Overview

Headquarters
Mishicot, WI
Total Firm Assets
$148 million
Average High-Net-Worth Client Portfolio Size
$1.1 million

Fee Structure

Primary Fee Schedule (FORM ADV PART 2A - FIRM BROCHURE AND PART 2B OF FORM ADV: BROCHURE SUPPLEMENT)

MinMaxMarginal Fee Rate
$0 and above 1.50%

Minimum Annual Fee: $3,000

Illustrative Fee Rates
Total AssetsAnnual FeesAverage Fee Rate
$1 million $15,000 1.50%
$5 million $75,000 1.50%
$10 million $150,000 1.50%
$50 million $750,000 1.50%
$100 million $1,500,000 1.50%

Clients

High-Net-Worth Share of Firm Assets
42.32%
Number of High-Net-Worth Clients
55
Total Client Accounts
936
Discretionary Accounts
899
Non-Discretionary Accounts
37

Services Offered

Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting, Educational Seminars

Regulatory Filings

SEC CRD Number
306943

Primary Brochure: FORM ADV PART 2A - FIRM BROCHURE AND PART 2B OF FORM ADV: BROCHURE SUPPLEMENT (2026-08-28)

View Document Text
Item 1: Cover Page Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure August 28, 2026 524 E. Main Street PO Box 341 Mishicot, WI 54228 (920)267-6710 muellerwealth.com Branch Office Locations: Sherwood Branch: W579 Castle Drive, Suite B Sherwood, WI 54169 Mishicot Branch: 524 E. Main Street PO Box 341 Mishicot, WI 54228 Oshkosh Branch: 2390 State Rd 44, STE B1 Oshkosh, WI 54904 Firm Contact: Ross Mueller Managing Member & Chief Compliance Officer This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Mueller Wealth, LLC. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at (920) 267-6710 or RossMueller@MuellerWealth.com. The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any State Securities Authority. Additional information about our firm is also available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD #306943. Please note that the use of the term “registered investment adviser” and description of our firm and/or our associates as “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Clients are encouraged to review this Brochure and Brochure Supplements for our firm’s associates who advise clients for more information on the qualifications of our firm and our employees. Item 2: Material Changes Mueller Wealth, LLC is required to make clients aware of information that has changed since the last annual update to the Firm Brochure (“Brochure”) and that may be important to them. Clients can then determine whether to review the brochure in its entirety or to contact us with questions about the changes. Since our last annual ADV filing on February 6, 2026, our firm has the following material changes to disclose: • None ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 2 Mueller Wealth, LLC Item 3: Table of Contents Item 1: Cover Page.............................................................................................................................................................................1 Item 2: Material Changes ...............................................................................................................................................................2 Item 3: Table of Contents ...............................................................................................................................................................3 Item 4: Advisory Business .............................................................................................................................................................4 Item 5: Fees & Compensation ......................................................................................................................................................7 Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management ................................................................................9 Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements ...........................................................................................................9 Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss ........................................................................9 Item 9: Disciplinary Information ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations....................................................................................... 20 Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in .................................................................................................... 21 Item 12: Brokerage Practices ................................................................................................................................................... 22 Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans ............................................................................................................. 23 Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation........................................................................................................... 24 Item 15: Custody ............................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Item 16: Investment Discretion............................................................................................................................................... 26 Item 17: Voting Client Securities ............................................................................................................................................ 26 Item 18: Financial Information ................................................................................................................................................ 26 Item 19: Requirements for State-Registered Advisers ............................................................................................... 27 ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 3 Mueller Wealth, LLC Item 4: Advisory Business Our firm is dedicated to providing individuals and other types of clients with a wide array of investment advisory services. Our firm is a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Wisconsin in 2018 and has been in business as an investment adviser since 2020. Our firm is wholly owned by Ross Mueller. The purpose of this Brochure is to disclose the conflicts of interest associated with the investment transactions, compensation and any other matters related to investment decisions made by our firm or its representatives. As a fiduciary, it is our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is accomplished in part by knowing our client. Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory practice with open lines of communication for many different types of clients to help meet their financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time horizons. Working with clients to understand their investment objectives while educating them about our process, facilitates the kind of working relationship we value. Types of Advisory Services Offered Asset Management: As part of our Asset Management service, a portfolio is created, consisting of individual stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), options, mutual funds and other public and private securities or investments. The client’s individual investment strategy is tailored to their specific needs and may include some or all of the previously mentioned securities. Portfolios will be designed to meet a particular investment goal, determined to be suitable to the client’s circumstances. Once the appropriate portfolio has been determined, portfolios are continuously and regularly monitored, and if necessary, rebalanced based upon the client’s individual needs, stated goals and objectives. Our firm uses a method we call the Seatbelt™ Investment System, which involves the following four steps -- Step 1: Identify persistent market trends (e.g. low interest rates). Step 2: Evaluate the best way to invest in that trend. Step 3: Utilize our own proprietary quantitative analysis to possibly adjust and reduce risk proactively. Step 4: Assess various asset classes for value and invest accordingly. For more information about our investment strategies, please review Item 8 below. Held Away Account Asset Management We use a third-party platform (Pontera, formerly FeeX) to facilitate management of held away assets such as defined contribution plan participant accounts, with discretion. The platform allows us 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. We are not affiliated with the platform in any way and receive 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, Adviser will review the current account allocations. When deemed necessary, Adviser 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 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. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 4 Mueller Wealth, LLC Financial Planning & Consulting: Our firm provides a variety of standalone financial planning and consulting services to clients for the management of financial resources based upon an analysis of current situation, goals, and objectives. Financial planning services will typically involve preparing a financial plan or rendering a financial consultation for clients based on the client’s financial goals and objectives. This planning or consulting may encompass Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Charitable Planning, Education Planning, Corporate and Personal Tax Planning, Cost Segregation Study, Corporate Structure, Real Estate Analysis, Mortgage/Debt Analysis, Insurance Analysis, Lines of Credit Evaluation, or Business and Personal Financial Planning. Written financial plans or financial consultations rendered to clients usually include general recommendations for a course of activity or specific actions to be taken by the clients. Implementation of the recommendations will be at the discretion of the client. Our firm provides clients with a summary of their financial situation, and observations for financial planning engagements. Financial consultations are not typically accompanied by a written summary of observations and recommendations, as the process is less formal than the planning service. Assuming that all the information and documents requested from the client are provided promptly, plans or consultations are typically completed within 6 months of the client signing a contract with our firm. Retirement Plan Consulting: Our firm provides retirement plan consulting services to employer plan sponsors on an ongoing basis. Generally, such consulting services consist of assisting employer plan sponsors in establishing, monitoring and reviewing their company's participant-directed retirement plan. As the needs of the plan sponsor dictate, areas of advising may include: • • • • • Establishing an Investment Policy Statement – Our firm will assist in the development of a statement that summarizes the investment goals and objectives along with the broad strategies to be employed to meet the objectives. Investment Options – Our firm will work with the Plan Sponsor to evaluate existing investment options and make recommendations for appropriate changes. Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction – Our firm will develop strategic asset allocation models to aid Participants in developing strategies to meet their investment objectives, time horizon, financial situation and tolerance for risk. Investment Monitoring – Our firm will monitor the performance of the investments and notify the client in the event of over/underperformance and in times of market volatility. Participant Education – Our firm will provide opportunities to educate plan participants about their retirement plan offerings, different investment options, and general guidance on allocation strategies. In providing services for retirement plan consulting, our firm does not provide any advisory services with respect to the following types of assets: employer securities, real estate (excluding real estate funds and publicly traded REITS), participant loans, non-publicly traded securities or assets, other illiquid investments, or brokerage window programs (collectively, “Excluded Assets”). All retirement plan consulting services shall be in compliance with the applicable state laws regulating retirement consulting services. This applies to client accounts that are retirement or other employee benefit plans (“Plan”) governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). If the client accounts are part of a Plan, and our firm accepts appointment to provide ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 5 Mueller Wealth, LLC services to such accounts, our firm acknowledges its fiduciary standard within the meaning of Section 3(21) or 3(38) of ERISA as designated by the Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement with respect to the provision of services described therein. American Funds Service: Our firm may recommend a mutual fund only investment allocation offered through American Funds consisting entirely of American Funds F-2 funds. Such accounts will be held direct at American Funds and custodies with their affiliated custodian, Capital Bank and Trust. As part of this service, our firm conducts at least one, but sometimes more than one meeting (in person, if possible, otherwise via telephone conference) with clients in order to understand their current financial situation, existing resources, financial goals, and tolerance for risk. Based on what is learned, an investment approach is presented to the client, using American Funds (“AF”). The AF Funds are a family of no-load mutual funds. Investment strategies utilizing AF are limited to mutual funds offered through the AF family of funds. We will not evaluate any type of security other than mutual funds offered by AF. Each portfolio will be initially designed to meet a particular investment goal, which we determine to be suitable to the client’s circumstances. Once the appropriate portfolio has been determined, we review the portfolio at least quarterly and if necessary, rebalance the portfolio based upon the client’s individual needs, stated goals and objectives. Each client has the opportunity to place reasonable restrictions on the types of investments to be held in the portfolio. Tailoring of Advisory Services Our firm offers individualized investment advice to our Asset Management clients. General investment advice will be offered to our Financial Planning & Consulting, Retirement Plan Consulting clients. Each Asset Management client has the opportunity to place reasonable restrictions on the types of investments to be held in the portfolio. Restrictions on investments in certain securities or types of securities may not be possible due to the level of difficulty this would entail in managing the account. Participation in Wrap Fee Programs Our firm does not offer or sponsor a wrap fee program. Class Action Lawsuits Please note: our firm does not determine if securities held by Clients are the subject of a class action lawsuit or whether Clients are eligible to participate in class action settlements or litigation nor does our firm initiate or participate in litigation to recover damages on a Client’s behalf for injuries as a result of actions, misconduct, or negligence by issuers of securities held by Clients. Regulatory Assets Under Management As of December 31, 2025, our firm has assets under management of $148,102,768 of which $143,635,695 is managed on a discretionary basis and $4,467,073 is managed on a non-discretionary basis. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 6 Mueller Wealth, LLC Item 5: Fees & Compensation Compensation for Our Advisory Services Asset Management: The maximum annual fee charged for this service will not exceed 1.50%. Fees to be assessed will be outlined in the advisory agreement to be signed by the Client. Annualized fees are billed on a pro- rata basis quarterly in advance based on the value of the account(s) on the last day of the previous quarter. Fees are negotiable and will be deducted from client account(s). Adjustments will be made for deposits and withdrawals during the quarter. In rare cases, our firm will agree to directly invoice. As part of this process, Clients understand the following: a) b) c) Clients must provide our firm with written authorization permitting direct payment of advisory fees from their account(s) maintained by a custodian who is independent of our firm; The account custodian sends a statement to the client, at least quarterly, showing all account disbursements, including advisory fees. Mueller has an annual “fee” minimum of $3,000 per household for those investing less than 200k as a household (Waived for households with more than $200,000 of assets with Mueller Wealth.). For households that invest less than $200,000 with Mueller Wealth; this $3,000 planning fee is reduced by the assets under management fee. For example, if a client invests $100,000, the asset management fee will be 1.50% according to the fee schedule above, which equals $1,500. The remaining $1,500 ($3,000 - $1,500) will be charged for our services and invoiced separately. This $3,000 is completely phased out once assets with Mueller Wealth reach $200,000. A minimum of 75% of advisable assets must be managed by Mueller Wealth if you are engaging us to manage a portion of assets. Financial Planning & Consulting: Our firm charges on an hourly or flat fee basis for financial planning and consulting services. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee charged, is based on the scope and complexity of our engagement with the client. The maximum hourly fee to be charged will not exceed $500. Flat fees range from $1,500 to $25,000. Our firm requires payment in full for the Financial Plan upon execution of the Agreement. The fee-paying arrangements will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will be detailed in the signed consulting agreement. Our firm will not require a retainer exceeding $1,200 when services cannot be rendered within 6 months. Retirement Plan Consulting: Our Retirement Plan Consulting services are billed a fee based on the percentage of Plan assets under management. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee charged, is based on the scope and complexity of our engagement with the client. Retirement Plan Consulting fees are based on a percentage of managed Plan assets will not exceed 1.50%. The fee-paying arrangements will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will be detailed in the signed consulting agreement. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 7 Mueller Wealth, LLC American Funds Service: The annual fee charged for this service shall not exceed 1.50%. The annualized advisory fees are billed on a pro-rata basis quarterly in arrears based on the value of the client’s account on the last day of the previous quarter. Fees are not negotiable and will be deducted from the client’s account. Fees may be lower than the noted percentages at each asset class based on the exact amount of the investment and investment type where applicable. As part of the fee deduction process, the client is made aware of the following: a) Your independent custodian sends statements at least quarterly to you showing the market values for each security included in the Assets and all disbursements in your account including the amount of the advisory fees paid to us; b) You provide authorization permitting us to be directly paid by these terms. We send our invoice directly to the custodian; c) It is the client’s responsibility to verify the calculation of advisory fees deducted from the account; and Other Types of Fees & Expenses Unless otherwise waived by Mueller Wealth, each account or household shall be charged an annual $40 platform fee, for access to Mueller Wealth’s resources, platform, and financial programs. Clients will incur transaction fees for trades executed by their chosen custodian, via individual transaction charges. These transaction fees are separate from our firm’s advisory fees and will be disclosed by the chosen custodian. Clients may also pay holdings charges imposed by the chosen custodian for certain investments, charges imposed directly by a mutual fund, index fund, or exchange traded fund, which shall be disclosed in the fund’s prospectus (i.e., fund management fees, initial or deferred sales charges, mutual fund sales loads, 12b-1 fees, surrender charges, variable annuity fees, IRA and qualified retirement plan fees, and other fund expenses), mark-ups and mark-downs, spreads paid to market makers, fees for trades executed away from custodian, wire transfer fees and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and securities transactions. Our firm does not receive a portion of these fees. Financial Institution Consulting Services Mueller Wealth receives a consulting fee based on the Assets Under Management from Brokerage Customers who have provided written consent to a broker/dealer to receive the investment consulting service from Mueller Wealth and have entered into a written advisory contract with Mueller Wealth. The consulting fee is calculated from the Assets Under Management as of the end of a calendar quarter period multiplied by the annualized rate which shall not exceed 1.50% of Assets Under Management. The initial fee is paid only after the completion of one full calendar quarter period following the date of the executed agreement with broker/dealers. Termination & Refunds Either party may terminate the advisory agreement signed with our firm for Asset Management services in writing at any time. Upon notice of termination our firm will process a pro-rata refund of the unearned portion of the advisory fees charged in advance. Mueller Wealth will not liquidate any securities in the account unless instructed by the client to do so. In the event of a client’s death or ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 8 Mueller Wealth, LLC disability, Mueller Wealth will continue management of the account until we are notified of the client’s death or disability and given alternative instructions by an authorized party. Financial Planning & Consulting clients may terminate their agreement at any time before the delivery of a financial plan by providing written notice. For purposes of calculating refunds, all work performed by us up to the point of termination shall be calculated at the hourly fee currently in effect. Clients will receive a pro-rata refund of unearned fees based on the time and effort expended by our firm. Either party to a Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement may terminate at any time by providing written notice to the other party. Full refunds will only be made in cases where cancellation occurs within 5 business days of signing an agreement. After 5 business days from initial signing, either party must provide the other party 30 days written notice to terminate billing. Billing will terminate 30 days after receipt of termination notice. Clients will be charged on a pro-rata basis, which takes into account work completed by our firm on behalf of the client. Clients will incur charges for bona fide advisory services rendered up to the point of termination (determined as 30 days from receipt of said written notice) and such fees will be due and payable. Commissionable Securities Sales Our firm and representatives do not sell securities for a commission in advisory accounts. Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management Our firm does not charge performance-based fees. Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements Our firm has the following types of clients: • • • • • Individuals and High Net Worth Individuals; Trusts, Estates or Charitable Organizations; Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans; Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and/or Other Business Types. Broker/Dealer Our firm does not have a minimum household requirement for assets under management. Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss Methods of Analysis Our firm uses a method we call the Seatbelt™ Investment System, which involves the following four steps -- Step 1: Identify persistent market trends (e.g., low interest rates). Step 2: Evaluate the best ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 9 Mueller Wealth, LLC way to invest in that trend. Step 3: Utilize our own proprietary quantitative analysis to possibly adjust and reduce risk proactively. Step 4: Assess various asset classes for value and invest accordingly. In order to carry out the above-mentioned strategies, we may use some, or all, of the following methods of analysis in formulating our investment advice and/or managing client assets: Charting: In this type of technical analysis, our firm reviews charts of market and security activity in an attempt to identify when the market is moving up or down and to predict when how long the trend may last and when that trend might reverse. Cyclical Analysis: Statistical analysis of specific events occurring at a sufficient number of relatively predictable intervals that they can be forecasted into the future. Cyclical analysis asserts that cyclical forces drive price movements in the financial markets. Risks include that cycles may invert or disappear and there is no expectation that this type of analysis will pinpoint turning points, instead be used in conjunction with other methods of analysis. Duration Constraints: Our firm adhere to a discipline of generally maintaining duration within a narrow band around benchmark duration in order to limit exposure to market risk. Our portfolio management team rebalances client portfolios to their current duration targets on a periodic basis. The risk of constraining duration is that the client may not participate fully in a large rally in bond prices. Fundamental Analysis: The analysis of a business's financial statements (usually to analyze the business's assets, liabilities, and earnings), health, and its competitors and markets. When analyzing a stock, futures contract, or currency using fundamental analysis there are two basic approaches one can use: bottom up analysis and top down analysis. The terms are used to distinguish such analysis from other types of investment analysis, such as quantitative and technical. Fundamental analysis is performed on historical and present data, but with the goal of making financial forecasts. There are several possible objectives: (a) to conduct a company stock valuation and predict its probable price evolution; (b) to make a projection on its business performance; (c) to evaluate its management and make internal business decisions; (d) and/or to calculate its credit risk.; and (e) to find out the intrinsic value of the share. When the objective of the analysis is to determine what stock to buy and at what price, there are two basic methodologies investors rely upon: (a) Fundamental analysis maintains that markets may misprice a security in the short run but that the "correct" price will eventually be reached. Profits can be made by purchasing the mispriced security and then waiting for the market to recognize its "mistake" and reprice the security.; and (b) Technical analysis maintains that all information is reflected already in the price of a security. Technical analysts analyze trends and believe that sentiment changes predate and predict trend changes. Investors' emotional responses to price movements lead to recognizable price chart patterns. Technical analysts also analyze historical trends to predict future price movement. Investors can use one or both of these different but complementary methods for stock picking. 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. Quantitative Analysis: The use of models, or algorithms, to evaluate assets for investment. The process usually consists of searching vast databases for patterns, such as correlations among liquid assets or price-movement patterns (trend following or mean reversion). The resulting strategies may involve high-frequency trading. The results of the analysis are taken into consideration in the decision to buy or sell securities and in the management of portfolio characteristics. A risk in using ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 10 Mueller Wealth, LLC quantitative analysis is that the methods or models used may be based on assumptions that prove to be incorrect. Qualitative Analysis: A securities analysis that uses subjective judgment based on unquantifiable information, such as management expertise, industry cycles, strength of research and development, and labor relations. Qualitative analysis contrasts with quantitative analysis, which focuses on numbers that can be found on reports such as balance sheets. The two techniques, however, will often be used together in order to examine a company's operations and evaluate its potential as an investment opportunity. Qualitative analysis deals with intangible, inexact concerns that belong to the social and experiential realm rather than the mathematical one. This approach depends on the kind of intelligence that machines (currently) lack, since things like positive associations with a brand, management trustworthiness, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage and cultural shifts are difficult, arguably impossible, to capture with numerical inputs. A risk in using qualitative analysis is that subjective judgment may prove incorrect. Sector Analysis : Sector analysis involves identification and analysis of various industries or economic sectors that are likely to exhibit superior performance. Academic studies indicate that the health of a stock's sector is as important as the performance of the individual stock itself. In other words, even the best stock located in a weak sector will often perform poorly because that sector is out of favor. Each industry has differences in terms of its customer base, market share among firms, industry growth, competition, regulation and business cycles. Learning how the industry operates provides a deeper understanding of a company's financial health. One method of analyzing a company's growth potential is examining whether the amount of customers in the overall market is expected to grow. In some markets, there is zero or negative growth, a factor demanding careful consideration. Additionally, market analysts recommend that investors should monitor sectors that are nearing the bottom of performance rankings for possible signs of an impending turnaround. Technical Analysis: A security analysis methodology for forecasting the direction of prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. A fundamental principle of technical analysis is that a market's price reflects all relevant information, so their analysis looks at the history of a security's trading pattern rather than external drivers such as economic, fundamental and news events. Therefore, price action tends to repeat itself due to investors collectively tending toward patterned behavior – hence technical analysis focuses on identifiable trends and conditions. Technical analysts also widely use market indicators of many sorts, some of which are mathematical transformations of price, often including up and down volume, advance/decline data and other inputs. These indicators are used to help assess whether an asset is trending, and if it is, the probability of its direction and of continuation. Technicians also look for relationships between price/volume indices and market indicators. Technical analysis employs models and trading rules based on price and volume transformations, such as the relative strength index, moving averages, regressions, inter-market and intra-market price correlations, business cycles, stock market cycles or, classically, through recognition of chart patterns. Technical analysis is widely used among traders and financial professionals and is very often used by active day traders, market makers and pit traders. The risk associated with this type of analysis is that analysts use subjective judgment to decide which pattern(s) a particular instrument reflects at a given time and what the interpretation of that pattern should be. Variable Annuities (“VA”): A variable annuity is a type of annuity contract that allows for the accumulation of capital on a tax-deferred basis. As opposed to a fixed annuity that offers a guaranteed interest rate and a minimum payment at annuitization, variable annuities offer investors the opportunity to generate higher rates of returns by investing in equity and bond subaccounts. If a ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 11 Mueller Wealth, LLC variable annuity is annuitized for income, the income payments can vary based on the performance of the subaccounts. Risks associated with VAs may include: • • • • • • • Taxes and federal penalties for early withdrawal Surrender charges for early withdrawal can last for years Earnings taxed at ordinary income tax rates Mortality expense to compensate the insurance company for insurance risks Fees and expenses imposed for the subaccounts Other features with additional fees and charges Investment losses Investment Strategies We Use We use the following strategies in managing client accounts, provided that such strategies are appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations: Asset Allocation: The implementation of an investment strategy that attempts to balance risk versus reward by adjusting the percentage of each asset in an investment portfolio according to the investor's risk tolerance, goals and investment time frame. Asset allocation is based on the principle that different assets perform differently in different market and economic conditions. A fundamental justification for asset allocation is the notion that different asset classes offer returns that are not perfectly correlated, hence diversification reduces the overall risk in terms of the variability of returns for a given level of expected return. Although risk is reduced as long as correlations are not perfect, it is typically forecast (wholly or in part) based on statistical relationships (like correlation and variance) that existed over some past period. Expectations for return are often derived in the same way. An asset class is a group of economic resources sharing similar characteristics, such as riskiness and return. There are many types of assets that may or may not be included in an asset allocation strategy. The "traditional" asset classes are stocks (value, dividend, growth, or sector-specific [or a "blend" of any two or more of the preceding]; large-cap versus mid-cap, small-cap or micro-cap; domestic, foreign [developed], emerging or frontier markets), bonds (fixed income securities more generally: investment-grade or junk [high-yield]; government or corporate; short-term, intermediate, long- term; domestic, foreign, emerging markets), and cash or cash equivalents. Allocation among these three provides a starting point. Usually included are hybrid instruments such as convertible bonds and preferred stocks, counting as a mixture of bonds and stocks. Other alternative assets that may be considered include: commodities: precious metals, nonferrous metals, agriculture, energy, others.; Commercial or residential real estate (also REITs); Collectibles such as art, coins, or stamps; insurance products (annuity, life settlements, catastrophe bonds, personal life insurance products, etc.); derivatives such as long-short or market neutral strategies, options, collateralized debt, and futures; foreign currency; venture capital; private equity; and/or distressed securities. • There are several types of asset allocation strategies based on investment goals, risk tolerance, time frames and diversification. The most common forms of asset allocation are: strategic, dynamic, tactical, and core-satellite. Strategic Asset Allocation: The primary goal of a strategic asset allocation is to create an asset mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance between expected risk and return for a long- term investment horizon. Generally speaking, strategic asset allocation strategies are ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 12 Mueller Wealth, LLC • • • agnostic to economic environments, i.e., they do not change their allocation postures relative to changing market or economic conditions. Dynamic Asset Allocation: Dynamic asset allocation is similar to strategic asset allocation in that portfolios are built by allocating to an asset mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance between expected risk and return for a long-term investment horizon. Like strategic allocation strategies, dynamic strategies largely retain exposure to their original asset classes; however, unlike strategic strategies, dynamic asset allocation portfolios will adjust their postures over time relative to changes in the economic environment. Tactical Asset Allocation: Tactical asset allocation is a strategy in which an investor takes a more active approach that tries to position a portfolio into those assets, sectors, or individual stocks that show the most potential for perceived gains. While an original asset mix is formulated much like strategic and dynamic portfolio, tactical strategies are often traded more actively and are free to move entirely in and out of their core asset classes Core-Satellite Asset Allocation: Core-Satellite allocation strategies generally contain a 'core' strategic element making up the most significant portion of the portfolio, while applying a dynamic or tactical 'satellite' strategy that makes up a smaller part of the portfolio. In this way, core-satellite allocation strategies are a hybrid of the strategic and dynamic/tactical allocation strategies mentioned above. Defensive Strategies: If our IAR anticipates poor near-term prospects for equity markets, we may adopt a defensive strategy for clients’ accounts by investing substantially in fixed income securities and/or money market instruments. We may also utilize low, non, or negative correlated investments through mutual funds and EFT’s. There can be no guarantee that the use of defensive techniques would be successful in avoiding losses. Fixed Income: Fixed income is a type of investing or budgeting style for which real return rates or periodic income is received at regular intervals and at reasonably predictable levels. Fixed-income investors are typically retired individuals who rely on their investments to provide a regular, stable income stream. This demographic tends to invest heavily in fixed-income investments because of the reliable returns they offer. Fixed-income investors who live on set amounts of periodically paid income face the risk of inflation eroding their spending power. Some examples of fixed-income investments include treasuries, money market instruments, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, municipal bonds and international bonds. The primary risk associated with fixed-income investments is the borrower defaulting on his payment. Other considerations include exchange rate risk for international bonds and interest rate risk for longer- dated securities. The most common type of fixed-income security is a bond. Bonds are issued by federal governments, local municipalities and major corporations. Fixed-income securities are recommended for investors seeking a diverse portfolio; however, the percentage of the portfolio dedicated to fixed income depends on your own personal investment style. There is also an opportunity to diversify the fixed-income component of a portfolio. Riskier fixed-income products, such as junk bonds and longer-dated products, should comprise a lower percentage of your overall portfolio. The interest payment on fixed-income securities is considered regular income and is determined based on the creditworthiness of the borrower and current market rates. In general, bonds and fixed- income securities with longer-dated maturities pay a higher rate, also referred to as the coupon rate, because they are considered riskier. The longer the security is on the market, the more time it has to lose its value and/or default. At the end of the bond term, or at bond maturity, the borrower returns the amount borrowed, also referred to as the principal or par value. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 13 Mueller Wealth, LLC Long-Term Purchases: Our firm may buy securities for your account and hold them for a relatively long time (more than a year) in anticipation that the security’s value will appreciate over a long horizon. The risk of this strategy is that our firm could miss out on potential short-term gains that could have been profitable to your account, or it’s possible that the security’s value may decline sharply before our firm makes a decision to sell. Margin Transactions: Our firm may purchase stocks, mutual funds, and/or other securities for your portfolio with money borrowed from your brokerage account. This allows you to purchase more stock than you would be able to with your available cash, and allows us to purchase stock without selling other holdings. Margin accounts and transactions are risky and not necessarily appropriate for every client. The potential risks associated with these transactions are (1) You can lose more funds than are deposited into the margin account; (2) the forced sale of securities or other assets in your account; (3) the sale of securities or other assets without contacting you; and (4) you may not be entitled to choose which securities or other assets in your account(s) are liquidated or sold to meet a margin call. Short Sales: A short sale is a transaction in which an investor sells borrowed securities in anticipation of a price decline and is required to return an equal number of shares at some point in the future. These transactions have a number of risks that make it highly unsuitable for the novice investor. This strategy has a slanted payoff ratio in that the maximum gain (which would occur if the shorted stock was to plunge to zero) is limited, but the maximum loss is theoretically infinite (since stocks can in theory go up infinitely in price). The following risks should be considered: (1) In addition to trading commissions, other costs with short selling include that of borrowing the security to short it, as well as interest payable on the margin account that holds the shorted security. (2) The short seller is responsible for making dividend payments on the shorted stock to the entity from whom the stock has been borrowed. (3) Stocks with very high short interest may occasionally surge in price. This usually happens when there is a positive development in the stock, which forces short sellers to buy the shares back to close their short positions. Heavily shorted stocks are also susceptible to “buy-ins,” which occur when a broker closes out short positions in a difficult-to-borrow stock whose lenders are demanding it back. (4) Regulators may impose bans on short sales in a specific sector or even in the broad market to avoid panic and unwarranted selling pressure. Such actions can cause a spike in stock prices, forcing the short seller to cover short positions at huge losses. (5) Unlike the “buy-and-hold” investor who can afford to wait for an investment to work out, the short seller does not have the luxury of time because of the many costs and risks associated with short selling. Timing is everything when it comes to shorting. (5) Short selling should only be undertaken by experienced traders who have the discipline to cut a losing short position, rather than add to it hoping that it will eventually work out. Short-Term Purchases: When utilizing this strategy, our firm may also purchase securities with the idea of selling them within a relatively short time (typically a year or less). Our firm does this in an attempt to take advantage of conditions that our firm believes will soon result in a price swing in the securities our firm purchase. Preferred Securities We prefer to invest our advisory client’s in the following securities in managing client accounts, provided that such securities are appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations: ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 14 Mueller Wealth, LLC Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”): An ETF is a type of Investment Company (usually, an open-end fund or unit investment trust) whose primary objective is to achieve the same return as a particular market index. The vast majority of ETFs are designed to track an index, so their performance is close to that of an index mutual fund, but they are not exact duplicates. A tracking error, or the difference between the returns of a fund and the returns of the index, can arise due to differences in composition, management fees, expenses, and handling of dividends. ETFs benefit from continuous pricing; they can be bought and sold on a stock exchange throughout the trading day. Because ETFs trade like stocks, you can place orders just like with individual stocks - such as limit orders, good- until-canceled orders, stop loss orders etc. They can also be sold short. Traditional mutual funds are bought and redeemed based on their net asset values (“NAV”) at the end of the day. ETFs are bought and sold at the market prices on the exchanges, which resemble the underlying NAV but are independent of it. However, arbitrageurs will ensure that ETF prices are kept very close to the NAV of the underlying securities. Although an investor can buy as few as one share of an ETF, most buy in board lots. Anything bought in less than a board lot will increase the cost to the investor. Anyone can buy any ETF no matter where in the world it trades. This provides a benefit over mutual funds, which generally can only be bought in the country in which they are registered. One of the main features of ETFs are their low annual fees, especially when compared to traditional mutual funds. The passive nature of index investing, reduced marketing, and distribution and accounting expenses all contribute to the lower fees. However, individual investors must pay a brokerage commission to purchase and sell ETF shares; for those investors who trade frequently, this can significantly increase the cost of investing in ETFs. That said, with the advent of low-cost brokerage fees, small or frequent purchases of ETFs are becoming more cost efficient. Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs). An ETN is a senior unsecured debt obligation designed to track the total return of an underlying market index or other benchmark. ETNs may be linked to a variety of assets, for example, commodity futures, foreign currency and equities. ETNs are similar to ETFs in that they are listed on an exchange and can typically be bought or sold throughout the trading day. However, an ETN is not a mutual fund and does not have a net asset value; the ETN trades at the prevailing market price. Some of the more common risks of an ETN are as follows. The repayment of the principal, interest (if any), and the payment of any returns at maturity or upon redemption are dependent upon the ETN issuer’s ability to pay. In addition, the trading price of the ETN in the secondary market may be adversely impacted if the issuer’s credit rating is downgraded. The index or asset class for performance replication in an ETN may or may not be concentrated in a specific sector, asset class or country and may therefore carry specific risks. Leveraged and Inverse ETFs, ETNs and Mutual Funds. Leveraged ETFs, ETNs and mutual funds, sometimes labeled “ultra” or “2x” for example, are designed to provide a multiple of the underlying index's return, typically on a daily basis. Inverse products are designed to provide the opposite of the return of the underlying index, typically on a basis. These products are different from and can be riskier than traditional ETFs, ETNs and mutual funds. Although these products are designed to provide returns that generally correspond to the underlying index, they may not be able to exactly replicate the performance of the index because of fund expenses and other factors. This is referred to as tracking error. Continual re-setting of returns within the product may add to the underlying costs and increase the tracking error. As a result, this may prevent these products from achieving their investment objective. In addition, compounding of the returns can produce a divergence from the underlying index over time, in particular for leveraged products. In highly volatile markets with large positive and negative swings, return distortions are magnified over time. Because of these distortions, these products should be actively monitored, as frequently as daily, and are generally not appropriate as an intermediate or long-term holding. To accomplish their objectives, these products ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 15 Mueller Wealth, LLC use a range of strategies, including swaps, futures contracts and other derivatives. These products may not be diversified and can be based on commodities or currencies. These products may have higher expense ratios and be less tax-efficient than more traditional ETFs, ETNs and mutual funds Structured Products. Structured products are securities derived from another asset, such as a security or a basket of securities, an index, a commodity, a debt issuance, or a foreign currency. Structured products frequently limit the upside participation in the reference asset. Structured products are senior unsecured debt of the issuing bank and subject to the credit risk associated with that issuer. This credit risk exists whether or not the investment held in the account offers principal protection. The creditworthiness of the issuer does not affect or enhance the likely performance of the investment other than the ability of the issuer to meet its obligations. Any payments due at maturity are dependent on the issuer’s ability to pay. In addition, the trading price of the security in the secondary market, if there is one, may be adversely impacted if the issuer’s credit rating is downgraded. Some structured products offer full protection of the principal invested, others offer only partial or no protection. Investors may be sacrificing a higher yield to obtain the principal guarantee. In addition, the principal guarantee relates to nominal principal and does not offer inflation protection. An investor in a structured product never has a claim on the underlying investment, whether a security, zero coupon bond, or option. There may be little or no secondary market for the securities and information regarding independent market pricing for the securities may be limited. This is true even if the product has a ticker symbol or has been approved for listing on an exchange. Tax treatment of structured products may be different from other investments held in the account (e.g., income may be taxed as ordinary income even though payment is not received until maturity). Structured CDs that are insured by the FDIC are subject to applicable FDIC limits. Individual Stocks : A common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders of common stock exercise control by electing a board of directors and voting on corporate policy. Investing in individual common stocks provides us with more control of what you are invested in and when that investment is made. Having the ability to decide when to buy or sell helps us time the taking of gains or losses. Common stocks, however, bear a greater amount of risk when compared to certificate of deposits, preferred stock and bonds. It is typically more difficult to achieve diversification when investing in individual common stocks. Additionally, common stockholders are on the bottom of the priority ladder for ownership structure; if a company goes bankrupt, the common stockholders do not receive their money until the creditors and preferred shareholders have received their respective share of the leftover assets. Municipal Bond : Municipal bonds are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of public facilities. Municipal bonds pay a lower rate of return than most other types of bonds. Because of a municipal bond’s tax-favored status, investors should compare the relative after-tax return to the after-tax return of other bonds, depending on the investor’s tax bracket. Investing in municipal bonds carries the same general risks as investing in bonds in general. Those risks include interest rate risk, reinvestment risk, inflation risk, market risk, call or redemption risk, credit risk, and liquidity and valuation risk. Investing in municipal bonds carries risk unique to these types of bonds, which may include: (a) Legislative risk includes the risk that a change in the tax code could affect the value of taxable or tax-exempt interest income.; (b) Municipal bonds generate tax-free income, and therefore pay lower interest rates than taxable bonds. Investors who anticipate a significant drop in their marginal income-tax rate may benefit from the higher yield available from taxable bonds.; (c) The risk that investors may have difficulty finding a buyer when they want to sell and may be forced to sell at a significant discount to market value. Liquidity risk is greater for thinly traded securities such as lower-rated bonds, bonds that were part of a small issue, bonds that have recently had their credit rating downgraded or bonds sold by an ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 16 Mueller Wealth, LLC infrequent issuer. Municipal bonds may be less liquid than other bonds.; (d) Credit risk includes the risk that a borrower will be unable to make interest or principal payments when they are due and therefore default. To reduce investor concern, insurance policies that guarantee repayment in the event of default back many municipal bonds. Mutual Funds : A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests that money in a variety of differing security types based on the objectives of the fund. The portfolio of the fund consists of the combined holdings it owns. Each share represents an investor’s proportionate ownership of the fund’s holdings and the income those holdings generate. The price that investors pay for mutual fund shares are the fund’s per share net asset value (“NAV”) plus any shareholder fees that the fund imposes at the time of purchase (such as sales loads). Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades. With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which is calculated daily after market close. The benefits of investing through mutual funds include: (a) Mutual funds are professionally managed by an investment adviser who researches, selects, and monitors the performance of the securities purchased by the fund; (b) Mutual funds typically have the benefit of diversification, which is an investing strategy that generally sums up as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Spreading investments across a wide range of companies and industry sectors can help lower the risk if a company or sector fails. Some investors find it easier to achieve diversification through ownership of mutual funds rather than through ownership of individual stocks or bonds.; (c) Some mutual funds accommodate investors who do not have a lot of money to invest by setting relatively low dollar amounts for initial purchases, subsequent monthly purchases, or both.; and (d) At any time, mutual fund investors can readily redeem their shares at the current NAV, less any fees and charges assessed on redemption. Mutual funds also have features that some investors might view as disadvantages: (a) Investors must pay sales charges, annual fees, and other expenses regardless of how the fund performs. Depending on the timing of their investment, investors may also have to pay taxes on any capital gains distributions they receive. This includes instances where the fund performed poorly after purchasing shares.; (b) Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades.; and (c) With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real- time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour— or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which the fund might not calculate until many hours after the investor placed the order. In general, mutual funds must calculate their NAV at least once every business day, typically after the major U.S. exchanges close. When investors buy and hold an individual stock or bond, the investor must pay income tax each year on the dividends or interest the investor receives. However, the investor will not have to pay any capital gains tax until the investor actually sells and makes a profit. Mutual funds, however, are different. When an investor buys and holds mutual fund shares, the investor will owe income tax on any ordinary dividends in the year the investor receives or reinvests them. Moreover, in addition to ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 17 Mueller Wealth, LLC owing taxes on any personal capital gains when the investor sells shares, the investor may have to pay taxes each year on the fund’s capital gains. That is because the law requires mutual funds to distribute capital gains to shareholders if they sell securities for a profit, and cannot use losses to offset these gains. Options : An option is a financial derivative that represents a contract sold by one party (the option writer) to another party (the option holder, or option buyer). The contract offers the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a security or other financial asset at an agreed-upon price (the strike price) during a certain period of time or on a specific date (exercise date). Options are extremely versatile securities. Traders use options to speculate, which is a relatively risky practice, while hedgers use options to reduce the risk of holding an asset. In terms of speculation, option buyers and writers have conflicting views regarding the outlook on the performance of a: • Call Option : Call options give the option to buy at certain price, so the buyer would want the stock to go up. Conversely, the option writer needs to provide the underlying shares in the event that the stock's market price exceeds the strike due to the contractual obligation. An option writer who sells a call option believes that the underlying stock's price will drop relative to the option's strike price during the life of the option, as that is how he will reap maximum profit. This is exactly the opposite outlook of the option buyer. The buyer believes that the underlying stock will rise; if this happens, the buyer will be able to acquire the stock for a lower price and then sell it for a profit. However, if the underlying stock does not close above the strike price on the expiration date, the option buyer would lose the premium paid for the call option. • Put Option : Put options give the option to sell at a certain price, so the buyer would want the stock to go down. The opposite is true for put option writers. For example, a put option buyer is bearish on the underlying stock and believes its market price will fall below the specified strike price on or before a specified date. On the other hand, an option writer who sells a put option believes the underlying stock's price will increase about a specified price on or before the expiration date. If the underlying stock's price closes above the specified strike price on the expiration date, the put option writer's maximum profit is achieved. Conversely, a put option holder would only benefit from a fall in the underlying stock's price below the strike price. If the underlying stock's price falls below the strike price, the put option writer is obligated to purchase shares of the underlying stock at the strike price. The potential risks associated with these transactions are that (1) all options expire. The closer the option gets to expiration, the quicker the premium in the option deteriorates; and (2) Prices can move very quickly. Depending on factors such as time until expiration and the relationship of the stock price to the option’s strike price, small movements in a stock can translate into big movements in the underlying options. Risk of Loss Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. While the stock market may increase and the account(s) could enjoy a gain, it is also possible that the stock market may decrease and the account(s) could suffer a loss. It is important that clients understand the risks associated with investing in the stock market, and that their assets are appropriately diversified in investments. Clients are encouraged to ask our firm any questions regarding their risk tolerance. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 18 Mueller Wealth, LLC Capital Risk: Capital risk is one of the most basic, fundamental risks of investing; it is the risk that you may lose 100% of your money. All investments carry some form of risk and the loss of capital is generally a risk for any investment instrument. Company Risk: When investing in stock positions, there is always a certain level of company or industry specific risk that is inherent in each investment. This is also referred to as unsystematic risk and can be reduced through appropriate diversification. There is the risk that the company will perform poorly or have its value reduced based on factors specific to the company or its industry. For example, if a company’s employees go on strike or the company receives unfavorable media attention for its actions, the value of the company may be reduced. Credit Risk: Credit risk can be a factor in situations where an investment’s performance relies on a borrower’s repayment of borrowed funds. With credit risk, an investor can experience a loss or unfavorable performance if a borrower does not repay the borrowed funds as expected or required. Investment holdings that involve forms of indebtedness (i.e. borrowed funds) are subject to credit risk. Equity (Stock) Market Risk: Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and, volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer. ETF & Mutual Fund Risk : When investing in an ETF or mutual fund, you will bear additional expenses based on your pro rata share of the ETF’s or mutual fund’s operating expenses, including the potential duplication of management fees. The risk of owning an ETF or mutual fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities, the ETF, or mutual fund holds. Clients will also incur brokerage costs when purchasing ETFs. Financial Risk: Financial risk is represented by internal disruptions within an investment or the issuer of an investment that can lead to unfavorable performance of the investment. Examples of financial risk can be found in cases like Enron or many of the dot com companies that were caught up in a period of extraordinary market valuations that were not based on solid financial footings of the companies. Fixed Income Securities Risk: Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause your account value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, prepayment risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk. Credit risk is the chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to make such payments will cause the price of a bond to decline. Inflation Risk : Inflation risk involves the concern that in the future, your investment or proceeds from your investment will not be worth what they are today. Throughout time, the prices of resources and end-user products generally increase and thus, the same general goods and products today will likely be more expensive in the future. The longer an investment is held, the greater the chance that ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 19 Mueller Wealth, LLC the proceeds from that investment will be worth less in the future than what they are today. Said another way, a dollar tomorrow will likely get you less than what it can today. Manager Risk: There is always the possibility that poor security selection will cause your investments to underperform relative to benchmarks or other funds with a similar investment objective. Options Risk : Options on securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than an investment in the underlying securities. Additionally, options have an expiration date, which makes them “decay” in value over the amount of time they are held and can expire worthless. Purchasing and writing put and call options are highly specialized activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. Past Performance: Charting and technical analysis are often used interchangeably. Technical analysis generally attempts to forecast an investment’s future potential by analyzing its past performance and other related statistics. In particular, technical analysis often times involves an evaluation of historical pricing and volume of a particular security for the purpose of forecasting where future price and volume figures may go. As with any investment analysis method, technical analysis runs the risk of not knowing the future and thus, investors should realize that even the most diligent and thorough technical analysis cannot predict or guarantee the future performance of any particular investment instrument or issuer thereof. Description of Material, Significant or Unusual Risks Our firm generally invests client cash balances in money market funds, FDIC Insured Certificates of Deposit, high-grade commercial paper and/or government backed debt instruments. Ultimately, our firm tries to achieve the highest return on client cash balances through relatively low-risk conservative investments. In most cases, at least a partial cash balance will be maintained in a money market account so that our firm may debit advisory fees for our services related to our Asset Management services, as applicable. Item 9: Disciplinary Information Mueller Wealth and our personnel seek to maintain the highest level of business professionalism, integrity, and ethics. We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a client’s evaluation of our business or the integrity of our management. There are no legal or disciplinary events that are material to the evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations Representatives of our firm are insurance agents/brokers. They offer insurance products and receive customary fees as a result of insurance sales. A conflict of interest exists as these insurance sales create an incentive to recommend products based on the compensation adviser and/or our ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 20 Mueller Wealth, LLC supervised persons may earn. To mitigate this potential conflict, our firm will act in the client’s best interest. Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions & Personal Trading As a fiduciary, it is an investment adviser’s responsibility to provide fair and full disclosure of all material facts and to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients at all times. Our fiduciary duty is the underlying principle for our firm’s Code of Ethics, which includes procedures for personal securities transaction and insider trading. Our firm requires all representatives to conduct business with the highest level of ethical standards and to comply with all federal and state securities laws at all times. Upon employment with our firm, and at least annually thereafter, all representatives of our firm will acknowledge receipt, understanding and compliance with our firm’s Code of Ethics. Our firm and representatives must conduct business in an honest, ethical, and fair manner and avoid all circumstances that might negatively affect or appear to affect our duty of complete loyalty to all clients. This disclosure is provided to give all clients a summary of our Code of Ethics. If a client or a potential client wishes to review our Code of Ethics in its entirety, a copy will be provided promptly upon request. Our firm recognizes that the personal investment transactions of our representatives demands the application of a Code of Ethics with high standards and requires that all such transactions be carried out in a way that does not endanger the interest of any client. At the same time, our firm also believes that if investment goals are similar for clients and for our representatives, it is logical, and even desirable, that there be common ownership of some securities. 1 .accounts In order to prevent conflicts of interest, our firm has established procedures for transactions effected by 2 . In order to monitor compliance with our our representatives for their personal accounts personal trading policy, our firm has pre-clearance requirements and a quarterly securities transaction reporting system for all of our representatives. Neither our firm nor a related person recommends, buys or sells for client accounts, securities in which our firm or a related person has a material financial interest without prior disclosure to the client. Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities and other investments that are also recommended to clients. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Likewise, related persons of our firm buy or sell securities for themselves at or about the same time they buy or sell the same securities for client accounts. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our 1 For purposes of the policy, our associate’s personal account generally includes any account (a) in the name of our associate, his/her spouse, his/her minor children or other dependents residing in the same household, (b) for which our associate is a trustee or executor, or (c) which our associate controls, including our client accounts which our associate controls and/or a member of his/her household has a direct or indirect beneficial interest in. 2 For purposes of the policy, our associate’s personal account generally includes any account (a) in the name of our associate, his/her spouse, his/her minor children or other dependents residing in the same household, (b) for which our associate is a trustee or executor, or (c) which our associate controls, including our client accounts which our associate controls and/or a member of his/her household has a direct or indirect beneficial interest in. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 21 Mueller Wealth, LLC related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Further, our related persons will refrain from buying or selling the same securities prior to buying or selling for our clients in the same day unless included in a block trade. Item 12: Brokerage Practices Selecting a Brokerage Firm In order for MW to provide asset management services, we request you utilize the brokerage and custodial services of Charles Schwab (“Schwab”) and Altruist Financial (“Altruist”), for which we have an existing relationship. Mueller Wealth, Schwab, and Altruist are not affiliated companies. In considering which independent qualified custodian will be the best fit for Mueller Wealth’s business model, we are evaluating the following factors, which is not an all-inclusive list:       Financial strength Reputation Reporting capabilities Execution capabilities Pricing, and Types and quality of research While you are free to choose any broker-dealer or other service provider, we recommend that you establish an account with a brokerage firm with which we have an existing relationship. Such relationships may include benefits provided to our firm, including, but not limited to research, market information, and administrative services that help our firm manage your account(s). We believe that recommended broker-dealers provide quality execution services for our clients at competitive prices. Price is not the sole factor we consider in evaluating best execution. We also consider the quality of the brokerage services provided by the recommended broker-dealers, including the value of research provided, the firm’s reputation, execution capabilities, commission rates, and responsiveness to our clients and our firm. You may direct us in writing to use a particular broker-dealer to execute some or all of the transactions for your account. If you do so, you are responsible for negotiating the terms and arrangements for the account with that broker-dealer. We may not be able to negotiate commissions, obtain volume discounts, or best execution. In addition, under these circumstances a difference in commission charges may exist between the commissions charged to clients who direct us to use a particular broker or dealer and other clients who do not direct us to use a particular broker or dealer. Mueller Wealth does not receive client referrals from broker-dealers in exchange for cash or other compensation, such as brokerage services or research. Mueller Wealth does not have any formal soft dollar arrangements. When Mueller Wealth buys or sells the same security for two or more clients (including our personal accounts), we may place concurrent orders to be executed together as a single “block” in order to facilitate orderly and efficient execution. Each client account will be charged or credited with the ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 22 Mueller Wealth, LLC average price per unit. We receive no additional compensation or remuneration of any kind because we aggregate client transactions. No client is favored over any other client. If an order is not completely filled, it is allocated pro-rata based on an allocation statement prepared by Mueller Wealth prior to placing the order. Because of an order’s aggregation, some clients may pay higher transaction costs, or greater spreads, or receive less favorable net prices on transactions than would otherwise be the case if the order had not been aggregated. Special Considerations for ERISA Clients A retirement or ERISA plan client may direct all or part of portfolio transactions for its account through a specific broker or dealer in order to obtain goods or services on behalf of the plan. Such direction is permitted provided that the goods and services provided are reasonable expenses of the plan incurred in the ordinary course of its business for which it otherwise would be obligated and empowered to pay. ERISA prohibits directed brokerage arrangements when the goods or services purchased are not for the exclusive benefit of the plan. Consequently, our firm will request that plan sponsors who direct plan brokerage provide us with a letter documenting that this arrangement will be for the exclusive benefit of the plan. Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans Our Chief Compliance Officer reviews accounts on at least an annual basis for our Asset Management clients. The nature of these reviews is to learn whether client accounts are in line with their investment objectives, appropriately positioned based on market conditions, and investment policies, if applicable. Our firm does not provide written reports to clients, unless asked to do so. Verbal reports to clients take place on at least an annual basis when our Asset Management, clients are contacted. Our firm may review client accounts more frequently than described above. Among the factors which may trigger an off-cycle review are major market or economic events, the client’s life events, requests by the client, etc. Financial Planning clients do not receive reviews of their written plans unless they take action to schedule a financial consultation with us. Our firm does not provide ongoing services to financial planning clients, but are willing to meet with such clients upon their request to discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Financial Planning clients do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their financial plans unless they separately engage our firm for a post-financial plan meeting or update to their initial written financial plan. Retirement Plan Consulting clients receive reviews of their retirement plans for the duration of the service. Our firm also provides ongoing services where clients are met with upon their request to discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Retirement Plan Consulting clients do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their plans unless they choose to engage our firm for ongoing services. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 23 Mueller Wealth, LLC Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation Schwab & Altruist Our firm may recommend Schwab or Altruist to clients for custody and brokerage services. There is no direct link between our firm’s participation in the program and the investment advice given to clients, although we receive economic benefits through our participation in the program that are typically not available to Schwab or Altruist retail investors. These benefits include the following products and services (provided without cost or at a discount): receipt of duplicate client statements and confirmations; research related products and tools; consulting services; access to a trading desk serving our firm’s participants; access to block trading (which provides the ability to aggregate securities transactions for execution and then allocate the appropriate shares to client accounts); the ability to have advisory fees deducted directly from client accounts; access to an electronic communications network for client order entry and account information; access to mutual funds with no transaction fees and to certain institutional money managers; and discounts on compliance, marketing, research, technology, and practice management products or services provided to us by third party vendors. Schwab or Altruist may also have paid for business consulting and professional services received by our firm’s related persons. Some of the products and services made available by Schwab or Altruist through the program may benefit our firm but may not benefit our client accounts. These products or services may assist us in managing and administering client accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab or Altruist. Other services made available by Schwab or Altruist are intended to help us manage and further develop our business enterprise. The benefits received by our firm or our personnel through participation in the program do not depend on the amount of brokerage transactions directed to Schwab or Altruist. As part of our fiduciary duties to our clients, we endeavor at all times to put the interests of our clients first. Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by our firm or our related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence our firm’s choice of Schwab or Altruist for custody and brokerage services. Product Sponsor Funded Events Various product wholesalers provide financial assistance to allow us to sponsor client educational seminars, or attend such seminars hosted by the product sponsor. This money is not directly tied to our use of their products, nor it is contingent upon any future business to be directed to their products, nonetheless it creates a conflict of interest that may incentivize us to utilize their products. Our firm will adhere to our fiduciary duty to act in our client’s best interest when selecting what products to use in client accounts. Referral Fees Our firm does not pay referral fees (non-commission based) to independent solicitors (non- registered representatives) for the referral of their clients to our firm in accordance with relevant state and federal statutes and rules. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 24 Mueller Wealth, LLC Client Directed Referrals Clients may request the services of an accountant or accounting firm, lawyer or law firm, insurance company or agency, pension consultant, real estate broker or dealer or other professional, and our firm may facilitate such a referral. Our firm shall receive no compensation for such a client directed referral. Client Testimonials Our firm does welcome client testimonials via a third-party ratings platform (i.e., Google Reviews) with an invitation for such on our firm’s official website. In keeping with the requirements of the SEC Marketing Rule, we indicate whether those providing the comments are compensated in any way in exchange for their rating and reviews, and our firm, in fact, does not offer direct or indirect compensation for such client testimonials. Item 15: Custody State and federal Securities Bureaus generally take the position that any arrangement under which a registered investment adviser is authorized or permitted to withdraw client funds or securities maintained with a custodian upon the adviser’s instruction to the custodian is deemed to have custody of client funds and securities. As such, our firm has adopted the following safeguarding procedures: a) b) Clients must provide our firm with written authorization permitting direct payment of advisory fees from their account(s) maintained by a custodian who is independent of our firm; The account custodian sends a statement to the client, at least quarterly, showing all account disbursements, including advisory fees. Clients are encouraged to raise any questions with us about the custody, safety or security of their assets and our custodial recommendations. Third Party Money Movement: On February 21, 2017, the SEC issued a no-action letter (“Letter”) with respect to Rule 206(4)-2 (“Custody Rule”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”). The letter provided guidance on the Custody Rule as well as clarified that an adviser who has the power to disburse client funds to a third party under a standing letter of instruction (“SLOA”) is deemed to have custody. As such, our firm has adopted the following safeguards in conjunction with our custodian: • • The client provides an instruction to the qualified custodian, in writing, that includes the client’s signature, the third party’s name, and either the third party’s address or the third party’s account number at a custodian to which the transfer should be directed. The client authorizes the investment adviser, in writing, either on the qualified custodian’s form or separately, to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or from time to time. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 25 Mueller Wealth, LLC • • • • • The client’s qualified custodian performs appropriate verification of the instruction, such as a signature review or other method to verify the client’s authorization, and provides a transfer of funds notice to the client promptly after each transfer. The client has the ability to terminate or change the instruction to the client’s qualified custodian. The investment adviser has no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third party, the address, or any other information about the third party contained in the client’s instruction. The investment adviser maintains records showing that the third party is not a related party of the investment adviser or located at the same address as the investment adviser. The client’s qualified custodian sends the client, in writing, an initial notice confirming the instruction and an annual notice reconfirming the instruction. Item 16: Investment Discretion Clients have the option of providing our firm with investment discretion on their behalf, pursuant to an executed investment advisory client agreement. By granting investment discretion, our firm is authorized to execute securities transactions, determine which securities are bought and sold, and the total amount to be bought and sold. Should clients grant our firm non-discretionary authority, our firm would be required to obtain the client’s permission prior to effecting securities transactions. Limitations may be imposed by the client in the form of specific constraints on any of these areas of discretion with our firm’s written acknowledgement. Item 17: Voting Client Securities Our firm does not accept the proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients will receive proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian or a transfer agent. In the event that proxies are sent to our firm, our firm will forward them to the appropriate client and ask the party who sent them to mail them directly to the client in the future. Clients may call, write or email us to discuss questions they may have about particular proxy votes or other solicitations. Item 18: Financial Information • Our firm is not required to provide financial information in this Brochure because: • • • Our firm does not require the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees when services cannot be rendered within 6 months. Our firm does not take custody of client funds or securities. Our firm does not have a financial condition or commitment that impairs our ability to meet contractual and fiduciary obligations to clients. Our firm has never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 26 Mueller Wealth, LLC Item 19: Requirements for State-Registered Advisers Mueller Wealth, LLC is SEC registered, therefore there is nothing to be disclosed in this section. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 27 Mueller Wealth, LLC

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