Overview
- Headquarters
- Omaha, NE
- Total Firm Assets
- $64.8 billion
- Average High-Net-Worth Client Portfolio Size
- $1.0 million
- Minimum Account Size
- $1,000,000
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (ORION PORTFOLIO SOLUTIONS, LLC WRAP FEE BROCHURE)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $100,000 | 0.35% |
| $100,001 | $250,000 | 0.30% |
| $250,001 | $1,000,000 | 0.20% |
| $1,000,001 | and above | 0.10% |
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $2,300 | 0.23% |
| $5 million | $6,300 | 0.13% |
| $10 million | $11,300 | 0.11% |
| $50 million | $51,300 | 0.10% |
| $100 million | $101,300 | 0.10% |
Clients
- High-Net-Worth Share of Firm Assets
- 30.02%
- Number of High-Net-Worth Clients
- 19,151
- Total Client Accounts
- 276,041
- Discretionary Accounts
- 211,361
- Non-Discretionary Accounts
- 64,680
Services Offered
Services: Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Pooled Investment Vehicles, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting, Investment Advisor Selection
Regulatory Filings
- SEC CRD Number
- 107975
Additional Brochure: ORION PORTFOLIO SOLUTIONS, LLC FORM ADV PART 2A (2026-07-31)
View Document Text
Item 1 – Cover Page
Brochure
Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC
17605 Wright St
Omaha, NE 68130
(859) 426-2000
www.orion.com/wealth-management
http://www.brinkercapitalinvestments.com/
This Brochure provides informaOon about the qualificaOons and business pracOces of Orion PorSolio SoluOons,
LLC (“OPS,” “Brinker”, “BCI,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). If you have any quesOons about the contents of this Brochure,
please contact us at 859-426-2000.
The informaOon in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States SecuriOes and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") or by any state securiOes authority.
OPS is a registered investment advisor. Investment advisor registraOon does not imply a certain level of skill or
training. AddiOonal informaOon about OPS is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The SEC’s
website also provides informaOon about those individuals who are registered as investment advisor
representaOves of OPS.
Updated: July 31, 2026
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Item 2 – Material Changes
This Brochure is dated July 31, 2026. Our last update was on March 31, 2026. Since our last update, we have made
the following changes:
• Reorganized Items 4 and 5 to describe the various Investment Advisory PlaSorms, Programs, and
Strategies we make available and fees related to these PlaSorms, Programs, and Strategies.
• Added a new advisory offering under our Orion Custom Indexing program, Orion Custom Indexing Equity
Long/Short strategy, and updated Items 4, 5, and 8 to reflect the new offering, the corresponding minimum
account and household thresholds, and the applicable custodian restricOons.
• Updated Item 6 to disclose ArOficial Intelligence risks.
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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 and CompensaOon
24
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
34
Item 7 – Types of Clients
35
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
36
Item 9 – Disciplinary InformaOon
45
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry AcOviOes and AffiliaOons
46
Item 11 – Code of Ethics, ParOcipaOon or Interest in Client TransacOons and Personal Trading
53
Item 12 – Brokerage PracOces
56
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
62
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other CompensaOon
64
Item 15 – Custody
67
Item 16 – Investment DiscreOon
69
Item 17 – VoOng Client SecuriOes
71
Item 18 – Financial InformaOon
74
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Item 4 – Advisory Business
on the WTS PlaSorm are accessed through our Orion
Investment Portal.
is an
Background and Principal Owners
Orion PorSolio SoluOons, LLC is a subsidiary of Orion
Advisor SoluOons, Inc. (“Orion”). Investment enOOes
controlled and managed by Genstar Capital Partners
LLC and TA Associates, LLC and its affiliates own a
majority interest of Orion and each of its subsidiaries,
including us.
services
Investment Advisory Pla:orms
We offer our advisory services under three primary
offerings (each a “PlaSorm”): (1) Orion PorSolio
SoluOons (“OPS”), (2) Brinker Capital Investments
(“BCI”), and (3) Orion Wealth Tech SoluOons (“WTS”).
Each PlaSorm
for
features various
Investment Advisors to uOlize in connecOon with
their advisory clients (“Clients”) as further explained
below.
reflecOng various
risk and
full
Orion Por(olio Solu,ons
The Orion PorSolio SoluOons PlaSorm offers
reporOng and administraOve services to unaffiliated
third-party investment advisors and broker-dealer
representaOves (collecOvely “Investment Advisors”).
These services are offered through various Programs
and available Strategies within such Programs, as
further described below.
Orion Investment Portal
The Orion Investment Portal
investment
management plaSorm sponsored by OPS and
available to investment advisory firms and their
representaOves that are uOlizing the porSolio
accounOng and other technology tools offered
through our affiliate, Orion Tech. Orion Investment
Portal is designed to supplement the technology and
administraOve services received by Orion Tech
customers with access to third party Strategist
models and other investment soluOons, including
our Orion Custom Indexing. Orion Tech customers
can access investment opOons spanning brand,
bouOque, and emerging Strategists, as well as model
porSolios
return
characterisOcs and
investment objecOves. Orion
Investment Portal allows advisors uOlizing the Orion
Tech plaSorm to take advantage of the investment
research and due diligence OPS already performs on
Strategists to help create models for their clients
technology. Orion
using Orion Tech’s
trading
Investment Portal gives advisors
trading
authority when using models or creaOng blended
models using a combinaOon of third-party and in-
house strategies.
Brinker Capital Investments Pla(orm
The Brinker Capital Investments PlaSorm offers
investment management services
advisory and
previously offered by Brinker Capital Investments
and CLS Investments. These services are offered
through various Programs and available Strategies
within such Programs, as further described below.
OPS Sub-Advised
Third-party advisors may engage us to provide their
clients with some or all of the Programs and
Strategies available on the OPS PlaSorm. In this
relaOonship, the third party advisor engages us as an
outsourced agent for their end-investor client, and
we make available strategies, trade accounts, and /
or bill accounts, as instructed by the third party
advisor.
Wealth Advisory
Investment Advisor firms may engage our Wealth
Advisor services through our WTS PlaSorm. Wealth
Advisor is a customized service uOlizing a separately
Orion Wealth Tech Solu,ons Pla(orm
Through the Orion Wealth Tech SoluOons plaSorm,
to unaffiliated
we offer sub-advisor services
investment advisory firms that are clients of our
technology affiliated, Orion Advisor Technology, LLC
(“Orion Tech”), or that wish to uOlize some or all of
the services we offer through our OPS programs, but
through a sub-advisory relaOonship. The Strategies
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managed account plaSorm that offers discreOonary
investment management services and
includes
dedicated support to meet the needs of the
investment advisor’s high-net worth and ultra-high
net worth investors, family offices, insOtuOons, and
endowments. More details on the Wealth Advisory
Program can be found below.
behalf, leveraging the technology plaSorm offered
through our affiliate, Orion Tech. OPS is granted
limited Trading Authority by the third party
investment advisory firm at a custodian of their
choosing (which is limited to custodians that have
integrated with Orion Tech and for which OPS
maintains the necessary trading relaOonships and
connecOvity). Under this service offering, OPS does
investment
not provide
investment advice or
recommendaOons. Our services are
limited to
submilng the trades to the custodian as requested
by the third party investment advisory firm.
Outsourced Billing
Investment Advisors who engage our WTS services
may engage us to bill Client accounts as directed by
the Investment Advisor. See Item 5 – Fees and
CompensaOon for addiOonal informaOon on this
service.
Orion Custom Indexing
We may provide Orion Custom Indexing as a
technology-enabled investment advisory service to
unaffiliated investment advisors that use Orion
Tech’s technology plaSorm. In this arrangement, the
Investment Advisor remains responsible for the
client relaOonship and for determining whether
Orion Custom Indexing is appropriate for its client.
We provide the Investment Advisor with porSolio
construcOon, tax transiOon, tax-loss harvesOng, and
other customizaOon recommendaOons generated
through Orion Custom Indexing and, depending on
the arrangement, either submit trades to the
instrucOons to the
custodian or provide trade
Investment Advisor for execuOon.
Rela,onship Type
We offer our services to Investment Advisors and
Clients on our PlaSorms through three methods: a
co-advisory relaOonship, a solicitor relaOonship, and
a sub-advisory relaOonship.
Third party advisors may opt to include the Orion
Custom Indexing Long/Short Strategy. Important
informaOon about this Strategy, including account
minimums, risks, and management, can be found in
the Investment Strategies secOon below in this Item.
The following table outlines the available types of
relaOonships we have with Investment Advisors and
/or Clients for each of our PlaSorms, and a
descripOon of our authority for each, with further
details below.
Outsourced Trading
Third party investment advisory firms can engage
OPS as an outsourced agent to submit trades on their
Level of our Authority
Rela+onship Type
Co-Advisory
•
Pla$orm
Orion Por(olio Solu,ons
(OPS)
•
Limited Trading Authority- implemen,ng trading
instruc,ons provided by Client or Investment
Advisor based on selected investment strategy
Limited Billing Authority– implemen,ng billing
instruc,ons provided by Client
Sub-Advisory
•
Limited Trading Authority– implemen,ng trading
instruc,ons provided by Investment Advisor, if
selected by Investment Advisor.
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Pla$orm
Rela+onship Type
Level of our Authority
•
Limited Billing Authority– implemen,ng billing
instruc,ons provided by Investment Advisor if
authorized by Client.
Solicitor
• Full discre,on – selec,ng investment strategies
Brinker Capital Investments
(BCI)
•
Co-Advisory
•
•
and trading the securi,es as needed to
implement the strategies
Limited Billing Authority– implemen,ng billing
instruc,ons provided by Client
Limited Trading Authority- implemen,ng trading
instruc,ons provided by Client or Investment
Advisor based on selected investment strategy
Limited Billing Authority– implemen,ng billing
instruc,ons provided by Client
Sub-advisory
•
Orion Wealth Tech Solu,ons
(WTS)
•
Limited Trading Authority– implemen,ng trading
instruc,ons provided by Investment Advisor, if
selected by Investment Advisor.
Limited Billing Authority– implemen,ng billing
instruc,ons provided by Investment Advisor if
authorized by Client.
receives a
fee
for
that
sets
forth
the
services.
In
Co-Advisory Rela@onship
Investment Advisors that engage us in a co-advisory
relaOonship enter into a Joint Advisory Services
roles and
Agreement
responsibiliOes of the Investment Advisor and us.
Under the co-advisory relaOonship offering, Clients
and their Investment Advisor select to engage our
this
investment management
arrangement, we are responsible for 1) making
investments available on our plaSorms, 2) submilng
trades to the custodian for the Client’s account, and
3) billing the Client for the services, as directed by the
Client. The co-advisor is responsible for maintaining
the customer relaOonship and selecOng investments
which are suitable for the Client.
this
Investment Advisor
introducOon, but we are responsible for the
suitability of the investment(s) selected for the Client
based on informaOon provided to us by the solicitor
Investment Advisor. The solicitor Investment Advisor
is expected to meet with the Client as onen as
required by applicable law and provide us with any
updates to the Client’s financial situaOon, risk
tolerance, and needs so that we may conOnue to
ensure the investment(s) selected for the Client are
suitable. As of January 1, 2023, we no longer enter
into new solicitor arrangements with Investment
Advisors; however, exisOng solicitor arrangements
and Clients of solicitors conOnue to be supported,
and solicitors may conOnue to refer new Clients to us
under their exisOng solicitor arrangements.
Solicitor Rela@onship
In a solicitor arrangement, the Client is introduced to
us by an Investment Advisor that has entered into a
wrimen solicitaOon agreement with us. The solicitor
When opening an account, a Client will be informed
of the type of relaOonship under which their
accounts with us will be managed.
6 of 74
discreOon or authority we have for Clients depends
on their RelaOonship Type with us.
Full Discre@on
This discreOon allows for us to execute ongoing
security selecOon and management of a Client’s
account in accordance with the Client’s invesOng
preferences and needs as communicated to us by the
Client and the Client’s Investment Advisor. We will
exercise this discreOon in accordance with the
agreements between us and the Client, as defined in
the RelaOonship Agreements secOon above.
Sub-Advisory Rela@onship
Investment Advisors that engage us in a sub-advisory
relaOonship enter into a Sub-Advisory Outsourced
Services Agreement that sets forth the roles and
responsibiliOes of the Investment Advisor and us.
Our services selected by the Investment Advisor can
include the various opOons under the heading
Investment Management Programs described below,
as well as the ability to bill advisory fees for end
Clients. Under this arrangement, we are responsible
for providing the services selected by the Investment
Advisor and we have no direct advisory relaOonship
with the end Client. The Investment Advisor has sole
responsibility for determining that the investment
strategies they select are suitable for the Client.
Limited Trading Authority
This authority consists of submilng instrucOons for
the purchasing or selling of securiOes in a Client’s
account to implement the strategy or strategies
selected by the Client and the Client’s Investment
Advisor.
When we submit trades for an account under this
authority, we will follow our Trading Policy which
dictates how, when, and in what manner trades are
processed. If situaOons arise in which a trade is
required that is not addressed in our Trading Policy,
we will obtain direcOon from the Client’s Investment
Advisor on what acOon to take. Our Trading Policy is
available to Clients and their Investment Advisor
upon request.
Rela,onship Agreements
All Clients receiving our services in our BCI PlaSorm
enter into a wrimen investment advisory agreement
with us. All Clients receiving our services in our OPS
PlaSorm are subject to an account applicaOon
(“ApplicaOon Addendum”) and OPS’s terms and
condiOons (“Terms and CondiOons”). The current
version of the Terms and CondiOons can be found at
orion.com/wealth-management/orion-porSolio-
soluOons-forms-library, and Clients are required to
consent to these Terms and CondiOons when
opening an account with us. Investment advisors
engaging through our WTS PlaSorm enter into a Sub-
Advisory Outsourced Services Agreement with us.
Billing Authority
Under this authority, Clients direct us to bill account
fees related to the services discussed
in this
Brochure. Generally, we require a certain proporOon
of a Client’s account be held in cash or money market
from which we will collect fees. If there is insufficient
cash or money market holdings in the account, this
authority allows us to liquidate securiOes necessary
to withdraw the fees owed by Clients in accordance
with our Trading Policy.
Clients are encouraged to read their investment
advisory agreement, ApplicaOon Addendum, Terms
and CondiOons, and / or sub-advisory agreement, as
appliable, as these documents contain important
informaOon on how their accounts will be managed.
Clients agree to noOfy us of any changes in their
address. Clients may also be subject to a separate
agreement with their Investment Advisor or their
Investment Advisor’s investment advisory firm; we
are not part of this agreement.
Investment Management Programs
Through OPS and BCI, we offer a wide variety of
investment management programs. A summary of
the programs we offer is included in the following
Discre,on
For certain programs, Clients will grant us discreOon
or authority on their accounts in wriOng. The level of
7 of 74
chart, with addiOonal details about each program
below.
Program Name
Wealth Advisory
Strategist Program
SMA Program
Advisor Directed
Core Asset Manager
Des,na,ons Program
Re,rement Plan Services
Pla=orm Availability
BCI1
OPS
OPS
OPS
BCI
BCI
BCI
RelaConship Types Supported
Solicitor, Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Solicitor, Co-Advisor
Solicitor, Co-Advisor
1 Wealth Advisory is an available SMA Program Manager within the SMA Program on the OPS Pla:orm.
Financial Industry AcOviOes and AffiliaOons of this
Brochure. Special fee arrangements may apply with
respect to alternaOve investments.
including asset and
In the Wealth Advisory program, we offer both
discreOonary and non-discreOonary
investment
management services. When granted discreOonary
authority, a Client authorizes us to hire and fire
Strategists and to rebalance account(s) without a
Client’s prior approval.
Wealth Advisory
Our Wealth Advisory program offers customized
service and dedicated support to meet the needs of
high-net worth and ultra-high net worth investors,
family offices, insOtuOons, and endowments with $1
million or more in investable assets. Wealth Advisory
is designed for us to manage the overall investment
process,
investment style
allocaOon decisions, Strategist selecOon and review,
and comprehensive monitoring of a Client’s
porSolio. A dedicated porSolio manager employed
by us is assigned to the Client relaOonship and is
available for regular communicaOons concerning the
acOvity and status of a Client’s account.
investment
needs,
tax
Wealth Advisory services include (but are not limited
to) comprehensive porSolio analysis of a Client’s
exisOng assets to help idenOfy inefficiencies and
transiOon
address
management to assist the Client in transferring
highly-appreciated stocks and move toward a more
diversified porSolio over Ome, development of a
personalized investment soluOon based upon the
Client’s goals, tax preferences, risk tolerance, and
financial plan, and access to a dedicated porSolio
manager employed by us to assist with porSolio
reviews, reallocaOons,
investment updates and
educaOonal needs.
to provide
investment vehicles,
As part of the services offered to Clients in our
Wealth Advisory program, we have approved certain
third-party companies
specialized
services. Currently, these providers and services are:
In the Wealth Advisory program, porSolios are
generally allocated among different Strategists,
Separately Managed Accounts, mutual funds, and/or
ETFs. Where deemed appropriate, based on a
Client’s objecOves, assets, risk tolerance, and
investment experience as well as to obtain greater
asset and style diversificaOon, we may recommend
that a porOon of a Client’s porSolio be invested in
one or more other investments in lieu of allocaOng
assets separately to a Strategist or a strategy
managed by us. These other investments may
include an investment in REITs, Private Funds, ETNs,
including
or other pooled
alternaOve investments made available by Capital
IntegraOon Systems discussed in Item 10 – Other
8 of 74
new investment management strategies on a test
basis with funds provided by us, our employees, their
family members, and a limited number of Clients
before such management strategies are made
available generally.
Philanthropic Services
Fidelity Charitable and UI Charitable Advisors are
independent, secOon 501(c)(3) public chariOes that
administer donor-advised funds. Through their
Charitable Investment Advisor Programs, we will
acOvely manage the charitable assets contributed by
Clients. Fidelity Charitable and UI Charitable Advisors
charge a fee for their services, and we do not receive
any direct or indirect revenue from them.
Strategist Program
Through OPS’s “Strategist Program,” Investment
Advisors have the ability to invest Client accounts in
a manner intended to follow a Strategist’s developed
model asset allocaOon porSolio. We refer to such
asset allocaOon models as “Strategist Models”. The
Strategists regularly monitor the Strategist Models
and are responsible for managing the model
porSolios.
Securi@es Backed Lines of Credit
We use Orion Cash and Credit or TriState Capital to
provide loans secured by eligible securiOes. Using
these
loan faciliOes, Clients can pledge their
investment account(s) as collateral to meet many of
their financing needs, with the excepOon of
purchasing securiOes. TriState Capital charges an
interest rate for these services and we do not receive
any direct or indirect revenue from TriState Capital.
AddiOonal informaOon on Orion Cash and Credit on
its affiliaOon with us can be found in Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry AcOviOes and AffiliaOons of this
Brochure.
impose
invesOng
Investment Advisor
is
responsible
Trust Services
First State Trust Company and Comerica Bank and
Trust N.A. (“Comerica”) offer trust services, including
but not limited to Personal, Revocable, Irrevocable,
Charitable, & Special Needs Trusts. Both First State
Trust Company and Comerica charge a fee for these
services and we do not receive any direct or indirect
revenue from either firm.
We make available Strategist Models of various risk
and return characterisOcs and investment goals
through our plaSorm. These Strategist Models are
not tailored to accommodate the needs or objecOves
of specific
investors, but rather to enable an
Investment Advisor to select the most appropriate
Strategist Model offered by our Strategist Program
for use with Clients. Clients can work with their
reasonable
Investment Advisor
to
in certain
investment restricOons on
securiOes or types of securiOes within each model. If
a Client imposes a reasonable investment restricOon,
we will noOfy the Client’s Investment Advisor if their
selected strategy conflicts with such restricOons and
the
for
recommending an alternaOve strategy.1 Clients can
invest in mulOple Strategist Models within a single
custodial account, where each Strategist Model
allocaOon is assigned to a unique subaccount or
is known as a unified
“sleeve”. This structure
managed account (“UMA”).
Business Valua@on
BizEquity LLC provides business valuaOon analysis for
our business owner Clients. BizEquity charges us a
licensing fee for use of its online business valuaOon
applicaOon and we include the cost of this service
within the fee we charge Clients. We do not receive
any direct or indirect revenue from BizEquity.
Our BCI porSolio management team also develops
and maintains Strategist Models on the OPS
plaSorm. Mutual funds that are part of the
DesOnaOons Funds Trust, a mutual fund trust we
advise, may be included in these models. When the
DesOnaOons Funds are included in a Strategist
Model, the Strategist Fee is waived or reduced along
with any AdministraOon Fees OPS would otherwise
Customized Wealth Advisory Services
From Ome to Ome, we develop a customized
in our Wealth
investment strategy for Clients
Advisory Program. Fees for such services are
negoOated on a case-by-case basis. We also develop
9 of 74
respect
to assets allocated
in any Strategist Model, OPS
reject
is
transacOon
authorized to submit trades to the Client’s custodian
to execute the resulOng transacOons in the Client’s
account, as outlined in the Terms and CondiOons. If a
Strategist or Strategist Model is removed from the
Strategist Program, OPS will noOfy a Client’s
Investment Advisor of the change and request that
acOon be taken to reassign the account by a specified
date. In such case, OPS will recommend a similar
replacement Strategist to a Client’s Investment
such
Advisor who may accept or
recommendaOon at their discreOon.
to
collect with
DesOnaOons Funds porSolios, as further explained in
Item 5 – Fees and CompensaOon of this Brochure.
However, if a Client selects certain overlay services
(such as Orion Custom Indexing), the overlay fee is
charged on the enOre porSolio, regardless of the
underlying investments, as further set forth in the
Investment Advisory Agreement between the Client
and us. In the case of clients subject to ERISA or to
SecOon 4975 of the Code, allocaOons to the
DesOnaOons Fund Trust will be implemented in a
manner that complies with ERISA or SecOon 4975 of
the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable.
The Strategists are not acOng as the Client’s
investment advisor, do not possess knowledge of a
Client’s individual informaOon or investment goals
and objecOves, and do not provide personalized
investment advice to Clients. Clients remain the
owner of all securiOes held in their account and have
all ownership rights associated with these securiOes.
Visit
orion.com/wealth-management/third-party-
strategists to review the investment managers we
have engaged as Strategists.
With the excepOon of the proprietary Strategies
developed and managed by us, we are not affiliated
with any other Strategists within the Strategist
Program. However, in some instances, we receive all
or part of certain Strategists’ Strategist Fees as an
administraOon fee charged to the Strategist as
discussed in Item 5 – Fees and CompensaOon of this
Brochure. These fees are negoOated between us and
the Strategist. Given this arrangement we have an
incenOve to conOnue to make available Strategists
that share fees with us. Consistent with our policies
and procedures, the Investment Commimee does not
consider revenue sharing payment arrangements in
the selecOon and oversight of Strategists to address
In addiOon, we address these
these conflicts.
conflicts of interest by disclosing receipt of such fees
and our arrangement with such Strategists in this
Brochure. Furthermore, Investment Advisors, which
are not affiliated with OPS, are responsible for
working with Clients to select the most appropriate
Strategist. Investment Advisors are able to uOlize any
Strategist made available as part of the Strategist
Program.
Client account assets will be invested in accordance
with the Strategist Model selected. Once a Strategist
Model
is selected, OPS will provide trading,
reporOng, and administraOve services. We have
Limited Trading Authority and Limited Billing
Authority, as defined above, for accounts in the
Strategist Program. When a Strategist suggests a
We are not engaged by Clients to provide investment
recommendaOons in the Strategist Program. We do
not provide
investment
investment advice or
recommendaOons in a “fiduciary” capacity to clients
subject to ERISA or to SecOon 4975 of the Internal
Revenue Code in these circumstances. OPS relies on
the Client’s Investment Advisor to analyze the
Client’s current financial situaOon, risk tolerance,
investment objecOves, and other
Ome horizon,
factors the Client and the Client’s Investment Advisor
in determining whether a
deem appropriate
its underlying
parOcular Strategist Model (and
investment holdings, including DesOnaOons Funds,
as applicable)
is suitable for the Client. The
Investment Advisor can use tools made available by
OPS or its affiliates, including OPS’s proprietary
proposal tool, to assist the Investment Advisor in
developing an appropriate asset allocaOon strategy
for the Client and recommending model porSolios to
the Investment Advisor for consideraOon for use with
the Client.
10 of 74
investment managers,
Advisor-Directed Program
The OPS PlaSorm permits a Client’s Investment
Advisor to act as a porSolio manager and implement
an investment strategy developed by the Investment
Advisor outside of our Strategist and SMA Programs
described above. In such situaOons, we have Limited
Trading Authority and Limited Billing Authority, as
described above. We do not conduct any due
diligence on the securiOes or strategies included in
Advisor-Directed sleeves within a Client’s account.
Separately Managed Account Program
The Separately Managed Account Program (“SMA
Program”) is managed by OPS or by third-party
investment managers we have selected (each, an
“SMA Program Manager”). A separately managed
account is a porSolio of individually owned securiOes
that can be tailored to fit the Client’s invesOng
preferences. We select both unaffiliated and
affiliated
including our
affiliate, TownSquare Capital, LLC, to serve as SMA
Program Managers.
our
and
Core Asset Manager Program
BCI’s Core Asset Manager program represents a
managed account plaSorm that features privately
placed or publicly traded pooled investment vehicles
(such as hedge funds, mutual funds, ETFs, real estate
investment trusts and master limited partnerships).
In this program, we provide both discreOonary
management and non-discreOonary management
services. DiscreOonary Clients authorize us to hire
and fire investment managers and make asset
allocaOon changes. NondiscreOonary Clients must
approve
product
Strategist
recommendaOons before the recommendaOons are
implemented.
Clients and their Investment Advisors will choose an
SMA Program Manager based on the Client’s risk
profile and investment objecOve(s), and the SMA
Program Manager (including, when applicable, OPS)
will manage the Client’s account accordingly using
various investment opOons and strategies. Clients
remain the owner of all securiOes held in their
account with all associated ownership rights. In
instances where affiliated investment managers,
such as TownSquare Capital, LLC, serve as SMA
Program Managers, our affiliate is compensated for
managing the account, which creates a potenOal
conflict of interest whereby we, or our affiliates, earn
addiOonal compensaOon. Clients
in the SMA
Program are subject to the OPS Terms and CondiOons
and depending on the SMA Program Manager
selected, may be subject to addiOonal terms and
condiOons that are required by such SMA Program
Manager (“AddiOonal Agreement”).
Core Select
Investment Advisors and their Clients have the ability
to select from a list of risk-tolerance based strategies,
separate account managers, mutual funds, and ETFs
for both taxable and nontaxable accounts. For
solicitor accounts, we determine what strategies are
available for Clients and their Investment Advisors to
choose from based on the Client’s specific risk
tolerance. For co-advisor accounts, Clients and their
Investment Advisor are not restricted and have
discreOon to choose suitable strategies from the list
of all available strategies.
For Clients in the SMA Program, the SMA Program
Manager (which can be OPS)
is granted Full
DiscreOon (as that term is defined above) for the
ongoing security selecOon and management of a
Client’s account in accordance with the Client’s
invesOng preferences and needs. The SMA Program
Manager is granted the authority to buy, sell, or
otherwise affect transacOons in Client accounts as
further set forth in our Terms and CondiOons and any
AddiOonal Agreements, if applicable.
Des,na,ons Program
BCI’s DesOnaOons program is a discreOonary asset
allocaOon program managed by us that uses mutual
funds, including our DesOnaOons Funds (described
below), and/or ETFs to implement a variety of
investment strategies with different risk and reward
11 of 74
include
Funds,
characterisOcs. In our DesOnaOons program, we offer
a variety of asset allocaOon strategies, each targeOng
a specific investment objecOve, for both taxable and
tax-exempt accounts. The strategies provide different
balances of risk and reward and the appropriate
strategy may be chosen based on the Client’s risk
tolerance and Ome horizon. The strategies are
designed to offer compeOOve performance while
seeking to achieve amracOve risk-adjusted returns
over the long term.
and recordkeeping services agreement with the
Recordkeeper. The Investment Advisor may also be a
party to the investment advisory agreement. In
accordance with the investment advisory agreement,
we offer guidance to the Plan sponsor and assist in
selecOng an array of investment strategies, which
may
for
the DesOnaOons
consideraOon. The Plan sponsor subsequently
designates these strategies as investment opOons
available to Plan parOcipants under the Plan. We also
provide the Plan sponsor with a parOcipant
quesOonnaire, which the Plan sponsor makes
available to Plan parOcipants to assist each Plan
parOcipant in determining his or her investment
goals and objecOves and risk tolerance and in
selecOng a suitable investment strategy for the
parOcipant's Plan account.
implement certain
investment
We monitor the performance of each underlying
investment manager (either a sub-advisor within the
DesOnaOons Funds or a third-party fund) and replace
or reallocate assets among the funds or underlying
managers used to implement these strategies based
on factors we deem appropriate. These factors can
include our evaluaOon of historical performance,
market condiOons, and our investment outlook. Our
DesOnaOons program is offered through different
suites of asset allocaOon models, the primary
difference in each suite being the type of investment
vehicles uOlized.
strategies
We
selected by the Plan sponsor and made available to
Plan parOcipants. We also may develop addiOonal
models or customized investment strategies for a
Plan sponsor.
investment strategies
for
factors we deem
appropriate,
We have Full DiscreOon in selecOng the funds to be
included in the asset allocaOon models used to
implement the investment strategies. We review the
models on a periodic basis and update and rebalance
the models from Ome to Ome in accordance with the
related investment strategy, taking into account the
performance of the funds, market condiOons and
other
and
electronically transmit changes to the models to the
Recordkeeper. The Recordkeeper is responsible for
execuOng trades in the Plan parOcipants' accounts to
reflect changes in the models provided by us.
Re,rement Plan Services
We offer reOrement plan advisory services through
our BCI PlaSorm uOlizing both our proprietary and
non-proprietary
tax-
exempt accounts, as well as mutual fund and ETF
evaluaOon and selecOon to sponsors of reOrement
plans (“Plans”) covered by the Employee ReOrement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)
and other qualified and non-qualified deferred
compensaOon plans (“ReOrement Plan Services”).
Our ReOrement Plan Services are available to plans
with at least $250,000 of investable assets, though
we may at our sole discreOon waive
this
requirement. The ReOrement Plan Services Program
is provided in conjuncOon with a recordkeeping
service provider, who may also provide Plan
administraOon (the “Recordkeeper”) and generally a
broker-dealer or investment advisory firm.
We also offer evaluaOon and selecOon services to
idenOfy a limited number of unaffiliated mutual
funds and/or ETFs in which Plan parOcipants may
invest their Plan accounts. Plan sponsors who elect
this addiOonal service authorize us to select
addiOonal funds. If a Plan sponsor elects the
addiOonal fund evaluaOon service, we are authorized
to select, add, remove and/or replace funds available
for purchase by Plan parOcipants consistent with any
In the ReOrement Plan Services Program, the Plan
sponsor enters into both (i) an investment advisory
agreement with us, and (ii) a separate administraOve
12 of 74
DesOnaOons model and provide periodic reporOng
on the performance of each fund and DesOnaOons
model.
When a party enters into the BCI investment advisory
agreement with the Plan sponsor, the Investment
Advisor assumes several responsibiliOes. Such
responsibiliOes vary and are specifically detailed in
each Plan’s investment advisory agreement.
wrimen investment policy approved by the Plan
sponsor and provided
to us and with any
requirements under ERISA, based upon our
evaluaOon of each fund's performance, market
condiOons and other factors we deem appropriate.
Plan sponsors can, however, specify securiOes which
cannot be purchased. If we add a new fund or replace
a fund on the addiOonal fund list, we will noOfy the
Plan sponsor sufficiently in advance of such acOon to
enable the Plan sponsor to provide any noOce to Plan
parOcipants required under ERISA. The Plan sponsor
is responsible for delivering to Plan parOcipants any
change noOce required under ERISA informing such
Plan parOcipants how their accounts will be invested
as of the change if the Plan parOcipant fails to
provide affirmaOve investment direcOons.
Investment Strategies
investment management program
Within each
described above, we offer various
Investment
Strategies. A summary of the strategies we offer and
the program and relaOonship types where each
strategy is available is included in the following chart,
with addiOonal details about each strategy below.
We are responsible for monitoring the relevant data
on the performance of each mutual fund, ETF and
Strategy Name
Eligible Investments1
Disciplined Equity
Orion Custom Indexing
Account
Minimum
Varies
$100,000
Investment
Manager
BCI
BCI
Program
Availability2
WA, SMA, WTS
WA, SMA, WTS
$1,000,0003 BCI
WA, SMA4, WTS
EquiOes, ETFs
Mutual Funds, EquiOes, and
ETPs
EquiOes and ETPs (subject to
custodian restricOons)
Orion Custom Indexing
Equity Long/Short
Strategy
$0
OPS
SP
Market Cycle Advised
Mandates Por(olios
Affiliated and unaffiliated
Mutual Funds
Core Guided Por(olios
$500,000
BCI
CAM
Des,na,ons Funds
$0
BCI
Mutual Funds, EquiOes, ETPs,
or other pooled investment
vehicles
Affiliated Mutual Funds
$25,000
BCI
Des,na,ons ETFh
$10,000
BCI
WA, SP, WTS,
CAM, D, RPS
WA, SP, WTS,
CAM, D
WA, SP, CAM, D
Des,na,ons Hybrid
Por(olios
Unaffiliated Mutual Funds
and ETPs
Affiliated Mutual Funds and
ETPs
BCI
Brinker Blended Por(olios $10,000
WA, SP, CAM, D
Affiliated Mutual Funds and
Unaffiliated Mutual Funds
and / or ETPs
13 of 74
Strategy Name
Eligible Investments1
Personal Benchmark
Account
Minimum
$100,000
Investment
Manager
BCI
Affiliated Mutual Funds
Program
Availability2
WA, SP, CAM, D
American Hybrid Strategy $25,000
BCI
WA, SP, CAM, D
American Funds Strategy
$25,000
BCI
Affiliated and Unaffiliated
Mutual Funds
Mutual Funds
WA, SP, CAM
$5,000
BCI
ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
Capital Group ETF
Strategies
Focused Strategies
$0
BCI
Mutual Funds and ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
Core Plus ETF Strategy
$10,000
BCI
ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
$25,000
BCI
Mutual Funds and ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
Brinker Capital ESG
Por(olios
Ac,ve Income Strategy
$25,000
BCI
WA, SP, CAM
$25,000
BCI
ETPs, stocks, bonds, master
limited partnerships, real
estate, converObles, senior
bank loans, and internaOonal
debt
ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
Managed Income
Strategy
$25,000
BCI
ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
Digital Assets Por(olio
Program
$5,000
BCI
Mutual Funds
RPS
Individualized Account
Management
1 As used in this chart, Exchange Traded Products (“ETPs”) include Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), Exchange Traded Notes (“ETNs”),
Closed-End Funds (“CEFs”), Unit Investment Trusts (“UITs”), or any other investment traded on an exchange, excluding individual
equiMes.
2 WA = Wealth Advisory
SMA = SMA Program
WTS = Orion Wealth Tech SoluMons
SP = Strategist Program
CAM = Core Asset Manager Program
D = DesMnaMons Program
RPS = ReMrement Plan Services Program
3 $1,000,000 of marginable securiMes. When used in the Wealth Advisory Program through a Solicitor or Co-Advisory RelaMonship
Type, we require the Household have $3,000,000 in AUM within the program.
4 The Orion Custom Indexing Equity Long/Short Strategy is only available in the SMA Program on the OPS Pla:orm when Wealth
Advisory is selected as the SMA Program Manager.
14 of 74
which primarily invest in their proprietary Mutual
Funds and or ETFs, though they may select non-
proprietary investments.
their
individualized
preferences,
Indexing
to provide
Disciplined Equity Strategy
Disciplined Equity strategies are proprietary, model-
driven soluOons that are constructed to provide
exposure to targeted equity market segments. The
strategies are managed by a team of porSolio
managers. The strategies are managed to target the
risk and return characterisOcs of a parOcular equity
index or a specific segment of the market. For many
of the Disciplined Equity strategies, Clients may elect
Orion Custom
further
customizaOon to their tax preferences such as capital
gains budgets and tax transiOon services.
Clients may invest in the Disciplined Equity strategies
using our BCI PlaSorm, our OPS PlaSorm, or through
the CommuniOes model marketplace.
Tailored AllocaOon PorSolios will use Orion Custom
Indexing management to transiOon an investor’s
exisOng holdings into the selected model. Such
transiOon will be customized for the Investor based
on
as
communicated to us by the Investor or Advisor.
CustomizaOon can be based on the
individual
holdings’ potenOal realized tax gain or loss, and the
amount of such realized tax gain or loss the Investor
desires during each tax calendar year. Investors will
not be able to apply any Environmental, Social, and
Governance (“ESG”) or other security selecOon
restricOons on accounts invested in the Tailored
AllocaOon PorSolios program.
Orion Custom Indexing Equity Long/Short Strategy
The Orion Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short
Strategy is a part of the Orion Custom Indexing
Program. The strategy uOlizes a customized
long/short overlay and seeks pre-tax and aner-tax
excess returns through acOve stock selecOon and
weekly tax-loss harvesOng, while delivering the
investment characterisOcs of the Client's desired
beta exposure.
Orion Custom Indexing Strategy
Indexing uOlizes opOmizaOon
Orion Custom
technology to provide Investment Advisors with the
ability to personalize porSolios, tax transiOon legacy
assets, and tax loss harvest Client porSolios. In
addiOon to managing against passive indexes, the
program also offers the ability to overlay on top of
proprietary and third-party porSolios. PorSolios are
typically constructed of individual stocks but may
also include ETFs and mutual funds depending on the
specific mandate and any legacy assets incorporated
into the Client porSolio. If Clients transiOon from our
DesOnaOons program to Orion Custom Indexing,
DesOnaOons Funds may be held in the Orion Custom
Indexing product as Client tax preferences are being
implemented. When DesOnaOons Funds are held in a
Custom Indexing product, we will conOnue to collect
our fee as advisor to the DesOnaOons Funds.
We offer Orion Custom Indexing through our OPS
PlaSorm, our BCI PlaSorm’s solicitor and co-advisor
relaOonships, and as a sub-advisory service.
To be eligible for the Orion Custom Indexing Equity
Long/Short strategy through the Brinker Capital
Investments or Orion PorSolio SoluOons plaSorms,
the Client's household must have at least $3,000,000
in assets with us, and the account uOlizing the
strategy must have at least $1,000,000 in marginable
securiOes. The strategy is subject to custodian
restricOons, and certain custodians may not support
the strategy. A request to invest in the Orion Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short strategy
is not a
guarantee that the Client will be able to invest in the
strategy.
Clients and Investment Advisors should carefully
review the addiOonal investment risks and tax
consideraOons associated with the Orion Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short strategy described in
Tailored Alloca@on PorIolios
Tailored AllocaOon PorSolios is a part of the Orion
Custom
Indexing Strategy. Tailored AllocaOon
PorSolios apply the custom indexing technology and
management to a defined
list of third-party
Strategies. Such third-party Strategists create models
15 of 74
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies
and Risk of Loss before elecOng the strategy.
Des@na@ons Funds Strategy
The “DesOnaOons Funds” program offers risk-based
asset allocaOon models, which are exclusively
allocated across our proprietary DesOnaOons Funds
(“Affiliated Funds”).
The Orion Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short
Strategy is only available through Wealth Advisory
Program on the BCI PlaSorm, or through the SMA
Program on the OPS PlaSorm only when Wealth
Advisory is selected as the SMA Program Manager. It
is available to Advisors who uOlize our WTS PlaSorm
without restricOon.
Des@na@ons ETFh Strategy
The “DesOnaOons ETFh” program offers risk-based
asset allocaOon models comprised of ETFs and
unaffiliated third-party mutual funds.
The DesOnaOons Funds and the DesOnaOons ETFh
programs are both available directly from us through
both our BCI and OPS programs and at third party
plaSorms.
Market Cycle Advised Mandate Por(olios
Market Cycle Advised Mandate PorSolios (“MCAM
PorSolios”) are porSolios managed by OPS and
composed of Strategist funds or Models, including
our proprietary DesOnaOons Funds. MCAM PorSolios
are risk-budgeted, acOvely managed
investment
porSolios across mulOple risk profiles.
Strategist
team,
each
The porSolios are designed and managed by our OPS
Investment
featuring
allocaOons that are blended for various levels of
three mandates: market
parOcipaOon across
parOcipaOon, acOve management, and uncorrelated
performance. We have Full DiscreOon to select the
Strategist and Models, including proprietary models
and DesOnaOons Funds, trade the accounts based on
our selecOons, and bill the accounts according to the
fees agreed to by the Client.
Core Asset Manager Program Strategies
The following are the various strategies under the
Core Asset Manager Program
Des@na@ons Hybrid PorIolios Strategy
Our “DesOnaOons Hybrid PorSolios” Program is a
discreOonary account program managed by us that is
offered uOlizing a combinaOon of DesOnaOons Funds
and other investment opOons. Under this strategy,
the Client’s Investment Advisor consults with the
Client to select an iniOal allocaOon of thirty percent
(30%), finy percent (50%), or seventy percent (70%)
of the assets in the Client’s account to be invested in
DesOnaOons Funds with the remaining balance
invested among other
investment opOons. The
Client’s account will be rebalanced if the allocaOon to
DesOnaOons Funds exceeds the target by 5% (i.e.,
35%, 55% and 75%, respecOvely). Clients may at any
Ome instruct us in wriOng not to place any of the
Client’s managed assets
in DesOnaOons Funds;
however, in such an event the Client will be required
to select a different strategy we offer.
For more informaOon about the Affiliated Funds and
any management fees received by us from the
DesOnaOons Funds, please see Item 5 – Fees and
CompensaOon of this Brochure and the applicable
Affiliated Funds prospectus.
implement different
risk
Core Guided PorIolios
Investment Advisors and their Clients have the ability
to select from various discreOonary asset allocaOon
models managed by us for both taxable and
nontaxable accounts that uOlize separate account
managers, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds
tolerance-based
to
porSolios.
Des,na,ons Strategies
The following Strategies are all available within the
DesOnaOons Program on the BCI PlaSorm and the
Strategist Program on the OPS PlaSorm.
Brinker Blended PorIolios Strategy
Our Brinker Blended PorSolios Program is a risk-
based asset allocaOon discreOonary account
program managed by us that is offered using a
combinaOon of our proprietary DesOnaOons Funds
(our Affiliated Funds) and other unaffiliated
16 of 74
investments opOons (non-affiliated mutual funds and
ETFs). We have Full DiscreOon to select the Affiliated
Funds and Non-Affiliated Mutual Funds and ETFs in
this program, and the proporOon of the model
allocated to each fund selected by us.
Focused Strategies
We offer “Focused Strategies” consisOng of model
porSolios managed by us and targeOng specific asset
classes – domesOc equity, internaOonal equity, fixed
income, global credit, real assets, and alternaOve
investments – available to Clients as a component of
their overall asset allocaOon or as a complementary
investment allocaOon.
Core Plus ETF Strategy
Our discreOonary “Core Plus ETF Strategy” invests a
Client’s assets primarily among ETFs in a diversified,
risk budgeted framework, according to the Client’s
investment objecOves.
Personal Benchmark Strategy
Our “Personal Benchmark Strategy” is a discreOonary
account strategy managed by us that allocates across
mulOple DesOnaOons Funds model
investment
strategies based upon Client risk tolerance. Personal
Benchmark divides assets into “buckets” based on
individual goals (such as accumulaOon or safety),
making it easier to track progress toward each
objecOve. The underlying investment strategies in
Personal Benchmark use our DesOnaOons Funds.
The strategy is focused on total return and allocates
to core asset class ETFs as well as targeted exposures
to ETFs in diversifying asset classes.
favorable environmental,
American Hybrid Strategy
We offer discreOonary porSolios uOlizing a
combinaOon of DesOnaOons Funds and American
Funds class F shares. An iniOal allocaOon of thirty
percent (30%) of the assets in this strategy will be
invested in DesOnaOons Funds with the remaining
balance
invested among American Funds. The
account will be rebalanced if the Client’s allocaOon to
DesOnaOons Funds exceeds the target by 5%.
ETF and Mutual Fund Por(olios
American Funds Strategy
We offer discreOonary porSolios comprised solely of
American Funds class F mutual fund shares in a
diversified, risk budgeted framework, according to
the Client’s investment objecOves.
Brinker Capital ESG PorIolios
We offer ESG PorSolios that use, in accordance with
the Client’s objecOves, mutual funds, ETFs, and/or
other products that invest in securiOes deemed to
possess
social, and
governance
(ESG) characterisOcs. We use the
Morningstar Sustainability RaOng scale (referred to
as “globes”), which scores securiOes based on ESG
characterisOcs on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being highest
score. The strategy generally invests in exchange
traded products within Category Four or Five, though
Category Three may be included. If a holding is
reassigned to Category Two or One, it will be
reviewed by the strategy managers for removal from
the strategy. The porSolios are built in a diversified,
risk budgeted framework, according to the Client’s
investment objecOves.
framework, according
to
Capital Group ETF Strategies
We offer discreOonary porSolios which
invest
primarily in Capital Group ETFs in a diversified, mulO-
asset
the Client’s
investment objecOves. At our discreOon, we may
include an allocaOon of up to 20% to non-Capital
Group ETFs in these porSolios to supplement the
asset class exposures available through Capital
Group ETFs.
Ac@ve Income Strategy
Our AcOve Income Strategy is designed for Clients
who prefer an acOve strategy that seeks a specific
percentage yield by invesOng in income-producing
securiOes. When selecOng the strategy, the Client will
select the percentage yield to be targeted for the
Client’s account. The strategy invests in ETFs and
Closed-End Funds (“CEFs”) that specialize in income-
producing assets. In addiOon to tradiOonal dividend-
17 of 74
oriented equiOes and investment grade bonds, the
strategy generates
income using non-tradiOonal
asset classes, such as master limited partnerships,
real estate, converObles, senior bank loans, high-
yield bonds, and internaOonal debt. The porSolios
are built in a diversified, risk budgeted framework,
according to the Client’s investment objecOves.
economy and 2) cryptocurrencies, with the allocaOon
between these two categories varying based on the
managers’ view of the risks and potenOal rewards.
Companies must derive at least 50% of revenue from
digital asset projects, partner or invest in such firms,
or have a crypto segment that is an important
segment of the company.
Individualized Account Management
The Individualized Account Management Strategy is
available to Clients of our ReOrement Plan Services
and uses Risk BudgeOng to diversify Client porSolios
among several different asset classes uOlizing the
mutual fund families available on the Client’s
plaSorm or through the Client’s custodian, according
to Client objecOves.
to
individual clients
Managed Income Strategy
Our Managed Income Strategy uses risk budgeOng to
manage an account for Clients seeking income from
a diversified porSolio of income-producing assets.
See Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment
Strategies and Risk of Loss of this Brochure for more
informaOon on risk budgeOng. The strategy seeks to
help Clients with a desire for regular income meet
their short and long-term income needs by dividing
the account into up to three separate investment
porSolios: immediate, short-term, and long-term. If
the Client enrolls in this strategy, the Client can
designate a specific amount of assets needed to
saOsfy short-term income needs. These assets will be
invested in a low-risk reserve porSolio that will seek
to generate returns in excess of the average money
market fund with risk less than or equal to low
duraOon investment bonds. We recommend one to
two years' worth of withdrawals; however, the
strategy allows the Client to specify a desired
amount. If the Client elects systemaOc withdrawals
on their account, assets will also be set aside in a low-
risk cash account for those immediate, systemaOc
withdrawals. The remainder of the Client’s account
will be set aside in a long-term porSolio invested
primarily in income-generaOng investments. The
long-term porSolio will be invested primarily in ETFs.
Assets designated for this porSolio will seek to
provide long-term growth and a steady stream of
income.
Other Advisory Offerings
Third Party Pla(orm Model Manager
We offer certain of our investment strategies and
programs (primarily as a model manager) on
plaSorms of unaffiliated and affiliated managers or
sponsors. We also provide manager due diligence
and other operaOonal related services to third-party
plaSorms, including our affiliate TownSquare Capital,
LLC. Certain model porSolios and strategies are
available through a wrap fee program sponsored by
the investment plaSorm provider. We also provide
recommendaOons and investment advice regarding
investment strategies to educaOonal savings plans
and
through brokerage
plaSorms, model porSolio holdings, and/or
weighOng and other
informaOon regarding the
construcOon and maintenance of porSolios, and
advice concerning the submission of trades on behalf
of certain client porSolios pursuant to wrimen
agreements with other investment management
firms, clients, or others.
Digital Assets PorIolio
We offer a Digital Assets Strategy that invests in
exchange traded products to provide flexible and
balanced exposure to the digital assets ecosystem.
The porSolio will be allocated to 1) companies
involved with cryptocurrency or digitalizaOon of the
MMLIS Brinker Co-Advisory Program
We have entered into an agreement with MML
Investor Services, LLC (“MMLIS”), to provide our
Wealth Advisory, Core Asset Manager and
DesOnaOons programs to MMLIS advisory clients,
pursuant to a tri-party agreement among Brinker,
18 of 74
porSolio structure and efficiency, porSolio risk,
expense, and fixed income quality, maturity, and risk.
MMLIS, and the Client (the “MMLIS Brinker co-
advisory program”). MMLIS is the introducing broker
and NaOonal Financial Services, LLC serves as the
clearing firm and custodian for the MMLIS Brinker co-
advisory program. The fees charged, the minimum
account size and each firm’s roles and responsibiliOes
are described in the MMLIS Brochure for the MMLIS
Brinker co-advisory program.
investment manager
Banking and Lending Services
Orion Cash and Credit is an integraOon which offers
third-party advisors who uOlize the OPS and BCI
plaSorms access to an array of banking and lending
soluOons and related services. These services are
offered by UpOq, Inc.
More informaOon on Orion Cash and Credit can be
found in Item 10 – Other Financial Industry AcOviOes
and AffiliaOons of this Brochure.
Investment Advisor may
Prac,ce Management and Por(olio Construc,on
Assistance.
Upon request of an eligible Investment Advisor, we
may provide the Investment Advisor with porSolio
construcOon assistance advice. We will have a
consultaOon with the Investment Advisor to review
the proposed or current allocaOon, review the
investment and due diligence process performed by
us, and discuss how it may integrate with a Client’s
overall porSolio. In such instances, the Investment
Advisor will retain investment discreOon over any
Client assets allocated to the porSolio we’ve
reviewed with the Investment Advisor. We will have
no investment discreOon in this situaOon.
Account Management
Trading
When we are granted Full DiscreOon or Limited
Trading Authority for Client accounts, trading will
occur through the brokerage account(s) Clients
establish with a custodian. Strategists will provide us
with instrucOons to rebalance or reallocate the
Strategist Models depending on their asset allocaOon
philosophy or
selecOon
process. These adjustments to the asset allocaOons
will result in transacOons in a Client’s account. For
OPS PlaSorm Clients, a minimum amount of five
dollars per security is required on contribuOons and
rebalance trades. There is no such limitaOon for BCI
PlaSorm Clients). All Strategist Model allocaOons
contain a minimum allocaOon
to cash. For
distribuOons, posiOons are redeemed pro-rata unless
otherwise specified. The last trade file submission
will be sent to the custodian at or around 3 pm
Eastern Ome. The Client or their Investment Advisor
instruct OPS that a Client’s account will be invested
in accordance with the Strategist Model as indicated
on the ApplicaOon Addendum, Investment DirecOon
Addendum, or other relevant OPS form and/or
reassignment process.
If the Strategist Model
changes, OPS will rebalance a Client’s account to
align it with the selected Strategist Model. Clients or
their
instruct OPS to
terminate the use of the Strategist Models at any
Ome. Clients will
receive noOficaOon of all
transacOons in their account(a) in the form of an
account statement provided by the custodian.
Por(olio Audit Service
Upon request of an eligible Investment Advisor, we
or our affiliate, TownSquare Capital, LLC, will conduct
a review of a Client or a Prospect’s exisOng porSolio.
This service is typically limited to porSolios with a
value of greater than $1,000,000, though we may, at
our discreOon, offer this service for porSolios with a
lower value. This will include a review of some or all
of the following aspects of such Client or Prospect’s
exisOng porSolio: asset allocaOon and diversificaOon,
For Strategist Program and Core Select strategies that
invest in mutual funds, the custodians uOlized by us
charge us an asset-based fee when Clients invest in
certain share classes. These share classes are known
as transacOon fee (“TF”) mutual funds. Absent the
asset-based fee paid by us, Clients would be charged
a transacOon fee typically ranging from $25 to $75 for
each purchase of shares of a TF mutual fund. Because
we are charged a fee for using certain share classes,
19 of 74
in the Client’s best
recommendaOons remain
interest.
fees
or minimum
Client Exclusions and Restric,ons
impose
For all of our programs, Clients may
reasonable restricOons on the management of their
account,
including the designaOon of specific
securiOes or a specific category of securiOes that
should not be purchased for their account or that
should be sold if held in the account, and may
reasonably modify such restricOons from Ome to
Ome. We or the Strategist may, at our sole discreOon,
determine that a Client’s Exclusion or RestricOon is
not reasonable given the circumstances. In such
instances the Client will not be able to invest in the
idenOfied model or Strategy and must select an
alternaOve.
we have a conflict when determining which share
class to uOlize in Core Asset Manager or the Strategist
Program. To miOgate this conflict, it is our policy is to
use the lowest cost share class that is available at all
custodians where the strategy is available (regardless
of whether we have to pay an asset-based fee to the
custodian). When selecOng mutual funds and mutual
fund share classes, we will not uOlize mutual funds or
mutual fund share classes that have short term
redempOon
investment
requirements. For any mutual fund used in a strategy,
it is possible that certain custodians may make
available lowest cost share classes than the share
classes used by us because we use the lowest cost
share class available at all custodians that we use. If
a Client invested in the same mutual fund directly at
their custodian or used an advisory program from
another advisor, such Client may be eligible for a
lower cost share class. However, because some of the
lower cost share classes are TF mutual funds, it is
possible that the Client would incur transacOon fees.
When a Client restricts a category of securiOes that
may be purchased for the account, we or the third-
party Strategist will determine, in our respecOve sole
discreOon, the specific securiOes in that category.
Any restricOons a Client imposes on individual
securiOes that may be purchased for the account
shall apply only to individual stocks within separately
managed porSolios.
Investment Advisor, and
Orion Custom Indexing Trading through Orion Wealth
Tech Solu@ons
For Orion Custom Indexing accounts under our WTS
plaSorm, we will either submit trades to the
custodian for a Client’s account or communicate
trades to the Client’s Investment Advisor for the
Client’s Investment Advisor to submit trades for
execuOon. If we are submilng trades to a custodian
for a Client’s account, the Client will be required to
grant us trade authorizaOon on their account and
may authorize us to bill their account. If the Client’s
Investment Advisor is responsible for the trading in
the account, we communicate a list of trades to the
the Client’s
Client’s
Investment Advisor is responsible for ensuring trades
are submimed for execuOon based on the Client’s
Investment Advisor’s trading pracOces. In such
instances, we do not have any trade authorizaOon on
the Client’s account.
Wrap Fee Program, Transac,on Fees, and Other
Expenses
We offer some of our services as a “wrap fee
program”, with opOons to allocate investments to
stocks, exchange traded funds, model porSolios, or
separately managed accounts. The wrap fee program
is managed similarly to what is described in this
Brochure. Please refer to Appendix 1 of our Form
ADV Part 2A for addiOonal informaOon on our wrap
fee program. Under the wrap fee programs,
investment advice and costs of trade execuOons are
provided to Clients for an all-inclusive wrap fee. This
means that under wrap fee programs, we pay the
trading costs out of the advisory fee that we receive
from Clients. Clients can consult their investment
advisory agreement to determine whether the
strategies selected are part of our wrap fee program.
The Client’s Investment Advisor is responsible for
monitoring for best execuOon and reviewing and
determining whether our services and investment
20 of 74
“Trade-away”
fees
for
fund’s
investment management
Qualified custodian Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
(“Schwab”) has agreed to waive execuOon fees for
our PlaSorm Clients’ transacOons executed by
transacOons
Schwab.
submimed to a custodian other than Schwab will sOll
be assessed. Clients in our wrap fee program do not
pay these “Trade-away” fees on a transacOon-by-
transacOon basis as they are included in the wrap fee
program fee. We took this into consideraOon when
pricing our wrap fee program at such custodian.
Our fee is in addiOon to the operaOng expenses of
the funds included in Client accounts, which are
expressed as the fund’s “expense raOo”. A fund
expense raOo represents the percentage of the
fund’s assets used to operate the fund and reflects
the
fee,
administraOve costs, brokerage costs, distribuOon
fees, and other operaOng expenses. Although these
expenses are paid by the fund, Clients indirectly bear
their pro rata share of such costs. Clients should
consider both our fee and the internal expense raOos
of the funds included in the program (which are set
forth in the prospectus for each fund) when deciding
whether the DesOnaOons program may be more or
less costly than another investment program.
impose
transacOon
fees. Our
fee
Technology
We offer our services through a technology plaSorm
known as “Advisor Portal.” Advisor Portal is a
technology plaSorm that was developed by our
affiliate, Orion Tech and allows
for proposal
generaOon, account opening, trading, reporOng, and
billing from one dashboard.
ETF shares incur transacOon expenses, which are
paid to the custodian either as a separate transacOon
charge or through an asset-based fee (i.e., a
percentage of assets in the account). With respect to
any mutual funds included in the DesOnaOons ETFh
strategies, we purchase the available mutual fund
share class with the lowest internal expense raOo
(generally the “InsOtuOonal” class), which share class
may
for
DesOnaOons ETFh includes an asset-based fee paid to
the custodian to cover transacOon costs (see
“DesOnaOon Program Fees” under Item 5 – Fees and
CompensaOon of this Brochure). This enables us to
make investment decisions for DesOnaOons ETFh
accounts without regard to transacOon costs.
Recordkeeping Services
OPS provides recordkeeping services for reOrement
plans who wish to make OPS’s Strategist Program
available to their plan’s parOcipants.
Des@na@ons Funds
We serve as the investment advisor for each series of
the Brinker Capital DesOnaOons Trust, a registered
investment company (each, a “DesOnaOons Fund”
and collecOvely, the “DesOnaOons Funds”). A current
list of the DesOnaOons Funds can be found at
desOnaOonsfunds.com.
Trading acOvity is influenced by the frequency of
rebalances, contribuOons, and withdrawals. The
more infrequent the trading acOvity (determined by
fund changes and rebalances and Client addiOons
and withdrawals) and the larger the size of the
account, the more likely that an asset-based fee will
be more costly than a separate transacOon charge.
Since trading acOvity is dictated by mulOple factors,
including changes in funds in a Client’s DesOnaOons
ETFh porSolio (e.g., because of our performance
evaluaOons, changes in managers, funds closing to
new investment, etc.), and the frequency of deposits
and distribuOons (which are driven by Clients), it may
be difficult to predict the level of trading acOvity in
any year (and thus, whether the asset-based fee
would be more or less costly than a separate
transacOon charge).
Each DesOnaOons Fund employs a manager-of-
managers structure, whereby we select and oversee
professional third-party investment managers (each,
a “sub-advisor”), who are responsible for invesOng
the assets allocated to them. We may also allocate a
porOon of a DesOnaOons Fund’s assets to one or
more ETF and mutual funds. Each DesOnaOons Fund
is offered by its prospectus only. The prospectus for
investment
each DesOnaOons Fund
includes
21 of 74
risks,
which are the overall lower cost alternaOve for those
OPS and BCI PlaSorm Clients.
fees, expenses, and other
objecOves,
informaOon that prospecOve investors should read
and consider carefully before invesOng.
fees charged by
The sub-transfer agent fees that may be charged to
Clients invested through a third-party plaSorm may
be more or less than the 15 basis points sub-transfer
agency fee charged by the DesOnaOons Funds’
custodian with respect to the Class I shares. Each
broker-dealer or financial advisor who holds
accounts outside of the OPS or BCI PlaSorms will
determine the appropriate share class for its Clients
based on an analysis of costs to both the Client and
their firm and the services provided to each share
class.
We offer our DesOnaOons Funds on the OPS and BCI
PlaSorms as part of our advisory services. In
addiOon, the DesOnaOons Funds are offered on the
plaSorms of unaffiliated broker-dealers and
sponsors. The custodians for such third-party
plaSorms onen impose certain custody and clearing
fees for administraOve services provided to Client
accounts (“sub-transfer agent fees”) separate from
the sub-transfer agent
the
DesOnaOons Funds’ custodian. The DesOnaOons
Funds offer two classes of shares: Class I and Class Z.
Class Z shares are offered to Clients that invest
through a third-party plaSorm that may charge an
external sub-transfer agent fee.
AddiOonally, we use only our DesOnaOons Funds in
our DesOnaOons Program. DesOnaOons Funds may
have higher ongoing operaOng expenses (and thus
higher expense raOos) than unaffiliated funds
available in other investment programs. Accordingly,
the DesOnaOons Program, which uses DesOnaOons
Funds exclusively, may be more costly than other
mutual fund allocaOon programs that uOlize funds
with lower expense raOos.
The expense raOo for Class I shares is approximately
15 basis points (0.15%) higher than the expense raOo
for Class Z shares. The 15 basis point difference
represents sub-transfer agent fees a DesOnaOons
Fund pays to its custodian with respect to Class I
shares for administraOve services provided to Client
accounts. Clients invested in the Class Z shares do not
pay this sub-transfer agent fee to the fund custodian,
as the broker-dealer or financial advisor for the
Client’s account assumes responsibility for these
services and their related expenses, onen charging
its own sub-transfer agent fee.
Shares of the DesOnaOons Funds available to
parOcipants
in our advisory programs are
InsOtuOonal share classes that do not pay Rule 12b-1
fees or other similar distribuOon or transacOon
expenses. With respect to proprietary models that
invest in third-party funds and the DesOnaOons
Funds, Brinker purchases the available third-party
fund share class with the lowest internal expense
raOo (generally the “InsOtuOonal” class). However,
these third-party funds may impose transacOon fees
in connecOon with the purchase or sale of shares.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2025, we managed
$53,421,780,525 of Client assets on a discreOonary
basis and $11,420,354,826 of Client assets on a non-
discreOonary basis.
For the remaining assets on our plaSorm, we provide
services, but do not provide
administraOve
If we invest Client accounts in Class Z shares as
opposed to Class I shares, our custodian would
charge the Client a separate custody and clearing fee.
Generally, that fee would be more than the 15 basis
points sub-transfer agent fee that the Class I shares
pay to the DesOnaOons Funds’ custodian. The fee
would depend on account size and would include a
minimum fee, which would significantly increase the
effecOve rate for smaller accounts. Consequently, we
determined that the overall cost for Clients on the
OPS and BCI PlaSorms would be greater than the cost
associated with an investment in Class I shares. For
these reasons, we invest asset on the OPS and BCI
PlaSorms in Class I shares of the DesOnaOons Funds,
22 of 74
investment advice regarding these assets or have
investment discreOon over these assets.
23 of 74
Item 5 – Fees and CompensaCon
Our fee structure varies between the OPS and BCI
PlaSorms. The primary fee is split in the following
manner:
General
We will assess and collect Clients fees for the services
provided to them by ourselves, the Strategists, and
the Client’s Investment Advisor in the manner
authorized by the Client.
OPS Pla$orm
AdministraOve Fee
BCI Pla$orm
Brinker Fee Component
Strategist Fee
Strategy Fee Component
Advisory Fees
Financial Advisor Fee
Component
Defini+on
The fee we charge for the advisory services we offer to
clients. This can someOmes be referred to as a “PlaSorm
Fee.”
This is the fee for each strategy or model selected by a Client
or their Investment Advisor for their account. For models or
strategies selected for which we are the Strategist, we retain
this fee, in addiOon to the AdministraOve Fee or Brinker Fee
Component. For models or strategies where we are NOT the
strategist, this fee is paid to the Strategist.1
The fee paid to the Client’s Investment Advisor for their
advisory services, or for soliciOng accounts on our behalf.
1For Strategist Models where we are not the Strategist, we retain up to 0.05% of the Strategist Fee/Strategy Fee Component.
The Strategist may also elect to pay us these fees directly from their own funds and not from the Strategist Fee/Strategy
Fee Component. If a Strategist elects to pay us the fees directly, we will not retain any porAon of such Strategist’s Strategist
Fee/Strategy Fee Component. We do not retain the Strategist Fee/Strategy Fee Component for certain Strategies available
on the BCI PlaHorm that are also available on the OPS PlaHorm for the porAon of assets of such strategies on the BCI
PlaHorm.
as disOnct households. A household is defined as all
custodian accounts at the same residenOal address.
Fees for our WTS PlaSorm are negoOable and vary
based on the types of services we are engaged to
provide to the Investment Advisor firm.
Monthly Billing
Generally, for offerings on our OPS PlaSorm, we bill
monthly in arrears based on the average daily
balance of the account for the previous month.
Billing Methods
Advisory fees are paid by Clients monthly or
quarterly, either in advance or in arrears, depending
on the service selected by the Client and their
Investment Advisor. Unless otherwise agreed to by
us, we will instruct the custodians to deduct the fees
directly from the Client’s account under the Biling
Authority described in Item 4 – Advisory Business of
this Brochure.
Accounts in each Client’s household are aggregated
and we apply that aggregate balance of accounts
when assessing our fees, as well as any Investment
Advisor breakpoint or Oered schedule. Accounts will
not be consolidated if they were iniOally structured
Quarterly Billing
Generally, for offerings on our BCI PlaSorm, we bill
quarterly in advance. When billing in advance, the
iniOal fee is based on the market value of a Client’s
account when it is opened and prorated for the
number of days remaining in the calendar quarter.
Thereaner, the quarterly fee is due on the first
business day of each quarter and is based on the
market value of the Client’s account on the last
business day of the immediately preceding quarter. If
Client advisory fees are billed in advance, Clients may
24 of 74
situaOon is selected, Clients cannot designate an
account subject to ERISA as the paying account for
fees associated with non-ERISA accounts.
also be billed for addiOonal monies added to their
account during the advisory
fee period. No
adjustments to the Client advisory fee will be made
for monies withdrawn during the advisory fee period.
Upon terminaOon, we will issue Clients a prorated
refund of all unearned advisory fees that were paid
in advance.
Method of Payment
The manner in which we bill for our services is
dependent upon the relaOonship type. See Item 4 –
Advisory Business for a descripOon of the various
relaOonship types we offer.
Sub-Advisory
In a sub-advisory relaOonship, our fee is payable to
us by the Investment Advisor. The Investment
Advisor may delegate to us authority to bill Client
accounts directly, retain our porOon of the fee and
the porOon of the fee due to any Strategist (as
applicable), and remit the remaining porOon to the
Investment Advisor. AlternaOvely, we may invoice the
Investment Advisor for fees owed to us and any
Strategist (as applicable). If we have authority to bill
Clients directly, we will be deemed to have limited
custody of Client assets.
Re,rement Plan Services Billing
See "ReOrement Plan Services Program Fees" below
for a discussion of fees for the RPS program.
Co-Advisory and Solicitor
In a co-advisory or solicitor arrangement, our fee is
payable to us by the Client and is generally paid
through either redempOon of mutual fund shares or
deducOon of cash from the Client's separately
managed accounts, based on the weighted average
of the managed account market values. However,
upon request of the Client, we will bill the Client
separately instead of deducOng the fees.
Clients can select to have one account from which all
fees for their household are deducted. If such a
Fee Summary
The following tables outline the fees for services we
offer under our various programs and strategies as
outlined in Item 4 – Advisory Business of this
Brochure:
1B1BBrinker Capital Investments Programs
Program
Brinker Fee Component1,2
Wrap Fee Eligible
Minimum
Wealth Advisory
Yes3
$1 million
0.65%
Core Guided Manager
Yes3
$500,0004
DesMnaMons
Yes3
$05
First $100,000.00
$100,000.01 to $250,000.00
$250,000.01 to $1 million
Over $1 million
0.35%
0.30%
0.20%
0.10%
No
$250,0006
ReMrement Plan Services
See the ReMrement Plan Services Program Fees secMon below
1 An annual $75 fee will be charged for each account or sleeve used in a Client’s household for households with assets on our pla:orm
valued at less than $100,000.
2 There is no Brinker Fee Component for the porMon of accounts within the Wealth Advisory, Core Guided Manager, or DesMnaMons
Programs assigned to Affiliated Funds (including DesMnaMons Funds) strategies. The Client will sMll pay for advisory services in such
strategies based on their proporMonal ownership of the Affiliated Funds within such strategies. We will sMll earn compensaMon as the
investment advisor to the Affiliated Funds within such strategies.
3 At any given Mme, these por:olios may be allocated only among mutual funds and ETFs and, in that instance, would not be considered
to be “wrap fee” accounts.
4 Core Guided Select minimums may be lower based on the Strategists selected.
5 Certain strategies within the DesMnaMons Program may have a higher minimum.
6 Minimum Plan Assets
25 of 74
0B0BOrion Por(olio Solu,ons Programs
Program
Minimum
Administra:on Fees1,2
Wealth Advisory
Wrap
Fee
Eligible
Yes3
$1 million
First $1 million
$1 million to $2 million
$2 million to $3 million
$3 million to $4 million
0.60%
0.50%
0.45%
0.40%
Strategist Program
Yes3
Varies4
SMA Program
Yes3
Varies5
Advisor Directed Program
Yes3
Varies6
$4 million to $5 million
Over $5 million
First $100,000.00
$100,000.01 to $250,000.00
$250,000.01 to $1 million
Over $1 million
0.35%
0.30%
0.35%
0.30%
0.20%
0.10%
1 An annual $75 fee (billed at $6.25 each month) will be charged for each account or sleeve used in a Client’s household for households
with assets on our pla:orm valued at less than $100,000.
2 There is no AdministraMon Fee for the porMon of accounts within the Wealth Advisory or Strategist Programs assigned to Affiliated
Funds (including DesMnaMons Funds) strategies. The Client will sMll pay for advisory services in such strategies based on their proporMonal
ownership of the Affiliated Funds within such strategies. We will sMll earn compensaMon as the investment advisor to the Affiliated Funds
within such strategies.
3 At any given Mme, these por:olios may be allocated only among mutual funds and ETFs and, in that instance, would not be considered
to be “wrap fee” accounts.
4 Minimums vary and are set by the Strategist Program Strategist.
5 Minimums vary and are set by the SMA Program Manager.
6 Minimums vary and are set by the Client’s Investment Advisor.
Investment Strategies
Program
Wrap Fee Eligible
Minimum
Strategist Fee
Strategy Fee Component
Disciplined Equity
Yes
$50,000
0.10% - 0.15%
Orion Custom Indexing
Yes
$100,000
0.15%
Orion Custom Indexing Tailored AllocaMon Por:olios
Yes
$100,000
None1
Orion Custom Indexing Equity Long/Short strategy
Yes
$1 million
0.40%
No
$0.00
Market Cycle Advised Madate Por:olios
None2
Core Guided Por:olios
Yes2
$500,000
Varies3
Core Select
Yes
$0
No
DesMnaMons Funds
$10,000
Personal Benchmark
No
$100,000
None4,5
Brinker Blended Por:olios
Yes
$10,000
DesMnaMons Hybrid Por:olios
No
$10,000
DesMnaMons ETFh
Yes
$25,000
0.10%6
Focused Strategies
Yes
$0
0.25%
American Funds Strategy
No
$25,000
0.25%
Capital Group ETF Strategies
Yes
$5,000
0.10%
American Hybrid Por:olios
No
$25,000
0.10%
Core Plus ETF Strategy
Yes
$10,000
0.25%
Brinker Capital ESG Por:olios
Yes
$25,000
0.10%
AcMve Income Strategy
Yes
$25,000
0.25%
Managed Income Strategy
Yes
$25,000
0.20%
26 of 74
Digital Assets Por:olio
Yes
$25,000
0.25%
No
$5,000
0.38%
Individualized Managed Accounts
1 The unaffiliated Strategists whose funds or models are uMlized within the Tailored AllocaMon Por:olios pay us a fee in exchange for
inclusion in such por:olios.
2 The unaffiliated Strategists whose funds or models are uMlized within the Market Cycle Advised Mandate Por:olios pay us a fee in
exchange for inclusion in such por:olios. In addiMon, we receive advisory fees as the investment advisor to the DesMnaMons Funds which
may be included in the Market Cycle Advised Mandate Por:olios.
3 The por:olio managers within the Core Guided Por:olios set their individual Strategy Fee Component.
4 The Client will sMll pay for advisory services in such strategies based on their proporMonal ownership of the Affiliated Funds within such
strategies. We will sMll earn compensaMon as the investment advisor to the Affiliated Funds within such strategies.
5 The unaffiliated Strategists whose funds or models are uMlized within the Brinker Blended Por:olios pay us a fee in exchange for
inclusion in such por:olios.
6 The Strategist Fee / Strategy Fee Component for the DesMnaMons ETFh strategy is 0.00% when used in the Wealth Advisory program.
descripOon of mutual fund or ETF fees and expenses
are available in each fund’s prospectus.
Fees are negoOable between us and the Client. In
addiOon to the fees in this chart, Clients will be
assessed a Strategist/Strategy fee and an Investment
Advisor fee.
The Strategist/Strategy generally ranges from 0.00%
to 0.50%. For Strategies where we are the Strategist,
we may receive a Strategist/Strategy fee. The exact
amount of the fee, and whether the fee will be paid
to us, will be included in the Client’s new account
paperwork.
As explained in Item 4 – Advisory Business of this
Brochure, we use the lowest cost share class that is
available at all custodians where the strategy is
available. Therefore, it is possible that a parOcular
custodian may offer a lower cost share class, but it
will not be used in the strategy because not all of the
other available custodians offer that share class for
the strategy.
Other Fee Informa@on
The following secOons outline important addiOonal
informaOon relaOng to our fees.
The Investment Advisor fee is negoOated between a
Investment Advisor and may
Client and their
represent either an advisory fee or a solicitor fee,
depending on the Investment Advisor’s relaOonship
with us.
Fee Distribu,on
We distribute a porOon of the Brinker Fee
Component to certain Investment Advisors who have
significant assets invested in our PlaSorms or for
other reasons, at our discreOon. The amount of any
distribuOon is individually negoOated with each
Investment Advisor. Any Brinker Fee Component
distributed to an Investment Advisor is retained by
that Investment Advisor and does not consOtute a
reducOon in the Brinker Fee Component for Clients.
Fee Review
Clients should carefully review all fees charged by us,
their Investment Advisor, and any funds Clients are
invested in to fully understand the total amount of
fees that are paid. It is the Client’s responsibility to
verify the accuracy of the fee we charge to their
account. The fee we collect will appear on the Client’s
custodial statement, though the custodian does not
determine whether the fee has been properly
calculated. In addiOon, a fee summary is available to
Clients through our website. Fees charged by us are
separate and disOnct from fees and expenses
charged by a Client’s Investment Advisor, mutual
funds or ETFs traded within the Strategist Models, or
a Strategist providing a Strategist Model. A
Fee Changes
We may amend our fee schedule upon at least 30
days’ prior wrimen noOce. Because the other costs
associated with a Client’s account will be passed
through to the Client, their total fee will vary based
upon the allocaOon of an account among Strategists,
specific Strategist selecOon, and the number of
27 of 74
Ome
Strategists rather than based upon the funds
included in an account. We post fee schedules for
Strategists (which determine the Strategy Fee
Component) and, if appliable, for the Custody and
Clearing Fee Component, as they may be amended
from
our website
on
Ome,
to
(orion.com/wealth-management).
Custodian Services
Custodian services will be provided by a qualified
custodian, including our affiliate, ConstellaOon Trust
Company (“CTC”). Please refer to Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry AcOviOes and AffiliaOons of this
Brochure for more informaOon on our affiliates,
including CTC.
The investments in each Strategist Model for non-
qualified accounts may be held in either a separate
brokerage account or a UMA brokerage account with
sleeves at the Client’s custodian. The custodian
typically receives a shareholder servicing fee from
the load-waived mutual funds held by the Client
Accounts.
Termina,on of Services and Termina,on Fees
We can terminate our advisory services with a Client
at any Ome by providing wrimen noOce. Likewise, a
Client can terminate our services at any Ome by
providing us with wrimen noOce. If a Client’s use of
our services is terminated within (5) five business
days from the date of incepOon, all fees paid by the
Client in advance will be promptly refunded and no
terminaOon fee will be charged. Should a Client’s
agreement be terminated at any other Ome, the
Client will receive a pro-rata refund of any prepaid
fees.
The current TerminaOon Fee is $75 per account for
full outgoing distribuOons or non-ACAT transfers. The
TerminaOon Fee may be discounted for Clients of
Investment Advisors who have a significant amount
of assets invested on our PlaSorms. Any discount is
individually negoOated with each Investment Advisor
at our discreOon. AddiOonal account terminaOon
fees may be charged by the custodian.
Compensa,on
Our porSolio manager personnel compensaOon
includes an annual base salary and a discreOonary
bonus, which may be based on various factors
including performance metrics and firm profitability.
Our sales personnel receive compensaOon based on
new assets subject to our services and are eligible for
bonuses based on redempOons or terminaOons.
These compensaOon structures create an incenOve
for our financial professionals to recommend that
Clients increase the size of their assets managed by
us (or not terminate), even when alternaOves exist.
Certain professionals have an equity interest in our
parent company, GT Polaris Holdings, LP, which
creates a general incenOve for these professionals to
grow firm revenue, including through asset growth
and plaSorm uOlizaOon.
Upon terminaOon, Clients should
immediately
contact their custodian to ensure the Client Account
is allocated according to Client wishes. Clients are
responsible for paying for services rendered unOl the
terminaOon of the agreement.
Orion Investment Portal
We receive compensaOon directly from Strategists
whose models are made available on our Orion
Investment Portal.
Legacy Fee Schedules
The fees outlined in this Brochure are current as of
the date of the Brochure. Clients may be assessed
fees based on Legacy Fee Schedules, which would be
included in the paperwork completed at the Ome
such Clients engaged us for advisory services, and
any subsequent amendments thereto.
Our proprietary strategies are available within the
Orion Investment Portal plaSorm. Pricing for such
Strategies may vary compared to the pricing on the
Orion PorSolio SoluOons PlaSorm and Brinker Capital
Investments PlaSorm listed above.
28 of 74
For more informaOon about the Orion CommuniOes
plaSorm, please refer to Item 4 – Advisory Business
of this Brochure.
balance in the account, regardless of the proporOon
of the account allocated to their proprietary
products.
AddiOonally, we have a conflict in that we are
compensated based on the Strategist selected. This
conflict is miOgated as Clients and their Investment
Advisor, not us, are responsible for selecOng the most
suitable porSolio for Clients. We do not provide
advice or recommendaOons regarding porSolio
selecOons.
Market Cycle Advised Mandates Por(olios
The unaffiliated Strategists whose funds or models
are uOlized within the MCAM PorSolios pay us a fee
in exchange for inclusion in the MCAM PorSolios.
AddiOonally, we uOlize the DesOnaOons Funds in the
MCAM PorSolios. We have a conflict as each
Strategist may expect that a porOon of the total
assets in the porSolios be allocated to their funds or
models. To miOgate this conflict, we manage the
investment
MCAM PorSolios based upon their
objecOves, our long-term capital forecasts and limit
the allocaOon of the models to the DesOnaOons
Funds-. Further, Clients and their Investment Advisor,
not us, are responsible for selecOng the most suitable
porSolio for Clients. We do not provide advice or
recommendaOons regarding porSolio selecOons.
Des,na,ons Funds Program
We use Affiliated Funds exclusively
in our
DesOnaOons Funds program. The Affiliated Funds
may have higher ongoing expenses than unaffiliated
mutual funds. In evaluaOng the overall cost of the
DesOnaOons program as compared
to other
investment programs, Clients should note that we
receive advisory fees as the investment advisor in
DesOnaOons Funds. Because we receive advisory
fees as the Investment Advisor to the DesOnaOon
Funds, we do not charge the AdministraOve Fee or
Brinker Fee Component for the porOon of any
DesOnaOons porSolio account allocated to the
DesOnaOons Funds. However, because we receive
advisory fees in connecOon with the DesOnaOons
program, we have an incenOve to recommend the
DesOnaOons program to the extent that we receive a
greater porOon of the Total Fee charged than we do
in other programs. The fee for our DesOnaOons ETFh
program
includes an asset-based fee to cover
transacOon costs, which may be more costly for
larger accounts with relaOvely low trading acOvity
than a program that imposes a separate charge on
each share transacOon.
Tailored Alloca,on Por(olios
The unaffiliated Strategists whose mutual funds or
ETFs are uOlized within the Tailored AllocaOon
PorSolios pay us a fee in exchange for inclusion in the
Tailored AllocaOon PorSolios program.
Brinker Blended Por(olios
The advisors to the unaffiliated mutual funds and
ETFs uOlized within the Brinker Blended PorSolios
may pay us a fee in exchange for inclusion in such
porSolios. We have a conflict because the fees
received by us vary based upon the funds proporOon
of such funds uOlized within the porSolios. To
miOgate this conflict, we manage the Brinker
Blended PorSolios based upon their investment
objecOves and our long-term capital forecasts and
limit the proporOon of the porSolios allocated to the
non-affiliated funds which pay us a fee to between
25% and 35% of the total porSolio allocaOon.
We have a conflict as we might be inclined to
transiOon the Client’s assets into the Strategist’s
proprietary products more quickly than the Client
otherwise would. This is miOgated by a contractual
understanding that the holdings in the account will
be selected based on the desires and needs of the
investor and any allocaOon and trading will be done
based on the capital gains budgets and transiOon
plans idenOfied to us by the Investor or their Advisor.
Further, the Strategists pay us based on the enOre
The advisors of unaffiliated funds included in the
program who pay us a fee in exchange for inclusion
in this program are:
29 of 74
• Main Management, LLC
above average transacOon volume due to frequent
addiOons or liquidaOons.
We receive no compensaOon from any other non-
affiliated mutual funds or ETFs included in these
porSolios.
The Clearing and Custody Fee Schedule in effect from
Ome to Ome is available to Clients on our website
(hmp://www.brinkercapitalinvestments.com/hmps:/
/orion.com/wealth-management).
to deposit cash or other
in
Municipal Securi,es Por(olios & Individual ETF
or Mutual Fund Holdings
We offer two Custody and Clearing fee structures for
acOvely managed municipal securiOes porSolios.
Clients may elect to be charged a separate Ocket
charge on each trade in the account or an asset-
based fee. The current Ocket charge is $30.00 per
trade for fixed income and mutual funds and $8 per
trade for equiOes and ETF’s, which may be changed
from Ome to Ome. No separate Ocket charge is
imposed on transacOons when Clients have selected
the asset-based fee, which uOlizes the Core Fixed
Income custody and clearing fee schedule.
Unsupervised Asset Fee
As an accommodaOon to a Client, we may permit a
Client
securiOes
their account or,
(“Unsupervised Assets”)
alternaOvely, at the Client’s discreOon, in a separate
account established with the custodian, for which we
do not provide
allocaOon, porSolio
asset
management, or performance monitoring services.
Clients will be charged any clearing fees or
transacOon charges imposed by the custodian or
brokerage firm in accordance with its fee schedule in
effect from Ome to Ome, which fees and charges will
be deducted from the Client’s account at the Ome of
the transacOon giving rise to the charge, or at such
other Ome as determined by the custodian.
Strategist Fee Reten,on
We retain the following amounts from the Strategist
Fee (for OPS) or Strategy Fee (for BCI) referenced
above, regardless of Strategist Model type:
Strategist
American Funds
Fidelity Investments
Meeder
Por+on we retain
0.10%
0.05%
0.05%
We offer two Custody and Clearing fee structures for
individual ETF or mutual fund holdings in Core Asset
Manager accounts. Clients may elect to be charged a
separate Ocket charge on each trade in the account
or an asset-based fee. The current Ocket charge is $8
per trade for ETFs and $30 per trade for mutual fund
holdings (other than trades of non-transacOon fee
(NTF) mutual fund shares). The ETF and mutual fund
per trade Ocket charge may be changed from Ome to
Ome. No separate Ocket charge is imposed on
transacOons when Clients have elected the asset-
based custody and clearing schedule, which uOlizes
the Core Equity custody and clearing fee schedule.
invested
for
larger accounts without
Whether the per trade or the asset-based opOon is
more suitable for Clients
in acOvely
managed municipal securiOes porSolios or individual
ETFs or mutual funds will depend on the size of the
account and the level of actual trading in the
account. The per Ocket charge will generally be more
suitable
regular
distribuOon programs, where the added Ocket charge
will usually be less than the addiOonal management
fee, while the asset-based fee will generally be more
suitable for smaller accounts or accounts that have
The enOre Strategist Fee charged by certain
Strategists is retained by us. If this applies to the
strategy Clients select, it will be disclosed in the
Client’s ApplicaOon Addendum or
investment
advisory agreement, as applicable. In addiOon, some
Strategists select mutual funds for which they or
their affiliate act as advisor when developing their
Strategist Model. Certain of these Strategists share a
porOon of the fees they collect from mutual funds
they manage with us. Below are the Strategists who
share these fees with us:
30 of 74
• Advanced Asset Management Advisors
• Focus Partners Advisor Solutions fka
Buckingham Strategic Partners
• Horizon Investments
• Meeder Investment Management
• Toews Corporation
• Ocean Park Asset Management
• Clark Capital
•
iMGP
All Strategists on our plaSorm have the opportunity
to pay us a fee for, among other services, markeOng
and support with respect to the Strategist Program.
Some, but not all Strategist, pay us such a fee. These
fee sharing arrangements vary and create a conflict
of interest since we have an incenOve to conOnue to
recommend the Strategists who pay us such a fee for
the Strategist Program. AddiOonally, Strategists may
refer or recommend their clients to invest via our
plaSorm. This arrangement creates an incenOve for
us to keep these Strategists over others that we may
be considering. To miOgate these conflicts, our
Investment Due Diligence Commimee does not take
revenue sharing payments
into account when
determining whether to retain Strategists.
is
The Strategist Fee may be discounted for Investment
Advisors who have a significant amount of assets
invested on our plaSorm. The amount of the
discount
individually negoOated with each
Investment Advisor at our discreOon.
Investment Advisor, may vary. Please refer to the
Client investment advisory agreement, including
amached addendums and schedules, to determine
the Client’s advisory fee. The standard fee schedules
listed above and minimum account sizes for our
strategies are described in more detail in Item 4 –
Advisory Business of this Brochure. Fees may be
discounted or negoOated at our discreOon and fees
for customized investment strategies developed for a
Client are negoOated on a case-by-case basis.
Furthermore, from Ome-to-Ome we offer program-
wide fee discounts and reduced account minimums
as part of markeOng and promoOonal programs. Such
programs may be iniOated or disconOnued at our
discreOon. Based on this, we offer some or all Clients
of certain Investment Advisors discounted fees based
on the amount of assets an individual Client or the
Investment Advisor has with us, the efficiencies
gained by managing mulOple Clients for the same
Investment Advisor, and our relaOonship with the
Investment Advisor. As a result, Clients with similar
assets may have differing fee schedules and pay
different fees. Clients can request that related
accounts be combined in order to meet fee break
points and reduce the advisory fee charged. We
reserve the right to waive or reduce the advisory fee
for certain accounts such as employee accounts and
personal accounts of Investment Advisors who refer
business to us. Clients who negoOate a flat fee
schedule may or may not pay a higher fee than those
who pay under a Oered schedule, depending on asset
levels.
The same or similar investment advisory services
may be available from other investment advisors for
a lower fee.
We offer a program where Strategists on our
PlaSorms can purchase from us data containing
aggregate informaOon regarding the Investment
Advisors who are researching or recommending their
strategies or models. AddiOonal
informaOon
regarding this can be found in Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry AcOviOes and AffiliaOons of this
Brochure.
Promo,onal Fee Discounts
From Ome to Ome, we may offer promoOonal fee
discounts to the Client’s Investment Advisor (either
individually or in a group of similar investment
advisors). This can include discounts for technology
services offered by our affiliates, Orion Tech and / or
Redtail Technologies, LLC.
Non-Standard Fees
The advisory fee schedules listed above are our
standard rates. Actual fees, and/or the porOon of the
advisory fee retained by us and the Client’s
31 of 74
the
Investment Advisor's
in accordance with the
The Brinker Fee Component for the RPS program
fee)
(excluding
is
determined
following
schedule:
Total Plan Account Value*
Brinker Fee
Component
This creates a conflict for the Investment Advisor(s)
or Investment Advisors as they are encouraged to
recommend our
investment advisory services
relaOve to the investment advisory services of other
advisors with similar programs to ours. Please review
the Investment Advisor’s Form ADV Part2A for more
informaOon regarding their parOcipaOon in such
promoOons.
0.35%
Up to $2,500,000
to $5
0.30%
$2,500,000.00 up
million
Por(olio Audit Services
The cost of PorSolio Audit Services is included as part
of the fees Investment Advisors pay to us.
$5 million to $7million
0.25%
Over $7,000,000
0.20%
Re@rement Plan Services Program Fees
Clients in our RPS program generally pay two fees:
the Brinker Fee Component and the Investment
Advisor’s Fee. For accounts that involve a solicitor,
the solicitor’s fee is a set percentage of the Plan
in the
account’s net asset value, as outlined
investment advisory agreement. If there is a co-
advisor, the Investment Advisor’s Fee is paid in
addiOon to the Brinker Fee Component.
* Note: Total Plan Account Value represents
the porOon of the Plan assets managed by or
through our RPS program. The fee schedule is
not Oered. The applicable percentage is based
on the Plan’s total account value as of the last
business day of each calendar quarter. We
may amend the fee schedule upon at least 90
days prior wrimen noOce to Plan Sponsor.
Accounts above $10 million are priced separately. We
also may negoOate a lower fee on a case-by-case
basis.
The Investment Advisor’s fee is established by the
Investment Advisor, not us. The Investment Advisor’s
role and its fees are described in that firm’s Form
ADV, Part 2A. Both solicitor and co-advisor Clients
also pay a separate fee to the Recordkeeper and
administraOve services. Mutual funds and ETFs incur
management fees and other operaOng fees and
expenses, which are in addiOon to the fees paid by
the Client to us, the Investment Advisor, and the
Recordkeeper.
Fees for our RPS program can be paid in advance or
in arrears. When paid in arrears the fee is based on
the Plan’s account value, as of the last business day
of each calendar quarter and are due the following
business day. Fees are prorated for the balance of the
calendar quarter in which the Plan’s account is
iniOally opened. In the event of terminaOon of the
account, the fees will be adjusted, on a pro rata basis,
to reflect the porOon of the final quarter in which
terminaOon occurs.
Brinker Fund Fee Offset
Advisory fees paid to us or our affiliates by any fund
advised by us or our affiliates,
including any
to a Plan’s
DesOnaOons Fund, with respect
investment in such fund are credited to, or offset and
reduce, dollar-for-dollar the Brinker Fee Component
otherwise payable to us. The Brinker Fee Component
in the above table is gross of such offset. If the
Brinker Fund Fee Offset exceeds the Brinker Fee
Component calculated under the foregoing fee
schedule, we will reduce the Plan’s total fee by such
excess amount. If the fee offset exceeds the total fee
payable to us (including the Investment Advisor’s
fee), such excess will be paid to the Plan. The amount
of the Brinker Fund Fee Offset may change based on
32 of 74
changes to the advisory fees paid to us or our affiliate
by fund(s) advised by us or our affiliate.
33 of 74
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
performance fee accounts is that we could devote
more Ome and amenOon to performance fee
accounts than to accounts under an asset-based fee
arrangement. AddiOonally, performance-based fees
create an incenOve for an advisor such as to
recommend investments that may be riskier or more
speculaOve than those that would be recommended
under a different fee arrangement.
Since we endeavor at all Omes to put the interests of
Clients first as part of our fiduciary duty as a
registered investment advisor, we take the following
steps to address these conflicts:
employees
to
1. We disclose to investors and prospecOve
Clients the existence of material conflicts of
interest, including the potenOal for our firm
and
earn more
its
compensaOon
from some Clients than
others.
2. We have implemented wrimen policies and
procedures for fair and consistent allocaOon
of
investment opportuniOes among all
Clients.
We charge certain insOtuOonal endowment Clients a
performance fee, which is based upon a share of
capital gains or capital appreciaOon of the assets of
such Client. Performance-based fees will only be
charged in accordance with the provisions of Rule
205-3 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(“Advisers Act”) and/or applicable state regulaOons.
In addiOon, it is our policy not to retain any
fees charged and to pass
performance-based
through any collected performance-based fees to
third parOes that provide
investment research
and/or advisory services to us in connecOon with our
management of a Client’s account, as directed by the
Client.
In order for us to be eligible for a
performance-based fee, the account’s performance
must exceed a designated benchmark. If the account
outperforms the designated benchmark, we receive
a performance fee of up to 20% of the return in
excess of the benchmark. The complete terms of our
advisory fee are disclosed in the Investment Advisory
Agreement between the Client and us. The
performance fees charged by us may be higher than
the performance fees charged by other investment
advisors for the same or similar services.
3. We periodically compare holdings and
performance of all accounts with similar
strategies to idenOfy significant performance
dispariOes indicaOve of possible favorable
treatment.
interest we
4. We educate our employees regarding the
responsibiliOes of a fiduciary, including the
equitable treatment of all Clients, regardless
of the fee arrangement.
5. Only Clients that are able to assume
addiOonal risk are solicited to engage in a
performance fee arrangement.
Our Strategists are responsible
for managing
performance-based fee accounts and accounts that
are charged another type of fee. There are potenOal
conflicts of
face by managing
performance-based accounts at the same Ome as
managing asset based, non-performance based
accounts. For example, the nature of a performance
fee poses an opportunity for us to earn more
compensaOon than under a stand-alone asset-based
fee. Consequently, we may favor performance fee
accounts over those accounts where we receive only
an asset-based fee. One way we may favor
34 of 74
Item 7 – Types of Clients
municipal government enOOes. All Programs (other
than RPS) are available to these different types of
investors, subject to certain minimum investment
amounts.
Secondarily, we provide investment advice directly to
the types of Clients idenOfied above through an
arrangement where Investment Advisors refer such
Clients to us. This is referred to herein as a “solicitor”
relaOonship.
We primarily provide investment management and
recordkeeping services to Investment Advisors and
their Clients. These Investment Advisors use our OPS
PlaSorm and BCI PlaSorm to service their Clients.
Such Clients may include individuals, banks or thrin
insOtuOons, pension, reOrement, 529 educaOonal
savings and profit-sharing plans (other than plan
parOcipants), endowments, other pooled investment
insOtuOons,
vehicles, trusts, estates, charitable
corporaOons and other business enOOes, and state or
35 of 74
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
In addiOon to the informaOon below, see the
response to Item 4 – Advisory Business of this
Brochure for the methods of analysis, investment
strategies, and risk involved in each of the services
offered by us. InvesOng in securiOes involves risk of
loss that Clients should be prepared to bear.
Quan,ta,ve Analysis
Using mathemaOcal models, staOsOcal techniques,
and computaOonal algorithms to analyze financial
data. It involves examining data to idenOfy pamerns,
trends, and correlaOons, building models to assess
and miOgate risks, and selecOng a mix of assets for
porSolio management.
Our Methods of Analysis and Their Risks
We may use one or more of the following methods
of analysis or investment strategies when providing
our services described in this Brochure:
Risk: The risk of QuanOtaOve Analysis arises from
inaccurate assumpOons or poor-quality data, leading
to unreliable predicOons. AddiOonally, overfilng
occurs when models are too closely tailored to
historical data, reducing their effecOveness for future
predicOons. Market changes can render models
based on past data obsolete, as they may not account
for sudden or unprecedented events
Char,ng Analysis
Gathering and processing of price and volume
pamern informaOon for a parOcular security, sector,
broad index or commodity. This price and volume
pamern informaOon is analyzed. The resulOng pamern
and correlaOon data is used to detect departures
from expected performance and diversificaOon and
predict future price movements and trends.
Fundamental Analysis
Analyzing individual companies and their industry
groups, such as a company's financial statements,
details regarding the company's product line, the
experience and experOse of
the company's
management, and the outlook for the company and
its industry. The resulOng data is used to measure the
true value of the company's stock compared to the
current market value.
Risk: Our charOng analysis may not accurately detect
anomalies or predict future price movements.
reflect all
Current prices of securiOes may
informaOon known about the security and day-to-
day changes in market prices of securiOes may follow
random pamerns and may not be predictable with
any reliable degree of accuracy.
trends
Technical Analysis
and
Studying past price pamerns,
interrelaOonships in the financial markets to assess
risk-adjusted performance and predict the direcOon
of both the overall market and specific securiOes.
Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis
is that
informaOon obtained may be incorrect and the
analysis may not provide an accurate esOmate of
earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's value.
If securiOes prices adjust rapidly to new informaOon,
uOlizing fundamental analysis may not result in
favorable performance.
price
pamerns
and
Cyclical Analysis
A type of technical analysis that involves evaluaOng
trends.
recurring
Economic/business cycles may not be predictable
and may have many fluctuaOons between long-term
expansions and contracOons.
Risk: The risk of market Oming based on technical
analysis is that our analysis may not accurately detect
anomalies or predict future price movements.
Current prices of securiOes may
reflect all
informaOon known about the security and day-to-
day changes in market prices of securiOes may follow
random pamerns and may not be predictable with
any reliable degree of accuracy.
Risk: The lengths of economic cycles may be difficult
to predict with accuracy and therefore the risk of
36 of 74
is the difficulty
announcements, etc.) but may have a smaller impact
over longer periods of Omes.
in predicOng
cyclical analysis
economic trends and consequently the changing
value of securiOes that would be affected by these
changing trends.
Modern Por(olio Theory
A theory of investment which amempts to maximize
porSolio expected return for a given amount of
porSolio risk, or equivalently minimize risk for a
given
level of expected return, by carefully
diversifying the proporOons of various assets.
Short Sales
Unlike a straighSorward investment in stocks where
you buy shares with the expectaOon that their price
will increase so you can sell at a profit, in a "short
sale" you borrow stocks from your brokerage firm
and sell them immediately, hoping to buy them later
at a lower price. Thus, a short seller hopes that the
price of a stock will go down in the near future. A
short seller thus uses declines in the market to his
advantage. The short seller makes money when the
stock prices fall and loses when prices go up. The SEC
has strict regulaOons in place regarding short selling.
Risk: Market risk is that part of a security's risk that is
common to all securiOes of the same general class
(stocks and bonds) and thus cannot be eliminated by
diversificaOon.
Long-Term Purchases
SecuriOes purchased with the expectaOon that the
value of those securiOes will grow over a relaOvely
long period of Ome, generally greater than one year.
Risk: Short selling is very risky. Investors should
exercise extreme cauOon before short selling is
implemented. A short seller will profit if the stock
goes down in price, but if the price of the shares
increase, the potenOal losses are unlimited because
the stock can keep rising forever. There is no ceiling
on how much a short seller can lose in a trade. The
share price may keep going up and the short seller
will have to pay whatever the prevailing stock price is
to buy back the shares. However, gains have a ceiling
level because the stock price cannot fall below zero.
Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally
assumes the financial markets will go up in the long-
term which may not be the case. There is also the risk
that the segment of the market that you are invested
in or perhaps just your parOcular investment will go
down over Ome even if the overall financial markets
advance. Purchasing investments long-term may
create an opportunity cost - "locking-up" assets that
may be bemer uOlized in the short-term in other
investments.
Short-Term Purchases
SecuriOes purchased with the expectaOon that they
will be sold within a relaOvely short period of Ome,
generally less than one year, to take advantage of the
securiOes' short-term price fluctuaOons.
Risk: A short seller has to undertake to pay the
earnings on the borrowed securiOes as long as the
short seller chooses to keep the short posiOon open.
If the company declares huge dividends or issues
bonus shares, the short seller will have to pay that
amount to the lender. Any such occurrence can skew
the enOre short investment and make it unprofitable.
The broker can use the funds in the short seller's
margin account to buy back the loaned shares or
issue a "call away" to get the short seller to return
the borrowed securiOes. If the broker makes this call
when the stock price is much higher than the price at
the Ome of the short sale, then the investor can end
up taking huge losses.
Risk: Margin interest can be a significant expense.
Since short sales can only be undertaken in margin
accounts, the interest payable on short trades can be
Risk: Using a short-term purchase strategy generally
assumes that we can predict how financial markets
will perform in the short-term which may be very
difficult and will incur a disproporOonately higher
amount of transacOon costs compared to long-term
trading. There are many factors that can affect
financial market performance in the short-term (such
as short-term interest rate changes, cyclical earnings
37 of 74
substanOal, especially if short posiOons are kept
open over an extended period.
trading
Risk: Shares that are difficult to borrow – because of
high short interest, limited float, or any other reason
– have “hard-to-borrow” fees. These fees are based
on an annualized rate that can range from a small
fracOon of a percent to more than 100% of the value
of the short trade. The hard-to-borrow rate can
fluctuate substanOally on a daily basis; therefore, the
exact dollar amount of the fee may not be known in
advance, and may be substanOal.
Trading
We may use frequent trading (in general, selling
securiOes within 30 days of purchasing the same
securiOes) as an investment strategy when managing
your account(s). Frequent
is not a
fundamental part of our overall investment strategy,
but we may use this strategy occasionally when we
determine that it is suitable given your stated
investment objecOves and tolerance for risk. This
may include buying and selling securiOes frequently
in an effort to capture significant market gains and
avoid significant losses.
Margin Transac,ons
A securiOes transacOon in which an investor borrows
money to purchase a security, in which case the
security serves as collateral on the loan.
Risk: When a frequent trading policy is in effect, there
is a risk that investment performance within your
account may be negaOvely affected, parOcularly
through increased brokerage and other transacOonal
costs and taxes.
factors to
Risk: If the value of the shares drops sufficiently, the
investor will be required to either deposit more cash
into the account or sell a porOon of the stock in order
to maintain the margin requirements of the account.
This is known as a "margin call." An investor's overall
risk includes the amount of money invested plus the
amount that was loaned to them.
Investment Strategy Due Diligence
We uOlize a combinaOon of qualitaOve and
idenOfy, evaluate, and
quanOtaOve
monitor the strategies made available on our
PlaSorms. The quanOtaOve analysis focuses on the
performance of the strategies relaOve to benchmarks
and peers, porSolio risk metrics, and both the short-
term and long-term track records of the strategies
managed by each investment manager (including
Strategists and SMA Managers, each, an “Investment
Manager”). Our qualitaOve analysis reviews the
breadth and depth of resources of operaOons of the
Investment Manager,
including organizaOonal
history, investment team experience, firm size and
ownership structure
investment philosophy and
process client servicing capabiliOes, relaOonship with
us, and other characterisOcs.
Op,on Wri,ng
A securiOes transacOon that involves selling an
opOon. An opOon is a contract that gives the buyer
the right, but not the obligaOon, to buy or sell a
parOcular security at a specified price on or before
the expiraOon date of the opOon. When an investor
sells a call opOon, he or she must deliver to the buyer
a specified number of shares if the buyer exercises
the opOon. When an investor sells a put opOon, he or
she must pay the strike price per share if the buyer
exercises the opOon, and will receive the specified
number of shares. The opOon writer/seller receives a
premium (the market price of the opOon at a
parOcular Ome) in exchange for wriOng the opOon.
Risk: OpOons are complex investments and can be
very risky, especially if the investor does not own the
underlying stock. In certain situaOons, an investor's
risk can be unlimited.
Our Investment Due Diligence Commimee oversees
the Investment Manager due diligence, selecOon and
monitoring processes. The Investment Due Diligence
Commimee reviews manager performance and
addresses potenOal concerns, collaborates on new
manager searches, and discusses recommended
manager terminaOons. New investment strategies,
including, but not limited to, separate accounts and
38 of 74
investment
convicOon by our Due Diligence team. The “Watch
List” contains Strategies
idenOfied by our Due
Diligence team as having amributes that warrant
concern, but have not yet been determined as
Strategies that should be removed from our
PlaSorm. The Select List and Watch List are each
updated on a semi-annual basis.
factors
into
consideraOon
funds managed by unaffiliated Strategists include but
are not limited to performance and style analysis, risk
analysis, informaOon obtained through onsite due
diligence meeOngs with the appropriate execuOve
and investment personnel, and a review of the
strategy due diligence
manager’s
quesOonnaire responses. The
Investment Due
their professional
Diligence Commimee uses
judgment and investment experience while taking
these
when
recommending any investment acOon such as the
addiOon of a new strategy to the plaSorm and/or
manager terminaOons.
Orion Investment Portal
All of the Strategists and Strategist Models available
on our OPS PlaSorm are available to the investment
advisory firms and their representaOves that are
uOlizing
the porSolio accounOng and other
technology tools offered through our affiliate, Orion
Tech.
We make addiOonal Strategists and Strategist Models
available for use by these unaffiliated investment
advisors through our Orion Investment Portal. Our
Due Diligence team conducts a less thorough review
of the Strategist Models available only through the
Orion Investment Portal.
To monitor Investment Managers and manage the
strategies on the plaSorm, we uOlize various third-
party analyOcal sonware. Also, we use a proprietary
risk scoring methodology. This tool assists Advisors in
Investment Manager
developing and selecOng
strategies by assigning a risk score to each strategy
on our PlaSorms. The tool helps Investment Advisors
with porSolio construcOon and asset allocaOon.
As a Client’s Investment Advisor determines the
investment strategy to uOlize based on the Client’s
investment needs, Clients should consult their
Advisor’s Form ADV Part 2A for a full descripOon of
their investment analysis to determine how the
strategy selected best suits the Clients investment
needs and risk tolerance.
This limited due diligence consists of a quanOtaOve
review of the Strategy and,
if applicable, the
Strategist, which includes, but is not limited to
historical risk and return performance against peers
and benchmarks, assets under management for the
Strategy and Strategist, length of performance track
record, and other factors. If the due diligence team
has no concerns, the Strategy is added to the Orion
Investment Portal. Such Strategist Models are not
subject to review by our Due Diligence Commimee.
are
responsible
The
Investment Managers are not provided
individual informaOon about the Client or their
investment goals and objecOves and do not have an
advisory relaOonship with the Client. Any quesOons
regarding the management of the
investment
strategies or the Client’s Account should be directed
to the Client’s Investment Advisor.
instrucOons.
To assist Investment Advisors in idenOfying Strategies
and understanding our ongoing views on the
Strategists and Strategies, we make available a
“Select List” and a “Watch List.” The Select List
contains Strategies OPS Global which exceed certain
thresholds relaOng to both quanOtaOve metrics and
qualitaOve assessments and are viewed as high
Individual Securi@es
We do not review investment decisions regarding
individual securiOes made by unaffiliated Investment
Managers. While we
for
implemenOng an Investment Manager’s instrucOons
with respect to Client accounts invested in a model,
we do not review or make any
independent
determinaOon with respect to the merits of such
investment
Investment decisions
relaOng to fund shares for strategies managed
directly by us are made by our investment team. The
selecOon process can generally be defined as eclecOc
39 of 74
style, geography,
Indexing Equity
diversificaOon
benefit
and/or
in nature, with no specific constraints based on size,
liquidity,
sector or other
predetermined criteria. Our investment team may
consider a broad array of factors in determining the
purchase or sale of a security, including but not
limited to, the upside potenOal, downside risk,
valuaOon metrics, technical outlook, future catalyst
other
event,
informaOon.
Advisor we may engage to implement the Orion
Custom
Long/Short Strategy
provides tax advice; Clients should consult their own
qualified tax advisors, and each Client’s Investment
Advisor is responsible for considering the Client’s
objecOves, risk tolerance, tax circumstances, liquidity
needs, financial situaOon, and other relevant factors
when determining whether the strategy is suitable
and in the Client’s best interest.
Custom Indexing
We make available certain Custom Indexing and tax
managed strategies, which replicate broad market
indices or strategist models through the direct
purchase of individual securiOes. These strategies
seek to replicate the risk/return profile of the index
or strategy being targeted and can create tax alpha
by harvesOng tax losses to offset taxes on capital
gains as well as provide comprehensive tax
transiOons.
Discre@onary Programs
As menOoned above, in addiOon to third-party
Investment Manager strategies, we make available
certain strategies that are managed internally. The
plaSorm provides porSolios managed by our
porSolio management team using mutual funds,
ETFs, stocks, and other exchange-traded products. In
addiOon, the OPS PlaSorm offers the MCAM (Market
Cycle Advised Mandate) PorSolios which are also
managed by us and are composed of third-party and
proprietary
funds. Our
Investment Manager
investment due diligence team and Investment Due
Diligence Commimee do not review our proprietary
strategies.
Investment Analysis for Solicitor Clients
The following informaOon relates to the Method of
Analysis and
investment strategies for Clients
introduced to us under a solicitor arrangement, as
described in Item 4 – Advisory Business of this
Brochure.
strategy
that accounts
for
Indexing Equity Long/Short
The Orion Custom
Strategy described in Item 4 uOlizes a customized
long/short overlay and seeks to provide pre-tax and
aner-tax excess returns
through acOve stock
selecOon and tax-loss harvesOng while maintaining
the investment characterisOcs of the Client’s desired
market exposure. Because the strategy may use both
long and short posiOons, it involves addiOonal risks
beyond tradiOonal long-only equity strategies or
other Orion Custom Indexing strategies, including
market risk, idiosyncraOc or company-specific risk,
short-sale risk, borrow and short squeeze risk,
leverage risk, and borrow rate risk. These risks may
result in losses, increased costs, unexpected porSolio
outcomes, or the need to purchase securiOes in the
open market at prices significantly above the
proceeds received from a short sale.
Investment Strategy Development
CriOcal to the success of any investment plan is a
well-defined
risk
tolerance, risk capacity, risk composure, Ome
horizons, rate of return targets, and liquidity needs.
We use an investment strategy quesOonnaire (also
called a Risk Tolerance QuesOonnaire or Risk
Tolerance Assessment) to assist in developing a
recommended or suggested investment strategy for
each Client.
harvesOng
or
other
Indexing Equity Long/Short
The Orion Custom
Strategy may involve addiOonal tax consideraOons,
and any expected tax benefits, including from tax-
loss
tax-management
techniques, are not guaranteed and may not be
suitable for every Client. Neither we nor any Sub-
Investment Strategy Ques,onnaire
BCI Clients introduced to us through a solicitor
Investment Advisor will complete an investment
40 of 74
to analyze
strategy quesOonnaire developed by us or a third-
party advisor which idenOfies the Client objecOves,
assets, risk tolerance, risk capacity, risk composure,
personal situaOon, and investment experience. We
uOlize our proprietary computerized sonware
program
investment strategy
the
quesOonnaire to ensure the selected strategy or
strategies are suitable for the Client. Our investment
team is responsible for maintaining the logic, which
includes maintaining
investment strategy
the
quesOonnaire.
seek
to
with regard to risk that we allow for a Client’s
porSolio. The risk associated with each investment is
carefully considered before it is added to a Client’s
porSolio. Under Risk BudgeOng, Clients are assigned
a Risk Budget and each security is assigned a risk
value primarily based on volaOlity. The Risk Budget is
expressed as a percentage of the risk relaOve to a
diversified equity porSolio benchmark. For example,
a Risk Budget of 100 would represent a porSolio with
a risk similar to 100% of the risk of a diversified equity
porSolio and a porSolio with a Risk Budget of 60
would represent a porSolio with a risk similar to 60%
of the risk of a diversified equity porSolio. Within the
constraints of the Risk Budget that Clients select, we
idenOfy amracOve market
acOvely
opportuniOes. Our Risk BudgeOng Methodology is
flexible enough to be applied to a broad variety of
levels, from aggressive to
Client risk comfort
conservaOve.
When creaOng an investment strategy profile for a
Client in our Wealth Advisory Program introduced to
us by a solicitor Investment Advisor, we consider
various factors, including, but not limited to, Client
risk
tolerance, risk capacity, risk composure,
investment Ome horizon, liquidity needs, tax bracket,
and account type. We also consider a Client’s level of
investable assets and desired level of investment
discreOon in recommending programs.
recommendaOons directly
to
Within the RPS program, we offer an investment
strategy quesOonnaire that Plan sponsors can share
with Plan parOcipants to help them choose a suitable
investment strategy. However, we do not give
investment
the
parOcipants.
and/or
investment
compensaOon
Investment
Conflicts of Interest
From Ome to Ome, our investment team, Investment
Commimee, and/or the Investment Due Diligence
Commimee members may have a conflict of interest
investment recommendaOon,
when making an
including any benefits we or such individuals receives
from a third party. When a parOcular investment
recommendaOon creates a conflict of interest, the
investment team member, Investment Commimee
member,
Investment Due Diligence
Commimee member will (i) ensure the nature and
extent of his or her interest is fully disclosed prior to
the transacOon, including disclosure of any direct or
the
indirect
team
member,
Commimee member,
Investment Due Diligence Commimee member,
and/or we receive in connecOon with the transacOon
and (ii) make the recommendaOon only if he or she
has a reasonable belief that the transacOon is in the
Client’s best interest.
Asset Alloca,on Process
For solicitor Clients, once we have created an
investment strategy profile, the solicitor creates an
asset allocaOon that aligns Client objecOves with
investment strategies using investment disciplines
that are suitable for achieving the Client’s stated
goals, which we then review. For discreOonary
porSolios, each program will be managed within the
stated ranges for each major asset class. With
respect to any investment recommendaOon, neither
the Asset AllocaOon Commimee or
we nor
Investment Commimee members favor one Client or
group of Clients at the expense of other Clients.
Our parent company, Orion Advisor SoluOons, Inc.
(“Orion”) maintains a Conflicts Commimee charged
with idenOfying and addressing conflicts of interest
that exist in our business and the business of our
Risk Budge@ng
We also uOlize Risk BudgeOng for certain investment
strategies. Risk BudgeOng is the spending allowance
41 of 74
affiliates. The Conflicts Commimee is chaired by our
Chief Compliance Officer.
invesOng involves a risk of loss, our programs could
lose money over short or long periods.
in securiOes
InvesOng
inherently risky. An
is
investment in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds,
or stocks could lose money. We and the Strategists
cannot give any guarantee that they will achieve their
investment objecOves or that Clients will receive a
return on or return of their investment. Although
money market funds are considered low risk, they
are affected by other types of risk, mainly interest-
rate risk and inflaOon risk. The underlying value of
the instruments within the money market fund may
change depending on the direcOon of interest rates.
Under our current fee schedules, the amount of fees
we receive does not change based upon the
allocaOon of assets in a Client’s account among
Strategists and/or funds, which we believe eliminates
incenOve or conflict with respect to the
any
allocaOon of assets in a Client’s account. We uOlize
only our DesOnaOons Funds in our DesOnaOons
Funds models, for which we serve as the advisor and
receive an advisory fee from the DesOnaOons Funds.
This creates a potenOal conflict of interest, which we
seek to miOgate by excluding the DesOnaOons Funds
when calculaOng the Brinker Fee Component and
AdministraOon Fees, as applicable, for accounts in
the DesOnaOons models. See also Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry AcOviOes and AffiliaOons of this
Brochure.
No Guarantee
The value of a Client investment could decline and be
worth less than the principal iniOally invested. And
while a money market fund seeks a stable share
price, its yield fluctuates. In addiOon, mutual funds
are not insured or guaranteed by an agency of the
U.S. government. Bond funds, unlike purchasing a
bond directly, will not re-pay the principal at a set
point in Ome.
Risks
Performance could be impacted by a number of
different market risks including but not limited to:
Loss of Capital
All of our programs are subject to general market
risk. Any investment in the securiOes is subject to risk
of loss of capital. The value of the porSolio will
fluctuate based upon changes in value of the
underlying securiOes. Investments are not insured by
the Federal Deposit Insurance CorporaOon.
As discussed in Item 5 – Fees and CompensaOon of
this Brochure, we may retain a porOon of the
Strategist Fee / Strategy Fee Component of a
strategy, or otherwise receive compensaOon from a
Strategist. In addiOon, as discussed in Item 10 –
Other Financial Industry AcOviOes and AffiliaOons,
Strategists may provide support payments for
markeOng and / or events created by or hosted by us
and our affiliates. This creates a conflict of interest
when determining to include a Strategist or Strategy
on the “Select List” or “Watch List” discussed above.
We miOgate this conflict by ensuring the criteria used
to add or remove a Strategy to the Select List” or
“Watch List” is based solely on the investment due
diligence team’s independent assessment of the
Strategy. CompensaOon we receive from Strategists,
either directly or indirectly, is not taken into account
by our investment due diligence team when adding
or removing Strategies from the “Select List” and
“Watch List.”
Interest Rate Risk
PorSolios may change in response to the movement
of interest rates. The price of a fixed income security
will generally fall when interest rates rise, and vice
versa.
Manager Risk
Performance may deviate from overall market
returns if we or any unaffiliated Strategist is either
Risk of Loss
The descripOon contained herein is an overview of
the risks entailed in the various advisory programs
we offer and is not intended to be complete. All
42 of 74
more defensive or more aggressive when the market
is rising or falling, respecOvely.
redempOons, it may be necessary for the porSolio to
sell such securiOes at prices that could impact
porSolio value.
Credit Risk
The value of a Client’s investment in the porSolio
may change in response to changes in the credit
raOngs of the porSolio’s securiOes. Generally,
investment risk and price volaOlity increase as a
security’s credit raOng declines.
is responsible
Execu@on Delay Risk
In our ReOrement Plan Services program, we provide
instrucOons regarding mutual funds and ETFs
included in the asset allocaOon models for the RPS
program and the weighOngs thereof. Changes to
those models result in the purchase and sale of
mutual funds and ETFs for parOcipant accounts.
for
However, the recordkeeper
implemenOng mutual fund and ETF sales and
purchases and there may be a delay in the execuOon
of BCI’s instrucOons by the Recordkeeper and/or the
custodian. Any such delay could be significant and
could adversely affect the investment performance
of the parOcipant’s account.
Deriva’ves Risk
DerivaOves, such as opOons, futures and swaps, can
be volaOle, and a small investment in a derivaOve can
have a large impact on the performance of the
porSolio. Other risks of investments in derivaOves
include imperfect correlaOon between the value of
these instruments and the underlying assets; risks of
default by the other party to the derivaOve
transacOons; risks that the transacOons may result in
losses that parOally or completely offset gains in
porSolio posiOons; and risks that the derivaOve
transacOons may not be liquid.
The level of exposure to any of the foregoing risks will
depend on the extent to which BCI or any third-party
or fund manager invests in specific securiOes or
uOlizes specific investment strategies that pose such
risks.
Foreign Risk
Foreign investments are subject to the same risks as
domesOc investments and addiOonal risks, including
internaOonal trade, currency, poliOcal, regulatory
and diplomaOc risks, which may affect their value.
Also, foreign securiOes are subject to the risk that
their market price may not reflect the issuer’s
condiOon because there is not sufficient publicly
available informaOon about the issuer.
that Clients are considering
Alterna@ve Investments
AlternaOve
investments, such as Private Equity
Funds, non-traded Real Estate Investment Funds,
Hedge Funds, and
typically any security or
investment that is not traded and priced on a daily
basis, are speculaOve and involve substanOal risks. It
is possible that investors may lose some or all of their
investment. Please review the offering documents
for the risks associated with each alternaOve
investment
for
investment.
Leverage Risk
Certain transacOons, such as reverse repurchase
agreements, dollar rolls, loans of porSolio securiOes,
and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or
forward commitment transacOons, may give rise to
leverage, causing a porSolio to be more volaOle than
if it had not been leveraged.
Alterna@ve Investment Mutual Funds
AlternaOve investment mutual funds are speculaOve
and involve substanOal risks. It is possible that
investors may lose some or all of their investment.
Please review the mutual fund prospectus for the
risks associated with each alternaOve mutual fund
that Clients are considering for investment in a
Strategist Model.
Liquidity Risk
Certain securiOes eligible for investment by the
porSolio may be deemed to be illiquid under
applicable law. During periods of market turbulence
or unusually low trading acOvity, in order to meet
43 of 74
Ar@ficial Intelligence Risk
We, our affiliates, third-party vendors, or other
counterparOes may use arOficial intelligence (“AI”)
technology in connecOon with certain business
processes, services, technology tools, or products. AI
models and related technologies are developing
rapidly and may, in some circumstances, produce
incomplete, or unintended outputs;
inaccurate,
reflect limitaOons or biases in underlying data; raise
intellectual property consideraOons; or present
reputaOonal,
operaOonal,
legal,
regulatory,
cybersecurity, or other risks, including risks related to
third-party AI tools and evolving AI laws, regulaOons,
guidance, or industry pracOces. We seek to manage
these risks through governance, oversight, and risk
management pracOces reasonably designed for the
nature and scope of the AI technology used, which
may include review of AI tools, vendor oversight,
safeguards,
security and privacy
informaOon
employee guidance, monitoring of AI-related
outputs, and limiOng or disconOnuing use where
appropriate.
44 of 74
Item 9 – Disciplinary InformaCon
Neither we nor any of our employees have been
involved in any legal or disciplinary events in the past
10 years that would be material to a Client’s
evaluaOon of us or our personnel.
45 of 74
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry AcCviCes and AffiliaCons
As discussed above, we are a subsidiary of Orion
Advisor SoluOons, Inc (“Orion”). The following direct
and indirect subsidiaries of Orion are affiliates of
OPS:
Other Affiliates and Affilia@ons
We use the products and services of our affiliates to
assist us in providing the advisory services to Clients.
In addiOon, the Client’s Investment Advisor may use
the services of our affiliates. Below is a list of these
affiliates and their acOviOes.
• Advizr, Inc dba Orion Planning
• BasisCode Compliance LLC dba Orion
Compliance
• ConstellaOon Trust Company (“CTC”)
• DesOnaOons Funds Trust
• GxWorks, LLC dba Orion Risk Intelligence
(formerly HiddenLevers)
• Orion Advisor Technology, LLC (“Orion Tech”)
• Redtail Technology, Inc.
• Summit Wealth Systems, Inc.
• Townsquare Capital, LLC (“TownSquare”).
Orion Advisor Technology, LLC (“Orion Tech”),
Orion Planning, and Orion Risk Intelligence
We uOlize the back-office system provided by Orion
Tech for trade processing, account management, and
performance reporOng for certain Programs. We also
make available to Clients and Investment Advisors
planning tools from Orion Planning and risk analyOcs
tools from Orion Risk Intelligence. We believe that
the uOlizaOon of Orion Tech, Orion Planning, and
Orion Risk Intelligence do not create a conflict of
interest.
Our execuOve officers also serve as officers and
directors of the other Orion affiliates.
informaOon about
Des,na,ons Funds
We are the investment advisor for the DesOnaOons
Mutual Funds and we receive an investment advisory
fee for this service, which presents a potenOal
conflict of interest. The DesOnaOons Mutual Funds
are included in the DesOnaOons strategies offered
through our Strategist Program and CommuniOes
such
plaSorm. AddiOonal
potenOal conflict of interest can be found in the
Material Conflicts of Interest secOon below.
Broker-Dealer Registra@ons
Brinker Capital SecuriOes, LLC (“BCS”), a registered
broker-dealer, is our affiliate. BCS acts as introducing
broker-dealer under a clearing agreement with
NaOonal Financial Services, LLC (“NFS”) for all
accounts in our programs offered under the BCI
name that are custodied at NFS, excluding those
accounts introduced by Fidelity Brokerage Services,
LLC, an NFS affiliated broker-dealer, or Clients in the
MMLIS Brinker co-advisory program for whom
MMLIS serves as the introducing broker-dealer. BCS
receives no commissions
in connecOon with
securiOes transacOons in wrap fee accounts for
which it acts as introducing broker.
Other Registra@ons
Neither we nor any of our management persons are
registered or have applicaOons pending to register, as
a futures commission merchant, commodity pool
operator, a commodity trading advisor or an
associated person of the foregoing enOOes.
Constella,on Trust Company ("CTC")
CTC is a Nebraska chartered trust company and our
subsidiary. Some of our execuOve officers also serve
as officers and directors of CTC. CTC's custodial
services facilitate certain BCI Clients who desire a
third-party investment advisor such as us to manage
their account(s). We and our affiliates may
recommend CTC, among other custodians, to Clients.
CTC has established electronic
interfaces and
capabiliOes necessary to maintain and aggregate
custodial records and reporOng for Clients invested
across various
investment plaSorms. We have
entered into an arrangement with CTC to waive the
46 of 74
Compliance as a technology soluOon for our
compliance program.
Material Conflicts of Interest
Our parent company, Orion, maintains a Conflicts
Commimee charged with idenOfying and addressing
materials conflicts of interest that exist in our
business and the business of our affiliates. The
Conflicts Commimee
is chaired by our Chief
Compliance Officer and includes senior employees
across the technology and wealth management
offerings of Orion.
annual custodial fee for these BCI Clients. All other
custodial fees and charges of CTC are set forth in the
CTC custodial agreement. Trades for BCI Client
accounts custodied at CTC are effected via the
NaOonal SecuriOes Clearing CorporaOon through
arrangements with third parOes, including Matrix
Semlement and Clearance Services, LLC ("Matrix")
and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. The DesOnaOons
Funds (for which we serve as investment advisor) and
other mutual funds held by BCI Clients with assets
custodied at CTC pay shareholder servicing or sub-
transfer agent fees to CTC for distribuOon and/or
shareholder servicing related assistance associated
with making a Client's investments in such funds. Our
policies and pracOces with respect to selecOng share
classes for accounts invested in programs that are
held at CTC or any other custodian, are described in
Item 4 – Advisory Business of this Brochure.
CTC receives 12b-1 fees from mutual funds held in
some Client accounts.
Mutual Fund Transac,on Fees
In the Core Asset Manager, DesOnaOons ETFh, and
Wealth Advisory programs, we have the choice of
using either non-transacOon fee (“NTF”) funds or
transacOon fee funds. While transacOon fee funds
generally have a lower expense raOo to the Client
than an NTF fund, the clearing and custody costs paid
by us are higher for transacOon fee funds than for
NTF funds. For Clients with fee schedules in effect
prior to April 1, 2017, this may create a conflict by
giving us the incenOve to select NTF funds in order to
reduce the clearing and custody fees for Client
accounts, instead of selecOng transacOon fee funds
that may have a lower expense raOo to the Client. In
order to address this potenOal conflict, we pay the
custodian an asset-based fee for clearing and
custody, which we
into account when
took
establishing
its prior fee schedule(s) for these
programs.
TownSquare Capital, LLC
TownSquare is an investment advisor registered with
the SEC. TownSquare provides a
fee-based
investment plaSorm that allows unaffiliated third-
party investment advisors the ability to enhance
their current investment program or uOlize models
insOtuOonal porSolio strategists.
provided by
TownSquare markets this program under the name
Orion OCIO, which stands for Outsourced Chief
Investment Officer. We have a sub-advisory
agreement in place with TownSquare to manage
some products available on our plaSorm. Due to the
fact that TownSquare is an affiliate, we have an
incenOve to uOlize TownSquare as a sub-advisor.
Compliance,
LLC
dba Orion
BasisCode
Compliance
Orion Compliance is a compliance management
system owned and sold by our parent company. The
cloud-based sonware plaSorm provides core
including management of
compliance funcOons
policies and procedures, employee trade monitoring,
tesOng, and cerOficaOons. We uOlize Orion
Des,na,ons Funds
We
in the DesOnaOons Funds
invest accounts
program in DesOnaOons Funds, for which we serve as
the investment advisor. As investment advisor to the
DesOnaOons Funds we receive an advisory fee, which
presents a potenOal conflict of interest. We do not
employ the same due diligence procedures that we
apply to other fund managers and Strategists in
evaluaOng the DesOnaOons Funds. However, our
decisions with respect to the selecOon, allocaOon of
assets, and terminaOon of a sub-advisors of the
DesOnaOons Funds are subject to the oversight and
47 of 74
approval of the Board of Trustees of the DesOnaOons
Funds (a majority of which are unaffiliated with us).
In addiOon, we do not assess the Brinker Fee
Component or AdministraOve Fee, as applicable, for
the porOon of the Client’s DesOnaOons porSolio
invested in the DesOnaOons Funds.
Investment Advisors
at events we approve, and access to other funcOons
we sponsor and approve. Even though qualifying
representaOves do not receive addiOonal cash
compensaOon directly from us through the EAN
Program, qualifying representaOves may have an
incenOve to refer Clients to invest with us so that they
may qualify or requalify for the EAN Program. This
creates a conflict for the representaOves when
recommending our services to Clients. Clients should
ask their financial adviser about the benefits he or
she receives from the EAN Program.
in the program
Inc.
Financial Professional Seminars
We organize educaOonal seminars for solicitor and
co-advisor
that may be
sponsored or co-sponsored by various Strategists
that parOcipate in our advisory programs. Strategists
who parOcipate in this program pay a fee which is
used to defray expenses associated with such events.
is
A Strategist’s parOcipaOon
voluntary. We do not consider a Strategist’s
parOcipaOon in this program when making Strategist
or Strategy recommendaOons to Clients, approving
or removing a Strategist or Strategy through our
Investment Due Diligence Commimee, or adding or
removing a Strategy from our “Select List” or “Watch
List.”
Affiliate Offerings
Our affiliates Advizr,
Inc. dba Orion Planning,
BasisCode Compliance LLC dba Orion Compliance,
Orion Tech, GxWorks, LLC dba Orion Risk Intelligence,
and Redtail Technology,
(collecOvely our
“Technology Affiliates”) offer technology soluOons to
investment advisors, which may include the co-
advisor Investment Advisor on Client accounts with
us, or the solicitor
Investment Advisor who
introduced the Client to us.
in our
Our Technology Affiliates have collecOvely created a
program for third party investment advisors in which
eligible Investment Advisors receive a reducOon in
fees owed to our Technology Affiliates when they
provide addiOonal advisory services. The total
investment
amount of assets managed
advisory programs is also a factor in determining the
amount of the fee reducOon in certain instances. As
such, an Investment Advisor may have a reducOon in
their costs to uOlize our Technology Affiliates’
services based on their Clients’ collecOve assets
under management within our advisory programs.
This creates a conflict for these Investment Advisors
because the more assets that they recommend be
invested in our advisory programs, the lower their
cost is to receive the services of our Technology
Affiliates. We do not receive any porOon of the fees
the Investment Advisors pay to our Technology
Affiliates, nor do these fee reducOons apply to the
fees paid by the Client for the advisory services we
offer.
Elite Advisor Network
We offer an Elite Advisor Network program (the “EAN
Program”) in which qualifying Investment Advisor
firms or their individual representaOves that uOlize
OPS. ParOcipants in the EAN Program receive non-
cash benefits from us designed to help bemer serve
their clients and enhance their business pracOces.
These non-cash benefits are generally based on two
factors:1) the amount of client assets under
management that the qualifying representaOve
recommends be managed by or through us and 2)
parOcipaOon by the qualifying representaOve in
“qualifying factors” including amending markeOng
events hosted or sponsored by us. Benefits that
qualifying representaOves receive through the EAN
Program vary by Oer, but may include, but are not
limited to: enhanced training for the representaOve
and his or her staff, access to our staff, enhanced
client applicaOon processing and handling, business
transiOon services, markeOng support, increased
discounts on value-added technology services,
expense reimbursement for travel to and amendance
48 of 74
certain third-party service providers on Orion Tech’s
plaSorm for which Orion Tech receives revenue for
the services it provides to support the integraOon
creates a conflict as we are encouraged to refer or
recommend those services which would generate
more revenue for Orion Tech. Such services are
discussed in detail below.
arrangement with
Strategist Data
We offer a program where Strategists on our
plaSorm can purchase from us data containing
aggregate informaOon regarding the Investment
Advisors who are researching or recommending their
strategies or models. This program is voluntary for
Strategists. This program creates a conflict of interest
for us as we are encouraged to prefer and retain
Strategists who agree to purchase such data. We
miOgate this conflict by subjecOng all Strategists to
the same Due Diligence process regardless of their
business
us. AddiOonal
informaOon regarding our Due Diligence process can
be found in Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment
Strategies and Risk of Loss of this Brochure.
DPL Financial Partners
DPL Financial Partners (“DPL”) is a financial service
provider that coordinates the provision, either
directly or through its associated and licensed
broker-dealer, of certain
insurance products,
including annuiOes. DPL supports such acOviOes
through the use of a web-based plaSorm and certain
associated Product Tools (collecOvely, the “DPL
PlaSorm”), as well as through relaOonships that DPL
has established with certain insurance carriers that
offer Insurance Products. DPL offers the use of its
insurance services through a membership program.
DPL is unaffiliated with us or any of our affiliates.
Custodian Conflicts
For a discussion of the potenOal conflict of interest
that could arise from the economic benefits we
receive from NFS and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
(“Schwab”) in the form of the support products and
services these firms make available to us, see Item 12
– Brokerage PracOces of this Brochure.
We have adopted and implemented policies and
procedures we believe are reasonably designed to
manage these conflicts of interest and to prevent
violaOons of applicable law.
into an
Our affiliate, Orion Tech, has entered
arrangement where DPL will share a porOon of the
membership fee paid to it by any investment advisor
referred to DPL by Orion Tech. DPL will also pay a
technology support fee to Orion Tech for its efforts in
supporOng the integraOon with the DPL PlaSorm. We
do not receive any porOon of these fees. There is a
conflict as the Client’s third party investment advisor
which uses our advisory services described in this
Brochure may also use the technology services of
Orion Tech, and Orion Tech may receive revenue
from DPL if the Client’s investment advisor was
referred to DPL by Orion Tech and became a member
of DPL.
such
Neither we nor Orion Tech, nor any of our affiliates,
is involved in the solicitaOon or sales of the insurance
products through the DPL PlaSorm.
IntegraOon Systems (“CAIS”),
Third Party Technology Services Arrangements
We uOlize the
investment advisor technology
plaSorm created by our affiliate, Orion Tech. This
plaSorm is available to other, unaffiliated investment
advisors and features integrated third-party services
available through unaffiliated financial technology
providers, creaOng integrated services available to
users of Orion Tech (including us). Through Orion
Tech’s arrangements with
third party
technology providers, Orion Tech receives revenue
based on the usage of the third-party service through
its plaSorm. While such third-party services are
typically integrated into the Orion Tech technology
experience for ease of use, users of Orion Tech’s
technology services are not prevented from choosing
alternaOve providers. Nevertheless, the inclusion of
Capital Integra@on Systems
Capital
itself and
through its subsidiaries, offers a plaSorm for the
purchase of private placements and other non-
traded assets. CAIS is unaffiliated with us or any of
49 of 74
or BCI PlaSorms, will have access to UpOq’s financial
insOtuOon partners that offer the lending- and
deposit-related products listed below (collecOvely,
the “Financial Products”). In each case, access to the
Financial Products is made available to a financial
advisor so that the financial advisor may idenOfy one
or more selected banking insOtuOons that can offer
to the Client certain Financial Products desired by the
Client. Such Financial Products currently consist of
the following:
• Mortgage Loans — Loans relaOng
to
residenOal purchases, refinancing, HELOC,
and construcOon loans;
our affiliates. Our affiliate, Orion Tech, has entered
into an arrangement where CAIS will pay Orion Tech
a fee based on the value of the assets held by Clients
of investment advisors who uOlize Orion Tech’s
technology, including OPS or BCI PlaSorm Clients.
Orion Tech will receive no fee unOl the value of such
assets exceeds $100 million, and the size of the fee
will increase unOl the value of such assets exceeds
$500 million, at which Ome the fee will not increase.
However, as the fee is based on the value of the
assets on the plaSorm, the amount of revenue
received by Orion Tech will increase as the value of
such assets (either by market gain or addiOonal sales)
will increase. We do not receive any porOon of this
fee.
• Working Capital — Corporate, commercial,
and business working capital, expansion and
acquisiOon lines of credit and loans;
• Commercial Real Estate — Commercial real
estate, mulOfamily and other owned
occupied properOes;
• SecuriOes Backed Lines of Credit (SBLOC) —
Automated and highly compeOOvely priced
non-purpose securiOes backed lines along
with lines secured by selecOve private and
alternaOve investments;
• Specialty Lending — Premium financing,
fund call and operaOng lines of credit, along
with others;
• Watercran and Aircran Lending — New and
used watercran and/or aircran purchases
and refinancing; and
A Client’s
Investment Advisor which uses our
advisory services described in this Brochure may also
use the technology services of Orion Tech, and may
recommend that Clients allocate a porOon of their
assets to one or more offerings available on the CAIS
plaSorm. In addiOon, if Clients engage our Wealth
Advisory service, we may recommend that Clients
allocate a porOon of Client assets to one or more
offerings available on the CAIS plaSorm. This creates
a conflict for us as Orion Tech may receive revenue
from CAIS if Clients invest in any offering on the CAIS
plaSorm through their investment advisor or our
Wealth Advisory plaSorm. This revenue to Orion
Tech is in addiOon to the advisory fee we receive for
the Wealth Advisory services provided to the Client
described in Item 4 – Advisory Business and Item 5 –
Fees and CompensaOon of this Brochure.
• FDIC Insured Deposit Program — In-porSolio
cash balances, held away debit/transacOonal
cash and outside client cash savings with $2
to $100 million of insurance per tax ID.
Orion Cash and Credit
Orion Cash and Credit offers third-party financial
advisors who uOlize the OPS and BCI PlaSorms access
to an array of banking and lending soluOons and
related services. These services are offered to our
Clients by UpOq, Inc. (“UpOq”) through an integraOon
with the plaSorm of our affiliate, Orion Tech. Orion
Tech, will receive a fee for Orion Tech clients who are
referred to UpOq’s plaSorm, including our Clients.
Flourish Financial, LLC
Flourish Financial, LLC (“Flourish”) offers a plaSorm
for Investment Advisors to assist in managing their
client’s cash held in checking, savings, or similar
banking products. Flourish is unaffiliated with us or
any of our affiliates. Our affiliate, Orion Tech, has
entered into an arrangement where Flourish will pay
Orion Tech a fee based on the value of the balances
held by clients of investment advisors who uOlize
Investment Advisors that uOlize the integraOon to the
UpOq plaSorm, including advisors who use the OPS
50 of 74
including OPS or BCI
Orion Tech’s technology,
PlaSorm Clients.
A Client’s
Investment Advisor which uses our
advisory services described in this Brochure may also
use the technology services of Orion Tech, and may
recommend that Clients uOlize the services of
Flourish.
parent company or affiliate of one of our third-party
Strategists. This creates a conflict for us as we may be
encouraged to approve for our plaSorm a Strategist
based on this relaOonship. We miOgate this conflict
by requiring that all third party be subject to our Due
Diligence process, including review and approval by
our Investment Due Diligence Commimee, prior to
being placed on our plaSorm. See Item 8 – Methods
of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss of
this Brochure for addiOonal informaOon regarding
our Due Diligence process.
in outside acOviOes,
Board Member Ac,vi,es
The Board Members of our parent company may be
including being
engaged
employed by or serving as a board member of the
51 of 74
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Item 11 – Code of Ethics, ParCcipaCon or Interest in Client TransacCons and
Personal Trading
• disclose the holdings in a Client’s porSolios
(except, in the case of any employee of us or
any of our affiliates, as required to carry out
his or her employment-related duOes to
Clients or as required by applicable securiOes
laws).
In addiOon, each employee must:
•
•
conduct all of his or her business acOviOes in
accordance with the requirements of the
Code and consistent with our fiduciary duOes
to Clients;
comply with all applicable federal securiOes
laws;
• promptly report any violaOons of the Code to
our Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance
Department; and
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics (the “Code”)
which meets the requirements of Rule 204A-1
promulgated under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940. The Code sets forth a standard of business
conduct required of all of our employees (which
includes all of our officers, directors, and employees
as well as any other person who provides advice on
our behalf and is subject to our supervision and
control). We effecOvely treat each employee as an
“access person” as defined in Rule 204A-1. Our
employees do not include employees of unaffiliated
Strategist or Investment Advisors who refer Clients to
us (in a solicitor arrangement) or who recommend
our services (in a co-advisory relaOonship), each of
whom is required to adopt its own code of ethics
applicable to these individuals.
• annually cerOfy that he or she has received,
read and understands
the Code, has
complied with all requirements of the Code
securiOes
and disclosed all personal
transacOons required pursuant to the Code.
The Code is based, in part, upon the principle that we
and our employees owe a fiduciary duty to Clients.
Each employee must act in a manner as to avoid (1)
placing his or her own personal interests ahead of
Clients; (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of his or
her posiOon with us; and (iii) any actual or potenOal
conflicts of interest or any abuse of his or her posiOon
of trust and responsibility.
The Code provides that employees and members of
their households may not:
•
•
material
Each employee has already furnished to our
list of all securiOes
Compliance Department a
required to be reported under the Rule in which
either such employee or members of his or her
household own a beneficial interest (“Reportable
SecuriOes”), which list must be updated annually. In
addiOon, by the thirOeth day following each calendar
quarter, each employee must provide our
reports of all
Compliance Department with
Reportable SecuriOes transacOons during such
quarter.
trade in any security while in possession of
material nonpublic informaOon about the
issuer of a security;
communicate
nonpublic
informaOon about any publicly traded issuer
of any securiOes to anyone else except in the
ordinary course of his or her employment-
related duOes;
• disclose to other persons the securiOes
acOviOes engaged in or contemplated for
Client porSolios; or
We have no direct or indirect control over the
investment decision-making process of unaffiliated
Strategists. Accordingly, since our employees are
generally not aware of investment decisions of
unaffiliated Strategists, our employees may buy or
sell for their personal accounts securiOes which are
53 of 74
Employees are also subject to restricOons on giving
gins to, or receiving gins from, certain persons and in
dollar amounts that exceed a certain de minimis
amount.
A copy of the Code is available, upon request, by
contacOng us at (800) 379-2513.
recommended by Strategists for Client accounts.
However, if we receive confidenOal informaOon
regarding an issuer from a Strategist, we may
list for such securiOes.
establish a restricted
Employees are prohibited from personally, or on
behalf of a household member, purchasing any
securiOes on a restricted list. In the event that an
employee owns a security that was purchased prior
to being placed on the restricted list, the employee
must obtain approval (pre-clearance) from the Chief
Compliance Officer prior to entering any securiOes
transacOon in their personal accounts for the sale of
that security.
In addiOon, each employee must receive prior
approval from our Chief Compliance Officer or their
designee for (i) any purchase of securiOes in an iniOal
public offering or a limited offering for the benefit of
such employee or member of his/her household or
(ii) serving on the boards of directors of any public
corporaOon.
Par@cipa@on or Interest in Client Transac@ons
If Clients select a DesOnaOons Funds strategy, we will
uOlize DesOnaOons Funds, which are our affiliated
mutual funds, in the management of the Client’s
account. Clients are advised of the use of
DesOnaOons Funds in their agreement with us and in
the applicable strategy descripOons, and have the
right, at any Ome, to prohibit us from invesOng any
Client managed assets in DesOnaOons Funds. We and
our employees occasionally buy or sell securiOes
idenOcal to those recommended to the Client. It is
our express policy that any person employed by us is
prohibited from profiOng at the expense of Clients
and from compeOng with Clients.
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Item 12 – Brokerage PracCces
brokers. Nevertheless, as more fully detailed below,
we do realize certain benefits and services in
connecOon with custodial partners that we work
with to service Client accounts.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
Neither we nor any of our related persons receive
Client referrals from broker-dealers or third parOes in
exchange for selecOng or recommending a broker-
dealer.
Directed Brokerage
Generally, our Core Asset Manager and Wealth
Advisory programs require Clients to designate
either NaOonal Financial Services, LLC (“NFS”) or
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”), each of which
is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, as
their
custodian and clearing broker, and authorize us to
submit all equity trades through the designated
custodian unless the Strategist (as applicable)
determine that bemer execuOon may be obtained
through an alternaOve broker. All fixed income
transacOons are executed at brokers other than the
designated custodian (unless a Strategist determines
the custodian can provide best execuOon) and
managers have authority to select brokers who will
effect such trades.
To parOcipate in our Strategist Program, Separately
Managed Account Program, High Net Worth
Programs, Core Asset Manager Program, and ETF and
Mutual Fund PorSolios described
in Item 4 –
Advisory Business of this Brochure, we require that
Client Accounts be held with a qualified custodian.
We submit trades directly to the Client’s custodian. If
Clients direct us to manage assets with a specific
broker-dealer or custodian, including broker-dealers
and custodians that have been pre-approved by us,
Clients have the sole responsibility for negoOaOng
commission rates and other transacOon costs. If
Clients select a specific broker, we will not be
required to affect any transacOon through the
specified broker if we reasonably believe that to do
so would result in a breach of our fiduciary duOes.
Clients are advised that by instrucOng us to submit all
transacOons on behalf of a Client’s Account for
execuOon at the specified broker, a disparity may
exist between the commissions borne by the Client
and the commissions borne by our other Clients that
do not direct us to use a specified broker. Clients may
also not necessarily obtain commission rates and
execuOon as favorable as those that would be
obtained if we were able to place transacOons with
forego
other broker-dealers. Clients also may
benefits that we may be able to obtain for them
through negoOaOng volume discounts or block
trades.
As discussed in Item 10 – Other Financial Industry
AcOviOes and AffiliaOons of
this Brochure,
ConstellaOon Trust Company (“CTC”) is our affiliate.
Clients are under no obligaOon to select CTC as their
custodian, and Clients are free to select any of the
custodians we are able to work with.
In evaluaOng which broker or dealer other than the
designated custodian will provide best execuOon,
Strategist (as applicable) will consider the full range
and quality of a broker’s or dealer’s services
including, among other things, the value of research
provided, execuOon capability, commission rate,
financial responsibility, market making capabiliOes
and responsiveness. Although we currently do not
receive any son dollar benefits, we may in the future
select broker-dealers that provide research or other
transacOon-related services and may cause the
account to pay such broker-dealer commissions for
effecOng transacOons in excess of commissions other
Research and Other SoN Dollar Benefits
We, as a mamer of policy and pracOce, do not uOlize
research or other products or services other than
execuOon from broker-dealers or third parOes in
connecOon with Client securiOes transacOons and do
not receive so-called "son dollar" benefits from
56 of 74
it determines that the designated custodian cannot
provide best execuOon. However, Clients will be
charged any brokerage commissions or fees arising in
connecOon with trades that are not affected through
the designated custodian for their account.
broker-dealers may have charged. In such event, we
will revise this Brochure to discuss any son dollar
benefits it receives. Such research and other services
may be used for our own accounts and for other
Client and affiliated Client accounts to the extent
permimed by law.
Both NFS’s and Schwab’s execuOon procedures are
designed to make every amempt to obtain the best
execuOon possible, although there can be no
assurance that it can be obtained. Clients should
consider whether or not the appointment of NFS or
Schwab, as applicable, as the sole broker for equity
trades may or may not result in certain costs or
disadvantages to the Client as a possible result of less
favorable execuOons. ExecuOon through a broker
other than the designated custodian will increase
costs to the Client because our fee does not include
brokerage fees or commissions associated with
trades executed through a broker-dealer other than
the designated custodian and does not include
markups and markdowns. Because of this, in order to
minimize Client trading costs, most trades for Client
accounts are executed through the designated
custodian.
While we require Clients to use NFS or Schwab as
their custodian and broker for any account in the
Core Asset Manager and Wealth Advisory programs,
Clients will decide whether to do so and open an
account with NFS or Schwab (as applicable) by
entering into an account agreement directly with
such firm. We do not open the account for the Client.
Generally, if Clients do not wish to place their assets
with NFS or Schwab, then we cannot manage the
Client’s Account. From Ome to Ome, and at our sole
discreOon, very large accounts parOcipaOng in the
Core Asset Manager program may use a firm other
than NFS or Schwab as their custodian. Not all
advisors require their Clients to use a parOcular
broker-dealer or other custodian selected by the
advisor. Even though Client Accounts are maintained
at NFS or Schwab, we and Strategists retained by us
to manage Client Accounts can sOll use other brokers
to execute trades for their account, as described in
the preceding paragraphs.
How We Select Brokers/Custodians
In selecOng a custodian and clearing broker, we seek
to obtain custody and brokerage services on terms
that are overall most advantageous when compared
to other available providers and their services. We
consider a wide range of factors, including, among
others:
•
transacOon execuOon
•
•
to
• breadth of
combinaOon of
services and asset custody services;
capability to execute, clear and semle trades
(buy and sell securiOes for Client accounts);
transfers and
facilitate
capability
payments to and from accounts (wire
transfers, check requests, bill payment, etc.);
investment products made
available (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs,
etc.);
Inasmuch as the investment advisory agreement for
the Core Asset Manager and Wealth Advisory
programs designates NFS or Schwab as the Client's
custodian and clearing broker, Strategists generally
lack authority to select broker-dealers to execute
trades in equity securiOes in the Client's account.
Accordingly, Strategists are not authorized to
negoOate commissions and their account may not be
able to parOcipate in block trades effected by a
Strategist for its other accounts. As a result, from
Ome to Ome Client accounts may not obtain best
execuOon on a parOcular trade. However, on a case-
by-case basis, we will authorize a Strategist for a
Wealth Advisory or Core Asset Manager account to
effect trades of equity securiOes through another
broker-dealer, if we or the Strategist determine that
the designated custodian cannot provide best
execuOon for the account. Similarly, we may effect
trades for accounts through another broker-dealer if
57 of 74
• overall quality of services;
•
Program Manager may find that placing trades with
the custodian is onen the most favorable trading
opOon for a Client.
•
compeOOveness of the price of those
services (which impacts what BCI charges its
Clients);
reputaOon, financial strength and stability of
the provider; and
• availability of other products and services
that benefit BCI, its Clients and solicitor
firms.
For the SMA Program, we expect that most
transacOons will be traded through the custodian.
However, certain SMA Program Managers will direct
most, if not all, of their trades to outside broker-
dealers, including broker-dealers who are affiliates of
the SMA Program Managers. Since the fees paid to
the custodian for their clearing and custody services
only cover transacOons effected through the
custodian, transacOons through any other broker-
dealer would normally include an add-on cost of the
commission or the dealer mark-up or mark-down
and these addiOonal trading costs may increase a
Client’s overall costs.
capabiliOes,
speed,
We take into account the fact that transacOon costs
on trades effected through brokers other than the
designated custodian are not included in the SMA
Program fee in evaluaOng whether the designated
custodian is providing best execuOon. The fees
charged through the SMA Program will not
necessarily be as favorable as those which might be
obtained through another investment advisor that
authorizes a SMA Program Manager to select
brokerage firms and that bills the Client separately
for execuOon, clearing and custody services, and
investment advisory services.
Inc.
insOtuOonal brokerage
Custody and Brokerage Costs
SMA Program Managers have the authority to effect
transacOons through broker-dealers other than the
custodian for the Client account, including a broker-
dealer which is an affiliate of such SMA Program
Manager, when
the SMA Program Manager
reasonably believes that another broker-dealer may
effect such transacOons at a price, including any
commissions or dealer mark-up or mark-down, that
is more favorable to the account than would be the
case if transacted through the custodian. In addiOon,
even if the price is not more favorable, for the
selecOon of such broker-dealer, the SMA Program
Manager may consider all relevant factors, including
efficiency,
execuOon
confidenOality, familiarity with potenOal purchasers
or sellers, or any other relevant mamers. We refer to
trades in which the custodian is not the execuOng
broker as “step-out trade(s).” If the Client’s SMA
Program Manager trades with another firm, the
account may be assessed other trading related costs
(mark-ups, mark-downs and commissions) by the
other broker-dealer.
In addiOon, the custodian
charges the Client a flat dollar amount as a “prime
broker” or “trade away” fee for each trade that the
SMA Program Manager has executed by a different
broker-dealer but where the securiOes bought or the
funds from the securiOes sold are deposited (semled)
into the Client’s account. These fees are in addiOon
to the commissions or other compensaOon Clients
pay the execuOng broker-dealer. The costs of the
execuOng broker and any trade away fees imposed by
the custodian are in addiOon to our and the SMA
Program Manager fees. For this reason, an SMA
Products and Services Available to Us from
NFS and Schwab
NaOonal Financial Services, LLC (“NFS”) and Charles
Schwab & Co.,
(“Schwab”) provide us,
Investment Advisors, and their Clients with access to
their
trading, custody,
reporOng and related services, many of which are not
typically available to their retail customers. These
firms also make available various support services to
us, Clients, and the Client’s advisor. Some of those
services help us manage or administer the Client’s
accounts at such custodians while others help us
manage and grow our business. These support
services generally are available on an unsolicited
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basis (i.e., we do not have to request them) and at no
addiOonal charge to us.
the most
we receive rather than the Client's best interest in
receiving
favorable execuOon of
transacOons, which is a potenOal conflict of interest.
We believe, however, that the selecOon of these
firms as custodian and broker is in the Client's best
interest. It is primarily supported by the scope,
quality, and price of their services (based upon the
factors discussed above) and not on those services
that benefit only us.
The NFS and Schwab insOtuOonal brokerage services
include access to a broad range of investment
products, execuOon of securiOes transacOons, and
custody of Client assets. The investment products
available through these firms include some to which
we might not otherwise have access or that would
require a significantly higher minimum
iniOal
investment by Clients. The services generally benefit
Clients.
Aggrega@on
With respect to those Client accounts which we
directly select and / or manage investments, most
trade orders will be aggregated when we are
purchasing or selling the same security for mulOple
clients
in our various advisory programs. The
porSolio specialist or other authorized person will
determine when orders should be aggregated.
NFS and Schwab also make available to us other
products and services that benefit us but may not
directly benefit the Client. These products and
services assist us in managing and administering
Client accounts and include sonware and other
technology that:
•
submission
investment criteria,
•
• provide access to Client account data (such
as duplicate trade confirmaOons and account
statements);
facilitate OPS’s
for
trade
execuOon by NFS and Schwab and allocate
aggregated trade orders for mulOple Client
accounts;
facilitate payment of our fees from Client
accounts; and
with
• assist
back-office
funcOons,
recordkeeping, and client reporOng.
NFS and Schwab also offer other services intended to
help us manage and further develop our business.
These services include:
• educaOonal conferences and events;
•
While the goal of aggregaOon is to achieve equitable
allocaOon of investment opportuniOes and trades,
each Client cannot be treated exactly alike, and all
allocaOons cannot be done on the basis of a pre-
determined formula. There are differences in each
Client’s needs,
investment
objecOves, and size and fee levels. To the extent more
than one Client seeks to acquire the same security at
the same Ome, it may not be possible to acquire a
sufficiently large quanOty of the same security, or we
may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield
for the security. Similarly, Clients may not be able to
obtain as high a price for, or as large an execuOon of,
an order to sell (including short sales) a parOcular
security when we are acOng for more than one Client
at the same Ome. It also may not be feasible to make
every limited investment opportunity available to all
Clients.
technology, compliance, legal, and business
consulOng; and
• publicaOons and conferences on pracOce
management and business succession.
It is our standard pracOce to invest Client funds into
the model or strategy selected for their account the
day aner the funds are received, unless the Client or
their Investment Advisor instruct us otherwise.
With respect to those Client Accounts which are
managed by an unaffiliated Strategist, aggregaOon of
trade orders, if any, are allocated to Client accounts
The availability of these services from NFS and
Schwab benefits us because we do not have to
produce or purchase them. This may create an
incenOve for us to require Clients to maintain their
accounts with NFS or Schwab based on the benefits
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in accordance with the unaffiliated Strategist's
procedures for aggregaOon. We require all Strategists
in the programs to have policies and procedures to
assure equitable allocaOon of trades among all of the
Strategist's plaSorm Client accounts, including BCI
and OPS PlaSorm Clients.
our trading pracOces, gathering relevant informaOon,
periodically reviewing and evaluaOng the services
provided by broker-dealers,
the quality of
execuOons, research, commission rates, and overall
brokerage relaOonships, among other things. The
commimee is comprised of representaOves from
porSolio management, trading, and compliance.
the
broker-dealer’s
Best Execu@on
To the extent that we are responsible for selecOng
the broker-dealer to effect transacOons for the
Client’s account, we seek to achieve best execuOon
for Client transacOons such that the net proceeds to
the Client and the overall qualitaOve execuOon are
the most favorable under the circumstances. In
selecOng a broker-dealer, we consider the full range
and quality of the services offered by the broker-
dealer, including, but not limited to, execuOon
capabiliOes, the commission rate charged, the value
of research provided, the ability to obtain volume
discounts,
financial
responsibility, and their responsiveness to us and the
Client. Please see Item 14 – Client Referrals and
Other CompensaOon of this Brochure for informaOon
regarding services and benefits we may receive from
other broker dealers.
Trade Error Policy
We have internal controls for the prevenOon of trade
or model porSolio allocaOon errors. However, on
occasion, errors may occur. We recommend that
Clients regularly review their custodial statements. In
the event a Client idenOfies an error, the Client has
45 days from their statement date to noOfy us of its
existence. Upon noOficaOon, we will perform an
analysis of the reported discrepancy. If we are
responsible for the error, we will seek to correct the
error in a way that returns the Client’s account to
where it would have been had the error not
occurred. In the event an error results in a gain, we
or the Client’s custodian will retain such gains. If
Clients noOfy us of a potenOal error more than 45
days aner their statement date and we are
responsible for the error, we will reimburse the Client
for any damage caused to their account from the
date of the error through 45 days aner the Client’s
statement date.
We maintain a record of idenOfied errors, including
details of the original transacOon and the correcOve
acOons.
We have an Investment Commimee that meets on a
quarterly basis and handles our best execuOon
review through their oversight of our trade execuOon
pracOces and to evaluate the full range and quality of
broker-dealers used to execute transacOons in order
to ensure our trading pracOces are appropriate. The
Investment Commimee is responsible for monitoring
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Item 13 – Review of Accounts
between the Client and their Investment Advisor. Our
services will be limited to managing Client accounts
in the manner idenOfied by the Client to us, which
will include trading, billing, and reporOng, as those
services are idenOfied in the agreement between the
Client and us.
investments
upon
strategy.
Solicitor Arrangements
For our BCI PlaSorm, if a Client is introduced to us by
a solicitor Investment Advisor, we will recommend an
asset allocaOon involving various asset classificaOons
and investment styles and will idenOfy for the Client
suitable Strategists or other
to
implement the investment disciplines included in the
agreed
Our
investment
recommendaOons will be based on informaOon
provided by the Client and the Client’s Investment
Advisor to us regarding the Client’s objecOves, assets,
risk tolerance, Ome horizon, personal situaOon and
investment experience.
Affiliate Technology
Reviews of Client Accounts are facilitated through an
arrangement with our affiliate, Orion Tech (see Item
10 – Other Financial
Industry AcOviOes and
AffiliaOons of this Brochure). We have engaged Orion
Tech to provide a “back office” system which enables
us to gather and aggregate Client data from mulOple
plaSorms and providers, maintain porSolio models,
review models and accounts for variances, analyze
account performance, generate quarterly and other
reports, facilitate the trading of the Clients accounts,
and make informaOon available on-line via the
internet, in a secure manner, to the Client and their
Investment Advisor.
Thereaner, we monitor the performance of each
Strategy. The Investment Advisor who introduced the
Client to us has agreed to make periodic contact with
the Client, in a manner consistent with Investment
Advisor’s fiduciary obligaOons and applicable law.
Together, the Client and their Investment Advisor
determine whether a change in the Client objecOves
warrants a change in the criteria used to manage the
Client’s assets. If any informaOon changes, Clients are
responsible for promptly advising us of any changes.
If the informaOon is current, no further acOon is
required. We provide Clients with wrimen quarterly
reports on the performance of their total account
compared to standard industry indices.
Unaffiliated Advisors
We do not review specific investments made by
unaffiliated Strategists of separate accounts or funds.
We do not rebalance or change the asset allocaOon
in a Client’s non-discreOonary Core Asset Manager or
Wealth Advisory account unless the Client requests
us to review the agreed upon investment strategy.
We do rebalance and acOvely change the asset
allocaOon of certain discreOonary
investment
strategies referenced in Item 4 – Advisory Business of
this Brochure, and other discreOonary accounts
within the Wealth Advisory program as warranted.
We do not change the investment strategy for an
account unless the Client requests us to review the
agreed upon investment strategy or the Client or
their Investment Advisor instruct us to do so.
Co-Advisory Arrangements
For our BCI PlaSorm (if Clients engage us for advisory
service via a co-advisory arrangement with an
unaffiliated third-party Investment Advisor) and for
our OPS PlaSorm, the Investment Advisor will
recommend an asset allocaOon involving various
asset classificaOons and investment styles and will
idenOfy for the Client suitable Strategists or other
investments to implement the investment disciplines
included in the investment strategy agreed upon
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Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other CompensaCon
Referral Arrangements
Certain unaffiliated Investment Advisors refer Clients
to us through a solicitor arrangement. Details
regarding the circumstances and compensaOon of
these arrangements can be found in Item 4 –
Advisory Business and
Item 5 – Fees and
CompensaOon of this Brochure, respecOvely.
Educa@on Seminars
We organize educaOonal seminars for Investment
Advisors who recommend our investment programs
to their Clients that may be sponsored or co-
sponsored by various Strategists and mutual fund
managers that parOcipate in our programs. PorSolio
managers who parOcipate in this program pay a fee
which is used to defray our expenses associated with
in the
such events. A Strategist's parOcipaOon
program
is voluntary. We do not consider a
Strategist’s parOcipaOon in any of our programs in
making manager recommendaOons to Clients.
Marke@ng Support
We compensate Investment Advisors for certain
approved markeOng
reimbursement expenses,
including but not limited to Client appreciaOon
events. Certain
Investment Advisors and their
investment advisory firms are paid a fee for the
administraOve and due diligence expenses incurred
in offering our services to Clients of their Investment
Advisors. These fees are either a flat dollar amount
or based upon a percentage of the value of new or
exisOng accounts referred to us by the applicable
Investment Advisors. These fees may also be used to
sponsor conferences hosted by Investment Advisors
or their
investment advisory firms. Investment
Advisors are invited to amend seminars and meeOngs
hosted by us. The purpose of these meeOngs is to
provide general market and industry informaOon as
well as informaOon about our services. For certain
Investment Advisors, we bear the
full costs
associated with the Investment Advisor’s amendance
of such meeOngs.
Marke,ng Support
We may also pay certain broker-dealer or Investment
Advisors an administraOve or markeOng fee (either a
percentage of the referred Client’s assets under
management or a fixed annual fee) to compensate
the referring firm for certain administraOve and
markeOng services and/or to support or parOcipate
in educaOonal conferences and events and training
programs sponsored or co-sponsored by such firms.
Such compensaOon arrangements may be ongoing or
in connecOon with limited promoOonal programs
and are disclosed as required under 17 CFR SecOon
275.206(4)-1(b). From Ome to Ome, we may also
parOcipate as a sponsor of conferences and
educaOonal and promoOonal events organized by
Investment Advisors. Fees paid by us for such
sponsorship opportuniOes help defray expenses
associated with such events.
administraOve or markeOng
Economic Benefits
We receive economic benefits from NFS and Schwab
in the form of the support products and services
these firms make available to us and other
independent investment advisors that have their
Clients maintain accounts at these broker-dealer
firms. These products and services, how they benefit
us, and the related conflicts of interest are described
in Item 12 – Brokerage PracOces of this Brochure. The
availability to us of these products and services is not
based on our giving parOcular investment advice,
such as buying parOcular securiOes for Clients.
Such
fees or
sponsorships are paid by us from our own assets and
do not result in any differenOal in the management
fee charged by us for accounts with respect to which
we pay such fees and those with respect to which we
do not pay such fees. Since the compensaOon paid to
the Client’s Investment Advisor, parOcularly during
any promoOonal programs, may be more than what
the Investment Advisor would receive if the Client
parOcipated in investment programs sponsored by
other investment advisors, the Investment Advisor
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may have a financial incenOve to recommend our
programs over other programs or services.
accounts not maintained at Schwab. In addiOon to
investment research, Schwab also makes available
sonware and other technology that:
/
Custodian
Related
•
• provides access to Client account data (such
as duplicate trade confirmaOons and account
statements);
facilitates trade execuOon and allocate
aggregated trade orders for mulOple Client
accounts;
• provides pricing and other market data;
•
• assists
facilitates payment of our fees from Clients’
accounts; and
with
back-office
funcOons,
recordkeeping and Client reporOng.
Schwab also offers other services intended to help us
manage and further develop our business enterprise.
These services include:
Broker-Dealer
Compensa@on
Schwab Advisor Services
Schwab Advisor Services (”SAS”) is Schwab’s business
serving independent investment advisory firms like
ours. SAS provide us and the Client with access to
Schwab’s insOtuOonal brokerage trading, custody,
reporOng and related services, many of which are not
typically available to Schwab retail customers.
Schwab also makes available various support
services. Some of those services help us manage or
administer Client accounts while others help us
manage and grow our business. Schwab’s support
services are generally available on an unsolicited
basis and at no charge to us as long as we maintain a
total of at least $10 million of PlaSorm Clients’ assets
in accounts at Schwab.
• educaOonal conferences and events
•
technology, compliance, legal, and business
consulOng;
• publicaOons and conferences on pracOce
management and business succession; and
• access to employee benefits providers,
human capital consultants and insurance
providers.
Schwab’s insOtuOonal brokerage services include
access to a broad range of investment products,
execuOon of securiOes transacOons, and custody of
Client assets. The investment products available
through Schwab include some to which we might not
otherwise have access or that would require a
significantly higher minimum iniOal investment by
in this
the Client. Schwab’s services described
paragraph generally benefit the Client or Client
account(s).
Schwab may provide some of these services itself. In
other cases, it will arrange for third-party vendors to
provide the services to us. Schwab may also discount
or waive its fees for some of these services or pay all
or a part of a third party’s fees.
IrrespecOve of direct or indirect benefits to Clients
through Schwab, we strive to enhance the Client’s
experience, help reach their goals, and put their
interests before that of our firm or its associated
persons.
Schwab also makes available to us other products
and services that benefit us but may not directly
benefit the Client or their account(s). These products
and services assist us in managing and administering
Client accounts. They include investment research,
both Schwab’s own and that of third parOes. We may
use this research to service all or some substanOal
number of PlaSorm Clients’ accounts, including
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Item 15 – Custody
In addiOon, Clients will
We do not maintain custody of Client assets
(although we may be deemed to have legal custody
of Client assets if Clients give us authority to
withdraw assets from their account, including the
withdrawal of fees). While we do not maintain
custody of funds or securiOes, ConstellaOon Trust
Company (“CTC”), our subsidiary, does maintain
custody of Client funds and securiOes. As CTC is not
considered to be operaOonally independent of us,
we are subject to an annual surprise exam conducted
by an independent, third-party public accountant
is registered with and subject to regular
that
inspecOon by the Public Company AccounOng
Oversight Board (PCAOB).
will receive monthly statements. For conduit
accounts (i.e., accounts which hold funds awaiOng
investment or dispersal and which generally do not
have monthly acOvity), Clients will receive quarterly
statements.
receive
confirmaOon of all security transacOons from the
clearing firm either on a trade-by-trade basis,
quarterly by mail, or through our website. Quarterly
online access or delivery by mail is available to Clients
if a Client submits a wrimen request (which may be
by email or through our website) in advance of such
delivery. We urge Clients to carefully review such
statements and compare such official custodial
records to the account statements that we may
provide. Our statements may vary from custodial
statements based on accounOng procedures,
reporOng dates, or valuaOon methodologies of
certain securiOes.
investment objecOves,
important
In addiOon to Client’s statements, Clients have access
to their account informaOon at all Omes via our
website at porSoliologin.com where Clients can view
investment policy
their
statement and other
informaOon
regarding the management of their account. Clients
are advised to periodically review all account
informaOon to ensure it remains accurate in our
records.
Client assets must be maintained in an account at a
“qualified custodian,” generally a broker-dealer or
bank. As discussed in Item 12 – Brokerage PracOces
of this Brochure under the heading “Directed
Brokerage,” if Clients parOcipate in the Core Asset
Manager or Wealth Advisory programs, Clients may
select either NFS (directly or through Fidelity
Brokerage Services, LLC for accounts other than
those parOcipaOng in Core Asset Manager or Wealth
Advisory) or Schwab to maintain actual custody of
Client assets. If Clients parOcipate in the DesOnaOons
program, Clients may select Fidelity or NFS to
maintain custody of the Clients’ account. If Clients
invest in the DesOnaOons program through third-
party plaSorms, Clients will generally be required to
maintain their accounts with a qualified custodian
selected by the sponsor of such program.
We will generally communicate with Clients via
lemers, market updates, and other literature. Under
circumstances where a Client has expressly
consented, correspondence and noOficaOons will be
sent via electronic means (such as e-mail) or posted
to a secure web site.
Clients will receive monthly or quarterly statements
for their accounts directly from the custodian. For
managed accounts that have monthly acOvity, Clients
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Item 16 – Investment DiscreCon
Except where we are granted Full DiscreOon, we do
investment discreOon over Client
not exercise
accounts.
the Client’s or the Client’s appointed advisor’s
specific instrucOons, including implementaOon of a
Strategist model, and in accordance with our Trading
Policy. Under Limited Billing Authority, our authority
is limited to submilng instrucOons to the Client’s
custodian to complete the deducOon of agreed-upon
advisory fees from the Client’s account, as authorized
by the Client.
Upon terminaOon of our services, we will have no
further obligaOon or authority to recommend or take
any acOon with respect to a Client’s account.
AddiOonal informaOon relaOng to our discreOon or
authority can be found in Item 4 – Advisory Business.
When a Client grants us Full DiscreOon, the Client
authorizes us, without obtaining prior specific
consent for each transacOon, to buy and sell
securiOes and determine the amount of securiOes to
be purchased or sold in the account. Investments will
be made on behalf of the Client in accordance with
the strategy selected by the Client or by the Client’s
appointed advisor. We may, at our own discreOon,
allow Clients to invest in programs below the stated
account minimums. In cases where we determine
the broker or dealer to be used, we will seek to
obtain the best execuOon possible under the
circumstances.
Custodian Discre@on
For a discussion regarding our discreOon
in
connecOon with the selecOon of custodians, see Item
10 – Other Financial
Industry AcOviOes and
AffiliaOons of this Brochure.
When a Client grants us Limited Trading Authority or
Limited Billing Authority, the Client authorizes us to
act only within the scope of that limited authority.
Under Limited Trading Authority, we may direct the
purchase and sale of securiOes in accordance with
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Item 17 – VoCng Client SecuriCes
is solely for the benefit of plan parOcipants and their
beneficiaries.
In the DesOnaOons program, proxy ballots are sent
directly to Clients. However, if Clients indicate on the
custodial account applicaOon form (in the manner
required by the custodian) that we are to vote
proxies on their behalf, their account is included in a
rolled-up ballot which is voted by us in accordance
with recommendaOons from a Proxy Voter.
Our Investment Commimee has the responsibility to
monitor proxy voOng decisions for any conflicts of
interests, regardless of whether they are actual or
perceived. If at any Ome any supervised person
becomes aware of any potenOal, actual, or perceived
conflict of interest, the supervised person is required
to contact the Chair of the Investment Commimee or
the Chief Compliance Officer immediately and prior
to the vote being cast, if possible.
The Investment Commimee may cause any of the
following acOons to be taken in that regard:
Summary Of Proxy Vo@ng
We vote proxies for certain Client accounts. Please
refer to the Terms and CondiOons or investment
advisor agreement for details regarding proxy
authority. If Clients grant us proxy voOng authority,
Clients authorize us to appoint the various Strategists
who have trading authority, to vote proxies for
securiOes held in their account with such manager.
in accordance with the
We will vote proxies
instrucOons of the Strategist(s) for securiOes held in
the Client's account with the manager, provided that
the instrucOons are Omely received by us. If the
Strategist’s instrucOons are not Omely received, we
shall vote the proxies for these securiOes, as well as
proxies for any other securiOes held in a Clients
account, in accordance with the recommendaOons
provided by an independent proxy voOng advisory
service (a “Proxy Voter”). For Strategists that provide
a model to us in which we have trading authority, we
shall vote the proxies of the securiOes in accordance
with the recommendaOons provided by a Proxy
Voter.
• Vote the proxy in accordance with the vote
indicated by the Guidelines;
in accordance with
• Vote the relevant proxy contrary to the vote
that would be indicated by the Guidelines,
provided that the reasons behind the voOng
decision are in the best interest of the Client,
reasonably documented, and are
are
approved by the Chief Compliance Officer; or
• Direct the Proxy Voter to vote in accordance
with its independent assessment of the
mamer.
We retain the right to vote proxies for mutual fund
shares and ETF shares. Generally, we vote such
recommendaOons
proxies
provided by a Proxy Voter. However, we retain the
right to vote the proxies without a recommendaOon
from a Proxy Voter if a Client’s accounts own in the
aggregate one percent (1%) or more of the
outstanding shares of the issuer as of the record
date, provided that all such decisions are made in
accordance with our Proxy VoOng Policy and
Procedures (the "VoOng Policy"). In the event we are
voOng such proxies without a recommendaOon from
a Proxy Voter, the guiding principle by which we vote
on all mamers submimed to security holders is the
maximizaOon of the ulOmate economic value of
Clients’ holdings (the "Guidelines"). For accounts
subject to ERISA and other covered person benefit
plans, the focus on the realizaOon of economic value
If any potenOal conflict is either determined not to
exist, or is resolved, the relevant Strategist will
determine the appropriate vote. The Strategist will
retain all documents prepared by him/her (or at
his/her direcOon) that were material to making a
decision on how to vote or that memorializes the
basis for the decision.
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We and all Strategists retained by us have adopted
and implemented wrimen policies and procedures.
We will provide these policies and procedures to
each Client using their investment management
services in compliance with current regulaOons. A
copy of our VoOng Policy is available, upon request,
by contacOng us at 859-426-2000.
confidenOality of the parOcular votes that we cast on
behalf of Clients; however, we will obtain and make
available to each Client the voOng record of each
Strategist with respect to their account upon receipt
of a wrimen request. Clients may obtain details of
how we voted the securiOes in their account by
contacOng us at 859-426-2000. The Proxy Voter posts
its secure
informaOon regarding that vote on
website.
Absent any legal or regulatory requirement to the
contrary, it is generally our policy to maintain the
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Item 18 – Financial InformaCon
Audited Balance Sheet
The requirement to provide an audited balance sheet
is not applicable to us as we do not require Clients to
prepay fees six months or more in advance.
to meet
contractual
Financial Condi@on
We have no financial commitment that impairs our
ability
and fiduciary
commitments to Clients and have not been the
subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
74 of 74
Additional Brochure: ORION PORTFOLIO SOLUTIONS, LLC WRAP FEE BROCHURE (2026-07-31)
View Document Text
Item 1 – Cover Page
Wrap Fee Program Brochure
Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC
17605 Wright St
Omaha, NE 68130
(859) 426-2000
www.orion.com/wealth-management
This Wrap Fee Program Brochure (“Brochure”) provides information about the qualifications and business
practices of Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC dba Brinker Capital Investments (“OPS,” “Brinker,” “BCI”, “we,” “us,” or
“our”). If you have any questions about the contents of this Brochure, please contact us at 859-426-2000.
The information in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") or by any state securities authority.
OPS is a registered investment advisor. Investment advisor registration does not imply a certain level of skill or
training. Additional information about OPS is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The SEC’s
website also provides information about those individuals who are registered as investment advisor
representatives of OPS.
Updated: July 31, 2026
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Item 2 – Material Changes
This Brochure is dated July 31, 2026. Our last annual update was on March 31, 2026. Since our last update, we
have made the following changes:
• Reorganized Items 4 to describe the various Investment Advisory Platforms, Programs, and Strategies we
make available and the fees related to these Platforms, Programs, and Strategies.
• Added a new advisory offering under our Orion Custom Indexing program, Orion Custom Indexing Equity
Long/Short strategy, and updated Items 4 and 6 to reflect the new offering, the corresponding minimum
account and household thresholds, and the applicable custodian restrictions.
• Updated Item 8 to disclose Artificial Intelligence risks.
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Item 3 – Table of Contents
Item 1 – Cover Page .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Item 2 – Material Changes ........................................................................................................................................ 2
Item 3 – Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Item 4 – Services, Fees and Compensation .............................................................................................................. 4
Item 5 – Account Requirements and Types of Clients ............................................................................................ 26
Item 6 – Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation ............................................................................................ 27
Item 7 – Client Information Provided to Portfolio Managers ................................................................................. 38
Item 8 – Client Contact with Portfolio Managers ................................................................................................... 41
Item 9 – Additional Information ............................................................................................................................. 43
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Item 4 – Services, Fees and Compensation
third-party investment advisors and broker-dealer
representatives (collectively “Investment Advisors”).
These services are offered through various Programs
and available Strategies within such Programs, as
further described below.
interest of Orion and each of
Background and Principal Owners
Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC is a subsidiary of Orion
Advisor Solutions, Inc. (“Orion”). Investment entities
controlled and managed by Genstar Capital Partners
LLC and TA Associates, LLC and its affiliates own a
majority
its
subsidiaries, including us.
features various
services
Advisory Services
About Our Investment Advisory Programs
We offer our advisory services in a Wrap fee
arrangement under two primary offerings (each a
“Platform”): (1) Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC
(“OPS”) and (2) Brinker Capital Investments (“BCI”).
Each Platform
for
Investment Advisors to utilize in connection with
their advisory clients (“Clients”) as further explained
below.
Brinker Capital Investments Platform
The Brinker Capital Investments Platform offers
advisory and investment management services
previously offered by Brinker Capital Investments
and CLS Investments. These services are offered
through
various Programs and available
Strategies within such Programs, as further
described below.
Relationship Type
We offer our services to Investment Advisors and
Clients on our platform through three methods: a
“co-advisory” relationship, a “solicitor” relationship,
and a sub-advisory relationship.
Orion Portfolio Solutions
The Orion Portfolio Solutions Platform offers
reporting and administrative services to unaffiliated
Level of our Authority
Relationship Type
Co-Advisory
•
Platform
Orion Portfolio Solutions
(OPS)
•
Limited Trading Authority- implementing trading
instructions provided by Client or Investment
Advisor based on selected investment strategy
Limited Billing Authority – implementing billing
instructions provided by Client
Sub-Advisory
•
•
Limited Trading Authority– implementing trading
instructions provided by Investment Advisor, if
selected by Investment Advisor.
Limited Billing Authority– implementing billing
instructions provided by Investment Advisor if
authorized by Client.
Solicitor
• Full discretion – selecting investment strategies
Brinker Capital Investments
(BCI)
•
and trading the securities as needed to implement
the strategies
Limited Billing Authority– implementing billing
instructions provided by Client
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Co-Advisory
•
•
Limited Trading Authority- implementing trading
instructions provided by Client or Investment
Advisor based on selected investment strategy
Limited Billing Authority– implementing billing
instructions provided by Client
When opening an account, a Client will be informed
of the type of relationship under which their
accounts with us will be managed.
that
sets
forth
the
services.
In
Co-Advisory Relationship
Investment Advisors that engage us in a co-advisory
relationship enter into a Joint Advisory Services
roles and
Agreement
responsibilities of the Investment Advisor and us.
Under the co-advisory relationship offering, Clients
and their Investment Advisor select to engage our
this
investment management
arrangement, we are responsible for 1) making
investments available on our platforms, 2)
submitting trades to the custodian for the Client’s
account, and 3) billing the Client for the services, as
directed by the Client. The co-advisor is responsible
for maintaining the customer relationship and
selecting investments which are suitable for the
Client.
Sub-Advisory Relationship
Investment Advisors that engage us in a sub-advisory
relationship enter into a Sub-Advisory Outsourced
Services Agreement that sets forth the roles and
responsibilities of the Investment Advisor and us.
Our services selected by the Investment Advisor can
include the various options under the heading
Investment Management Programs described
below, as well as the ability to bill advisory fees for
end Clients. Under this arrangement, we are
responsible for providing the services selected by the
Investment Advisor and we have no direct advisory
relationship with the end Client. The Investment
Advisor has sole responsibility for determining that
the investment strategies they select are suitable for
the Client.
receives a
fee
for
Relationship Agreements
All Clients receiving our services in our BCI Platform
enter into a written investment advisory agreement
with us. All Clients receiving our services in our OPS
Platform are subject to an account application
(“Application Addendum”) and OPS’s terms and
conditions (“Terms and Conditions”). The current
version of the Terms and Conditions can be found at
orion.com/wealth-management/orion-portfolio-
solutions-forms-library, and Clients are required to
consent to these Terms and Conditions when
opening an account with us. Investment advisors
engaging us as a sub-advisor will enter into a Sub-
Advisory Outsourced Services Agreement with us.
Solicitor Relationship
In a solicitor arrangement, the Client is introduced to
us by an Investment Advisor that has entered into a
written solicitation agreement with us. The solicitor
this
Investment Advisor
introduction, but we are responsible for the
suitability of the investment(s) selected for the
Client. The Solicitor is expected to meet with the
Client as often as required by applicable law and the
solicitor Investment Advisor’s fiduciary duties and
provide us with any updates to the Client’s financial
situation, risk tolerance, and needs so that we may
continue to ensure the investment(s) selected for
the Client are suitable. As of January 1, 2023, we no
longer offer Investment Advisors to engage us in a
solicitor arrangement, however, existing Solicitors
and Clients of Solicitors continued to be supported
and solicitors may continue to refer new Clients to us
under the solicitor arrangement.
Clients are encouraged to read their investment
advisory agreement, Application Addendum, Terms
and Conditions, and / or sub-advisory agreement, as
appliable, as these documents contain important
5 of 53
information on how their accounts will be managed.
Clients agree to notify us of any changes in their
address. Clients may also be subject to a separate
agreement with their Investment Advisor or their
Investment Advisor’s investment advisory firm; we
are not part of this agreement.
When we submit trades for an account under this
authority, we will follow our Trading Policy which
dictates how, when, and in what manner trades are
processed. If situations arise in which a trade is
required that is not addressed in our Trading Policy,
we will obtain direction from the Client’s Investment
Advisor on what action to take. Our Trading Policy is
available to Clients and their Investment Advisor
upon request.
Discretion
For certain programs, Clients will grant us discretion
or authority on their accounts in writing. The level of
discretion or authority we have for Clients depends
on their Relationship Type with us.
Billing Authority
Under this authority, Clients direct us to bill account
fees related to the services discussed
in this
Brochure. Generally, we require a certain proportion
of a Client’s account be held in cash or money market
from which we will collect fees. If there is insufficient
cash or money market holdings in the account, this
authority allows us to liquidate securities necessary
to withdraw the fees owed by Clients in accordance
with our Trading Policy.
Full Discretion
This discretion allows for us to execute ongoing
security selection and management of a Client’s
account in accordance with the Client’s investing
preferences and needs as communicated to us by the
Client and the Client’s Investment Advisor. We will
exercise this discretion in accordance with the
agreements between us and the Client, as defined in
the Relationship Agreements section above.
Investment Management Programs
Through OPS and BCI, we offer a wide variety of
investment management programs. A summary of
the programs we offer is included in the following
chart, with additional details about each program
below.
Limited Trading Authority
This authority consists of submitting instructions for
the purchasing or selling of securities in a Client’s
account to implement the strategy or strategies
selected by the Client and the Client’s Investment
Advisor.
Platform Availability
BCI1
OPS
OPS
OPS
BCI
BCI
Relationship Types Supported
Solicitor, Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Co-Advisor, Sub-Advisor
Solicitor, Co-Advisor
Program Name
Wealth Advisory
Strategist Program
SMA Program
Advisor Directed
Core Asset Manager
Destinations Program
1 Wealth Advisory is an available SMA Program Manager within the SMA Program on the OPS Platform.
family offices, institutions, and endowments with $1
million or more in investable assets. Wealth Advisory
is designed for us to manage the overall investment
investment style
process,
including asset and
Wealth Advisory
Our Wealth Advisory program offers customized
service and dedicated support to meet the needs of
high-net worth and ultra-high net worth investors,
6 of 53
to provide
As part of the services offered to Clients in our
Wealth Advisory program, we have approved certain
third-party companies
specialized
services. Currently, these providers and services are:
allocation decisions, Strategist selection and review,
and comprehensive monitoring of a Client’s
portfolio. A dedicated portfolio manager employed
by us is assigned to the Client relationship and is
available for regular communications concerning the
activity and status of a Client’s account.
Philanthropic Services
Fidelity Charitable and UI Charitable Advisors are
independent, section 501(c)(3) public charities that
administer donor-advised funds. Through their
Charitable Investment Advisor Programs, we will
actively manage the charitable assets contributed by
Clients. Fidelity Charitable and UI Charitable Advisors
charge a fee for their services, and we do not receive
any direct or indirect revenue from them.
investment vehicles,
Securities Backed Lines of Credit
We use Orion Cash and Credit or TriState Capital to
provide loans secured by eligible securities. Using
these
loan facilities, Clients can pledge their
investment account(s) as collateral to meet many of
their financing needs, with the exception of
purchasing securities. TriState Capital charges an
interest rate for these services and we do not receive
any direct or indirect revenue from TriState Capital.
In the Wealth Advisory program, portfolios are
generally allocated among different Strategists,
Separately Managed Accounts, mutual funds, and/or
ETFs. Where deemed appropriate, based on a
Client’s objectives, assets, risk tolerance, and
investment experience as well as to obtain greater
asset and style diversification, we may recommend
that a portion of a Client’s portfolio be invested in
one or more other investments in lieu of allocating
assets separately to a Strategist or a strategy
managed by us. These other investments may
include an investment in REITs, Private Funds, ETNs,
including
or other pooled
alternative investments made available by Capital
Integration Systems discussed in Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations of this
Brochure. Special fee arrangements may apply with
respect to alternative investments.
Additional information on Orion Cash and Credit on
its affiliation with us can be found in Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations of this
Brochure.
In the Wealth Advisory program, we offer both
discretionary and non-discretionary
investment
management services. When granted discretionary
authority, a Client authorizes us to hire and fire
Strategists and to rebalance account(s) without a
Client’s prior approval.
investment
needs,
tax
Trust Services
First State Trust Company and Comerica Bank and
Trust N.A. (“Comerica”) offer trust services, including
but not limited to Personal, Revocable, Irrevocable,
Charitable, & Special Needs Trusts. Both First State
Trust Company and Comerica charge a fee for these
services and we do not receive any direct or indirect
revenue from either firm.
Wealth Advisory services include (but are not limited
to) comprehensive portfolio analysis of a Client’s
existing assets to help identify inefficiencies and
address
transition
management to assist the Client in transferring
highly-appreciated stocks and move toward a more
diversified portfolio over time, development of a
personalized investment solution based upon the
Client’s goals, tax preferences, risk tolerance, and
financial plan, and access to a dedicated portfolio
manager employed by us to assist with portfolio
reviews, reallocations,
investment updates and
educational needs.
Business Valuation
BizEquity LLC provides business valuation analysis for
our business owner Clients. BizEquity charges us a
licensing fee for use of its online business valuation
application and we include the cost of this service
within the fee we charge Clients. We do not receive
any direct or indirect revenue from BizEquity.
7 of 53
respect
to assets allocated
Customized Wealth Advisory Services
From time to time, we develop a customized
investment strategy for Clients
in our Wealth
Advisory Program. Fees for such services are
negotiated on a case-by-case basis. We also develop
new investment management strategies on a test
basis with funds provided by us, our employees, their
family members, and a limited number of Clients
before such management strategies are made
available generally.
Destinations Funds Trust, a mutual fund trust we
advise, may be included in these models. When the
Destinations Funds are included in a Strategist
Model, the Strategist Fee is waived or reduced along
with any Administration Fees OPS would otherwise
collect with
to
Destinations Funds portfolios, as further explained in
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation of this Brochure.
However, if a Client selects certain overlay services
(such as Orion Custom Indexing), the overlay fee is
charged on the entire portfolio, regardless of the
underlying investments, as further set forth in the
Investment Advisory Agreement between the Client
and us. In the case of clients subject to ERISA or to
Section 4975 of the Code, allocations to the
Destinations Fund Trust will be implemented in a
manner that complies with ERISA or Section 4975 of
the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable.
Strategist Program
Through OPS’s “Strategist Program,” Investment
Advisors have the ability to invest Client accounts in
a manner intended to follow a Strategist’s developed
model asset allocation portfolio. We refer to such
asset allocation models as “Strategist Models”. The
Strategists regularly monitor the Strategist Models
and are responsible for managing the model
portfolios.
impose
investing
Investment Advisor
is
responsible
With the exception of the proprietary Strategies
developed and managed by us, we are not affiliated
with any other Strategists within the Strategist
Program. However, in some instances, we receive all
or part of certain Strategists’ Strategist Fees as an
administration fee charged to the Strategist as
discussed in Item 5 – Fees and Compensation of this
Brochure. These fees are negotiated between us and
the Strategist. Given this arrangement we have an
incentive to continue to make available Strategists
that share fees with us. Consistent with our policies
and procedures, the Investment Committee does not
consider revenue sharing payment arrangements in
the selection and oversight of Strategists to address
these conflicts. In addition, we address these
conflicts of interest by disclosing receipt of such fees
and our arrangement with such Strategists in this
Brochure. Furthermore, Investment Advisors, which
are not affiliated with OPS, are responsible for
working with Clients to select the most appropriate
Strategist. Investment Advisors are able to utilize any
Strategist made available as part of the Strategist
Program.
We make available Strategist Models of various risk
and return characteristics and investment goals
through our platform. These Strategist Models are
not tailored to accommodate the needs or objectives
of specific
investors, but rather to enable an
Investment Advisor to select the most appropriate
Strategist Model offered by our Strategist Program
for use with Clients. Clients can work with their
Investment Advisor
reasonable
to
in certain
investment restrictions on
securities or types of securities within each model. If
a Client imposes a reasonable investment restriction,
we will notify the Client’s Investment Advisor if their
selected strategy conflicts with such restrictions and
the
for
recommending an alternative strategy.1 Clients can
invest in multiple Strategist Models within a single
custodial account, where each Strategist Model
allocation is assigned to a unique subaccount or
“sleeve”. This structure is known as a unified
managed account (“UMA”).
Client account assets will be invested in accordance
with the Strategist Model selected. Once a Strategist
is selected, OPS will provide trading,
Model
Our BCI portfolio management team also develops
and maintains Strategist Models on the OPS
platform. Mutual funds that are part of the
8 of 53
for the Client and recommending model portfolios to
the Investment Advisor for consideration for use
with the Client.
in any Strategist Model, OPS
investment managers,
reject
Separately Managed Account Program
The Separately Managed Account Program (“SMA
Program”) is managed by OPS or by third-party
investment managers we have selected (each, an
“SMA Program Manager”). A separately managed
account is a portfolio of individually owned securities
that can be tailored to fit the Client’s investing
preferences. We select both unaffiliated and
affiliated
including our
affiliate, TownSquare Capital, LLC, to serve as SMA
Program Managers.
reporting, and administrative services. We have
Limited Trading Authority and Limited Billing
Authority, as defined above, for accounts in the
Strategist Program. When a Strategist suggests a
is
transaction
authorized to submit trades to the Client’s custodian
to execute the resulting transactions in the Client’s
account, as outlined in the Terms and Conditions. If
a Strategist or Strategist Model is removed from the
Strategist Program, OPS will notify a Client’s
Investment Advisor of the change and request that
action be taken to reassign the account by a specified
date. In such case, OPS will recommend a similar
replacement Strategist to a Client’s Investment
Advisor who may accept or
such
recommendation at their discretion.
The Strategists are not acting as the Client’s
investment advisor, do not possess knowledge of a
Client’s individual information or investment goals
and objectives, and do not provide personalized
investment advice to Clients. Clients remain the
owner of all securities held in their account and have
all ownership rights associated with these securities.
Visit
orion.com/wealth-management/third-party-
strategists to review the investment managers we
have engaged as Strategists.
Clients and their Investment Advisors will choose an
SMA Program Manager based on the Client’s risk
profile and investment objective(s), and the SMA
Program Manager (including, when applicable, OPS)
will manage the Client’s account accordingly using
various investment options and strategies. Clients
remain the owner of all securities held in their
account with all associated ownership rights. In
instances where affiliated investment managers,
such as TownSquare Capital, LLC, serve as SMA
Program Managers, our affiliate is compensated for
managing the account, which creates a potential
conflict of interest whereby we, or our affiliates, earn
additional compensation. Clients
in the SMA
Program are subject to the OPS Terms and
Conditions and depending on the SMA Program
Manager selected, may be subject to additional
terms and conditions that are required by such SMA
Program Manager (“Additional Agreement”).
We are not engaged by Clients to provide investment
recommendations in the Strategist Program. We do
investment
investment advice or
not provide
recommendations in a “fiduciary” capacity to clients
subject to ERISA or to Section 4975 of the Internal
Revenue Code in these circumstances. OPS relies on
the Client’s Investment Advisor to analyze the
Client’s current financial situation, risk tolerance,
time horizon, investment objectives, and other
factors the Client and the Client’s Investment Advisor
in determining whether a
deem appropriate
particular Strategist Model (and
its underlying
investment holdings, including Destinations Funds,
is suitable for the Client. The
as applicable)
Investment Advisor can use tools made available by
OPS or its affiliates, including OPS’s proprietary
proposal tool, to assist the Investment Advisor in
developing an appropriate asset allocation strategy
For Clients in the SMA Program, the SMA Program
is granted Full
Manager (which can be OPS)
Discretion (as that term is defined above) for the
ongoing security selection and management of a
Client’s account in accordance with the Client’s
investing preferences and needs. The SMA Program
Manager is granted the authority to buy, sell, or
otherwise affect transactions in Client accounts as
further set forth in our Terms and Conditions and any
Additional Agreements, if applicable.
9 of 53
offer a variety of asset allocation strategies, each
targeting a specific investment objective, for both
taxable and tax-exempt accounts. The strategies
provide different balances of risk and reward and the
appropriate strategy may be chosen based on the
Client’s risk tolerance and time horizon. The
strategies are designed
to offer competitive
performance while seeking to achieve attractive risk-
adjusted returns over the long term.
Advisor-Directed Program
The OPS Platform permits a Client’s Investment
Advisor to act as a portfolio manager and implement
an investment strategy developed by the Investment
Advisor outside of our Strategist and SMA Programs
described above. In such situations, we have Limited
Trading Authority and Limited Billing Authority, as
described above. We do not conduct any due
diligence on the securities or strategies included in
Advisor-Directed sleeves within a Client’s account.
We monitor the performance of each underlying
investment manager (either a sub-advisor within the
Destinations Funds or a third-party fund) and replace
or reallocate assets among the funds or underlying
managers used to implement these strategies based
on factors we deem appropriate. These factors can
include our evaluation of historical performance,
market conditions, and our investment outlook. Our
Destinations program is offered through different
suites of asset allocation models, the primary
difference in each suite being the type of investment
vehicles utilized.
our
and
Core Asset Manager Program
BCI’s Core Asset Manager program represents a
managed account platform that features privately
placed or publicly traded pooled investment vehicles
(such as hedge funds, mutual funds, ETFs, real estate
investment trusts and master limited partnerships).
In this program, we provide both discretionary
management and non-discretionary management
services. Discretionary Clients authorize us to hire
and fire investment managers and make asset
allocation changes. Nondiscretionary Clients must
product
Strategist
approve
recommendations before the recommendations are
implemented.
investment strategies
Core Select
Investment Advisors and their Clients have the ability
to select from a
list of risk-tolerance based
strategies, separate account managers, mutual
funds, and ETFs for both taxable and nontaxable
accounts. For solicitor accounts, we determine what
strategies are available for Clients and their
Investment Advisors to choose from based on the
Client’s specific risk tolerance. For co-advisor
accounts, Clients and their Investment Advisor are
not restricted and have discretion to choose suitable
strategies from the list of all available strategies.
Retirement Plan Services
We offer retirement plan advisory services through
our BCI Platform utilizing both our proprietary and
for tax-
non-proprietary
exempt accounts, as well as mutual fund and ETF
evaluation and selection to sponsors of retirement
plans (“Plans”) covered by the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)
and other qualified and non-qualified deferred
compensation plans (“Retirement Plan Services”).
Our Retirement Plan Services are available to plans
with at least $250,000 of investable assets, though
we may at our sole discretion waive
this
requirement. The Retirement Plan Services Program
is provided in conjunction with a recordkeeping
service provider, who may also provide Plan
administration (the “Recordkeeper”) and generally a
broker-dealer or investment advisory firm.
In the Retirement Plan Services Program, the Plan
sponsor enters into both (i) an investment advisory
agreement with us, and (ii) a separate administrative
and recordkeeping services agreement with the
Destinations Program
BCI’s Destinations program is a discretionary asset
allocation program managed by us that uses mutual
funds, including our Destinations Funds (described
below), and/or ETFs to implement a variety of
investment strategies with different risk and reward
characteristics. In our Destinations program, we
10 of 53
the
investment
for consideration. The Plan
these
Recordkeeper. The Investment Advisor may also be
a party to the investment advisory agreement. In
accordance with
advisory
agreement, we offer guidance to the Plan sponsor
and assist in selecting an array of investment
include the Destinations
strategies, which may
Funds,
sponsor
strategies as
subsequently designates
investment options available to Plan participants
under the Plan. We also provide the Plan sponsor
with a participant questionnaire, which the Plan
sponsor makes available to Plan participants to assist
each Plan participant in determining his or her
investment goals and objectives and risk tolerance
and in selecting a suitable investment strategy for
the participant's Plan account.
implement certain
investment
authorized to select, add, remove and/or replace
funds available for purchase by Plan participants
consistent with any written
investment policy
approved by the Plan sponsor and provided to us and
with any requirements under ERISA, based upon our
evaluation of each fund's performance, market
conditions and other factors we deem appropriate.
Plan sponsors can, however, specify securities which
cannot be purchased. If we add a new fund or
replace a fund on the additional fund list, we will
notify the Plan sponsor sufficiently in advance of
such action to enable the Plan sponsor to provide
any notice to Plan participants required under ERISA.
The Plan sponsor is responsible for delivering to Plan
participants any change notice required under ERISA
informing such Plan participants how their accounts
will be invested as of the change if the Plan
participant fails to provide affirmative investment
directions.
We
strategies
selected by the Plan sponsor and made available to
Plan participants. We also may develop additional
models or customized investment strategies for a
Plan sponsor.
We are responsible for monitoring the relevant data
on the performance of each mutual fund, ETF and
Destinations model and provide periodic reporting
on the performance of each fund and Destinations
model.
factors we deem
appropriate,
in each Plan’s
When a party enters into the BCI investment
advisory agreement with the Plan sponsor, the
Investment Advisor assumes several responsibilities.
Such responsibilities vary and are specifically
investment advisory
detailed
agreement.
We have Full Discretion in selecting the funds to be
included in the asset allocation models used to
implement the investment strategies. We review the
models on a periodic basis and update and rebalance
the models from time to time in accordance with the
related investment strategy, taking into account the
performance of the funds, market conditions and
and
other
electronically transmit changes to the models to the
Recordkeeper. The Recordkeeper is responsible for
executing trades in the Plan participants' accounts to
reflect changes in the models provided by us.
Investment Strategies
investment management program
Within each
described above, we offer various
Investment
Strategies. A summary of the strategies we offer and
the program and relationship types where each
strategy is available is included in the following chart,
with additional details about each strategy below.
We also offer evaluation and selection services to
identify a limited number of unaffiliated mutual
funds and/or ETFs in which Plan participants may
invest their Plan accounts. Plan sponsors who elect
this additional service authorize us to select
additional funds. If a Plan sponsor elects the
service, we are
additional
fund evaluation
11 of 53
Strategy Name
Eligible Investments1
Disciplined Equity
Orion Custom Indexing
Account
Minimum
Varies
$100,000
Investment
Manager
BCI
BCI
Program
Availability2
WA, SMA
WA, SMA
$1,000,0003 BCI
WA, SMA4
Equities, ETFs
Mutual Funds, Equities, and
ETPs
Equities and ETPs (subject to
custodian restrictions)
$0
OPS
SP
Orion Custom Indexing
Equity Long/Short
Strategy
Market Cycle Advised
Mandates Portfolios
Core Guided Portfolios
$500,000
BCI
CAM
Destinations ETFh
$25,000
BCI
WA, SP, CAM, D
$10,000
BCI
WA, SP, CAM, D
$10,000
BCI
WA, SP, CAM, D
Destinations Hybrid
Portfolios
Brinker Blended
Portfolios
$5,000
BCI
Affiliated and unaffiliated
Mutual Funds
Mutual Funds, Equities, ETPs,
or other pooled investment
vehicles
Unaffiliated Mutual Funds
and ETPs
Affiliated Mutual Funds and
ETPs
Affiliated Mutual Funds and
Unaffiliated Mutual Funds
and / or ETPs
ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
$0
$10,000
$25,000
BCI
BCI
BCI
Mutual Funds and ETPs
ETPs
Mutual Funds and ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
WA, SP, CAM
WA, SP, CAM
Capital Group ETF
Strategies
Focused Strategies
Core Plus ETF Strategy
Brinker Capital ESG
Portfolios
Active Income Strategy
BCI
WA, SP, CAM
$25,000
$25,000
BCI
ETPs, stocks, bonds, master
limited partnerships, real
estate, convertibles, senior
bank loans, and international
debt
ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
$25,000
BCI
ETPs
WA, SP, CAM
Managed Income
Strategy
Digital Assets Portfolio
Program
1 As used in this chart, Exchange Traded Products (“ETPs”) include Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), Exchange Traded Notes (“ETNs”),
Closed-End Funds (“CEFs”), Unit Investment Trusts (“UITs”), or any other investment traded on an exchange, excluding individual
equities.
2 WA = Wealth Advisory
SMA = SMA Program
SP = Strategist Program
CAM = Core Asset Manager Program
D = Destinations Program
RPS = Retirement Plan Services Program
3 $1,000,000 of marginable securities. When used in the Wealth Advisory Program through a Solicitor or Co-Advisory Relationship
Type, we require the Household have $3,000,000 in AUM within the program.
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Strategy Name
Eligible Investments1
Account
Minimum
Investment
Manager
Program
Availability2
4 The Orion Custom Indexing Equity Long/Short Strategy is only available in the SMA Program on the OPS Platform when Wealth
Advisory is selected as the SMA Program Manager.
Tailored Allocation Portfolios
Tailored Allocation Portfolios is a part of the Orion
Custom
Indexing Strategy. Tailored Allocation
Portfolios apply the custom indexing technology and
management to a defined
list of third-party
third-party Strategists create
Strategies. Such
models which primarily invest in their proprietary
Mutual Funds and or ETFs, though they may select
non-proprietary investments.
Indexing
to provide
Disciplined Equity Strategy
Disciplined Equity strategies are proprietary, model-
driven solutions that are constructed to provide
exposure to targeted equity market segments. The
strategies are managed by a team of portfolio
managers. The strategies are managed to target the
risk and return characteristics of a particular equity
index or a specific segment of the market. For many
of the Disciplined Equity strategies, Clients may elect
Orion Custom
further
customization to their tax preferences such as capital
gains budgets and tax transition services.
their
individualized
preferences,
Clients may invest in the Disciplined Equity strategies
using our BCI Platform, our OPS Platform, or through
the Communities model marketplace.
Tailored Allocation Portfolios will use Orion Custom
Indexing management to transition an investor’s
existing holdings into the selected model. Such
transition will be customized for the Investor based
on
as
communicated to us by the Investor or Advisor.
individual
Customization can be based on the
holdings’ potential realized tax gain or loss, and the
amount of such realized tax gain or loss the Investor
desires during each tax calendar year. Investors will
not be able to apply any Environmental, Social, and
Governance (“ESG”) or other security selection
restrictions on accounts invested in the Tailored
Allocation Portfolios program.
Orion Custom Indexing Equity Long/Short Strategy
The Orion Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short
Strategy is a part of the Orion Custom Indexing
Program. The strategy utilizes a customized
long/short overlay and seeks pre-tax and after-tax
excess returns through active stock selection and
weekly tax-loss harvesting, while delivering the
investment characteristics of the Client's desired
beta exposure.
Orion Custom Indexing Strategy
Orion Custom
Indexing utilizes optimization
technology to provide Investment Advisors with the
ability to personalize portfolios, tax transition legacy
assets, and tax loss harvest Client portfolios. In
addition to managing against passive indexes, the
program also offers the ability to overlay on top of
proprietary and third-party portfolios. Portfolios are
typically constructed of individual stocks but may
also include ETFs and mutual funds depending on the
specific mandate and any legacy assets incorporated
into the Client portfolio. If Clients transition from our
Destinations program to Orion Custom Indexing,
Destinations Funds may be held in the Orion Custom
Indexing product as Client tax preferences are being
implemented. When Destinations Funds are held in
a Custom Indexing product, we will continue to
collect our fee as advisor to the Destinations Funds.
We offer Orion Custom Indexing through our OPS
Platform, our BCI Platform’s solicitor and co-advisor
relationships, and as a sub-advisory service.
To be eligible for the Orion Custom Indexing Equity
Long/Short strategy through the Brinker Capital
Investments or Orion Portfolio Solutions platforms,
the Client's household must have at least $3,000,000
in assets with us, and the account utilizing the
13 of 53
strategy must have at least $1,000,000 in marginable
securities. The strategy is subject to custodian
restrictions, and certain custodians may not support
the strategy. A request to invest in the Orion Custom
is not a
Indexing Equity Long/Short strategy
guarantee that the Client will be able to invest in the
strategy.
implement different
risk
Core Guided Portfolios
Investment Advisors and their Clients have the ability
to select from various discretionary asset allocation
models managed by us for both taxable and
nontaxable accounts that utilize separate account
managers, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds
to
tolerance-based
portfolios.
Destinations Strategies
The following Strategies are all available within the
Destinations Program on the BCI Platform and the
Strategist Program on the OPS Platform.
Clients and Investment Advisors should carefully
review the additional investment risks and tax
considerations associated with the Orion Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short strategy described in
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies
and Risk of Loss before electing the strategy.
Destinations ETFh Strategy
The “Destinations ETFh” program offers risk-based
asset allocation models comprised of ETFs and
unaffiliated third-party mutual funds.
Indexing Equity Long/Short
The Orion Custom
Strategy is only available through Wealth Advisory
Program on the BCI Platform, or through the SMA
Program on the OPS Platform only when Wealth
Advisory is selected as the SMA Program Manager.
The Destinations Funds and the Destinations ETFh
programs are both available directly from us through
both our BCI and OPS programs and at third party
Market Cycle Advised Mandate Portfolios
Market Cycle Advised Mandate Portfolios (“MCAM
Portfolios”) are portfolios managed by OPS and
composed of Strategist funds or Models, including
our proprietary Destinations
Funds. MCAM
Portfolios are risk-budgeted, actively managed
investment portfolios across multiple risk profiles.
Strategist
team, each
Brinker Blended Portfolios Strategy
Our Brinker Blended Portfolios Program is a risk-
based asset allocation discretionary account
program managed by us that is offered using a
combination of our proprietary Destinations Funds
(our Affiliated Funds) and other unaffiliated
investments options (non-affiliated mutual funds
and ETFs). We have Full Discretion to select the
Affiliated Funds and Non-Affiliated Mutual Funds
and ETFs in this program, and the proportion of the
model allocated to each fund selected by us.
The portfolios are designed and managed by our OPS
featuring
Investment
allocations that are blended for various levels of
participation across
three mandates: market
participation, active management, and uncorrelated
performance. We have Full Discretion to select the
Strategist and Models, including proprietary models
and Destinations Funds, trade the accounts based on
our selections, and bill the accounts according to the
fees agreed to by the Client.
framework, according
to
Core Asset Manager Program Strategies
The following are the various strategies under the
Core Asset Manager Program
ETF and Mutual Fund Portfolios
Capital Group ETF Strategies
We offer discretionary portfolios which
invest
primarily in Capital Group ETFs in a diversified, multi-
asset
the Client’s
investment objectives. At our discretion, we may
include an allocation of up to 20% to non-Capital
Group ETFs in these portfolios to supplement the
14 of 53
asset class exposures available through Capital
Group ETFs.
Client’s account. The strategy invests in ETFs and
Closed-End Funds (“CEFs”) that specialize in income-
producing assets. In addition to traditional dividend-
oriented equities and investment grade bonds, the
strategy generates income using non-traditional
asset classes, such as master limited partnerships,
real estate, convertibles, senior bank loans, high-
yield bonds, and international debt. The portfolios
are built in a diversified, risk budgeted framework,
according to the Client’s investment objectives.
Focused Strategies
We offer “Focused Strategies” consisting of model
portfolios managed by us and targeting specific asset
classes – domestic equity, international equity, fixed
income, global credit, real assets, and alternative
investments – available to Clients as a component of
their overall asset allocation or as a complementary
investment allocation.
Core Plus ETF Strategy
Our discretionary “Core Plus ETF Strategy” invests a
Client’s assets primarily among ETFs in a diversified,
risk budgeted framework, according to the Client’s
investment objectives.
to
three separate
The strategy is focused on total return and allocates
to core asset class ETFs as well as targeted exposures
to ETFs in diversifying asset classes.
less than or equal to
Brinker Capital ESG Portfolios
We offer ESG Portfolios that use, in accordance with
the Client’s objectives, mutual funds, ETFs, and/or
other products that invest in securities deemed to
favorable environmental, social, and
possess
governance (ESG) characteristics. We use the
Morningstar Sustainability Rating scale (referred to
as “globes”), which scores securities based on ESG
characteristics on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being highest
score. The strategy generally invests in exchange
traded products within Category Four or Five, though
Category Three may be included. If a holding is
reassigned to Category Two or One, it will be
reviewed by the strategy managers for removal from
the strategy. The portfolios are built in a diversified,
risk budgeted framework, according to the Client’s
investment objectives.
Managed Income Strategy
Our Managed Income Strategy uses risk budgeting to
manage an account for Clients seeking income from
a diversified portfolio of income-producing assets.
See Item 6 – Portfolio Manager Selection and
Evaluation of this Brochure for more information on
risk budgeting. The strategy seeks to help Clients
with a desire for regular income meet their short and
long-term income needs by dividing the account into
up
investment portfolios:
immediate, short-term, and long-term. If the Client
enrolls in this strategy, the Client can designate a
specific amount of assets needed to satisfy short-
term income needs. These assets will be invested in
a low-risk reserve portfolio that will seek to generate
returns in excess of the average money market fund
with risk
low duration
investment bonds. We recommend one to two years'
worth of withdrawals; however, the strategy allows
the Client to specify a desired amount. If the Client
elects systematic withdrawals on their account,
assets will also be set aside in a low-risk cash account
for those immediate, systematic withdrawals. The
remainder of the Client’s account will be set aside in
a long-term portfolio invested primarily in income-
generating investments. The long-term portfolio will
be invested primarily in ETFs. Assets designated for
this portfolio will seek to provide long-term growth
and a steady stream of income.
Digital Assets Portfolio
We offer a Digital Assets Strategy that invests in
exchange traded products to provide flexible and
balanced exposure to the digital assets ecosystem.
The portfolio will be allocated to 1) companies
Active Income Strategy
Our Active Income Strategy is designed for Clients
who prefer an active strategy that seeks a specific
percentage yield by investing in income-producing
securities. When selecting the strategy, the Client
will select the percentage yield to be targeted for the
15 of 53
fees charged,
involved with cryptocurrency or digitalization of the
economy and 2) cryptocurrencies, with
the
allocation between these two categories varying
based on the managers’ view of the risks and
potential rewards. Companies must derive at least
50% of revenue from digital asset projects, partner
or invest in such firms, or have a crypto segment that
is an important segment of the company.
MMLIS, and the Client (the “MMLIS Brinker co-
advisory program”). MMLIS is the introducing broker
and National Financial Services, LLC serves as the
clearing firm and custodian for the MMLIS Brinker
the
co-advisory program. The
minimum account size and each firm’s roles and
responsibilities are described in the MMLIS Brochure
for the MMLIS Brinker co-advisory program.
Banking and Lending Services
Orion Cash and Credit is an integration which offers
third-party advisors who utilize the OPS and BCI
platforms access to an array of banking and lending
solutions and related services. These services are
offered by Uptiq, Inc.
Individualized Account Management
The Individualized Account Management Strategy is
available to Clients of our Retirement Plan Services
and uses Risk Budgeting to diversify Client portfolios
among several different asset classes utilizing the
mutual fund families available on the Client’s
platform or through the Client’s custodian, according
to Client objectives.
More information on Orion Cash and Credit can be
found in Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities
and Affiliations of this Brochure.
portfolio:
asset
allocation
Portfolio Audit Service
Upon request of an eligible Investment Advisor, we
or our affiliate, TownSquare Capital, LLC, will conduct
a review of a Client or a Prospect’s existing portfolio.
This service is typically limited to portfolios with a
value of greater than $1,000,000, though we may, at
our discretion, offer this service for portfolios with a
lower value. This will include a review of some or all
of the following aspects of such Client or Prospect’s
and
existing
diversification, portfolio structure and efficiency,
portfolio risk, expense, and fixed income quality,
maturity, and risk.
Other Advisory Offerings
Third Party Platform Model Manager
We offer certain of our investment strategies and
programs (primarily as a model manager) on
platforms of unaffiliated and affiliated managers or
sponsors. We also provide manager due diligence
and other operational related services to third-party
including our affiliate TownSquare
platforms,
Capital, LLC. Certain model portfolios and strategies
are available through a wrap fee program sponsored
by the investment platform provider. We also
provide recommendations and investment advice
regarding
investment strategies to educational
savings plans and to individual clients through
brokerage platforms, model portfolio holdings,
and/or weighting and other information regarding
the construction and maintenance of portfolios, and
advice concerning the submission of trades on behalf
of certain client portfolios pursuant to written
agreements with other investment management
firms, clients, or others.
MMLIS Brinker Co-Advisory Program
We have entered into an agreement with MML
Investor Services, LLC (“MMLIS”), to provide our
Wealth Advisory, Core Asset Manager and
Destinations programs to MMLIS advisory clients,
pursuant to a tri-party agreement among Brinker,
Account Management
Trading
When we are granted Full Discretion or Limited
Trading Authority for Client accounts, trading will
occur through the brokerage account(s) Clients
establish with a custodian. Strategists will provide us
with instructions to rebalance or reallocate the
Strategist Models depending on
their asset
allocation philosophy or
investment manager
selection process. These adjustments to the asset
allocations will result in transactions in a Client’s
account. For OPS Platform Clients, a minimum
16 of 53
directly at their custodian or used an advisory
program from another advisor, such Client may be
eligible for a lower cost share class. However,
because some of the lower cost share classes are TF
mutual funds, it is possible that the Client would
incur transaction fees.
amount of five dollars per security is required on
contributions and rebalance trades. There is no such
limitation for BCI Platform Clients). All Strategist
Model allocations contain a minimum allocation to
cash. For distributions, positions are redeemed pro-
rata unless otherwise specified. The last trade file
submission will be sent to the custodian at or around
3 pm Eastern time. The Client or their Investment
Advisor instruct OPS that a Client’s account will be
invested in accordance with the Strategist Model as
indicated on the Application Addendum, Investment
Direction Addendum, or other relevant OPS form
and/or reassignment process. If the Strategist Model
changes, OPS will rebalance a Client’s account to
align it with the selected Strategist Model. Clients or
instruct OPS to
their Investment Advisor may
terminate the use of the Strategist Models at any
time. Clients will
receive notification of all
transactions in their account(a) in the form of an
account statement provided by the custodian.
Client Exclusions and Restrictions
For all of our programs, Clients may
impose
reasonable restrictions on the management of their
account,
including the designation of specific
securities or a specific category of securities that
should not be purchased for their account or that
should be sold if held in the account, and may
reasonably modify such restrictions from time to
time. We or the Strategist may, at our sole discretion,
determine that a Client’s Exclusion or Restriction is
not reasonable given the circumstances. In such
instances the Client will not be able to invest in the
identified model or Strategy and must select an
alternative.
When a Client restricts a category of securities that
may be purchased for the account, we or the third-
party Strategist will determine, in our respective sole
discretion, the specific securities in that category.
Any restrictions a Client imposes on individual
securities that may be purchased for the account
shall apply only to individual stocks within separately
managed portfolios.
For Strategist Program and Core Select strategies
that invest in mutual funds, the custodians utilized
by us charge us an asset-based fee when Clients
invest in certain share classes. These share classes
are known as transaction fee (“TF”) mutual funds.
Absent the asset-based fee paid by us, Clients would
be charged a transaction fee typically ranging from
$25 to $75 for each purchase of shares of a TF mutual
fund. Because we are charged a fee for using certain
share classes, we have a conflict when determining
which share class to utilize in Core Asset Manager or
the Strategist Program. To mitigate this conflict, it is
our policy is to use the lowest cost share class that is
available at all custodians where the strategy is
available (regardless of whether we have to pay an
asset-based fee to the custodian). When selecting
mutual funds and mutual fund share classes, we will
not utilize mutual funds or mutual fund share classes
that have short term redemption fees or minimum
investment requirements. For any mutual fund used
in a strategy, it is possible that certain custodians
may make available lowest cost share classes than
the share classes used by us because we use the
lowest cost share class available at all custodians that
we use. If a Client invested in the same mutual fund
Wrap Fee Program, Transaction Fees, and Other
Expenses
We offer some of our services as a “wrap fee
program”, with options to allocate investments to
stocks, exchange traded funds, model portfolios, or
separately managed accounts. The wrap
fee
program is managed similarly to what is described in
this Brochure. Please refer to Appendix 1 of our Form
ADV Part 2A for additional information on our wrap
fee program. Under the wrap fee programs,
investment advice and costs of trade executions are
provided to Clients for an all-inclusive wrap fee. This
means that under wrap fee programs, we pay the
trading costs out of the advisory fee that we receive
from Clients. Clients can consult their investment
17 of 53
advisory agreement to determine whether the
strategies selected are part of our wrap fee program.
would be more or less costly than a separate
transaction charge).
“Trade-away”
fees
for
fund’s
investment management
Qualified custodian Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
(“Schwab”) has agreed to waive execution fees for
our Platform Clients’ transactions executed by
Schwab.
transactions
submitted to a custodian other than Schwab will still
be assessed. Clients in our wrap fee program do not
pay these “Trade-away” fees on a transaction-by-
transaction basis as they are included in the wrap fee
program fee. We took this into consideration when
pricing our wrap fee program at such custodian.
Our fee is in addition to the operating expenses of
the funds included in Client accounts, which are
expressed as the fund’s “expense ratio”. A fund
expense ratio represents the percentage of the
fund’s assets used to operate the fund and reflects
the
fee,
administrative costs, brokerage costs, distribution
fees, and other operating expenses. Although these
expenses are paid by the fund, Clients indirectly bear
their pro rata share of such costs. Clients should
consider both our fee and the internal expense ratios
of the funds included in the program (which are set
forth in the prospectus for each fund) when deciding
whether the Destinations program may be more or
less costly than another investment program.
impose
transaction
fees. Our
fee
Technology
We offer our services through a technology platform
known as “Advisor Portal.” Advisor Portal is a
technology platform that was developed by our
affiliate, Orion Tech and allows for proposal
generation, account opening, trading, reporting, and
billing from one dashboard.
ETF shares incur transaction expenses, which are
paid to the custodian either as a separate transaction
charge or through an asset-based fee (i.e., a
percentage of assets in the account). With respect to
any mutual funds included in the Destinations ETFh
strategies, we purchase the available mutual fund
share class with the lowest internal expense ratio
(generally the “Institutional” class), which share class
for
may
Destinations ETFh includes an asset-based fee paid
to the custodian to cover transaction costs (see
“Destination Program Fees” under Item 5 – Fees and
Compensation of this Brochure). This enables us to
make investment decisions for Destinations ETFh
accounts without regard to transaction costs.
Fee Summary
We will assess and collect Clients fees for the services
provided to them by ourselves, the Strategists, and
the Client’s Investment Advisor in the manner
authorized by the Client.
Trading activity is influenced by the frequency of
rebalances, contributions, and withdrawals. The
more infrequent the trading activity (determined by
fund changes and rebalances and Client additions
and withdrawals) and the larger the size of the
account, the more likely that an asset-based fee will
be more costly than a separate transaction charge.
Since trading activity is dictated by multiple factors,
including changes in funds in a Client’s Destinations
ETFh portfolio (e.g., because of our performance
evaluations, changes in managers, funds closing to
new investment, etc.), and the frequency of deposits
and distributions (which are driven by Clients), it may
be difficult to predict the level of trading activity in
any year (and thus, whether the asset-based fee
Clients should understand that the wrap fee may
cost more or less than purchasing advisory,
brokerage, custody, execution, and related
services separately. The relative cost depends on
several factors, including the amount of the wrap
fee, the level of trading activity in the account, the
custodian used, the types of securities held, the
internal expenses of mutual funds or ETFs, and
any other fees or expenses applicable to the
account. For accounts with little trading activity,
the wrap fee may be more expensive than paying
for advisory services and transaction costs
18 of 53
custodian or account-level fees, when deciding
whether the program is appropriate.
separately. For accounts with higher trading
activity, the wrap fee may be less expensive than
paying separate transaction charges. Clients
should review the total costs of the wrap program,
including our fees, Investment Advisor fees,
Strategist or Strategy fees, fund expenses, and any
Our fee structure varies between the OPS and BCI
Platforms. The primary fee is split in the following
manner:
OPS Platform
Administrative Fee
BCI Platform
Brinker Fee Component
Strategist Fee
Strategy Fee Component
Advisory Fees
Financial Advisor Fee
Component
Definition
The fee we charge for the advisory services we offer to
clients. This can sometimes be referred to as a “Platform
Fee.”
This is the fee for each strategy or model selected by a Client
or their Investment Advisor for their account. For models or
strategies selected for which we are the Strategist, we retain
this fee, in addition to the Administrative Fee or Brinker Fee
Component. For models or strategies where we are NOT the
strategist, this fee is paid to the Strategist.1
The fee paid to the Client’s Investment Advisor for their
advisory services, or for soliciting accounts on our behalf.
1For Strategist Models where we are not the Strategist, we retain up to 0.05% of the Strategist Fee/Strategy Fee
Component. The Strategist may also elect to pay us these fees directly from their own funds and not from the Strategist
Fee/Strategy Fee Component. If a Strategist elects to pay us the fees directly, we will not retain any portion of such
Strategist’s Strategist Fee/Strategy Fee Component. We do not retain the Strategist Fee/Strategy Fee Component for
certain Strategies available on the BCI Platform that are also available on the OPS Platform for the portion of assets of such
strategies on the BCI Platform.
Monthly Billing
Generally, for offerings on our OPS Platform, we bill
monthly in arrears based on the average daily
balance of the account for the previous month.
Billing Methods
Advisory fees are paid by Clients monthly or
quarterly, either in advance or in arrears, depending
on the service selected by the Client and their
Investment Advisor. Unless otherwise agreed to by
us, we will instruct the custodians to deduct the fees
directly from the Client’s account under the Biling
Authority described in Item 4 – Advisory Business of
this Brochure.
Accounts in each Client’s household are aggregated
and we apply that aggregate balance of accounts
when assessing our fees, as well as any Investment
Advisor breakpoint or tiered schedule. Accounts will
not be consolidated if they were initially structured
as distinct households. A household is defined as all
custodian accounts at the same residential address.
Quarterly Billing
Generally, for offerings on our BCI Platform, we bill
quarterly in advance. When billing in advance, the
initial fee is based on the market value of a Client’s
account when it is opened and prorated for the
number of days remaining in the calendar quarter.
Thereafter, the quarterly fee is due on the first
business day of each quarter and is based on the
market value of the Client’s account on the last
business day of the immediately preceding quarter.
If Client advisory fees are billed in advance, Clients
may also be billed for additional monies added to
their account during the advisory fee period. No
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managed accounts, based on the weighted average
of the managed account market values. However,
upon request of the Client, we will bill the Client
separately instead of deducting the fees.
adjustments to the Client advisory fee will be made
for monies withdrawn during the advisory fee
period. Upon termination, we will issue Clients a
prorated refund of all unearned advisory fees that
were paid in advance.
Clients can select to have one account from which all
fees for their household are deducted. If such a
situation is selected, Clients cannot designate an
account subject to ERISA as the paying account for
fees associated with non-ERISA accounts.
Method of Payment
The manner in which we bill for our services is
dependent upon the relationship type. See Item 4 –
Advisory Business for a description of the various
relationship types we offer.
Fees
The following tables outline the fees for services we
offer under our various programs and strategies as
outlined in Item 4 – Advisory Business of this
Brochure:
Co-Advisory and Solicitor
In a co-advisory or solicitor arrangement, our fee is
payable to us by the Client and is generally paid
through either redemption of mutual fund shares or
deduction of cash from the Client's separately
1B1BBrinker Capital Investments Programs
Program
Brinker Fee Component1,2
Minimum
Wealth Advisory
$1 million
0.65%
Core Guided Manager
$500,0003
Destinations
$04
First $100,000.00
$100,000.01 to $250,000.00
$250,000.01 to $1 million
Over $1 million
0.35%
0.30%
0.20%
0.10%
1 An annual $75 fee will be charged for each account or sleeve used in a Client’s household for households with assets on our platform
valued at less than $100,000.
2 There is no Brinker Fee Component for the portion of accounts within the Wealth Advisory, Core Guided Manager, or Destinations
Programs assigned to Affiliated Funds (including Destinations Funds) strategies. The Client will still pay for advisory services in such
strategies based on their proportional ownership of the Affiliated Funds within such strategies. We will still earn compensation as the
investment advisor to the Affiliated Funds within such strategies.
3 Core Guided Select minimums may be lower based on the Strategists selected.
4 Certain strategies within the Destinations Program may have a higher minimum.
0B0BOrion Portfolio Solutions Programs
Program
Minimum
Administration Fees1,2
Wealth Advisory
$1 million
Strategist Program
Varies3
First $1 million
$1 million to $2 million
$2 million to $3 million
$3 million to $4 million
$4 million to $5 million
Over $5 million
First $100,000.00
$100,000.01 to $250,000.00
$250,000.01 to $1 million
Over $1 million
0.60%
0.50%
0.45%
0.40%
0.35%
0.30%
0.35%
0.30%
0.20%
0.10%
SMA Program
Varies4
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Advisor Directed Program
Varies5
1 An annual $75 fee (billed at $6.25 each month) will be charged for each account or sleeve used in a Client’s household for households
with assets on our platform valued at less than $100,000.
2 There is no Administration Fee for the portion of accounts within the Wealth Advisory or Strategist Programs assigned to Affiliated
Funds (including Destinations Funds) strategies. The Client will still pay for advisory services in such strategies based on their proportional
ownership of the Affiliated Funds within such strategies. We will still earn compensation as the investment advisor to the Affiliated
Funds within such strategies.
3 Minimums vary and are set by the Strategist Program Strategist.
4 Minimums vary and are set by the SMA Program Manager.
5 Minimums vary and are set by the Client’s Investment Advisor.
Investment Strategies
Program
Minimum
Strategist Fee
Strategy Fee Component
Disciplined Equity
$50,000
0.10% - 0.15%
Orion Custom Indexing
$100,000
0.15%
$100,000
None1
Orion Custom Indexing Tailored Allocation Portfolios
$1 million
0.40%
Orion Custom Indexing Equity Long/Short strategy
Core Guided Portfolios
$500,000
Varies2
Core Select
$0
Destinations ETFh
$25,000
0.10%3
Focused Strategies
$0
0.25%
Capital Group ETF Strategies
$5,000
0.10%
Core Plus ETF Strategy
$10,000
0.25%
Brinker Capital ESG Portfolios
$25,000
0.10%
Active Income Strategy
$25,000
0.25%
Managed Income Strategy
$25,000
0.20%
Digital Assets Portfolio
$25,000
0.25%
$5,000
0.38%
Individualized Managed Accounts
1 The unaffiliated Strategists whose funds or models are utilized within the Tailored Allocation Portfolios pay us a fee in exchange for
inclusion in such portfolios.
2 The portfolio managers within the Core Guided Portfolios set their individual Strategy Fee Component.
3 The Strategist Fee / Strategy Fee Component for the Destinations ETFh strategy is 0.00% when used in the Wealth Advisory program.
Fees are negotiable between us and the Client. In
addition to the fees in this chart, Clients will be
assessed a Strategist/Strategy fee and an Investment
Advisor fee.
The Investment Advisor fee is negotiated between a
Client and their
Investment Advisor and may
represent either an advisory fee or a solicitor fee,
depending on the Investment Advisor’s relationship
with us.
The Strategist/Strategy generally ranges from 0.00%
to 0.50%. For Strategies where we are the Strategist,
we may receive a Strategist/Strategy fee. The exact
amount of the fee, and whether the fee will be paid
to us, will be included in the Client’s new account
paperwork.
Fee Review
Clients should carefully review all fees charged by us,
their Investment Advisor, and any funds Clients are
invested in to fully understand the total amount of
fees that are paid. It is the Client’s responsibility to
21 of 53
time
included in an account. We post fee schedules for
Strategists (which determine the Strategy Fee
Component) and, if appliable, for the Custody and
Clearing Fee Component, as they may be amended
our website
on
time,
to
from
(orion.com/wealth-management).
verify the accuracy of the fee we charge to their
account. The fee we collect will appear on the
Client’s custodial statement, though the custodian
does not determine whether the fee has been
properly calculated. In addition, a fee summary is
available to Clients through our website. Fees
charged by us are separate and distinct from fees
and expenses charged by a Client’s Investment
Advisor, mutual funds or ETFs traded within the
Strategist Models, or a Strategist providing a
Strategist Model. A description of mutual fund or ETF
fees and expenses are available in each fund’s
prospectus.
Termination of Services and Termination Fees
We can terminate our advisory services with a Client
at any time by providing written notice. Likewise, a
Client can terminate our services at any time by
providing us with written notice. If a Client’s use of
our services is terminated within (5) five business
days from the date of inception, all fees paid by the
Client in advance will be promptly refunded and no
termination fee will be charged. Should a Client’s
agreement be terminated at any other time, the
Client will receive a pro-rata refund of any prepaid
fees.
As explained in Item 4 – Advisory Business of this
Brochure, we use the lowest cost share class that is
available at all custodians where the strategy is
available. Therefore, it is possible that a particular
custodian may offer a lower cost share class, but it
will not be used in the strategy because not all of the
other available custodians offer that share class for
the strategy.
is
Other Fee Information
The following sections outline important additional
information relating to our fees.
The current Termination Fee is $75 per account for
full outgoing distributions or non-ACAT transfers.
The Termination Fee may be discounted for Clients
of Investment Advisors who have a significant
amount of assets invested on our Platforms. Any
discount
individually negotiated with each
Investment Advisor at our discretion. Additional
account termination fees may be charged by the
custodian.
immediately
Upon termination, Clients should
contact their custodian to ensure the Client Account
is allocated according to Client wishes. Clients are
responsible for paying for services rendered until the
termination of the agreement.
Fee Distribution
We distribute a portion of the Brinker Fee
Component to certain Investment Advisors who
have significant assets invested in our Platforms or
for other reasons, at our discretion. The amount of
any distribution is individually negotiated with each
Investment Advisor. Any Brinker Fee Component
distributed to an Investment Advisor is retained by
that Investment Advisor and does not constitute a
reduction in the Brinker Fee Component for Clients.
Legacy Fee Schedules
The fees outlined in this Brochure are current as of
the date of the Brochure. Clients may be assessed
fees based on Legacy Fee Schedules, which would be
included in the paperwork completed at the time
such Clients engaged us for advisory services, and
any subsequent amendments thereto.
Fee Changes
We may amend our fee schedule upon at least 30
days’ prior written notice. Because the other costs
associated with a Client’s account will be passed
through to the Client, their total fee will vary based
upon the allocation of an account among Strategists,
specific Strategist selection, and the number of
Strategists rather than based upon the funds
22 of 53
investor and any allocation and trading will be done
based on the capital gains budgets and transition
plans identified to us by the Investor or their Advisor.
Further, the Strategists pay us based on the entire
balance in the account, regardless of the proportion
of the account allocated to their proprietary
products.
Custodian Services
Custodian services will be provided by a qualified
custodian, including our affiliate, Constellation Trust
Company (“CTC”). Please refer to Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations of this
Brochure for more information on our affiliates,
including CTC.
Additionally, we have a conflict in that we are
compensated based on the Strategist selected. This
conflict is mitigated as Clients and their Investment
Advisor, not us, are responsible for selecting the
most suitable portfolio for Clients. We do not
provide advice or recommendations regarding
portfolio selections.
The investments in each Strategist Model for non-
qualified accounts may be held in either a separate
brokerage account or a UMA brokerage account with
sleeves at the Client’s custodian. The custodian
typically receives a shareholder servicing fee from
the load-waived mutual funds held by the Client
Accounts.
Strategist Fee Retention
We retain the following amounts from the Strategist
Fee (for OPS) or Strategy Fee (for BCI) referenced
above, regardless of Strategist Model type:
Strategist
American Funds
Fidelity Investments
Meeder
Portion we retain
0.10%
0.05%
0.05%
Compensation
Our portfolio manager personnel compensation
includes an annual base salary and a discretionary
bonus, which may be based on various factors
including performance metrics and firm profitability.
Our sales personnel receive compensation based on
new assets subject to our services and are eligible for
bonuses based on redemptions or terminations.
These compensation structures create an incentive
for our financial professionals to recommend that
Clients increase the size of their assets managed by
us (or not terminate), even when alternatives exist.
Certain professionals have an equity interest in our
parent company, GT Polaris Holdings, LP, which
creates a general incentive for these professionals to
grow firm revenue, including through asset growth
and platform utilization.
Tailored Allocation Portfolios
The unaffiliated Strategists whose mutual funds or
ETFs are utilized within the Tailored Allocation
Portfolios pay us a fee in exchange for inclusion in
the Tailored Allocation Portfolios program.
The entire Strategist Fee charged by certain
Strategists is retained by us. If this applies to the
strategy Clients select, it will be disclosed in the
Client’s Application Addendum or
investment
advisory agreement, as applicable. In addition, some
Strategists select mutual funds for which they or
their affiliate act as advisor when developing their
Strategist Model. Certain of these Strategists share a
portion of the fees they collect from mutual funds
they manage with us. Below are the Strategists who
share these fees with us:
• Advanced Asset Management Advisors
• Focus Partners Advisor Solutions fka
Buckingham Strategic Partners
• Horizon Investments
We have a conflict as we might be inclined to
transition the Client’s assets into the Strategist’s
proprietary products more quickly than the Client
otherwise would. This is mitigated by a contractual
understanding that the holdings in the account will
be selected based on the desires and needs of the
23 of 53
• Meeder Investment Management
• Toews Corporation
• Ocean Park Asset Management
• Clark Capital
•
iMGP
All Strategists on our platform have the opportunity
to pay us a fee for, among other services, marketing
and support with respect to the Strategist Program.
Some, but not all Strategist, pay us such a fee. These
fee sharing arrangements vary and create a conflict
of interest since we have an incentive to continue to
recommend the Strategists who pay us such a fee for
the Strategist Program. Additionally, Strategists may
refer or recommend their clients to invest via our
platform. This arrangement creates an incentive for
us to keep these Strategists over others that we may
be considering. To mitigate these conflicts, our
Investment Due Diligence Committee does not take
revenue sharing payments
into account when
determining whether to retain Strategists.
is
The Strategist Fee may be discounted for Investment
Advisors who have a significant amount of assets
invested on our platform. The amount of the
individually negotiated with each
discount
Investment Advisor at our discretion.
listed above and minimum account sizes for our
strategies are described in more detail in Item 4 –
Advisory Business of this Brochure. Fees may be
discounted or negotiated at our discretion and fees
for customized investment strategies developed for
a Client are negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
Furthermore, from time-to-time we offer program-
wide fee discounts and reduced account minimums
as part of marketing and promotional programs.
Such programs may be initiated or discontinued at
our discretion. Based on this, we offer some or all
Clients of certain Investment Advisors discounted
fees based on the amount of assets an individual
Client or the Investment Advisor has with us, the
efficiencies gained by managing multiple Clients for
the same Investment Advisor, and our relationship
with the Investment Advisor. As a result, Clients with
similar assets may have differing fee schedules and
pay different fees. Clients can request that related
accounts be combined in order to meet fee break
points and reduce the advisory fee charged. We
reserve the right to waive or reduce the advisory fee
for certain accounts such as employee accounts and
personal accounts of Investment Advisors who refer
business to us. Clients who negotiate a flat fee
schedule may or may not pay a higher fee than those
who pay under a tiered schedule, depending on asset
levels.
The same or similar investment advisory services
may be available from other investment advisors for
a lower fee.
We offer a program where Strategists on our
Platforms can purchase from us data containing
aggregate information regarding the Investment
Advisors who are researching or recommending their
strategies or models. Additional
information
regarding this can be found in Item 10 – Other
Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations of this
Brochure.
Promotional Fee Discounts
From time to time, we may offer promotional fee
discounts to the Client’s Investment Advisor (either
individually or in a group of similar investment
advisors). This can include discounts for technology
services offered by our affiliates, Orion Tech and / or
Redtail Technologies, LLC.
Non-Standard Fees
The advisory fee schedules listed above are our
standard rates. Actual fees, and/or the portion of the
advisory fee retained by us and the Client’s
Investment Advisor, may vary. Please refer to the
Client investment advisory agreement, including
attached addendums and schedules, to determine
the Client’s advisory fee. The standard fee schedules
This creates a conflict for the Investment Advisor(s)
or Investment Advisors as they are encouraged to
recommend our
investment advisory services
relative to the investment advisory services of other
advisors with similar programs to ours. Please review
24 of 53
the Investment Advisor’s Form ADV Part2A for more
information regarding their participation in such
promotions.
25 of 53
Item 5 – Account Requirements and Types of Clients
institutions, corporations and other business
entities, and state or municipal government entities.
All Programs (other than RPS) are available to these
different types of investors, subject to certain
minimum investment amounts.
Minimum account size requirements and applicable
fee schedules are disclosed for each respective
program described above in Item 4: Services, Fees
and Compensation. Exceptions to these minimums
may be made in certain cases at our discretion.
independent
Secondarily, we provide investment advice directly
to the types of clients identified above through an
arrangement where
third party
financial professionals introduce clients to us. This is
referred to as a solicitor arrangement.
endowments,
other
We primarily provide investment management and
recordkeeping services to Investment Advisors and
their clients. These Investment Advisors use our OPS
Platform and BCI Platform to service their clients.
Such clients may include individuals, banks or thrift
institutions, pension, retirement, 529 educational
savings and profit-sharing plans (other than plan
participants),
pooled
investment vehicles, trusts, estates, charitable
26 of 53
Item 6 – Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation
create an incentive for an advisor such as to
recommend investments that may be riskier or more
speculative than those that would be recommended
under a different fee arrangement.
Since we endeavor at all times to put the interests of
our Clients first as part of our fiduciary duty as a
registered investment advisor, we take the following
steps to address these conflicts:
1.
We disclose to investors and prospective
Clients the existence of material conflicts of interest,
including the potential for our firm and its employees
to earn more compensation from some Clients than
others.
We have implemented written policies and
2.
procedures for fair and consistent allocation of
investment opportunities among all Clients.
significant
performance
We periodically compare holdings and
3.
performance of all accounts with similar strategies to
identify
disparities
indicative of possible favorable treatment.
Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side
Management
We charge certain institutional endowment Clients a
performance fee, which is based upon a share of
capital gains or capital appreciation of the assets of
such Client. Performance-based fees will only be
charged in accordance with the provisions of Rule
205-3 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(“Advisers Act”) and/or applicable state regulations.
In addition, it is our policy not to retain any
performance-based fees charged and to pass
through any collected performance-based fees to
investment research
third parties that provide
and/or advisory services to us in connection with our
management of a Client’s account, as directed by the
Client.
In order for us to be eligible for a
performance-based fee, the account’s performance
must exceed a designated benchmark. If the account
outperforms the designated benchmark, we receive
a performance fee of up to 20% of the return in
excess of the benchmark. The complete terms of our
advisory fee are disclosed in the Investment Advisory
Agreement between the Client and us. The
performance fees charged by us may be higher than
the performance fees charged by other investment
advisors for the same or similar services.
4.
We educate our employees regarding the
responsibilities of a fiduciary, including the equitable
treatment of all Clients, regardless of the fee
arrangement.
interest we
Only Clients that are able to assume
in a
5.
additional risk are solicited to engage
performance fee arrangement.
to
for managing
Our Strategists are responsible
performance-based fee accounts and accounts that
are charged another type of fee. There are potential
face by managing
conflicts of
performance-based accounts at the same time as
managing asset based, non-performance based
accounts. For example, the nature of a performance
fee poses an opportunity for us to earn more
compensation than under a stand-alone asset-based
fee. Consequently, we may favor performance fee
accounts over those accounts where we receive only
an asset-based fee. One way we may favor
performance fee accounts is that we could devote
more time and attention to performance fee
accounts than to accounts under an asset-based fee
arrangement. Additionally, performance-based fees
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies
and Risk of Loss
In addition to the information below, see the
response
Item 4 – Services, Fees and
Compensation of this Brochure for the methods of
analysis, investment strategies, and risk involved in
each of the services offered by us. Investing in
securities involves risk of loss that Clients should be
prepared to bear.
27 of 53
Our Methods of Analysis and Their Risks
We may use one or more of the following methods
of analysis or investment strategies when providing
our services described in this Brochure:
Risk: The risk of Quantitative Analysis arises from
inaccurate assumptions or poor-quality data, leading
to unreliable predictions. Additionally, overfitting
occurs when models are too closely tailored to
historical data, reducing their effectiveness for
future predictions. Market changes can render
models based on past data obsolete, as they may not
account for sudden or unprecedented events
information
Charting Analysis
Gathering and processing of price and volume
pattern information for a particular security, sector,
broad index or commodity. This price and volume
pattern
is analyzed. The resulting
pattern and correlation data is used to detect
from expected performance and
departures
diversification and predict future price movements
and trends.
Fundamental Analysis
Analyzing individual companies and their industry
groups, such as a company's financial statements,
details regarding the company's product line, the
experience and expertise of
the company's
management, and the outlook for the company and
its industry. The resulting data is used to measure the
true value of the company's stock compared to the
current market value.
Risk: Our charting analysis may not accurately detect
anomalies or predict future price movements.
Current prices of securities may
reflect all
information known about the security and day-to-
day changes in market prices of securities may follow
random patterns and may not be predictable with
any reliable degree of accuracy.
trends
is that
Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis
information obtained may be incorrect and the
analysis may not provide an accurate estimate of
earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's value.
If securities prices adjust rapidly to new information,
utilizing fundamental analysis may not result in
favorable performance.
Technical Analysis
Studying past price patterns,
and
interrelationships in the financial markets to assess
risk-adjusted performance and predict the direction
of both the overall market and specific securities.
price
patterns
and
Cyclical Analysis
A type of technical analysis that involves evaluating
recurring
trends.
Economic/business cycles may not be predictable
and may have many fluctuations between long-term
expansions and contractions.
is the difficulty
Risk: The risk of market timing based on technical
analysis is that our analysis may not accurately
detect anomalies or predict future price movements.
Current prices of securities may
reflect all
information known about the security and day-to-
day changes in market prices of securities may follow
random patterns and may not be predictable with
any reliable degree of accuracy.
Risk: The lengths of economic cycles may be difficult
to predict with accuracy and therefore the risk of
cyclical analysis
in predicting
economic trends and consequently the changing
value of securities that would be affected by these
changing trends.
Modern Portfolio Theory
A theory of investment which attempts to maximize
portfolio expected return for a given amount of
portfolio risk, or equivalently minimize risk for a
Quantitative Analysis
Using mathematical models, statistical techniques,
and computational algorithms to analyze financial
data. It involves examining data to identify patterns,
trends, and correlations, building models to assess
and mitigate risks, and selecting a mix of assets for
portfolio management.
28 of 53
level of expected return, by carefully
given
diversifying the proportions of various assets.
and sell them immediately, hoping to buy them later
at a lower price. Thus, a short seller hopes that the
price of a stock will go down in the near future. A
short seller thus uses declines in the market to his
advantage. The short seller makes money when the
stock prices fall and loses when prices go up. The SEC
has strict regulations in place regarding short selling.
Risk: Market risk is that part of a security's risk that
is common to all securities of the same general class
(stocks and bonds) and thus cannot be eliminated by
diversification.
Long-Term Purchases
Securities purchased with the expectation that the
value of those securities will grow over a relatively
long period of time, generally greater than one year.
Risk: Short selling is very risky. Investors should
exercise extreme caution before short selling is
implemented. A short seller will profit if the stock
goes down in price, but if the price of the shares
increase, the potential losses are unlimited because
the stock can keep rising forever. There is no ceiling
on how much a short seller can lose in a trade. The
share price may keep going up and the short seller
will have to pay whatever the prevailing stock price
is to buy back the shares. However, gains have a
ceiling level because the stock price cannot fall below
zero.
Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally
assumes the financial markets will go up in the long-
term which may not be the case. There is also the risk
that the segment of the market that you are invested
in or perhaps just your particular investment will go
down over time even if the overall financial markets
advance. Purchasing investments long-term may
create an opportunity cost - "locking-up" assets that
may be better utilized in the short-term in other
investments.
short
investment and make
Short-Term Purchases
Securities purchased with the expectation that they
will be sold within a relatively short period of time,
generally less than one year, to take advantage of the
securities' short-term price fluctuations.
Risk: A short seller has to undertake to pay the
earnings on the borrowed securities as long as the
short seller chooses to keep the short position open.
If the company declares huge dividends or issues
bonus shares, the short seller will have to pay that
amount to the lender. Any such occurrence can skew
the entire
it
unprofitable. The broker can use the funds in the
short seller's margin account to buy back the loaned
shares or issue a "call away" to get the short seller to
return the borrowed securities. If the broker makes
this call when the stock price is much higher than the
price at the time of the short sale, then the investor
can end up taking huge losses.
Risk: Using a short-term purchase strategy generally
assumes that we can predict how financial markets
will perform in the short-term which may be very
difficult and will incur a disproportionately higher
amount of transaction costs compared to long-term
trading. There are many factors that can affect
financial market performance in the short-term
(such as short-term interest rate changes, cyclical
earnings announcements, etc.) but may have a
smaller impact over longer periods of times.
Risk: Margin interest can be a significant expense.
Since short sales can only be undertaken in margin
accounts, the interest payable on short trades can be
substantial, especially if short positions are kept
open over an extended period.
Risk: Shares that are difficult to borrow – because of
high short interest, limited float, or any other reason
– have “hard-to-borrow” fees. These fees are based
on an annualized rate that can range from a small
Short Sales
Unlike a straightforward investment in stocks where
you buy shares with the expectation that their price
will increase so you can sell at a profit, in a "short
sale" you borrow stocks from your brokerage firm
29 of 53
fraction of a percent to more than 100% of the value
of the short trade. The hard-to-borrow rate can
fluctuate substantially on a daily basis; therefore, the
exact dollar amount of the fee may not be known in
advance, and may be substantial.
determine that it is suitable given your stated
investment objectives and tolerance for risk. This
may include buying and selling securities frequently
in an effort to capture significant market gains and
avoid significant losses.
Margin Transactions
A securities transaction in which an investor borrows
money to purchase a security, in which case the
security serves as collateral on the loan.
Risk: When a frequent trading policy is in effect,
there is a risk that investment performance within
your account may be negatively affected, particularly
through increased brokerage and other transactional
costs and taxes.
Risk: If the value of the shares drops sufficiently, the
investor will be required to either deposit more cash
into the account or sell a portion of the stock in order
to maintain the margin requirements of the account.
This is known as a "margin call." An investor's overall
risk includes the amount of money invested plus the
amount that was loaned to them.
the
strategies
relative
Investment Strategy Due Diligence
We utilize a combination of qualitative and
quantitative factors to
identify, evaluate, and
monitor the strategies made available on our
Platforms. The quantitative analysis focuses on the
performance of
to
benchmarks and peers, portfolio, risk metrics, and
both the short-term and long-term track records of
the strategies managed by each investment manager
(including Strategists and SMA Managers, each, an
“Investment Manager”). Our qualitative analysis
reviews the breadth and depth of resources of
operations of the Investment Manager, including
organizational history, investment team experience,
investment
firm size and ownership structure,
philosophy and process, client servicing capabilities,
relationship with us, and other characteristics.
Option Writing
A securities transaction that involves selling an
option. An option is a contract that gives the buyer
the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a
particular security at a specified price on or before
the expiration date of the option. When an investor
sells a call option, he or she must deliver to the buyer
a specified number of shares if the buyer exercises
the option. When an investor sells a put option, he
or she must pay the strike price per share if the buyer
exercises the option, and will receive the specified
number of shares. The option writer/seller receives
a premium (the market price of the option at a
particular time) in exchange for writing the option.
Risk: Options are complex investments and can be
very risky, especially if the investor does not own the
underlying stock. In certain situations, an investor's
risk can be unlimited.
trading
Trading
We may use frequent trading (in general, selling
securities within 30 days of purchasing the same
securities) as an investment strategy when managing
your account(s). Frequent
is not a
fundamental part of our overall investment strategy,
but we may use this strategy occasionally when we
Our Investment Due Diligence Committee oversees
the Investment Manager due diligence, selection and
monitoring processes. The Investment Due Diligence
Committee reviews manager performance and
addresses potential concerns, collaborates on new
manager searches, and discusses recommended
manager terminations. New investment strategies,
including, but not limited to, separate accounts and
funds managed by unaffiliated Strategists, include
but are not limited to performance and style
analysis, risk analysis, information obtained through
onsite due diligence meetings with the appropriate
executive and investment personnel, and a review of
the manager’s investment strategy due diligence
Investment Due
questionnaire responses. The
their professional
Diligence Committee uses
30 of 53
factors
into
consideration
judgment and investment experience while taking
these
when
recommending any investment action such as the
addition of a new strategy to the platform and/or
manager terminations.
Orion Investment Portal
All of the Strategists and Strategist Models available
on our OPS Platform are available to the investment
advisory firms and their representatives that are
the portfolio accounting and other
utilizing
technology tools offered through our affiliate, Orion
Tech.
To monitor Investment Managers and manage the
strategies on the platform, we utilize various third-
party analytical software. Also, we use a proprietary
risk scoring methodology. This tool assists Advisors
in developing and selecting Investment Manager
strategies by assigning a risk score to each strategy
on our Platforms. The tool helps Investment Advisors
with portfolio construction and asset allocation.
As a Client’s Investment Advisor determines the
investment strategy to utilize based on the Client’s
investment needs, Clients should consult their
Advisor’s Form ADV Part 2A for a full description of
their investment analysis to determine how the
strategy selected best suits the Clients investment
needs and risk tolerance.
We make additional Strategists and Strategist
Models available for use by these unaffiliated
investment advisors through our Orion Investment
Portal. Our Due Diligence team conducts a less
thorough review of the Strategist Models available
only through the Orion Investment Portal. This
limited due diligence consists of a quantitative
if applicable, the
review of the Strategy and,
Strategist, which includes, but is not limited to
historical risk and return performance against peers
and benchmarks, assets under management for the
Strategy and Strategist, length of performance track
record, and other factors. If the due diligence team
has no concerns, the Strategy is added to the Orion
Investment Portal. Such Strategist Models are not
subject to review by our Due Diligence Committee.
are
responsible
The
Investment Managers are not provided
individual information about the Client or their
investment goals and objectives and do not have an
advisory relationship with the Client. Any questions
regarding the management of the
investment
strategies or the Client’s Account should be directed
to the Client’s Investment Advisor.
Investment Advisors
in
instructions.
style, geography,
To assist
identifying
Strategies and understanding our ongoing views on
the Strategists and Strategies, we make available a
“Select List” and a “Watch List.” The Select List
contains Strategies OPS Global which exceed certain
thresholds relating to both quantitative metrics and
qualitative assessments and are viewed as high
conviction by our Due Diligence team. The “Watch
List” contains Strategies identified by our Due
Diligence team as having attributes that warrant
concern but have not yet been determined as
Strategies that should be removed from our
Platform. The Select List and Watch List are each
updated on a semi-annual basis.
Individual Securities
We do not review investment decisions regarding
individual securities made by unaffiliated Investment
Managers. While we
for
implementing an Investment Manager’s instructions
with respect to Client accounts invested in a model,
we do not review or make any
independent
determination with respect to the merits of such
Investment decisions
investment
relating to fund shares for strategies managed
directly by us are made by our investment team. The
selection process can generally be defined as eclectic
in nature, with no specific constraints based on size,
liquidity,
sector or other
predetermined criteria. Our investment team may
consider a broad array of factors in determining the
purchase or sale of a security, including but not
limited to, the upside potential, downside risk,
valuation metrics, technical outlook, future catalyst
and/or other
event, diversification benefit
information.
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Custom Indexing
We make available certain Custom Indexing and tax
managed strategies, which replicate broad market
indices or strategist models through the direct
purchase of individual securities. These strategies
seek to replicate the risk/return profile of the index
or strategy being targeted and can create tax alpha
by harvesting tax losses to offset taxes on capital
gains as well as provide comprehensive tax
transitions.
Discretionary Programs
As mentioned above, in addition to third-party
Investment Manager strategies, we make available
certain strategies that are managed internally. The
platform provides portfolios managed by our
portfolio management team using mutual funds,
ETFs, stocks, and other exchange-traded products.
Our investment due diligence team and Investment
Due Diligence Committee do not review our
proprietary strategies.
in
Investment Analysis for Solicitor Clients
The following information relates to the Method of
Analysis and
investment strategies for Clients
introduced to us under a solicitor arrangement, as
Item 4 – Services, Fees and
described
Compensation of this Brochure.
that accounts
for
in
losses,
Indexing Equity Long/Short
The Orion Custom
Strategy described in Item 4 utilizes a customized
long/short overlay and seeks to provide pre-tax and
after-tax excess returns through active stock
selection and tax-loss harvesting while maintaining
the investment characteristics of the Client’s desired
market exposure. Because the strategy may use both
long and short positions, it involves additional risks
beyond traditional long-only equity strategies or
other Orion Custom Indexing strategies, including
market risk, idiosyncratic or company-specific risk,
short-sale risk, borrow and short squeeze risk,
leverage risk, and borrow rate risk. These risks may
result
increased costs, unexpected
portfolio outcomes, or the need to purchase
securities in the open market at prices significantly
above the proceeds received from a short sale.
Investment Strategy Development
Critical to the success of any investment plan is a
well-defined strategy
risk
tolerance, risk capacity, risk composure, time
horizons, rate of return targets, and liquidity needs.
We use an investment strategy questionnaire (also
called a Risk Tolerance Questionnaire or Risk
Tolerance Assessment) to assist in developing a
recommended or suggested investment strategy for
each Client.
harvesting
or
other
to analyze
Investment Strategy Questionnaire
BCI Clients introduced to us through a solicitor
Investment Advisor will complete an investment
strategy questionnaire developed by us or a third-
party advisor which identifies the Client objectives,
assets, risk tolerance, risk capacity, risk composure,
personal situation, and investment experience. We
utilize our proprietary computerized software
investment strategy
the
program
questionnaire to ensure the selected strategy or
strategies are suitable for the Client. Our investment
team is responsible for maintaining the logic, which
investment strategy
the
includes maintaining
questionnaire.
The Orion Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short
Strategy may involve additional tax considerations,
and any expected tax benefits, including from tax-
loss
tax-management
techniques, are not guaranteed and may not be
suitable for every Client. Neither we nor any Sub-
Advisor we may engage to implement the Orion
Custom
Indexing Equity Long/Short Strategy
provides tax advice; Clients should consult their own
qualified tax advisors, and each Client’s Investment
Advisor is responsible for considering the Client’s
objectives,
tax circumstances,
risk
tolerance,
financial situation, and other
liquidity needs,
relevant factors when determining whether the
strategy is suitable and in the Client’s best interest.
When creating an investment strategy profile for a
client in our Wealth Advisory Program introduced to
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us by a solicitor Investment Advisor, we consider
various factors, including, but not limited to, Client
risk tolerance, risk capacity, risk composure,
investment time horizon,
liquidity needs, tax
bracket, and account type. We also consider a
Client’s level of investable assets and desired level of
investment discretion in recommending programs.
and/or
investment
compensation
Investment
For solicitor Clients, once we have created an
investment strategy profile, the solicitor creates an
asset allocation that aligns Client objectives with
investment strategies using investment disciplines
that are suitable for achieving the Client’s stated
goals, which we then review. For discretionary
portfolios, each program will be managed within the
stated ranges for each major asset class. With
respect to any investment recommendation, neither
we nor
the Asset Allocation Committee or
Investment Committee members favor one Client or
group of Clients at the expense of other Clients.
Conflicts of Interest
From time to time, our investment team, Investment
Committee, and/or the Investment Due Diligence
Committee members may have a conflict of interest
investment recommendation,
when making an
including any benefits we or such individuals receives
from a third party. When a particular investment
recommendation creates a conflict of interest, the
investment team member, Investment Committee
member,
Investment Due Diligence
Committee member will (i) ensure the nature and
extent of his or her interest is fully disclosed prior to
the transaction, including disclosure of any direct or
the
indirect
team
member,
Committee member,
Investment Due Diligence Committee member,
and/or we receive in connection with the transaction
and (ii) make the recommendation only if he or she
has a reasonable belief that the transaction is in the
Client’s best interest.
Our parent company, Orion Advisor Solutions, Inc.
(“Orion”) maintains a Conflicts Committee charged
with identifying and addressing conflicts of interest
that exist in our business and the business of our
affiliates. The Conflicts Committee is chaired by our
Chief Compliance Officer.
Risk Budgeting
We also utilize Risk Budgeting for certain investment
strategies. Risk Budgeting is the spending allowance
with regard to risk that we allow for a Client’s
portfolio. The risk associated with each investment is
carefully considered before it is added to a Client’s
portfolio. Under Risk Budgeting, Clients are assigned
a Risk Budget and each security is assigned a risk
value primarily based on volatility. The Risk Budget is
expressed as a percentage of the risk relative to a
diversified equity portfolio benchmark. For example,
a Risk Budget of 100 would represent a portfolio with
a risk similar to 100% of the risk of a diversified
equity portfolio and a portfolio with a Risk Budget of
60 would represent a portfolio with a risk similar to
60% of the risk of a diversified equity portfolio.
Within the constraints of the Risk Budget that Clients
select, we actively seek to identify attractive market
opportunities. Our Risk Budgeting Methodology is
flexible enough to be applied to a broad variety of
levels, from aggressive to
Client risk comfort
conservative.
Under our current fee schedules, the amount of fees
we receive does not change based upon the
allocation of assets in a Client’s account among
Strategists and/or
funds, which we believe
eliminates any incentive or conflict with respect to
the allocation of assets in a Client’s account. We
utilize only our Destinations Funds
in our
Destinations Funds models, for which we serve as
the advisor and receive an advisory fee from the
Destinations Funds. This creates a potential conflict
of interest, which we seek to mitigate by excluding
the Destinations Funds when calculating the Brinker
Fee Component and Administration Fees, as
applicable, for accounts in the Destinations models.
See also Item 9 – Additional Information of this
Brochure.
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are not insured or guaranteed by an agency of the
U.S. government. Bond funds, unlike purchasing a
bond directly, will not re-pay the principal at a set
point in time.
in
Risks
Performance could be impacted by a number of
different market risks including but not limited to:
Loss of Capital
All of our programs are subject to general market
risk. Any investment in the securities is subject to risk
of loss of capital. The value of the portfolio will
fluctuate based upon changes in value of the
underlying securities. Investments are not insured by
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
in Item 4 – Services, Fees and
As discussed
Compensation of this Brochure, we may retain a
portion of the Strategist Fee / Strategy Fee
Component of a strategy, or otherwise receive
compensation from a Strategist. In addition, as
discussed
Information,
Item 9 – Additional
Strategists may provide support payments for
marketing and / or events created by or hosted by us
and our affiliates. This creates a conflict of interest
when determining to include a Strategist or Strategy
on the “Select List” or “Watch List” discussed above.
We mitigate this conflict by ensuring the criteria
used to add or remove a Strategy to the Select List”
or “Watch List” is based solely on the investment due
diligence team’s independent assessment of the
Strategy. Compensation we receive from Strategists,
either directly or indirectly, is not taken into account
by our investment due diligence team when adding
or removing Strategies from the “Select List” and
“Watch List.”
Interest Rate Risk
Portfolios may change in response to the movement
of interest rates. The price of a fixed income security
will generally fall when interest rates rise, and vice
versa.
Risk of Loss
The description contained herein is an overview of
the risks entailed in the various advisory programs
we offer and is not intended to be complete. All
investing involves a risk of loss, our programs could
lose money over short or long periods.
Manager Risk
Performance may deviate from overall market
returns if we or any unaffiliated Strategist is either
more defensive or more aggressive when the market
is rising or falling, respectively.
in securities
Credit Risk
The value of a Client’s investment in the portfolio
may change in response to changes in the credit
ratings of the portfolio’s securities. Generally,
investment risk and price volatility increase as a
security’s credit rating declines.
Investing
inherently risky. An
is
investment in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds,
or stocks could lose money. We and the Strategists
cannot give any guarantee that they will achieve
their investment objectives or that Clients will
receive a return on or return of their investment.
Although money market funds are considered low
risk, they are affected by other types of risk, mainly
interest-rate risk and inflation risk. The underlying
value of the instruments within the money market
fund may change depending on the direction of
interest rates.
No Guarantee
The value of a Client investment could decline and be
worth less than the principal initially invested. And
while a money market fund seeks a stable share
price, its yield fluctuates. In addition, mutual funds
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives, such as options, futures and swaps, can
be volatile, and a small investment in a derivative can
have a large impact on the performance of the
portfolio. Other risks of investments in derivatives
include imperfect correlation between the value of
these instruments and the underlying assets; risks of
default by the other party to the derivative
transactions; risks that the transactions may result in
losses that partially or completely offset gains in
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portfolio positions; and risks that the derivative
transactions may not be liquid.
The level of exposure to any of the foregoing risks
will depend on the extent to which BCI or any third-
party or fund manager invests in specific securities or
utilizes specific investment strategies that pose such
risks.
Foreign Risk
Foreign investments are subject to the same risks as
domestic investments and additional risks, including
international trade, currency, political, regulatory
and diplomatic risks, which may affect their value.
Also, foreign securities are subject to the risk that
their market price may not reflect the issuer’s
condition because there is not sufficient publicly
available information about the issuer.
that Clients are considering
Alternative Investments
Alternative investments, such as Private Equity
Funds, non-traded Real Estate Investment Funds,
Hedge Funds, and
typically any security or
investment that is not traded and priced on a daily
basis, are speculative and involve substantial risks. It
is possible that investors may lose some or all of their
investment. Please review the offering documents
for the risks associated with each alternative
for
investment
investment.
Leverage Risk
Certain transactions, such as reverse repurchase
agreements, dollar rolls, loans of portfolio securities,
and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or
forward commitment transactions, may give rise to
leverage, causing a portfolio to be more volatile than
if it had not been leveraged.
Alternative Investment Mutual Funds
Alternative investment mutual funds are speculative
and involve substantial risks. It is possible that
investors may lose some or all of their investment.
Please review the mutual fund prospectus for the
risks associated with each alternative mutual fund
that Clients are considering for investment in a
Strategist Model.
Liquidity Risk
Certain securities eligible for investment by the
portfolio may be deemed to be illiquid under
applicable law. During periods of market turbulence
or unusually low trading activity, in order to meet
redemptions, it may be necessary for the portfolio to
sell such securities at prices that could impact
portfolio value.
legal,
regulatory,
these
and
risk management
Execution Delay Risk
In our Retirement Plan Services program, we provide
instructions regarding mutual funds and ETFs
included in the asset allocation models for the RPS
program and the weightings thereof. Changes to
those models result in the purchase and sale of
mutual funds and ETFs for participant accounts.
is responsible for
However, the recordkeeper
implementing mutual fund and ETF sales and
purchases and there may be a delay in the execution
of BCI’s instructions by the Recordkeeper and/or the
custodian. Any such delay could be significant and
could adversely affect the investment performance
of the participant’s account.
Artificial Intelligence Risk
We, our affiliates, third-party vendors, or other
counterparties may use artificial intelligence (“AI”)
technology in connection with certain business
processes, services, technology tools, or products. AI
models and related technologies are developing
rapidly and may, in some circumstances, produce
inaccurate,
incomplete, or unintended outputs;
reflect limitations or biases in underlying data; raise
intellectual property considerations; or present
reputational,
operational,
cybersecurity, or other risks, including risks related
to third-party AI tools and evolving AI
laws,
regulations, guidance, or industry practices. We seek
through governance,
risks
to manage
oversight,
practices
reasonably designed for the nature and scope of the
AI technology used, which may include review of AI
tools, vendor oversight, information security and
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privacy safeguards, employee guidance, monitoring
of AI-related outputs, and limiting or discontinuing
use where appropriate.
In the Destinations program, proxy ballots are sent
directly to Clients. However, if Clients indicate on the
custodial account application form (in the manner
required by the custodian) that we are to vote
proxies on their behalf, their account is included in a
rolled-up ballot which is voted by us in accordance
with recommendations from a Proxy Voter.
to appoint
Our Investment Committee has the responsibility to
monitor proxy voting decisions for any conflicts of
interests, regardless of whether they are actual or
perceived. If at any time any supervised person
becomes aware of any potential, actual, or perceived
conflict of interest, the supervised person is required
to contact the Chair of the Investment Committee or
the Chief Compliance Officer immediately and prior
to the vote being cast, if possible.
The Investment Committee may cause any of the
following actions to be taken in that regard:
• Vote the proxy in accordance with the vote
indicated by the Guidelines;
Summary Of Proxy Voting
We vote proxies for certain Client accounts. Please
refer to the Terms of Use for details regarding proxy
authority. If Clients grant us proxy voting authority,
Clients authorize us
the various
Strategists who have trading authority, to vote
proxies for securities held in their account with such
manager. We will vote proxies in accordance with
the instructions of the Strategist(s) for securities held
in the Client's account with the manager, provided
that the instructions are timely received by us. If the
Strategist’s instructions are not timely received, we
shall vote the proxies for these securities, as well as
proxies for any other securities held in a Clients
account, in accordance with the recommendations
provided by an independent proxy voting advisory
service (a “Proxy Voter”). For Strategists that provide
a model to us in which we have trading authority, we
shall vote the proxies of the securities in accordance
with the recommendations provided by a Proxy
Voter.
• Vote the relevant proxy contrary to the vote
that would be indicated by the Guidelines,
provided that the reasons behind the voting
decision are in the best interest of the Client,
are
reasonably documented, and are
approved by the Chief Compliance Officer;
or
• Direct the Proxy Voter to vote in accordance
with its independent assessment of the
matter.
If any potential conflict is either determined not to
exist, or is resolved, the relevant Strategist will
determine the appropriate vote. The Strategist will
retain all documents prepared by him/her (or at
his/her direction) that were material to making a
decision on how to vote or that memorializes the
basis for the decision.
We retain the right to vote proxies for mutual fund
shares and ETF shares. Generally, we vote such
proxies
in accordance with recommendations
provided by a Proxy Voter. However, we retain the
right to vote the proxies without a recommendation
from a Proxy Voter if a Clients accounts own in the
aggregate one percent (1%) or more of the
outstanding shares of the issuer as of the record
date, provided that all such decisions are made in
accordance with our Proxy Voting Policy and
Procedures (the "Voting Policy"). In the event we are
voting such proxies without a recommendation from
a Proxy Voter, the guiding principle by which we vote
on all matters submitted to security holders is the
maximization of the ultimate economic value of our
Clients’ holdings (the "Guidelines"). For accounts
subject to ERISA and other covered person benefit
plans, the focus on the realization of economic value
is solely for the benefit of plan participants and their
beneficiaries.
We and all Strategists retained by us have adopted
and implemented written policies and procedures.
We will provide these policies and procedures to
each Client using their investment management
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services in compliance with current regulations. A
copy of our Voting Policy is available, upon request,
by contacting us at 859-426-2000.
each Strategist with respect to their account upon
receipt of a written request. Clients may obtain
details of how we voted the securities in their
account by contacting our Client Services at us at
859-426-2000. The Proxy Voter posts information
regarding that vote on its secure website.
Absent any legal or regulatory requirement to the
contrary, it is generally our policy to maintain the
confidentiality of the particular votes that we cast on
behalf of our Clients; however, we will obtain and
make available to each Client the voting record of
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Item 7 – Client Information Provided to Portfolio Managers
Investment Advisor’s
or
implementing
any
the position weightings
thereof, which are
implemented by us, subject to any reasonable
investment restrictions or limitations imposed by the
Client and communicated to us in writing. We are
responsible for implementing the model manager’s
instructions with respect to Client accounts invested
in the model. However, we do not review or make
any independent determination with respect to the
merits of the manager’s investment instructions. The
discretionary authority of each Strategist providing a
model is limited to making decisions with respect to
the specific securities and portfolio weightings of
in the manager’s model
such securities held
portfolio. The model manager is not responsible for
determining the suitability of the model for any
Client
Client-specific
restrictions or limitations.
Client’s Investment Advisor has agreed to make
periodic contact with the Client, in a manner
consistent with
fiduciary
obligations and applicable law. Together, Clients and
their Investment Advisor determine whether a
change in Client objectives warrants a change in the
criteria used to manage Client assets. We also make
quarterly performance evaluations available to
Clients that describe their current personal and
investment information. We use this information as
the primary reference for managing Client accounts.
If any
information has changed, Clients are
instructed to promptly advise us of any changes. If
the information is current, no further action is
required. Clients also have access to their account
information at all times via our web site where
investment objectives,
Clients can view their
investment policy statement and other important
information regarding the management of a Client’s
account.
We do not provide any Client specific information to
Strategists that provide us a model portfolio.
(rather
Strategists with our Strategist Program on our OPS
Platform remain responsible for managing the
Strategist Models They are not provided Client’s
individual information or investment goals and
objectives, and do not have a direct relationship with
the Client.
through
For Clients introduced to us through a solicitor, we
construct an asset and portfolio allocation that
reflects any specific information pertaining to the
Client’s account including investment guidelines that
have been determined
the Client’s
investment strategy questionnaire, and any explicit
instructions, and will communicate such information
to the Strategist as necessary in connection with the
management of the Client’s account.
in
Individualized Account Management
When an account is first opened with a Strategist
who is providing direct management of a Client’s
account
than providing management
through a model, as described in the previous
paragraph), we provide the Strategist with Client
information and investment objectives, restrictions,
dollar amounts, and whether Clients are subject to
alternative minimum tax, if applicable. This may be
provided when Clients first select the Strategist at
the time the account is opened or when a new
Strategist is added to an allocation as part of a
Strategist rebalance or substitution. We also provide
Client information to these Strategists when Clients
inform us of a material change to their account, such
as a name change, a change
investment
objectives, or a change to the restrictions associated
with the Client’s account. Portfolio managers can
also request updated information from time to time
in connection with an account.
the manager’s
instructions
communicated
to Strategists
Model Managers
Portfolio managers may provide management of a
Client’s account by maintaining with us a model that
contains
or
recommendations as to the securities to be
purchased, held, or sold for the Client's account and
is
Information
generally name, address, social security number,
38 of 53
dollar amount, restrictions, investment objectives,
whether subject to alternative minimum tax, and
whether there are any systematic investments or
distributions on an account. Such Strategists may
request a copy of the Client investment advisory
agreement.
39 of 53
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Item 8 – Client Contact with Portfolio Managers
managers on various subjects ranging from changing
market conditions to particular stock selections in
the Client’s portfolio are generally available.
Any questions regarding the management of the
Strategist Models or our portfolio or account should
be directed to the Client’s Investment Advisor, or our
Customer Service Representatives at 859-426-2000.
Certain Strategists that have been approved for use
in the programs are directly accessible to Clients
through the coordination of their Investment Advisor
and our home office. Conference calls with these
41 of 53
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Item 9 – Additional Information
Disciplinary Information
dealer, or Clients in the MMLIS Brinker co-advisory
program for whom MMLIS serves as the introducing
broker-dealer. BCS receives no commissions
in
connection with securities transactions in wrap fee
accounts for which it acts as introducing broker.
Neither we nor any of our employees have been
involved in any legal or disciplinary events in the past
10 years that would be material to a Client’s
evaluation of us or our personnel.
Industry Activities and
Other Financial
Affiliations
Other Registrations
Neither we nor any of our management persons are
registered or have applications pending to register,
as a futures commission merchant, commodity pool
operator, a commodity trading advisor or an
associated person of the foregoing entities.
As discussed above, we are a subsidiary of Orion
Advisor Solutions, Inc (“Orion”). The following direct
and indirect subsidiaries of Orion are affiliates of
OPS:
• Advizr, Inc dba Orion Planning
• BasisCode Compliance LLC dba Orion
Compliance
• Orion Advisor Technology, LLC
(“Orion
Other Affiliates and Affiliations
We use the products and services of our affiliates to
assist us in providing the advisory services to Clients.
In addition, the Client’s Investment Advisor may use
the services of our affiliates. Below is a list of these
affiliates and their activities.
Tech”)
• Constellation Trust Company (“CTC”)
• Destinations Funds Trust
• Brinker Capital Securities, LLC (“BCS”)
• GxWorks, LLC dba Orion Risk Intelligence
(formerly HiddenLevers)
• Redtail Technology, Inc.
• Summit Wealth Systems, Inc.
• Townsquare Capital LLC (“TownSquare”).
Our executive officers also serve as officers and
directors of the other Orion affiliates.
Orion Advisor Technology, LLC (“Orion Tech”),
Orion Planning, and Orion Risk Intelligence
We utilize the back-office system provided by Orion
Tech for trade processing, account management,
and performance reporting for certain Programs. We
also make available to Clients and their financial
advisor planning tools from Orion Planning and risk
analytics tools from Orion Risk Intelligence. We
believe that the utilization of Orion Tech, Orion
Planning, and Orion Risk Intelligence do not create a
conflict of interest.
a
Destinations Funds
We are the investment advisor for the Destinations
Mutual Funds and we receive an investment advisory
fee for this service, which presents a potential
conflict of interest. The Destinations Mutual Funds
are included in the Destinations strategies offered
through our Strategist Program and Communities
such
platform. Additional
information about
Broker-Dealer Registrations
Brinker Capital Securities, LLC (“BCS”) is a registered
broker-dealer and is our affiliate. BCS acts as
introducing broker-dealer under
clearing
agreement with National Financial Services, LLC
(“NFS”) for all accounts in our programs offered
under the BCI name that are custodied at NFS,
excluding those accounts introduced by Fidelity
Brokerage Services, LLC, an NFS affiliated broker-
43 of 53
potential conflict of interest can be found in the
Material Conflicts of Interest section below.
the ability to enhance their current investment
program or utilize models provided by institutional
portfolio strategists. TownSquare markets this
program under the name Orion OCIO, which stands
for Outsourced Chief Investment Officer. We have a
sub-advisory agreement in place with TownSquare
to manage some products available on our platform.
Due to the fact that TownSquare is an affiliate, we
have an incentive to utilize TownSquare as a sub-
advisor.
Orion Compliance
Orion Compliance is a compliance management
system owned and sold by our parent company. The
cloud-based software platform provides core
compliance functions
including management of
policies and procedures, employee trade monitoring,
testing, and certifications. We utilize Orion
Compliance as a technology solution for our
compliance program.
Material Conflicts of Interest
Our parent company, Orion, maintains a Conflicts
Committee charged with identifying and addressing
materials conflicts of interest that exist in our
business and the business of our affiliates. The
Conflicts Committee
is chaired by our Chief
Compliance Officer and includes senior employees
across the technology and wealth management
offerings of Orion.
Constellation Trust Company ("CTC")
CTC is a Nebraska chartered trust company and is our
subsidiary. Some of our executive officers also serve
as officers and directors of CTC. CTC's custodial
services facilitate certain BCI Clients who desire a
third-party investment advisor such as us to manage
their account(s). We and our affiliates may
recommend CTC, among other custodians, to our
Clients. CTC has established electronic interfaces and
capabilities necessary to maintain and aggregate
custodial records and reporting for Clients invested
investment platforms. We have
across various
entered into an arrangement with CTC to waive the
annual custodial fee for BCI Clients. All other
custodial fees and charges of CTC are set forth in the
CTC custodial agreement. Trades for BCI Client
accounts custodied at CTC are effected via the
National Securities Clearing Corporation through
arrangements with third parties, including Matrix
Settlement and Clearance Services, LLC ("Matrix")
and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. The Destinations
Funds (for which we serve as investment advisor)
and other mutual funds held by BCI Clients with
assets custodied at CTC pay shareholder servicing or
sub-transfer agent fees to CTC for distribution
and/or shareholder servicing related assistance
associated with making a Client's investments in such
funds. Our policies and practices with respect to
selecting share classes for accounts invested in
programs that are held at CTC or any other
custodian, are described in Item 4 – Services, Fees
and Compensation of this Brochure.
CTC receives 12b-1 fees from mutual funds held in
some Client accounts.
Mutual Fund Transaction Fees
In the Core Asset Manager, Destinations ETFh, and
Wealth Advisory programs, we have the choice of
using either non-transaction fee (“NTF”) funds or
transaction fee funds. While transaction fee funds
generally have a lower expense ratio to the Client
than an NTF fund, the clearing and custody costs paid
by us are higher for transaction fee funds than for
NTF funds. For Clients with fee schedules in effect
prior to April 1, 2017, this may create a conflict by
giving us the incentive to select NTF funds in order to
reduce the clearing and custody fees for Client
TownSquare Capital, LLC
TownSquare is an investment advisor registered with
fee-based
the SEC. TownSquare provides a
investment platform that allows investment advisors
44 of 53
accounts, instead of selecting transaction fee funds
that may have a lower expense ratio to the Client. In
order to address this potential conflict, we pay the
custodian an asset-based fee for clearing and
custody, which we took
into account when
establishing
its prior fee schedule(s) for these
programs.
that
the
in “qualifying factors”
for
the portion of
through
the
Destinations Funds
We
in the Destinations Funds
invest accounts
program in Destinations Funds, for which we serve
as the investment advisor. As investment advisor to
the Destinations Funds we receive an advisory fee.
We do not employ the same due diligence
procedures that we apply to other fund managers
and Strategists in evaluating the Destinations Funds.
However, our decisions with respect to the selection,
allocation of assets, and termination of a sub-
advisors of the Destinations Funds are subject to the
oversight and approval of the Board of Trustees of
the Destinations Funds (a majority of which are
unaffiliated with us). In addition, we do not assess
the Brinker Fee Component or Administrative Fee, as
applicable,
the Client’s
Destinations portfolio invested in the Destinations
Funds.
Investment Advisors
Elite Advisor Network
We offer an Elite Advisor Network program (the
“EAN Program”) in which qualifying Investment
Advisor firms or their individual representatives that
utilize OPS. Participants in the EAN Program receive
non-cash benefits from us designed to help better
serve their clients and enhance their business
practices. These non-cash benefits are generally
based on two factors: 1) the amount of client assets
under management
qualifying
representative recommends be managed by or
through us and 2) participation by the qualifying
representative
including
attending marketing events hosted or sponsored by
us. Benefits that qualifying representatives receive
through the EAN Program vary by tier, but may
include, but are not limited to: enhanced training for
the representative and his or her staff, access to our
staff, enhanced client application processing and
handling, business transition services, marketing
support,
increased discounts on value-added
technology services, expense reimbursement for
travel to and attendance at events we approve, and
access to other functions we sponsor and approve.
Even though qualifying representatives do not
receive additional cash compensation directly from
EAN Program, qualifying
us
representatives may have an incentive to refer
Clients to invest with us so that they may qualify or
requalify for the EAN Program. This creates a conflict
for the representatives when recommending our
services to Clients. Clients should ask their financial
adviser about the benefits he or she receives from
the EAN Program.
in the program
and
Technology,
Financial Professional Seminars
We organize educational seminars for solicitor and
co-advisor
that may be
sponsored or co-sponsored by various Strategists
that participate in our advisory programs. Strategists
who participate in this program pay a fee which is
used to defray expenses associated with such events.
A Strategist’s participation
is
voluntary. We do not consider a Strategist’s
participation in this program when making Strategist
or Strategy recommendations to Clients, approving
or removing a Strategist or Strategy through our
Investment Due Diligence Committee, or adding or
removing a Strategy from our “Select List” or “Watch
List.”
Affiliate Offerings
Our affiliates Advizr,
Inc. dba Orion Planning,
BasisCode Compliance LLC dba Orion Compliance,
Orion Tech, GxWorks, LLC dba Orion Risk
Intelligence,
Inc.
Redtail
(collectively our “Technology Affiliates”) offer
technology solutions to investment advisors, which
may include the co-advisor on Client accounts with
us, or the solicitor who introduced the Client to us.
45 of 53
12 – Brokerage Practices of our Form ADV Part 2A
Brochure.
in our
We have adopted and implemented policies and
procedures we believe are reasonably designed to
manage these conflicts of interest and to prevent
violations of applicable law.
is available
Our Technology Affiliates have collectively created a
program for third party investment advisors in which
eligible Investment Advisors receive a reduction in
fees owed to our Technology Affiliates when they
provide additional advisory services. The total
amount of assets managed
investment
advisory programs is also a factor in determining the
amount of the fee reduction in certain instances. As
such, an Investment Advisor may have a reduction in
their costs to utilize our Technology Affiliates’
services based on their Clients’ collective assets
under management within our advisory programs.
This creates a conflict for these Investment Advisors
because the more assets that they recommend be
invested in our advisory programs, the lower their
cost is to receive the services of our Technology
Affiliates. We do not receive any portion of the fees
the Investment Advisors pay to our Technology
Affiliates, nor do these fee reductions apply to the
fees paid by the Client for the advisory services we
offer.
Third Party Technology Services Arrangements
We utilize the
investment advisor technology
platform created by our affiliate, Orion Tech. This
platform
to other, unaffiliated
investment advisors and features integrated third-
party services available through unaffiliated financial
technology providers, creating integrated services
available to users of Orion Tech (including OPS).
Through Orion Tech’s arrangements with such third
party technology providers, Orion Tech receives
revenue based on the usage of the third-party
service through its platform. While such third-party
services are typically integrated into the Orion Tech
technology experience for ease of use, users of Orion
Tech’s technology services are not prevented from
choosing alternative providers. Nevertheless, the
inclusion of certain third-party service providers on
Orion Tech’s platform for which Orion Tech receives
revenue for the services it provides to support the
integration creates a conflict as we are encouraged
to refer or recommend those services which would
generate more revenue for Orion Tech. Such services
are discussed in detail below.
arrangement with
Strategist Data
We offer a program where Strategists on our
platform can purchase from us data containing
aggregate information regarding the investment
advisors who are researching or recommending their
strategies or models. This program is voluntary for
Strategists. This program creates a conflict of
interest for us as we are encouraged to prefer
Strategists who agree to purchase such data. We
mitigate this conflict by subjecting all Strategists to
the same Due Diligence process regardless of their
us. Additional
business
information regarding our Due Diligence process can
be found in Item 6 – Portfolio Manager Selection and
Evaluation of this Brochure.
Custodian Conflicts
For a discussion of the potential conflict of interest
that could arise from the economic benefits we
receive from NFS and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
(“Schwab”) in the form of the support products and
services these firms make available to us, see Item
DPL Financial Partners
DPL Financial Partners (“DPL”) is a financial service
provider that coordinates the provision, either
directly or through its associated and licensed
broker-dealer, of certain
insurance products,
including annuities. DPL supports such activities
through the use of a web-based platform and certain
associated Product Tools (collectively, the “DPL
Platform”), as well as through relationships that DPL
has established with certain insurance carriers that
offer Insurance Products. DPL offers the use of its
46 of 53
insurance services through a membership program.
DPL is unaffiliated with us or any of our affiliates.
in
Our affiliate, Orion Tech, has entered into an
arrangement where DPL will share a portion of the
membership fee paid to it by any investment advisor
referred to DPL by Orion Tech. DPL will also pay a
technology support fee to Orion Tech for its efforts
in supporting the integration with the DPL Platform.
We do not receive any portion of these fees. There is
a conflict as the Client’s third party investment
advisor which uses our advisory services described in
this Brochure may also use the technology services
of Orion Tech, and Orion Tech may receive revenue
from DPL if the Clients investment advisor was
referred to DPL by Orion Tech and became a member
of DPL.
A Client’s third party investment which uses our
advisory services described in this Brochure may also
use the technology services of Orion Tech, and may
recommend that Clients allocate a portion of their
assets to one or more offerings available on the CAIS
platform. In addition, if Clients engage our Wealth
Advisory service, we may recommend that Clients
allocate a portion of Client assets to one or more
offerings available on the CAIS platform. This creates
a conflict for us as Orion Tech may receive revenue
from CAIS if Clients invest in any offering on the CAIS
platform through their investment advisor or our
Wealth Advisory platform. This revenue to Orion
Tech is in addition to the advisory fee we receive for
the Wealth Advisory services provided to the Client
described
Item 4 – Services, Fees and
Compensation of this Brochure.
Neither we nor Orion Tech, nor any of our affiliates,
is involved in the solicitation or sales of the insurance
products through the DPL Platform.
Orion Cash and Credit
Orion Cash and Credit offers third-party financial
advisors who utilize the OPS and BCI Platforms
access to an array of banking and lending solutions
and related services. These services are offered to
our Clients by Uptiq, Inc. (“Uptiq”) through an
integration with the platform of our affiliate, Orion
Tech. Orion Tech, will receive a fee for Orion Tech
clients who are referred to Uptiq’s platform,
including our Clients.
deposit-related
products
listed
Investment Advisors that utilize the integration to
the Uptiq platform, including advisors who use the
OPS or BCI Platforms, will have access to Uptiq’s
financial institution partners that offer the lending-
and
below
(collectively, the “Financial Products”). In each case,
access to the Financial Products is made available to
a financial advisor so that the financial advisor may
identify one or more selected banking institutions
that can offer to the Client certain Financial Products
desired by the Client. Such Financial Products
currently consist of the following:
Capital Integration Systems
Capital Integration Systems (“CAIS”),
itself and
through its subsidiaries, offers a platform for the
purchase of private placements and other non-
traded assets. CAIS is unaffiliated with us or any of
our affiliates. Our affiliate, Orion Tech, has entered
into an arrangement where CAIS will pay Orion Tech
a fee based on the value of the assets held by Clients
of investment advisors who utilize Orion Tech’s
technology, including our Clients. Orion Tech will
receive no fee until the value of such assets exceeds
$100 million, and the size of the fee will increase
until the value of such assets exceeds $500 million,
at which time the fee will not increase. However, as
the fee is based on the value of the assets on the
platform, the amount of revenue received by Orion
Tech will increase as the value of such assets (either
by market gain or additional sales) will increase. We
do not receive any portion of this fee.
• Mortgage Loans — Loans relating to
residential purchases, refinancing, HELOC,
and construction loans;
47 of 53
in outside activities,
• Working Capital — Corporate, commercial,
and business working capital, expansion and
acquisition lines of credit and loans;
• Commercial Real Estate — Commercial real
estate, multifamily and other owned
occupied properties;
• Securities Backed Lines of Credit (SBLOC) —
Automated and highly competitively priced
non-purpose securities backed lines along
with lines secured by selective private and
alternative investments;
• Specialty Lending — Premium financing,
fund call and operating lines of credit, along
with others;
Board Member Activities
The Board Members of our parent company may be
engaged
including being
employed by or serving as a board member of the
parent company or affiliate of one of our third-party
Strategists. This creates a conflict for us as we may
be encouraged to approve for our platform a
Strategist based on this relationship. We mitigate
this conflict by requiring that all third party be
subject to our Due Diligence process, including
Investment Due
review and approval by our
Diligence Committee, prior to being placed on our
platform. See Item 6 – Portfolio Manager Selection
and Evaluation of this Brochure for additional
information regarding our Due Diligence process.
Code of Ethics
• Watercraft and Aircraft Lending — New and
used watercraft and/or aircraft purchases
and refinancing; and
FDIC Insured Deposit Program — In-portfolio cash
balances, held away debit/transactional cash and
outside client cash savings with $2 to $100 million of
insurance per tax ID.
We have adopted a Code of Ethics (the “Code”)
which meets the requirements of Rule 204A-1
promulgated under the Investment Advisers Act of
1940. The Code sets forth a standard of business
conduct required of all of our employees (which
includes all of our officers, directors, and employees
as well as any other person who provides advice on
our behalf and is subject to our supervision and
control). We effectively treat each employee as an
“access person” as defined in Rule 204A-1. Our
employees do not include employees of unaffiliated
Strategist or Investment Advisors who refer Clients
to us (in a solicitor arrangement) or who recommend
our services (in a co-advisory relationship), each of
whom is required to adopt its own code of ethics
applicable to these individuals.
Flourish Financial, LLC
Flourish Financial, LLC (“Flourish”) offers a platform
for Investment Advisors to assist in managing their
client’s cash held in checking, savings, or similar
banking products. Flourish is unaffiliated with us or
any of our affiliates. Our affiliate, Orion Tech, has
entered into an arrangement where Flourish will pay
Orion Tech a fee based on the value of the balances
held by clients of investment advisors who utilize
Orion Tech’s technology, including OPS or BCI
Platform Clients.
Investment Advisor which uses our
A Client’s
advisory services described in this Brochure may also
use the technology services of Orion Tech, and may
recommend that Clients utilize the services of
Flourish.
The Code is based, in part, upon the principle that we
and our employees owe a fiduciary duty to our
Clients. Each employee must act in a manner as to
avoid (1) placing his or her own personal interests
ahead of our Clients; (ii) taking
inappropriate
advantage of his or her position with us; and (iii) any
actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse
of his or her position of trust and responsibility.
48 of 53
The Code provides that employees and members of
their households may not:
•
Securities”), which list must be updated annually. In
addition, by the thirtieth day following each calendar
quarter, each employee must provide our
reports of all
Compliance Department with
Reportable Securities transactions during such
quarter.
•
material
trade in any security while in possession of
material nonpublic information about the
issuer of a security;
communicate
nonpublic
information about any publicly traded issuer
of any securities to anyone else except in the
ordinary course of his or her employment-
related duties;
• disclose to other persons the securities
activities engaged in or contemplated for our
Client portfolios; or
• disclose the holdings in a Client’s portfolios
(except, in the case of any employee of us or
any of our affiliates, as required to carry out
his or her employment-related duties to our
Clients or as required by applicable securities
laws).
In addition, each employee must:
•
We have no direct or indirect control over the
investment decision-making process of unaffiliated
Strategists. Accordingly, since our employees are
generally not aware of investment decisions of
unaffiliated Strategists, our employees may buy or
sell for their personal accounts securities which are
recommended by Strategists for Client accounts.
However, if we receive confidential information
regarding an issuer from a Strategist, we may
establish a restricted
list for such securities.
Employees are prohibited from personally, or on
behalf of a household member, purchasing any
securities on a restricted list. In the event that an
employee owns a security that was purchased prior
to being placed on the restricted list, the employee
must obtain approval (pre-clearance) from the Chief
Compliance Officer prior to entering any securities
transaction in their personal accounts for the sale of
that security.
•
conduct all of his or her business activities in
accordance with the requirements of the
Code and consistent with our fiduciary
duties to its Clients;
comply with all applicable federal securities
laws;
• promptly report any violations of the Code
to our Chief Compliance Officer or
Compliance Department; and
In addition, each employee must receive prior
approval from our Chief Compliance Officer or their
designee for (i) any purchase of securities in an initial
public offering or a limited offering for the benefit of
such employee or member of his/her household or
(ii) serving on the boards of directors of any public
corporation.
• annually certify that he or she has received,
read and understands the Code, has
complied with all requirements of the Code
and disclosed all personal
securities
transactions required pursuant to the Code.
Employees are also subject to restrictions on giving
gifts to, or receiving gifts from, certain persons and
in dollar amounts that exceed a certain de minimis
amount.
A copy of the Code is available, upon request, by
contacting us at (800) 379-2513.
Each employee has already furnished to our
Compliance Department a
list of all securities
required to be reported under the Rule in which
either such employee or members of his or her
household own a beneficial interest (“Reportable
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performance reports on the performance of their
total account compared to standard industry indices.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
If Clients select a Destinations Funds strategy, we will
utilize Destinations Funds, which are our affiliated
mutual funds, in the management of the Client’s
account. Clients are advised of the use of
Destinations Funds in their agreement with us and in
the applicable strategy descriptions, and have the
right, at any time, to prohibit us from investing any
Client managed assets in Destinations Funds. We and
our employees occasionally buy or sell securities
identical to those recommended to the Client. It is
our express policy that any person employed by us is
prohibited from profiting at the expense of our
Clients and from competing with our Clients.
Review of Accounts
Co-Advisory Arrangements
For our BCI Platform (if Clients engage us for advisory
service via a co-advisory arrangement with an
unaffiliated third-party Investment Advisor) and for
our OPS Platform, the Investment Advisor will
recommend an asset allocation involving various
asset classifications and investment styles and will
identify for the Client suitable Strategists or other
investments to implement the investment disciplines
included in the investment strategy agreed upon
between the Client by their Investment Advisor. Our
services will be limited to managing Client accounts
in the manner identified by the Client to us, which
will include submission of trades to the custodian,
billing authority, and reporting, as those services are
identified in the agreement between the Client and
us.
Investment Advisor’s
Solicitor Arrangements
For our BCI Platform, If Clients are introduced to us
by a solicitor, we will recommend an asset allocation
involving various asset classifications and investment
styles and will
identify for the Client suitable
Strategists or other investments to implement the
investment disciplines included in the agreed upon
investment strategy. Our recommendations will be
based on information provided by the Client to us
regarding
the Client’s objectives, assets, risk
tolerance, time horizon, personal situation and
investment experience.
The Client’s Investment Advisor has agreed to make
periodic contact with the Client, in a manner
consistent with
fiduciary
obligations and applicable law. Together, the Client
and their Investment Advisor will determine whether
a change in the Client’s financial situation and
objectives warrants a change in the investments we
manage on the Client’s behalf. If any information
changes, the Client or their Investment Advisor are
responsible for promptly advising us of any changes.
Thereafter, we monitor the performance of each
Strategy. The Investment Advisor who introduced
the Client to us has agreed to make periodic contact
in a manner consistent with
with the Client,
Investment Advisor’s
fiduciary obligations and
applicable
law. Together, the Client and their
Investment Advisor determine whether a change in
the Client objectives warrants a change in the criteria
used to manage the Client’s assets.
If any
information changes, Clients are responsible for
promptly advising us of any changes.
If the
information is current, no further action is required.
We provide Clients with written quarterly
Affiliate Technology
Reviews of Client Accounts are facilitated through an
arrangement with Orion Advisory Technology, LLC
“Orion Tech”), one of our affiliates (as noted above).
We have engaged Orion Tech to provide a “back
office” system which enables us to gather and
aggregate client data from multiple platforms and
providers, maintain portfolio models, review models
and accounts
for variances, analyze account
performance, generate quarterly and other reports,
facilitate the trading of the Clients’ accounts, and
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make information available on-line via the internet,
in a secure manner, to the Client and their
Investment Advisor.
investment advisory firms. Investment Advisors are
invited to attend seminars and meetings hosted by
OPS. The purpose of these meetings is to provide
general market and industry information as well as
information about OPS’s services. For certain
Investment Advisors, we bear the
full costs
associated with Investment Advisors attendance of
such meetings.
Unaffiliated Advisors
We do not review specific investments made by
unaffiliated Strategists of separate accounts or
funds. We do not rebalance or change the asset
allocation in a Client’s non-discretionary Core Asset
Manager or Wealth Advisory account unless the
Client requests us to review the agreed upon
investment strategy. We do rebalance and actively
change the asset allocation of certain discretionary
investment strategies referenced Item 4 – Services,
Fees and Compensation of this Brochure, and other
discretionary accounts within the Wealth Advisory
program as warranted. We do not change the
investment strategy for an account unless the Client
requests us to review the agreed upon investment
strategy or the Client or their Financial Advisor
instruct us to do so.
Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Economic Benefits
We receive economic benefits from NFS and Schwab
in the form of the support products and services
these firms make available to us and other
independent investment advisors that have their
clients maintain accounts at these broker-dealer
firms. These products and services, how they benefit
us, and the related conflicts of interest are described
in Item 12 – Brokerage Practices of our Form ADV
Part 2A Brochure. The availability to us of these
products and services is not based on our giving
particular
investment advice, such as buying
particular securities for our Clients.
Referral Arrangements
Certain unaffiliated Investment Advisors refer Clients
to us through a solicitor arrangement. Details
regarding the circumstances and compensation of
these arrangements can be found in Item 4 –
Services, Fees and Compensation of this Brochure,
respectively.
Education Seminars
We organize educational seminars for Investment
Advisors who recommend our investment programs
to their Clients that may be sponsored or co-
sponsored by various Strategists and mutual fund
managers that participate in our programs. Portfolio
managers who participate in this program pay a fee
which is used to defray our expenses associated with
such events. A Strategist’s participation in the
program
is voluntary. We do not consider a
Strategist’s participation in any of our programs in
making manager recommendations to Clients.
Securities Backed Lending
At the Client's request, we may facilitate lending
arrangements between the Client and a bank using
the securities in their Account as collateral. We do
not provide advice in connection with such lending
arrangements.
Marketing Support
We compensate Investment Advisors for certain
approved marketing
reimbursement expenses,
including but not limited to client appreciation
events. Certain investment advisory firms are paid a
fee for the administrative and due diligence
expenses incurred in offering OPS’s services to
Clients of their Investment Advisors. These fees are
either a flat dollar amount or based upon a
percentage of the value of new or existing accounts
referred to OPS by the applicable Investment
Advisors. These fees may also be used to sponsor
conferences hosted by Investment Advisors or their
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the
firm
for
support services. Some of those services help us
manage or administer Client accounts while others
help us manage and grow our business. Schwab’s
support services are generally available on an
unsolicited basis and at no charge to us as long as we
maintain a total of at least $10 million of our Clients’
assets in accounts at Schwab.
Schwab’s institutional brokerage services include
access to a broad range of investment products,
execution of securities transactions, and custody of
Client assets. The investment products available
through Schwab include some to which we might not
otherwise have access or that would require a
significantly higher minimum initial investment by
the Client. Schwab’s services described in this
paragraph generally benefit the Client or Client
account(s).
Marketing Support
We may also pay certain broker-dealer or
investment advisors an administrative or marketing
fee (either a percentage of the referred clients’
assets under management or a fixed annual fee) to
compensate
certain
soliciting
administrative and marketing services and/or to
support or participate in educational conferences
and events and training programs sponsored or co-
sponsored by such firms. Such compensation
arrangements may be ongoing or in connection with
limited promotional programs and are disclosed as
required under 17 CFR Section 275.206(4)-1(b). From
time to time, we may also participate as a sponsor of
conferences and educational and promotional
events organized by solicitor firms. Fees paid by us
for such sponsorship opportunities help defray
expenses associated with such events.
programs
sponsored
by
Schwab also makes available to us other products
and services that benefit us but may not directly
benefit the Client or their account(s). These products
and services assist us in managing and administering
Client accounts. They include investment research,
both Schwab’s own and that of third parties. We may
use this research to service all or some substantial
number of our Clients’ accounts, including accounts
not maintained at Schwab. In addition to investment
research, Schwab also makes available software and
other technology that:
Such administrative or marketing
fees or
sponsorships are paid by us from our own assets and
do not result in any differential in the management
fee charged by us for accounts with respect to which
we pay such fees and those with respect to which we
do not pay such fees. Since the compensation paid to
the Client’s solicitor, particularly during any
promotional programs, may be more than what the
solicitor would receive if the Client participated in
other
investment
investment advisors, the solicitor may have a
financial incentive to recommend our programs over
other programs or services.
• provides access to Client account data (such
trade confirmations and
/
Custodian
Related
•
as duplicate
account statements);
facilitates trade execution and allocate
aggregated trade orders for multiple Client
accounts;
(”SAS”)
• provides pricing and other market data;
•
facilitates payment of our fees from our
Clients’ accounts; and
• assists
with
back-office
functions,
recordkeeping and Client reporting.
Broker-Dealer
Compensation
Schwab Advisor Services
Schwab Advisor Services
is Schwab’s
business serving independent investment advisory
firms like ours. SAS provide us and the Client with
access to Schwab’s institutional brokerage trading,
custody, reporting and related services, many of
which are not typically available to Schwab retail
customers. Schwab also makes available various
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Schwab also offers other services intended to help us
manage and further develop our business enterprise.
These services include:
• educational conferences and events
•
technology, compliance, legal, and business
consulting;
• publications and conferences on practice
management and business succession; and
• access to employee benefits providers,
human capital consultants and insurance
providers.
Schwab may provide some of these services itself. In
other cases, it will arrange for third-party vendors to
provide the services to us. Schwab may also discount
or waive its fees for some of these services or pay all
or a part of a third party’s fees.
Irrespective of direct or indirect benefits to our Client
through Schwab, we strive to enhance the Client’s
experience, help reach their goals, and put their
interests before that of our firm or its associated
persons.
Financial Information
Audited Balance Sheet
The requirement to provide an audited balance
sheet is not applicable to Orion as it does not require
Clients to prepay fees six months or more in advance.
to meet
contractual
and
Financial Condition
Orion has no financial commitment that impairs its
ability
fiduciary
commitments to Clients and has not been the
subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
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