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1301 East 9th Street, Suite 3700
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
866-899-2997
www.mcdonald-partners.com
FIRM BROCHURE
August 25, 2025
Part 2A of Form ADV
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of McDonald
Partners LLC. If you have questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at
866- 899-2997 or you may email us at compliance@mcdonald-partners.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.
McDonald Partners LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration as 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 McDonald Partners LLC is also available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 1
Item 2 – Material Changes_________________________________________________________
This section of the brochure will discuss any material changes that have occurred since
McDonald Partners LLC (“McDonald Partners” or “the Firm”) last updated its Form ADV Part
2A Brochure (“Brochure”). Since the Firm’s last annual amendment dated March 4, 2024, there
has been one material change.
The firm has changed its Chief Compliance Officer to Jonathan Hartzler, CFA from Carrie
Wisniewski, MBA, CRCP™, CSCP™
McDonald Partners will provide a complete brochure at your request at any time, without
charge. Please call us at 866-899-2997, or you may send an email to compliance@mcdonald-
partners.com.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 2
Item 3 – Contents
Item 2 – Material Changes ................................................................................................................... 2
Item 3 – Contents ................................................................................................................................ 3
Item 4 – Advisory Business ................................................................................................................... 4
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation ....................................................................................................... 14
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management .................................................... 19
Item 7 – Types of Clients .................................................................................................................... 20
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss ............................................. 20
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information .........................................................................................................25
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ............................................................. 26
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading.............. 28
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices ........................................................................................................... 29
Item 13 – Review of Accounts ............................................................................................................ 34
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation ......................................................................... 34
Item 15 – Custody .............................................................................................................................. 35
Item 16 – Investment Discretion ........................................................................................................ 36
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities ...................................................................................................... 36
Item 18 – Financial Information ......................................................................................................... 36
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 3
Item 4 – Advisory
Business________________________________________________________
Founded by Thomas McDonald in 2005, McDonald Partners LLC (“McDonald Partners” or
the “Firm”) is a dually registered investment adviser and broker-dealer headquartered in
Cleveland, Ohio with offices throughout Northern Ohio and Michigan. McDonald Partners
provides a variety of investment management services through its Financial Advisors to
individual and institutional clients, including banks, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts,
estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. These services are provided on a
personalized basis with investment programs tailored to reflect each client’s specific
circumstances. These tailored services may include restrictions of industry (i.e., gambling,
tobacco, etc.), income needs, and tax planning, to name a few. We work with you to design
an investment portfolio and style that will meet your personal goals.
McDonald Partners has four wealth management groups: CapTrust Financial Advisors,
Mansour Wealth Management, MRT Asset Management, and Goodman Financial
Group/Goodman Wealth Advisors. The first three groups are separate legal entities. The
financial advisors in all these groups are investment adviser representatives and registered
representatives of McDonald Partners. Goodman Financial Group/Goodman Wealth
Advisors is used as a “doing business as” by that team.
investment adviser
Throughout this brochure, we refer to McDonald Partners’
representatives as Financial Advisors.
insurance coverage,
Financial Planning services
The Firm, McDonald Partners does not provide legal, accounting or tax advice. Your
Financial Advisor will ask you for information about your financial situation, and work with
you to define your personal and financial goals, understand your time frame for results and
discuss, if relevant, how you feel about risk. Your Financial Advisor will analyze pertinent
information to assess your current situation and determine how to meet your goals.
Depending on which services you have requested, this could include analyzing your assets,
investments, tax strategies,
liabilities and cash flow, current
educational fund planning, retirement planning, risk management, estate planning,
business succession planning, business planning, and/or corporate retirement planning.
Once your situation has been evaluated, your Financial Advisor will offer recommendations
that address your goals, based on the information you provide. McDonald Partners provides
financial planning services both as a one-time fee based offering and as a subscription based
offering.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 4
One-Time Fee Based Offering
You and your Financial Advisor will agree on a set fee, a set number of sessions and specific
client deliverables prior to signing an agreement. You and your Financial Advisor will
determine how the recommendations should be carried out. The advisor may implement
the recommendations, or serve as your “coach,” and coordinate the entire process with you
and any other professionals. There is no ongoing relationship and any materials provided
as part of the agreement will not be updated or revisited unless a new agreement is put in
force.
Subscription based offering
You are provided with a choice of Clientship levels defined by the planning services offered
under each level. Clientship levels are “Foundation”, “Growth” and “Legacy”. You and your
Financial Advisor agree on the clientship level prior to signing an agreement. The services
provided depend on the nature and complexity of your situation. Discretionary investment
management is included as part of the planning fee for most (but not all) subscription based
offerings. You will be informed as to whether or not investment management is a part of
your service prior to signing the agreement. In addition to ongoing discretionary
investment management, an ongoing financial planning relationship is established with an
automatic renewal provision. Last, your financial plan and other documents will be
reviewed and updated provided you adhere to the financial planning agreement which
requires you to meet regularly with your advisor, provide the advisor with materials
necessary to update your plan, etc.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 5
In addition to the services described in this brochure, we also offer other fee-based account
products through an agreement with RBC Correspondent Services (“RBC CS”), our clearing
broker-dealer. These products may offer a higher or lower fee than other products offered
through this brochure. A copy of the RBC CS brochure, describing its product lines, is
available at your request.
McDonald Partners serves, through an affiliated entity, as manager to four private funds
(the “Funds”), MP DPI LLC, MP127 LLC, Eden Rock Montenegro LLC, and ERM Resort LLC.
McDonald Management LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of McDonald Partners, is the
manager of the private funds. For the Funds, McDonald Management LLC receives no
compensation for its advisory services aside from reimbursement of its reasonable
expenses.
This Brochure does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any
securities. Persons reviewing this Brochure should not construe this as an offer to sell or
solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of any of the Funds described herein. Any such
offer or solicitation will be made only using a confidential private placement
memorandum.
With respect to MP127 LLC, MP DPI LLC, Eden Rock Montenegro LLC and ERM Resort LLC,
McDonald Partners served as placement agent and received placement fees of ranging from
3% to 5% of the gross proceeds of the offerings, as more fully described in the private
placement memorandum for each fund.
With respect to MP DPI LLC, McDonald Partners paid the Fund’s organizational, legal, and
accounting costs and other expenses and fees related to the Underlying Investment and the
Fund’s operation out of the placement agent fees it received for acting as the placement
agent for the Underlying Offering, including the proceeds of the Fund Offering. McDonald
Partners received compensation in the form of warrants to purchase common stock of
Diasome Pharmaceutical Inc., the portfolio company of MP DPI LLC, for its financial advisory
services.
With respect to Eden Rock Montenegro LLC, McDonald Management LLC can receive a
carried interest as owner of Class B Units, if such units are issued. This interest will only be
distributed after each Class A Member has been paid a preferred return and all its capital
contributions have been repaid.
With respect to ERM Resort LLC, McDonald Management LLC can receive a carried interest
as owner of Class B Units, if such units are issued. This interest will only be distributed after
each Class A Member has been paid a preferred return and all its capital contributions have
been repaid.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 6
The account-level advisory fee on client assets invested in the Funds is waived until such
time that the total dollar amount of advisory fees waived equals or exceeds the placement
fee charged for those Funds where McDonald Partners received a placement fee. The fees
to be charged on these assets are based on the estimated fair value of the Funds and will
not exceed the maximum advisory fees set forth in Item 5 Fees and Compensation. In most
cases, the assets in the Funds are not publicly traded and are valued by McDonald Partners
or by a third-party valuation consultant in accordance with its valuation policy.
Individual Portfolio Management
McDonald Partners provides investment advisory services to retail and high net worth
clients as well as corporate entities, pension plans, public funds, foundations, endowments,
and other tax-exempt entities. Such accounts are managed in accordance with investment
objectives, guidelines, and restrictions established by each client. McDonald Partners
executes purchases and sales of securities for these accounts through its affiliated broker-
dealer.
McDonald Partners LLC’s broker-dealer uses its best efforts to obtain the best available price
and most favorable execution through its clearing firm, RBC CS. Clients with a Flex Account
do not pay any additional fees to the broker-dealer for these services. For more information
about McDonald Partners’ Flex Program (“Flex Program”) please see the Firm’s Form ADV
Part 2A WRAP brochure at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov or contact your investment advisor
representative and request a copy.
Hegarty Asset Management
Hegarty Asset Management is a proprietary asset management program operating as a
division of McDonald Partners. The division currently offers one product entitled “Core”. It
is a large capitalization discipline investing in a blend of both growth and value companies.
The portfolio typically owns between 40-50 companies diversified among the eleven major
sectors of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. This index also represents the performance
benchmark. Key “Core” portfolio characteristics include discounted valuation on a price-
book, price-sales, and price-earnings basis. Companies in the portfolio have projected 3-5-
year earnings, revenue, and dividend growth well above that projected for the market. The
risk and volatility profile are moderate with a beta below that of the S&P 500 Index.
“Core” is available to both McDonald Partners Financial Advisors and to other investment
advisory firms. The fee to Hegarty Asset Management is competitive with other third-party
managers. The minimum account size for Hegarty Asset Management is $250,000, although
exceptions are granted at the discretion of Bill Hegarty, the portfolio manager.
Bill Hegarty, Chief Investment Officer of McDonald Partners, is the portfolio manager. He has
over 35 years of investment research and portfolio management experience. Details
regarding Mr. Hegarty experience are outlined in his Form ADV Part 2B Supplement.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 7
Conflict of Interest: Because McDonald Partners earns compensation from Hegarty Asset
Management for assets placed, this constitutes a conflict of
interest. Individual
representatives of the Firm do not earn additional compensation for referring accounts to
Hegarty Asset Management; however, from a business aspect, the additional compensation
presents a conflict of interest for which you end up paying more or less for those same
services. Please discuss all fee arrangements with your Financial Advisor or if you have any
questions regarding this conflict of interest, please contact our compliance department.
Wrap Fee Program Services
a. Flex Account:
We offer the McDonald Partners Flex Account. Our Flex accounts can be non-discretionary
(you work alongside your Financial Advisor) as well as discretionary (your Financial Advisor
has your permission to manage your account without your consent as to what/when/how
much or what price to buy or sell securities in your account). The Flex account offers
advisory services along with transaction, clearing, and custodial services for one fee based
on the assets under management, and is considered a wrap-fee program. This is different
from non-wrap-fee management programs whereby services are provided for a fee, but
transaction services are billed separately on a per-transaction basis. Based upon
information from you during an initial interview, your Financial Advisor will construct a
portfolio of securities based on your specific individual needs, risk tolerance and investment
objectives. Your portfolio can include some or all of the following investment vehicles: load
or no-load mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks, bonds, cash, cash
equivalents, closed-end funds, and other securities as appropriate for your individual needs.
For a more detailed description of this program, please refer to the McDonald Partners
Wrap-Fee brochure.
Small accounts under the Flex Program, known as ACCESS accounts, require a minimum
initial investment amount of $5,000, which is subject to negotiation, as determined by
McDonald Partners. Please see Item 5 for additional information related to fees and
limitations associated with ACCESS accounts that differ from the standard Flex program.
McDonald Partners also offers client accounts that charge separate brokerage and
management fees for clients who do not wish to pay an all-inclusive fee (“wrap fee”).
b. RBC Advisor
The RBC Advisor Program is a fee-based investment advisory program sponsored by RBC CS
and made available to McDonald Partners as an introducing-broker to RBC CS. RBC Advisor
is a customized investment advisory program through which a client receives non-
discretionary advice from a McDonald Partners Financial Advisor to invest in eligible
securities in various asset classes. This is accomplished through no-load mutual funds, load-
waived mutual funds, equities and fixed income securities and other eligible securities. In
the RBC Advisor Program, a McDonald Partners Financial Advisor will provide a client with
Advisory Services in an investment account (“Advisor Account”) based on the client's
Investment Guidelines as provided in the client’s profile.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 8
The minimum initial account value of $25,000 is required under this program. The program
is available for both non-retirement and retirement accounts, including individual
retirement accounts (IRAs). The program provides for non-discretionary management of
your account, meaning you have sole discretion whether to accept or reject an investment
strategy or any specific recommendation to purchase, sell, or redeem securities.
After you execute the Advisor Program Client Agreement and Advisor Program Terms and
Conditions, your advisor will help you establish a brokerage account through McDonald
Partners, LLC and RBC CS will act as the qualified custodian for your account. For brokerage
execution and other services rendered under the Program, you pay McDonald Partners and
RBC CS a single quarterly Program fee based on the value of your account (regardless of the
number of trades completed).
McDonald Partners and RBC CS require you to provide information sufficient to determine
a risk profile (“Risk Profile”), which is intended to measure your investment time horizon
and risk parameters. Based on your Financial Advisor’s understanding of your investment
needs and objectives gained from the consultation process and the Risk Profile (and any
additional investment guidelines), he or she will develop an appropriate investment
strategy for the management of your account. You are responsible for promptly bringing to
your Financial Advisor’s attention any material changes in the information provided in the
Risk Profile or your financial condition, as well as any additional written investment
guidelines.
You can establish written investment guidelines in addition to the Risk Profile, subject to
acceptance by McDonald Partners. Eligible securities include mutual funds offered at their
net asset value without any front-end or deferred sales charge and no-load funds. If the
investment strategy will be implemented with mutual funds only, you select from the various
eligible mutual funds and specify, in writing, the mutual funds in which the account assets
are to be invested and the allocation among those funds. This written fund allocation can
subsequently be modified by notifying your McDonald Partners Financial Advisor.
McDonald Partners and RBC CS have no discretionary authority with respect to the Advisor
Account and will execute only transactions directed by client.
Clients understand that their Advisory Accounts are not for day trading or any other
frequent trading activity, including frequent option trading, and the Firm or RBC CS can,
without limiting any other rights or remedies, restrict or terminate the Advisor Account if it
determines that client is engaging in such activity. In addition, McDonald Partners or RBC CS
can restrict or terminate the account if a client purchases for, or transfers into, the account
ineligible securities without the prior consent of RBC CS. Client is solely responsible for the
use of trading privileges in the Advisor Account. Losses resulting from client-initiated or
client-directed transactions,
including, without limitation, losses resulting from the
frequency of trading, are solely client’s responsibility.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 9
In an Advisor Account, the client pays an asset-based fee for both Advisory Services and
transaction processing. McDonald Partners and RBC CS reserve the right, in their sole
discretion, to adjust the annual IA Program fee for changes in security type, trading activity,
or Account size at any time without notice.
Fees
A portion of the fee, up to 0.35%, is retained by RBC CS for execution and other account-
related services based on the size of the account and overall fee. The remainder of the fee
is retained by McDonald Partners for advisory services based on the size of the account and
overall fee.
For more information about the operation of the RBC Advisor Program, please see the RBC
Advisor Program Agreement, Terms and Conditions and RBC Correspondent Services
Advisory Programs Disclosure Document.
c. RBC Unified Portfolio
RBC Unified Portfolio is a unified managed account (“UMA”) program through which your
Account is professionally managed by RBC CM as Overlay Manager. The Overlay Manager
manages the Account through investments in mutual funds, ETPs, and/or in accordance with
one or more model portfolios provided by Model Providers or RBC CS, all in a single Account.
Your McDonald Partners Financial Advisor provides you with information on mutual funds,
ETPs, and/or model portfolios representing different investment styles and strategies that
are compatible with your Risk Profile.
Fees
A portion of the fee, up to 0.20%, is retained by RBC CS for execution and other account-
related services based on the size of the account and overall fee. The remainder of the fee
is retained by McDonald Partners for advisory services based on the size of the account and
overall fee.
For more information about the operation of the RBC Unified Portfolio Program, please see
the RBC Unified Portfolio Program Agreement, Terms and Conditions and RBC
Correspondent Services Advisory Programs Disclosure Document.
d. Consulting Solutions
Consulting Solutions is a fee-based investment advisory program sponsored by RBC CS and
made available to McDonald Partners as an introducing-broker to RBC CS through which
your account is managed by one or more professional investment managers participating in
the program. Your Financial Advisor provides you with information on investment managers
whose investment philosophy and objectives are compatible with your risk profile, and you
select the investment manager. RBC CS makes available Investment Managers who meet
RBC CS’ eligibility requirements for participation in the program.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 10
For more information about the operation of the RBC Consulting Solutions Program, please
see the RBC Consulting Solutions Program Agreement, Terms and Conditions and RBC
Advisory Programs Disclosure Document.
e. Unbundled Managed Account Solutions
Unbundled Managed Account Solutions (UMAS) Wrap Fee Program offers Financial Advisors
at the Firm the ability to provide customized investment management services.
Pension Consulting Services
McDonald Partners also provides services on a consulting-only basis to pension, profit
sharing and DC plans (e.g. 401(k), 403(b) plans). Services are charged as a percentage of the
assets being consulted on or as a flat fee. These services include one, all, or any of the
following:
• Investment Policy Statement
• Asset Allocation
• Investment Manager Searches
• Fund Searches
• Manager/Fund Monitoring
• Performance Reporting
• On-going Consulting and Various Other Services
• Financial Planning Services
Rollovers to an IRA
Effective February 1, 2022, for purposes of complying with the DOL’s Prohibited Transaction
Exemption 2020-02 (“PTE 2020-02”) where applicable, we are providing the following
acknowledgment to you:
• When we provide investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account
or individual retirement account, we are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as
applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts.
• The way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests, so we operate
under a special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not put our
interest ahead of yours. Under this special rule’s provisions, we must:
o Meet a professional standard of care when making investment
recommendations (give prudent advice).
o Never put our financial interests ahead of yours when making
recommendations (give loyal advice).
o Avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interest, fees, and
investments.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 11
o Follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that we give advice that
is in your best interest.
o Charge no more than is reasonable for our services.
o Give you basic information about conflicts of interest.
Typical retirement plan options after leaving employment:
Leave the assets in the employer’s (former employer’s) plan.
1.
Transfer the assets to a new employer’s retirement plan.
2.
Cashing out and taking a taxable distribution from the plan.
3.
Transferring the assets into an IRA rollover account.
4.
Private Funds
As previously discussed, McDonald Partners also manages private investment funds through
an affiliated entity, McDonald Management LLC, which is wholly owned and controlled by
McDonald Partners. McDonald Partners is not currently offering any private funds.
Financial Consultation Services
McDonald Partners also provides specialized, ongoing consultation services regarding
investment matters, portfolio holdings and other business matters. Fees for these services
are negotiable based on the complexity of the services being provided. The negotiated fee
will be disclosed to you in advance. The terms of payment for financial consultation services
are individually negotiated.
Participant Account Management
McDonald Partners uses a third-party platform to facilitate management of held away
assets such as defined contribution plan participant accounts, with discretion. The platform
allows McDonald Partners to avoid being considered to have custody of Client funds since
we do not have direct access to Client log-in credentials to affect trades. McDonald Partners
is not affiliated with the platform in any way and receives no compensation from them for
using their platform. A link will be provided to the Client allowing them to connect an
account(s) to the platform. Once Client account(s) is connected to the platform, McDonald
Partners will review the current account allocations. When deemed necessary, McDonald
Partners will rebalance the account considering client investment goals and risk tolerance,
and any change in allocations will consider current economic and market trends. The goal
is to improve account performance over time, minimize loss during difficult markets, and
manage internal fees that harm account performance. Client account(s) will be reviewed at
least quarterly, and allocation changes will be made as deemed necessary.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 12
Other Services
As described above, McDonald Partners LLC and its affiliates are engaged in a wide range of
securities services. McDonald Partners LLC also gives advice and takes action in the
performance of its duties to clients which differ from advice given, or the timing and nature
of action taken, with respect to the RBC CS Program advisors.
All accounts described above are managed either on a discretionary or non-discretionary
basis. Regulatory assets under management as of December 31, 2024, are:
• Discretionary
$791,757,296
• Non-Discretionary
$495,699,535
• Total Regulatory Assets Under Management
$1,287,456,831
Business Continuity Plan
Our Firm’s business continuity plan (“the Plan”) is designed to meet the needs of our clients
and minimize potential disruption in services during an emergency or disaster. The
protocols and capabilities within the plan include:
• Sufficient technical infrastructure and network capacity to support employees
working from home in specific areas, or company-wide
• Secure, remote access for employees
• Videoconference capabilities in place for employees
• Redundancy capabilities within each of our business units
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
Listed below are the maximum fees charged for advisory accounts managed by
McDonald Partners:
Fixed Income Only Accounts
On the first $500,000
1.75% annually
On the next $550,000
1.25% annually
On the next $1,000,000
1.00% annually
Asset above $2,000,000
0.75% annually
Equity/Balanced Accounts
On the first $500,000
3.00% annually
On the next $550,000
2.50% annually
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 13
On the next $1,000,000
2.00% annually
Asset above $2,000,000
1.50% annually
Option Trades
$ 9.00 per trade + $0.50 per option contract (minimum $3.00)
ACCESS Accounts
$ 9.00 per trade transaction fee + 0.04% ($40 minimum) fee for performance reporting
Depending on specific circumstances, fees are subject to negotiation. McDonald Partners will
not change any fees without prior written notice to and acceptance by the client. The
Financial Advisor’s Fee is included in the total investment management fee charged by the
Firm and is paid by the Firm to the Financial Advisor.
For clients of the Goodman Financial Group/Goodman Wealth Advisors, the advisory fee on
client assets invested in IPOs and secondaries is waived for a period of one year. The
Financial Advisors that purchase IPOs and secondaries on behalf of client accounts receive
a selling concession in their role as registered representatives of McDonald Partners as
broker-dealer.
For clients of CapTrust Financial Advisors that are invested in Michigan municipal tax-free
bonds, CapTrust Financial Advisors have determined that it is cheaper for the client to
purchase these securities in a brokerage account, where the Financial Advisor receives a
commission on the trade, as opposed to placing the asset in the client’s advisory account
and charging a fee based on the client’s assets under management. In the event the Client
does not have a brokerage account with McDonald Partners, Michigan municipal tax-free
bonds can be purchased in the client’s advisory account and the advisory fee is not charged
on those assets. The Financial Advisor will still receive a commission for the purchase or sale
of the bonds.
The advisory fee on client assets invested in the Funds is waived until such time that the
total dollar amount of advisory fees waived equals or exceeds the placement fee charged.
The fees to be charged on these assets are based on the estimated fair value of the Funds
and will not exceed the maximum advisory fees set forth in Item 5 Fees and Compensation.
Financial Planning Fees
McDonald Partners provides financial planning services both as a one-time fee based
offering and as a subscription based offering.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 14
One-Time Fee Based Offering
Flat Fee determined by the Financial Advisor based on the complexity of the services
provided.
Subscription based offering
You are provided with a choice of Clientship levels defined by the planning services offered
under each level. Clientship levels are “Foundation”, “Growth” and “Legacy”. You and your
Financial Advisor agree on the clientship level.
Foundation
$4,000 annually
Growth
$7,500 annually
Legacy
$10,000 annually
Account Termination and Fees
In the event of account termination of our services, you will only be charged for the days
your account was under management. You may terminate this agreement with us at any
time by written notice to us.
Account termination notices should be sent to McDonald Partners LLC, 1301 East 9th Street,
Suite 3700, Cleveland, OH 44114 or by email to your Financial Advisor at his or her
respective email address. The client can also terminate the Investment Management
Agreement within five days of execution and receive a full refund of any fees charged under
the program. However, in such case, the client will be responsible for fees and/or
commissions charged on trades executed prior to the receipt of such notice by McDonald
Partners.
Fees for advisory accounts managed by McDonald Partners are computed and payable
quarterly or monthly in arrears (unless you have negotiated a different payment
arrangement) on the valuation of your assets under management on the last day of the
quarter, depending on the agreement between the client and McDonald Partners. The value
on the final day of the quarter, or month, as the case may be, is multiplied by the portion
of your annual fee attributable to that month or quarter (calculated by dividing the annual
fee by 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year) then multiplying the quotient by the number of
days in the given month or quarter). Fees will automatically be deducted from your account
on or about the 15th day following the end of each quarter or month, as the case may be,
unless you have arranged for an alternative method of payment. The fee does not include
certain dealer markups or markdowns, odd lot differentials, transfer taxes, exchange fees
(among which SEC fees are included), and any other fees required by law. The valuation used
to calculate the fee is provided by RBC CS for publicly traded securities.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 15
Fees for advisory accounts managed by RBC Advisors are computed and payable quarterly
or monthly in advance on the valuation of your assets under management on the last day
of the quarter. The value on the final day of the quarter is multiplied by the portion of your
annual fee attributable to that month or quarter (calculated by dividing the annual fee by
365 days (or 366 days in a leap year) then multiplying the quotient by the number of days
in the given month or quarter). Fees will automatically be deducted from your account on
or about the 15th day following the end of each quarter or month. The fee does not include
certain dealer markups or markdowns, odd lot differentials, transfer taxes, exchange fees
(among which SEC fees are included), and any other fees required by law. The valuation used
to calculate the fee is provided by RBC CS for publicly traded securities.
Account Valuation Policy
When determining market value of an account for the purpose of calculating advisory fees,
McDonald Partners’ policy is as follows: For all publicly traded securities held in client
accounts, the Firm relies on the daily prices received from the clients’ custodians. For
investments in private funds or other illiquid assets that are not managed by McDonald
Partners or its affiliates, the Firm relies on the valuations provided by the issuer of the asset.
Depending on the type of asset or underlying investment, valuations may be reflected at
cost until such time as the issuer provides an updated valuation. For the Funds, McDonald
Partners values any non-publicly traded assets pursuant to its valuation policy.
For the Funds, McDonald Partners’ affiliate, McDonald Management LLC, receives no
compensation for its investment advisory services aside from reimbursement of its
reasonable expenses. As previously discussed, McDonald Partners, in its capacity as a broker-
dealer, received placement fees from investors in these Funds. Any other fees received by
McDonald Partners or its affiliates, including performance fees, are disclosed in the relevant
offering documents for such Funds.
The account-level advisory fee on client assets invested in the Funds (at the client account
level) is waived until such time that the total dollar amount of advisory fees waived equals
or exceeds the placement fee charged. The fees to be charged on these assets are based on
the estimated fair value of the Funds determined in accordance with the Firm’s valuation
policy and will not exceed the maximum advisory fees set forth in the fee schedule above.
The Flex Program requires a minimum initial investment amount of $25,000, which is
subject to negotiation, as determined by McDonald Partners. Small accounts under the Flex
Program, known as ACCESS accounts, require a minimum initial investment amount of
$5,000, which is subject to negotiation, as determined by McDonald Partners. ACCESS
accounts also have a maximum account value of $50,000, which is subject to negotiation, as
determined by McDonald Partners. Hegarty Asset Management requires a minimum
initial investment amount of $250,000, which is subject to negotiation, as determined by
Bill Hegarty, the portfolio manager. The minimum initial account value of $25,000 is
required for participation in the RBC Advisors wrap program.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 16
The Firm’s investment management fees will be charged to most clients through the direct
debit of fees from the qualified custodian, RBC CS. Each quarter, McDonald Partners will
notify the client’s qualified custodian of the amount of the fee due and payable to the Firm
pursuant to the Firm’s fee schedule and the client’s Investment Management Agreement.
RBC CS will not validate or check the Firm’s fees, its corresponding calculation, or the assets
on which the fee is based unless the client has retained their services to do so. With the
client’s pre-approval, RBC CS will deduct the fee from the client’s account or, if the client
has more than one account, from the account the client has designated to pay McDonald
Partners’ fees. Each quarter, the client will receive a statement directly from the qualified
custodian showing all transactions, positions, and credits/debits into or from the client’s
account. Statements sent will also reflect the fees paid by the client to McDonald Partners.
Mutual fund managers charge certain fees for their services and products. Those fees are
in addition to the investment management fees paid to the Firm and are separate and
distinct from the investment management fees charged by the Firm. These fees and
expenses are described in the prospectuses for each mutual fund. Some mutual funds
charge front-end or back-end loads (also known as initial or deferred sales charges),
investment management fees, other fund expenses and distribution fees (“12b-1 fees”).
Mutual funds provide for the payment of certain Rule 12b-1 and other similar asset-based
charges (“12b-1” fee). Typically, all or a portion of the 12b-1 fee is paid by a mutual fund
company to the Firm, as outlined in the applicable prospectus, potentially creating an
incentive, and thus a conflict of interest, for the Firm or your Financial Advisor to recommend
a mutual fund that will pay a 12b-1 fee as opposed to one that does not. We address this
conflict of interest by (1) offering Advisor share class Mutual Fund positions for new
purchases in client accounts (when available), and (2) crediting any 12b-1 fees that we
receive related to a mutual fund held in an advisory account back to the client Account.
Many mutual fund companies offer advisory, institutional, or other share classes that do not
have a sales load or assess 12b-1 fees. Many mutual funds offer multiple classes of shares
which are available based on various eligibility requirements as dictated by the fund
company. RBC CS or the Firm will decide which share classes to offer to the Firm’s clients
based on such eligibility requirements, the availability of share classes under the distribution
agreements available to the Firm through RBC CS, and other considerations. In most cases,
we recommend the lowest expense ratio share class offered by the fund company and
available through RBC CS, but in some cases, we can choose to recommend a higher-cost
share class. It should be noted that, in certain instances, certain share classes are not
available to us through RBC CS and there may be a cheaper alternative available to you
should you qualify for it and purchase it elsewhere.
Accordingly, the client should review both the fees charged by the funds and the applicable
program fee charged by the Adviser to fully understand the total amount of fees to be paid
and to thereby evaluate the Advisory services being provided.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 17
Cash balances in client accounts are invested in money market mutual funds including, as
permitted by law, those with which we have agreements to provide administrative,
distribution, and other services and for which we receive compensation for the services
rendered. Clients who participate in a program may pay more or less for the services
described in this brochure and the RBC CS Brochure than if they purchased such services
separately.
McDonald Partners has a revenue sharing agreement with RBC CS whereby McDonald
Partners receives a rebate based on McDonald Partners’ monthly average daily balance in
RBC Insured Deposit Accounts. McDonald Partners also receives payments from RBC CS
based on the Firm’s monthly average balance in the U.S. Government Money Market Fund.
If, however, the U.S. Government Money Market Fund waives 50 basis points or more of its
fees, then McDonald Partners will not receive any payments. The U.S. Government Money
Market Fund is available for balances that exceed the FDIC insurance coverage limit.
Both of these arrangements calculate the payments to McDonald Partners using the Federal
Funds rate. When that rate is zero, the Firm does not receive any payments. As of the date
of this Brochure, McDonald Partners receives less than 5% of its revenue from these
arrangements.
The RBC Insured Deposit Account and the U.S. Government Money Market Fund are cash
sweep options for client accounts with assets of $5,000,000 or more. Clients can select from
these and other sweep options when establishing their account at RBC CS.
Fees for Consulting Services
With respect to assets that are held in a client’s account or held away at another custodian
but are not being managed by McDonald Partners, or for which McDonald Partners provides
periodic consulting services, the Firm can charge a fee to hold the unmanaged assets on its
platform and provide consolidated analytics and ongoing reporting for those assets. The
fees charged for this service will be billed on a pro rata basis, quarterly, based on the value
of the unmanaged assets within the clients’ account(s) on the last day of the preceding
quarter. The amount of such fees is negotiable and will be agreed-upon and documented in
the written agreement between McDonald Partner and the client. Clients should
understand that McDonald Partners’ fees are in addition to fees charged by the custodian
to hold the assets within the account(s).
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 18
Additional Information Regarding Investment Management Fees
McDonald Partners considers it appropriate and necessary for its clients to use the
brokerage and execution services of McDonald Partners and RBC CS. In directing the use of
RBC CS, clients should recognize that the Firm may not be able to obtain best execution for
all transactions. In a prospective client's consideration of the investment management
services described in this Brochure, prospective clients should be aware that the Flex
Program may cost more or less than purchasing the actual services separately from other
advisers or broker-dealers. The factors that should be considered by a prospective client
include the size of a client's portfolio, the nature of the investments to be managed,
commission costs, custodial expenses, if any, the anticipated level of trading activity and
the amount of advisory fees only for managing the client portfolio.
As the advisory fees and commissions charged are negotiable, those fees and charges vary
among clients based upon a number of factors, including the anticipated level of account
activity, the size of the client's account, the types of investments, and the nature of related
services provided, among other things.
When a client transfers asset into an account managed by McDonald Partners that includes
Class A shares or other share classes that pay a 12b-1 fee, the Firm will rebate any 12b-1
fees back to the client’s account. Without notice to you, the Firm may convert mutual funds
in your investment management account to a lower cost share class offered by RBC CS in
the event a lower expense share class is available at RBC CS. In cases where these non-
advisory shares are subject to short term redemption fees or deferred sales charges, the
share class conversion will not occur. Generally, the Firm does not charge a fee on these
assets.
A Financial Advisor who recommends an investment advisory program to a client
receives compensation as a result of the client’s participation in that program. The amount
of this compensation may be more, or less than what the Financial Advisor would receive if
the client participated in other programs of McDonald Partners or paid separately for
investment advice, securities brokerage, and other services. Accordingly, in many cases, the
Financial Advisor has a financial incentive to recommend one program over another program
offered by McDonald Partners.
Some, or all, of a client’s assets will be invested in shares of investment companies for which
McDonald Partners does not provide investment advisory services (“Non-Affiliated Funds”)
and other investment vehicles. As a result, the client will pay two levels of advisory fees
with respect to such assets — the advisory fees paid by the Non-Affiliated Fund or
investment vehicle to the investment advisor of such fund or investment vehicle, and the
fee paid to McDonald Partners on the assets of the Account, which would include the assets
invested in the Non- Affiliated Fund or investment vehicle.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 19
Other costs that are assessed in addition to the inclusive fee are, among others, fees for
securities transactions, if any, executed away from RBC CS, dealer mark-ups, mark-downs,
electronic fund and wire transfers, spreads paid to market-makers and exchange fees.
Clients who designate brokers other than RBC CS are subject to certain additional fees
charged by such brokers.
Other Fees
Some Financial Advisors are agents for various insurance companies. As such, these
individuals can receive separate, yet customary, commission compensation from the sale
of insurance products for advisory clients. Clients, however, are not under any obligation to
purchase these insurance products from these individuals when implementing advisory
recommendations. The implementation of any or all recommendations is solely at the
discretion of the client. Clients can purchase investments and insurance products through
other advisers.
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
McDonald Partners does not charge performance-based fees except as disclosed in the
offering documents for the private funds it or its affiliates advise. See Item 4 for disclosures
related to the private funds managed by McDonald Partners.
Our Financial Advisors do not manage hedge funds, outside funds, or other products that
cause conflicts of interest in relation to their fiduciary obligation to you as an Advisor.
Item 7 – Types of Clients
McDonald Partners provides investment advisory services for a variety of clients including
individuals, pensions, and profit-sharing trusts, foundations, charitable organizations, and
other institutional clients. Upon request, we will furnish you a list of institutional clients
who have authorized us to share their names.
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss
Security analysis methods include fundamental analysis, technical analysis, and cyclical
analysis.
Fundamental Analysis
We attempt to measure the intrinsic value of a security by looking at economic and financial
factors (including the overall economy, industry conditions, and the financial condition and
management of the company itself) to determine if the company is underpriced (indicating
it may be a good time to buy) or overpriced (indicating it may be time to sell).
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 20
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.
Technical and Cyclical Analysis
We analyze past market movements and apply that analysis to the present in an attempt to
recognize recurring patterns of investor behavior and potentially predict future price
movement. In cyclical analysis, a type of technical analysis, we measure the movements of
a particular stock against the overall market in an attempt to predict the price movement
of the security.
Technical and cyclical analyses do not consider the underlying financial condition of a
company or market. This presents a risk in that a poorly managed or financially unsound
company may underperform regardless of market movement.
Mutual Fund and/or ETF Analysis
A risk of mutual fund and/or ETF analysis is that, as in all securities 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 held by the client 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 deviates from the stated investment mandate or
strategy of the fund or ETF, which could make the holding(s) less suitable for the client’s
portfolio.
Risks for all Forms of Analysis
Our securities analysis methods rely on the assumption that the companies whose securities
we purchase and sell, the rating agencies that review these securities, and other publicly
available sources of information about these securities, are providing accurate and
unbiased data. While we are alert to indications that data may be incorrect, there is always
a risk that our analysis is compromised by inaccurate or misleading information.
The main sources of information include financial periodicals, inspections of corporate
activities, research materials prepared by others, corporate rating services, fund reporting
services (such as Morningstar), timing services, annual reports, prospectuses, filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, and company press releases.
Your personal investment strategy is based upon the risk and objectives you discuss with
your Financial Advisor prior to investing and ongoing throughout the year. You may change
your objectives at any time. Your investment strategy consists of asset allocation analysis,
long-term purchasing, short-term purchasing, trading, short sales, margin transactions, and
option trading strategies. It is important to update your Financial Advisor promptly when
any of your personal and or financial situations change so that your goals and objectives can
be updated accordingly.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 21
Some of the Firm’s Financial Advisors have established investment styles. As discussed in
Item 4, Hegarty Asset Management provides a large capitalization discipline investing in a
blend of both growth and value companies, referred to as “Core.” The portfolio typically
owns between 40-50 companies diversified among the eleven major sectors of the Standard
& Poor’s 500 Index. This index also represents the performance benchmark. Key “Core”
portfolio characteristics include discounted valuation on a price-book, price-sales, and price-
earnings basis. Companies in the portfolio have projected 3-5-year earnings, revenue, and
dividend growth well above that projected for the market. The risk and volatility profile are
moderate with a beta below that of the S&P 500 Index.
The Goodman Financial Group/Goodman Wealth Advisors (“Goodman Wealth Advisors”)
develops investment programs designed to help clients meet their individual investment
goals. For clients that have investment goals of growth or growth and income, Goodman
Wealth Advisors uses a combination of strategies including growth, growth & income, and
fixed income strategies.
Growth & Income
Goodman Wealth Advisors growth and income portfolio has a dual strategy of seeking
capital appreciation (growth) and current income generated through dividends or interest
payments. The portfolio invests primarily in common stocks or large- and mid-cap
companies and mutual funds. Goodman Wealth Advisors uses options, such as covered calls
and puts, as part of this strategy.
Growth
Goodman Wealth Advisors’ growth portfolio is a diversified portfolio of stocks that seeks
capital appreciation as its primary goal. The portfolio invests in large and mid-cap companies
with above- average growth that reinvest their earnings into expansion, acquisitions
or research and development.
As part of the Growth strategy, Goodman Wealth Advisors may also invest client assets in
initial public offerings (“IPOs”) and secondary offerings via RBC Capital Markets’ Master
Selected Dealers Agreement, if appropriate, based on the client’s investment objective and
risk tolerance, among other factors. See Item 12, Brokerage Practices, for important
disclosures regarding the availability of IPOs and secondaries.
The advisory fee on client assets invested in IPOs and secondaries is waived until such
time that the total dollar amount of advisory fees waived equals or exceeds the placement
fee charged.
Risks
There is no guarantee that an investment strategy will meet the intended objectives and all
investments carry the risk of loss. Our approach to your investment strategy is to monitor
your portfolio with the risk of loss in mind.
Depending on the types of securities you invest in, you may face the following risks:
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 22
Market Risk: The price of a security, bond, or mutual fund may drop in reaction to tangible
and intangible events and conditions. This type of risk is caused by external factors
independent of a security’s particular underlying circumstances. For example, political,
economic, and social conditions may trigger market events.
Dividend Risk: For clients invested in income strategies, the Firm may not be able to identify
attractive dividend-paying stocks. The income received by clients in income strategies will
also fluctuate due to the dividend amounts changing based on what companies elect to pay.
Inflation Risk: When any type of inflation is present, a dollar today will not buy as much as
a dollar next year, because purchasing power is eroding at the rate of inflation.
Interest-rate Risk: Fluctuations in interest rates cause investment prices to fluctuate. For
example, when interest rates rise, yields on existing bonds become less attractive, causing
their market values to decline.
Financial Risk: Excessive borrowing to finance a business’ operations increases the risk of
profitability because the company must meet the terms of its obligations in good times and
bad. During periods of financial stress, the inability to meet loan obligations may result in
bankruptcy and/or a declining market value.
Currency Risk: Overseas investments are subject to fluctuations in the value of the dollar
against the currency of the investment’s originating country. This is also referred to as
exchange rate risk.
Reinvestment Risk: This is the risk that future proceeds from investments may have to be
reinvested at a potentially lower rate of return (i.e., interest rate). This primarily relates to
fixed income securities.
Business Risk: These risks are associated with a particular industry or a particular company
within an industry. For example, oil-drilling companies depend on finding oil and then refining
it, a lengthy process, before they can generate a profit. They carry a higher risk of profitability
than an electric company, which generates its income from a steady stream of customers
who buy electricity no matter what the economic environment is like.
Cyclical Risk: The risk of business cycles or other economic cycles adversely affecting the
returns of an investment, an asset class, or an individual company’s profits. Cyclical risks
exist because the broad economy has been shown to move in cycles – periods of peak
performance followed by a downturn, then a trough of low activity. Between the peak and
trough of a business or other economic cycle, investments may fall in value to reflect the
uncertainty surrounding future returns as compared with the recent past.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 23
Liquidity Risk: When consistent with a client’s investment objectives, guidelines, restrictions
and risk tolerances, Advisor may invest portions of client portfolios in illiquid securities,
subject to applicable investment standards. Investing in an illiquid (difficult to trade) security
may restrict its ability to dispose of investments in a timely fashion or at an advantageous
price, which may limit the ability to take full advantage of market opportunities. Limited
Partnerships are relatively illiquid may require long waiting periods for investment return.
Some may be subject to significantly less regulation than public investments.
Fixed Income Risks: Portfolios that invest in fixed income securities are subject to several
general risks, including interest rate risk, credit risk, and market risk, which could reduce
the yield that an investor receives from his or her portfolio. These risks may occur from
fluctuations in interest rates, a change to an issuer’s individual situation or industry, or
events in financial markets.
Equity Risks: The prices of equity investments fluctuate on a daily basis and at any given time.
An investor has no assurance that they will be able to recoup their investment. Equity
securities are subject to market risk, that is, as perceptions of a company's business
prospects change, the actions of both buyers and sellers are affected. A dividend-paying
stock may decrease or even cease to pay a dividend based on overall profitability. In the
event of bankruptcy, common stockholders have a residual claim on company assets upon
dissolution and therefore are the final class of investor to receive payment on their initial
investment.
Foreign and Emerging Markets Risk: Investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve
risks including adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, political instability,
confiscations, taxes or restrictions on currency exchange, difficulty in selling foreign
investments, and reduced legal protection Public information may be limited with respect
to foreign and emerging markets issuers; foreign and emerging markets issuers may not be
subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements
comparable to those applicable to the U.S. companies. Brokerage commissions and other
transaction costs on foreign and emerging markets securities exchanges are generally higher
than in the U.S. Other foreign taxes could decrease the net return on foreign investments.
Small/Mid-Cap Risk: Stocks of small or small emerging companies may have less liquidity than
those of larger, established companies and may be subject to greater price volatility and risk
than the overall stock market.
Diversification Risk: Investments that are concentrated in one or few industries or sectors
may involve more risk than more diversified investments, including the potential for greater
volatility.
Options Risk: Options involve risks and are not suitable for everyone. Options trading can be
speculative in nature and carry a substantial risk of loss, including the loss of principal.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 24
Options are contracts to purchase a security at a given price, risking that an option may expire
out of the money resulting in minimal or no value. An uncovered option is a type of options
contract that is not backed by an offsetting position that would help mitigate risk. The risk
for a “naked” or uncovered put is not unlimited, whereas the potential loss for an uncovered
call option is limitless. Spread option positions entail buying and selling multiple options
on the same underlying security, but with different strike prices or expiration dates, which
helps limit the risk of other option trading strategies. Option writing also involves risks
including but not limited to economic risk, market risk, sector risk, idiosyncratic risk,
political/regulatory risk, inflation (purchasing power) risk and interest rate risk. Risks that
are not specific to options trading include: market risk, sector risk and individual stock risk.
Option trading risks are closely related to stock risks as stock options are a derivative of
stocks.
High-Yield Risk: (sometimes called “Junk” Bonds) Investments in high-yielding, non-
investment grade bonds involve higher risk than investment grade bonds. Adverse conditions
may affect the issuer’s ability to make timely interest and principal payments on these
securities.
Municipal Securities Risk: The values of municipal securities may be adversely affected by
local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an
industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the
financial condition of local issuers. The amount of public information available about
municipal bonds is generally less than for certain corporate equities or bonds, meaning
that the investment performance of the securities may be more dependent on the
analytical abilities of the Firm than investments in stock or other corporate investments.
“New Issues” Risk: “New issues” are IPOs of equity securities. Securities issued in IPOs have
no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited
periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile or may decline
shortly after the IPO.
Structured Products Risk: These products often involve a significant amount of risk and
should only be offered to clients who have carefully read and considered the product’s
offering documents, as they are often based on derivatives. Structured products are intended
to be “buy and hold” investments and are not liquid instruments.
Sociopolitical Risk: This involves risk related to political and social events such as a terrorist
attack, war, pandemic, or elections that could impact financial markets. Such events,
whether actual or anticipated, can affect investor attitudes and outlooks, resulting in
system-wide fluctuations in stock prices.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 25
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): Investment in REITs are subject to risks similar to those
associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or
condemnation, and changes in local or general economic condition, supply and demand,
interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes and operating
expenses.
Public Health Risk: Certain countries have been susceptible to epidemics, such as severe
acute respiratory syndrome, avian flu, H1N1/09 flu, and, most recently, the coronavirus.
The outbreak of an infectious disease or any other serious public health concern, together
with any resulting restrictions on travel or quarantines imposed, has a negative impact on
the economy, and business activity in any of the countries in which the Adviser may invest
and thereby adversely affect the performance of the client account.
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
On October 24, 2016, McDonald Partners paid a fine to the State of Arkansas for failure to
register its Arkansas branch with the state and prevent unregistered sales agents from
selling securities without registration. This fine was ordered by the state and has been paid
and completed. The information was reported on the Firm's registration through CRD Form
BD.
On February 23, 2018, McDonald Partners signed a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and
Consent (“AWC”) with FINRA related to violations of the Securities and Exchange Act (“SEA”)
Rule 10b-9 and FINRA Rule 2010 in connection with two securities offerings. Additionally,
there was a violation of SEA 15c2-4 and MSRB Rule G-14. The Firm was censured and paid
of fine of $50,000.
On February 26, 2019, McDonald Partners signed a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and
Consent (“AWC”) with FINRA relating to violations of MSRB Rule G-14 (failure to report
municipal securities transactions to the MSRB’s Real-Time Transaction Reporting system),
Rule 15c3-1 of the Securities Exchange Act and FINRA Rule 2010 (conducting a securities
business while failing to maintain its required minimum net capital), Rule 17a-3(a)(11) of
the Securities Exchange Act, and FINRA Rules 4511 and 2010 (preparation of an inaccurate
general ledger, trial ledger and net capital computation). FINRA imposed a censure and fined
the Firm $22,500. The fine was paid in full on March 22, 2019, and all conditions have been
satisfied.
On June 22, 2022, McDonald Partners signed a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent
(“AWC”) with FINRA relating to violations of Rule 10B-9 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, Rule 15c3- 1 of the Securities Exchange Act and FINRA Rules 4110(b)(1) and 2010
(conducting a securities business while failing to maintain its required minimum net capital),
and FINRA Rules 3110 and 2010 (failing to conduct reasonable due diligence). FINRA
imposed a censure and fined the Firm $100,000 and ordered the firm pay $170,000 plus
interest in partial restitution to clients.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 26
For detailed information on the above, visit FINRA’s Broker Check on the FINRA.org website.
On August 31, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) entered into a
settlement with McDonald Partners, LLC, resulting in the entry of on Order Instituting
Administrative and Cease-and-Desist Proceedings Pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities
Act of 1933, Section 15(b)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Sections 203(e) and
203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Making Findings, and Imposing Remedial
Sanctions and a Cease-and-Desist Order (“Order”).
The proceedings arose out of McDonald Partners LLC role as placement agent for securities
offered by two private investment vehicles (“PIVs”) advised by an affiliate of McDonald
Partners. Between September 2013 and through January 2017, McDonald Partners sold
more than $14 million in securities issued by the PIVs to investors, including its brokerage
customers and its advisory clients. In October 2016, McDonald Partners became aware of
allegations that its point person at the Montenegrin entity had misappropriated $488,331
of investor funds. After being confronted, the individual agreed to repay approximately
$335,000. McDonald Partners did not disclose the misappropriation to existing investors
and raised approximately $1.5 million in additional funds from existing and new investors in
early 2017. McDonald Partners was found to have violated: (1) Sections 17(a)(2) and
17(a)(3) of the Securities Act, which prohibit fraudulent conduct in the offer or sale of
securities; and (2) Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Advisers Act, and Rule 206(4)-8
thereunder, which prohibit fraudulent or deceptive conduct with respect to clients and
investors.
Additionally, McDonald Partners failed to provide investors with audited financial
statements or to retain an independent public accountant to conduct surprise examinations
of the books of those entities for four years. By this conduct, respondent willfully violated
Sections 17(a)(2) and (3) of the Securities Act and Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Advisers
Act and Rules 206(4)-2 and206(4)-8 thereunder.
McDonald Partners agreed to pay disgorgement of $37,031.25, prejudgment interest
of $7,651.86 and civil penalties of $150,000 to the SEC. McDonald Partners also agreed to
engage a consultant for at least two years to provide advice and direction with respect to
the drafting and performance of policies and procedures to ensure compliance with Rule
206(4)-2 (the “Custody Rule”).
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Broker-Dealer Registration and Registered Representatives
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 27
McDonald Partners is a registered broker-dealer, member of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).
McDonald Partners is also an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers
Act of 1940, as amended, and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Certain of the executive officers, Financial Advisors and other employees of McDonald
Partners are separately licensed as registered representatives of McDonald Partners. These
individuals, in their separate capacity, can effect securities transactions for which they or
the broker-dealer receive separate, yet customary compensation.
Many of our Financial Advisors also manage commission-based accounts for brokerage
clients as registered representatives of the Broker-Dealer. The financial backgrounds, risk
tolerance, and investment objectives for brokerage clients may be vastly different than those
of advisory clients. As such, Financial Advisors can execute trades for brokerage clients that
are in direct conflict to trades recommended for a client’s advisory account. Additionally,
clients’ brokerage accounts will receive execution prices that may be higher or lower than an
advisory client’s execution prices.
While McDonald Partners and these individuals endeavor at all times to put the interest of
the clients first as part of our fiduciary duty, clients should be aware that the receipt of
additional compensation itself creates a conflict of interest and may affect the judgment of
these individuals when making recommendations.
McDonald Partners serves as General Partner to four private investment companies
through a wholly owned affiliate. These private investment companies include MP DPI LLC, ,
MP127 LLC, Eden Rock Montenegro LLC and ERM Resort LLC (the “Funds”). Investors in
these partnerships paid placement or other fees to McDonald Partners. These fees were
determined prior to investment and disclosed in the private placement memorandum. The
general partner or other related persons can be compensated in other ways in connection
with the partnerships. McDonald Partners and its affiliates can receive investment
management fees and performance fees as disclosed in the offering documents for the
Funds. These Funds may become billable assets for investment advisory fees, but only after
the investment has been held one year for every commission percentage the client paid.
The Firm and some of its Financial Advisors, employees, and their spouses are currently
invested in the Funds managed by McDonald Partners. As of March 29, 2024, the total
estimated value of ownership units held by these individuals or the Firm is approximately
15.2% of the total estimated value of the Funds.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 28
MP DPI LLC, one of the Funds managed by a McDonald Partners affiliate, invests in the
common stock of Diasome Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Diasome”). Thomas McDonald, Non-
Executive Chairman and Owner of McDonald Partners is a Diasome Board Member. Mr.
McDonald received warrants in consideration for his role with the Diasome Board of
Directors.
Futures and Commodity Registration
McDonald Partners is not registered, nor does it have an application pending to register, as
a futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor.
No management person is registered, nor does any management person have an
application pending to register, as an associated person of a futures commission merchant,
commodity pool operator or a commodity trading advisor.
Licensed Insurance Producers
Some of McDonald Partners’ Financial Advisors, in their individual capacities, are also
licensed insurance agents with various insurance companies, and in such capacity,
recommend, on a fully-disclosed commission basis, the purchase of certain insurance
products. While McDonald Partners does not sell such insurance products to its clients,
McDonald Partners does permit its Financial Advisors, in their individual capacities as
licensed insurance agents, to sell insurance products to their clients. A conflict of interest
exists to the extent that a Financial Adviser recommends the purchase of insurance products
where that Financial Adviser receives insurance commissions or other additional
compensation.
Third-Party Money Managers
McDonald Partners may recommend and select third-party money managers for you either
as a sub adviser to McDonald Partners or through a dual contract arrangement in which
both you and McDonald Partners have a contract with the sub-advisor. Once a third-party
money manager is selected to manage all or a portion of your assets, the third-party money
manager may collect a fee depending on the structure of the sub-advisory agreement.
Please refer to Items 4 and 5 for full details regarding programs, fees, conflicts of interest
and other material arrangements.
Jonathan Hartzler, CFA
Jonathan Hartzler is the Chief Compliance Officer for McDonald Partners LLC for both its
investment advisory business and its broker-dealer business. Jonathan Hartzler is a full time
employee of McDonald-Partners.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 29
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
and Personal Trading
The Code of Ethics is based on the principle that McDonald Partners, its Financial Advisors
and its employees (“Access Persons”) owe a fiduciary duty to its clients and a duty to comply
with federal and state securities laws and all other applicable laws. These duties include the
obligation of Access Persons to conduct their personal securities transactions in a manner
that does not interfere with the transactions of any client or otherwise to take unfair
advantage of their relationship with clients. In certain circumstances, our employees are
permitted to purchase and sell for themselves securities identical to those they recommend
to you. Your Financial Advisor may also trade in a security for his or her own account that is
directly opposite of the advice recommended to you. There is an inherent conflict of interest
between our fiduciary duty to obtain best execution for our clients and the apparent self-
interest of employees trading in the same securities contemporaneously. When trading for
themselves, Financial Advisors must comply with all fiduciary provisions outlined in the
McDonald Partners Code of Ethics.
Our Code of Ethics includes policies and procedures for the review of quarterly securities
transactions reports as well as initial and annual securities holdings reports that must be
submitted by the Firm’s access persons. Among other things, our Code of Ethics requires the
prior approval of 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
recordkeeping provisions.
McDonald Partners’ Code of Ethics further includes the Firm's policy prohibiting the use of
material non-public information. While we do not believe that we have any particular access
to non-public information, all employees are reminded that such information cannot be
used in a personal or professional capacity.
A copy of our Code of Ethics is available to our advisory clients and prospective clients. You
can request a copy by email sent to compliance department at compliance@mcdonald-
partners.com or by calling us at 866-899-2997.
Other Conflicts of Interest
The Firm has business relationships with some clients in the ordinary course of its business.
These clients provide the Firm with products and services on the same terms as offered to
other members of the public, and McDonald Partners provides its services to these clients
on the same terms as other clients who are similarly situated.
One of the Firm’s Financial Advisors owns the building where his office is located and shares
office space with another company that is run by a relative of that Financial Advisor. The
compliance team reviewed the arrangement and determined that there were sufficient
physical barriers between the two businesses and procedural safeguards to avoid the other
company’s employees from having access to any confidential Firm or client information.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 30
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
McDonald Partners is dually registered as a broker-dealer and executes trades on behalf of
our Clients through our clearing firm, RBC CS, electronically and therefore we do not direct
trades to other brokerages for compensation, research, etc.
Some McDonald Partners Financial Advisors are also registered representatives of
McDonald Partners in its capacity as a broker-dealer and are required to use the services of
McDonald Partners and RBC CS, its approved clearing broker-dealer when buying or selling
commission- based securities products. All brokerage accounts established through
McDonald Partners will be cleared and held at RBC CS, which acts as the qualified custodian.
Financial Advisors, acting as registered representatives, receive a portion of the commission
RBC CS receives as a commission for executing trades. This is a conflict of interest since
Financial Advisors can receive more money by executing more transactions.
To mitigate this conflict when acting as an investment adviser, McDonald Partners offers a
Flex account to its advisory clients. This account offers advisory services along with
transaction, clearing, and custodial services for one fee based on the assets under
management, and is considered a wrap-fee program. This is different from non-wrap-fee
management programs whereby services are provided for a fee, but transaction services
are billed separately on a per- transaction basis.
You should understand that not all investment advisers require the use of a particular
broker- dealer or the use of a broker-dealer that is affiliated with the investment adviser.
Our decision to require the use of McDonald Partners is based on the Firm’s decision that we
can provide efficient and cost-effective services through our own broker-dealer. However,
the use of McDonald Partners as broker-dealer for our advisory clients is an inherent
conflict of interest between the Firm and our clients because requiring our clients to use
McDonald Partners as the broker-dealer allows McDonald Partners, in its capacity as
introducing broker-dealer, to retain brokerage revenue that would otherwise be retained
by an unaffiliated broker-dealer.
The requirement to use RBC CS (which is not affiliated with McDonald Partners) is based on
the fact that McDonald Partners has established a clearing agreement with RBC CS, as its
preferred clearing broker-dealer and qualified custodian. The decision to use RBC CS is
based on a comparison of RBC CS against other broker-dealers (including past experiences
we have had with other broker/dealers) and is aimed at minimizing brokerage expenses and
other costs while taking into account the offerings or services RBC CS provides that
McDonald Partners or clients require or find valuable.
There are some investment advisers that permit the use of multiple broker-dealers and
permit clients to select the broker-dealer. McDonald Partners considered the positive
factors to this approach which include the ability to negotiate better brokerage costs such
as transaction fees, the ability to better analyze the speed of execution, and the ability to
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 31
compare and negotiate services. However, McDonald Partners has determined that the use
of one brokerage platform (McDonald Partners and RBC CS) allows us to provide more
streamlined operational and trading services. We considered the fact that allowing multiple
brokerage arrangements would increase the need for additional internal staff and
technology which increases the overall fees we charge. By selecting one brokerage
platform, McDonald Partners can avoid additional compliance, recordkeeping, staffing, and
technological costs that are associated with implementing procedures designed to work
with multiple brokerage platforms. Based on McDonald Partners’ structure and capacities,
the Firm concluded that requiring one brokerage platform is a better policy than permitting
multiple brokerage arrangements, including client-directed brokerage arrangements.
If McDonald Partners decides to permit other brokerage arrangements in the future, all
clients will be made aware of the change in policy. Commission and fee structures of various
broker- dealers, along with services, research, and tools are periodically reviewed by
McDonald Partners to evaluate the overall execution services provided by McDonald
Partners and RBC CS. Accordingly, McDonald Partners will consider competitive rates; it may
not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission and brokerage rates for your account
transactions. Therefore, the overall services provided by McDonald Partners (in its capacity
as an introducing broker) and RBC CS are evaluated to determine the level of best execution
provided to our clients. However, considering McDonald Partners requires use of the
brokerage services of McDonald Partners and RBC CS, we may not be able to achieve the
most favorable execution of client transactions, and therefore our practice of requiring the
use of McDonald Partners and RBC CS may cost you more money compared to advisory
programs offered by other investment advisers.
While you may be able to attain brokerage services with lower costs and expenses, you
should be aware of some of the qualitative factors we consider in selecting McDonald
Partners and RBC CS. These factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
• We are able to rely on the internal staff of McDonald Partners to provide
supervision, operations, trading, and other services.
• The RBC CS back-office system generates exception reports designed to monitor all
aspects of brokerage accounts, including trading, money movement, transfers, and
client account data. Client paperwork is processed through a secure electronic
workflow and storage system.
• RBC CS electronic trading platform provides a real-time order matching system, the
ability to “block” client trades, and account balance and position information.
• Clients can access their account information over the internet, including
balances, transactions, positions, statements, confirmations, and tax documents.
• Advisory fees can be calculated on aggregated account balances and are debited
directly from client accounts.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 32
Soft Dollar Arrangements
McDonald Partners does not engage in soft dollar benefits for any research products or
services.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
The Firm does not recommend broker-dealers to clients based on our interest in receiving
client referrals.
Directed Brokerage
The Firm does not permit clients to direct brokerage.
Municipal Securities Trading
The Firm may use its discretionary authority to purchase municipal securities for client
accounts. In some situations, the Firm may select an unrelated broker-dealer to execute
such trades. The Firm generally uses specific broker-dealers for Michigan municipal fixed
income securities. The Firm has long-standing relationships with these broker-dealers, and
these firms typically have the inventory to meet the needs of clients who are Michigan
residents. Selection of brokers-dealers for execution of other fixed income transactions is
typically done by obtaining live real-time competitive bids and offers from at least three
primary dealers (where practical) via the electronic trading platform TradeWeb, or another
electronic trading platform, where we will award the trade to the broker- dealer offering
best execution.
For executing client transactions in securities that are not traded on TradeWeb, we will
search for attractive offerings or bids on broker-dealer inventory screens or by phone in an
effort to ensure competitive price executions, selecting such broker-dealers based on our
knowledge of which broker-dealers most actively make a market in the type of issues we
are looking to trade.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 33
Cross Transactions
Generally, the majority of trades made for McDonald Partners’ client accounts will be
executed through the open market. We may engage in cross trading under limited
circumstances. We will only do so when we can ensure that no client receives less favorable
terms. Under such circumstances, we will receive no transaction-based compensation from
the trade, and we will only proceed when we reasonably believe that best execution can be
achieved. We do not enter into cross transactions involving ERISA Accounts.
Trade Aggregation
Trading aggregation practices are such that when McDonald Partners trade the same
security in more than one client account, we generally attempt to batch or “bunch” trades to
create a “block transaction.” Generally buying and selling in blocks helps create trading
efficiencies, prompt attention, and desired price execution. Whenever possible, we will
attempt to batch or aggregate trades for clients to create a “block transaction.” Your
Financial Advisor may also aggregate his or her own trades in the same security with those
of his or her clients, provided the Financial Advisor never receives preferential treatment in
the trade execution.
Trade Errors
McDonald Partners takes great care when placing trades; nevertheless, trade errors can
occur due to miscommunication with brokers or other system or human errors. The Firm’s
policy is to correct errors as soon as they are discovered. The Firm maintains a trade error
account at the Firm’s clearing broker-dealer in the name of the Firm and utilizes such
account to correct the trade error in the following manner:
• When a security is erroneously bought or sold in a client's account, the trade
will be moved to the error account and corrected.
• The client will be made whole in his/her/its account
• The Firm error account will be used solely for the correction of errors; and
• Gains and losses will be netted in the error account. A negative balance in the
error account will be the Firm’s responsibility to cover.
Mutual Funds Share Class Selection
Mutual funds generally offer multiple share classes available for investment based upon
certain eligibility and/or purchase requirements. For instance, in addition to retail share
classes (typically referred to as class A and class C shares), the fund may also offer
institutional share classes that usually have a lower expense ratio than the retail share
classes.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 34
When recommending investments in mutual funds, it is the Firm’s policy to review and
consider all available share classes. The Firm’s policy is to select the most appropriate share
classes based on various factors including but not limited to: minimum investment
requirements, trading restrictions, internal expense structure, transaction charges,
availability and other factors. When considering all the appropriate factors the Firm may
recommend a share class other than the ‘lowest cost’ share class. Clients may be able to
obtain lower cost share classes than those selected by the Firm. In light of its duty to obtain
best execution, McDonald Partners conducts monitoring of mutual fund investments to
ensure the selection of the most appropriate share class.
Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) & Secondary Offerings
With few exceptions, only Goodman Wealth Advisor’s Financial Advisors have access to IPOs
and secondary offerings for advisory clients through RBC Capital Market’s Master Selected
Dealer Agreement. Clients with a desire to participate in IPOs and secondary offerings
should discuss with their Financial Advisor to determine whether such investments are
appropriate and available. Not all clients will be eligible to participate in IPOs. A client
account must meet the following conditions:
• McDonald Partners has concluded that the client of the account can accept the
increased risk associated with IPOs;
• The client has requested to participate in IPOs when available;
• The client represents in writing that he or she is not a restricted person under
FINRA’s Freeriding and Withholding interpretations.
McDonald Partners will also consider the following factors in determining how to allocate
shares of an IPO:
• The number of shares available in the IPO for allocation to McDonald Partners’
retail customers.
• The stated interest of a particular client in participating in IPOs, in general, or
in a particular IPO, including the number of shares requested.
• The suitability of the investment for the client, particularly if it is speculative in
nature, as is sometimes the case in IPOs.
• Whether the IPO investment would be consistent with the client’s investment
strategy and objectives.
• Any applicable tax considerations.
• Whether the client has adequate liquidity in the account, or a reasonably
available alternative, to fund the IPO investment.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 35
• Whether Financial Advisor is able to contact the customer on a timely basis and
obtain any documentation necessary to participate in the offering.
IPOs are typically riskier investments and not suitable for clients with conservative
investment goals. IPO underwriters, in our experience, avoid allocating shares to smaller
retail accounts, since this increases their costs and administrative burdens. All of these
factors lead to a conflict of interest among clients.
The Firm’s Financial Advisors receive a selling concession when purchasing new issue
securities and secondary offerings for client accounts. The selling concession is a separate
payment made directly from the issuer of the security to the Financial Advisor as additional
compensation.
The advisory fee on client assets invested in the IPOs and secondaries is waived until such
time that the total dollar amount of advisory fees waived equals or exceeds the selling
concession received by the Firm.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
McDonald Partners monitors client accounts as part of an ongoing process while regular
account reviews with clients are conducted on at least an annual basis. Client accounts are
reviewed periodically for investment objective, financial plan adherence and overall asset
allocation by the Financial Advisor associated with the account. All account trades are
reviewed daily by compliance personnel for any red flags in conjunction with the above and
if any discrepancies are noted they are discussed with the associated Financial Advisor on
the account.
Performance reports are sent out annually (at a minimum) to advisory clients that
participate in Flex account program or Hegarty Asset Management accounts. These reports
are sent directly from the home office or by the Financial Advisor either in person or by the
US mail. Some clients will receive the reports electronically if they so indicate.
At least annually, we will request in writing that you update your Financial Advisor with any
changes to your financial status, investment objectives, risk tolerance or other important
information.
You will receive statements directly from your custodian monthly. These statements include
details of your trades, account balances, dividends, contributions, and withdrawals. You
should always check to ensure that the reports you receive from your custodian are
consistent with the reports you receive from McDonald Partners. You should contact the
compliance department at compliance@mcdonald-partners.com or 866-899-2997
immediately if you notice major inconsistencies in your reports or if you do not receive your
reports and statements.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 36
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
McDonald Partners and our Financial Advisors receive client referrals which come from
current clients, our attorneys, employees, accountants, and personal relationships.
Currently the Firm does not compensate for referrals.
McDonald Partners has a revenue sharing agreement with RBC CS whereby McDonald
Partners receives a rebate based on McDonald Partners’ monthly average daily balance in
RBC Insured Deposit Accounts. McDonald Partners also receives payments from RBC CS
based on the Firms monthly average balance in the U.S. Government Money Market Fund.
If, however, the U.S. Government Money Market Fund waives 50 basis points or more of
its fees, then McDonald Partners will not receive any payments. The U.S. Government
Money Market Fund is available for balances that exceed the FDIC insurance coverage limit.
Both of these arrangements calculate the payments to McDonald Partners using the Federal
Funds rate. When that rate is zero, the Firm does not receive any payments. As of the date
of this Brochure, McDonald Partners receives less than 5% of its revenue from these
arrangements.
The RBC Insured Deposit Account and the U.S. Government Money Market Fund are cash
sweep options for client accounts with assets of $5,000,000 or more. Clients can select from
these and other sweep options when establishing their account at RBC CS.
Your Financial Advisor receives a selling concession when purchasing new issue securities for
your account. The selling concession is a separate payment made directly from the issuer
of the security to the Financial Advisor as additional compensation. This payment is not
added or related to the advisory fee you pay.
Many mutual funds pay registered representatives of broker-dealers 12b-1 fees, which are
additional fees charged by mutual funds for promotion, distributions and/or marketing
expenses of the fund’s shares. Any 12b-1 fees received by McDonald Partners are rebated
back to the client account.
Periodically mutual fund companies help the Firm pay for client functions and defray the
cost of Firm meetings. Although these expenses are paid to the service providers in
connection with these activities, a conflict of interest exists for McDonald Partners in the
selection and recommendation of the mutual funds from the fund companies that sponsor
these events. For more information, ask your Financial Advisor which product sponsors, if
any, helped pay for client functions.
McDonald Partners has a referral agreement with a broker-dealer that provides investment
banking services. The broker-dealer agrees to pay a portion of its fee to the Firm for a
referral that results in an engagement to provide investment banking services.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 37
McDonald Partners has a referral agreement with Insure One Benefits (an Oswald company).
The agreement allows McDonald Financial Advisors to refer clients seeking assistance in
navigating Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, as well as individual health
insurance policies. Financial Advisors are not required to refer clients to Insure One Benefits
but are paid $75 for each successful lead.
Item 15 – Custody
McDonald Partners does not maintain custody of client funds or securities except to the
extent that pursuant to the client authorizing the Firm to debit the client’s account for the
amount of McDonald Partners’ investment management fee and to directly remit that fee
to McDonald Partners in accordance with applicable custody rules.
Unless otherwise directed by a client, all assets are held at RBC CS, an independent
qualified custodian. RBC CS holds all client assets and provides account statements directly
to clients at their address of record at least quarterly. In cases where assets are custodied at
a custodian other than RBC CS, clients will receive account statements directly from that
custodian. McDonald Partners utilizes Equity Institutional, Millennium Trust, Mainstar
Trust, State Bank, and New Direction Trust Company as a qualified custodian for IRA assets
which are alternative in nature. Equity Institutional, Millennium Trust, Mainstar Trust, State
Bank, and New Direction Trust Company provide account statements directly to clients at
their address of record at least quarterly.
McDonald Partners maintains custody of privately offered securities as defined in the
Custody Rule as a pooled investment vehicle subject to a financial statement audit or
surprise audit to comply with the Custody Rule.
Generally, McDonald Partners’ Financial Advisors do not engage as Trustee or have Power
of Attorney for their client accounts, although some exceptions are made for certain
personal or family relationships and with the prior written approval of Compliance.
Item 16 – Investment Discretion
McDonald Partners manages securities accounts on behalf of its clients when given proper
authority. Authority is given to a registered adviser by means of a client contract or limited
power of attorney. Client limitations are based on the specific goals and objectives of each
individual client as referenced in “Advisory Business” section of this brochure.
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities
As a registered investment adviser, McDonald Partners has made the determination that it
will not vote customer proxies or outsource voting to a third-party proxy voting service. This
means that each client is responsible for making their own proxy voting decisions for the
securities in their account(s).
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 38
Clients wishing additional information regarding proxy voting may contact their investment
adviser representative or submit a request in writing to Compliance Department at
McDonald Partners LLC, 1301 East 9th Street, Suite 3700, Cleveland, OH 44114 (requests
may also be submitted via email to compliance@mcdonald-partners.com).
Item 18 – Financial Information
McDonald Partners does not solicit prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees, per client, six
months or more in advance. McDonald Partners has not been the subject of a bankruptcy
petition at any time during the past ten years.
McDonald Partners LLC – Form ADV Part 2A Brochure – Page 39