund’s prospectus. Such charges, fees and commissions are exclusive of and
in addition to Harbor Asset’s fee, and Harbor Asset shall not receive any portion of these
commissions, fees, and costs.
Clients will execute a separate Custodial Agreement with Harbor Asset’s custodian,
Fidelity Institutional. Both the Investment Management Agreement and the Custodial
Agreement may authorize the custodian to debit the client's account for the amount of
Harbor Asset's Investment Management fee and to directly remit that fee to Harbor Asset
in accordance with applicable regulatory procedures. The custodian charges brokerage
commissions and/or transaction fees for effecting certain securities transactions, and
these transaction fees and commissions will be paid by the client. In addition to the
Investment Management Fee and the commissions and transaction fees described above,
the client will also incur, relative to all mutual fund and exchange traded fund purchases,
charges imposed at the fund level, such as management fees and other fund expenses.
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
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Item 12 further describes the factors that Harbor Asset considers in selecting or
recommending broker-dealers for client transactions and determining the reasonableness
of their compensation.
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Harbor Asset does not charge any performance-based fees (fees based on a share of capital
gains on or capital appreciation of the assets of a client).
Item 7 – Types of Clients
Harbor Asset provides portfolio management services to individuals, retirement
plans, trusts and estates.
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Harbor Asset develops a target portfolio for each client based on Modern Portfolio Theory,
choosing an optimal weighting for each asset class. Investments in equities are appropriate
only for investors with long-term investment horizon. Harbor Asset recommends that
investors who will need to withdraw funds from their portfolios in fewer than ten years
utilize less volatile investments for their portfolios. Portfolios are rebalanced each year, or
more frequently in response to changes in a client’s circumstances.
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear.
Although Harbor Asset strives to manage risk through diversification, a client’s portfolio
may be subject to wide fluctuations in value because of positions in common stocks, bonds,
mutual funds and exchange traded funds.
The following are some of the common risks investors may encounter:
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
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a.
Market Risk: including political, regulatory and economic developments.
b.
Stock Market Risk: the chance that stock prices overall will decline.
c.
Mid and Small Cap Risk: medium and small cap companies may have narrower
commercial markets and less liquidity than large companies, and be subject to
greater volatility.
d.
Sector Risk: the risk caused by holding investments in similar businesses, which
may all be negatively affected by the same political, economic or market conditions.
e.
High Yield Risk: risk resulting from investments in below investment grade bonds,
which have a greater risk of loss of money.
f.
Interest Rate Risk: fixed income investments may be adversely affected by increases
in global or domestic interest rates.
g.
Credit Risk: the risk that the issuer of a fixed income security will be unable to meet
its financial obligations or go bankrupt.
h.
Foreign Security Risk: the risk of instability in currency exchange rates, political
unrest, economic conditions or change in foreign law or regulation.
i.
Emerging Markets Risk: investing in emerging markets is subject to greater risk of
political uncertainty.
j.
Mutual Fund Risk: the risk that a shareholder in a mutual fund may be adversely
affected by a large scale departure of other shareholders, or be subject to taxable
distributions without a commensurate increase in a fund’s share value.
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
Registered Investment Advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any
legal or disciplinary events that would be material to your evaluation of Harbor Asset or the
integrity of Harbor Asset’s management. Harbor Asset has no information to disclose
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applicable to this Item. The disciplinary history of Harbor Asset and its representatives can
Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
www.harborassetplanning.com
be obtained from the Securities Division of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, (617)
727-3548.
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Harbor Asset has no information to disclose applicable to this Item.
Item 11 – Code of Ethics
Harbor Asset has adopted a Code of Ethics for all supervised persons of the firm describing
its high standard of business conduct, and fiduciary duty to its clients. The Code of Ethics
includes provisions relating to the confidentiality of client information, a prohibition on
insider trading, a prohibition of rumor mongering, restrictions on the acceptance of
significant gifts and the reporting of certain gifts and business entertainment items, and
personal securities trading procedures, among other things. All supervised persons at
Harbor Asset must acknowledge the terms of the Code of Ethics annually, or as amended.
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Harbor Asset anticipates that, in appropriate circumstances, consistent with clients’
investment objectives, it will cause accounts over which Harbor Asset has management
authority to effect, and will recommend to investment advisory clients or prospective
clients, the purchase or sale of securities in which Harbor Asset, its affiliates and/or clients,
directly or indirectly, have a position of interest. Harbor Asset’s employees and persons
associated with Harbor Asset are required to follow Harbor Asset’s Code of Ethics. Subject
to satisfying this policy and applicable laws, officers, directors and employees of Harbor
Asset and its affiliates may trade for their own accounts in securities which are
recommended to and/or purchased for Harbor Asset’s clients. The Code of Ethics is
designed to assure that the personal securities transactions, activities and interests of the
employees of Harbor Asset will not interfere with (i) making decisions in the best interest
of advisory clients and (ii) implementing such decisions while, at the same time, allowing
employees to invest for their own accounts. Under the Code, certain classes of securities
have been designated as exempt transactions, based upon a determination that these
would materially not interfere with the best interest of Harbor Asset’s clients. In addition,
the Code requires pre-clearance of many transactions, and restricts trading in close
proximity to client trading activity. Nonetheless, because the Code of Ethics in some
circumstances would permit employees to invest in the same securities as clients, there is
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a possibility that employees might benefit from market activity by a client in a security
held by an employee. Employee trading is continually monitored under the Code of Ethics,
and to reasonably prevent conflicts of interest between Harbor Asset and its clients.
Harbor Asset’s clients or prospective clients may request a copy of the firm's Code of Ethics
by contacting Ellen Ginsberg.
It is Harbor Asset’s policy that the firm will not affect any principal or agency cross
securities transactions for client accounts. Harbor Asset will also not cross trades between
client accounts. Principal transactions are generally defined as transactions where an
adviser, acting as principal for its own account or the account of an affiliated broker-dealer,
buys from or sells any security to any advisory client. A principal transaction may also be
deemed to have occurred if a security is crossed between an affiliated hedge fund and
another client account. An agency cross transaction is defined as a transaction where a
person acts as an investment adviser in relation to a transaction in which the investment
adviser, or any person controlled by or under common control with the investment adviser,
acts as broker for both the advisory client and for another person on the other side of the
transaction. Agency cross transactions may arise where an adviser is dually registered as a
broker-dealer or has an affiliated broker-dealer.
Harbor Asset adheres to the Fiduciary Oath of the National Association of Personal
Financial Advisors (NAPFA):
“The advisor shall exercise his/her best efforts to act in good faith and in the best
interests of the client. The advisor shall provide written disclosure to the client prior to the
engagement of the advisor, and thereafter throughout the term of the engagement, of any
conflicts of interest, which will or reasonably may compromise the impartiality or
independence of the advisor.
The advisor, or any party in which the advisor has a financial interest, does not receive
any compensation or other remuneration that is contingent on any client's purchase or sale
of a financial product. The advisor does not receive a fee or other compensation from
another party based on the referral of a client or the client's business.”
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Harbor Asset Planning, Inc.
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Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
Harbor Asset is not affiliated with any broker/dealer firm. Harbor Asset's custodian is
Fidelity Institutional, chosen for its ability to provide a wide variety of no-load mutual
funds, reasonable fees, and high-quality brokerage services. The custodian provides no
advice or research services to either clients or Harbor Asset. By directing brokerage,
Harbor Asset may not offer client the most favorable execution of transactions. Harbor
Asset does not permit clients to direct brokerage. Clients receiving Investment
Management Services sign a Discretionary Trading Authorization, authorizing Harbor
Asset to place buy and sell orders for securities directly with the custodian for the client's
account. Harbor Asset may buy and sell securities for a client's account in order to
rebalance an account in accordance with target asset allocation models or in response to
changes in market conditions or a client's financial circumstances, without the client's
specific consent for each purchase or sale. Clients may terminate this authorization at any
time by giving written notice to Harbor Asset. Since all custodian transactions fees are
deducted automatically from the client's custodian cash account balance, Harbor Asset
may liquidate small portions of holdings in order to bring the cash account balance up to
the level required for fee payments.
Certain affiliated accounts may trade in the same securities with client accounts on an
aggregated basis when consistent with Harbor Asset's obligation of best execution. In such
circumstances, the affiliated and client accounts will share commission costs equally and
receive securities at a total average price. Harbor Asset will retain records of the trade order
(specifying each participating account) and its allocation, which will be completed prior to
the entry of the aggregated order. Completed orders will be allocated as specified in the
initial trade order. Partially filled orders will be allocated on a pro rata basis. Any
exceptions will be explained on the Order.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
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Accounts of clients receiving Investment Management Services will be reviewed by Harbor
Asset on a quarterly basis, or when requested by a client. Portfolios will be rebalanced
annually to maintain appropriate asset allocation and/or to respond to changes in market
conditions or a client’s financial circumstances. Harbor Asset will also be available to
clients for unlimited telephone consultation. Reviews will be conducted by Harbor Asset's
President, Ellen Ginsberg and a written performance report will be sent to the client each
calendar quarter.
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Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Harbor Asset receives no economic benefit from anyone other than its clients for providing
investment or financial advice to its clients. Harbor Asset compensates no third parties for
referring clients.
Item 15 – Custody
Clients will receive quarterly statements from Harbor Asset’s custodian that holds and maintains
client’s investment assets. Harbor Asset urges every client to carefully review such statements.
Item 16 – Investment Discretion
Harbor Asset receives discretionary authority from the client at the outset of an advisory
relationship to select the identity and amount of securities to be bought or sold without
obtaining client consent prior to each transaction. The client grants this authority to
Harbor Asset by executing a Discretionary Investment Advisory Agreement. This
Agreement allows Harbor Asset to buy and sell securities on the client’s behalf, provided,
however, that such discretion is to be exercised in a manner consistent with the stated
investment objectives for the particular client account.
When selecting securities and determining amounts, Harbor Asset observes the
investment policies, limitations and restrictions of the clients for which it advises. For
registered investment companies, Harbor Asset’s authority to trade securities may also
be limited by certain federal securities and tax laws that require diversification of
investments and favor the holding of investments once made.
Investment guidelines and restrictions must be provided to Harbor Asset in writing.
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities
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As a matter of firm policy and practice, Harbor Asset does not have any authority to and
does not vote proxies on behalf of advisory clients. Clients retain the responsibility for
receiving and voting proxies for any and all securities maintained in client portfolios.
Item 18 – Financial Information
Registered investment advisers are required in this Item to provide you with certain
financial information or disclosures about Harbor Asset’s financial condition. Harbor Asset
has no financial commitment that impairs its ability to meet contractual and fiduciary
commitments to clients, and has not been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
Item 19 – Requirements for State-Registered Advisers
Scott Leabman is actively engaged at Harbor Asset Planning in the business of
consulting and bookkeeping for corporations and sole proprietors. Ellen
Ginsberg and Scott Leabman also own rental real estate and Scott Leabman
provides bookkeeping services through Fixe, a separate company.
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