Overview
- Headquarters
- Morristown, NJ
- Total Firm Assets
- $57.7 billion
- Average High-Net-Worth Client Portfolio Size
- $1.1 million
Recent Rankings
Barron's 2025:
4
Barron's 2024:
4
Fee Disclosure
PART 2A - APPENDIX WRAP FEE BROCHURE 0926
| Min | Max | Disclosed Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | and above | Up to 2.00% |
Estimated Annual Advisory Fees
| Portfolio Value | Estimated Annual Fee | Effective Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $20,000 | 2.00% |
| $5 million | $100,000 | 2.00% |
| $10 million | $200,000 | 2.00% |
| $50 million | $1,000,000 | 2.00% |
| $100 million | $2,000,000 | 2.00% |
Estimates use the disclosed maximum. Actual fees may vary; other investment costs may apply.
Clients
- High-Net-Worth Share of Firm Assets
- 51.30%
- Number of High-Net-Worth Clients
- 27,742
- Total Client Accounts
- 170,206
- Discretionary Accounts
- 170,197
- Non-Discretionary Accounts
- 9
Services Offered
Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting, Investment Advisor Selection, Educational Seminars
Regulatory Filings
- SEC CRD Number
- 155216
Additional Brochure: PART 2A - APPENDIX WRAP FEE BROCHURE 0926 (2026-09-30)
View Document Text
Part 2A Brochure –
Appendix
FOR IAR- MANAGED CUSTODIAN PROGRAMS
AND OTHER WRAP ACCOUNTS
Private Advisor Group, LLC
SEC File Number 801–72060
Contact: James Hooks, Chief Compliance Officer
305 Madison Avenue
PO Box 1820
Morristown, NJ 07962
973-538-7010
privateadvisorgroup.com
Dated: September 30, 2026
the contents of
this Brochure, please contact us at
This brochure (“Brochure”) provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Private Advisor Group, LLC.
If you have any questions about
(973) 538-7010
or riacompliance@privateadvisorgroup.com. The information in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about Private Advisor Group, LLC also is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Registration as an investment adviser with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
When a registered investment adviser provides investment advisory services, it is a fiduciary under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) and has a duty to pursue its clients’ best interest and to make full and fair disclosure to its clients of all
material facts and conflicts of interest. The purpose of our disclosure documents is to disclose those material facts and conflicts
of interest.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 1225
Table of Contents
C. Additional
on
Item 1: Introduction .............................................3
PAG
Information
and Supervised Persons .................................. 21
Item 2: Material Changes .......................................3
Item 7: Client
Information
Provided
to
Portfolio Managers...................................24
Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio Managers ..... 244
Fee
Compensation
Item 4: Services, Fees and Compensation .................3
A. Investment Advisory Services ........................... 3
B. Wrap
to Unbundled
Compared
Services ............................................................. 19
C. Additional Fees Incurred by Client ................. 19
D. Additional
Related
Conflicts ............................................................ 20
Item 5: Account Requirements and Types of Clients200
A. Portfolio
Item 9: Additional Information .............................24
A. Disciplinary Information and Other Financial
Industry Activities and Affiliations................ 244
B. Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest
Transactions and Personal
in Client
Trading, Review
Accounts, Client
of
Referrals and Other Compensation, and
Financial Information .................................... 288
Any Questions? ...................................................31
Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation200
Selection
Manager
and Evaluation ................................................. 20
B. Related Persons ............................................... 21
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
2
Item 1: Introduction
This Wrap Fee Program Brochure (“Brochure”) provides information about the qualifications and business practices
of Private Advisor Group, LLC (“PAG” or the “Firm”). If you have any questions about the contents of this Brochure,
please contact us at 973-538-7010 or riacompliance@privateadvisorgroup.com. The
information
in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)
or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about PAG also is available on the SEC’s website at adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Registration as an investment adviser with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
When a registered investment adviser provides investment advisory services, it is a fiduciary under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) and has a duty to pursue its clients’ best interest and to make full and fair
disclosure to its clients of all material facts and conflicts of interest.
Item 2: Material Changes
This section describes all material changes to this Brochure since its last annual update filed on March 31, 2026:
• While not material, this Brochure contains several changes in order to enhance readability and accessibility
of information about the Firm’s wrap fee programs.
Item 4: Services, Fees and Compensation
Private Advisor Group, LLC ("PAG" or the “Firm”) is a limited liability company formed on September 2, 2010 in the
State of New Jersey. The Firm became registered as an investment adviser firm with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") in January 2011. The Firm is principally owned by PAG Holdings, LLC which is owned by PAG
Partnership Holdco, LLC. PAG Partnership Holdco, LLC is principally owned by PAG Legacy Partners, LLC, and by
Merchant Wealth Management Holdings 2, LLC, and LPL Capital Partners, Inc. PAG Legacy Partners, LLC is principally
owned by Patrick J. Sullivan, John Hyland, RJ Moore, James Perhacs, James D. Sullivan and Frank Smith. PAG
Holdings, LLC is the Firm’s Managing Member.
LPL Capital Partners, Inc. is an affiliate of LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”) and its ownership in the Firm’s indirect parent
company presents a conflict of interest through which the Firm could be incentivized to direct more of its business
to LPL. The Firm mitigates this conflict through its best execution reviews, due diligence, and independent structure
whereby its investment adviser representatives are able to select from a number of custodial options.
A. Investment Advisory Services
The Firm offers a variety of investment advisory services on a wrap and non-wrap basis. Investment advisory
services can be offered on a wrap fee basis through the Private Advisor Group Wrap Program (the “Program”) or
through a variety of managed portfolios or other advisory programs available through the Firm’s custodians
(“Custodian Programs”, also referred to as “Third Party Advisory Programs”). The Firm also provides access to
TAMPs (turnkey or third-party asset management programs) to its clients. Custodian Programs (or Third-party
Advisory Programs) refer to programs where the custodian provides the management of the portfolio or
strategy. TAMPs refer to programs provided through a custodian but are also managed by a third party other
than the custodian. This Brochure provides a description of the advisory services under the Program, Custodian
Programs, and certain TAMPs. You may obtain Form ADV Brochures for the Firm’s other advisory programs at
privateadvisorgroup.com/pag-disclosure-documents or by contacting your
investment adviser
representative (“IAR”).
The Firm works to provide investment advisory services specific to the needs of each client. Prior to providing
investment advisory services to any client, an IAR discusses the client’s particular investment objectives and risk
tolerances. The IAR (under the Firm’s supervision) allocates each client’s investment assets by choosing from
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
3
programs within the Program, Custodian Programs or TAMPs in a manner consistent with the client’s designated
investment objectives and risk tolerances. The Program, Custodian Programs, and TAMPs differ in that the Firm
participates in varying capacities, whether as portfolio manager, adviser, co-adviser, or solicitor, depending on
the program and the needs of or direction provided by its clients. Any custodian or additional adviser involved
in providing advice does so in varying capacities as well, including sub-adviser, co-adviser, strategist or other
advisory role. Clients should discuss with their IAR what type of relationship and advice they seek from the Firm,
what programs are appropriate for their investment objectives and risk tolerances and, if anyone other than the
Firm is providing investment advice, in what capacity.
Clients can at any time impose certain restrictions in writing on the Firm’s services. Each client is advised that it
remains his or her responsibility to promptly notify the Firm if there is ever any change in his or her financial
situation or investment objectives, so the Firm and its IARs can review and revise PAG’s previous
recommendations and services. The Firm and its IARs will maintain channels of communication with clients to
be available to discuss clients’ investments, investment objectives and risk tolerances. If the Firm becomes
aware that any activity described in this Brochure is no longer permitted under any relevant law, the Firm will
cease engaging in such activity.
The Firm recommends to all clients that all client investment funds be held by a broker-dealer or custodian in
accounts identified individually to the client and about which the client will receive regular statements from the
broker-dealer or custodian. The Firm does not accept engagements with clients where client funds are pooled
into an omnibus account.
This Brochure is provided solely as a disclosure for PAG’s wrap fee programs where securities transaction fees
are included as part of PAG’s overall investment advisory fee (as detailed in Item 5 of the Form ADV, Part 2A
Brochure). In addition, PAG charges advisory fees through certain programs sponsored by its custodians. These
wrap fee programs are detailed in the following sections.
Private Advisor Group Wrap Program
by
the
client
or
by
other
investment
professionals
engaged
The Firm is the sponsor and investment manager of the Private Advisor Group Wrap Program (hereinafter the
“Program”). Under the Program, a client is charged a fee based on the percentage of the assets being managed
for investment management. Transaction fees would be billed to the Firm by the custodian. The current annual
advisory fee ranges from negotiable to 2.00%, based upon various objective and subjective factors including,
but not limited to, the types of assets being managed, the amount of the assets placed under the Firm’s direct
management, the amount of the assets placed under the Firm’s advisement (assets that are generally managed
directly
by
the client, for which the Firm provides review/monitoring services, but does not have trading authority), the
complexity of the engagement, and the level and scope of the overall investment advisory services to be
rendered. (See also Fee Differential discussion in Additional Information section below). The Firm includes
normal securities transaction fees with its investment advisory fees to provide clients with a single overall fee.
Under the Program, the Firm is authorized by the client in writing to determine which securities and the amounts
of securities that are bought or sold. Any limitations on this discretionary authority must be included in the
written agreement between each client and the Firm. Clients can change these limitations, in writing, at any
time. The client shall have reasonable access to one of the Firm’s IARs to discuss their account.
In Program accounts, PAG, through its IARs, can provide ongoing investment advice and management on assets
in an account separately identified to a client and separately managed on behalf of a client. The custodian for
each Program account provides services which include custody of securities, trade execution, clearance, and
settlement of transactions. Further details about custodian selection for Program accounts are provided below.
Program Accounts:
• WealthSuite
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
WealthSuite is a separately managed account program offered by the Firm, where the Firm acts as the
4
portfolio manager. WealthSuite is supported by the technology platforms developed and maintained by
Orion Advisor Solutions, Inc., Orion Advisor Technology, LLC, and/or Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC
(collectively, "Orion"). WealthSuite portfolio offerings leverage the advice and expertise of the following
strategists (the “Strategists”) provided to the Firm in the form of model portfolios:
1. Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC (Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC is an indirect,
wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC. As listed below, another division of FMR LLC acts as one of
the custodians for WealthSuite.),
2. BlackRock Fund Advisors,
Invesco Distributors, Inc.,
3.
4. WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc.,
5. First Trust Advisors, L.P.,
6. State Street Global,
7. LoCorr Funds,
8. Capital Group,
9. Franklin Templeton,
10. Orion, and
11. Goldman Sachs.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
WealthSuite portfolios are currently available through the following custodians: LPL, Fidelity Brokerage
Services LLC, and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Clients may access WealthSuite in either wrap or non-wrap fee
accounts.
IARs using WealthSuite for their clients are assessed a program fee by the Firm, which decreases as the
amount of client assets managed by the IAR in WealthSuite increase. This creates a conflict of interest for
the IAR to recommend WealthSuite to his or her clients in order to decrease the cost of the program fee to
the IAR.
WealthSuite is a proprietary program of the Firm. As a result, PAG receives a higher percentage of the
revenue from WealthSuite than it would with most other portfolio management programs, such as the ones
managed or sponsored by others (including the Custodian Programs or TAMPs). Generally, IARs (as opposed
to the Firm) are primarily responsible for assisting clients on the selection of the WealthSuite product, as
opposed to a non-proprietary program. IARs are primarily responsible for this type of decision regardless of
whether the client selects WealthSuite or a non-PAG program. The conflict of interest arising from the fact
that WealthSuite is a proprietary product of the Firm is mitigated because the IAR (as opposed to PAG)
selects the program, as well as the fact that IARs do not directly receive a portion of the revenue that the
Firm receives from WealthSuite. Furthermore, WealthSuite has lower asset management fees than certain
Custodian Programs or TAMPs. As a result, clients investing in non-WealthSuite products usually pay higher
asset management fees. Additionally, a conflict of interest arises from Fidelity, BlackRock, WisdomTree, First
Trust, State Street Global Advisors and LoCorr Funds payments to the Firm of a share of revenue, pursuant
to each of their agreements to provide model portfolios to the Firm that the Firm leverages as part of
WealthSuite. In turn, PAG uses the payments to offset the cost of the technology platform (maintained by
Orion) that allows the delivery of WealthSuite to clients, as well as to IARs to use with clients. There can be
differences in the mutual fund share classes available through different custodians, though PAG requires
that WealthSuite strategists select the lowest cost share classes available.
As noted above, the relationships with Fidelity, BlackRock, WisdomTree, First Trust, State Street Global
Advisors and LoCorr Funds present a conflict of interest in connection with the Fidelity, BlackRock, Invesco,
WisdomTree, First Trust, State Street Global Advisors and LoCorr Funds payments to the Firm of a share of
revenue. A similar conflict of interest also arises in connection with Invesco, which also makes a payment to
5
the Firm of a share of revenue. However, pursuant to the agreement between the Firm and Invesco to
provide model portfolios to the FIrm, Invesco begins to make the payment of a share of revenue to the Firm
only when the WealthSuite portfolios holds a certain threshold of shares of Invesco no-load mutual funds
and ETFs. This threshold is calculated based on the annual rate of the net asset value of these shares (no-
load mutual funds and ETFs) and is calculated as a total of assets across WealthSuite portfolios (not on a
per-portfolio basis). PAG uses any share of revenue from its relationship with Invesco to offset the cost of
the technology platform (maintained by Orion) that allows the delivery of WealthSuite to clients, as well as
to IARs to use with clients.
• Strategic Wealth Management (“SWM II”) Wrap Program Accounts
In the SWM II program at LPL, the Firm through its IARs can provide ongoing investment advice and
management on assets in an account separately identified to a client and separately managed on behalf of
a client on a wrap fee basis. The Firm provides advice on the purchase and sale of various types of
investments, such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), variable annuity subaccounts,
business development companies (“BDCs”), private equity, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), equities,
and fixed income securities. The Firm provides advice that is tailored to the individual needs of the client
based on the investment objective chosen by the client. Clients can impose restrictions on investing in
certain securities or groups of securities by indicating in the client’s account application.
LPL acts as the custodian to SWM II accounts, provides brokerage and execution services as
the broker-dealer on transactions, and performs administrative services, such as delivering quarterly
performance reports to clients.
• Other IAR-Managed Wrap Program Accounts
than LPL,
client will not open a SWM
II account.
Instead, PAG,
If a client desires to receive PAG’s advisory services on a wrap fee basis but directs PAG to use a custodian
through
other
its IARs, can provide ongoing investment advice and management on assets in an account separately
identified to a client and separately managed on behalf of a client on a wrap fee basis that is carried by a
custodian other than LPL. Similar to SWM II accounts, the Firm provides advice on the purchase and sale of
various types of investments, such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), variable annuity
subaccounts, business development companies (“BDCs”), private equity, real estate investment trusts
(“REITs”), equities, and fixed income securities. The Firm provides advice that is tailored to the individual
needs of the client based on the investment objective chosen by the client. Clients can impose restrictions
on investing in certain securities or groups of securities by indicating in the client’s account application. In
such instances, the following are the custodians outside of LPL currently used by PAG:
• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
• Pershing, LLC
• Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC
• SEI Private Trust Company, and
• AssetMark Trust
Custodian Selection and Services
The final decision to custody assets with a particular custodian is made by the Firm’s clients. The Firm’s IARs
have significant impact on the decision of which custodian is used. The Firm does not have custody of client
funds or securities. All client investment funds are held by a broker-dealer or custodian in accounts
identified individually to the client and about which the client will receive regular statements. Any funds
being deposited for investment should be payable to the broker-dealer or custodian where the account is
held, not to the Firm or one of its IARs. Although consolidating client assets in an omnibus account could
create some marketplace advantages, the Firm has determined to adopt a policy of using individual client
accounts at an independent custodian to provide greater security and transparency to its clients.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
6
Clients are provided, at least quarterly, with written transaction confirmation notices and regular written
summary account statements directly from the broker-dealer, custodian and or program sponsor for the
client accounts. The Firm has the ability to have its advisory fee for each client debited by the custodians on
a quarterly basis. In some cases, payment of fees can be made directly to the Firm by clients, but never to its
IARs. Compensation and fees earned by the Firm’s IARs are adjusted with the goal of mitigating conflicts of
interest.
The Firm can also provide a written periodic report summarizing account activity and performance.
Note:
• To the extent that the Firm provides clients with periodic account statements or reports, clients are
urged to compare any statement or report provided by the Firm with the account statements
received from the account custodian.
• The account custodian does not verify the accuracy of the Firm’s advisory fee calculation.
Custodian Wrap Fee Advisory Programs
The Firm offers investment advisory services on a wrap fee basis through the Custodian Programs.
Transaction fees (if any) for client accounts in Custodian Programs are billed to the Firm by the custodian,
rather than to the client. The Firm’s current annual advisory fee ranges from negotiable
to 2.25%, based upon various objective and subjective factors including, but not limited to, the types of
assets being managed, the amount of the assets placed under the Firm’s advisement (assets that
are generally managed directly by the client or by other investment professionals engaged by the client, for
which the Firm provides review/monitoring services, but does not have trading authority), the complexity of
the engagement, and the
level and scope of the overall investment advisory services to
be rendered, and additional assets having been placed with the Firm for management and the likelihood of
additional assets being placed with the Firm for management as a result of the Firm having a relationship
with an association, organization, group or company. (See also Fee Differential discussion below). The terms
and conditions for client participation in the advisory programs are set forth in PAG’s advisory agreements
and account paperwork for the advisory programs. All prospective advisory program participants should
read the Firm’s Part 2A Brochure, this disclosure Brochure and all relevant IAR Brochure supplements, other
disclosure documents provided by PAG and any disclosures or other documentation from the Custodian
Programs. All prospective advisory program participants also should ask any questions that they have, prior
to participation in the Custodian Programs.
As part of the Custodian Programs, a registered broker-dealer that is a member of FINRA and SIPC will
maintain custody of clients’ assets and effect trades for their accounts. LPL is the primary custodian, but the
Firm participates in advisory programs sponsored by other investment advisers using custodians other than
LPL. Specific details about each program are determined by the program sponsor and are subject to change.
For more information regarding the Custodial Programs, including more information on the advisory
services and fees that apply, the types of investments available in the programs and potential conflicts of
interest presented by the programs please see the program account packet (which includes the account
agreement and Form ADV program brochure) and the Form ADV Part 2A of the applicable program sponsor.
Clients should thoroughly review disclosure documents provided about the specific program they are
participating in (please see the Custodial Program account packet, which includes the account agreement
and PAG’s Form ADV program brochure, and, if applicable, the Form ADV Part 2A of other investment
advisers providing services through a Custodian Program).
The following chart and the additional details on the next page are intended as a partial guide to the
Custodial Programs available.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
7
Chart: Overview of Custodian Programs Available
Wrap
Program
Type of
Program
Portfolio
Manager
Investment
Products
Custodian(s)
Program Overview
LPL
Model Portfolios
LPL
Financial
Optimum Funds
Class I shares
IAR advises client on model
portfolio selection. LPL has
discretion to place trades based
on the selected portfolio.
Optimum
Market
Portfolios
(“OMP”)
LPL
Asset Allocation
Portfolio
LPL
Financial
Mutual funds,
ETFs, equity
and fixed income
securities1
Personal
Wealth
Portfolios
(“PWP”)
IAR advises client on asset
allocation portfolio selection.
LPL has discretion
to place trades based on the
selected portfolio.
LPL
Model Portfolios
Model Wealth
Portfolios
(“MWP”)
IAR advises client on model
portfolio2 selection. LPL has
discretion to place trades based
on the selected portfolio.
LPL, third-party
manager,
and/or
PAG IAR
Mutual funds,
ETFs, ETNs, closed-
end funds, equity
and fixed income
securities
SMA Platform: IAR advises client
on selection of third-party
portfolio manager (“SMA
Manager”). SMA Portfolio
Manager places trades based
on client’s investment needs.
LPL
LPL
or third-party
manager
Manager
Access Select
(“MAS”)
Mutual funds,
ETFs, options,
equity and fixed
income securities
Separate Managed
Accounts (“SMA
Platform”) or Model
Portfolios (“MP
Platform”)
MP Platform: IAR advises client
on model portfolio3 selection.
LPL has discretion to place
trades based on the selected
portfolio.
LPL
Automated Asset
Allocation Portfolio
Mutual funds
and ETFs
LPL and
Future-Advisor,
Inc.4
Guided Wealth
Portfolio
(“GWP”)
IAR advises client on asset
allocation portfolio5 selection.
LPL and Future-Advisor have
discretion to place trades based
on the selected portfolio,
including rebalancing and tax
loss harvesting (if applicable).
Wrap
Program
Custodian(s)
Type of
Program
Portfolio
Manager
Program Overview
Investment
Products
Fidelity
Dual Contract
Third-party
manager
Refer to the SAN
Manager Form
ADV Part 2A
IAR advises client on selection of
third-party portfolio managers
(“SAN Manager”). SAN Manager
places trades based on client’s
investment needs.
Fidelity
Separate
Account
Network
(“SAN”)
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
8
Fidelity
Dual Contract
Third-party
manager
Refer to the FMAX
Form ADV Part 2A
Fidelity
Managed
Account
Exchange
(“FMAX”)
IAR advises client on selection
select list of investment
solutions developed by
unaffiliated Investment
managers (“FMAX Manager”).
FMAX Manager places trades
based on client’s investment
needs.
PAG
Automated Asset
Allocation
Mutual funds
and ETFs
Charles
Schwab &
Co., Inc.
IAR advises client on asset
allocation portfolio6 selection,
and IAR manages the portfolio
on a discretionary basis.
Schwab
Institutional
Intelligent
Portfolios
(“IIP”)
Asset Allocation Portfolios: IAR
advises client on asset allocation
portfolio selection. SIMC has
discretion to place trades based
on the selected portfolio.
Refer to the SIMC
Form ADV Part 2A
SEI Private
Trust
Company
Asset Allocation
Portfolios and
Sub-Advisory
SEI Investment
Management
Corp. (“SIMC”)
Investment
Adviser
Solutions
by SEI
Sub-Advised Program: IAR
appoints SIMC as sub-advisor.
SIMC manages the portfolio on a
discretionary basis.
AssetMark, Inc.
AssetMark
Trust
AssetMark
Platform
Model Portfolios and
Individual Managed
Accounts
Refer to the
AssetMark Form
ADV Part 2A
IAR advises client on selection
of investment solution type,
including separately managed
model portfolios8 or individually
managed accounts. AssetMark
places trades based on client’s
selected investment solution.
1. Equity and fixed income securities are included in the portfolio through investment models (“PWP Models”) provided to LPL by third-party money
managers. The PWP Models also may include investment company securities. Refer to the LPL PWP Co-Advisory Program Brochure for more
information.
2. Each model portfolio is designed by LPL, a third-party investment strategist or the Firm (through its IARs) (each a “Portfolio Strategist” for
purposes of MWP program. The Portfolio Strategist is responsible for selecting the securities within a model portfolio and for making changes to
the securities selected.
3. Each model portfolio is designed by LPL or a third-party investment adviser.
4. FutureAdvisor, Inc. is an investment adviser registered with the SEC and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. For more information about
FutureAdvisor, please refer to FutureAdvisor’s Form ADV Part 2A.
5. Each portfolio is designed by LPL, or, in the future, a third -party investment strategist.
6. Each portfolio is designed by your IAR. Your IAR uses software (provided to your IAR by an affiliate of Schwab) to automatically trade and rebalance
your portfolio when it drifts from the targeted asset allocation by a defined amount.
7. A UMA generally can include a combination of individual securities, mutual funds, ETFs, cash, models developed by the IAR, and models
developed by third-party providers.
8. Each portfolio is designed by AssetMark Investment Management or a third-party investment manager (collectively “Portfolio Strategists”).
LPL Financial LLC
LPL Financial Sponsored Advisory Programs
The Firm provides advisory services to clients through certain programs sponsored by LPL, a registered
investment adviser and broker-dealer. Below is a brief description of certain LPL advisory programs
available through the Firm . For more information regarding these programs, including more information
on the advisory services and fees that apply, the types of investments available in the programs and the
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
9
potential conflicts of interest presented by the programs please see the LPL Part 2A Brochure or the
applicable program’s Part 2A Brochure and the applicable client agreement.
• Optimum Market Portfolios Program (OMP)
OMP is a professionally managed asset allocation program using Optimum Funds Class I shares.
Under OMP, client authorizes LPL on a discretionary basis to purchase and sell Optimum Funds pursuant
to investment objectives chosen by the client. The Firm will assist the client in determining the suitability
of OMP for the client and assist the client in setting an appropriate investment objective. The Firm will
have discretion to select a mutual fund asset allocation portfolio designed by LPL consistent with the
client’s investment objective. LPL
will have discretion to purchase and sell Optimum Funds pursuant to the portfolio selected for the client.
LPL will also have authority to rebalance the account. LPL sets a minimum account value for OMP and
changing account balances and minimum requirements affect whether this program is appropriate for
a particular client and also affects the fee charged.
• Personal Wealth Portfolios Program (PWP)
on
all
PWP
accounts
and
will
be
PWP offers clients an asset management account using asset allocation model portfolios designed
by LPL. The Firm will have discretion for selecting the asset allocation model portfolio based on client’s
investment objective. The Firm will also have discretion for selecting third-party money managers (PWP
Advisors) or mutual funds within each asset class of the model portfolio. LPL will act as the overlay
authorized
portfolio manager
to purchase and sell on a discretionary basis mutual funds and equity and fixed income securities.
LPL sets a minimum account value for PWP and changing account balances and minimum requirements
affects whether this program is appropriate for a particular client and also affects the
fee charged.
• Model Wealth Portfolios Program (MWP)
MWP is a professionally managed mutual fund asset allocation program. The Firm will obtain
the necessary financial data from the client, assist the client in determining the suitability of the MWP
program and assist the client in setting an appropriate investment objective. The Firm will initiate the
steps necessary to open an MWP account and have discretion to select a model portfolio designed by
LPL’s Research Department consistent with the client’s stated investment objective. LPL’s Research
Department is responsible for selecting the mutual funds within a model portfolio and for making
changes to the mutual funds selected. The client will authorize LPL to act on a discretionary basis to
purchase and sell mutual funds (including in certain circumstances exchange traded funds) and to
liquidate previously purchased securities. The client will also authorize LPL to effect rebalancing for
MWP accounts. The MWP program also offers model portfolios designed by strategists other than LPL’s
Research Department. The Firm can choose among the available models designed by LPL and outside
strategists. LPL sets a minimum account value for MWP and changing account balances and minimum
requirements affects whether this program is appropriate for a particular client and also affects the fee
charged.
• Manager Access Select Program (MAS)
MAS provides clients access to the investment advisory services of professional portfolio management
firms for the individual management of client accounts. The Firm will assist client in identifying a third-
party portfolio manager (Portfolio Manager) from a list of Portfolio Managers made available by LPL.
The Portfolio Manager manages client’s assets on a discretionary basis. The Firm will provide initial and
ongoing assistance regarding the Portfolio Manager selection process. LPL and Portfolio Managers set
minimum account values for MAS, and changing account balances and minimum requirements affects
whether this program is appropriate for a particular client and also affects the fee charged.
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• Guided Wealth Portfolio (GWP)
GWP provides clients the ability to participate in a centrally managed, algorithm-based investment
program, which is made available to users and clients through a web-based, interactive account
management portal (“Investor Portal”). Investment recommendations to buy and sell open-end mutual
funds and exchange- traded funds are generated through proprietary, automated, computer algorithms
(collectively, the “Algorithm”) of FutureAdvisor, Inc. (“FutureAdvisor”), based upon model portfolios
constructed by LPL and selected for the account as described below. Communications concerning GWP
are intended to occur primarily through electronic means (including but not limited to, through email
communications or through the Investor Portal), although the Firm will be available to discuss
investment strategies, objectives or the account in general in person or via telephone.
A preview of the GWP Program (the “Educational Tool”) is provided for a period of up to forty-five
(45) days to help users learn about the GWP Program and determine whether they would like to become
advisory clients and receive ongoing financial advice from LPL, FutureAdvisor and the Firm by enrolling
in the advisory service (the “Managed Service”). The Educational Tool and Managed Service are
described in more detail in the GWP Program Brochure and clients should thoroughly review the GWP
Program Brochure. Users of the Educational Tool are not considered to be advisory clients of LPL,
FutureAdvisor or the Firm, do not enter into an advisory agreement with LPL, FutureAdvisor or the Firm,
do not receive ongoing investment advice or supervisions of their assets, and do not receive any trading
services.
LPL sets minimum account values for GWP and changing account balances and minimum requirements
affects whether this program is appropriate for a particular client and affects the fee charged.
LPL Financial Fees, Compensation, and Conflicts of Interest
The account fee charged to the client for each LPL advisory program is negotiable and is subject to maximum
fees set by LPL. Account fees are payable quarterly in advance.
LPL serves as program sponsor, investment adviser and broker-dealer for the LPL advisory programs. The
Firm and LPL share in the account fee and other fees associated with program accounts. The Master Services
Agreement between LPL and the Firm dated April 1, 2011, as subsequently amended, provides that LPL make
certain reimbursements to PAG. The majority of PAG’s IARs are also registered representatives of LPL
(“Dually Registered Persons”). These IARs therefore also receive benefits from LPL such as preferences to
attend conferences, stock purchase rights, and other benefits.
Transactions in LPL advisory program accounts are generally affected through LPL as the executing broker-
dealer. The Firm and its IARs receive compensation as a result of a client’s participation in an LPL program.
Depending on, among other things, the size of the account, changes in its value over time, the ability to
negotiate fees or commissions, and the number of transactions, the amount of this compensation can be
more or less than what the Firm would receive if the client participated in other programs, whether through
LPL or another sponsor, or paid separately for investment advice, brokerage and other services.
Note: Private Trust Company, N.A. affiliation with LPL. LPL is affiliated with Private Trust Company, N.A.,
a trust company licensed in all 50 states under a national bank charter (“PTC”). To the extent that a
client elects to utilize LPL as his or her custodian, LPL will direct client’s IRA assets to be held at PTC. As
such, clients can incur an Annual IRA maintenance fee charged by PTC. Any Annual IRA maintenance
fees incurred by the client shall be in addition to the Firm’s Program fee.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
• Fidelity Separate Account Network
The Firm provides advisory services with Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“Fidelity”) as the custodian
through Fidelity’s Separate Account Network program (“SAN Program”), a unified platform for managed
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portfolios. The SAN Program enables the Firm and its IARs to build separately managed account
portfolios from a vast network of managers (“SAN Managers”) to meet client needs which will be
managed by designated SAN Managers on a discretionary basis.
The Firm and client together determine which SAN Managers to engage. Clients will receive
confirmations and statements reflecting all transactions in their account. However, in no circumstances
shall the Firm or its IARs have the discretionary authority to close the account or withdraw funds or
securities, with the exception of the Firm’s advisory fees on a quarterly basis.
Clients should refer to the brochure, client agreement and other account paperwork for each investment
program for more detailed information about the services available under the program. The minimum
investment required by each individual SAN Manager must be met. Please refer to the SAN Manager’s
Part 2A Brochure or comparable disclosure document provided to you by your IAR.
• Fidelity Fees, Compensation, and Conflicts of Interest
Certain managers participating in the SAN Program require an additional client advisory agreement with
the client in addition to the agreement the client signs with the Firm. For a complete description of the
services offered, the programs, the fees charged and minimum account requirements, please refer to
the separate disclosure brochure (such as Part 2A of Form ADV) maintained by the SAN Manager as
provided by your IAR.
Clients should carefully review these additional disclosure brochures for important and specific details
including, among other things, fees, experience, investment objectives and risk guidelines, and
disclosure of the money manager’s potential conflicts of interest.
Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC
• Fidelity Managed Account Exchange
FMAX, offered through Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC (“FIWA”), is a platform with access to a
select list of investment solutions including fund strategist portfolios, separately managed accounts,
mutual funds, and exchange traded products. Many of the available products are accessed through the
use of models developed by investment managers which are not affiliated with the Firm, and which may
or may not be affiliated with FIWA. IARs review the offerings available through FMAX and select the
appropriate investment solution(s) for any clients participating in FMAX. IARs may elect whether to use
FMAX as a wrap program or non-wrap.
• Fidelity Managed Account Exchange Fees, Compensation, and Conflicts of Interest
For a complete description of the services offered, the programs, the fees charged and minimum
account requirements, please refer to the separate disclosure brochure (such as Part 2A of Form ADV)
maintained by FMAX as provided by your IAR.
Clients should carefully review these additional disclosure brochures for important and specific details
including, among other things, fees, experience, investment objectives and risk guidelines, and
disclosure of the potential conflicts of interest associated with FMAX.
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
• Schwab Institutional Intelligent Portfolios
The Firm provides automated portfolio management services through Institutional Intelligent Portfolios
(“IIP”), a technology and service platform made available to PAG’s IARs by Schwab Performance
Technologies (“SPT”), an affiliate of Charles Schwab & Co.,
Inc. (“CS&Co.”). Utilizing the
IIP Program, the Firm offers clients a range of investment strategies that the Firm has constructed and
manages, each consisting of a portfolio of exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) or mutual funds (collectively
“Funds”) and a cash allocation (a “Portfolio”). The client can instruct the Firm to exclude up to three
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Funds from their portfolio. The client’s portfolio is held in a brokerage account opened by the client with
CS&Co., a registered broker-dealer that provides custody, trading and support services for client
accounts in the IIP program.
The Firm is independent of and not owned by, affiliated with, or sponsored or supervised by CS&Co., SPT
or their affiliates (collectively “Schwab”). The Firm, and not Schwab, is the client’s investment adviser
and primary point of contact with respect to the IIP program. The Firm is solely responsible, and Schwab
is not responsible, for determining the appropriateness of the IIP program for the client, choosing a
suitable investment strategy and portfolio for the client’s investment needs and goaIs, and managing
that portfolio on an ongoing basis.
The Firm has contracted with CS&Co. to provide Firm and its IARs with the technology and service
platform and related trading and account management services for the IIP program. This platform
enables the Firm to make the IIP program available to clients online and includes a system that
automates certain key parts of PAG’s investment process (the “Schwab System”).
The Schwab System includes an online questionnaire that helps the Firm determine the
client’s investment goals, time horizon and risk profile. The client will then receive PAG’s
recommendation of a Portfolio based on client’s answers. The client will either accept that
recommendation or request that client’s Portfolio be made one level more or less risky than the
recommendation. The client will then open and fund a brokerage account online with CS&Co.,
in which the client’s Portfolio will be held. However, investment of the client’s account will be pending
PAG’s final selection of the client’s Portfolio. After
final Portfolio selection, PAG will
utilize the Schwab System to manage the client’s Portfolio on an ongoing basis through automatic
rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting (if the client is eligible and elects).
• Schwab Fees, Compensation, and Conflicts of Interest
The Firm’s fees are not set or supervised by Schwab. Clients do not pay brokerage commissions or any
other fees to Schwab as part of the IIP program. However, Schwab receives revenue from the underlying
assets in client accounts in the IIP program. This revenue comes from Schwab managing the Funds and
providing services related to certain third-party funds that can be selected for the Portfolios and from
the cash feature on the accounts. Revenue may also be received by Schwab from the market centers
where fund trade orders are routed for execution.
The Firm does not pay SPT fees for the IIP program as long as it maintains $100 million in client assets
in accounts at CS&Co. that are not enrolled in the IIP program. If the Firm does not meet this condition,
then the Firm pays SPT an annual licensing fee of 0.10% (10 basis points) on the value of its clients’ assets
in the IIP program. This fee arrangement gives the Firm an incentive to recommend or require that
clients with accounts not enrolled in the IIP program be maintained with CS&Co.
Clients should carefully review account opening agreements, documents and other disclosures
provided by Schwab for important and specific details in connection with the IIP program including,
among other things, fees and disclosure of Schwab’s potential conflicts of interest.
SEI Private Trust Company
•
Independent Advisor Solution by SEI
The Firm participates in the Independent Advisor Solutions by SEI (the “IAS”), a core business unit of SEI
Investments Company, a publicly held company. IAS provides investment management and investment
processing platforms to affluent investors through a network of independent registered investment
advisors, financial planners, and other investment professionals (“Independent Advisors”) in the United
States. In addition to the integrated platform of services, IAS also provides Independent Advisors (such
as the Firm) with access to SEI Investment Management Corporation’s (“SIMC”) investment products
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and managed account program for use with their end clients. SIMC is an investment adviser registered
with the SEC. SEI Private Trust Company (“SPTC”) services as custodian for the IAS program.
Through IAS, the Firm makes available to clients the SEI asset allocation models, a managed account
solution, and sub-advisory services provided by SIMC or a third-party investment manager (“Sub-
Advised Programs”).
• SEI Asset Allocation Models: In this models-based program, Clients of Independent Advisors are
able to purchase proprietary SEI mutual funds or SEI-managed ETFs in a manner intended to follow
SIMC-developed model investment portfolios. SIMC does not have an investment advisory
relationship with the client in this program. The Firm manages the client’s model portfolio
investments on a discretionary basis.
• Sub-Advised Programs: In the Sub-Advised Program, the Firm can hire SIMC to provide certain
discretionary sub-advisory services to the Firm in connection with the Firm’s clients. SIMC does not
have an investment advisory relationship with the client in this program. Equity trades are executed
using SEI Investments Distribution Co. (“SIDCO”), SIMC’s affiliated broker-dealer.
• SEI Fees, Compensation, and Conflicts of Interest
The Firm’s fees are not set or supervised by SIMC, SPTC, or their affiliates. In the SEI Asset Allocation
Models, clients pay the Firm’s wrap fee and SPTC’s custodial platform fee. In the Sub-Advised Programs,
clients pay the Firm’s wrap fee which takes into consideration the fee charged to the Firm by SIMC for its
sub-advisory service, equity trade execution by SIDCO, and any advisory services of third-party
investment managers hired by SIMC.
Clients should carefully review account opening agreements, documents and other disclosures
provided by SIMC and its affiliates for important and specific details in connection with the IAS program
including, among other things, fees and disclosure of SIMC’s and its affiliates’ potential conflicts of
interest.
AssetMark Trust
• AssetMark Platform
The Firm has entered into an agreement with AssetMark, Inc., an investment adviser registered with the
SEC, to access the AssetMark Platform for PAG’s clients. Through the Platform, AssetMark makes
available two general solution types:
•
• Model Portfolios: Client accounts are allocated among securities and other investment vehicles on
a non-discretionary basis pursuant to Model Portfolios provided by “Portfolio Strategists”
(also referred to as “Model Providers”). Model Portfolios include mutual fund and ETF investment
strategies and separately managed accounts (“SMA”). SMA Model Portfolios are allocated among
securities and other investment vehicles in accordance with the model and are typically selected for
a specific asset class. AssetMark will serve as the Overlay Manager with regard to SMA accounts, as
described in the AssetMark Form ADV Part 2A.
Individually Managed Accounts (“IMA”): The client account is managed and individual client
account trades are implemented on a discretionary basis by a discretionary manager. For some
IMAs, AssetMark serves as the discretionary manager; for others, a third-party manager serves as
discretionary manager and AssetMark has no role in trading for the IMA.
• AssetMark Fees, Compensation, and Conflicts of Interest
In order to participate in the Platform, the client and the Firm will enter into a client agreement that
outlines the services to be performed by the Firm, the authority of the Firm, the compensation payable
by the client, and other important provisions governing participation in the Platform. The Firm’s fees
are not set or supervised by AssetMark.
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Clients should carefully review account opening agreements, documents and other disclosures
provided by AssetMark for important and specific details in connection with the AssetMark Platform
including, among other things, fees and disclosure of AssetMark’s potential conflicts of interest.
• Other Custodian Program Disclosures
In addition to the Custodian Programs available to PAG’s clients, the Firm at times
also refers advisory clients to other investment advisory programs not associated with any of the
programs described above. These instances are rare but can occur if the client’s needs require an
additional strategy. The Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer remains available to address any questions that
a client or prospective has regarding any conflict of interest associated with an investment advisory
program.
Note: If a client serviced by a Dually Registered Person chooses to utilize a custodian other than
LPL, LPL must provide its approval. If approved, the client can be serviced but the client’s Dually
Registered Person would incur an oversight fee due to LPL where the Dually Registered Person is
placing trades for the account, although LPL may agree to waive this fee for certain Dually
Registered Persons. Although this oversight fee is not directly charged to the client, the client’s
Dually Registered Person will factor in the cost of the oversight fee when determining the advisory
fee charged to the client. This arrangement presents a conflict of interest because the Firm and its
Dually Registered Persons have a financial incentive to recommend that clients maintain their
accounts with LPL rather than with another broker-dealer/ custodian to avoid incurring the
oversight fee.
Third-party Asset Management Programs (“TAMPs”)
The Firm recommends or selects other investment advisers for its clients generally through Third-party Asset
Management Programs (“TAMPs”). LPL makes available advisory services and programs of third-party
investment advisors. Through these TAMPs, the Firm’s IARs provide ongoing investment advice to clients that is
tailored to the individual needs of those clients. As part of these TAMP services, the IAR typically obtains the
necessary financial data from the client, assists the client in determining the suitability of the program, assists
the client in setting an appropriate investment objective and risk tolerance and assists the client in opening an
account with the TAMP. In addition, depending on the type of program, the IAR is available to assist the client to
select a model portfolio of securities designed by the TAMP or select a portfolio management firm to provide
discretionary asset management services. It is the third-party investment adviser (and not PAG’s IARs) that has
client authority to purchase and sell securities on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis pursuant to
investment objective chosen by the client. This authorization will be set out in the TAMP client agreement. The
brochure for the particular TAMP will explain whether clients can impose restrictions on investing in certain
securities or types of securities. Typically, the TAMP will deduct its advisory or management fee from the client’s
account and share a portion of that fee with the PAG and the Firm’s IAR. In particular, the Firm currently offers
advisory services through TAMPs sponsored by, among others: AssetMark, Brinker Capital, BTS Asset
Management, Envestnet, Flexible Plan Investments, Orion Portfolio Solutions, Manning & Napier, Morningstar
Managed Portfolios, SEI Investments Management, Symmetry Partners LLC and Townsquare Capital LLC. Clients
should refer to the brochure, client agreement and other account paperwork for each TAMP for more detailed
information about the services available under the program.
Co-Advisory, Referral, and Solicitor Services
The Firm and its IARs act as referral agents or solicitors on behalf of certain third-party investment advisers
pursuant to a referral or solicitor agreement. Currently, the Firm’s IARs provide the referred client a disclosure
statement regarding the role of the Firm and its IARs as a referral agent or solicitor, and the client engages the
third-party investment adviser for advisory services. Please see Item 14 from the ADV 2A Brochure for more
information about these referral services and the related compensation.
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Additional Information
• Fee Differentials: In certain circumstances, the Firm can agree with a client that the Firm can charge a
different wrap fee (higher or lower) based upon certain criteria (i.e., complexity of the engagement,
anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated future additional assets, dollar amount of assets to be
managed, related accounts, account composition, anticipated level and scope of other services to be
provided (i.e., financial planning services), negotiations with client, etc.).
• Fee Calculation: The fee charged is calculated as described above and is not charged on the basis of a share
of capital gains upon or capital appreciation of the funds or any portion of the funds of an advisory client,
pursuant to Section 205(a)(1) of the Advisers Act.
• Fee Payment: Clients will be charged in advance at the beginning of each calendar quarter based upon the
value (market value or fair market value in the absence of market value, plus any credit balance or minus
any debit balance), of the client’s account at the end of the previous quarter. Fees are prorated for accounts
opened during the quarter. An additional fee for the current quarter will be assessed if assets are deposited
after the beginning of the quarter, prorated based on the number of calendar days remaining in the quarter
during which the service will be in effect. No portion of the fee will be credited to the client for the current
calendar quarter should any withdrawals from the portfolio occur in the same calendar quarter. However,
if a client withdraws assets from the portfolio during the current quarter, the Firm will credit the client’s
account in the following quarter (or disburse funds to client in the event the account is closed), prorated
based on the number of calendar days remaining in the quarter in which the assets were withdrawn.
• Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation Services: If requested by the client, the Firm can provide
consulting services regarding non-investment related matters, such as estate planning, tax planning,
insurance, etc. Please refer to the 2A Brochure for more information on these services, roles, and any
potential conflicts.
•
Inverse/Enhanced Market Strategies: The Firm utilizes leveraged long and short mutual funds and/ or
exchange traded funds that are designed to perform in either an: (1) inverse relationship to certain market
indices (at a rate of 1 or more times the inverse [opposite] result of the corresponding index) as an
investment strategy and/or for the purpose of hedging against downside market risk; and (2) enhanced
relationship to certain market indices (at a rate of 1 or more times the actual result of the corresponding
index) as an investment strategy and/or for the purpose of increasing gains in an advancing market. There
can be no assurance that any such strategy will prove profitable or successful. In light of these enhanced
risks/rewards, a client can direct the Firm, in writing, not to employ any or all such strategies for
his/her/their/its accounts.
the client
for each
• Non-Discretionary Service Limitations: Clients that determine to engage the Firm on a non-discretionary
investment advisory basis must be willing to accept that the Firm cannot effect any account transactions
without obtaining prior verbal consent
transaction. Thus,
from
in the event of a market correction during which the client is unavailable, the Firm will be unable to affect
any account transactions (as it would for its discretionary clients) without first obtaining the client’s verbal
consent.
• Trade Error Policy: PAG reimburses accounts for losses resulting from the Firm’s trade errors, but does not
credit accounts for such errors resulting in market gains. When applicable, the gains and losses are
reconciled within the Firm’s custodian firm account and the Firm or the custodian retains the net gains and
losses.
in an
investment account,
• Securities Based Loans and Margin Loans: Clients can have the opportunity to utilize margin loans in their
investment accounts and be offered the opportunity to obtain loans or lines of credit based on or secured
by the assets held in their investment accounts. When the Firm charges a fee based directly or indirectly on
the amount of assets under management
the Firm and
its IARs have an incentive to maintain a high level of assets in those accounts, and the Firm and its IARs have
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a conflict of interest when they advise a client to utilize a margin loan or a securities based loan or assist the
client to obtain such a loan for some specific purpose, rather than advising the client to or assisting the client
with withdrawing funds from such an investment account for that specific purpose.
• Calculation of Advisory Fees Includes Cash Assets: The Firm calculates advisory fees on all
assets placed under its management, including cash held in advisory accounts. Clients can consent to asset
allocations that include certain amounts being held as cash for short or long-term reasons, or can direct that
assets be held in cash based on personal risk tolerance or market conditions. The Firm will calculate
advisory fees based on total assets in advisory accounts, and all clients and prospective clients should be
guided accordingly. Holding large cash balances for more than six months is not an effective investment
strategy and the Firm discourages clients from using investment accounts in this manner.
• Non-tradable Assets in Advisory Accounts: In order to address a client’s specific situation, the Firm can
recommend non-tradable assets be purchased in an advisory account. Non-tradable assets such
as annuities or structured products are appropriate for certain client needs. The client would not be charged
commissions for such investment products, but these products would be subject to the advisory fees
calculated based on assets in the accounts. The amount of such assets in a particular account would be
limited to a proportion that would not impair the ability of the Firm to allocate the assets in
the account.
• Ticket Charges/Ticket Fees: There are conflicts of interest to consider in connection with the selection
of mutual funds and a specific transaction cost commonly known as ticket charge or ticket fee associated
with each mutual fund transaction. Clients do not pay any ticket charges in their Program accounts and
TAMP wrap fee program accounts, but IARs pay these ticket charges to the custodian where the trades occur
for each client account.
As background, custodians often make available mutual funds that offer various classes of shares. Some
share classes of a fund charge higher internal expenses, whereas other share classes of a fund charge lower
internal expenses. Institutional and advisory share classes (collectively, “institutional shares” or
“institutional share classes”) typically have lower expense ratios and are less costly for a client to hold than
Class A shares or other share classes that are eligible for purchase in an advisory account. In some instances,
a mutual fund offers only Class A Shares, but another similar mutual fund may be available that offers
institutional shares.
Whether a mutual fund or a specific share class of a mutual fund incurs a ticket charge often depends on
whether the mutual fund or the mutual fund share class has 12b-1 fees (fees paid by the mutual fund to
distributors of the funds to cover the cost of distribution and/or shareholder services). For instance, where
a mutual fund or mutual fund share class has 12b-1 fees can correlate with no ticket charge. Additional fees
that could have an impact on whether a mutual fund or mutual share class have a ticket charge or
not also include recordkeeping fees to the custodian. Mutual funds and mutual fund share classes with
no ticket fees (which can be described as NTF shares) usually have higher fees and expense ratios, and
the associated costs would be incurred by the client. Mutual funds and mutual fund shares with ticket
fees (which can be described as TF shares) usually have lower fees and expenses, which would lessen the
associated fees and expense costs on the client.
As noted above, IARs, not the Firm, pay these ticket charges with respect to client Program
accounts and TAMP wrap fee program accounts. However, in the unlikely event of an IAR failing to make
payment to the Custodian, the Firm can be contractually responsible for the unpaid ticket charges. Clients
should understand that the cost to IARs of transaction charges can be a factor that influences
IARs when deciding which securities to select and how frequently to place transactions in these accounts.
Client should understand that another investment adviser may offer the same mutual fund at a lower overall
cost to the investor than is available through the custodial platforms with which the Firm
has relationships.
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The Firm has a policy that IARs recommend the lower cost share class reasonably available at the time
through the custodian where a client account is located. Furthermore, the Firm conducts surveillance to test
this policy and maintains a process to reasonably conduct conversions to the lower cost share class, where
applicable and possible depending on availability with an individual custodian.
We strongly encourage you to discuss with your IAR whether lower cost share classes are available with
a particular custodian or a particular managed account program; why the particular funds or other
investments that will be purchased or held in your account are appropriate for you in consideration of their
expected holding period, investment objective, risk tolerance, time horizon, financial condition, amount
invested, trading frequency, the amount of the advisory fee charged; whether you will pay higher internal
fund expenses in lieu of transaction charges that could adversely affect long-term performance; and
relevant tax considerations.
• Termination of Advisory Relationship: The Investment Advisory Agreement between the Firm and the
client will continue in effect until terminated by either party by written notice in accordance with the terms
of the Investment Advisory Agreement. Following receipt of notice of termination, the Firm shall refund the
pro-rated portion of the advanced advisory fee paid based upon the number of days remaining in the billing
quarter.
• Client Responsibilities: In performing any of its services, the Firm shall not be required to verify any
information received from the client or from the client’s other professionals and is expressly authorized to
rely thereon.
Furthermore, unless the client indicates to the contrary in writing, the Firm shall assume that there are no
restrictions on its services, other than to manage the account in accordance with the client’s designated
investment objective.
401(K) Plan Participants Considering IRA Rollover
A participant in a qualified employer sponsored retirement plan (“Employer Retirement Plan”) can roll those
assets over into an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”). Plan participants are encouraged to consider the
advantages and disadvantages of an IRA rollover from their existing Employer Retirement Plan. A plan
participant leaving an employer typically has four non-exclusive options:
• Leave the money in the former Employer Retirement Plan, if permitted;
• Transfer the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is available and if rollovers are permitted;
• Rollover the assets to an IRA;
• Cash out (or distribute) the assets and pay the taxes due.
Investors usually face increased fees when they transfer retirement savings from their current Employer
Retirement Plan to an IRA. Investors should be aware that even if there are no costs associated with the
IRA rollover itself, there will be costs associated with account administration and investment management.
In addition to the fees charged by the Firm or another advisor, the underlying investment products (mutual fund,
ETF, annuity, or other investment) typically also charge management fees. Custodial fees also apply. Investing
through an IRA managed by the Firm is more expensive than the current Employer Retirement Plan.
• Prior to electing to rollover assets from the current Employer Retirement Plan to an IRA, an investor
should consider:
• The type of account investment management desired. For example, is assistance in the management of
investments desired on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis; or is a self- managed account preferred.
• Available investment choices.
• The professional assistance available to participants in the current Employer Retirement Plan when
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compared to the advisory services offered by the Firm in an advised IRA account.
• The cost of advisory fees.
• Management expenses associated with the underlying investments in an IRA advisory account in
comparison to the underlying investment expenses associated with the current Employer Retirement Plan.
Often, the management expenses in the current Employer Retirement Plan are less expensive than in a
rollover IRA advisory account.
• Custodial charges in the advised IRA account in comparison to the current Employer Retirement Plan.
• Transaction charges associated with the advised IRA in comparison to the current Employer
Retirement Plan.
• The rules pertaining to the required minimum distributions (“RMD”) in the current Employer Retirement
Plan when compared to the advised IRA.
• Legal protections afforded to current Employer Retirement Plan participants in comparison to rollover IRA
account owners. Employer Retirement Plans have significant liability protection.
• The rules pertaining to beneficiaries of an IRA in comparison to the current Employer Retirement Plan
(inherited accounts).
• The loan provision associated with the current Employer Retirement Plan, if any. IRA accounts do not have
loan provisions.
• Employer Retirement Plans available from a new employer.
Clients and prospective clients are encouraged to consult with an accountant, a tax advisor, the plan
administrator and/or legal counsel prior to rolling over assets from the current Employer Retirement Plan
to an advised IRA with the Firm.
Note: Investment Performance. As a condition to participating in the Program, the participant must accept
that past performance cannot be indicative of future results, and understand that the future performance
of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and investment strategies
purchased through or undertaken by the Firm) cannot: (1) achieve their intended objective; (2) be profitable;
or, (3) equal historical performance levels or any other performance levels.
B. Wrap Fee Compared to Unbundled Services
The Firm’s Program fee includes typical securities trading costs incurred in connection with the
discretionary investment management services provided by the Firm. Whether the fees are paid
in advance or arrears depends on the agreement between the client and the Firm and subject to
the limitations of the custodian of the client’s account, and/or the terms of the investment advisory
agreement. Clients engaging the Firm under a wrap fee program will typically pay a higher overall
investment advisory fee but will not be responsible for securities transaction fees for their accounts. Clients
should discuss the expected level of trading in the Client’s account[s] to determine whether
to engage the Firm under a wrap fee program or pay for securities transaction fees separately. Depending
on (among other things) transaction volume and nature, choosing a wrap fee program may
not reduce the expenses that client may incur in comparison to the expenses of other programs or non-wrap
fee offerings. Fees can be negotiable at the sole discretion of the Firm.
C. Additional Fees Incurred by Client
The Program’s wrap fee does not include certain charges and administrative fees, including, but not limited
to, fees charged by unaffiliated independent investment managers (“Independent Managers”), transaction
charges (excluding mark- ups and mark-downs) resulting from trades effected through or
a third-party broker-dealer, IRA Maintenance Fees, transfer taxes, odd lot differentials, exchange fees,
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interest charges, American Depository Receipt agency processing fees, and any charges, taxes or other fees
mandated by any federal, state or other applicable law or otherwise agreed to with regard to client
accounts. Such fees and expenses are in addition to the Program’s wrap fee.
In most instances, custodians charge a brokerage commission or transactional fee or an asset-based fee,
and based on the investment product selected, that commission or transactional fee or asset- based fee is
not identical to other commissions or fees. Other products have higher or lower or zero commissions when
compared at the commission or fee level. Most custodians offer mutual funds with transactions fees and
mutual funds without transaction fees. Some custodians offer commission-free ETFs.
As noted above, the Firm participates in several advisory programs with third-parties (e.g., LPL and other
custodians) which charge varying levels of program fees. When a client invests through an advisory program,
an investment advisory fee is deducted from the assets placed in that advisory program. The advisory
program retains a portion of the program fee, and a portion of the program fee is paid to the Firm and its
IARs. The varying levels of program fees provide an incentive or disincentive for the Firm and its IARs to
participate in or to recommend a particular advisory program. The recommendation by an IAR that a client
select a particular advisory program presents a conflict of interest, as the IAR’s compensation provides an
incentive to recommend a particular advisory program. All clients and prospective clients should be aware
of these factors in selecting an advisory program and in negotiating an investment advisory fee.
D. Additional Compensation Related Conflicts
PAG’s related persons who recommend the Program to clients do not receive compensation as a result of a
client’s participation in the Program.
Item 5: Account Requirements and Types of Clients
The Firm works to provide investment advisory services specific to needs of each client. Prior to providing
investment advisory services, an IAR will discuss with each client, their particular investment objectives and risk
tolerance. The Firm shall allocate each client’s investment assets consistent with their designated investment
objectives and risk tolerance.
The Firm’s clients shall generally include individuals, business entities, trusts, estates and charitable organizations.
The Firm does not generally require an annual minimum fee or asset level for clients to open or maintain a Program
account. Custodian Programs may require annual minimum fees and minimum asset levels as indicated above.
Clients should refer to the Part 2A and other disclosures for the programs in which they enroll.
Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation
A. Portfolio Manager Selection and Evaluation
The Firm can allocate a portion of a client’s Program assets among Independent Managers in accordance with
the client’s designated investment objective. In such situations, the Independent Managers shall have day-to-
day responsibility for the active discretionary management of the allocated Program assets. The Firm shall
continue to render investment supervisory services to the client relative to the ongoing monitoring and review
of account performance, asset allocation and client investment objectives. Factors which the Firm shall consider
in recommending Independent Managers include the client’s designated investment objective(s), management
style, performance, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing, and research.
The Firm conducts an initial review and a limited ongoing review of Independent Managers. The ongoing review
is conducted periodically and is generally limited to changes in the Independent Manager’s assets under
management, new or updated disciplinary disclosures, deficiencies in recent regulatory exams and any findings
on recent business continuity plan test. For information on account performance reviews performed by PAG,
please refer to the “Review of Accounts” section in Item 9.
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As of June 30, 2026 the Firm had $57,703,120,794 in Assets Under Management with $ 12,084,550 managed on a
non-discretionary basis and $57,677,178,448 managed on a discretionary basis.
B. Related Persons
The Firm or one of its IARs acts as the portfolio manager for the Program. Inasmuch as the execution costs for
transactions effected in the client account will be paid by the Firm, a potential conflict of interest arises in that
the Firm can have a disincentive to trade securities in the client account. In addition, the amount of
compensation received by the Firm as a result of the client’s participation in the Program can be more than what
the Firm would receive if the client paid separately for investment management and transaction fees. As the
Program sponsor, the Firm shall be responsible for the primary management of the Program, including the
selection and termination of all Independent Managers. Once selected, Independent Managers shall be
responsible for day-to-day management and selection of securities for the account.
C. Additional Information on PAG and Supervised Persons
The Firm’s IARs serve as portfolio managers for the advisory programs as described in this Brochure and PAG’s
Form ADV Part 2A Brochure. For information on the Firm’s advisory business, please consult Item 4. For
information on management of wrap and non-wrap accounts, performance-based fees, side by side
management, methods of analysis, investment strategies, risks of loss, and voting client securities, please see
the next page.
Management of Wrap and Non-Wrap Accounts
for
transactions effected
in
the
account will be paid by
the
There is no significant difference between how the Firm manages wrap fee accounts and non-wrap fee accounts.
However, as stated above, if a client determines to engage the Firm on a wrap fee basis the client will pay a
single fee for investment management and transaction fees (See Part 2A Item 4). The services included in a wrap
fee agreement will depend upon each client’s particular need. Please note: When managing a client’s account
on a wrap fee basis, the Firm shall receive, as payment for its investment advisory services, the balance of the
wrap fee after all other costs incorporated into the wrap fee have been deducted. Inasmuch as the execution
Firm,
client
costs
a potential conflict of interest arises in that the Firm may have a disincentive to trade securities in the client
account. In addition, the amount of compensation received by the Firm as a result of the client’s participation
in the Program may be more than what the Firm would receive if the client paid separately for investment
management and transaction fees.
Performance Based Fees and Side by Side Management
The Firm does not charge performance-based fees.
The Firm manages more than one client account, often with different mandates or fee structures
(side-by-side management). This is a conflict of interest, as it creates a financial incentive for providing
preferential treatment to one account over others in terms of allocation of management time, resources,
investment opportunities, and trade execution. The Firm mitigates this conflict of interest by adopting and
implementing a Code of Ethics, by disclosing this conflict to clients, and by endeavoring to act in each client’s
best interest as a fiduciary. Additionally, IARs utilize similar research and resources for their client accounts and
aggregate client trades whenever possible.
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
The Firm utilizes the following methods of analysis:
• Charting: analysis performed using patterns to identify current trends and trend reversals to forecast
the direction of prices
• Fundamental: analysis performed on historical and present data, with the goal of making financial
forecasts
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• Technical: analysis performed on historical and present data, focusing on price and trade volume,
to forecast the direction of prices
• Cyclical: analysis performed on historical relationships between price and market trends, to forecast
the direction of prices
• Asset Allocation: identifying an appropriate ratio of asset classes that are consistent with the client’s
investment goals and risk tolerance
The Firm utilizes the following investment strategies when implementing investment advice given
to clients:
• Long-term Purchases (securities held at least a year)
• Short-term Purchases (securities sold within a year)
• Trading (securities sold within thirty (30) days)
Note: Investment Risk. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and it should not
be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the
investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by the Firm) will be profitable or
equal any specific performance level(s). While not an all-inclusive list, the following are types of investment
risks that could affect the value of your portfolio, depending on the selected investment product(s) and the
portfolio of investments:
• Market Risk. This is the risk that the value of securities owned by an investor may go up or down, sometimes
securities markets generally or
to
factors affecting
rapidly or unpredictably, due
particular industries.
•
Interest Rate Risk. This is the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase
in interest rates; a bond or a fixed income fund with a longer duration will be more sensitive to changes in
interest rates than a bond or bond fund with a shorter duration.
• Credit Risk. This is the risk that an investor could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income
security is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations.
• Liquidity Risk. This is the risk that an investor would not be able to sell or redeem an investment quickly,
or would not be able to sell or redeem an investment quickly without significantly affecting the price.
Liquidity risk is heightened when markets are distressed. Generally, alternative investments have higher
liquidity risk than equities, fixed income securities or mutual funds or ETFs.
•
Specific Risk. This is the risk that the value of an individual security or particular type of security can
Issuer
be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a
-
whole.
•
Investment Company Risk. To the extent a client account invests in ETFs or other investment companies,
its performance will be affected by the performance of those other investment companies. Investments in
ETFs and other investment companies are subject to the risks of the investment companies’ investments, as
well as to the investment companies’ expenses. If a client account invests in other investment companies,
the client account may receive distributions of taxable gains from portfolio transactions by that investment
company and may recognize taxable gains from transactions in shares of that investment company, which
would be taxable when distributed.
• Concentration Risk. To the extent a client account concentrates its investments by investing a significant
portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer, industry, sector, country or region, the overall adverse
impact on the client of adverse developments in the business of such issuer, such industry or
such government could be considerably greater than if they did not concentrate their investments to
such an extent.
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sectors. An individual sector, industry, or sub
-
-
• Sector Risk. To the extent a client account invests more heavily in particular sectors, industries, or sub
sectors of the market, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect
-
sector of the market may be
those sectors, industries, or sub
more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The several industries that constitute
a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. A client account’s
sectors do not perform as expected.
performance could be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub
Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or industries may adversely affect performance.
-
• Alternative Investment Risk. Alternative investments (including private funds, hedge funds, private equity
funds, and similar privately offered vehicles) involve risks that differ from traditional investments, including
limited liquidity and restrictions on transferability, valuation uncertainty (because valuations are typically
provided by the fund manager on a delayed basis and may not reflect current market conditions), restricted
redemption rights, complex fee structures including performance-based fees, limited regulatory oversight,
and the potential for loss of the entire amount invested. Investors must meet applicable accreditation,
qualified client, or qualified purchaser standards to invest in these products.
•
Interval Fund Risk. Interval funds are a category of closed-end fund that offer periodic (typically quarterly)
repurchase opportunities to investors rather than continuous redemption. The amount of shares an interval
fund will repurchase in any given period is generally limited (often to 5% of outstanding shares), which can
prevent investors from exiting their position when they wish, particularly during periods of market stress.
Investors should generally consider interval fund investments to be illiquid.
• Cybersecurity Risk. The Firm's information and technology systems, and those of its custodians and service
providers, may be vulnerable to damage, interruption, or unauthorized access from cyber-attacks, which
could impair the Firm's operations or compromise the confidentiality of client information. The Firm has
implemented measures intended to address these risks, but no system can be guaranteed to be fully secure.
• Artificial Intelligence and Technology Risk. The Firm, its custodians, service providers, and the companies
in which clients are invested may utilize artificial intelligence and related technologies ("AI Technology") in
their operations, including in the areas of investment research, data analysis, client servicing, and portfolio
management. AI Technology is reliant on large volumes of data, which may contain inaccuracies, biases, or
gaps that could degrade the quality of outputs and lead to flawed analysis or decision-making. The use of AI
Technology may also raise privacy and data security concerns, as confidential information — including client
information — could be inadvertently exposed through input into AI systems or through unauthorized
access to AI platforms. Intellectual property, licensing, and regulatory frameworks governing AI Technology
are evolving rapidly, and new laws or regulations could affect the operations of the Firm, its service
providers, or the companies in which clients are invested. To the extent that competitors of such companies
adopt AI Technology more effectively, those companies could be placed at a competitive disadvantage. The
Firm has implemented internal policies governing the use of AI Technology by its personnel but cannot
guarantee that all risks associated with AI Technology will be fully mitigated.
Voting Client Securities
The Firm does not vote client proxies. Clients maintain exclusive responsibility for: (1) directing the manner in
which proxies solicited by issuers of securities beneficially owned by the client shall be voted, and (2) making all
elections relative to any mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings or other type events
pertaining to the client’s investment assets.
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Clients will receive their proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian. Clients may contact the Firm
to discuss any questions they may have with a particular solicitation.
Item 7: Client Information Provided to Portfolio Managers
The Firm shall be the Program’s portfolio manager. The Firm shall provide investment advisory services specific to
needs of each client. Prior to providing investment advisory services, an IAR will discuss with each client his or her
particular investment objective. The Firm shall allocate each client’s investment assets consistent with his or her
designated investment objective. Clients can, at any time, impose restrictions, in writing, on the Firm’s services.
As indicated above, each client is advised that it remains his or her responsibility to promptly notify the Firm if there
is ever any change in his or her financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing or evaluating
or revising PAG’s previous recommendations and services. To the extent the Program utilizes Independent
Managers, the Firm shall provide the Independent Managers with each client’s particular investment objective. Any
changes in the client’s financial situation or investment objective reported by the client to the Firm shall be
communicated to the Independent Managers within a reasonable period of time.
Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio Managers
There are no restrictions on a client’s ability to contact and consult with PAG or its IARs. Clients always have direct
access to PAG’s IARs.
Item 9: Additional Information
A. Disciplinary Information and Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
• Disciplinary Information
Below is a summary of PAG’s material legal and disciplinary events during the last ten years.
As of the date of this Brochure, there are no such reportable events for PAG’s senior management personnel
or those individuals in senior management responsible for determining the general investment advice
provided to PAG’s clients.
Securities and Exchange Commission
On July 21, 2022, pursuant to a settlement, in which the Firm neither admitted or denied to the findings, the
SEC issued an administrative order (“the Order”) that found, among other things, the Firm failed to provide
full and fair disclosure regarding the conflicts associated with share classes with no transaction fees, or NTF
shares, in wrap accounts. The Order found that the Firm did not fulfill its duty of care and other obligations
in connection with the conflict. The Order also found that the Firm had not adopted and implemented
written compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act
and the rules thereunder in connection with its mutual fund selection practices in its wrap program and the
related disclosures of its associated conflicts of interest. The Order includes findings that PAG violated
Section 206(2) of the Advisers Act, as well as Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder.
These are not scienter-based violations. As part of the settlement, the Firm agreed to pay a civil penalty of
$5.8 million, to be disbursed to affected investors, along with other undertakings.
in 2017 the Firm proactively instituted a policy as a
is available here:
As further highlighted in the Order,
remedial measure that mitigated the conflict. The full text of the order
sec.gov/litigation/admin/2022/ia-6069.pdf.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Firm paid a $20,000 administrative penalty in 2017 to the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and
Securities in connection with its failure to register an IAR with a place of business in Pennsylvania.
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• PAG’s Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
• Affiliated Broker-Dealer. PAG Financial, LLC is a FINRA registered broker-dealer, and is under common
control with the Firm. PAG Holdings, LLC owns 100% of PAG Financial, LLC. PAG Financial, LLC does not
have any retail or institutional customers, and does not serve as custodian for any investment adviser
assets. The Firm has not identified any conflicts of interest that could impact the Firm’s relationship with
its clients but continues to periodically evaluate any potential conflicts of interest that could arise based
on this affiliate relationship.
• Affiliated Investment Advisers.
o Private Advisor Network, LLC, CRD No. 299133 (“PAN”), is an SEC-registered investment adviser,
and is under common control with the Firm. PAG Holdings, LLC owns 100% of PAN. PAN does not
have any retail or institutional customers, and is not currently providing advisory services. The
Firm has not identified any conflicts of interest that could impact the Firm’s relationship with its
clients but continues to periodically evaluate any potential conflicts of interest that could arise
based on this affiliate relationship.
o Mariner Independent Advisor Network, LLC, CRD No. 283824 ("MIAN"), is an SEC-registered
investment adviser, and is under common control with the Firm. MIAN's investment adviser
representatives and client accounts are in the process of transitioning to the Firm. Until the
transition is complete, MAIN will continue to operate as a separately registered investment
adviser under its own Form ADV and compliance program. MIAN's advisory services, fee
arrangements, and supervisory framework are described in MIAN's Form ADV, which is available
at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The Firm does not supervise MIAN's
investment adviser
representatives or provide advisory services to MIAN's clients during the transition period. Upon
completion of the transition, MIAN's registration will be withdrawn.
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• Recommendation or Selection of Other Non-Affiliated Investment Advisers. As described above, the
Firm, when appropriate, recommends or selects other investment advisers for its clients, generally
through TAMPs. Certain custodians make available advisory services and programs of third-party
investment advisers. Through these TAMPs, the Firm’s IARs provide ongoing investment advice to clients
that is tailored to the individual needs of the client. As part of these TAMP services, the IAR typically
obtains the necessary financial data from the client, assists the client in determining the suitability of
the program, assists the client in setting an appropriate investment objective and assists the client in
opening an account with the TAMP. In addition, depending on the type of program, the IAR may assist
the client to select a model portfolio of securities designed by the TAMP or select a portfolio
management firm to provide discretionary asset management services. The third-party investment
adviser (and not PAG’s IAR) has client authority to purchase and sell securities on a discretionary or non-
discretionary basis pursuant to investment objective chosen by the client. This authorization will be set
out in the TAMP client agreement. The Brochure for the particular TAMP will explain whether clients may
impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities. Typically, the TAMP will
deduct its advisory or management fee from the client’s account and share a portion of that fee with the
Firm and the Firm’s IAR. In particular, the Firm currently offers advisory services through TAMPs
sponsored by, among others: AssetMark, Brinker Capital, BTS Asset Management, Envestnet, Flexible
Plan Investments, Orion Portfolio Solutions, Manning & Napier, SEI Investments Management,
Symmetry Partners LLC, and Townsquare Capital LLC. Clients should refer to the Brochure, client
agreement and other account paperwork for each TAMP for more detailed information about the
services available under the program, including any potential conflicts of interest. In addition, the Firm
offers the same or similar TAMPs on a wrap fee basis, which are described in the General Wrap Brochure,
a copy of which you may obtain at privateadvisorgroup.com/pag-disclosure-documents or by
contacting your IAR. The Firm also may refer clients to other investment advisers under a solicitor or
promoter arrangement (see Item 14). The Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer remains available to address
25
any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the above conflict of interest.
• Other Activities and Affiliations. The Firm is required to disclose that it does not engage in certain
activities. The Firm, its management persons, and its IARs, are not registered as a futures commission
merchant, commodity pool operator, a commodity trading adviser, or a representative of the same, and
no such applications are pending.
PAG’s Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
• Affiliated Broker-dealers.
PAG Financial, LLC is a FINRA registered broker-dealer, and is under common control with the Firm.
PAG Holdings, LLC owns 100% of PAG Financial, LLC. PAG Financial, LLC does not have any retail or
institutional customers, and does not serve as custodian for any investment adviser assets. The Firm
has not identified any conflicts of interest that could impact the Firm’s relationship with its clients
but continues to periodically evaluate any potential conflicts of interest that could arise based on
this affiliate relationship.
LPL, is a FINRA registered broker-dealer and an SEC-registered investment adviser. LPL Capital
Partners, Inc. an affiliate of LPL, holds an indirect ownership interest in the Firm through PAG
Partnership Holdco, LLC, the Firm’s indirect parent. This ownership relationship presents a conflict
of interest in that the Firm could be incentivized to direct more of its business to LPL than it
otherwise would. The Firm addresses this conflict through its best execution reviews, due diligence,
and independent structure under which the Firm’s investment adviser representatives are able to
select from a number of custodians (see Item 12).
• Affiliated Investment Adviser.
Private Advisor Network, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser, and is under common control
with the Firm. PAG Holdings, LLC owns 100% of Private Advisor Network, LLC. Private Advisor
Network, LLC does not have any retail or institutional customers, and is not currently providing
advisory services. The Firm has not identified any conflicts of interest that could impact the Firm’s
relationship with its clients but continues to periodically evaluate any potential conflicts of interest
that could arise based on this affiliate relationship.
• Recommendation or Selection of Other Non-Affiliated Investment Advisers. As described in Item 4, the
Firm recommends or selects other investment advisers for its clients, generally through Third-party Asset
Management Programs (TAMPs). The Firm also may refer clients to other investment advisers under a
solicitor or promoter arrangement (see Item 14).
• Other Activities and Affiliations. The Firm is required to disclose that it does not engage in certain activities.
The Firm, its management persons, and its IARs, are not registered as a futures commission merchant,
commodity pool operator, a commodity trading adviser, or a representative of the same, and no such
applications are pending.
PAG’s IARs Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
• Affiliations and Activities of Individual IARs
• Registered Representatives of LPL. Certain of the Firm’s IARs are Dually Registered Persons with LPL.
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LPL is an SEC-registered and FINRA member broker-dealer. As discussed above, the LPL Capital Partners,
Inc (an affiliate of LPL) holds an indirect ownership interest in the Firm. Please refer to Item 12 of this
Brochure for a discussion of the benefits that Dually Registered Persons can receive from LPL and the
conflicts of interest associated with receipt of such benefits. Clients can choose to engage PAG’s Dually
Registered Persons in their individual capacities as registered representatives of LPL, to implement
investment recommendations on a commission basis.
• Licensed Insurance Agents. Certain of PAG’s IARs, in their individual capacities, are licensed insurance
agents, and may recommend the purchase of certain insurance-related products on a commission basis.
As referenced in Item 4.B above, clients can engage certain of PAG’s IARs to purchase insurance products
on a commission basis.
Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by PAG’s IARs that a client purchase a securities and/or
insurance commission product presents a conflict of interest, as the receipt of commissions may
provide an incentive to recommend investment products based on commissions received, rather
than on a particular client’s need. No client is under any obligation to purchase any commission-
based products from PAG’s IARs. Clients are reminded that they can purchase investment products
recommended by PAG through other, non-affiliated broker-dealers or insurance agents.
• Licensed Attorneys. Certain of PAG’s IARs are licensed attorneys and may, in their individual capacities,
provide legal services to PAG’s clients. To the extent that a client specifically requests legal or estate
planning services, the Firm can recommend the services of an attorney, including certain of PAG’s IARs
in their individual capacities as licensed attorneys. Any such legal services shall be rendered
independent of the Firm pursuant to a separate agreement between the client and the attorney. The
Firm shall not receive any of the fees charged by the attorney, referral or otherwise.
• Employees or Affiliates of Banks. Certain of PAG’s IARs are employees or affiliates of banks, and can
recommend the use or purchase of certain bank products or services.
Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by these IARs that a client use or purchase of certain
bank products or services presents a conflict of interest, as a bank employee may have an incentive
based on his employment to recommend the use or purchase of certain bank products or services
rather than on a particular client’s need. No client is under any obligation to use or purchase of any
bank products or services. Clients are reminded that they may patronize any bank and are not
required to use or purchase any banking products or services recommended by the IAR. In addition,
a IAR’s employment by a bank does not mean that investments made through him are deposits with
the bank, or obligations of the bank or are guaranteed by the bank or any governmental agency.
Investments are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount
invested.
• Other Investment Adviser Firm. Certain of PAG’s IARs also serve as investment adviser representatives
of other registered investment advisers. These IARs may refer certain clients to those other investment
advisers for advisory services.
• Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by these IARs that a client engage the investment advisory
services of another investment adviser presents a conflict of interest, as these IARs may receive a direct
economic benefit from any such referral. No client is under any obligation to engage the services of
another investment adviser. Real Estate broker or dealer. Certain of PAG’s IARs also serve as real estate
brokers or dealers or as owners or investors in real estate investments. These IARs may recommend the
purchase, sale, rental of or investment in real estate.
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Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by these IARs of the purchase, sale, rental of or
investment in real estate Such advice presents a conflict of interest, as the receipt of commissions
may provide an incentive to recommend real estate based on commissions to be received, rather
than on a particular client’s need. In addition, holding an ownership interest in real estate
investment being offered to a client also presents a conflict of interest. No client is under any
obligation to purchase or rent any real estate from or invest in real estate with these IARs. Clients
are reminded that they may purchase or rent any real estate recommended by these IARs through
other real estate agents, and that they may invest in other real estate ventures.
• Accountants and Certified Public Accountants. Certain of PAG’s IARs are accountants, Certified Public
Accountants and/or Enrolled Agents. To the extent that these IARs provide accounting services (which
may include tax advice) to any clients, including clients of the Firm, all such services shall be performed
by those IARs in their individual professional capacities, independent of the Firm, for which services PAG
shall not receive any portion of the fees charged by the IAR (referral or otherwise). It is expected that
these IARs, solely incidental to their practices as accountants, may recommend the Firm’s services to
certain of their clients. No client of PAG is under any obligation to use the accounting services of these
IARs.
• Determining Affiliations and Activities of Individual IARs
PAG prepares a Form ADV Part 2B Brochure Supplement (“Brochure Supplement”) for each of PAG’s IARs,
which includes information regarding the IAR’s education, business experience, disciplinary information,
other business activities, conflicts of interest, additional compensation, and supervision. PAG’s IARs are
required to provide clients with a current Brochure Supplement when commencing an advisory relationship.
Please contact the Firm or your IAR if you did not receive your IAR’s Brochure Supplement. Clients also may
obtain additional information about PAG’s IARs, such as licenses, employment history, their regulatory
disciplinary information (if any), and whether he or she has received reportable complaints from investors
from the SEC at adviserinfo.sec.gov. To determine whether any of the Firm’s IARs servicing a client’s
accounts are engaged in any activities that may create a conflict of interest, clients should review the
Brochure Supplements for those IARs. Clients of the Firm have their primary contact with the IAR of the Firm
who brings them onboard as a client. The IAR may recruit the client while with the Firm, or may have
recruited them while the IAR was affiliated with a previous broker-dealer or registered investment adviser,
and induced the client to continue that relationship with the IAR when the IAR became affiliated with the
Firm. PAG’s IARs have made individual decisions to affiliate with the Firm. Because each affiliation decision
was made solely based on the business determination of the individual IAR and client, The Firm may be
limited in its ability to negotiate fees, etc., on behalf of its clients. Notwithstanding these limitations, the
Firm makes best effort attempts to negotiate fees with custodians, however, in certain instances, the Firm’s
IARs themselves have obtained discounted fees from a custodian. The Firm encourages clients to discuss
custodial fees and pricing with IARs.
B. Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading, Review of Accounts,
Client Referrals and Other Compensation, and Financial Information
• Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions, and Personal Trading
The Firm has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act that applies
to all supervised persons of the Firm,
including IARs. Among other things, PAG’s Code of
Ethics serves to establish, maintain and enforce (i) a standard of business conduct for all of PAG’s supervised
persons that is based upon fundamental principles of openness, integrity, honesty and trust; (ii) compliance
by PAG’s supervised persons with Federal securities laws; and (iii) an investment policy relative to personal
securities transactions of PAG’s access persons. A copy of the Code of Ethics, which is part of PAG’s
Compliance Manual, is available upon request.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
28
In accordance with Section 204A of the Advisers Act, the Firm also maintains and enforces written policies
reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material non-public information by the Firm
or any person associated with the Firm.
Neither the Firm nor any related person of PAG recommends, buys, or sells for client accounts, securities in
which the PAG or any related person of PAG has a material financial interest.
The Firm and its IARs at times buy or sell securities that are also recommended to clients. This practice
creates a situation where the Firm and its IARs are in a position to materially benefit from the sale or
purchase of those securities. Therefore, this situation creates a potential conflict of interest. We address
these practices in our Code of Ethics specifically and policies and procedures generally. Policies and
procedures address practices such as “scalping” (i.e., a practice whereby the owner of shares of a security
recommends that security for investment and then immediately sells it at a profit upon the rise in the market
price which follows the recommendation), detecting insider trading, “front-running” (i.e., personal trades
executed prior to those of the Firm’s clients) and other potentially abusive practices.
The Firm has a personal securities transaction policy in place to monitor the personal securities transactions
and securities holdings of each of the Firm’s Access Persons, that is persons who have access to its nonpublic
information. The Firm’s securities transaction policy requests that an Access Person of the Firm provides the
Chief Compliance Officer or his designee with access to their current securities holdings as part of the
process of becoming an Access Person. Additionally, each Access Person provides the Chief Compliance
Officer or his designee with an electronic submission that is akin to a report of the Access Person’s current
securities holdings at least once each twelve (12) month period thereafter on a date the Firm selects.
The Firm can buy or sell securities, at or around the same time as those securities are recommended to
clients. This practice creates a situation where the Firm and its IARs are in a position to materially benefit
from the sale or purchase of those securities. Therefore, this situation creates a potential conflict of interest.
As indicated above, the Firm has a personal securities transaction policy in place to monitor the personal
securities transaction and securities holdings of each of PAG’s Access Persons.
• Review of Accounts
the periodic
reviews
include whether
the
client’s account
type
For those clients to whom PAG provides investment supervisory services, account reviews are conducted on
a periodic basis by the Firm and its IARs. All investment supervisory clients are advised that it remains their
responsibility to advise the Firm of any changes in their investment objectives and/or financial situation.
Part of
remains
in the best interest of the client and, if not, the client can be switched to an account with a different fee
structure and investment options.
All clients (in person or via telephone) are encouraged to review financial planning issues (to the extent
applicable), investment objectives and account performance with the Firm on an annual basis.
The Firm conducts account reviews on an other-than-periodic basis upon the occurrence of a triggering
event, such as a change in client investment objectives and/or financial situation, market corrections, and
client request. A client can request a meeting with their IAR at any time.
Clients are provided, at least quarterly, with written transaction confirmation notices and regular written
summary account statements directly from the custodian, and from the Firm in its capacity as
program sponsor. The Firm may also provide a written periodic report summarizing account activity
and performance.
• Client Referrals and Other Compensation
at
a
discount),
receives
certain
support
services
and/or products
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
As referenced above, the Firm receives an indirect economic benefit from LPL. The Firm, without cost
from
(and/or
LPL. PAG’s clients do not pay more for investment transactions effected and/or assets maintained at LPL as
29
result
of
this
arrangement.
is
no
corresponding
a
commitment
There
made by the Firm to LPL or any other entity to invest any specific amount or percentage
of client assets in any specific mutual funds, securities or other investment products as a result of the above
arrangement. Other custodians also provide similar indirect economic benefits, support services and
products, and do not require higher payments or fees or minimums. The Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer,
remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the above
arrangement and any corresponding perceived conflict of interest any such arrangement may create.
If a client is introduced to the Firm by either an unaffiliated or an affiliated solicitor, PAG pays that solicitor
a referral fee in accordance with the requirements of the Advisers Act, and any corresponding state securities
law requirements. Any such referral fee shall be paid solely from the Firm’s investment management fee,
and shall not result in any additional charge to the client. If the client is introduced to the Firm by an
unaffiliated solicitor, the solicitor, at the time of the solicitation, shall disclose the nature of his/her/its
solicitor relationship, and shall provide each prospective client with a copy of the Firm’s written disclosure
document and with a copy of the written disclosure statement disclosing the terms of the solicitation
arrangement between the Firm and the solicitor, including the compensation to be received by the solicitor
from the Firm.
If the Firm introduces a client to another investment adviser or an investment manager, the Firm is usually
paid a referral fee in accordance with the requirements pursuant to regulation under the Advisers Act, and
any corresponding state securities law requirements. Any such referral fee shall be paid according to a fee
disclosure statement provided to the client at the time that the referral is made. When the Firm is acting as
an unaffiliated source of referral, the Firm, at the time of the referral, shall disclose the nature of its solicitor
relationship, and shall provide each prospective client with a copy of the Firm’s written disclosure
documents and with a copy of a written disclosure statement disclosing the financial terms of the
arrangement between the Firm and the investment adviser or investment manager receiving the referral,
including the compensation to be received by the Firm.
PAG has joint marketing agreements with banking institutions such as banks, trust companies,
and credit unions. If a client is introduced to the Firm by a banking institution as a result of these joint
marketing agreements, PAG shares a portion of its investment management fee with that banking
institution in accordance with the requirements under the Advisers Act, and other federal and state
securities law requirements. Shared fees shall be paid solely from the Firm’s investment management fee,
and shall not result in any additional charge to the client. At the time that the client is introduced to the Firm
by a banking institution, the banking institution shall disclose the nature of its relationship, and shall
provide each prospective client with a copy of the Firm’s written disclosure document and with a copy of
the written disclosure statement disclosing the terms of the arrangement between the Firm and the banking
institution, including the compensation to be received by the banking institution from the Firm. Clients
should be aware that, even though a banking institution has referred the client to PAG, any investments
managed by the Firm are not deposits with the banking institution, are not guaranteed by the banking
institution, are not guaranteed by any governmental entity, and are subject to the same risks as any other
investments and can lose value. Conflict of Interest: The banking institution offers banking products and
services that are not services of PAG, and the banking institution can have a financial incentive to
recommend those products and services to the client instead of introducing the client to PAG.
of
Transition
Assistance
(discussed
in
Item
12
of
Conflicts of Interest: The Firm and its Dually Registered Persons have a financial incentive to join and
remain affiliated with LPL and to recommend that clients establish accounts with LPL through the
PAG’s
provision
Part 2A Brochure). LPL also provides other compensation to the Firm and its Dually Registered Persons,
including but not limited to, bonus payments, forgivable and non-forgivable loans, stock awards and
other benefits. This compensation is based on participation in advisory programs sponsored by LPL and
derived from advisory fees paid to LPL.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
30
for
the assets
The receipt of any such compensation creates a financial incentive for your IAR to recommend LPL as
custodian
in your advisory account and as advisory program sponsor.
We encourage you to discuss any such conflicts of interest with your IAR before making a decision to custody
your assets at LPL.
• Financial Information
• The Firm is not required to include its balance sheet for the most recent fiscal year.
• The Firm is unaware of any financial condition that is likely to impair its ability to meet its commitments
to clients.
• The Firm has not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition.
Any Questions?
The Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer, James Hooks, is available to address any questions that a client or prospective
client can have regarding the above disclosures and arrangements. Should a client or prospective client have any
questions, please contact Mr. Hooks at 973-538-7010.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
31
Additional Brochure: PART 2A - BROCHURE 0926 (2026-09-30)
View Document Text
Part 2A – Brochure
Private Advisor Group, LLC
SEC File Number 801–72060
Contact: James Hooks, Chief Compliance Officer
305 Madison Avenue
PO Box 1820
Morristown, NJ 07962
973-538-7010
privateadvisorgroup.com
Dated: September 30, 2026
the contents of
this Brochure, please contact us at
This brochure (“Brochure”) provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Private Advisor Group, LLC.
If you have any questions about
(973) 538-7010
or riacompliance@privateadvisorgroup.com. The information in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about Private Advisor Group, LLC also is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Registration as an investment adviser with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
When a registered investment adviser provides investment advisory services, it is a fiduciary under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) and has a duty to pursue its clients’ best interest and to make full and fair disclosure to its clients of all
material facts and conflicts of interest. The purpose of our disclosure documents is to disclose those material facts and conflicts
of interest.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
Item 2: Material Changes
This section describes all material changes to this Brochure since its last annual update filed on March 31, 2026:
• While not material, this Brochure contains several changes in order to enhance readability and
accessibility of information about the Firm’s investment advisory services.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
A. Methods of Analysis ....................................... 233
B. Investment Strategies ................................... 244
Item 3: Table of Contents
Item 1: Cover Page ...............................................1
Item 2: Material Changes .......................................2
C. Risks................................................................. 244
Item 3: Table of Contents.......................................3
Item 9: Disciplinary Information ......................... 266
Item 4: Advisory Business ......................................4
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities
A. Investment Advisory Services ........................... 4
and Affiliations ...................................... 277
B. Assets Under Management ............................. 14
A. PAG’s Other Financial Industry
Activities and Affiliations ............................... 277
Item 5: Fees and Compensation .......................... 145
A. General Discussion of Fees............................ 155
B. PAG’s IARs Other Financial Industry Activities
and Affiliations.................................................. 28
B. Investment Advisory Services Fees ................ 16
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in
C. Financial Planning and Consulting
Client Transactions and Personal Trading....30
Services Fees..................................................... 17
Item 12: Brokerage Practices ...............................30
D. Ticket Charges/Ticket Fees ............................. 17
A. Selection and Recommendation of
E. Third-party Asset Management Programs .... 18
Custodians and Best Execution ...................... 30
F. Discretion on Held-away Assets Fees............. 19
B. Aggregating Transactions ............................. 355
G. Retirement Plan Consulting Fees ................... 20
C. Opening Brokerage or Advisory Accounts
H. Deducting Advisory Fees from Accounts
with LPL or Another Custodian..................... 355
Held with Custodian ........................................ 20
Item 13: Review of Accounts ................................38
I. Dually Registered Persons and Custody
of Accounts ....................................................... 20
Item 14: Client Referrals and Other Compensation ..39
J. Calculation of Advisory Fees ........................... 21
Item 15: Custody ...............................................41
K. Commission Transactions............................... 21
Item 16: Investment Discretion .......................... 422
L. Insurance Consultation Services .................. 222
Item 17: Voting Client Securities ........................ 422
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side
Management ........................................... 23
Item 18: Financial Information........................... 433
Item 7: Types of Clients ..................................... 233
Any Questions? ................................................. 433
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies
and Risk of Loss ..................................... 233
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
Item 4: Advisory Business
Private Advisor Group, LLC ("PAG" or the “Firm”) is a limited liability company formed on September 2, 2010 in the
State of New Jersey. The Firm became registered as an investment adviser firm with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") in January 2011. The Firm is principally owned by PAG Holdings, LLC which is owned by PAG
Partnership Holdco, LLC. PAG Partnership Holdco, LLC is principally owned by PAG Legacy Partners, LLC, and by
Merchant Wealth Management Holdings 2, LLC, and LPL Capital Partners, Inc. PAG Legacy Partners, LLC is principally
owned by Patrick J. Sullivan, John Hyland, RJ Moore, James Perhacs, James D. Sullivan and Frank Smith. PAG
Holdings, LLC is the Firm’s Managing Member.
LPL Capital Partners, Inc. is an affiliate of LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”) and its ownership in the Firm’s indirect parent
company presents a conflict of interest through which the Firm could be incentivized to direct more of its business
to LPL. The Firm mitigates this conflict through its best execution reviews, due diligence, and independent structure
whereby its investment adviser representatives are able to select from a number of custodial options.
A. Investment Advisory Services
The Firm and its investment adviser representatives (“IARs”) offer a variety of discretionary and/or
non-discretionary investment advisory services on a wrap or non-wrap fee basis. This Brochure describes
the advisory programs and advisory services offered by the Firm on a non-wrap fee basis.
IAR Advisory Services
When providing investment services, PAG acts as a fiduciary and has a duty to advise the Client as a prudent
person would in accordance with the Client’s investment objectives and risk tolerance, and to pursue the
Client’s best interests. As discussed below, the Firm offers to its clients (individuals, business entities, trusts,
estates and charitable organizations, etc.):
•
Investment advisory services, which can be provided on a discretionary or nondiscretionary basis.
Discretionary advisory services are available on a wrap and non-wrap-free basis;
• Retirement plan consulting; and
• Financial planning and related consulting services.
The Firm works to provide investment advisory services specific to the needs of each client. Prior to providing
investment advisory services, an IAR discusses the client’s particular investment objectives and risk tolerances.
The IAR (under the Firm’s supervision) will assess the information provided by the client to determine which
advisory programs or advisory services offered through the Firm, if any, are appropriate to recommend. The
Firm’s advisory programs and services differ in that the Firm and its IARs participate in varying capacities,
whether as portfolio manager, adviser, co-adviser, or solicitor, depending on the program and the needs of or
direction provided by its clients. Any custodian or additional adviser involved in providing advice does so in
varying capacities as well, including sub-adviser, co-adviser, strategist or other advisory role. In addition, not all
programs or services available through the Firm are available through all of the Firm’s IARs. Clients should
discuss with their IAR what type of relationship and advice they seek from the Firm, the programs and services
available through their
IAR, paying particular attention to what programs are appropriate
for their investment objectives and risk tolerances and, if anyone other than the Firm is providing investment
advice, in what capacity each party is acting Clients select a portfolio manager with the help of their IAR. Clients
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
4
and
assign
different
assets
to
each
portfolio manager.
can select either (1) their IAR to act as their portfolio manager, (2) another person or entity
to act as their portfolio manager from among the programs available through the Firm, or (3) the WealthSuite
program offered by the Firm where PAG acts as portfolio manager. Clients may select more than one portfolio
manager
Regardless
of the portfolio manager selected, the IAR will serve as the communication channel for the client and the Firm
will supervise the relationship. Where the client selects WealthSuite as portfolio manager, the Firm’s
WealthSuite Investment Committee acts as supervisor.
Clients can at any time impose certain restrictions in writing on the Firm’s services. Each client is advised that it
remains his or her responsibility to promptly notify the Firm if there is ever any change in his or her financial
situation or investment objectives, so the Firm and its IARs can review and revise PAG’s previous
recommendations and services. The Firm and its IARs will maintain channels of communication with clients to
be available to discuss clients’ investments, investment objectives and risk tolerances. To the extent the Firm
utilizes a third-party manager, the Firm shall provide the third-party manager with each client’s particular
investment objective and risk tolerance. Any changes in the client’s financial situation or investment objectives
reported by the client to the Firm shall be communicated to the third-party manager within a reasonable period
of time.
If the Firm becomes aware that any activity described in this Brochure is no longer permitted under any relevant
law, the Firm will cease engaging in such activity.
WealthSuite
WealthSuite is a separately managed account program offered by the Firm, where the Firm acts as the portfolio
manager. WealthSuite is supported by the technology platforms developed and maintained by Orion Advisor
Solutions, Inc., Orion Advisor Technology, LLC, and/or Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC (collectively, "Orion").
WealthSuite portfolio offerings leverage the advice and expertise of the following strategists (the “Strategists”)
provided to the Firm in the form of model portfolios:
1. Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC (Fidelity Institutional Wealth Adviser LLC is an indirect,
wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC. As listed below, another division of FMR LLC acts as one of the
custodians for WealthSuite.),
2. BlackRock Fund Advisors,
Invesco Distributors, Inc.,
3.
4. WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc.,
5. First Trust Advisors, L.P.,
6. State Street Global,
7. LoCorr Funds,
8. Capital Group,
9. Franklin Templeton,
10. Orion, and
11. Goldman Sachs.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
5
WealthSuite portfolios are currently available through the following custodians: LPL, Fidelity Brokerage Services
LLC, and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Clients may access WealthSuite in either wrap or non-wrap fee accounts.
IARs using WealthSuite for their clients are assessed a program fee by the Firm, which decreases as the amount
of client assets managed by the IAR in WealthSuite increase. This creates a conflict of interest for the IAR to
recommend WealthSuite to his or her clients in order to decrease the cost of the program fee to the IAR.
WealthSuite is a proprietary program of the Firm. As a result, PAG receives a higher percentage of the revenue
from WealthSuite than it would with most other portfolio management programs, such as the ones managed or
sponsored by others (including the Custodian Programs or TAMPs). Generally, IARs (as opposed to the Firm) are
primarily responsible for assisting clients on the selection of the WealthSuite product, as opposed to a non-
proprietary program. IARs are primarily responsible for this type of decision regardless of whether the client
selects WealthSuite or a non-PAG program. The conflict of interest arising from the fact that WealthSuite is a
proprietary product of the Firm is mitigated because the IAR (as opposed to PAG) selects the program, as well as
the fact that IARs do not directly receive a portion of the revenue that the Firm receives from WealthSuite.
Furthermore, WealthSuite has lower asset management fees than certain Custodian Programs or TAMPs. As a
result, clients investing in non-WealthSuite products usually pay higher asset management fees. Additionally, a
conflict of interest arises from Fidelity, BlackRock, WisdomTree, First Trust, State Street Global Advisors and
LoCorr Funds payments to the Firm of a share of revenue, pursuant to each of their agreements to provide model
portfolios to the Firm that the Firm leverages as part of WealthSuite. In turn, PAG uses the payments to offset
the cost of the technology platform (maintained by Orion) that allows the delivery of WealthSuite to clients, as
well as to IARs to use with clients. There can be differences in the mutual fund share classes available through
different custodians, though PAG requires that WealthSuite strategists select the lowest cost share classes
available.
As noted above, the relationships with Fidelity, BlackRock, WisdomTree, First Trust, State Street Global Advisors
and LoCorr Funds present a conflict of interest in connection with the Fidelity, BlackRock, Invesco, WisdomTree,
First Trust, State Street Global Advisors and LoCorr Funds payments to the Firm of a share of revenue. A similar
conflict of interest also arises in connection with Invesco, which also makes a payment to the Firm of a share of
revenue. However, pursuant to the agreement between the Firm and Invesco to provide model portfolios to the
FIrm, Invesco begins to make the payment of a share of revenue to the Firm only when the WealthSuite portfolios
holds a certain threshold of shares of Invesco no-load mutual funds and ETFs. This threshold is calculated based
on the annual rate of the net asset value of these shares (no-load mutual funds and ETFs) and is calculated as a
total of assets across WealthSuite portfolios (not on a per-portfolio basis). PAG uses any share of revenue from
its relationship with Invesco to offset the cost of the technology platform (maintained by Orion) that allows the
delivery of WealthSuite to clients, as well as to IARs to use with clients.
Wrap Fee Advisory Programs
The Firm is a wrap fee program sponsor and participates in wrap fee programs sponsored by other firms. In a
wrap fee account, a client is charged a single bundled fee as a percentage of the assets managed in the wrap fee
program that can include advisory fees, transaction fees, and other expenses related to the wrap fee program.
The Firm offers advisory programs and advisory services on a wrap fee basis through: (1) the Private Advisor
Group Wrap Program (the “Program”) or (2) through a variety of managed portfolios or other advisory programs
available through the Firm’s custodians (“Custodian Programs”, also referred to as “Third Party Advisory
Programs”). The Firm also provides access to TAMPs (turnkey or third-party asset management programs) to its
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
6
clients on wrap fee basis. The Firm's wrap fee programs are described in detail in PAG's Wrap Brochure (see
below for a description of each). Each client will be provided with a copy of the appropriate brochure before or
at the time of the client entering into any such advisory program, which provide detailed information,
disclosures, and potential conflicts of interest related to each wrap fee program offered through The Firm.
• PAG Wrap Fee Brochure (the “Wrap Brochure”): Through the Program, the Firm’s
further described
in
IARs
advise clients on their account assets on a wrap fee basis. In addition to the Program, the Firm
offers the Custodian Programs and TAMPs on a wrap fee basis. Each of these wrap fee programs
are
the Wrap Brochure, a copy of which you may obtain at
privateadvisorgroup.com/pag-disclosure-documents or by contacting your IAR.
The Firm also offers clients access to wrap fee programs by other firms for which the Firm is neither a sponsor
nor compensated by the sponsor.
Solutions
–
Independent
Solutions
by
SEI
(available
• Managed Account Solutions by SEI (“MAS”): Through our relationship with SEI Investment Management Corp.
(“SIMC”), The Firm offers MAS, a wrap fee program sponsored by SIMC. The Firm’s advisory fee is separate from
the wrap fee charged by SIMC for MAS. Under MAS, the client enters into a tri-party investment management
agreement (“Managed Account Agreement”), which explains each party’s responsibilities and provides for the
management of client assets allocated to MAS in accordance with the terms of the Managed Account Agreement.
Through this agreement, the client appoints the Firm as their investment adviser to assist the client in selecting
an appropriate investment strategy for their portfolio. In MAS, clients pay a bundled wrap fee to SIMC for its
advisory services, the trade execution provided by SIMC’s affiliate SEI Investments Distribution Co. (“SIDCO”), a
registered broker-dealer. The Firm’s fee for its advisory services is separate from the fees charged to the client
by SIMC, and SIMC does not establish, review or approve the Firm’s fee (see Item 5 for more details on the Firm’s
fee). For additional detail on MAS, clients should review the current SIMC Wrap Fee Program Brochure: Managed
Account
at
Advisor
adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/brochure/105146), and any agreements or other disclosure documents provided to
client in connection with MAS.
IAR-Managed Program Wrap Accounts and Non-wrap Accounts
There is no significant difference between how the Firm’s IARs manage wrap fee accounts and IAR-managed non-
wrap fee accounts. However, as stated above, if a client determines to engage PAG on a wrap fee basis the client will
pay a single fee for investment management and most transaction fees. The services included in a wrap fee
agreement will depend upon each client’s particular need. If the client determines to engage The Firm on a non-
wrap fee basis the client will select individual services on an unbundled basis, paying for each service separately.
if
the client paid separately for
Note: When managing a client’s Program account on a wrap fee basis, the Firm shall receive, as payment
for its investment advisory services, the balance of the wrap fee after all other costs incorporated into the
wrap fee have been deducted. This presents a potential conflict of interest in that the Firm
has a potential disincentive to trade securities in the client account. In addition, the amount of
compensation received by the Firm as a result of the client’s participation in the Program may be more than
what the Firm would receive
investment management
and transaction fees.
© Private Advisor Group • privateadvisorgroup.com • 0926
7
Financial Planning and Consulting Services
To the extent requested by a client, the Firm can provide financial planning and/or consulting services (including
investment and non-investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance planning, etc.) on a stand-
alone fee basis. PAG’s planning and consulting fees are negotiable and depend upon the level and scope of the
service(s) required and the professional(s) rendering the service(s).
Prior to engaging the Firm to provide planning or consulting services, clients are generally required to enter into a
Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement with PAG setting forth the terms and conditions of the engagement
(including termination), describing the scope of the services to be provided, and the portion of the fee that is due
from the client prior to PAG commencing services. If requested by the client, PAG recommends the services of other
professionals for implementation purposes, including the Firm’s IARs in their individual capacities as registered
representatives of LPL and as licensed insurance agents. (See disclosures in Item 10). The client is under no
obligation to engage the services of any such recommended professional. The client retains absolute discretion over
all such implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from the Firm.
Discretion on Held-away Assets
When requested by a client, the Firm can provide discretionary investment management and periodic monitoring
by leveraging the order management system provided by Pontera Solutions Inc. with respect to certain accounts
(primarily 401(k) participant accounts, health savings accounts and other assets identified by the client) held with
custodians other than those referenced in Item 12 (“Held-Away Management Services”). In such instances, the Firm
will regularly review the available investment options in these accounts, monitor them, and rebalance and
implement its strategies as necessary in the same manner as if such accounts were held with a custodian referenced
in Item 12.
Clients contract directly with Pontera and should carefully review its terms of service. Further, clients should be
aware that Pontera may or may not have a relationship with the custodian or recordkeeper of the clients’ held-away
assets.
American Funds 529-F-2 Direct-at-fund Program
The Firm has entered into an agreement with American Funds Service Company (“AFS”) through which it makes
available to clients the 529-F-2 Direct-at-Fund program. The program is a non-discretionary, fee-based program
that facilitates investments into American Funds’ 529-F-2 share class offerings directly held at the American Funds.
AFS serves as the transfer agent for the program, and provides quarterly statements with automated fee-debiting.
Shares in this class do not have upfront or a contingent deferred sales charges and do not carry a 12b-1 fee but
may have slightly higher administrative costs than other share classes. Clients in this program should consult the
fund’s prospectus to have a better understanding of the costs and expenses of the specific mutual fund, including
the expenses of the 529-F-2 share class.
Annuity Allocation Services
Clients may grant the Firm discretion to: (a) select investment strategy allocations for clients' existing or new
variable annuity and fee-based variable annuity products; and (b) allocate among the investment strategy
allocations available from the specific annuity sponsor (collectively (a) and (b) are referred to as the "Annuity
Allocation Services"). In performing Annuity Allocation Services, the Firm will only consider the sub-account
options available within the specific annuity purchased by the client.
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If an annuity was purchased with retirement account assets, the client acknowledges that PAG did not exercise
discretionary control with respect to the purchase of the annuity. The Firm's Annuity Allocation Services are
limited to the ongoing management of investment allocations within the existing annuity contract.
Any changes in the client's annuity investments (re-allocations among investment strategy allocations) are
subject to the terms and conditions imposed by the applicable annuity sponsor, including any limitations on the
frequency of transfers, waiting periods, or restrictions on specific sub-account options.
The assets invested in any annuity product for which the Firm is providing Annuity Allocation Services are included
in the total assets on which the Firm's advisory fee is calculated. The Firm's advisory fee is separate from, and in
addition to, the management fees and expenses charged on a continuing basis by the annuity sponsor, insurance
company, and/or associated investment manager. Clients should understand that these layered fees reduce the
overall return on the annuity investment and should consider the cumulative cost of the advisory fee, mortality
and expense charges, sub-account management fees, and any rider costs when evaluating whether Annuity
Allocation Services are appropriate for their circumstances.
Certain insurance companies provide advisory annuities whereby the insurance company will deduct the advisory
fee directly from the client's annuity. Any advisory fee disbursement will impact any applicable living benefit
feature and will reduce the cash surrender value of the annuity contract and the net death benefit payable under
the contract. Clients should verify with their IAR whether the insurance company has been granted a Private Letter
Ruling from the Internal Revenue Service that allows advisory fee disbursements on variable annuity and
registered index-linked non-qualified contracts to not be considered distributions for federal income tax
purposes, provided they do not exceed an amount equal to an annual rate of 1.5% of the contract's value. Advisory
fee disbursements from nonqualified multi-year guaranteed contracts are considered distributions and may be
taxable to the client who owns the contract.
Generally, advisory fee disbursements are partial withdrawals under the terms of the contract, and the amount of
the advisory fee disbursement is included in the calculation of the free partial withdrawal amount permitted each
year without surrender charges. However, clients should refer to their annuity contract for specific details
regarding withdrawal provisions, surrender charges, and the impact of fee disbursements on contract benefits.
Annuities have inherent risks, will fluctuate in value, may incur losses based on the performance of selected
investments or investment strategy allocations, are suitable only as long-term investments, and should not be
viewed as short-term trading vehicles. Clients should carefully review the prospectus and other offering
documents for more information on annuities.
Fee-based variable annuities, due to their unique nature, must be maintained directly with the variable annuity
sponsor. Neither the IAR nor the Firm creates or forwards client account statements or confirmations relating to
variable annuities. This responsibility remains exclusively with the variable annuity sponsor. All subaccount
reallocations are directed to and executed at the variable annuity sponsor. Clients should discuss the benefits,
risks, and other disadvantages of fee-based variable annuities with their IARs.
Annuity Allocation Services are available only through the Firm's approved annuity platforms. For IAR-Only
Advisors, approved platforms currently include DPL, Lincoln Financial, and Nationwide. Dually Registered Persons
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must follow LPL's annuity order-entry and supervisory procedures for annuity transactions conducted through
LPL.
Alternative Investments
Through an arrangement with CAIS Capital, LLC and Capital Integration Systems LLC (collectively, "CAIS"), the
Firm makes available to eligible clients access to alternative investment offerings, including private equity funds,
private credit funds, hedge funds, and other privately offered investment vehicles. CAIS conducts initial and
ongoing due diligence (both investment and operational) on the offerings made available through its platform.
Alternative investments involve substantial risks that differ from traditional investments, including limited
liquidity, restrictions on transferability, complex tax considerations, limited regulatory oversight, and potential
loss of principal. Clients must meet applicable accredited investor, qualified client, or qualified purchaser
standards in order to invest, as set forth in the offering documents for each investment. Each client is required to
review and execute the relevant subscription documents and offering materials, which contain a detailed
description of the investment, its fees, its risks, and the qualifications required to invest.
Alternative investments held in client accounts are typically valued based on information received from the issuer,
fund manager, or third-party administrator, which valuations are generally received on a delayed basis (often a
month or more following the valuation date). The Firm relies on these valuations for purposes of calculating
advisory fees on assets allocated to alternative investments, and clients should understand that valuations of
these holdings may not reflect current market conditions at the time the advisory fee is calculated.
Third-party Asset Management Programs (“TAMPS”)
The Firm recommends or selects other investment advisers for its clients generally through Third-party Asset
Management Programs (“TAMPs”). Through these TAMPs, the Firm’s IARs provide ongoing investment advice to
clients that is tailored to the individual needs of those clients. As part of these TAMP services, the IAR typically
obtains the necessary financial data from the client, assists the client in determining the suitability of the program,
assists the client in setting an appropriate investment objective and risk tolerance and assists the client in opening
an account with the TAMP. In addition, depending on the type of program, the IAR is available to assist the client to
select a model portfolio of securities designed by the TAMP or select a portfolio management firm to provide
discretionary asset management services. It is the third-party investment adviser (and not PAG’s IARs) that has client
authority to purchase and sell securities on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis pursuant to investment
objective chosen by the client. This authorization will be set out in the TAMP client agreement. The brochure for the
particular TAMP will explain whether clients can impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of
securities. In particular, the Firm currently offers advisory services through TAMPs sponsored by, among others:
AssetMark, Brinker Capital, BTS Asset Management, Envestnet, Flexible Plan Investments, Orion Portfolio Solutions,
Manning & Napier, SEI Investments Management, Symmetry Partners LLC and Townsquare Capital LLC.
Clients should refer to the brochure, client agreement and other account paperwork for each TAMP for more detailed
information about the services available under the program. In addition, the Firm offers the same or similar TAMPs
on a wrap fee basis, which are described in the Wrap Brochure, a copy of which you may obtain at
privateadvisorgroup.com/pag-disclosure-documents or by contacting your IAR.
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Co-advisory, Referral and Solicitor Services
The Firm and its IARs act as referral agents or solicitors on behalf of certain third-party investment advisers pursuant
to a referral or solicitor agreement. Currently, the IAR provides the referred client a disclosure statement regarding
the role of the Firm and its IAR as a referral agent or solicitor, and the client engages the third-party investment
adviser for advisory services. See Item 14 below for more information about these referral services and the related
compensation.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
The Firm’s IARs, at times, assist clients that are trustees of retirement plans or other fiduciaries to retirement plans
(“Plans”) by providing fee-based consulting and/or advisory services. IARs perform one or more of the following
services, as selected by the client in the client agreement:
• Assistance in the preparation or review of an investment policy statement (“IPS”) for the Plan based upon
consultation with client to ascertain Plan’s investment objectives and constraints.
• Acting as a liaison between the Plan and service providers, product sponsors or vendors.
• Ongoing monitoring of investment managers or investments in relation to the criteria specified in the Plan’s
IPS or other written guidelines provided by the client to the IAR.
• Preparation of reports describing the performance of Plan investment manager(s) or investments, as well
as comparing the performance to benchmarks.
• Ongoing recommendations, for consideration and selection by client, about specific investments to be held
by the Plan or, in the case of a participant-directed defined contribution plan, to be made available
as investment options under the Plan.
• Training for the members of the Plan Committee with regard to their service on the Committee, including
education and consulting with respect to fiduciary responsibilities.
• Assistance in enrolling Plan participants in the Plan, including conducting an agreed upon number of
enrollment meetings. As part of such meetings, IARs generally provide participants with information about
the Plan, which includes information on the benefits of Plan participation, the benefits of increasing Plan
contributions, the impact of pre-retirement withdrawals on retirement income, the terms of the Plan and
the operation of the Plan.
• Assistance with investment education seminars and meetings for Plan participants. These meetings occur
on a group or individual basis and include information about the investment options under the Plan
(e.g., investment objectives, risk/return characteristics, and historical performance), investment concepts
(e.g., diversification, asset classes, and risk and return), and how to determine investment time horizons and
assess risk tolerance. Such meetings do not include specific investment advice about investment options
under the Plan as being appropriate for a particular participant.
• Assistance at client’s direction in making changes to investment options under the Plan.
• As part of the ongoing investment recommendation service set out above, assistance in identifying
investment options in connection with the “broad range” requirement of Section 404(c) of the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”).
• As part of the ongoing investment recommendation service set out above, assistance in identifying an
investment fund product or model portfolio in connection with the definition of a “Qualified Default
Investment Alternative” (“QDIA”) under ERISA.
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• Assistance with the preparation, distribution and evaluation of Request for Proposals, finalist interviews,
and conversion support in connection with vendor analysis and service provider support.
• Preparation of comparisons of Plan data (e.g., regarding fees and services and participant enrollment
and contributions) to data from the Plan’s prior years and/or a benchmark group of similar plans.
• Assistance in identifying the fees and other costs borne by the Plan for, as specified by client, investment
management, recordkeeping, participant education, participant communication and/or other services
provided with respect to the Plan.
• When engaged by the Plan or the participant to do so, IARs meet at times with Plan participants, upon
reasonable request, to collect information necessary to identify Plan participants’ investment objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, etc. Advisor will provide recommendations to assist the participant with his/her
Plan account. Plan participants retain sole discretion over the investment decisions in their accounts and
sole responsibility for implementing investment decisions in their accounts.
If the Plan makes available publicly traded employer stock (“company stock”) as an investment option under
the Plan, IARs do not provide investment advice regarding company stock and are not responsible for the
decision to offer company stock as an investment option. In addition, if participants in the Plan have the option
to invest the assets in their accounts through individual brokerage accounts, a mutual fund window,
or other similar arrangement, or can obtain participant loans, IARs do not usually provide any individualized
advice or recommendations to the participants regarding these decisions. Furthermore, unless engaged by the
Plan or the participant to do so, IARs do not provide individualized investment advice to Plan participants
regarding their Plan assets.
If a client elects to engage the Firm and its IARs to perform ongoing investment monitoring and ongoing
investment recommendation services in the client agreement, such services will constitute “investment advice”
under Section 3(21)(A) of ERISA. Therefore, PAG and its IARs will be deemed a “fiduciary” as such term is defined
under Section 3(21)(ii) of ERISA in connection with those services. Clients should understand that to the extent
PAG and its IARs are engaged to perform services other than ongoing investment monitoring and
recommendations, those services are not “investment advice” under ERISA and therefore, PAG and its IARs will
not be a “fiduciary” under ERISA with respect to those other services.
If a client elects to engage the Firm and its IARs to perform discretionary investment management services in
the client agreement, such services will be performed as an “investment manager” under Section 3(38) of ERISA.
Therefore, PAG and its IARs will be deemed a “fiduciary” as such term is defined under Section 3(38) of ERISA in
connection with those services. Clients should understand that to the extent PAG and its IARs are engaged to
perform services other than ongoing investment management, the Firm is not acting as an “investment
manager” under ERISA and therefore, PAG and its IARs will not be a “fiduciary” under ERISA with respect to those
other services.
Additional Information
• Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation Services.
If requested by the client, the Firm can provide consulting services regarding non-investment related
matters, such as estate planning, tax planning, insurance, etc. The Firm’s IARs may provide these services
in their individual capacities, separate and apart from the Firm, or arrange for a third-party to provide them,
either at an additional cost, included in an agreed upon fee, or at no addition cost to the Client. See Item 10
for additional discussion of these IAR activities. The Firm itself does not provide accounting, legal, or
insurance services.
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The Firm has engaged DPL for insurance consultation services. See Item 5 for further details.
To the extent requested by a client, the Firm can recommend the services of other professionals for certain
non-investment implementation purposes (i.e. attorneys, accountants, insurance, etc.), including IARs of
the Firm in their separate registered/licensed capacities as discussed below. The client is under no
obligation to engage the services of any such recommended professional. The client retains absolute
discretion over all such implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from
the Firm.
Note: If the client engages any such recommended professional, and a dispute arises thereafter relative
to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from and against the engaged
professional.
• Client Obligations.
In performing its services, PAG shall not be required to verify any information received from the client or
from the client’s other professionals, and is expressly authorized to rely thereon. Moreover, each client is
advised that it remains his/her/its responsibility to promptly notify the Firm if there is ever any change in his
or her or its financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising
PAG’s previous recommendations and services.
• Non-tradable Assets in Advisory Accounts.
Where appropriate, the Firm can recommend non-tradable assets such as annuities or structured products
for purchase in an advisory account. These assets are generally not subject to commissions, and no
commissions are paid to the IAR. Rather, such assets are included in the advisory fee calculation, and are
limited to a proportion that does not impair the PAG’s ability to allocate assets in the account.
401(K) Plan Participants Considering IAR Rollover
A participant in a qualified employer sponsored retirement plan (“Employer Retirement Plan”) can roll those
assets over into an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”). Plan participants are encouraged to consider the
advantages and disadvantages of an IRA rollover from their existing Employer Retirement Plan. A plan
participant leaving an employer typically has four non-exclusive options:
• Leave the money in the former Employer Retirement Plan, if permitted;
• Transfer the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is available and if rollovers are permitted;
• Rollover the assets to an IRA;
• Cash out (or distribute) the assets and pay the taxes due.
Investors usually face increased fees when they transfer retirement savings from their current Employer
Retirement Plan to an IRA. Investors should be aware that even if there are no costs associated with the
IRA rollover itself, there will be costs associated with account administration and investment management.
In addition to the fees charged by the Firm or another advisor, the underlying investment products (mutual fund,
ETF, annuity, or other investment) typically also charge management fees. Custodial fees also apply. Investing
through an IRA managed by the Firm is more expensive than the current Employer Retirement Plan.
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Prior to electing to rollover assets from the current Employer Retirement Plan to an IRA, an investor should
consider:
• The type of account investment management desired. For example, is assistance in the management of
investments desired on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis; or is a self- managed account preferred.
• Available investment choices.
• The professional assistance available to participants in the current Employer Retirement Plan when
compared to the advisory services offered by the Firm in an advised IRA account.
• The cost of advisory fees.
• Management expenses associated with the underlying investments in an IRA advisory account in
comparison to the underlying investment expenses associated with the current Employer Retirement Plan.
Often, the management expenses in the current Employer Retirement Plan are less expensive than in a
rollover IRA advisory account.
• Custodial charges in the advised IRA account in comparison to the current Employer Retirement Plan.
• Transaction charges associated with the advised IRA in comparison to the current Employer
Retirement Plan.
• The rules pertaining to the required minimum distributions (“RMD”) in the current Employer Retirement
Plan when compared to the advised IRA.
• Legal protections afforded to current Employer Retirement Plan participants in comparison to rollover
IRA account owners. Employer Retirement Plans have significant liability protection.
• The rules pertaining to beneficiaries of an IRA in comparison to the current Employer Retirement Plan
(inherited accounts).
• The loan provision associated with the current Employer Retirement Plan, if any. IRA accounts do not have
loan provisions.
• Employer Retirement Plans available from a new employer.
• Clients and prospective clients are encouraged to consult with an accountant, a tax advisor, the plan
administrator and/or legal counsel prior to rolling over assets from the current Employer Retirement Plan
to an advised IRA with the Firm.
B. Assets Under Management
As of June 30, 2026 the Firm had $57,703,120,794 in Assets Under Management with $12,084,550 managed on a
non-discretionary basis and $57,677,178,448 managed on a discretionary basis.
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Item 5: Fees and Compensation
A. General Discussion of Fees
The client can determine to engage the Firm to provide discretionary and/or non- discretionary investment
advisory services on a wrap or non- wrap fee basis.
The Firm generally charges a fee based on a percentage of the assets to be managed, which is typically
negotiated between the client and the IAR within in a range set by the Firm. The Firm may also charge fixed,
hourly, other fee arrangements as set forth in the client’s written agreement.. The Firm supervises its IARs and
these types of fee arrangements to address the conflicts of interest inherent in each fee type
Fee Differentials.
As indicated above, the Firm prices its services based upon various objective and subjective factors. As a result,
PAG’s clients could pay diverse fees based upon the market value of their assets, the complexity of the
engagement, and the level and scope of the overall investment advisory and/or consulting services to be
rendered. As a result of these factors, the services to be provided by the Firm to any particular client could be
available from other investment advisers at lower fees. All clients and prospective clients should be guided
accordingly.
Advisory Program Cost Differentials.
The Firm participates in several advisory programs with third-parties (e.g., LPL and other custodians), including
the Custodian Programs and TAMP Programs, which charge varying levels of program fees. When a client invests
through such advisory programs, an investment advisory or management fee is deducted from the assets placed
in that advisory program. The third-party advisory program retains a portion of the program fee, and a portion
of the program fee is paid to the Firm and its IARs. These varying levels of program fees provide an incentive or
disincentive for the Firm and its IARs to participate in or to recommend a particular advisory program. The
recommendation by a IAR that a client select a particular advisory program presents a conflict of interest, as the
Firm and IAR’s compensation provides an incentive to recommend an advisory program which pays the Firm
and IAR a higher portion of the program fee. All clients and prospective clients should be aware of these factors
in selecting an advisory program and in negotiating an investment advisory fee with their IAR and the Firm. The
Firm’s Custodian Programs are further described in the Wrap Brochure, a copy of which you may obtain at
privateadvisorgroup.com/pag-disclosure-documents or by contacting your IAR.
Securities-based Loans and Margin Loans.
Clients can have the opportunity to use margin loans in their investment accounts and be offered the
opportunity to obtain loans or lines of credit based on or secured by the assets held in their investment
accounts. When the Firm charges a fee based directly or indirectly on the amount of assets under management
in an investment account, the Firm and its IARs have an incentive to maintain a high level of assets in those
accounts, and PAG and its IARs have a conflict of interest when they advise a client to utilize a margin loan or a
securities based loan or assist the client to obtain such a loan for some specific purpose, rather than advising
the client to or assisting the client with withdrawing funds from such an investment account for that specific
purpose.
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Advisory Services vs. Brokerage Services
Clients should understand that the compensation the Firm receives for providing investment advisory services
differs from the compensation a broker-dealer receives for providing brokerage services on the same assets.
Advisory fees are typically calculated as a percentage of assets under management and are charged on an
ongoing basis, regardless of trading activity. Brokerage compensation, by contrast, is typically transaction-
based, paid through commissions or other transaction-related charges at the time a trade is executed.
Over time, the total compensation the Firm receives for managing a client's assets in an advisory account may
exceed the total compensation a broker-dealer would receive on the same assets in a brokerage account,
particularly for client portfolios with low trading frequency. Conversely, for some clients — such as those with
concentrated holdings, infrequent investment changes, or commission-based products such as certain
annuities — a brokerage relationship may result in lower total compensation than an advisory relationship.
Certain of the Firm's investment adviser representatives are also registered representatives of LPL and, in that
capacity, can offer brokerage services to clients in addition to the investment advisory services offered through
the Firm. These dually-registered persons have a financial incentive to recommend an advisory relationship
through the Firm rather than a brokerage relationship through LPL, or vice versa, based on the compensation
each capacity generates rather than on the client's specific circumstances. The Firm addresses this conflict by
requiring its investment adviser representatives to consider each client's specific facts and circumstances —
including the client's investment objectives, expected trading activity, time horizon, and the relative cost of each
option — in determining the most appropriate type of account for the client. Clients are not obligated to engage
the Firm for advisory services and are free to maintain a brokerage relationship through LPL or any other broker-
dealer of their choosing.
B. Investment Advisory Services Fees
If a client determines to engage the Firm to provide discretionary and/or non-discretionary investment advisory
services on a non-wrap fee basis, the Firm’s annual investment advisory fee shall be based
upon a percentage (%) of the market value and type of assets placed under the Firm’s management to be
charged quarterly in advance, and PAG’s IARs have discretion to negotiate a fee with a maximum of 2.00% (two
percent) for non-wrap accounts and 2.25% for wrap accounts. PAG’s annual investment advisory fee includes
investment management.
The client can negotiate the annual advisory fee based upon various objective and subjective factors including,
but not limited to, the types of assets being managed, the amount of the assets placed under the Firm’s direct
management and/or advisement, the complexity of the engagement, the level and scope of the overall
investment advisory services to be rendered, the amount of additional assets to be placed with the advisor
under management, and the existence of relationships with associations, organizations, or groups that may
generate additional assets.
Client accounts will be billed by the custodian directly for brokerage commissions and/or transaction fees
charged by the custodian. The Firm has the option to mutually agree with a client to charge that client a flat fee,
not based on a percentage of value and assets under the Firm’s management but rather a specific dollar amount
for a particular set of services for a specific period of time or for the duration of the relationship. As part of this
alternative fee, the Firm at times also agrees to charge a client an hourly fee for a particular set of services.
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for the Firm’s wrap
fee programs are discussed
in
the Wrap Brochure, available at
Fees
privateadvisorgroup.com/pag-disclosure-documents or by contacting your IAR.
C. Financial Planning and Consulting Services Fees
PAG, through its IARs, provides personal financial planning and consulting services tailored to the individual
needs of the client. The scope and duration of services varies and is determined between the client and IAR, and
may range from comprehensive financial planning to consulting on a particular issue, including focus on topics
such as retirement planning, education planning, estate planning, risk management planning, personal wealth
planning, tax planning, business planning, investment planning, divorce planning, or such other financial
planning or consulting services needs and may include delivery of a written financial plan or report depending
upon the scope of agreed upon services. Clients may elect to compensate PAG through a one-time fee, a fixed
hourly rate, installment payments, or may enroll in a subscription-based payment plan.
Client remains solely responsible for determining whether or not to implement an IAR’s recommendations and
taking all necessary steps to do so. PAG and IAR will not exercise investment discretion or implement any
investment advice or recommendations provided as part of the services. Rather, the services are offered as
point-in-time based consultations that are provided either on a one-time basis or periodically at such frequency
as requested by client, and do not include providing ongoing active investment management or monitoring
services. Moreover, to the extent that the services include consideration of a client’s group or individual qualified
retirement plan assets, this is not intended to result in PAG or IAR acting as a “fiduciary” as such term applies
under ERISA. Clients may elect to retain PAG and IAR to provide various securities and/or ongoing investment
management or monitoring services by enrolling in other programs available through PAG.
D. Ticket Charges/Ticket Fees
There are conflicts of interest to consider in connection with the selection of mutual funds and a specific
transaction cost commonly known as ticket charge or ticket fee associated with each mutual fund transaction.
Clients do not pay any ticket charges in their Program accounts or TAMP wrap fee program accounts, but IARs
pay these ticket charges to the custodian where the trades occur for each client account.
As background, custodians often make available mutual funds that offer various classes of shares. Some share
classes of a fund charge higher internal expenses, whereas other share classes of a fund charge lower internal
expenses. Institutional and advisory share classes (collectively, “institutional shares” or “institutional share
classes”) typically have lower expense ratios and are less costly for a client to hold than Class A shares or other
share classes that are eligible for purchase in an advisory account. In some instances, a mutual fund offers only
Class A Shares, but another similar mutual fund may be available that offers institutional shares.
Whether a mutual fund or a specific share class of a mutual fund incurs a ticket charge often depends on whether
the mutual fund or the mutual fund share class has 12b-1 fees (fees paid by the mutual fund to distributors of
the funds to cover the cost of distribution and/or shareholder services). For instance, where a mutual fund or
mutual fund share class has 12b-1 fees can correlate with no ticket charge. Additional fees that could have an
impact on whether a mutual fund or mutual share class have a ticket charge or not also include recordkeeping
fees to the custodian. Mutual funds and mutual fund share classes with no ticket fees (which can be described
as NTF shares) usually have higher fees and expense ratios, and the associated costs would be incurred by the
client. Mutual funds and mutual fund shares with ticket fees (which can be described as TF shares) usually have
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lower
fees to custodians
in
lower fees and expenses, which would lessen the associated fees and expense costs on the client. IARs will
the event that Clients hold NTF shares rather
generally pay
than TF shares; this presents a conflict of interest for certain IARs in favor of recommending NTF shares.
Clients should discuss the rationale behind the recommendation of NTF/TF shares with IARs.
As noted above, IARs, not the Firm, pay these ticket charges with respect to client Program accounts
and TAMP wrap fee program accounts. However, in the unlikely event of an IAR failing to make payment to
the Custodian, the Firm can be contractually responsible for the unpaid ticket charges. Clients should
understand that the cost to IARs of transaction charges can be a factor that influences IARs when deciding which
securities to select and how frequently to place transactions in these accounts. Client should understand that
another investment adviser may offer the same mutual fund at a lower overall cost to the investor than is
available through the custodian platforms with which the Firm has relationships.
is
The Firm has a policy that IARs recommend the lower cost share class reasonably available at the time through
located. Furthermore, the Firm conducts surveillance
the custodian where a client account
to test this policy and maintains a process to reasonably conduct conversions to the lower cost share class,
where applicable and possible depending on availability with an individual custodian.
We strongly encourage you to discuss with your IAR whether lower cost share classes are available with a
particular custodian or a particular managed account program; why the particular funds or other investments
that will be purchased or held in your account are appropriate for you in consideration of their expected holding
period, investment objective, risk tolerance, time horizon, financial condition, amount invested, trading
frequency, the amount of the advisory fee charged; whether you will pay higher internal fund
expenses in lieu of transaction charges that could adversely affect long-term performance; and relevant
tax considerations.
E. Third-party Asset Management Programs
For Third-party Asset Management Programs (“TAMPs”), clients pay an advisory fee as set out in the client
agreement with the TAMP sponsor. The fee is typically negotiated among the TAMP sponsor, the IAR and the
client. The TAMP sponsor establishes a fee schedule or sets a minimum or maximum fee. The TAMP fee schedule
will be set out in the Disclosure Brochure provided by the TAMP sponsor. The advisory fee typically is based on
the value of assets under management as valued by the custodian of the assets for the account and will vary by
program. The advisory fee typically will be deducted from the account by the custodian and paid quarterly in
arrears or in advance. The advisory fee is often paid to the TAMP sponsor, who in turn pays a portion to the Firm.
Generally, the Firm shares between 90% and 100% of the Firm’s portion of the fee with the IAR based on the
agreement between the Firm and the IAR. A TAMP account can be terminated by a party pursuant to the terms
outlined in the TAMP client agreement. The TAMP client agreement will explain how clients can obtain a refund
of any pre-paid fee if the agreement is terminated before the end of a billing period.
TAMP accounts are subject to additional fees and charges beyond the TAMP advisory fee, including, custodian
transactions charges, custody fees, and where the TAMP invests in mutual funds, ETFs or other pooled funds,
the underlying fund expenses borne by the client as the shareholder. While these underlying fund expenses are
not paid to the Firm or its IARs, they represent a second layer of fees in addition to the TAMP advisory fee, and
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clients should be aware that the same underlying funds may be available for direct purchase outside of the TAMP
programs.
If a client transfers into a TAMP account a previously purchased mutual fund, and there is an applicable
contingent deferred sales charge on the fund, client will pay that charge when the mutual fund is sold. If the
account is invested in a mutual fund that charges a fee if a redemption is made within a specific time period
after the investment, client will be charged a redemption fee. If a mutual fund has a frequent trading policy, the
policy can limit a client’s transactions in shares of the fund (e.g., for rebalancing, liquidations, deposits or tax
harvesting).
If the TAMP program is a wrap fee program, clients should understand that the wrap fee can cost the client more
than purchasing the program services separately, for example, paying fees for the advisory services of the TAMP
and IAR, plus commissions for each transaction in the account. Factors that bear upon the cost of the account
in relation to the cost of the same services purchased separately include the:
type and size of the account
•
types of securities in the account
•
• historical and or expected size or number of trades for the account, and
• number and range of supplementary advisory and client-related services provided to the client.
The investment products and services available to be purchased in TAMP program accounts can be purchased
by clients outside of a TAMP program account, through the Firm or through broker-dealers or other investment
firms not affiliated the Firm or the TAMP.
Alternative Investment Fees
Clients invested in alternative investments (including private equity funds, private credit funds, hedge funds,
and other privately offered investment vehicles) will be subject to management fees, performance-based fees,
and other fees and expenses charged by the fund manager or sponsor in addition to the Firm's advisory fee.
These fees and expenses are set forth in the offering materials for each investment and are in addition to the
advisory fee calculated on the client's account value. Clients should review the offering materials carefully to
understand the complete fee structure before investing.
F. Discretion on Held-away Assets Fees
The fee for Held Away Management services will be assessed and billed quarterly. Specifically, the exact amount
charged is determined by the daily average over the course of the quarter. The current exception for this is
directly managed held-away accounts (such as 401(k) plan participant accounts), which are determined by the
account value at the end of the quarter. In either case,
if the Firm only manages the client’s
assets for part of a quarter, the charge will be prorated. The advisory fee is a blended fee and is calculated
by assessing the percentage rates using the predefined levels of assets as set forth in the Client’s Investment
Advisory Agreement or Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement (as applicable) and applying the fee
to the daily average of the account value or the account value as of the last day of the previous quarter
(per the paragraph above), resulting in a combined weighted fee. For example, an account valued at $2,000,000
would pay an effective fee of 1% with the annual fee being $20,000 (a quarterly fee of $5,000). Investment
management fees are generally directly debited on a pro rata basis from client accounts. The exception for this
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is directly managed held-away accounts, such as 401(k)’s. As it is impossible to directly debit the fees from these
accounts, those fees will be assigned to the client’s taxable accounts on a pro-rata basis.
If the client does not have a taxable account, those fees will be billed directly to the client. Accounts initiated or
terminated during a calendar quarter will be charged a pro-rated fee based on the amount of time remaining in
the billing period. An account may be terminated with written notice at least 15 calendar days
in advance. Since fees are paid in arrears, no rebate will be needed upon termination of the account.
G. Retirement Plan Consulting Fees
Retirement Plan Consulting Fees are negotiated between the Plan and the IAR and are usually based on (i) a
percentage of Plan assets, (ii) an hourly rate, or (iii) a flat rate. Fees are payable in advance or in arrears on the
frequency (e.g., quarterly, monthly, etc.) agreed upon among the client, the Firm, and the IAR. For asset-based
fees, payment is calculated based on the value of the Plan assets as of the close of business on the last business
day of the period as valued by the custodian of the assets, unless the fee is paid through a third-party service
provider, in which case the provider’s calculation methodology applies. If fees are paid in advance and the client
agreement is terminated, the Plan will receive a prorated refund of any prepaid fees for services not yet
rendered.
Clients pay fees directly to the Firm or authorize a Plan service provider or custodian to debit the fee from the
Plan’s account and remit it to the Firm. Plans will incur additional fees and expenses imposed by third parties in
connection with investments recommended by the Firm, including fund or annuity subaccount management
fees, 12b-1 fees, and administrative servicing fees, plan recordkeeping, and variable annuity charges (such as
mortality, expense, administrative, rider, and excessive transfer charges) or pooled GIC fund management and
administrative fees. These fees are in addition to the Firm's advisory fee and are disclosed in the applicable
prospectus or offering materials, which Plans should review before investing. Because the Firm's fee is charged
in addition to these underlying investment expenses, Plans effectively pay two layers of fees on assets invested
in funds or annuity products.
H. Deducting Advisory Fees from Accounts Held with Custodian
Clients can elect to have the Firm’s advisory fees deducted from their account(s) held with the relevant
custodian. Both PAG’s Investment Advisory Agreement and the custodian/clearing agreement authorize the
custodian to debit the account for the amount of the Firm’s investment advisory fee and to directly remit that
management fee to the Firm in compliance with regulatory procedures. In the limited event that the Firm bills
the client directly, payment is due upon receipt of the Firm’s invoice. The Firm shall deduct fees and/or bill
clients quarterly in advance, based upon the market value of the assets on the last business day of the previous
quarter.
I. Dually Registered Persons and Custody of Accounts
Clients have the option of purchasing many of the securities and investment products that the Firm makes
available through another broker-dealer, another custodian, registered investment adviser or another financial
institution. However, if clients purchase these securities and investment products away from the Firm, clients
will not receive the benefit of ongoing advice and other services that the Firm provides. To determine whether
an IAR is a Dually Registered Person, clients should review his or her Part 2B Brochure Supplement, and if a client
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has not received a copy of that document, the client should contact the Firm using the information on the cover
page.
LPL is affiliated with The Private Trust Company, N.A., (“PTC”) a trust company licensed in all 50 states. When a
client elects to utilize LPL as custodian, LPL will direct the client’s IRA assets to be held at PTC to qualify for IRA
tax-advantaged status under the Internal Revenue Code. As such, clients may incur an annual IRA maintenance
fee charged by PTC, which is in addition to the Firm’s investment management fee. PTC may waive its annual
maintenance fee for certain conditions, and other custodians may charge similar fees that may be higher or
lower PTC’s.
J. Calculation of Advisory Fees
PAG’s annual investment advisory fee shall be prorated and paid quarterly, in advance, based upon
the market value of the assets on the last business day of the previous quarter. The Firm does not generally
require an annual minimum fee or asset level for investment advisory services. However, PAG, in its sole
discretion, can reduce its annual minimum fee and/or charge a lesser investment management fee based upon
certain criteria (i.e. anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated future additional assets, dollar amount of
assets to be managed, related accounts, account composition, negotiations with client, etc.). The Firm can
participate in programs sponsored by other entities that require a minimum asset level or
that charge a minimum fee, and clients should be aware that the imposition of minimum fees by another entity
can result in a higher fee being charged than is described in this brochure, particularly where partial withdrawals
by the client reduce asset levels.
The Investment Advisory Agreement between the Firm and the client will continue in effect until terminated by
either party by written notice in accordance with the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement. Following
receipt of notice of termination, the Firm shall refund the pro-rated portion of the advanced advisory fee paid
based upon the number of days remaining in the billing quarter.
and
prospective
clients
should
be
guided
accordingly.
Holding
Calculation of Advisory Fees Includes Cash Assets.
The Firm calculates advisory fees on all assets placed under its management, including cash held
in advisory accounts. Clients can consent to asset allocations that include certain amounts being held
as cash for short or long-term reasons, or can direct that assets be held in cash based on personal risk tolerance
or market conditions. The Firm will calculate advisory fees based on total assets in advisory accounts, and all
clients
large
cash balances for more than six months is not an effective investment strategy and the Firm discourages clients
from using investment accounts in this manner
K. Commission Transactions
In the event that the client desires, the client can engage certain of the Firm’s IARs, in their individual capacities
as registered representatives of LPL, an SEC-registered and FINRA member broker-dealer, to implement
investment recommendations on a commission basis. In the event the client chooses to purchase investment
products through LPL, LPL will charge brokerage commissions to effect securities transactions, a portion of
which commissions LPL shall pay to the LPL registered representatives who effectuated the purchase. Any
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payment of commissions to Dually Registered Persons would be through their role as registered representatives
of LPL, and the Firm would receive no part of those commissions.
The brokerage commissions charged by LPL can be higher or lower than those charged by other broker-dealers.
In addition, LPL, relative to mutual fund purchases with commissions, also receives, at times, additional ongoing
12b-1 trailing commission compensation directly from the mutual fund company during the period that the
client maintains the mutual fund investment in a brokerage relationship, and the Firm’s IARs who are Dually
Registered Persons may receive a portion of those additional ongoing 12b-1 trailing commission compensation
directly from the mutual fund company in their roles as registered representatives of LPL. In the event that the
Dually Registered Person collects a 12b-1 fee, it is not in his or her capacity as an IAR of the Firm, but rather in
his or her capacity as a registered representative of LPL.
Conflict of Interest: The recommendation that a client purchase a commission product from LPL presents
a conflict of interest to a Dually Registered Person, as the receipt of commissions provides an incentive to
recommend investment products based on commissions received in his or her role as a registered
representative of LPL, rather than on a particular client’s need. No client is under any obligation to purchase
any commission products from LPL.
When PAG’s IARs sell an investment product on a commission basis, the Firm does not charge an advisory fee in
addition to the commissions paid by the client for such product. When providing services on an advisory fee
basis, the Firm’s IARs do not also receive commission compensation for such advisory services. However, a client
may engage the Firm to provide investment management services on an advisory fee basis and separate from
such advisory services purchase an investment product from PAG’s IARs on a separate commission basis.
In addition to the fees charged by the Firm, clients can incur brokerage, custodian or mutual fund fees and
expenses. Some investments have additional fees embedded within the product. Please discuss your individual
account with your IAR. For additional information, please see Item 12-Brokerage Practices. In addition to
advisory fees, IARs who are Dually Registered Persons and/or licensed as insurance agents or brokers receive
additional compensation. These individuals implement investment recommendations for advisory clients and
receive separate yet customary compensation including, commissions, 12b-1 fees or other transaction related
compensation. These additional fees and expenses will increase the overall investment cost to the client. In the
event that the Dually Registered Person collects a brokerage commission, an insurance commission or 12b-1
fee, it is not in his capacity as an IAR of the Firm, but rather in his capacity as a registered representative of LPL
or licensed insurance agent.
Receipt of commissions and other transaction-based compensation presents a conflict of interest, as it gives the
Firm and Dually Registered Persons an incentive to recommend products based on compensation received. The
Firm addresses this conflict by disclosing brokerage and other expenses to clients, and clients receive
notification of brokerage commissions charged by the broker-dealer through which transactions are affected.
L. Insurance Consultation Services
The Firm has engaged for a fixed annual fee with DPL Financial Partners, LLC (“DPL”) to obtain membership
access to DPL’s platform of insurance consultation services. For providing platform services, DPL receives
service fees from the insurers that offer their products through the platform. These service fees are based on the
insurance premiums received by the insurers from DPL members’ clients. The Firm and its IARs receive a portion
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of the service fees from DPL for ongoing management and investment advisory services related to the insurance
products. The receipt of these fees and the payment of the membership fee present a conflict of interest where
PAG and its IARs have an incentive to recommend that clients purchase insurance products through DPL. Clients
are reminded that they can purchase insurance products from other insurance companies and platforms where
premiums may be higher or lower and features of policies may differ. DPL’s representatives are licensed
insurance producers and registered representatives of The Leaders Group, Inc., an unaffiliated SEC-registered
broker-dealer and FINRA member.
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
The Firm does not charge performance-based fees. Certain investment products that the Firm may recommend to
clients, including private funds, hedge funds, and certain alternative investments, charge performance-based fees
at the product level. These performance-based fees are charged by the product sponsor or fund manager and are
separate from the Firm's advisory fee. Information about any product-level performance fees is set forth in the
offering materials for the specific investment
The Firm and its IARs manage multiple client accounts with varying investment mandates and fee structures
(referred to as ‘side-by-side management’). This is a conflict of interest, as it creates a financial incentive for
providing preferential treatment to one account over others in terms of allocation of management time, resources,
investment opportunities, and trade execution. The Firm mitigates this conflict of interest by adopting and
implementing a Code of Ethics, by disclosing this conflict to clients, and by endeavoring to act in each client’s
best interest as a fiduciary. Additionally, IARs utilize similar research and resources for their client accounts and
aggregate client trades whenever possible.
Item 7: Types of Clients
The Firm’s clients shall generally include individuals, business entities, trusts, estates, charitable organizations,
pensions, and profit-sharing plans. The Firm does not generally require an annual minimum fee or minimum asset
level for investment advisory services. Certain investment programs or investment products require annual
minimum fees or minimum asset levels for participation. Clients should thoroughly review disclosure materials or
brochures and consult with their IAR about implications of such minimum requirements before investing in such
programs or products.
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
A. Methods of Analysis
The Firm utilizes the following methods of security analysis:
• Charting: analysis performed using patterns to identify current trends and trend reversals to forecast
the direction of prices
• Fundamental: analysis performed on historical and present data, with the goal of making financial
forecasts
• Technical: analysis performed on historical and present data, focusing on price and trade volume,
to forecast the direction of prices
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• Cyclical: analysis performed on historical relationships between price and market trends, to forecast
the direction of prices
• Asset Allocation: identifying an appropriate ratio of asset classes that are consistent with the client’s
investment goals and risk tolerance
B. Investment Strategies
The Firm utilizes the following investment strategies when implementing investment advice given
to clients:
• Long-term Purchases (securities held at least a year)
• Short-term Purchases (securities sold within a year)
• Trading (securities sold within thirty (30) days)
C. Risks
Investing in securities involves investment risks. Asset allocation, rebalancing, and diversification do not
guarantee against risk in broadly declining markets.
Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and it should not be assumed that future
performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment
strategies recommended or undertaken by the Firm) will be profitable or equal any specific performance
level(s).
The Firm’s investment strategies range from long-term to short-term holdings periods. Shorter-term strategies,
including trading strategies (which involve the purchase and sale of securities within a 30-day period), incur
higher transaction costs than longer-term strategies, which can adversely affect net returns over time.
The Firm allocates client investment assets across a range of investment vehicles, including individual equity
and fixed income securities, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end funds, and where
appropriate for qualified clients, alternative investments (including structured products, private funds, hedge
funds, and other privately offered investment vehicles). Allocations are made on a discretionary or non-
discretionary basis in accordance with the client’s investment objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, and other
relevant factors.
As disclosed above, the Firm may utilize leveraged long and short mutual funds and/ or exchange traded funds
that are designed to perform in either an: (1) inverse relationship to certain market indices (at a rate of 1 or more
times the inverse [opposite] result of the corresponding index) as an investment strategy and/or for the purpose
of hedging against downside market risk; and (2) enhanced relationship to certain market indices (at a rate of 1
or more times the actual result of the corresponding index) as an investment strategy and/or for the purpose of
increasing gains in an advancing market. There can be no assurance that any such strategy will prove profitable
or successful. In light of these enhanced risks/rewards, a client may direct the Firm, in writing, not to employ
any or all such strategies for his or her or its accounts.
While not an all-inclusive list, the following are types of investment risks that could affect the value of your
portfolio, depending on the selected investment product(s) and the portfolio of investments:
• Market Risk. This is the risk that the value of securities owned by an investor may go up or down, sometimes
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to
factors affecting
securities markets generally or
rapidly or unpredictably, due
particular industries.
•
Interest Rate Risk. This is the risk that fixed income securities will decline in value because of an increase
in interest rates; a bond or a fixed income fund with a longer duration will be more sensitive to changes in
interest rates than a bond or bond fund with a shorter duration.
• Credit Risk. This is the risk that an investor could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income
security is unable or unwilling to meet its financial obligations.
• Liquidity Risk. This is the risk that an investor would not be able to sell or redeem an investment quickly,
or would not be able to sell or redeem an investment quickly without significantly affecting the price.
Liquidity risk is heightened when markets are distressed. Generally, alternative investments have higher
liquidity risk than equities, fixed income securities or mutual funds or ETFs.
•
Specific Risk. This is the risk that the value of an individual security or particular type of security can
Issuer
be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a
-
whole.
•
Investment Company Risk. To the extent a client account invests in ETFs or other investment companies,
the account’s performance will be affected by the performance of those investment companies. Investments
in ETFs and other investment companies are subject to the risks of the investment companies’ investments,
as well as to the investment companies’ expenses. If a client account invests in investment companies, the
client account may receive distributions of taxable gains from portfolio transactions by that investment
company and may recognize taxable gains from transactions in shares of that investment company, which
would be taxable when distributed.
• Concentration Risk. To the extent a client account concentrates its investments by investing a significant
portion of its assets in the securities of a single issuer, industry, sector, country or region, the overall adverse
impact on the client of adverse developments in the business of such issuer, such industry or
such government could be considerably greater than if they did not concentrate their investments to
such an extent.
sectors. An individual sector, industry, or sub
-
-
• Sector Risk. To the extent a client account invests more heavily in particular sectors, industries, or sub
sectors of the market, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect
-
sector of the market may be
those sectors, industries, or sub
more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The several industries that constitute
a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. A client account’s
sectors do not perform as expected.
performance could be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub
Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or industries may adversely affect performance.
-
• Alternative Investment Risk. Alternative investments (including private funds, hedge funds, private equity
funds, and similar privately offered vehicles) involve risks that differ from traditional investments, including
limited liquidity and restrictions on transferability, valuation uncertainty (because valuations are typically
provided by the fund manager on a delayed basis and may not reflect current market conditions), restricted
redemption rights, complex fee structures including performance-based fees, limited regulatory oversight,
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and the potential for loss of the entire amount invested. Investors must meet applicable accreditation,
qualified client, or qualified purchaser standards to invest in these products.
•
Interval Fund Risk. Interval funds are a category of closed-end fund that offer periodic (typically quarterly)
repurchase opportunities to investors rather than continuous redemption. The amount of shares an interval
fund will repurchase in any given period is generally limited (often to 5% of outstanding shares), which can
prevent investors from exiting their position when they wish, particularly during periods of market stress.
Investors should generally consider interval fund investments to be illiquid.
• Cybersecurity Risk. The Firm's information and technology systems, and those of its custodians and service
providers, may be vulnerable to damage, interruption, or unauthorized access from cyber-attacks, which
could impair the Firm's operations or compromise the confidentiality of client information. The Firm has
implemented measures intended to address these risks, but no system can be guaranteed to be fully secure.
• Artificial Intelligence and Technology Risk. The Firm, its custodians, service providers, and the companies
in which clients are invested may utilize artificial intelligence and related technologies ("AI Technology") in
their operations, including in the areas of investment research, data analysis, client servicing, and portfolio
management. AI Technology is reliant on large volumes of data, which may contain inaccuracies, biases, or
gaps that could degrade the quality of outputs and lead to flawed analysis or decision-making. The use of AI
Technology may also raise privacy and data security concerns, as confidential information — including client
information — could be inadvertently exposed through input into AI systems or through unauthorized
access to AI platforms. Intellectual property, licensing, and regulatory frameworks governing AI Technology
are evolving rapidly, and new laws or regulations could affect the operations of the Firm, its service
providers, or the companies in which clients are invested. To the extent that competitors of such companies
adopt AI Technology more effectively, those companies could be placed at a competitive disadvantage. The
Firm has implemented internal policies governing the use of AI Technology by its personnel but cannot
guarantee that all risks associated with AI Technology will be fully mitigated.
Item 9: Disciplinary Information
Below is a summary of PAG’s material legal and disciplinary events during the last ten years. As of the date of this
Brochure, there are no such reportable events for PAG’s senior management personnel or those individuals in senior
management responsible for determining the general investment advice provided to PAG’s clients.
Securities and Exchange Commission
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On July 21, 2022, pursuant to a settlement, in which the Firm neither admitted or denied to the findings, the SEC
issued an administrative order (“the Order”) that found, among other things, the Firm failed to provide full and fair
disclosure regarding the conflicts associated with share classes with no transaction fees, or NTF shares, in wrap
accounts. The Order found that the Firm did not fulfill its duty of care and other obligations in connection with the
conflict. The Order also found that the Firm had not adopted and implemented written compliance policies and
procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act and the rules thereunder in connection
with its mutual fund selection practices in its wrap program and the related disclosures of its associated conflicts of
interest. The Order includes findings that PAG violated Section 206(2) of the Advisers Act, as well as Section 206(4)
of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder. These are not scienter-based violations. As part of the settlement,
26
the Firm agreed to pay a civil penalty of $5.8 million, to be disbursed to affected investors, along with other
undertakings.
As further highlighted in the Order, in 2017, the Firm proactively instituted a policy as a remedial measure that
mitigated the conflict. The full text of the order is available here: sec.gov/litigation/admin/2022/ia-6069.pdf.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Firm paid a $20,000 administrative penalty in 2017 to the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities
in connection with its failure to register an IAR with a place of business in Pennsylvania.
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
A. PAG’s Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
• Affiliated Broker-dealers.
PAG Financial, LLC is a FINRA registered broker-dealer, and is under common control with the Firm.
PAG Holdings, LLC owns 100% of PAG Financial, LLC. PAG Financial, LLC does not have any retail or
institutional customers, and does not serve as custodian for any investment adviser assets. The Firm
has not identified any conflicts of interest that could impact the Firm’s relationship with its clients
but continues to periodically evaluate any potential conflicts of interest that could arise based on
this affiliate relationship.
LPL, is a FINRA registered broker-dealer and an SEC-registered investment adviser. LPL Capital
Partners, Inc. an affiliate of LPL, holds an indirect ownership interest in the Firm through PAG
Partnership Holdco, LLC, the Firm’s indirect parent. This ownership relationship presents a conflict
of interest in that the Firm could be incentivized to direct more of its business to LPL than it
otherwise would. The Firm addresses this conflict through its best execution reviews, due diligence,
and independent structure under which the Firm’s investment adviser representatives are able to
select from a number of custodians (see Item 12).
• Affiliated Investment Adviser.
Private Advisor Network, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser, and is under common control
with the Firm. PAG Holdings, LLC owns 100% of Private Advisor Network, LLC. Private Advisor
Network, LLC does not have any retail or institutional customers, and is not currently providing
advisory services. The Firm has not identified any conflicts of interest that could impact the Firm’s
relationship with its clients but continues to periodically evaluate any potential conflicts of interest
that could arise based on this affiliate relationship.
• Recommendation or Selection of Other Non-Affiliated Investment Advisers. As described in Item 4, the
Firm recommends or selects other investment advisers for its clients, generally through Third-party Asset
Management Programs (TAMPs). The Firm also may refer clients to other investment advisers under a
solicitor or promoter arrangement (see Item 14).
• Other Activities and Affiliations. The Firm is required to disclose that it does not engage in certain activities.
The Firm, its management persons, and its IARs, are not registered as a futures commission merchant,
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commodity pool operator, a commodity trading adviser, or a representative of the same, and no such
applications are pending.
B. PAG’s IARs Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
• Affiliations and Activities of Individual IARs
• Registered Representatives of LPL. Certain of the Firm’s IARs are Dually Registered Persons with LPL.
LPL is an SEC-registered and FINRA member broker-dealer. As discussed above, the LPL Capital Partners,
Inc (an affiliate of LPL) holds an indirect ownership interest in the Firm. Please refer to Item 12 of this
Brochure for a discussion of the benefits that Dually Registered Persons can receive from LPL and the
conflicts of interest associated with receipt of such benefits. Clients can choose to engage PAG’s Dually
Registered Persons in their individual capacities as registered representatives of LPL, to implement
investment recommendations on a commission basis.
• Licensed Insurance Agents. Certain of PAG’s IARs, in their individual capacities, are licensed insurance
agents, and may recommend the purchase of certain insurance-related products on a commission basis.
As referenced in Item 4.B above, clients can engage certain of PAG’s IARs to purchase insurance products
on a commission basis.
Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by PAG’s IARs that a client purchase a securities and/or
insurance commission product presents a conflict of interest, as the receipt of commissions may
provide an incentive to recommend investment products based on commissions received, rather
than on a particular client’s need. No client is under any obligation to purchase any commission-
based products from PAG’s IARs. Clients are reminded that they can purchase investment products
recommended by PAG through other, non-affiliated broker-dealers or insurance agents.
• Licensed Attorneys. Certain of PAG’s IARs are licensed attorneys and may, in their individual capacities,
provide legal services to PAG’s clients. To the extent that a client specifically requests legal or estate
planning services, the Firm can recommend the services of an attorney, including certain of PAG’s IARs
in their individual capacities as licensed attorneys. Any such legal services shall be rendered
independent of the Firm pursuant to a separate agreement between the client and the attorney. The
Firm shall not receive any of the fees charged by the attorney, referral or otherwise.
• Employees or Affiliates of Banks. Certain of PAG’s IARs are employees or affiliates of banks, and can
recommend the use or purchase of certain bank products or services.
Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by these IARs that a client use or purchase of certain
bank products or services presents a conflict of interest, as a bank employee may have an incentive
based on his employment to recommend the use or purchase of certain bank products or services
rather than on a particular client’s need. No client is under any obligation to use or purchase of any
bank products or services. Clients are reminded that they may patronize any bank and are not
required to use or purchase any banking products or services recommended by the IAR. In addition,
a IAR’s employment by a bank does not mean that investments made through him are deposits with
the bank, or obligations of the bank or are guaranteed by the bank or any governmental agency.
Investments are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount
invested.
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• Other Investment Adviser Firm. Certain of PAG’s IARs also serve as investment adviser representatives
of other registered investment advisers. These IARs may refer certain clients to those other investment
advisers for advisory services.
• Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by these IARs that a client engage the investment advisory
services of another investment adviser presents a conflict of interest, as these IARs may receive a direct
economic benefit from any such referral. No client is under any obligation to engage the services of
another investment adviser. Real Estate broker or dealer. Certain of PAG’s IARs also serve as real estate
brokers or dealers or as owners or investors in real estate investments. These IARs may recommend the
purchase, sale, rental of or investment in real estate.
Conflict of Interest: The recommendation by these IARs of the purchase, sale, rental of or
investment in real estate Such advice presents a conflict of interest, as the receipt of commissions
may provide an incentive to recommend real estate based on commissions to be received, rather
than on a particular client’s need. In addition, holding an ownership interest in real estate
investment being offered to a client also presents a conflict of interest. No client is under any
obligation to purchase or rent any real estate from or invest in real estate with these IARs. Clients
are reminded that they may purchase or rent any real estate recommended by these IARs through
other real estate agents, and that they may invest in other real estate ventures.
• Accountants and Certified Public Accountants. Certain of PAG’s IARs are accountants, Certified Public
Accountants and/or Enrolled Agents. To the extent that these IARs provide accounting services (which
may include tax advice) to any clients, including clients of the Firm, all such services shall be performed
by those IARs in their individual professional capacities, independent of the Firm, for which services PAG
shall not receive any portion of the fees charged by the IAR (referral or otherwise). It is expected that
these IARs, solely incidental to their practices as accountants, may recommend the Firm’s services to
certain of their clients. No client of PAG is under any obligation to use the accounting services of these
IARs.
• Determining Affiliations and Activities of Individual IARs
PAG prepares a Form ADV Part 2B Brochure Supplement (“Brochure Supplement”) for each of PAG’s IARs,
which includes information regarding the IAR’s education, business experience, disciplinary information,
other business activities, conflicts of interest, additional compensation, and supervision. PAG’s IARs are
required to provide clients with a current Brochure Supplement when commencing an advisory relationship.
Please contact the Firm or your IAR if you did not receive your IAR’s Brochure Supplement. Clients also may
obtain additional information about PAG’s IARs, such as licenses, employment history, their regulatory
disciplinary information (if any), and whether he or she has received reportable complaints from investors
from the SEC at adviserinfo.sec.gov. To determine whether any of the Firm’s IARs servicing a client’s
accounts are engaged in any activities that may create a conflict of interest, clients should review the
Brochure Supplements for those IARs. Clients of the Firm have their primary contact with the IAR of the Firm
who brings them onboard as a client. The IAR may recruit the client while with the Firm, or may have
recruited them while the IAR was affiliated with a previous broker-dealer or registered investment adviser,
and induced the client to continue that relationship with the IAR when the IAR became affiliated with the
Firm. PAG’s IARs have made individual decisions to affiliate with the Firm. Because each affiliation decision
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was made solely based on the business determination of the individual IAR and client, The Firm may be
limited in its ability to negotiate fees, etc., on behalf of its clients. Notwithstanding these limitations, the
Firm makes best effort attempts to negotiate fees with custodians, however, in certain instances, the Firm’s
IARs themselves have obtained discounted fees from a custodian. The Firm encourages clients to discuss
custodial fees and pricing with IARs.
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
The Firm has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act that applies to all supervised
persons of the Firm, including IARs. Among other things, PAG’s Code of Ethics serves to establish, maintain and
enforce (i) a standard of business conduct for all of PAG’s supervised persons that is based upon fundamental
principles of openness, integrity, honesty and trust; (ii) compliance by PAG’s supervised persons with Federal
securities laws; and (iii) an investment policy relative to personal securities transactions of PAG’s access persons. A
copy of the Code of Ethics, which is part of PAG’s Compliance Manual, is available upon request.
In accordance with Section 204A of the Advisers Act, the Firm also maintains and enforces written policies
reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material non-public information by the Firm or any person associated
with the Firm.
Neither the Firm nor any related person of PAG acts as a principal in transactions with client accounts, serves as a
general partner of any partnership in which client accounts are solicited to invest, or serves as an investment adviser
to any investment company that is recommended to client accounts.
The Firm and its IARs may from time to time buy or sell securities that are also recommended to clients, which
creates a situation creates a potential conflict of interest because the Firm and its IARs may benefit from market
activity following such recommendations. The Firm’s Code of Ethics and related policies and procedures address
this conflict by prohibiting practices such as “scalping” (recommending a security and then selling it at a profit
following the price movement caused by the recommendation), trading on material non-public information, “front-
running” (executing personal trades in advance of client trades in the same security).
The Firm has adopted a personal securities transaction policy that requires each Access Persons to submit to the
Chief Compliance Officer or designee an initial holdings report upon becoming an Access Person, an annual holdings
report each year thereafter, and quarterly transaction reports as required by Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act. The
Chief Compliance Officer reviews these reports for compliance with the Firm’s Code of Ethics and personal trading
policies.
Item 12: Brokerage Practices
A. Selection and Recommendation of Custodians, and Best Execution
The Firm recommends to all clients that all client investment funds be held by a custodian with which the client’s
account is carried on a fully-disclosed basis, and about which the client will receive regular statements from the
custodian. The Firm does not accept engagements with clients where clients’ funds are pooled into an omnibus
account. See Item 15.
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Clients may open brokerage accounts or advisory accounts, or some combination of each type of account based
on their individual needs. The ultimate decision to custody assets with a particular custodian is made by the
Firm’s clients (including those accounts under ERISA or IRA rules and regulations, in which case the
client is acting as either the plan sponsor or IRA accountholder). However, PAG’s IARs have significant impact on
the decision of which custodian is used. An IAR uses at least one custodian, and certain IARs use multiple
custodians.
PAG’s IARs who are Dually Registered Persons with LPL are not permitted to be registered with a broker-dealer
other than LPL, and generally may not advise on brokerage accounts away from LPL. However, when such IARs
desire to use a custodian other than LPL, the IAR must receive approval from LPL. PAG’s IARs who are not Dually
Registered Persons may advise on brokerage accounts at any custodian approved by the Firm. It is possible that
a client may wish their assets to be held by a custodian that the IAR does not have access to, though the Firm
does. In that event, the client could choose to switch IARs in order to access the particular custodian through
the Firm.
In the event that the client requests that the Firm recommend a custodian for execution and custodian services
(exclusive of those clients that may direct the Firm to use a specific custodian), the Firm’s IAR may recommend
that investment accounts be maintained at a custodian with which that IAR has experience. Prior to engaging
PAG to provide investment management services, the client will be required to enter into a formal Investment
Advisory Agreement with PAG setting forth the terms and conditions under which PAG shall manage the client’s
assets, and a separate custodian agreement with each designated custodian.
From time to time, the Firm evaluates its existing custodians and whether to permit use of additional custodians
by IARs. The custodians currently used by the Firm’s IARs include:
Interactive Brokers LLC
• LPL
• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
• Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC
•
• US Bank
• SEI Private Trust Company
• AssetMark Trust
• TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC
As noted in Item 4, AFS serves as the transfer agent to the 529-F-2 Direct-at-Fund programs and provides the
custodian services for clients invested in the American Funds 529-F-2 share classes.
comply
with
the
Firm’s
duty
to
obtain
best
execution,
a
Best Execution Considerations
Factors that the Firm considers in recommending a custodian (LPL and/or any other custodian) include
historical relationship with the Firm, eligible account types, financial strength, reputation, execution
capabilities, pricing, research, and service. Although the commissions and transaction fees paid by PAG’s clients
client
shall
may pay a commission that is higher than another qualified broker-dealer might charge to effect the same
transaction where the Firm determines, in good faith, that the commission and transaction fee is reasonable in
relation to the value of the brokerage and research services received. In seeking best execution, the
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determinative factor is not the lowest possible cost, but whether the transaction represents the best qualitative
execution, taking into consideration the full range of a broker-dealer’s services, including the value of research
provided, execution capability, commission rates, and responsiveness.
Accordingly, although PAG will seek competitive rates, it may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible
commission rates for client account transactions. The brokerage commissions or transaction fees charged by
the designated broker-dealer or custodian are exclusive of, and in addition to, PAG’s investment management
fee.
Mutual Fund Share Class
The Firm’s best execution responsibility is qualified if securities that it purchases for client accounts
are mutual funds that trade at net asset value as determined at the daily market close. Custodians may make
various share classes of mutual funds available to the Firm and its clients. Even though multiple share classes
are available from an investment product sponsor, a custodian may only make available a single share class or
a limited number of share classes on its platform. The Firm will select for purchase only share classes that are
no-load or load-waived share classes and therefore not subject to any upfront sales charge paid to the
investment sponsor, but may be subject to a transaction fee paid to the custodian.
Custodians may not choose to offer the least expensive share class that an investment product sponsor makes
available, but instead may select a share class that pays the custodian compensation for the administrative and
recordkeeping services that the custodian provides to the investment product sponsor. Other custodians
and financial services firms may offer the same mutual fund at a lower overall cost to the investor than is
available through the Firm or a particular custodian and the client should consider these factors in deciding
between types of investments, types of
investment products and types of investment accounts.
In reviewing mutual fund share class holdings in existing portfolios, the Firm evaluates the transaction costs of
switching between share classes and the investment horizon of the client to determine whether a client will
benefit from a particular transaction.
LPL Access to Client Information
As discussed in Item 10, certain associated persons of the Firm are registered representatives of LPL, and LPL
Capital Partners, an LPL affiliate, holds an indirect ownership interest in the Firm. As a result, LPL may have
access to certain confidential information (including financial information, investment objectives, transactions
and holdings) about the Firm’s clients, even if the client does not establish any account through LPL. A copy of
the LPL privacy policy is available at www.lpl.com.
Although not a material consideration when determining whether to recommend that a client utilize the services
of a particular custodian, the Firm may receive from LPL, without cost (and/or at a discount) support services
and/or products, certain of which assist the Firm to better monitor and service client accounts maintained at such
institutions. Included within the support services that may be obtained by the Firm may be investment-related
research, pricing information and market data, software and other technology that provide access to client
account data, compliance and/or practice management- related publications, discounted or gratis consulting
services, discounted and/or gratis attendance at conferences, meetings, and other educational and/or social
events, marketing support, computer hardware and/or software and/or other products used by PAG in furtherance
of its investment advisory business operations.
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As indicated above, certain of the support services and products that may be received may assist the Firm in
managing and administering client accounts. Others do not directly provide such assistance, but rather assist the
Firm to manage and further develop its business enterprise.
PAG’s clients do not pay more for investment transactions effected or assets maintained at LPL or PTC as a result
of this arrangement. There is no corresponding commitment made by the Firm to LPL, PTC or any custodians to
invest any specific amount or percentage of client assets in any specific mutual funds, securities or other
investment products as a result of the above arrangement.
In the event that the Firm’s clients utilize the services of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) or Fidelity
Brokerage Services, LLC (“Fidelity”) as a custodian, each may provide the Firm with access to its institutional
trading and custody services, which are typically not available to retail investors of those custodians. Schwab’s
services generally are available to independent registered investment advisers like the Firm on an unsolicited
basis, at no charge to them so long as a total of at least $10 million of the registered investment advisor’s clients’
assets are maintained in accounts at Schwab Institutional. Other custodians may provide similar services based
on maintaining similar levels of client assets with them, and clients should be aware that other custodians may
charge lower fees or higher fees for making services available, or may require a lower or higher level of assets to
be custodied with them. Fidelity and Schwab’s services include brokerage services that are related to the
execution of securities transactions, custody, research, including that in the form of advice, analyses and reports,
and access to mutual funds and other investments that are otherwise generally available only to institutional
investors or would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment. For client accounts of the Firm that
are maintained in their custody, Schwab and Fidelity do not generally charge separately for custody services but
are compensated by account holders through commissions or other transaction-related or asset-based fees for
securities trades that are executed through Schwab or Fidelity or that settle in Schwab of Fidelity accounts.
Custodians also make available to the Firm other products and services that benefit the Firm but may not benefit
its clients’ accounts. These benefits may include national, regional or PAG-specific educational events organized
and/ or sponsored by the custodian.
Custodian benefits may also include occasional business entertainment of the Firm's personnel, including meals,
attendance at sporting events, and similar gifts or entertainment, which the Firm addresses through its gifts and
entertainment policy. Other potential benefits may include occasional business entertainment of personnel of
the Firm by the custodian, including meals, invitations to sporting events, including golf tournaments, and other
forms of entertainment, some of which may accompany educational opportunities. Other such products and
services assist the Firm in managing and administering clients’ accounts. These include software and other
technology (and related technological training) that provide access to client account data (such as trade
confirmations and account statements), facilitate trade execution (and allocation of aggregated trade orders for
multiple client accounts), provide research, pricing information and other market data, facilitate payment of the
Firm’s fees from its clients’ accounts, and assist with back-office training and support functions, recordkeeping
and client reporting. Many of these services generally may be used to service all or some substantial number of
the Firm’s accounts, including accounts not maintained at the particular custodian.
The custodian also may make available to the Firm other services intended to help the Firm manage and further
develop its business enterprise. These services may include professional, compliance, legal and business
consulting, publications and conferences on practice management, information technology, business succession,
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regulatory compliance, employee benefits providers, human capital consultants, insurance and marketing. In
addition, custodians may make available, arrange and/ or pay vendors for these types of services rendered to the
Firm by independent third parties. The custodian may discount or waive fees it would otherwise charge for some
of these services or pay all or a part of the fees of a third-party providing these services to the Firm. The Firm’s
recommendation that clients maintain their assets in accounts at Schwab may be based in part on the benefit to
the Firm of the availability of some of the foregoing products and services and other arrangements and not solely
on the nature, cost or quality of custody and brokerage services provided by the custodian, which may create a
potential conflict of interest. From time to time, certain IARs of the Firm or groups of those IARs may receive
specific benefits from broker-dealers generally for those IARs to custody client assets with those broker-dealers at
a time when those IARs are changing their affiliations. LPL provides transition assistance payments in the form of
forgivable and non- forgivable loans to certain IARs of the Firm who are also registered representatives of LPL. All
such transition assistance payments are made to those persons in their capacities as registered representatives
of LPL.
The Firm and its IARs from time to time also receive reduced cost or free admission to educational events
sponsored by custodians.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
The Firm does not receive referrals of clients from broker-dealers.
Directed Brokerage
The Firm does not generally accept directed brokerage arrangements (i.e., where a client requires that account
transactions be affected through a specific broker-dealer). As discussed above, the Firm’s IARs who are Dually
Registered Persons are not generally permitted to participate in brokerage arrangements away from LPL. In
addition, the Firm has determined to follow a policy of requiring client assets to be held with its custodians on a
fully-disclosed basis, instead of in an omnibus account in the Firm’s name, to increase transparency and security
for clients, but at the cost of reducing the Firm’s capability and leverage to negotiate brokerage arrangements. In
client directed arrangements, the client will negotiate terms and arrangements for their account with their broker-
dealer, and PAG will not seek better pricing from other broker-dealers. PAG does not generally execute trades as
a block and allocate to individual accounts. The Firm also can execute away and pay to settle at a custodian,
currently the firm only does so in certain structured product transactions. In addition, custodying client assets in
individually identified accounts at specific custodians may limit the choice of investment products, such as classes
of mutual funds that are available on that custodian’s platform and may result in a client not being able to invest
in particular investment products or paying higher transaction fees based on the products that are made
available. As a result, client may pay higher commissions or other transaction costs or greater spreads, or receive
less favorable net prices, on transactions for the account than would otherwise be the case.
In the event that the client directs PAG to effect securities transactions for the client’s accounts through a specific
broker-dealer, the client correspondingly acknowledges that such direction may cause the accounts to incur
higher commissions or transaction costs than the accounts would otherwise incur had the client determined to
effect account transactions through alternative clearing arrangements that may be available through PAG. The
Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective client may
have regarding the above arrangement.
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Trade Error Policy.
PAG reimburses accounts for losses resulting from the Firm’s trade errors, but does not credit accounts for such
errors resulting in market gains. When applicable, the gains and losses are reconciled within the Firm’s custodian
firm account and the Firm and the custodian may retain the net losses, the custodia retains net gains.
Brokerage Commissions and/or Transaction Fee Differentials.
In most instances, custodians charge a brokerage commission or transactional fee or an asset-based fee, and
based on the investment product selected, that commission or transactional fee or asset-based fee is not identical
to other commissions or fees. Other products have higher or lower or zero commissions when compared at the
commission or fee level. Most custodians offer mutual funds with transactions fees and mutual funds without
transaction fees. Some custodians offer commission-free ETFs. Clients can inquire as to whether a transaction
incurred a transaction cost.
Custodian Cash Sweep Programs
Custodians operate cash sweep programs that automatically deposit uninvested client funds into depository
accounts at financial institutions affiliated with the custodian. The interest rate paid to clients on swept cash may
vary significantly across custodians is generally lower than the rate available from money market mutual funds,
treasury bills, or other cash equivalent investments available on the same platform. The Firm does not receive
direct compensation from custodian cash sweep programs, but the custodians' revenue from these programs may
subsidize other services that the custodians provide to the Firm at no charge or at a discount, which creates an
indirect financial incentive for the Firm to maintain client cash balances in custodian sweep programs rather than
alternative cash equivalents. Clients should consider the impact of cash and cash equivalent allocations on their
overall portfolio and discuss with their IAR whether higher-yielding cash alternatives may be appropriate for their
circumstances.
B. Aggregating Transactions
To the extent that the Firm provides investment management services to its clients, the transactions
for each client account generally will be effected independently, unless the Firm decides to purchase
or sell the same securities for several clients at approximately the same time. The Firm may (but is
not obligated to) combine or “bunch” such orders to obtain best execution, to negotiate more favorable
commission rates or to allocate equitably among the Firm’s clients differences in prices and commissions or
other transaction costs that might have been obtained had such orders been placed independently. Under this
procedure, transactions will be averaged as to price and will be allocated among clients in proportion to the
purchase and sale orders placed for each client account on any given day. The Firm shall not receive any
additional compensation or remuneration as a result of such aggregation.
C. Opening Brokerage or Advisory Accounts with LPL or Another Custodian
The Firm’s IARs will generally assist clients in establishing brokerage accounts and/or advisory accounts with
LPL or another custodian to maintain custody of clients’ assets and to effect
trades for
their accounts.
• LPL
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LPL provides brokerage and custodian services to independent investment advisory firms, including the
Firm. For the Firm’s accounts custodied at LPL, LPL generally is compensated by clients through
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commissions, trails, or other transaction-based fees for trades that are executed through LPL or that settle
into LPL accounts. In order for IRA accounts to qualify as for tax-favorable treatment under section 408(h) of
the Internal Revenue Code, LPL arranges for them to be held in custodial accounts with PTC, a banking
subsidiary of LPL, and PTC charges an annual account maintenance fee for its services. PTC waives its
annual account maintenance fee in certain circumstances. In addition, LPL also charges clients
miscellaneous fees and charges, such as account transfer fees. LPL may charge certain Dually Registered
Persons an asset-based administration fee for administrative services provided by LPL. Such administration
fees are not directly borne by clients, but may be taken into account when the Dually Registered Persons
negotiate the advisory fee with a client. As discussed in Items 4 and 10, LPL Capital Partners, an LPL affiliate,
holds an indirect ownership interest in the Firm.
While LPL does not participate in, or influence the formulation of, the investment advice that the Firm
provides, certain supervised persons of the Firm are Dually Registered Persons. Dually Registered Persons
are restricted by certain FINRA rules and policies from maintaining client accounts at another custodian or
executing client transactions in such client accounts through any broker-dealer/ custodian that is not
approved by LPL. As a result, the use of other trading platforms by Dually Registered Persons must be
approved not only by the Firm, but also by LPL.
Clients should also be aware that for accounts where LPL serves as the custodian, the Firm is limited to
offering services and investment vehicles that are approved by LPL, and may be prohibited from offering
services and investment vehicles that may be available through other broker-dealers and custodians, some
of which may be more suitable for a client’s portfolio than the services and investment vehicles offered
through LPL. Clients should also be aware that Dually Registered Persons are limited to offering services and
investment vehicles that are approved by LPL, even if those services or investment vehicles are offered on a
custodian platform away from LPL where the client maintains an account.
Clients should understand that other investment advisers may not require accounts to be custodied with
specific broker-dealers, may not employ Dually Registered Persons, or may maintain assets in individually
identified accounts.
Clients should also understand that LPL is responsible under FINRA rules for supervising certain business
activities of the Firm and its Dually Registered Persons that are conducted through custodians other than
LPL. LPL can charge a fee for its oversight of activities conducted through these other custodians, although
LPL may agree to waive this fee for certain Dually Registered Persons. This arrangement presents a conflict
of interest because the Firm and its Dually Registered Persons have a financial incentive to recommend that
clients maintain their accounts with LPL rather than with another broker-dealer/ custodian to avoid
incurring the oversight fee.
• Benefits Received by The Firm’s Personnel
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LPL makes available to the Firm various products and services designed to assist the Firm in managing
and administering client accounts. Many of these products and services may be used to service all or a
substantial number of the Firm’s accounts, including accounts not held with LPL. These include software
and other technology that provide access to client account data (such as trade confirmation and
account statements); facilitate trade execution (and aggregation and allocation of trade orders for
multiple client accounts); provide research, pricing information and other market data; facilitate
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payment of the Firm’s fees from its clients’ accounts; and assist with back-office functions;
recordkeeping and client reporting.
LPL also makes available to the Firm other services intended to help the Firm manage and further
develop its business. Some of these services assist the Firm to better monitor and service program
accounts maintained at LPL, however, many of these services benefit only the Firm, for example,
services that assist the Firm in growing its business. These support services and/or products may be
provided without cost, at a discount, and/or at a negotiated rate, and include practice management-
related publications; consulting services; attendance at conferences and seminars, meetings, and other
educational and/or social events; marketing support; and other products and services used by the Firm
in furtherance of the operation and development of its investment advisory business.
Where such services are provided by a third-party vendor, LPL will either make a payment
to the Firm to cover the cost of such services, reimburse the Firm for the cost associated with the
services, or pay the third-party vendor directly on behalf of the Firm.
The products and services described above are provided to the Firm as part of its overall relationship
with LPL. While as a fiduciary the Firm endeavors to act in its clients’ interest at all times, the receipt of
these benefits creates a conflict of interest because any advice from the Firm’s IAR that leads clients to
custody their assets at LPL is based in part on the benefit to the Firm of the availability of the foregoing
products and services and not solely on the nature, cost or quality of custody or brokerage services
provided by LPL. The Firm’s receipt of some of these benefits may be based on the amount of the Firm’s
advisory assets custodied on the LPL platform. The receipt of some of these benefits by a Dually
Registered Person is based on that person’s relationship with LPL and is provided to him or her through
his or her role as a registered representative of LPL.
• Transition Assistance Benefits
LPL provides various benefits and payments to Dually Registered Persons that are new to
the LPL platform to assist the Dually Registered Person with the costs (including foregone revenues
during account transition) associated with transitioning his or her business to the LPL platform
(collectively referred to as “Transition Assistance”). The proceeds of such Transition Assistance
payments are intended to be used for a variety of purposes, including but not necessarily limited to,
providing working capital to assist in funding the Dually Registered Person’s business, satisfying any
outstanding debt owed to the Dually Registered Person’s prior firm, offsetting account transfer fees
(ACATs) payable to LPL as a result of the Dually Registered Person’s clients transitioning to LPL’s
custodian platform, technology set-up fees, marketing and mailing costs, stationery and licensure
transfer fees, moving expenses, office space expenses, staffing support and termination fees associated
with moving accounts.
The amount of the Transition Assistance payments are often significant in relation to the overall revenue
earned or compensation received by the Dually Registered Person at his or her prior firm. Such payments
are generally based on the size of the Dually Registered Person’s business established at his or her prior
firm and/or assets under custody on the LPL. Please refer to the relevant Part 2B Brochure Supplement
for more information about the specific Transition Payments a specific Dually Registered Person is
receiving.
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Transition Assistance payments and other benefits are provided to Dually Registered Persons in their
capacity as registered representatives of LPL. However, the receipt of Transition Assistance by such
Dually Registered Persons creates a conflict of interest relating to the Firm’s advisory business because
it creates a financial incentive for the Firm’s IARs to recommend that its clients maintain their accounts
with LPL. In certain instances, the receipt of such benefits is dependent on a Dually Registered Person
maintaining his or her clients’ assets with LPL, or maintaining a certain level or client assets with LPL,
and therefore the Firm and its IARs have an incentive to recommend that clients maintain their account
with LPL in order to generate such benefits.
The Firm attempts to mitigate these conflicts of interest by evaluating and recommending that clients
use LPL’s services based on the benefits that such services provide to our clients, rather than the
Transition Assistance earned by any particular Dually Registered Persons. The Firm considers LPL’ s
historical relationship with the Firm, financial strength, reputation, execution capabilities, pricing,
research, and service when recommending or requiring that clients maintain accounts with LPL.
The Firm does not receive any part of the Transition Assistance paid to Dually Registered Persons, but
the Firm benefits from the Transition Assistance paid by LPL to Dually Registered Persons because the
payment of such Transition Assistance increases the Firm’s ability to attract new Dually Registered
Persons and thereby increase its assets under management. However, clients should be aware of this
conflict and take it into consideration in making a decision whether to engage the Firm for investment
advice and whether to custody their assets in a brokerage or advisory account at LPL.
The Firm provides Transition Assistance to certain registered persons in the form of forgivable loans
conditioned on the registered person remaining with the Firm to obtain the full value of
the loan forgiveness. The opportunity for loan forgiveness presents a conflict of interest by presenting a
financial incentive for the registered person to remain with the Firm whether or not it is advantageous
to his clients.
• Custodians Other than LPL
The Firm participates in various programs offered by its custodians that offer certain services to
independent investment advisers, including custody of securities, trade execution, clearance, and
settlement of transactions. (Please see additional disclosures under Item 14 below). In addition, some of the
same custodians used by the Firm and referenced in this Brochure are also used by the Firm through the
Custodian Programs. The Custodian Programs are further described in the Wrap Brochure, a copy of which
you may obtain at privateadvisorgroup.com/pag-disclosure-documents or by contacting your IAR.
Item 13: Review of Accounts
For those clients to whom PAG provides investment supervisory services, account reviews are conducted on a
periodic basis by the Firm and its IARs. All investment supervisory clients are advised that it remains their
responsibility to advise the Firm of any changes in their investment objectives and/or financial situation. Part of the
periodic reviews include whether the client’s account type remains in the best interest of the client and, if not, the
client can be switched to an account with a different fee structure and investment options.
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All clients (in person or via telephone) are encouraged to review financial planning issues (to the extent applicable),
investment objectives, and account performance with the Firm on an annual basis.
IARs conduct account reviews on an other-than-periodic basis upon the occurrence of a triggering event, such as a
change in client investment objectives and/or financial situation, market corrections, and client request. A client
can request a meeting with their IAR at any time.
Clients receive written transaction confirmations from the custodian after each transaction and written account
statements from the custodian on at least a quarterly basis. The Firm may also provide written periodic reports
summarizing account activity and performance.
Item 14: Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Custodian Arrangements
As part of its fiduciary duties to clients, the Firm endeavors at all times to put the interests of its clients first. Clients
should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by the Firm or its related persons
in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may indirectly influence the Firm’s choice of a particular
custodian for custody and brokerage services.
• LPL
As discussed in Items 10 and 12, LPL Capital Partners, Inc. (an LPL affiliate) holds an indirect ownership interest
in the Firm, and the Firm receives support services and/or products from LPL, without cost or at a discount.
PAG’s clients do not pay more for investment transactions effected or assets maintained at LPL as a result of this
arrangement, and there is no corresponding commitment by the Firm to LPL to invest any specific amount or
percentage of client assets in any specific products. The conflicts of interest arising from these relationships are
discussed in further detail in Items 10 and 12.
• Custodians other than LPL
The Firm also receives economic benefits from custodians other than LPL, including software, related support
systems, cash compensation to defray the Firm’s technology costs, financial start-up support, reimbursement
of clients transfer costs, and access to institutional trading, execution capabilities, and free or reduced
attendance at events sponsored by custodians. These benefits may influence the Firm’s recommendation of a
particular custodian, which creates a conflict of interest that is discussed in further detail in Item 12.
• Solicitor or Promoter Arrangements
From time to time, the Firm and/or its IARs enter into arrangements with clients, third parties or other financial
intermediaries for lead generation, client referrals or solicitation for program accounts (collectively,
“solicitation arrangements”). These solicitation arrangements range from largely impersonal referrals to
specific client introductions to Firm and its IARs. Under solicitation arrangements, the third parties and financial
intermediaries are independent contractors. In most cases, third parties are not advisory clients of PAG and do
not refer clients based on their experience with the Firm as advisory clients. The compensation paid under the
solicitation arrangements is structured in various ways, including a one-time fee, a flat fee per lead or referral,
and sharing a portion of the ongoing account fee. The Firm and its IARs may refer a clients other investment
advisers or investment managers, in which case the Firm is typically paid a referral fee by the other advisor. In
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the case of compensated referrals to or from the Firm or its IARs, compensation creates a conflict of interest that
can reasonably be assumed to bias the referrer in favor of the referee.
Some IARs have relationships with other professionals, such as accountants, lawyers, or tax advisors, in which
the professionals refer clients to IARs and in exchange the IARs refer clients to the professionals for their services.
These cross-referral arrangements are quid pro quo relationships that can give rise to similar conflicts as
compensated referrals.
Clients who are referred to the Firm by through a solicitation arrangement are required receive specific
disclosures at the time of the referral and should review such disclosures carefully to understand the referrer’s
relationship with the Firm.
• LPL Transition Assistance
LPL Compensation to Dually Registered Persons. In addition to the Transition Assistance described in Item
12, LPL provides various other forms of compensation to the Firm’s Dually Registered Persons, including bonus
payments, forgivable and non- forgivable loans, stock awards and other benefits. These payments may be based
on participation in LPL advisory programs or derived from advisory fees paid to LPL. The receipt of this
compensation creates a financial incentive for Dually Registered Persons to recommend LPL as custodian or
advisory program sponsor, in addition to the incentives created by the Transition Assistance. Clients should
discuss any such conflicts with their IAR before choosing to custody assets at LPL or use an LPL advisory
program.
• Gifts and Entertainment
The Firm,
its employees, and IARs receive additional compensation, business entertainment and
its
IARs
for
the costs associated with, education and
training events
for
technology-related costs,
such as
those
to build
gifts from product sponsors. However, such compensation may not be tied to the sales of any products.
Compensation includes such items as gifts valued at less than $500 annually, an occasional dinner or
ticket to a sporting event, or reimbursement in connection with conferences, educational meetings, customer
appreciation events, marketing events or advertising initiatives. Product sponsors also pay for, or reimburse
PAG and
that
are attended by PAG’s employees and IARs and for PAG-sponsored conferences and events. Any
such support payments are not tied to the sales of any products or client assets in the products. IARs
do not receive any portion of these payments. The Firm, its employees, and IARs also receive reimbursement
from product sponsors
systems,
tools and new features to aid in serving customers. Receipt of gifts and entertainment from product sponsors
creates a potential conflict of interest that may influence the Firm's or IARs' recommendations of those
sponsors' products. The Firm addresses this conflict through its gifts and entertainment policy, which imposes
limits on the types and values of gifts that may be accepted and requires reporting of gifts above applicable
thresholds.
• Other PAG Compensation
As detailed above, the Firm provides transition assistance to certain IARs, which creates a conflict
of interest in that an IAR has a financial incentive to recommend that a client open and maintain an account
with the Firm and to recommend switching investment products or services where a client’s current investment
options are not available through the Firm or its custodians, in order to receive the transition assistance, and in
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cases of businesses or products not supported by the Firm or its custodians, to further recommend that a client’s
current holdings be reinvested in an option that the Firm does support.
In limited cases, the Firm provides loans and other financial assistance to IARs. This presents a conflict of interest
as the Firm has an interest in collecting on the loan, which impacts its ability to objectively supervise the IAR.
• Ownership Interest in Doing-Business-As (“DBA”) Entities
Some IARs operate through independent practices with a separate Doing-Business-As (or “DBA”) designation. In
some cases, the Firm may partially or wholly own such practices, and have a financial interest in the business
success of the DBA as a whole, or in a particular element of the DBA via specific ownership interests in its
brokerage, advisory, insurance, or other financial services business (or any combination thereof). Clients should
ask their IAR about the extent to which the Firm has a financial interest in the IAR’s practice.
• Outside Business Activities
The Firm permits its IARs to engage in approved outside business activities (“OBA”). Disclosable OBAs are listed
on an individual IAR’s Brochure Supplement. In certain instances, IARs also engage in one-off business
transactions with clients, which do not qualify for disclosure as an OBA. As the existence of an OBA presents the
potential for a conflict of interest with the IAR’s advisory advice to clients, clients should review the IAR’s
Brochure Supplement and ask the IAR about any listed OBAs.
the Firm has determined
Item 15: Custody
The Firm does not have custody of client funds or securities–except in the limited circumstances detailed below.
All client investment funds are held by a custodian in accounts identified individually to the client and about
which the client will receive regular statements. Any funds being deposited for investment should be payable to the
custodian where the account is held, not to the Firm or one of its IARs. Although consolidating client assets in an
omnibus account could create
to
some marketplace advantages,
adopt a policy of using individual client accounts at an independent custodian to provide greater security and
transparency to its clients.
Clients are provided, at least quarterly, with written transaction confirmation notices and regular written summary
account statements directly from the broker-dealer, custodian or program sponsor for the client accounts. The Firm
has the ability to have its advisory fee for each client debited by the custodians on a quarterly basis. Where the Firm
has the ability to have its fees debited in this manner, it is deemed to have custody, but is not subject to surprise
audit. In some cases, payment of fees may be made directly to the Firm by clients, but never to IARs.
In February 2017, the SEC issued a no action letter (“Letter”) with respect to the Rule 206(4)-2 (“Custody Rule”) under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”). The Letter provided guidance on the Custody Rule as well as
clarified that an advisor who has the power to disburse client funds to a third party under a standing letter of
instruction (“SLOA”) is deemed to have custody. As such, our firm has adopted the following safeguards in
conjunction with our qualified custodians:
• The client provides an instruction to the qualified custodian, in writing, that includes the client’s signature, the
third-party’s name, and either the third-party’s address or the third-party’s account number at a custodian to
which the transfer should be directed.
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• The client authorizes the investment advisor, in writing, either on the qualified custodian’s form or separately,
to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or from time to time.
• The client’s qualified custodian performs appropriate verification of the instruction, such as a signature review
or other method to verify the client’s authorization, and provides a transfer of funds notice to the client promptly
after each transfer.
• The client has the ability to terminate or change the instruction to the client’s qualified custodian.
• The investment adviser has no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third-party,
the address, or any other information about the third-party contained in the client’s instruction.
• The investment adviser maintains records showing that the third-party is not a related party of the investment
adviser or located at the same address as the investment advisor.
• The client’s qualified custodian sends the client, in writing, an initial notice confirming the instruction and an
annual notice reconfirming the instruction.
The Firm may also provide a written periodic report summarizing account activity and performance.
Note: To the extent that the Firm provides clients with periodic account statements or reports, clients are urged
to compare any statement or report provided by the Firm with the account statements received from the
account custodian.
Note: The account custodian does not verify the accuracy of the Firm’s advisory fee calculation.
Item 16: Investment Discretion
The client can determine to engage the Firm to provide investment advisory services on a discretionary basis. Prior
to the Firm assuming discretionary authority over a client’s account, the client executes an Investment Advisory
Agreement, naming the Firm as the client’s agent and attorney-in-fact, granting the Firm full authority to buy, sell,
or otherwise effect investment transactions involving the assets in the client’s name found in the discretionary
account. Clients who engage the Firm on a discretionary basis may, at any time, impose restrictions, in writing, on
the Firm’s discretionary authority (i.e. limit the types/amounts of particular securities purchased for their account,
exclude the ability to purchase securities with an inverse relationship to the market, limit or proscribe the Firm’s use
of margin, etc.).
D. Non-Discretionary Service Limitations.
Clients that determine to engage the Firm on a non-discretionary investment advisory basis must be willing
to accept that the Firm cannot effect any account transactions without obtaining prior verbal consent from
the client for each transaction. Thus, in the event of a market correction during which the client is
unavailable, the Firm will be unable to effect any account transactions (as it would for its discretionary
clients) without first obtaining the client’s verbal consent.
Item 17: Voting Client Securities
• The Firm does not vote client proxies. Clients maintain exclusive responsibility for: (1) directing the manner in
which proxies solicited by issuers of securities beneficially owned by the client shall be voted, and (2) making all
elections relative to any mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, bankruptcy proceedings or other type events
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pertaining to the client’s investment assets.
• Clients will receive their proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian. Clients may contact the Firm
to discuss any questions they may have with a particular solicitation.
Item 18: Financial Information
• The Firm is not required to include its balance sheet for the most recent fiscal year.
• The Firm is unaware of any financial condition that is likely to impair its ability to meet its commitments
to clients.
• The Firm has not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition.
Any Questions?
The Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer, James Hooks, is available to address any questions that a client or prospective
client can have regarding the above disclosures and arrangements. Should a client or prospective client have any
questions, please contact Mr. Hooks at 973-538-7010.
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