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IMA ADVISORY SERVICES, INC.
DOING BUSINESS AS:
MAY 1, 2025
Corporate Address: 1705 17th Street, Suite 100, Denver, Colorado 80202
Mailing Address: 430 E. Douglas Ave., Suite 400, Wichita, Kansas 67202
Phone: 316.266.6574
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of IMA Advisory Services, Inc. (“IMAAS”)
doing business as IMA Private Wealth. If you have any questions about the content of this brochure, contact us at
316.266.6574. The information in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about IMA Advisory Services is also available on the SEC’s website at adviserinfo.sec.gov.
IMA Advisory Services, Inc. is a registered investment adviser. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
IMAPRIVATEWEALTH.COM
Table of Contents
ITEM 2: SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES
3
ITEM 4: ADVISORY BUSINESS
4
ITEM 5: FEES AND COMPENSATION
8
ITEM 6: PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND
SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
12
ITEM 7: TYPES OF CLIENTS
12
ITEM 8: METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT
STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS
12
ITEM 9: DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
18
ITEM 10: OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES
AND AFFILIATIONS
18
ITEM 11: CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST
IN CLIENT TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL TRADING
20
ITEM 12: BROKERAGE PRACTICES
21
ITEM 13: REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
26
ITEM 14: CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION
27
ITEM 15: CUSTODY
28
ITEM 16: INVESTMENT DISCRETION
29
ITEM 17: VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
30
ITEM 18: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
30
ITEM 2: SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES
Form ADV Part 2 requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when information
becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser’s disclosure brochure, the
adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description of the material changes.
Since our last update on March 31, 2025, we have updated information regarding the administrative fees
assessed by our platform provider for new clients.
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ITEM 4: ADVISORY BUSINESS
Description of Firm
IMA Advisory Services, Inc. (“IMA Advisory Services,” “IMA Private Wealth,” “we,” or “us”) is a registered
investment adviser headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with offices in California, Kansas, Texas, Georgia,
Utah and Massachusetts. We are organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Kansas and
have been providing investment advisory services since 1999. As of October 2023, we are wholly owned
by IMA Advisors, a wholly owned subsidiary of IMA Financial Group, Inc.
This disclosure brochure describes our wealth management services and fees. Refer to the description of
each investment advisory service listed below for information on how we tailor our advisory services to
an individual’s specific needs.
Services Described in this Brochure
IMA Advisory Services has three brochures describing our services. This brochure focuses on our
wealth management services and financial planning services. Advisory services provided to employers
on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, or services provided to non-profit organizations are
described in separate brochures. If you are interested in receiving the brochure that describes our other
services, please contact our office at 316.266.6574.
Advisory Services
IMA Private Wealth offers the following services as an investment adviser: wealth management services
(asset management), financing planning independent of asset management, and use of unaffiliated
third- party money managers through Envestnet’s Private Wealth Management program. We provide
access to a broad range of clients including individuals, high net worth individuals, trusts, estates, pension
and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations.
ASSET MANAGEMENT
We make investments decisions or provide advice to clients based on their individual needs. We typically
provide these services on a discretionary basis, meaning we will determine the specific securities, and
the amount of securities, to be purchased or sold for your account without prior approval for each
transaction. We also accept non-discretionary accounts. All recommendations and trades are made
in accordance with each client’s investment objectives and goals. We allow clients to place reasonable
restrictions on their discretionary accounts (see Item 16). Clients may also seek our non-discretionary
advice on a client’s investment in a private fund (“Private Funds”) sponsored and managed by unaffiliated
managers (the “Fund Sponsors”).
FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES
We offer financial planning services primarily using MoneyGuide Pro© and other related software
packages. When the financial planning engagement is independent of investment management,
the engagement begins with defining the scope of the engagement and services to be included and
confirmed in an agreement. Advice and planning provided during a financial planning only engagement
are not implemented by IMA Advisory Services as part of the engagement.
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SUBADVISORY SERVICES
We may, at our discretion, recommend one or more unaffiliated investment managers (each a
“Subadvisor”), to manage all or part of any account through the Envestnet Private Wealth Management
programs (the “Programs”). Advisor will allocate the client’s assets among the different options in the
Program and determine the appropriateness of the asset allocation and investment options for each
client, based on the client’s needs and objectives, investment time horizon, risk tolerance and any other
pertinent factors.
The client’s relationship will be governed by the Advisory Agreement between the client and IMA Advisory
Services; however, the client’s relationship with the Subadvisor will be governed by the terms of a
separate agreement with the Subadvisor (the “Subadvisory Agreement”). Each Subadvisor will manage
the assets allocated to the Subadvisor according to the Subadvisor’s designated investment portfolio and
style. The Subadvisor will provide the client its Form ADV Part 2A Brochure.
Clients interested in a Subadvisor or Private Fund will receive from the client’s individual advisor
information regarding the available Subadvisor(s) or Private Funds once the individual advisor has
identified the client’s needs and objectives. The client will authorize the custodian maintaining account
assets to provide Subadvisor account statements and confirmations of transactions (electronically or via
internet) to IMA Advisory Services, along with an indication that account statements have been sent to
the client, and to permit IMA Advisory Services to electronically view and download Subadvisor account
information. The client will grant us unrestricted access to such account information.
REVIEW & MONITORING OF SUBADVISORS AND PRIVATE FUNDS
Prior to making any recommendations with respect to a Subadvisor or Private Fund, the individual
advisor will collect (or update, if already collected) the suitability information. The Investment Committee
will monitor the Subadvisor accounts, publicly available custodian statements (and any reports from
the Subadvisor or Fund Sponsor) and performance to ensure its management and investment style
remains aligned with your investment goals and objectives. At least annually, the Investment Committee
reviews performance of the portfolio against targets, and assess Subadvisor’s or Fund Sponsor’s overall
management, and whether to recommend reallocation of your assets.
DUE DILIGENCE SERVICES
We offer bespoke investment due diligence services for select clients. Such services are tailored and may
not be available or appropriate for all clients.
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Types of Investments
For portfolios for which we serve as portfolio manager, assets may be invested in mutual funds; money
market funds; exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”); common and preferred stocks; REITs; security options;
real estate partnerships; corporate debts; municipal securities; and if appropriate, “sweep” arrangements
where cash balances are transferred into money market funds; money market deposit accounts, or bank
accounts for cash management purposes, which may be advised by or maintained with the account’s
qualified custodian. Our investment strategy and any liquidity needs and investment restrictions
imposed by the client will affect the specific types of investments we purchase or recommend for the
clients account.
Additionally, we may advise you on various types of investments based on your stated goals and
objectives. We may also provide advice on any type of investment held in your portfolio at the inception
of our advisory relationship.
Since our investment strategies and advice are based on each client’s specific financial situation, the
investment advice we provide to you may be different or conflict with the advice we give to other clients
regarding the same security or investment.
IRA Rollover Recommendations
Effective December 20, 2021 (or such later date as the US Department of Labor (“DOL”) Field Assistance
Bulletin 2018-02 ceases to be in effect), for purposes of complying with the DOL’s Prohibited Transaction
Exemption 2020-02 (“PTE 2020-02”), 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.
We benefit financially from the rollover of your assets from a retirement account to an account that we
manage or provide investment advice, because the assets increase our assets under management and,
in turn, our advisory fees. As a registered investment adviser, we operate as a fiduciary which requires us
to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. For example, we only recommend a
rollover when we believe it is in your best interest.
As a fiduciary, 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.
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Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2024, IMAAS maintains total regulatory assets under management of $3,158,410,252
of which $485,488,538 are non discretionary.
Assets Under Advisement (“AUA”) may appear in client and sales materials in addition to IMAAS’
regulatory Assets Under Management (“AUM”). AUA is presented when, due to the nature of the
contractual agreements with certain clients, we provide consultative advice to our clients in a
non- discretionary capacity and do not maintain discretionary authority over the clients’ portfolios(s). In
such relationships, the clients maintain the ability and authority to manage and allocate assets within
their own portfolio(s) independent of our advice. Therefore, these clients are not reflected within
regulatory assets under management. Instead, these engagements are represented as part of our AUA.
In the instance that AUA is listed in client or sales materials it will be accompanied by relevant disclosure
indicating how AUA has been calculated.
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ITEM 5: FEES AND COMPENSATION
Asset Management Services
We typically charge an annual fee for wealth management services as a percentage of assets
under management. Fee calculations utilize trade date accounting, which is a method that records
the transaction as of the trade date instead of on the date the transaction has been finalized (the
settlement date).
We occasionally agree to enter into a fee arrangement other than one based upon a percentage of assets
under management. This decision is based on the amount of assets under management and the nature
of the services to be provided.
Our advisory fees vary by service provided and will not exceed an annual fee of 1.25%. Advisory fees may
be negotiable at the sole discretion of the Advisor. In addition, a separate administrative fee beginning
at 0.05% is charged which covers the firm’s technology platforms used for billing, reporting, research,
reports, models and other services, including accessing a wide field of money managers. Additional
platform fees may be assessed by our platform provider for additional services selected by you. All
fees will be disclosed in your Statement of Investment Selection. Each account shall be subject to a
$10 minimum quarterly technology platform fee ($40 annually). To the extent that the overall quarterly
fee assessed on each account is less than $10, the difference shall be assessed and charged to the client.
This fee may be waived at the sole discretion of the Advisor.
Certain clients of the Advisor may be subject to legacy fees or other arrangements. We retain the right to
provide services to related persons of IMA Advisory Services, and its affiliates at rates that are not made
available to other clients.
The way we bill for fees is established in our written agreement with you. We bill our fees in advance on
a quarterly basis. You can either authorize us to deduct our fee from your account or you can direct us to
bill you directly for our fees.
Our fees for managed accounts are prorated for each addition and withdrawal made during the
applicable calendar quarter (apart from contributions and withdrawals of less than $25,000). Clients
who initiate or terminate our services during a calendar quarter will pay a prorated fee. You have the
right to terminate an agreement with us (the “Advisory Agreement”) without penalty at any time. Upon
termination, we will have no obligation to recommend or take any further action regarding the securities,
cash or other investments in your account. If you terminate our services, any prepaid, unearned fees will
be promptly refunded to you, and any earned, unpaid fees will be due and payable to us.
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IMA PRIVATE WEALTH
Financial Planning Services
Our fees for financial planning are stated in the engagement agreement and are subject to negotiation.
Investment Due Diligence Services
In situations where we provide investment due diligence only, our due diligence fee is negotiated with
the client based upon the scope of services provided and is established in our written agreement
with the client.
Fees for Subadvisors and Private Funds
Management fees charged by Subadvisor for investment management and related services are in
addition to the advisory fees payable to IMA Private Wealth. When a client invests with a Subadvisor, the
fee will be set by the Subadvisor. Once a Subadvisor is selected by the Advisor, notification regarding
specific client fees will be sent to the client directly from the Subadvisor. The Subadvisory Agreement
details the management fees charged for investment management and related services such as program
or platform fees, transaction costs, and other fees and expenses.
Although the details of Subadvisor programs vary considerably, in general, they often provide prospective
investors the chance to evaluate a range of investment alternatives, often offered by highly experienced,
institutional asset managers, who have developed strategies and expertise to manage identified assets,
within an agreed range of risk, according to the investment mandate established by the client.
Some Subadvisor programs are structured as wrap free programs in which the Subadvisor’s fees are
combined with execution costs. For other Subadvisor programs, the client pays separately for investment
advice and execution of trades for the account, as well as related costs. The decision of whether to
choose a wrap fee program or non-wrap program depends on a number of factors, including the number
of transactions expected in the account, the type of securities in which the account will invest, the costs of
commissions or sales charges for transactions, whether the expected number of transactions is expected
to change (such as after initial implementation of the Subadvisor’s portfolio, or after the first year of
the Subadvisor’s strategy, after three years, etc.), and whether certain investments are available (or not
available) on a wrap or non-wrap fee basis, just to name a few of the considerations that affect whether
to choose a Subadvisor program organized as a wrap fee or non-wrap fee program.
When a client invests in a Private Fund, the Private Fund’s offering and governing documents determine
the fees and expenses the client is responsible for, in addition to the advisory fees payable to IMA Private
Wealth, for its management services. The managed assets in those Private Funds will be assessed a lower
advisory fee by us, not to exceed an annual fee of 50%.
Subadvisors and Private Funds are able to establish their own fee and refund policies, which may
differ materially from IMA Private Wealth, and which we do not control or influence. The policies of the
Subadvisors and Fund Sponsors will control when such fees and refunds are paid.
Our fee is exclusive of, and in addition to, brokerage fees, transaction fees, and other related costs
and expenses, which may be incurred by the client, for investment advisory services. However, the
Advisor shall not receive any portion of these commissions, fees, and costs related to investment
advisory services.
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BROKERAGE AND INVESTMENT EXPENSES
Client accounts will generally contain individual stocks, ETFs, and money market funds. They may also
contain mutual funds, bonds, and other types of securities. Although many of the mutual funds are
“load- waived” investments, clients should expect that their account will incur some or all of the brokerage
and investment expenses described below. Client accounts will pay their custodian transaction-related
fees for each transaction, and for some transactions, will also pay other costs that could significantly
increase your overall expenses and decrease any profits from these programs.
Following are examples of some of the types of fees and expenses that are included in the brokerage and
investment expenses:
+ Per-trade principal trade mark-up/mark-downs, and other transaction-related costs paid to
introducing and executing brokers (including its clearing firm, the Custodian and its affiliates), stock
exchanges, electronic communications networks, and other trading intermediaries involved in
executing account transactions to buy or sell securities;
+ Odd lot charges, transfer and other taxes, floor brokerage fees, service, handling, delivery, and
mailing fees, electronic wire transfer fees, currency exchange fees, margin interest, and other
expenses related to investments made or assets held for the client’s account;
+ dealer spread (mark-up/mark-down) incurred when securities are purchased on principal basis, rather
than on an “agency basis” (where a commission would be charged); fixed income securities tend to be
bought and sold more frequently on a principal basis, so accounts that invest more frequently in fixed
income securities may incur the cost of the dealer mark-up/down for each purchase and sale; and
+ service, handling, delivery, and mailing fees, electronic wire transfer fees, and other miscellaneous
expenses related to the client’s account.
INVESTMENT COMPANY EXPENSES
Mutual funds, money market funds, and ETFs, (all referred to as a “fund”) deduct from their assets the
internal management fees, operating costs, and investment expenses they incur to operate the fund.
These internal expenses generally include record-keeping fees, and transfer and sub transfer agent
fees, among other fees and expenses. All of these represent indirect costs that are charged to the
fund’s shareholders.
Frequently, these internal expenses also include “distribution fees.” These amounts are deducted from
the funds’ assets to compensate brokers who sell fund shares, as well as to pay for advertising, printing,
and mailing prospectuses to new investors, and printing and mailing sales literature. Mutual fund internal
expenses also commonly include “shareholder service fees” which are amounts deducted from the funds’
assets to pay the costs of responding to investor inquiries and providing investors with information about
their accounts.
Distribution fees are referred to as “12b-1 Fees,” and are calculated for each class of shares of a fund as
a percentage of the total assets attributable to the share class. The 12b-1 Fees, investment management
fees, and other ongoing expenses are described in the fund’s prospectus Fee Table. These fees will vary
from fund to fund and for different share classes of the same fund. You can use prospectus Fee Tables to
help compare the annual expenses of different funds.
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ETFs are a type of investment company that typically aims to achieve the same return as a particular
market index, however, can also be actively managed. ETFs are not considered to be, and are not
permitted to call themselves, mutual funds. ETFs differ from mutual funds and unit investment trusts
because shares issued by ETFs are bought and sold by investors on a secondary market. Unlike mutual
funds, retail investors generally cannot tender their shares directly to the ETF for redemption because
shares of ETFs are redeemable from the fund only in very large blocks (blocks of 50,000 shares,
for example).
We may use ETFs to achieve market exposure. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate so
that an account’s ETF shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Mutual funds
may also impose a short-term trading fee if shares are redeemed within a short time period, usually
within 30, 60, or 90 days from the date of purchase. The redemption fee is generally one percent.
CASH MANAGEMENT FEES AND EXPENSES
Cash in a client’s account that is awaiting investment or reinvestment may be invested in cash balance,
money market fund, or deposit account at the custodian (or their affiliate), pursuant to an automatic cash
“sweep” program. Clients should refer to the Prospectus and Statements of Additional Information of the
money market funds in which they invest for further information regarding such payments.
CUSTODIAL EXPENSES
We will not have possession of managed assets. Managed assets must be maintained in an account
under client’s name with a custodian designated for their account (the “Custodian”). The custodial
account will be governed by a separate agreement (a “Custodial Agreement”) between the client and
each custodian, and the client will be solely responsible for negotiating the terms of such agreement. The
custodial account will bear all fees and expenses of the Custodian and of transactions for such account,
according to the Custodian Agreement, all of which will be separate from and in addition to the advisory
fees payable to us under the Advisory Agreement. Clients must pay the cost of services provided by the
Custodian for (1) arranging for the receipt and delivery of securities that are purchased, sold, borrowed
or loaned for the custodial account; (2) making and receiving payments with respect to custodial account
transactions and securities; (3) maintaining custody of custodial account securities; and (4) maintaining
custody of cash, receiving dividends, and processing exchanges, distributions, and rights accruing to the
custodial account. The specific fees and terms of each Custodian’s services are described in the client’s
separate Custodial Agreement(s).
Termination of Advisory Agreements
An Advisory Agreement may be terminated by the client or us upon written notice to the other, as
provided in the Advisory Agreement. If the Advisory Agreement is terminated, the client will receive a
full refund of any prepaid fees prorated based on the number of days the Advisory Agreement was in
effect during such calendar period, within 30 days. Any unpaid advisory fees owed to us will become
immediately due and payable upon termination of the Advisory Agreement. After an Advisory Agreement
has been terminated, the client will be charged commissions, sales charges, and transaction, clearance,
settlement, and custodial charges, at prevailing rates, by any executing or carrying broker-dealer. The
client will be responsible for monitoring all transactions and assets and we will not have any obligation to
monitor or make recommendations with respect to any account or assets.
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ITEM 6: PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND
SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
We do not accept performance-based fees or participate
in side-by-side management. Performance-based fees are
fees that are based on a share of a 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.
ITEM 7: TYPES OF CLIENTS
Asset Management and Financial
Planning Services
We provide asset management and financial planning services
to individuals, high net worth individuals, corporations, trusts,
charitable organizations and foundations.
In general, we require a minimum amount of $50,000 to
open and maintain an advisory account or enter into a
financial planning agreement. This amount is negotiable at
our discretion.
Subadvisor/Private Fund Services
Certain Subadvisors or Private Funds may impose a higher
minimum to open and maintain an advisory relationship.
ITEM 8: METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT
STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS
Our Methods of Analysis and
Investment Strategies
We may use one or more of the following methods of analysis
or investment strategies when providing investment advice
to you: fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory and
quantitative analysis.
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Mutual Fund and ETF Analysis
In analyzing mutual funds, we look at the
experience and track record of the portfolio
managers to determine if they have demonstrated
the ability to invest successfully over periods of
time and in different economic conditions. We
also consider whether or not there is a significant
overlap with the underlying investments held by
other mutual funds. We monitor the mutual funds
in an attempt to determine if they are continuing
to follow their stated investment strategies. We
also evaluate the fees of the portfolio managers
and the internal expenses of the mutual funds to
determine whether the client is receiving adequate
value for these fees and expenses.
Fundamental Analysis
Fundamental analysis involves analyzing a
company’s income statement, financial statements
and health, its management and competitive
advantages, and its competitors and markets.
The fundamental analysis school of thought
maintains that markets may misprice a security
in the short run, however, that the “correct” price
will eventually be reached. Profits can be made by
trading the mispriced security and then waiting for
the market to recognize its “mistake” and re-price
the security. However, fundamental analysis does
not attempt to anticipate market movements. This
presents a potential risk, as the price of a security
can move up or down along with the overall
market regardless of the economic and financial
factors considered in evaluating the stock.
Therefore, unforeseen market conditions and
company developments may result in significant
price fluctuations that can lead to investor losses.
A risk of our mutual fund and ETF analysis is that,
as in all investments, past performance does
not guarantee future results. A manager who
has been successful may not be able to replicate
that success in the future. In addition, as we
do not control the underlying investments in a
fund or ETF, managers of different funds in a
client’s account may purchase the same security,
increasing the risk to the client if that security
were to fall in value. There is also a risk that a
manager may deviate from the stated investment
mandate or strategy of the fund or ETF, which
could make the fund or ETF less suitable for the
client’s portfolio. Moreover, we do not control the
portfolio manager’s daily business or compliance
operations, and we may be unaware of the lack of
internal controls necessary to prevent business,
regulatory or reputational deficiencies.
Modern Portfolio Theory
This investment philosophy refers to the process
of seeking to reduce portfolio risk through
systematic diversification across and within
various asset classes. Implementation of the
modern portfolio theory often emphasizes the
analysis of mutual funds and ETFs, and the fund
managers in the selection of investments to
comprise portfolios, with additional consideration
of market and economic factors when considering
the specific allocations and weightings within each
portfolio, as well as decisions affecting changes in
portfolio investments, allocations, and weightings.
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative analysis is used to attempt to
identify trading patterns, build models to assess
those patterns, and use the information to help
determine the direction of securities.
Our investment strategies and advice may vary
depending upon each client’s specific financial
situation. As such, we determine investments and
allocations based upon your predefined objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information,
liquidity needs and other various suitability
factors. Your restrictions and guidelines may affect
the composition of your portfolio. It is important
that you notify us immediately with respect to any
material changes to your financial circumstances,
including for example, a change in your current
or expected income level, tax circumstances, or
employment status.
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Tax Considerations
Our strategies and investments may have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless
we specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in
the management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you consult with a tax professional regarding the investing of your assets.
Custodians and broker-dealers must report the cost basis of equities acquired in client accounts. Your
Custodian will default to the First-In First-Out (“FIFO”) accounting method for calculating the cost basis
of your investments. You are responsible for contacting your tax advisor to determine if this accounting
method is the right choice for you. If your tax advisor believes another accounting method is more
advantageous, provide written notice to our firm immediately and we will alert your account custodian of
your individually selected accounting method. Decisions about cost basis accounting methods will need
to be made before trades settle, as the cost basis method cannot be changed after settlement.
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Recommendation of Particular Types of Securities
We recommend various types of securities, and we do not primarily recommend one particular type of
security over another since each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each type of
security has its own unique set of risks associated with it and it would not be possible to list here all of
the specific risks of every type of investment. Even within the same type of investment, risks can vary
widely. However, in very general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an investment, the higher the
risk of loss associated with the investment. A description of some, however not all types of securities we
may recommend to you and some of their inherent risks are provided below.
+ Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds: Mutual funds and ETFs are professionally managed
collective investment systems that pool money from many investors and invest in stocks, bonds,
short-term money market instruments, other mutual funds, other securities, or any combination
thereof. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund’s investments in accordance with the
fund’s investment objective. While mutual funds and ETFs generally provide diversification, risks can
be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a particular sector of the market, primarily
invests in small cap or speculative companies, uses leverage (i.e., borrows money) to a significant
degree, or concentrates in a particular type of security (i.e., equities) rather than balancing the fund
with different types of securities. ETFs differ from mutual funds since they can be bought and sold
throughout the day like stock and their price can fluctuate throughout the day. The returns on mutual
funds and ETFs can be reduced by the costs to manage the funds. Also, while some mutual funds are
“no load” and charge no fee to buy into, or sell out of, the fund, other types of mutual funds do charge
such fees which can also reduce returns.
+ Municipal Securities: Municipal securities, while generally thought of as safe, can have significant
risks associated with them including the credit worthiness of the governmental entity that issues
the bond; the stability of the revenue stream that is used to pay
the interest to the bondholders; when the bond is due to
mature; and, whether or not the bond can be “called”
prior to maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be
possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same amount of interest or yield
to maturity.
+ Bonds: Corporate debt securities (or “bonds”)
are typically safer investments than equity
securities, however their risk can also vary
widely based on the financial health of
the issuer, the risk that the issuer might
default, when the bond is set to mature,
and whether or not the bond can be
“called” prior to maturity. When a
bond is called, it may not be possible
to replace it with a bond of equal
character paying the same rate
of return.
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Subadvisors & Private Funds
For Subadvisors and Private Funds, we select and evaluate the Fund Sponsor or Subadvisor in making the
recommendation to the client and is responsible for conducting ongoing monitoring of the Fund Sponsor
or Subadvisor.
We will not perform quantitative or qualitative analysis of individual securities within Subadvised or
Private Funds. Instead, we will advise the client regarding allocation of their assets among the Fund
Sponsors or Subadvisors, and allocation of assets among various classes of securities.
The portfolio managers consider, but does not rely exclusively on, any research or performance
information provided by the Fund Sponsor or Subadvisor in reaching the decision to recommend a Fund
Sponsor or Subadvisor.
Sponsors represent they follow screening and evaluation processes that focus on quantitative factors
such as historical performance and volatility, as well as factors such as a manager’s reputation and
approach to investing.
We ask Fund Sponsors and Subadvisors to provide any available information verifying their performance
or other results and comparing it to other data from publicly available sources, as well as through
proprietary technical, quantitative, and qualitative analyses, including attribution analysis and
risk analysis.
We do not audit, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or methods of calculating any historic
or future performance or other information provided by a Fund Sponsor or Subadvisor. There is no
assurance that the performance or other information from a Fund Sponsor or Subadvisor, or other
source is or will be calculated on any uniform or consistent basis or has been or will be calculated
according to or based on any industry or other standards.
Other Tools & Analysis
We may also consider the results of analytics made available through Envestnet, provided by other
non- affiliated investment advisers at no additional cost.
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Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent or
guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully identify
market tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines. We cannot
offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past performance is
in no way an indication of future performance.
+ Business Risk: The risk that the price of an investment will change due to factors unique to that
company, investment, or market segment and not the market in general.
+ Leverage Risk: The risk to specific companies’ future earnings due to their use of debt. Companies
that borrow money must pay it back at some future date, plus the interest charges. This increases
the uncertainty about the company because it must have enough income to pay back this amount at
some time in the future.
+ Market Risk: The risk that the price of a particular investment will change as a result of overall market
conditions that are not specific to that particular company or investment.
+ Liquidity Risk: The risk of being unable to sell your investment at a fair price at a given time due to
high volatility or lack of active liquid markets. You may receive a lower price, or it may not be possible
to sell the investment at all.
+ Credit Risk: Credit risk typically applies to debt investments such as corporate, municipal, and
sovereign fixed income or bonds. A bond issuing entity can experience a credit event that could
impair or erase the value of an issuer’s securities held by a client.
+ Event-Based Risks: These are risks of events the market has not anticipated, known as “Black Swans.”
A Black Swan event is an event that is unprecedented or unexpected at the point in time it occurs, and
which can cause large market dislocations.
+ Inflation and Interest Rate Risk: Security prices and portfolio returns will likely vary in response to
changes in inflation and interest rates. Inflation causes the value of future dollars to be worth less
and may reduce the purchasing power of a client’s future interest payments and principal. Inflation
also generally leads to higher interest rates which may cause the value of many types of fixed income
investments to decline.
+ Market Volatility Risk: The prices of securities may be volatile. Price movements of securities in
which IMA Advisory Services invests are influenced by, among other things: interest rates; changing
supply and demand relationships; trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies
of governments; and U.S. and international political and economic events and policies. In addition,
governments from time to time intervene, directly or by regulation, in certain markets, particularly
those in currencies and interest rate related futures and options. Such intervention often is intended
directly to influence prices and may, together with other factors, cause all markets to move rapidly in
the same direction because of, among other things, interest rate fluctuations.
+ Horizon and Longevity Risk: The risk that your investment horizon is shortened because of an
unforeseen event, for example, the loss of your job. This may force you to sell investments that you
were expecting to hold for the long term. If you must sell at a time that the markets are down, you
may lose money. Longevity Risk is the risk of outliving your savings. This risk is particularly relevant
for people who are retired or are nearing retirement.
Questions regarding these risks may be directed to us, as well as the Fund Sponsors. Investors should
also review the Private Fund offering documents for further information.
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ITEM 9: DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
We have no disciplinary information to report under this item.
ITEM 10: OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
IMA Advisory Services, Inc. is owned by IMA Advisors which is wholly owned by IMA Financial Group,
Inc. (“IMA”). IMA has numerous subsidiary corporations which are engaged in retail and wholesale
insurance operations. If you need professional insurance services for yourself or your business, we
will refer you to IMA and its subsidiaries. Should insurance products be purchased as a result of this
referral, IMA Advisory Services, Inc. associated persons could be eligible to receive compensation for
contributing to these sales. You are not obligated in any way to use IMA and its subsidiaries to purchase
insurance products.
IMA Advisory Services is also a registered insurance agency. Certain employees are licensed to sell
life, health, disability, and long-term care insurance. As such, these employees may recommend that
a client (in his or her separate capacity as an insurance customer) buy insurance products which
are entirely separate from investments made for the client’s managed account. For these separate
insurance recommendations, the employees will receive customary insurance compensation. Clients,
however, are not under any obligation to engage these employees when considering implementation of
insurance recommendations.
The possibility of receiving additional compensation from selling insurance products to a client provides
an economic incentive for an employee to recommend these products based on the compensation
to be received rather than on a client’s investment needs. This is a conflict of interest that clients
should consider.
We have adopted the following steps to address this conflict of interest in this situation:
+ We disclose the existence of the conflict of interest that arises from the incentive an employee has
to earn additional compensation from recommending the purchase of insurance products over and
above the advisory fees we receive, and we endeavor to act consistent with our fiduciary duty;
+ we disclose to clients they have the right to decide whether or not to act on such recommendations;
+ we request clients to provide and update material information regarding their personal and financial
situation, and the investment objective, tolerance for risk, liquidity needs, and investment time
horizon for the advisory account that will be managed by us, and we conduct regular reviews of
account investments;
+ we require that our employees seek prior approval of outside employment activity so that we may
detect conflicts of interests and ensure such conflicts are properly addressed;
+ we periodically ask employees to certify information regarding their disclosed outside employment
activities; and
+ we educate our employees regarding the responsibilities of a fiduciary, including the need for having
a reasonable and independent basis for the investment advice provided to clients.
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IMA PRIVATE WEALTH
If you wish to purchase these products, we will offer them to you as an agent or producer of IMA Advisory
Services’ insurance agency. If you purchase these products through IMA Advisory Services’ insurance
agency our associated persons are eligible to receive a percentage of the commissions generated by
these sales. These referrals and payments are made pursuant to agreements between IMA Advisory
Services, and such individuals. You are not obligated to use IMA Advisory Services to purchase insurance
products if you are a client of IMA Advisory Services.
Please see Item 14 (“Client Referrals and Other Compensation”) for information about other referral
arrangements between IMA Advisory Services, Inc. and its affiliates.
Recommendation of Other Advisers
We receive our advisory fees, as provided according to the Advisory Agreement, for our supervision of
Subadvisors or Private Funds. While we do not receive other direct compensation from Fund Sponsors
or Subadvisors, we do derive economic benefits from having the Fund Sponsors and Subadvisors
available to present to prospective clients, and from which we are able to attract new clients and retain
existing clients. As such, we have an incentive to recommend Fund Sponsors and Subadvisors based
on our interests in continuing to benefit from using this tool, rather than whether the Fund Sponsor or
Subadvisor is suited to the client’s investment needs.
Clients are not obligated, contractually or otherwise, to use the services of any Fund Sponsor or
Subadvisor we recommend. We rely on the steps listed above to assist us in addressing these risks.
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ITEM 11: CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT
TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL TRADING
Description of Our Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics expressing our commitment to ethical conduct. Our Code of Ethics
describes our fiduciary responsibilities to our clients, and our procedures in supervising the personal
securities transactions of our supervised persons who have access to information regarding client
recommendations or transactions (“access persons”).
A copy of our Code of Ethics is available to our clients and prospective clients. You may request our Code
of Ethics by contacting us at the number listed on the cover page of this brochure.
We owe a duty of loyalty, fairness, and good faith towards our clients and have an obligation to adhere
not only to the specific provisions of the Code of Ethics however also to the general principles that guide
the Code. Our Code of Ethics includes policies and procedures for the review of our access persons’
quarterly securities transactions reports as well as initial and annual securities holdings reports that
must be submitted by our access persons. Among other things, our Code of Ethics also requires the prior
approval of any equity or fixed income securities transactions, any acquisition of securities in a limited
offering (e.g., private placement) or an initial public offering.
Our Code also provides for oversight, enforcement, and record-keeping provisions. Our Chief Compliance
Officer may grant exceptions to certain provisions contained in the Code where we reasonably believe
the interests of our clients will not be materially adversely affected or compromised. Doubts arising in
connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the client even at the personal
expense of our employees.
Our Code of Ethics prohibits the misuse of material non-public information. While we do not believe
that we have any access to material non-public information regarding publicly traded companies that
would be subject to misuse, all employees are reminded that any such information may not be used in a
personal or professional capacity. IMA Advisory Services. and its principals, officers, affiliates, employees,
and advisors may act as investment adviser for others, may manage funds or capital for others, may
have, make and maintain investments in its or their own names, or may serve as an officer, director,
consultant, partner, or stockholder of one or more investment partnerships or other businesses, subject
to compliance with our Code of Ethics. In doing so, IMA Advisory Services, or such persons may give
advice, take action, and refrain from taking action, any of which may differ from advice given, action
taken or not, or the timing of any action, for any particular client.
Protecting the confidentiality of our clients’ nonpublic information is important to us. We have instituted
policies and procedures to ensure that nonpublic customer information is kept confidential. We do not
disclose nonpublic personal information about our clients or former clients to any non-affiliated third
parties, except as provided pursuant to our privacy policies or as required by or permitted by law. In the
course of servicing a client’s account, we may share client information with service providers, such as
custodians, transfer agents, accountants, and attorneys.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Neither our firm nor any persons associated with our firm has any material financial interest in client
transactions beyond the provision of investment advisory services as disclosed in this brochure.
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ITEM 12: BROKERAGE PRACTICES
Factors in Recommending Custodians and Brokers
We seek to recommend a custodian and broker who will hold your assets and execute transactions that
are, overall, most advantageous when compared to other available providers and their services.
We consider a wide range of factors, including, among others:
+ Combination of transaction execution services and asset custody services (generally without a
separate fee for custody services);
+ breadth of available investment products (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, etc.);
+ capacity to execute, clear and settle trades (buy and sell securities for your account);
+ capacity to facilitate transfers and payments to and from your account (wire transfers, check requests,
bill payments, etc.);
+ availability of investment research and tools that assist us in making investment decisions;
+ quality of services;
+ competitiveness of the price of those services (commission rates, other fees, etc.) and willingness to
negotiate the prices;
+ reputation, financial strength and stability;
+ prior service to us and our other clients; and
+ availability of other products and services that benefit us, as discussed below (see “Products and
Services Available to Us from Schwab”).
We have evaluated Schwab and have determined, based on our experience with them, they offer
clients an excellent blend of services and reputation, competitive total cost, and access to mutual funds
otherwise not available to us or our clients.
Schwab generally does not charge you separately for custody services, however is compensated by
charging you commissions or other fees on trades they execute or settle into your account. We may not
be able to accept clients who wish to utilize other custodians.
Schwab commission rates were negotiated based on the condition that our clients collectively maintain
a total of at least $230 million of their assets in Schwab accounts. In addition, Schwab charges you a flat
dollar amount as a “prime broker” or “trade away” fee for each trade that we have executed by a different
broker dealer.
Products and Services Available to Us Through Schwab
Schwab Advisor Services™ (“SAS”) is Schwab’s business that serves independent investment advisory
firms like us. They provide us and our clients with access to their institutional brokerage services—
trading, custody, reporting, and related services—many of which are not typically available to Schwab
retail customers. They also make available various support services. Some of these services help us
manage or administer our clients’ accounts. Others help us manage and grow our business. These
support services generally are available on an unsolicited basis (we don’t have to request them) and at no
charge to us provided that our clients collectively maintain a total of at least $10 million of their assets at
SAS. If our clients collectively have less than $10 million at SAS, SAS can charge us quarterly service fees
of $1,200 (SAS).
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Here is a more detailed description of support services made available by SAS:
+ Services That Benefit You: Institutional brokerage services available through SAS include access to a
broad range of investment products, execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets.
The investment products available through SAS include some to which we might not otherwise have
access or that would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment by our clients. The
services described in this paragraph generally benefit you and your account.
+ Services That May Not Directly Benefit You: SAS also makes available to us other products and
services that benefit us, however may not directly benefit you or your account. These products and
services assist us in managing and administering our clients’ accounts. They include investment
research, both from Schwab as well as third parties. This research is used to service all or a
substantial number of our clients’ accounts, including accounts not maintained at SAS.
In addition to investment research, SAS also makes available software and other technology that:
– provide access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations or
account statements);
– facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts;
– provide pricing and other market data;
– facilitate payment of our fees from our clients’ accounts; and
– assist with back-office functions, record-keeping and client reporting.
+ Services That Generally Benefit Only Us: SAS also provides other services intended to help us
manage and further develop our business enterprise.
These services include:
– educational conferences and events;
– technology, compliance, legal and business consulting;
– publications and conferences on practice management, business succession and marketing; and
– access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants, and insurance providers.
SAS provides some of these services themselves. In other cases, SAS arranges for third-party vendors to
provide the services to us. SAS also discounts or waives fees for some of these services or pays all or a
part of a third-party’s fees for us. SAS also provides us with other benefits, such as occasional business
entertainment for our personnel. SAS has provided us with a discount on software solutions made
available through Schwab Performance Technologies®. This discount allows us to obtain this software at
a reduced fee.
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Our Interest in Schwab Services
The availability of these services from SAS benefits us because we do not have to produce or purchase
them. We do not have to pay for Schwab services if a total of at least $10 million of our clients’ account
assets are maintained with SAS. Beyond that, these services are not contingent upon IMA Advisory
Services, committing any specific amount of business to SAS in trading commissions or assets in custody.
This minimum asset requirement could give us an incentive to request that you maintain your account
with Schwab, based on our interest in receiving services from SAS that benefit our business rather than
based on your interest in receiving the best value in custody services and the most favorable execution
of your transactions. This is a conflict of interest. We believe, however, that our request to choose SAS as
custodian and broker is in the best interest of our clients. Our recommendation is primarily supported by
the scope, quality and price of these services and not the services that benefit only us. Given the amount
of our client assets under management as shown in “Item 4” of this Brochure, we do not believe that
recommending our clients to collectively maintain at least $10 million of those assets at Schwab to avoid
paying quarterly service fees to Schwab presents a material conflict of interest.
Subadvisor Brokerage Considerations
The details of each Subadvisor program must be considered individually with respect to the costs
and other considerations involving the execution of trades for the client’s account; depending on the
Subadvisor program, different arrangements will affect which broker-dealer will execute trades for
the client’s account, whether the program is a wrap fee arrangement, and whether Subadvisors are
permitted to place trades “away” with non-program broker-dealers that will charge additional transaction
charges, typically, when the Subadvisor believes by doing so it has an opportunity (however not a
guarantee) to obtain a more favorable price.
Clients should discuss the terms of their specific Subadvisor program with their individual advisor.
Current Subadvisor programs permit Subadvisors to place trades away with few controls on the
additional costs to the client. While we will request information regarding trade-away costs and practices,
there is a risk we may not be able to identify when trade-away activities are occurring, or the extent of
such activities. Subadvisors may provide information from which it is difficult to determine whether their
trade away activities have been reasonable. Clients should monitor their confirmations and account
statements carefully.
Directed Brokerage
We do not permit directed brokerage.
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Aggregated Trades
We typically aggregate purchases or sales of the same security for multiple accounts. We are not,
however, obligated to aggregate purchases and sales. When we do aggregate orders, all accounts
included in a block trade participate at the average share price. Each account participating in a block
trade will share in transaction costs equally and on a pro-rated basis. Block trading allows us to execute
transactions in a more timely and equitable manner, as detailed below. Clients participating in block
trades do not receive the benefit of negotiated commissions, as we do not have that authority on an
account-by-account or transaction-by-transaction basis.
Clients with non-discretionary accounts or who place certain restrictions on discretionary accounts
sometimes experience delays in order execution as compared to clients with unrestricted
discretionary accounts.
Typically, partial fills will be allocated among accounts in proportion to the total orders participating in
the block, unless we determine that another method of allocation is equitable (such as an alphabetical
rotation; rotation based on the clients of a particular advisor, or other method). Exceptions may
be granted or allowed due to varying cash availability, divergent investment objectives, existing
concentrations, tax considerations, investment restrictions, or a desire to avoid “odd lots” (an amount of
a security that is less than the normal unit of trading for that security).
Schwab may aggregate purchase and sale orders for ETFs across accounts enrolled in the IIP, including
accounts for our clients and accounts for clients of other independent investment advisory firms using
the Platform.
Trade Error Policies
From time to time, we may make an error when submitting a trade order on your behalf. When this
happens, we typically work directly with the custodian’s trading desk to correct the trade error. This is
done within the account in which the trade occurred. We seek to identify errors and work Sub-Manager
and/or qualified custodian to correct the error affecting any client account as quickly as possible. Errors
may be corrected by either the purchase or sale of a security as originally intended, or in the form of
monetary reimbursement to the applicable client account.
IMA Advisory Services’ policy and practice is to monitor and reconcile trading activity, identify, and
resolve any trade errors promptly, document each trade error with appropriate supervisory approval and
maintain a trade error file. If the error is the responsibility of IMA Advisory Services, any transaction will
be corrected, and IMA Advisory Services will be responsible for any loss resulting from an inaccurate or
erroneous order. In the case of errors due to the inaction, or actions of others (Advisors, Sub-Manager’s,
Custodians), we may help facilitate the error correction process, again in the best interests of our clients.
Schwab’s trade error policy is to donate the amount of any gain $100 and over to charity. Schwab will
retain the loss or gain (if the gain is not retained in your account) if it is under $100 to minimize and offset
its administrative time and expense. If a loss occurs greater than $100, we will receive an invoice for the
amount of the loss.
IMA Advisory Services, if needed, will utilize our error account to correct the trade for your account.
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Class Action Lawsuit Filings
We have entered into an arrangement with
Chicago Clearing Corporation (“CCC”) to provide
you with a service that automatically files your
forms for securities class-action lawsuits. The
fee you would pay for services provided by CCC
is 20% of any amount collected. The service fee
is paid entirely by you, and it is deducted from
the amount collected by CCC on your behalf. The
award is paid directly to you by CCC after they
have deducted their 20% fee. The entire amount
you pay for this service stays with CCC; we do
not receive any share of the fee collected by CCC,
nor do we receive any revenue in exchange for
making this service available to you. You do not
pay any fee to sign up for this service. You will
not owe anything whatsoever to CCC until CCC
collects an award on your behalf.
We will furnish to CCC the holding information
for clients who choose to use this service.
You are not required to participate in this service.
You can choose to handle your own securities
class action claims and receive 100% of any
awards payable to you. Clients who opt-out of
this service agree to research, document, and
submit their own class action lawsuit claims. New
clients can opt-in by signing an authorization
form when we enter into an investment advisory
arrangement with you. You can discontinue this
service at a later date by contacting our office
at number found on the cover page of this
brochure. Class action lawsuit claim information
already received by CCC could continue to be
processed by their firm following receipt of your
service discontinuation notification.
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ITEM 13: REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
Account Reviews
Account investments are reviewed regularly by our Investment Committee. The Investment Committee
also conducts periodic evaluations of the portfolio for consistency with investment objectives and
restrictions, and with the account’s stated objectives and strategy.
While the investments within accounts are regularly monitored, the accounts are reviewed at least
annually in the context of each client’s stated investment objectives and guidelines. More frequent
reviews can be triggered by significant market or economic factors, or if we are notified of changes in the
client’s financial situation, large withdrawals or significant deposits, or changes in the account investment
objectives, liquidity needs, or risk tolerance. An account review is done by the individual advisor assigned
to the client account(s). The Investment Committee will be responsible for overseeing all reviews.
Generally, Financial Planning or Consulting Services do not include reviews, unless specifically included
in the client’s Advisory Agreement. Extended Planning Services clients receive on-going account reviews
through frequent meetings with their individual advisor and (approximately) annual account reviews, as
the client and individual advisor mutually agree.
For clients whose account is being managed by a Subadvisor, the Investment Committee monitors the
Subadvisory account for consistency with target investment characteristics and restrictions, suitability
for the client’s broader portfolio, and control over of transaction fees and expenses, including any trade
away expenses and evaluation of best execution.
Client Reports
Clients will receive account statements directly from their Custodian on at least a quarterly basis showing
all transactions in their account during the reporting period. clients should review the Custodian’s
statements carefully. We provide quarterly reports regarding client accounts which provide information
detailing account debits, credits, receipts, deliveries, and positions as part of our advisory services. If a
client receives a report, which refers to the value of an asset also shown on a Custodian’s statement,
we urge the client to compare the information with the statement they receive from the Custodian
and contact us immediately if any discrepancies are found. Financial Planning Services clients receive a
written financial plan or report from us only if agreed upon in the planning agreement.
Clients engaging a Subadvisor will receive monthly or quarterly account statements from the
custodian of the Subadvisory account(s); and will receive reports from the Subadvisor, if agreed in the
Subadvisor Agreement.
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ITEM 14: CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION
Client Referrals
Some of our affiliated individuals also earn compensation based on (1) acquisition and retention
of investment advisory client assets under management and (2) advisory fees paid to IMA Advisory
Services. Should referred clients decide to hire us, these individuals will receive compensation. This is a
conflict of interest because these affiliated individuals have an economic incentive to recommend our
advisory services.
Economic Benefit from Schwab
We receive an economic benefit from Schwab in the form of the support products and services it makes
available to us and other independent investment advisors whose clients maintain their accounts
with Schwab. The availability to us of Schwab’s products and services is not based on us giving advice
concerning any particular investment, such as buying particular securities for our clients.
Referral Arrangements with Third Parties
We can recommend other investment advisers for our clients. For this referral, we will receive a
portion of the fee paid to the other advisor for the referral. Clients are advised of this payment when
considering whether to invest with the other investment adviser. The payment provides an incentive to
recommend the other adviser based on the share of fees received rather than based solely on the client’s
investment needs.
We use the services of the CFP Board’s “Find Your CFP Professional” search to match prospective advisory
clients with investment advisers in exchange for a non-success-based fee paid by IMA for engaging
advisory services.
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ITEM 15: CUSTODY
At our client’s direction, the client’s independent Custodian will directly debit account(s) for the payment
of advisory fees. This ability to deduct the client’s advisory fees from client accounts means we have
“limited” custody over client funds or securities. We do not have physical custody of any client funds
and/or securities. Client funds and securities will be held with a bank, broker-dealer, or other qualified
custodian. Clients will receive account statements directly from their Custodian on at least a quarterly
basis showing all transactions in their account during the reporting period. The account statements from
the client’s Custodian(s) will indicate the amount of our advisory fees deducted from client account(s)
each billing period. Clients should review the Custodian’s statements carefully.
If a client receives a report from us which refers to the value of an asset also shown on a Custodian’s
statement, we urge the client to compare the information with the statement they receive from the
Custodian and contact us immediately if any discrepancies are found.
Third-Party Authorizations
Clients may provide the Custodian with written instruction authorizing us to direct transfers to a specified
third party, either on a set schedule or from time to time, subject to certain regulatory requirements.
As a result of this limited authority, we will be deemed to have custody of the client’s assets, however
we are not required to engage an independent CPA to conduct a surprise verification of the account
assets as long as we meet the following criteria:
+ Clients provide a written, signed instruction to the qualified Custodian that includes the third party’s
name and address or account number at a Custodian;
+ Clients authorize IMA Advisory Services in writing to direct transfers to the third party either on a
specified schedule or from time to time;
+ The Custodian verifies the client’s authorization (e.g., signature review) and provides a transfer of
funds notice to clients promptly after each transfer;
+ Clients can terminate or change the instruction;
+ We have no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third party, the address, or
any other information about the third party;
+ We maintain records showing that the third party is not a related party to IMA Advisory Services nor
located at the same address as IMA Advisory Services; and
+ The Custodian sends clients, in writing, an initial notice confirming the instruction and an annual
notice reconfirming the instruction.
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ITEM 16: INVESTMENT DISCRETION
Investment guidelines and restrictions must be provided to us in writing. We usually receive discretionary
authority from our clients at the beginning of an advisory relationship. Clients sign a limited power of
attorney directing their Custodian to accept instructions from us to purchase and sell securities in the
client’s account. This discretionary authority includes securities selection as well as determining the
amount of securities to be bought or sold. This discretionary authority is to be exercised by our firm in a
manner consistent with the stated investment objectives for the particular client relationship.
We will also allow clients to place reasonable restrictions on their discretionary accounts. Typical
restrictions include:
+ Restriction on the sale of specific low-basis holdings held in the client’s account; and
+ prohibition on investment in one or more specific securities.
We prefer to manage advisory accounts on a discretionary basis however will occasionally accept non-
discretionary accounts. Clients who establish non-discretionary accounts or who place certain restrictions
on discretionary accounts may experience delays in order execution as compared to clients with
unrestricted discretionary accounts.
Clients who wish to have their assets managed by a Subadvisor should understand that the accounts are
managed on a discretionary basis, on terms established by the Subadvisor.
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ITEM 17: VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
We typically agree to vote proxies for portfolio securities as a courtesy to our clients. We have adopted
policies and procedures designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the client’s best interest. We vote
proxies related to securities held by wealth management services clients who provide us with specific,
written authority to do so. This service is available for all managed accounts held at our approved
Custodian. This written authority is provided in our Advisory Agreement and through written instruction
to your Custodian.
We have engaged proxy advisory firm to assist us with voting all of our clients’ proxies. The proxy
advisory firm provides an electronic vote management system which allows: (1) population of
each client’s votes shown on the proxy advisory firm’s electronic voting platform with the firm’s
recommendations (“pre-population”); and (2) automatic submission of the client’s votes to be counted
(“automated voting”). Pre-population and automated voting generally occur prior to the submission
deadline for proxies to be voted at the shareholder meeting.
In the course of reviewing proposals subject to a proxy vote, our firm may become aware that a
company that is the subject of a voting recommendation by the proxy advisory firm intends to file
or has filed additional soliciting materials with the SEC describing the company’s views regarding the
voting recommendation. These materials may (or may not) reasonably be expected to affect our voting
determination. Such materials may become available after or around the same time that our votes have
been pre-populated with the proxy advisory firm, however, before the submission deadline for proxies to
be voted at the shareholder meeting.
Our proxy voting policies contemplate the possibility of issuer materials being made available after we
submit to the proxy advisory firm information for client proxy votes, however before the submission
deadline for proxies. These procedures include assessing pre-populated votes shown on the proxy
advisory firm’s electronic voting platform and considering additional information that may become
available before the relevant votes are cast. We also review our processes for monitoring and assessing
information alerts informing us of additional soliciting materials (or updates from the proxy advisory firm
that such materials are available). Depending on the facts and circumstances, including the complexity
of the additional submitted materials, the timing of the notice we receive of such materials, and the
deadline for voting, we may (or may not) have the ability, in the exercise of our fiduciary obligation, to
consider and respond by changing previously set votes.
Please contact our office to receive a report of how your proxies were voted or a copy of our complete
proxy voting policies and procedures (see cover page for contact information).
If you choose to vote your own proxies, the solicitation materials will be delivered directly to you by your
custodian (or by a third-party agent through an arrangement with your custodian).
Clients who wish to have their assets managed by a Subadvisor or who participate in a Private Fund,
should understand that the proxy voting policies for those assets are based on terms established by the
Subadvisor or the Private Fund.
ITEM 18: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Not applicable.
30
IMA PRIVATE WEALTH
W I C H I TA
D E N V E R
430 E Douglas Ave, #400
1705 17th Street, #100
Wichita, KS 67202
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 316.266.6574
Phone: 303.615.7600
Toll Free: 877.305.1864
Toll Free: 800.813.0203
Have questions or want more information on our services?
wealth@imacorp.com
imaprivatewealth.com
IMAPRIVATEWEALTH.COM
Investment advisory services provided by IMA Advisory Services, Inc. (IMAAS) (CRD#112091). IMAAS is a federally registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. IMAAS is also a registered insurance agency. The oral and written communications of an adviser provide you with information about which you determine to hire or retain an adviser. IMAAS, Form ADV Part 2A & Form CRS can be obtained by visiting: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov and search for our firm name. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed is to be construed as solicitation to buy or sell a security of personalized investment, tax, or legal advice.Your investment adviser representative may act in a separate capacity as an insurance agent through IMA Advisory Services Inc. When acting in his or her separate capacity as an insurance agent, the investment adviser representative may sell, for commissions, general disability insurance, life insurance, long-term care insurance and annuities to you. As such, your investment adviser representative in his or her separate capacity as an insurance agent, may suggest that you implement recommendations of IMA Advisory Services Inc, by purchasing disability insurance, life insurance, long-term care insurance or annuities. This receipt of commissions creates an incentive for the representative to recommend those products for which your investment adviser representative will receive a commission in his or her separate capacity as an insurance agent. Consequently, the advice rendered to you could be biased. You are under no obligation to implement any insurance or annuity transaction through your investment adviser representative.IMAPW050125