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OFC Wealth Management
Firm Brochure – Form ADV Part 2A
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of OFC Wealth
Management. If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at
(973) 258-1007 or by email at: jwaters@ofcwealth.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 OFC Wealth Management is also available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. OFC Wealth Management’s CRD number is: 133846
35 Canoe Brook Road
Short Hills, New Jersey 07078
www.ofcwealth.com
References herein to OFC Wealth Management as a “registered investment adviser” or any reference to
being “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Version Date: February 23, 2026
ITEM 2
MATERIAL CHANGES
There have been no material changes made to this Disclosure Brochure OFC Wealth
Management’s most recent Annual Amendment filing on February 25, 2025.
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ITEM 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Item 2 Material Changes .................................................................................................................................. 2
Item 3
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................. 3
Item 4 Advisory Business .................................................................................................................................... 4
Item 5
Fees and Compensation ................................................................................................................... 12
Item 6
Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management ..................................................... 16
Item 7
Types of Clients ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ................................................... 16
Item 9 Disciplinary Information ...................................................................................................................... 23
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ...................................................................... 23
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading ..... 23
Item 12 Brokerage Practices ............................................................................................................................ 25
Item 13 Review of Accounts ............................................................................................................................ 27
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation ................................................................................... 28
Item 15 Custody .................................................................................................................................................. 28
Item 16
Investment Discretion ......................................................................................................................... 29
Item 17 Voting Client Securities ...................................................................................................................... 29
Item 18 Financial Information .......................................................................................................................... 29
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ITEM 4
ADVISORY BUSINESS
A. OFC Financial Planning, LLC dba OFC Wealth Management (the “Registrant”) is a
limited liability company formed on December 3, 2004 in the State of New Jersey.
The Registrant became registered as an Investment Adviser Firm in February 2005.
The Registrant is owned in equal part by Jeffrey Waters, the Registrant’s Chief
Compliance Officer, and Emily Jaffe.
B. As discussed below, the Registrant offers to its clients (individuals, high net worth
individuals, and business entities, etc.) investment advisory services, and, to the
extent specifically requested by a client, financial planning and related consulting
services.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
The client can determine to engage the Registrant to provide discretionary
investment advisory services on a fee-only basis. The Registrant’s annual
investment advisory fee is based upon a percentage (%) of the market value of
the assets placed under the Registrant’s management. Registrant's annual
investment advisory fee shall include investment advisory services, and, to the
extent specifically requested by the client, financial planning and consulting
services. In the event that the client requires extraordinary planning and/or
consultation services (to be determined in the sole discretion of the Registrant),
the Registrant may determine to charge for such additional services, the dollar
amount of which shall be set forth in a separate written notice to the client.
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE)
To the extent requested by a client, the Registrant may determine to provide
financial planning and/or consulting services (including investment and non-
investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance planning, etc.)
on a stand-alone separate fee basis. Prior to engaging the Registrant to provide
planning or consulting services, clients are generally required to enter into a
Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement with Registrant setting forth the
terms and conditions of the engagement (including termination), describing the
scope of the services to be provided, and the portion of the fee that is due from
the client prior to Registrant commencing services.
Financial Planning and Consulting services can be provided on a one-off basis or
on an ongoing basis through a retainer arrangement. For one-off Financial
Planning and Consulting
relationships, the client engagement generally
concludes at the presentation of the financial plan to the client. Financial Planning
and Consulting relationships under Registrant’s retainer program typically last for
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one-year terms, with at least quarterly reviews of the client’s financial plan and, if
necessary, corresponding updates and revisions to same. Retainer engagements
automatically renew each year, unless terminated in accordance with the terms
and conditions of the client’s Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement.
implementation decisions and
For all Financial Planning and Consulting clients, and to the extent requested by
the client, Registrant may recommend the services of other professionals for
implementation purposes. The client is under no obligation to engage the services
of any such recommended professional. The client retains absolute discretion over
all such
is free to accept or reject any
recommendation from the Registrant.
If the client engages any professional (i. e., attorney, accountant, insurance
agent, etc.), recommended or otherwise, and a dispute arises thereafter relative
to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from the
engaged professional. At all times, the engaged licensed professional(s), and not
Registrant, shall be responsible for the quality and competency of the services
provided.
It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify the Registrant if there is ever
any change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of
reviewing, evaluating or revising Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or
services.
MISCELLANEOUS
reject any
recommendation made by Registrant or
Limitations of Financial Planning and Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation
Services. To the extent requested by a client, Registrant may provide financial
planning and related consulting services regarding non-investment related
matters, such as estate planning, tax planning, insurance, etc. The Registrant does
not serve as a law firm, accounting firm, or insurance agency, and no portion of
Registrant’s services should be construed as legal, accounting, or insurance
implementation services. Accordingly, Registrant does not prepare estate
planning documents, tax returns or sell insurance products. To the extent
requested by a client, Registrant may recommend the services of other
professionals for certain non-investment implementation purposes (i.e., attorneys,
accountants, insurance agents, etc.). Clients are reminded that they are under no
obligation to engage the services of any such recommended professional. The
client retains absolute discretion over all such implementation decisions and is free
to accept or
its
representatives.
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result
Retirement Rollovers – No Obligation / Conflict of Interest. A client or prospective
client leaving an employer typically has four options regarding an existing
retirement plan (and may engage in a combination of these options): (i) leave
the money in the former employer’s plan, if permitted, (ii) roll over the assets to the
new employer’s plan, if one is available and rollovers are permitted, (iii) roll over
to an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”), or (iv) cash out the account value
in adverse tax
(which could, depending upon the client’s age,
consequences). The Registrant does not make recommendations to clients
regarding rollovers. However, if requested, the Registrant may provide certain
educational materials to assist the client. No client is under any obligation to roll
over retirement plan assets to an account managed by Registrant.
Socially Responsible (ESG) Investing Limitations. Socially Responsible Investing
involves the incorporation of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”)
considerations into the investment due diligence process. Registrant does not
maintain or advocate for an ESG investment strategy but will seek to employ ESG
if directed by a client to do so. If implemented, Registrant shall rely upon the
assessments undertaken by the unaffiliated mutual fund, exchange traded fund
or separate account portfolio manager to determine that the fund’s or portfolio’s
underlying company securities meet a socially responsible mandate.
ESG investing incorporates a set of criteria/factors used in evaluating potential
investments: Environmental (i.e., considers how a company safeguards the
environment); Social (i.e., the manner in which a company manages relationships
with its employees, customers, and the communities in which it operates); and
Governance (i.e., company management considerations). The number of
companies that meet an acceptable ESG mandate can be limited when
compared to those that do not and could underperform broad market indices.
Investors must accept these limitations, including potential for underperformance.
Correspondingly, the number of ESG mutual funds and exchange-traded funds
are limited when compared to those that do not maintain such a mandate. As
with any type of investment (including any investment and/or investment
strategies recommended and/or undertaken by Registrant), there can be no
assurance that investment in ESG securities or funds will be profitable or prove
successful.
Interval Funds/Risks and Limitations. Where appropriate, Registrant may utilize
interval funds (and other types of securities that could pose additional risks,
including lack of liquidity and restrictions on withdrawals). An interval fund is a non-
traditional type of mutual fund that periodically offers to buy back a percentage
of outstanding shares from shareholders. Investments in an interval fund involve
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additional risk, including lack of liquidity and restrictions on withdrawals. During any
time periods outside of the specified repurchase offer window(s), investors will be
unable to sell their shares of the interval fund.
There is no assurance that an investor will be able to tender shares when or in the
amount desired. There can also be situations where an interval fund has a limited
amount of capacity to repurchase shares and may not be able to fulfill all
purchase orders. In addition, the eventual sale price for the interval fund could be
less than the interval fund value on the date that the sale was requested.
While an interval fund periodically offers to repurchase a portion of its securities,
there is no guarantee that investors may sell their shares at any given time or in the
desired amount. As interval funds can expose investors to liquidity risk, investors
should consider interval fund shares to be an illiquid investment. Typically, the
interval funds are not listed on any securities exchange and are not publicly
traded. Therefore, there is no secondary market for the fund’s shares.
Because these types of investments involve certain additional risk, these funds will
only be utilized when consistent with a client’s investment objectives, individual
situation, suitability, tolerance for risk and liquidity needs. Investment should be
avoided where an investor has a short-term investing horizon and/or cannot bear
the loss of some, or all, of the investment. There can be no assurance that an
interval fund investment will prove profitable or successful. In light of these
enhanced risks, a client may direct Registrant, in writing, not to purchase interval
funds for the client’s account.
Direct Indexing. Direct indexing involves constructing a portfolio by purchasing
individual securities intended to replicate an intended index or benchmark (e.g.,
S&P, Dow Jones, Russell 2000). Direct indexing allows for customization of an
individual client’s portfolio based upon the client’s personal preferences and
investment objectives. Additional benefits also include the potential to implement
more effective tax-loss harvesting strategies. For those clients who implement
direct indexing as a part of their investment portfolio, their investment adviser will
work with them to determine what portion of their portfolio should be allocated to
track an index or a blend of indices. The Registrant would then invest that portion
of the client’s portfolio into individual equities, ETFs and mutual funds with the goal
of tracking the desired index or benchmark.
Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Assets. For clients who want exposure to
Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, or digital assets, the Registrant will advise the client to
consider a potential investment in corresponding exchange traded securities, or
an allocation to separate account managers and/or private funds that provide
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cryptocurrency exposure. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are digital assets that can
be used for various purposes, including transactions, decentralized applications,
and speculative investments. Most digital assets use blockchain technology, an
advanced cryptographic digital ledger to secure transactions and validate asset
ownership. Unlike conventional currencies issued and regulated by monetary
authorities, cryptocurrencies generally operate without centralized control, and
their value is determined by market supply and demand. While regulatory
oversight of digital assets has evolved significantly since their inception, they
remain subject to variable regulatory treatment globally, which may impact their
risk profile and liquidity. Given that cryptocurrency investments are speculative
and subject to extreme price volatility, liquidity constraints, and the potential for
total loss of principal, the Registrant does not exercise discretionary authority to
purchase cryptocurrency investments for client accounts. Any investment in
cryptocurrencies must be expressly authorized by the client.
The Registrant does not recommend or advocate for the purchase of, or
investment in, Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, or digital assets. Such investments are
considered speculative and carry significant risk. Clients who authorize the
purchase of a cryptocurrency investment must be prepared for the potential for
liquidity constraints, extreme price volatility, regulatory risk, technological risk,
security and custody risk, and complete loss of principal.
Account Aggregation. The Registrant may provide its clients with access to an
online platform hosted by “eMoney Advisor” (“eMoney”) or other similar services
where by clients could view their complete asset allocation, including those assets
that Registrant does not manage (the “Excluded Assets”). Registrant does not
provide investment management, monitoring, or implementation services for the
Excluded Assets. Unless otherwise specifically agreed to, in writing, Registrant’s
service relative to the Excluded Assets is limited to reporting only. Therefore,
Registrant shall not be responsible for the investment performance of the Excluded
Assets. Rather, the client and/or their advisor(s) that maintain management
authority for the Excluded Assets, and not Registrant, shall be exclusively
responsible for such investment performance. Without limiting the above, the
Registrant shall not be responsible for any implementation error (timing, trading,
etc.) relative to the Excluded Assets. The client may choose to engage Registrant
to manage some or all of the Excluded Assets pursuant to the terms and conditions
of an Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and the client.
The eMoney platform also provides access to other types of information and
applications including financial planning concepts and functionality, which
should not, in any manner whatsoever, be construed as services, advice, or
recommendations provided by Registrant. Finally, Registrant shall not be held
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responsible for any adverse results a client may experience if the client engages
in financial planning or other functions available on the eMoney platform without
Registrant’s assistance or oversight.
Portfolio Activity. Registrant has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent with
the client’s best interest. As part of its investment advisory services, Registrant will
review client portfolios on an ongoing basis to determine if any changes are
necessary based upon various factors, including, but not limited to, investment
performance, mutual fund manager tenure, style drift, and/or a change in the
client’s investment objective. Based upon these factors, there may be extended
periods of time when Registrant determines that changes to a client’s portfolio are
neither necessary nor prudent. Clients nonetheless remain subject to the fees
described in Item 5 below during periods of account inactivity. Of course, as
indicated below, there can be no assurance that investment decisions made by
Registrant will be profitable or equal any specific performance level(s).
Use of Mutual Funds. While the Registrant may recommend allocating investment
assets to mutual funds that are not available directly to the public, the Registrant
may also recommend that clients allocate investment assets to publicly available
mutual funds that the client could obtain without engaging Registrant as an
investment adviser. However, if a client or prospective client determines to
allocate investment assets to publicly available mutual funds without engaging
Registrant as an investment adviser, the client or prospective client would not
receive the benefit of Registrant’s initial and ongoing investment advisory services.
Cash Sweep Accounts. Certain account custodians can require that cash
proceeds from account transactions or new deposits, be swept to and/or initially
maintained in a specific custodian designated sweep account. The yield on the
sweep account will generally be lower than those available for other money
market accounts. When this occurs, to help mitigate the corresponding yield
dispersion Registrant shall (usually within 30 days thereafter) generally (with
exceptions) purchase a higher yielding money market fund (or other type security)
available on the custodian’s platform, unless Registrant reasonably anticipates
that it will utilize the cash proceeds during the subsequent 30-day period to
purchase additional investments for the client’s account. Exceptions and/or
modifications can and will occur with respect to all or a portion of the cash
balances for various reasons, including, but not limited to the amount of dispersion
between the sweep account and a money market fund, the size of the cash
balance, an indication from the client of an imminent need for such cash, or the
client has a demonstrated history of writing checks from the account.
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The above does not apply to the cash component maintained within a Registrant
actively managed investment strategy (the cash balances for which shall
generally remain in the custodian designated cash sweep account), an indication
from the client of a need for access to such cash, assets allocated to an
unaffiliated investment manager and cash balances maintained for fee billing
purposes.
The client shall remain exclusively responsible for yield dispersion/cash balance
decisions and corresponding transactions for cash balances maintained in any
Registrant unmanaged accounts.
Cash Positions. Registrant continues to treat cash as an asset class. As such, unless
determined to the contrary by Registrant, all cash positions (money markets, etc.)
shall continue to be included as part of assets under management for purposes of
calculating Registrant’s advisory fee. At any specific point in time, depending
upon perceived or anticipated market conditions/events (there being no
guarantee that such anticipated market conditions/events will occur), Registrant
may maintain cash positions for defensive purposes. In addition, while assets are
maintained in cash, such amounts could miss market advances. Depending upon
current yields, at any point in time, Registrant’s advisory fee could exceed the
interest paid by the client’s money market fund.
Conflict Disclosure. California Code of Regulations Section 260.238 (k) provides
that failing to disclose to a client in writing before entering or renewing an advisory
agreement with that client any material conflicts of interest regarding the
investment adviser, its representatives or any of its employees, which could be
reasonably expected to impair the rendering of unbiased and objective advice
does not promote “fair, equitable or ethical principles.” Accordingly, Registrant
has disclosed its material conflicts of interest herein and provides this written
disclosure statement prior to or at the time of executing or renewing an advisory
agreement as a means of disclosing its material conflicts of interest to clients.
Artificial Intelligence. The Registrant may use certain Artificial Intelligence (“AI”)
tools in connection with its investment advisory services. The Registrant has
adopted an AI Policy that governs the appropriate use of AI tools to ensure that
the Registrant and its employees abide by their fiduciary duty and comply with all
applicable regulations. AI tools are not used by the Registrant as a substitute for
professional judgment by the Registrant or its employees, and all AI generated
output is reviewed by the Registrant for accuracy. All investment decisions and
recommendations are made and approved by the Registrant. The use of AI tools
does not guarantee the accuracy of analyses or the success of any investment
strategy. Clients should not assume that reliance on AI tools results in better
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performance or reduces risk. AI tools involve limitations and risks that the Registrant
monitors and manages. These risks include, but are not limited to, data security
concerns, potential inaccuracies, and possible algorithmic biases. To mitigate
these risks, the Registrant has implemented controls such as pre-approval
requirements for AI tools, restrictions on providing nonpublic personal information
to public AI systems, vendor due diligence, review of AI-generated materials, and
employee training on appropriate AI usage.
Cybersecurity Risk. The information technology systems and networks that
Registrant and its third-party service providers use to provide services to
Registrant’s clients employ various controls that are designed to prevent
cybersecurity incidents stemming from intentional or unintentional actions that
could cause significant interruptions in Registrant’s operations and/or result in the
unauthorized acquisition or use of clients’ confidential or non-public personal
information. Clients and Registrant are nonetheless subject to the risk of
cybersecurity incidents that could ultimately cause them to incur financial losses
and/or other adverse consequences. Although the Registrant has established
processes to reduce the risk of cybersecurity incidents, there is no guarantee that
these efforts will always be successful, especially considering that the Registrant
does not control the cybersecurity measures and policies employed by third-party
service providers, issuers of securities, broker-dealers, qualified custodians,
governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchanges and other financial
market operators and providers.
Client Privacy and Confidentiality. The Registrant maintains policies and
procedures designed to help protect the confidentiality and security of client
nonpublic personal information (“NPPI”). NPPI includes, but is not limited to, social
security numbers, credit or debit card numbers, state identification card numbers,
driver’s
license number and account numbers. The Registrant maintains
administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect such
information from unauthorized access, use, loss, or destruction. These safeguards
include controls relating to data access, information security, and incident
response, and are reviewed to address changes in risk and business. Client
information may be disclosed in response to regulatory requests, legal obligations,
or as otherwise permitted by law, and any such disclosure is made in accordance
with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
The Registrant may engage non-affiliated service providers in connection with
providing advisory services, and such providers may have access to client NPPI,
as necessary, to perform their functions. The Registrant confirms that service
providers maintain safeguards designed to protect client information from
unauthorized access or use and provide notice to the Registrant in the event of a
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cybersecurity incident involving client information maintained by the service
provider. While the Registrant maintains policies and procedures designed to
protect client information, such measures cannot eliminate all risk. The Registrant
will notify clients in the event of a data breach involving their NPPI as may be
required by applicable state and federal laws.
Client Obligations. In performing its services, Registrant shall not be required to
verify any information received from the client or from the client’s other
designated professionals, and is expressly authorized to rely thereon. Moreover,
each client is advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify
Registrant if there is ever any change in their financial situation or investment
objectives for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising Registrant’s previous
recommendations and/or services.
Disclosure Statement. A copy of Registrant’s written disclosure statement as set
forth on Part 2 of Form ADV shall be provided to each client prior to, or
contemporaneously with, the execution of the Investment Advisory Agreement or
Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement.
C. The Registrant shall provide investment advisory services specific to the needs of
each client. Prior to providing investment advisory services, an investment adviser
representative will ascertain each client’s investment objective(s). Thereafter, the
Registrant shall allocate and/or recommend that the client allocate investment
assets consistent with the designated investment objective(s). The client may, at
any time, impose reasonable restrictions, in writing, on the Registrant’s services.
D. The Registrant does not participate in a wrap fee program.
E. As of December 31, 2025, the Registrant had $182,825,805 assets under
management on a discretionary basis.
ITEM 5
FEES AND COMPENSATION
A. INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
If a client determines to engage the Registrant to provide discretionary investment
advisory services on a fee-only basis, the Registrant’s annual investment advisory
fee shall be based upon a percentage (%) of the market value and type of assets
placed under the Registrant’s management (between 0.35% and 1.00%) as
follows:
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Annual Percentage
Assets Under
Management
$0 - $1,000,000.00
1.00%
0.75%
$1,000,001 to
$3,000,000
$3,000,001 - $5,000,000
0.50%
0.35%
Greater than
$5,000,000
For example, a client placing $1,500,000 under Registrant’s management would
be assessed an annual fee of 1.00% on the first $1,000,000 and 0.75% on the
remaining $500,000.
Registrant's annual investment advisory fee shall include investment advisory
services, and, to the extent specifically requested by the client, financial planning
and consulting services. In the event that the client requires extraordinary planning
and/or consultation services (to be determined in the sole discretion of the
Registrant), the Registrant may determine to charge for such additional services,
the dollar amount of which shall be set forth in a separate written notice to the
client.
Registrant believes that it is important for the client to address financial planning
issues on an ongoing basis. Registrant’s advisory fee, as set forth above, will remain
the same regardless of whether or not the client determines to address financial
planning issues with Registrant.
Registrant, in its sole discretion, may charge a lesser investment advisory fee
and/or charge a flat fee based upon certain criteria (i.e., anticipated future
earning capacity, anticipated future additional assets, dollar amount of assets to
be managed, related accounts, account composition, prior fee schedules,
competition, negotiations with client, etc.).
As result of the above, similarly situated clients could pay different fees. In addition,
similar advisory services may be available from other investment advisers for similar
or lower fees.
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FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE)
To the extent specifically requested by a client, the Registrant may determine to
provide financial planning and/or consulting services (including investment and
non-investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance planning,
etc.) on a stand-alone fee basis.
For one-off financial planning and consulting engagements, Registrant’s planning
and consulting fees are negotiable, but generally will range from $3,000 to $10,000
on a fixed fee basis, or on an hourly rate basis, ranging up to $500 per hour,
depending upon the level and scope of the service(s) required and the
professional(s) rendering the service(s). For fixed fee planning engagements, up
to fifty percent (50%) of the estimate total fee, to be determined at the time of
engagement, may be required at the execution of a Financial Planning and
Consulting Agreement, with the remaining balance due upon delivery of the
financial plan.
For retainer-based engagements, the client will be required to pay an initial
engagement fee, as well as equal recurring monthly fees, the amounts of which
shall be set forth in the client’s Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement. The
initial engagement fee is due at the time of execution of the Financial Planning
and Consulting Agreement, while the ongoing monthly fee shall be paid in
advance of each month during the term of the engagement.
in compliance with
B. Clients may elect to have the Registrant’s advisory fees deducted from their
custodial account. Both Registrant's Investment Advisory Agreement and the
custodial/clearing agreement may authorize the custodian to debit the account
for the amount of the Registrant's investment advisory fee and to directly remit
that management fee to the Registrant
regulatory
procedures. In the limited event that the Registrant bills the client directly,
payment is due upon receipt of the Registrant’s invoice. The Registrant shall
deduct fees and/or bill clients quarterly in advance, based upon the market value
of the assets on the last business day of the previous quarter.
Standalone financial planning clients can elect to be invoiced separately for
financial planning fees. The method of payment shall be set forth in the client’s
Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement.
C. As discussed below, unless the client directs otherwise or an individual client’s
circumstances require, the Registrant shall generally recommend that Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) serves as the broker-dealer/custodian for client
investment management assets. Broker-dealers such as Schwab charge
brokerage commissions, transaction, and/or other type fees for effecting certain
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types of securities transactions (i.e., including transaction fees for certain mutual
funds, and mark-ups and mark-downs charged for fixed income transactions,
etc.). The types of securities for which transaction fees, commissions, and/or other
type fees (as well as the amount of those fees) shall differ depending upon the
broker-dealer/custodian. While certain custodians, including Schwab, generally
(with the potential exception for large orders) do not currently charge fees on
individual equity transactions (including ETFs), others do.
There can be no assurance that Schwab will not change their transaction fee
pricing in the future. Schwab may also assess fees to clients who elect to receive
trade confirmations and account statements by regular mail rather than
electronically.
D. Registrant's annual investment advisory fee shall be prorated and paid quarterly,
in advance. The fee for the initial quarter shall be based upon the market value of
the assets placed under Registrant’s management. Thereafter, the fee for
subsequent quarters shall be based upon the market value of the assets on the
last business day of the previous quarter.
Registrant will make fee adjustments for account deposits or withdrawals of
$100,000 or more during the course of a fee period. For deposits, this will result in
an additional fee on the amount deposited, prorated from the date of deposit.
For withdrawals, the Registrant will either provide a prorated refund of the fee
attributable to the withdrawn assets or will otherwise apply such amount as a
credit to the client’s subsequent quarterly fee, as agreed upon with the client.
The Registrant, in its sole discretion, may charge a lesser investment management
fee based upon certain criteria (i.e., anticipated future earning capacity,
anticipated future additional assets, dollar amount of assets to be managed,
related accounts, account composition, negotiations with client, etc.).
The Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and the client will
continue in effect until terminated by either party by written notice in accordance
with the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement. Upon termination, the
Registrant shall refund the pro-rated portion of the advanced advisory fee paid
based upon the number of days remaining in the billing quarter.
As discussed in Item 4 above, standalone one-off financial planning and
consulting engagements generally conclude at the presentation of the financial
plan to the client. For retainer-based financial planning clients, each agreement
term lasts for a complete year, and each term automatically renews on an annual
basis. If the client terminates their retainer engagement in the middle of a one-
year term, such termination will become effective as of the term renewal date,
15
is generally
the date
the agreement was originally executed.
which
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the client terminates its retainer engagement for
the purpose of engaging Registrant for ongoing discretionary investment advisory
services, the retainer agreement will automatically terminate and no further fees
shall accrue to the client under the retainer engagement.
E. Neither the Registrant, nor its representatives accept compensation from the sale
of securities or other investment products.
ITEM 6
PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
Neither the Registrant nor any supervised person of the Registrant accepts
performance-based fees.
ITEM 7
TYPES OF CLIENTS
The Registrant’s clients shall generally include individuals, high net worth
individuals, business entities, and charitable organizations.
ITEM 8
METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS
A. The Registrant may utilize the following methods of security analysis:
Fundamental - (analysis performed on historical and present data, with the
goal of making financial forecasts)
Technical – (analysis performed on historical and present data, focusing on
price and trade volume, to forecast the direction of prices)
Cyclical – (analysis performed on historical relationships between price and
market trends, to forecast the direction of prices)
The Registrant may utilize the following investment strategies when implementing
investment advice given to clients:
Long Term Purchases (securities held at least a year)
Short Term Purchases (securities sold within a year)
Trading (securities sold within thirty (30) days)
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Options (contract for the purchase or sale of a security at a predetermined
price during a specific period of time)
Investment Risk. Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be
prepared to bear. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk,
and it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment
or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies
recommended or undertaken by the Registrant) will be profitable or equal any
specific performance level(s).
B. The Registrant’s methods of analysis and investment strategies do not present any
significant or unusual risks.
However, every method of analysis has its own inherent risks. To perform an
accurate market analysis the Registrant must have access to current/new market
information. The Registrant has no control over the dissemination rate of market
information; therefore, unbeknownst to the Registrant, certain analyses may be
compiled with outdated market information, severely limiting the value of the
Registrant’s analysis. Furthermore, an accurate market analysis can only produce
a forecast of the direction of market values. There can be no assurances that a
forecasted change in market value will materialize into actionable and/or
profitable investment opportunities.
The Registrant’s primary investment strategies - Long Term Purchases, Short Term
Purchases, and Trading - are fundamental investment strategies. However, every
investment strategy has its own inherent risks and limitations. For example, longer-
term investment strategies require a longer investment time period to allow for the
strategy to potentially develop. Shorter term investment strategies require a shorter
investment time period to potentially develop but, as a result of more frequent
trading, may incur higher transactional costs when compared to a longer-term
investment strategy. Trading, an investment strategy that requires the purchase
and sale of securities within a thirty (30) day investment time period, involves a very
short investment time period but will incur higher transaction costs when
compared to a short term investment strategy and substantially higher transaction
costs than a longer-term investment strategy.
In addition to the fundamental investment strategies discussed above, the
Registrant may also implement and/or recommend options transactions. This
strategy has a high level of inherent risk. (See discussion below).
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Borrowing Against Assets/Risks. A client who has a need to borrow money could
determine to do so by using:
Margin-The account custodian or broker-dealer lends money to
the client. The custodian charges the client interest for the right
to borrow money, and uses the assets in the client’s brokerage
account as collateral; and,
Pledged Assets Loan- In consideration for a lender (i.e., a bank,
etc.) to make a loan to the client, the client pledges its
investment assets held at the account custodian as collateral;
These above-described collateralized loans are generally utilized because they
typically provide more favorable interest rates than standard commercial loans.
These types of collateralized loans can assist with a pending home purchase,
permit the retirement of more expensive debt, or enable borrowing in lieu of
liquidating existing account positions and incurring capital gains taxes. However,
such loans are not without potential material risk to the client’s investment assets.
The lender (i.e., custodian, bank, etc.) will have recourse against the client’s
investment assets in the event of loan default or if the assets fall below a certain
level. For this reason, Registrant does not recommend such borrowing unless it is
for specific short-term purposes (i.e., a bridge loan to purchase a new residence).
Registrant does not recommend such borrowing for investment purposes (i.e., to
invest borrowed funds in the market). Regardless, if the client was to determine to
utilize margin or a pledged assets loan, the following economic benefits would
inure to Registrant:
by taking the loan rather than liquidating assets in the client’s account,
Registrant continues to earn a fee on such Account assets; and,
if the client invests any portion of the loan proceeds in an account to
be managed by Registrant, Registrant will receive an advisory fee on
the invested amount; and,
if Registrant’s advisory fee is based upon the higher margined account
value, Registrant will earn a correspondingly higher advisory fee. This
could provide Registrant with a disincentive to encourage the client to
discontinue the use of margin.
the above
risks and potential corresponding
The Client must accept
consequences associated with the use of margin or a pledged asset loan.
Options Strategies.
The Registrant may engage in options transactions for the purpose of hedging risk
and/or generating portfolio income. The use of options transactions as an
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investment strategy can involve a high level of inherent risk. Option transactions
establish a contract between two parties concerning the buying or selling of an
asset at a predetermined price during a specific period of time. During the term
of the option contract, the buyer of the option gains the right to demand
fulfillment by the seller. Fulfillment may take the form of either selling or purchasing
a security, depending upon the nature of the option contract. Generally, the
purchase or sale of an option contract shall be with the intent of “hedging” a
potential market risk in a client’s portfolio and/or generating income for a client’s
portfolio.
Certain options-related strategies (i.e., straddles, short positions, etc.), may, in and
of themselves, produce principal volatility and/or risk. Thus, a client must be willing
to accept these enhanced volatility and principal risks associated with such
strategies. In light of these enhanced risks, client may direct Registrant, in writing,
not to employ any or all such strategies for their account(s).
There can be no guarantee that an options strategy will achieve its objective or
prove successful. No client is under any obligation to enter into any option
transactions. However, if the client does so, they must be prepared to accept the
potential for unintended or undesired consequences (i.e., losing ownership of the
security, incurring capital gains taxes).
Covered Call Writing.
Covered call writing is the sale of in-, at-, or out-of-the-money call options against
a long security position held in a client portfolio. This type of transaction is intended
to generate income. It also serves to create partial downside protection in the
event the security position declines in value. Income is received from the proceeds
of the option sale. Such income may be reduced or lost to the extent it is
determined to buy back the option position before its expiration. There can be no
assurance that the security will not be called away by the option buyer, which will
result in the client (option writer) to lose ownership in the security and incur
potential unintended tax consequences. Covered call strategies are generally
better suited for positions with lower price volatility.
C. Currently, the Registrant primarily allocates client investment assets among various
individual equity (stocks), debt (bonds) and fixed income securities, mutual funds
and/or exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), on a discretionary basis in accordance
with the client’s designated investment objective(s).
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Risks associated with these asset types include:
1. Interest-rate Risk: Fluctuations in interest rates may cause investment prices
to fluctuate. For example, when interest rates rise, yields on existing bonds
become less attractive, causing their market values to decline.
2. Market Risk: The price of a security, bond, or mutual fund may drop in
reaction to tangible and intangible events and conditions. This type of risk
may be caused by external factors independent of the fund’s specific
investments as well as due to the fund’s specific investments. Additionally,
each security’s price will fluctuate based on market movement and
emotion, which may, or may not be due to the security’s operations or
changes in its true value. For example, political, economic and social
conditions may trigger market events which are temporarily negative, or
temporarily positive.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Market Risk (Systematic Risk): Even a long-term investment approach
cannot guarantee a profit. Economic, political, and issuer-specific events
will cause the value of securities to rise or fall. Because the value of your
portfolio will fluctuate, there is a risk that you will lose money.
7. Unsystematic Risk: Unsystematic risk is the company-specific or industry-
specific risk in a portfolio. The combination of systematic (market risk) and
unsystematic risk is defined as the portfolio risk that the investor bears. While
the investor can do little to reduce systematic risk, he or she can affect
unsystematic risk. Unsystematic risk may be significantly reduced through
diversification. However, even a portfolio of well-diversified assets cannot
escape all risk.
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8. Credit Risk: Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security may be unable
to make
interest payments and/or repay principal when due. A
downgrade to an issuer’s credit rating or a perceived change in an issuer’s
financial strength may affect a security’s value, and thus, impact
performance. Credit risk is greater for fixed income securities with ratings
below investment grade (BB or below by Standard & Poor’s Rating Group
or Ba or below by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.). Fixed income securities
that are below investment grade involve higher credit risk and are
considered speculative.
9. Income Risk: Income risk is the risk that falling interest rates will cause the
investment’s income to decline.
10. Call Risk: Call risk is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, a bond
issuer will call or repay a higher-yielding bond before its maturity date,
forcing the investment to reinvest in bonds with lower interest rates than the
original obligations.
11. Purchasing Power Risk: Purchasing power risk is the risk that your
investment’s value will decline as the price of goods rises (inflation). The
investment’s value itself does not decline, but its relative value does, which
is the same thing. Inflation can happen for a variety of complex reasons,
including a growing economy and a rising money supply. Rising inflation
means that if you have $1,000 and inflation rises 5 percent in a year, your
$1,000 has lost 5 percent of its value, as it cannot buy what it could buy a
year previous.
12. Political Risks: Most investments have a global component, even domestic
stocks. Political events anywhere in the world may have unforeseen
consequences to markets around the world.
industries are more susceptible to government
13. Regulatory Risk: Changes in laws and regulations from any government can
change the market value of companies subject to such regulations.
Certain
regulation.
Changes in zoning, tax structure or laws impact the return on these
investments.
14. Risks Related to Investment Term: Securities do not follow a straight line up
in value. All securities will have periods of time when the current price of
the security is not what we believe it is truly worth. If you require us to
liquidate your portfolio during one of these periods, you will not realize as
much value as you would have had the investment had the opportunity to
regain its value.
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An investment in a mutual fund or ETF involves risk, including the loss of principal.
Mutual fund and ETF shareholders are necessarily subject to the risks stemming
from the individual issuers of the fund’s underlying portfolio securities. Such
shareholders are also liable for taxes on any fund-level capital gains, as ETFs and
mutual funds are required by law to distribute capital gains in the event they sell
securities for a profit that cannot be offset by a corresponding loss. As such, a
mutual fund or ETF client or investor may incur substantial tax liabilities even when
the fund underperforms.
Shares of mutual funds are distributed and redeemed on an ongoing basis by the
fund itself or a broker acting on its behalf. The trading price at which a share is
transacted is equal to a fund’s stated daily per share net asset value (“NAV”), plus
any shareholders fees (e.g., sales loads, purchase fees, redemption fees). The per-
share NAV of a mutual fund is calculated at the end of each business day,
although the actual NAV fluctuates with intraday changes in the market value of
the fund’s holdings. The trading prices of a mutual fund’s shares may differ
significantly from the NAV during periods of market volatility, which may, among
other factors, lead to the mutual fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount
to NAV.
Mutual funds are funds that are operated by an investment company that raises
money from shareholders and invests it in stocks, bonds, and/or other types of
securities. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund's investments in
accordance with the fund's investment objective. The mutual funds charge a
separate management fee for their services. The returns on mutual funds can be
reduced by the costs to manage the funds. While mutual funds generally provide
diversification, risks can be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a
particular sector of the market. Mutual funds come in many varieties. Some invest
aggressively for capital appreciation, while others are conservative and are
designed to generate income for shareholders.
Shares of ETFs are listed on securities exchanges and transacted at negotiated
prices in the secondary market. Generally, ETF shares trade at or near their most
recent NAV, which is generally calculated at least once daily for indexed-based
ETFs and more frequently for actively managed ETFs. However, certain
inefficiencies may cause the shares to trade at a premium or discount to their pro-
rata NAV. There is also no guarantee that an active secondary market for such
shares will develop or continue to exist. While clients and investors may be able to
sell their ETF shares on an exchange, ETFs generally only redeems shares directly
from shareholders when aggregated as creation units (usually 50,000 shares or
more). Therefore, if a liquid secondary market ceases to exist for shares of a
particular ETF, a shareholder may have no way to dispose of such shares.
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ITEM 9
DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
A. Neither the Registrant, nor its management persons, have been the subject of any
reportable civil or criminal matters.
B. Neither the Registrant, nor its management persons, have been the subject of any
reportable disciplinary matters brought by the SEC, any federal regulatory
agency, any state regulatory agency, or any foreign financial regulatory authority.
C. Neither the Registrant, nor its management persons, have been the subject of any
reportable disciplinary matters brought by any self-regulatory organization.
ITEM 10
OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
A. Neither the Registrant, nor its representatives, are registered or have an
application pending to register, as a broker-dealer or a registered representative
of a broker-dealer.
B. Neither the Registrant, nor its representatives, are registered or have an
application pending to register, as a futures commission merchant, commodity
pool operator, a commodity trading advisor, or a representative of the foregoing.
C. The Registrant has no other relationship or arrangement with a related person that
is material to its advisory business.
D. The Registrant does not receive, directly or indirectly, compensation from
investment advisors that it recommends or selects for its clients.
ITEM 11
CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT
TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL TRADING
A. The Registrant maintains an investment policy relative to personal securities
transactions. This investment policy is part of Registrant’s overall Code of Ethics,
which serves to establish a standard of business conduct for all of Registrant’s
Representatives that is based upon fundamental principles of openness, integrity,
honesty and trust, a copy of which is available upon request.
In accordance with Section 204A of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the
Registrant also maintains and enforces written policies reasonably designed to
23
prevent the misuse of material non-public information by the Registrant or any
person associated with the Registrant.
B. Neither the Registrant nor any related person of Registrant recommends, buys, or
sells for client accounts, securities in which the Registrant or any related person of
Registrant has a material financial interest.
C. The Registrant and/or representatives of the Registrant may buy or sell securities
that are also recommended to clients. This practice may create a situation where
the Registrant and/or representatives of the Registrant are in a position to
materially benefit from the sale or purchase of those securities. Therefore, this
situation creates a potential conflict of interest. Practices such as “scalping” (i.e.,
a practice whereby the owner of shares of a security recommends that security
for investment and then immediately sells it at a profit upon the rise in the market
price which follows the recommendation) could take place if the Registrant did
not have adequate policies in place to detect such activities. In addition, this
requirement can help detect insider trading, “front-running” (i.e., personal trades
executed prior to those of the Registrant’s clients) and other potentially abusive
practices.
The Registrant has a personal securities transaction policy in place to monitor the
personal securities transactions and securities holdings of each of the Registrant’s
“Access Persons”. The Registrant’s securities transaction policy requires that an
Access Person of the Registrant must provide the Chief Compliance Officer or
his/her designee with a written report of their current securities holdings within ten
(10) days after becoming an Access Person. Additionally, each Access Person
must provide the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee with a written
report of the Access Person’s current securities holdings at least once each twelve
(12) month period thereafter on a date the Registrant selects; provided, however
that at any time that the Registrant has only one Access Person, he or she shall not
be required to submit any securities report described above.
D. The Registrant and/or representatives of the Registrant may buy or sell securities,
at or around the same time as those securities are recommended to clients. This
practice creates a situation where the Registrant and/or representatives of the
Registrant are in a position to materially benefit from the sale or purchase of those
securities. Therefore, this situation creates a potential conflict of interest. As
indicated above in Item 11 C, the Registrant has a personal securities transaction
policy in place to monitor the personal securities transaction and securities
holdings of each of Registrant’s Access Persons.
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ITEM 12
BROKERAGE PRACTICES
shall manage
the client's assets, and a
A. In the event that the client requests that the Registrant recommend a broker-
dealer/custodian for execution and/or custodial services (exclusive of those
clients that may direct the Registrant to use a specific broker-dealer/custodian),
Registrant generally recommends that investment management accounts be
maintained at Schwab. Prior to engaging Registrant to provide investment
management services, the client will be required to enter into a formal Investment
Advisory Agreement with Registrant setting forth the terms and conditions under
separate
which Registrant
custodial/clearing agreement with each designated broker-dealer/custodian.
the Registrant determines,
in good
faith,
that
rates, and
transaction
fees charged by
Factors that the Registrant considers in recommending Schwab (or another
broker-dealer/custodian, investment platform and/or mutual fund sponsor)
include historical relationship with the Registrant, financial strength, reputation,
execution capabilities, pricing, research, and service. Although the commissions
and/or transaction fees paid by Registrant's clients shall comply with the
Registrant's duty to seek best execution, a client may pay a commission that is
higher than another qualified broker-dealer might charge to effect the same
the
transaction where
commission/transaction fee is reasonable. In seeking best execution, the
determinative factor is not the lowest possible cost, but whether the transaction
represents the best qualitative execution, taking into consideration the full range
of a broker-dealer’s services, including the value of research provided, execution
capability, commission
responsiveness. Accordingly, although
Registrant will seek competitive rates, it may not necessarily obtain the lowest
possible commission rates for client account transactions. The brokerage
commissions or
the designated broker-
dealer/custodian are exclusive of, and in addition to, Registrant's investment
management fee. The Registrant’s best execution responsibility is qualified if
securities that it purchases for client accounts are mutual funds that trade at net
asset value as determined at the daily market close.
1. Non-Soft Dollar Research and Benefits
Although not a material consideration when determining whether to
recommend that a client utilize the services of a particular broker-
dealer/custodian, Registrant can receive from Schwab (or another broker-
dealer/custodian, investment manager, platform or fund sponsor, or vendor)
without cost (and/or at a discount) support services and/or products, certain
of which assist the Registrant to better monitor and service client accounts
maintained at such institutions. Included within the support services that may
25
be obtained by the Registrant can be investment-related research, pricing
information and market data, software and other technology that provide
access to client account data, compliance and/or practice management-
related publications, discounted or gratis consulting services, discounted
and/or gratis attendance at conferences, meetings, and other educational
and/or social events, marketing support, computer hardware and/or software
and/or other products used by Registrant in furtherance of its investment
advisory business operations.
Certain of the above support services and/or products assist the Registrant in
managing and administering client accounts. Others do not directly provide
such assistance, but rather assist the Registrant to manage and further develop
its business enterprise.
There is no corresponding commitment made by the Registrant to Schwab or
any other entity to invest any specific amount or percentage of client assets in
any specific mutual funds, securities, or other investment products as a result
of the above arrangement.
The Registrant’s Chief Compliance Officer, Jeffrey Waters, remains available to
address any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding
the above arrangement and any corresponding conflict of interest such
arrangement creates.
2. The Registrant does not receive referrals from broker-dealers.
3. The Registrant does not generally accept directed brokerage arrangements
(when a client requires that account transactions be effected through a
specific broker-dealer). In such client directed arrangements, the client will
negotiate terms and arrangements for their account with that broker-dealer,
and Registrant will not seek better execution services or prices from other
broker-dealers or be able to "batch" the client's transactions for execution
through other broker-dealers with orders for other accounts managed by
Registrant. As a result, client may pay higher commissions or other transaction
costs or greater spreads, or receive less favorable net prices, on transactions
for the account than would otherwise be the case.
through a
specific broker-dealer,
4. In the event that the client directs Registrant to effect securities transactions for
the client's accounts
the client
correspondingly acknowledges that such direction may cause the accounts
to incur higher commissions or transaction costs than the accounts would
otherwise incur had the client determined to effect account transactions
26
through alternative clearing arrangements that may be available through
Registrant. Higher transaction costs adversely impact account performance.
Transactions for directed accounts will generally be executed following the
execution of portfolio transactions for non-directed accounts.
B. To the extent that the Registrant provides investment management services to its
clients, the transactions for each client account generally will be effected
independently, unless the Registrant decides to purchase or sell the same
securities for several clients at approximately the same time. The Registrant may
(but is not obligated to) combine or “bunch” such orders to seek best execution,
to negotiate more favorable commission rates or to allocate equitably among the
Registrant’s clients differences in prices and commissions or other transaction costs
that might have been obtained had such orders been placed independently.
Under this procedure, transactions will be averaged as to price and will be
allocated among clients in proportion to the purchase and sale orders placed for
each client account on any given day. The Registrant shall not receive any
additional compensation or remuneration as a result of such aggregation.
ITEM 13
REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
A. For those clients to whom Registrant provides investment supervisory services,
account reviews are conducted on an ongoing basis by the Registrant's Principals
and/or representatives. All investment supervisory clients are advised that it
remains their responsibility to advise the Registrant of any changes in their
investment objectives and/or financial situation. All clients (in person or via
telephone) are encouraged to review financial planning issues (to the extent
applicable), investment objectives and account performance with the Registrant
on an annual basis.
B. The Registrant may conduct account reviews on an other than periodic basis
upon the occurrence of a triggering event, such as a change in client investment
objectives and/or financial situation, market corrections and client request.
C. Clients are provided, at least quarterly, with written transaction confirmation
notices and regular written summary account statements directly from the broker-
dealer/custodian and/or program sponsor for the client accounts. The Registrant
may also provide a written periodic report summarizing account activity and
performance.
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ITEM 14
CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION
A. As referenced in Item 12.A.1 above, the Registrant may receive an economic
benefit from Schwab. Specifically, the Registrant, without cost (and/or at a
discount), may receive support services and/or products from Schwab.
There is no corresponding commitment made by the Registrant to Schwab or any
other entity to invest any specific amount or percentage of client assets in any
specific mutual funds, securities or other investment products as a result of the
above arrangement.
B. The Registrant does not compensate, directly or indirectly, any person, other than
its representatives, for client referrals.
ITEM 15
CUSTODY
The Registrant is deemed to have custody of client funds and securities solely as a
consequence of its ability to make withdrawals from client accounts to pay
Registrant’s advisory fees. Accordingly, the Registrant obtains written authority
from each client in order to deduct Registrant’s fees in this manner. Each time a
fee is directly deducted from a client account, the Registrant concurrently:
1. Sends the client’s custodian an invoice or statement of the amount of
the fee to be deducted from the client's account; and
2. Sends the client an invoice or statement itemizing the fee. Itemization
includes the formula used to calculate the fee, the value of the assets
under management on which the fee is based, and the time period
covered by the fee.
Clients are also provided, at least quarterly, with written transaction confirmation
notices and regular written summary account statements directly from the broker-
dealer/custodian and/or program sponsor for the client accounts. The Registrant
may also provide a written periodic report summarizing account activity and
performance.
To the extent that the Registrant provides clients with periodic account statements
or reports, the client is urged to compare any statement or report provided by the
Registrant with the account statements received from the account custodian.
28
The account custodian does not verify the accuracy of the Registrant’s advisory
fee calculation.
ITEM 16
INVESTMENT DISCRETION
The client can determine to engage the Registrant to provide investment advisory
services on a discretionary basis. Prior to the Registrant assuming discretionary
authority over a client’s account, the client shall be required to execute an
Investment Advisory Agreement, naming the Registrant as the client’s attorney
and agent in fact, granting the Registrant full authority to buy, sell, or otherwise
effect investment transactions involving the assets in the client’s name found in
the discretionary account.
Clients who engage the Registrant on a discretionary basis may, at any time,
impose restrictions, in writing, on the Registrant’s discretionary authority (i.e., limit
the types/amounts of particular securities purchased for their account, exclude
the ability to purchase securities with an inverse relationship to the market, limit or
proscribe the Registrant’s use of margin, etc.).
ITEM 17
VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
A. The Registrant does not vote client proxies. Clients maintain exclusive responsibility
for: (1) directing the manner in which proxies solicited by issuers of securities
beneficially owned by the client shall be voted, and (2) making all elections
relative to any mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings or
other type events pertaining to the client’s investment assets.
B. Clients will receive their proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian.
Clients may contact the Registrant to discuss any questions they may have with a
particular solicitation.
ITEM 18
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
A. The Registrant does not solicit fees of more than $1,200, per client, six months or
more in advance.
B. The Registrant is unaware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to
impair its ability to meet its contractual commitments relating to its discretionary
authority over certain client accounts.
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C. The Registrant has not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition.
The Registrant’s Chief Compliance Officer, Jeffrey Waters, remains available to
address any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the
above disclosures and arrangements.
30