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Item 1 – Cover Page
Rollins Financial Advisors, LLC
3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 500
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
404-892-7967
www.rollinsfinancial.com
July 2025
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of
Rollins Financial Advisors, LLC. If you have any questions about the contents of this
Brochure, please contact us at 404-892-7967 or at contact@rollinsfinancial.com. The
information in this Brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission or by any state securities authority.
Rollins Financial Advisors, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration of an
Investment Adviser does not imply any level of skill or training.
Additional information about Rollins Financial Advisors, LLC also is available on the SEC’s
website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
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Item 2 – Material Changes
Form ADV Part 2A requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when
information becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser’s
disclosure brochure, the adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description
of the material changes. Following is a summary of material changes since our last update on
March 18, 2025:
Item 4 – Added DOL Fiduciary disclosure language.
Item 12 – Added description of trade error correction process at Fidelity.
A current version of our Brochure may be obtained free of charge by contacting Eddie Wilcox
at 404-892-7967 or ewilcox@rollinsfinancial.com.
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Item 3 -Table of Contents
Item 1 – Cover Page ............................................................................................................................................... i
Item 2 – Material Changes ................................................................................................................................. ii
Item 4 – Advisory Business ............................................................................................................................... 1
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation .................................................................................................................... 3
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management ................................................... 4
Item 7 – Types of Clients .................................................................................................................................... 4
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ........................................... 4
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information .................................................................................................................. 7
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ............................................................ 7
Item 11 – Code of Ethics ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices ......................................................................................................................... 9
Item 13 – Review of Accounts ....................................................................................................................... 11
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation ........................................................................... 11
Item 15 – Custody .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Item 16 – Investment Discretion ................................................................................................................. 13
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities ............................................................................................................... 14
Item 18 – Financial Information ................................................................................................................... 15
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Item 4 – Advisory Business
Rollins Financial Advisors, LLC (hereinafter, “RF”) seeks to provide investment advice that
will meet individual client goals under a fee only system, taking the utmost care to enhance
each client’s financial position over the long term. RF acquired the investment advisory
business of Rollins Financial, Inc. which was founded in 1990.
Focus Financial Partners
RF is part of the Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus LLC”) partnership. Specifically, RF is
a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Focus LLC. Focus Financial Partners Inc. is the sole
managing member of Focus LLC. Ultimate governance of Focus LLC is conducted through the
board of directors at Ferdinand FFP Ultimate Holdings, LP. Focus LLC is majority-owned,
indirectly and collectively, by investment vehicles affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice,
LLC (“CD&R”). Investment vehicles affiliated with Stone Point Capital LLC (“Stone Point”) are
indirect owners of Focus LLC. Because RF is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus
LLC, CD&R and Stone Point investment vehicles are indirect owners of RF.
Focus LLC also owns other registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, pension
consultants, insurance firms, business managers and other firms (the “Focus Partners”),
most of which provide wealth management, benefit consulting and investment consulting
services to individuals, families, employers, and institutions. Some Focus Partners also
manage or advise limited partnerships, private funds, or investment companies as disclosed
on their respective Form ADVs.
RF is managed by Joseph R. Rollins, Robert E. Schultz III, Danielle Van Lear Schultz, and
Edward J. Wilcox (“RF Principals”), pursuant to a management agreement between RF
Partners, LLC and RF. The RF Principals serve as leaders and officers of RF and are
responsible for the management, supervision, and oversight of RF.
Types of Advisory Services
RF provides individual investment counseling and supervisory services, along with
commentaries on market performance and estimates for future trends. RF initially meets
with each client to determine the client’s financial objectives and other relevant factors that
should be considered in building the investment portfolio. Taking the information gleaned
from the initial meeting, and after further study of the client’s overall circumstances, RF will:
analyze existing assets, including allocation among asset classes; develop an asset allocation
plan for each client portfolio; and select equity and/or fixed income securities designated to
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assist the client in reaching his or her stated goals and objectives. Clients can instruct RF to
follow client directed investment restrictions or guidelines.
RF most often invests client assets in various mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. RF
does not currently typically recommend bonds, variable annuities or real estate
partnerships, but reviews and advises on existing client holdings in these instruments. If a
given situation warrants, RF will invest client funds in individual domestic or foreign
common stocks, preferred stocks, or certificates of deposit. Once the portfolio is constructed,
RF monitors the investments, their performance, and overall progress toward the stated
goals of the client on an ongoing basis. In addition to the foregoing, RF provides general
accounting and tax services.
We implement investment advice on behalf of certain clients in held-away accounts that are
maintained at independent third-party custodians. These held-away accounts are often
401(k) accounts, 529 plans and other assets that are not held at our primary custodian(s).
RF is a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(“ERISA”) with respect to investment management services and investment advice provided
to ERISA plan clients, including ERISA plan participants. RF is also a fiduciary under the
Internal Revenue Code (the “IRC”) with respect to investment management services and
investment advice provided to ERISA plans, ERISA plan participants, IRAs and IRA owners
(collectively, “Retirement Account Clients”). As such, RF is subject to specific duties and
obligations under ERISA and the IRC that include, among other things, prohibited transaction
rules which are intended to prohibit fiduciaries from acting on conflicts of interest. When a
fiduciary gives advice in which it has a conflict of interest, the fiduciary must either avoid or
eliminate the conflict or rely upon a prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”). When
Rollins provides investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or
individual retirement account, Rollins is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable,
which are laws governing retirement accounts. The way Rollins makes money creates some
conflicts with your interests, so Rollins operates under a special rule that requires Rollins to
act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.
As a fiduciary, we have duties of care and of loyalty to you and are subject to obligations
imposed on us by the federal and state securities laws. As a result, you have certain rights
that you cannot waive or limit by contract. Nothing in our agreement with you should be
interpreted as a limitation of our obligations under the federal and state securities laws or
as a waiver of any unwaivable rights you possess.
We help our clients obtain certain insurance solutions from unaffiliated, third-party
insurance brokers by introducing clients to our affiliate, Focus Risk Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a
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wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus Financial Partners, LLC. Please see
Items 5 and 10 for a fuller discussion of this service and other important information.
As of December 31, 2024, RF manages total discretionary assets of $1,382,588,015.
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
For our services, we charge a percentage of a client’s assets under our management,
generally determined in accordance with the following annual fee schedule:
Assets
$0 - $50,000
$50,001 - $100,000
$100,001 - $1,000,000
$1,000,001 - $3,000,000
over $3,000,000
Rate*
1.50%
1.25%
1.00%
0.75%
0.50%
*Specified rate applies only to assets in that tier.
A minimum portfolio size and minimum annual fees may apply, at the discretion of RF.
However, under certain circumstances, portfolio size minimums and fees are negotiable.
Unless stated otherwise, it is RF’s policy is to include all related client accounts, specifically
the accounts of direct family members sharing the same residence address, for purposes of
determining a client’s market value of assets.
The specific manner in which fees are charged by RF is established in a client’s written
agreement with RF. RF will generally bill its fees on a quarterly basis in arrears each calendar
quarter. Clients may also elect to be billed directly for fees or to authorize RF to directly debit
fees from client accounts. Management fees shall be calculated based on the average daily
balance which aggregates the daily ending market values for a selected quarter and divides
that aggregate market value number by the number of days in the quarter. Fees for partial
quarters will be prorated. Cash, margined securities, and accrued interest will be included
for billing purposes unless we determine otherwise, in our sole discretion.
RF’s fees are exclusive of brokerage commissions, transaction fees, and other related costs
and expenses which shall be incurred by the client. Clients will incur certain charges imposed
by custodians, brokers, third party investment and other third parties such as fees charged
by managers, custodial fees, deferred sales charges, odd-lot differentials, transfer taxes,
short-term redemption fees, wire transfer and electronic fund fees, and other fees and taxes
on brokerage accounts and securities transactions. Mutual funds and exchange traded funds
also charge internal management fees, which are disclosed in a fund’s prospectus. Such
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charges, fees, and commissions are exclusive of and in addition to RF’s fee. RF does not
receive any portion of these commissions, fees, and costs.
Item 12 further describes the factors that RF considers in selecting or recommending broker-
dealers for client transactions and determining the reasonableness of their compensation
(e.g., commissions).
We help our clients obtain certain insurance solutions by introducing clients to our affiliate,
Focus Risk Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus
Financial Partners, LLC. FRS assists our clients with regulated insurance sales activity by
advising our clients on insurance matters and placing insurance products for them and/or
referring our clients to certain third-party insurance brokers (the “Brokers”), with whom
FRS has agreements, which either separately or together with FRS place insurance products
for them. FRS does not receive any compensation from the Brokers or any other third parties
for serving our clients. Additionally, in exchange for allowing certain of the Brokers to offer
their services to clients of other Focus firms, FRS receives periodic fees (the “Platform Fees”)
from such Brokers. The Platform Fees are expected to change over time. Such Platform Fees
are revenue for FRS and, ultimately, for our common parent company, Focus, but we do not
share in such revenue and no portion of the Platform Fees is attributable to our clients’ use
of the Brokers’ services. Further information on this service is available in Item 10 of this
Brochure.
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
RF does not charge any performance-based fees (fees based on a share of capital gains on or
capital appreciation of the assets of a client) or engage in side-by-side management.
Item 7 – Types of Clients
RF provides portfolio management services to individuals, high net worth individuals, and
corporate pension and profit-sharing plans. RF requires a minimum account size of $250,000
in order for you to open/maintain an account or establish a relationship. However, we may
reduce our minimum relationship size based upon certain criteria (i.e. additional assets,
anticipated future earning capacity, related accounts, or negotiations with the client).
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
To achieve the specific goals of each client account, RF directs client assets to be invested in
stock funds, fixed income (bond) funds, individual stocks, individual bonds, individual cash
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equivalent securities, commodity funds, real estate funds and alternative asset funds.
RF directs investments towards domestic investments, or international investments,
depending on market conditions. RF will also make judgments with regard to allocations
towards large, medium, and small-cap securities. In addition, analysis will be made regarding
the types of fixed-income investments that are appropriate given market conditions with
regard to each client’s situation.
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. The
likelihood of loss may be greater if you invest for a shorter time period. Principal risks
include the following: market and selection risk, investment style risk, small and mid-cap
risk, credit risk, foreign investment risk, commodity risk, interest rate risk, derivatives risk,
cybersecurity risk, and COVID-19 Outbreak and Other Public Health Risks.
Market and Selection Risk. Market risk is the risk that markets will go down in value. These
changes may be sharp and unpredictable. The financial problems in global economies over
the past several years may continue to cause high volatility in global financial markets,
including in the U.S. Selection risk is the risk that the investments that our portfolio managers
select will underperform the market or strategies managed by other investment managers
with similar investment objectives and investment strategies.
Investment Style Risk. The risk that returns from a particular investment style (e.g., growth
stocks vs. value stocks) will trail returns from the overall stock market.
Small and Mid-Cap Risk. Small and mid-cap companies are generally more vulnerable to
adverse business or economic developments than larger companies. They may also be less
liquid and more volatile than securities of larger companies or the market averages in
general.
Credit Risk. The risk that the issuer of a security, or the counterparty to a contract, will
default or otherwise become unable to honor a financial obligation. Credit risk is generally
higher for non-investment grade securities. The price of a security can be adversely affected
prior to actual default as its credit status deteriorates and the probability of default rises.
Foreign Investment Risk. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S.
entities with substantial foreign operations can involve additional risks relating to political,
economic, or regulatory conditions in foreign countries. These risks include fluctuations in
foreign currencies; withholding or other taxes; trading, settlement, custodial, and other
operational risks; and the less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards of
some foreign markets. One or more of these factors can make foreign investments, especially
those in emerging markets, more volatile and potentially less liquid than U.S. investments. In
addition, foreign markets can perform differently from the U.S. market.
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Commodity Risk. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject commodity portfolios
to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities, particularly if the investments
involve leverage.
Interest Rate Risk. The risk that debt prices overall will decline over short or even long
periods due to rising interest rates. A rise in rates typically causes a fall in bond values, while
a fall in rates typically causes a rise in bond values.
Derivatives Risk. The risk of investing in derivatives include liquidity, interest rate, market,
credit, and management risks, mispricing or improper valuation. Changes in the value of a
derivative may not correlate with the underlying asset, rate, or index, and you could lose
more than the principal amount invested.
Cybersecurity Risk. The computer systems, networks, and devices used by RF and service
providers to us and our clients to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of
protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network
failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and
security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized, systems, networks, or devices
potentially can be breached. Clients could be negatively impacted as a result of a
cybersecurity breach.
Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices;
infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut
down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access
or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact business
operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to a client; impediments to trading; the
inability by us and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable
privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or
other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release
of confidential information.
Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of
securities in which a client invests; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange
and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, and other financial
institutions; and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these
entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.
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Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
Registered investment advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal
or disciplinary events that would be material to your evaluation of RF or the integrity of RF’s
management. RF has no information applicable to this Item.
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Focus Financial Partners
As noted above in response to Item 4, certain investment vehicles affiliated with CD&R
collectively are indirect majority owners of Focus LLC, and certain investment vehicles
affiliated with Stone Point are indirect owners of Focus LLC. Because RF is an indirect,
wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus LLC, CD&R and Stone Point investment vehicles are
indirect owners of RF.
Focus Risk Solutions
We help our clients obtain certain insurance solutions by introducing clients to our affiliate,
Focus Risk Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus
Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus”). FRS assists our clients with regulated insurance sales
activity by advising our clients on insurance matters and placing insurance products for
them and/or referring our clients to certain third-party insurance brokers (the “Brokers”),
with whom FRS has agreements, which either separately or together with FRS place
insurance products for them.
Neither we nor FRS receives any compensation from the Brokers or any other third parties
for providing insurance solutions to our clients. For services provided by FRS to clients of
other Focus firms, FRS receives a percentage of the upfront commission or a percentage of
the ongoing premiums for policies successfully placed with insurance carriers on behalf of
referred clients. Additionally, in exchange for allowing certain of the Brokers to offer their
services to clients of other Focus firms, FRS receives periodic fees (the “Platform Fees”) from
such Brokers. The Platform Fees are expected to change over time. Such Platform Fees are
revenue for FRS and, ultimately, for our common parent company, Focus, but we do not share
in such revenue and no portion of the Platform Fees is attributable to our clients’ use of the
Brokers’ services. Such compensation to FRS, including the Platform Fees, is also revenue
for our common parent company, Focus. However, this compensation to FRS does not come
from insurance solutions provided to any of our clients. The volume generated by our
clients’ transactions does benefit FRS and Focus in attracting, retaining, and negotiating with
the Brokers and insurance carriers. We mitigate this conflict by: (1) fully and fairly
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disclosing the material facts concerning the above arrangements to our clients, including in
this Brochure; (2) offering FRS solutions to clients on a strictly nondiscretionary and fully
disclosed basis, and not as part of any discretionary investment services; and (3) not sharing
in any portion of the Platform Fees. Additionally, we note that clients who use FRS’s services
will receive product-specific disclosure from the Brokers and insurance carriers and other
unaffiliated third-party intermediaries that provide services to our clients.
The insurance premium is ultimately dictated by the insurance carrier, although in some
circumstances the Brokers or FRS may have the ability to influence an insurance carrier to
lower the premium of the policy. The final rate may be higher or lower than the prevailing
market rate. We can offer no assurances that the rates offered to you by the insurance carrier
are the lowest possible rates available in the marketplace.
Item 11 – Code of Ethics
RF has adopted a Code of Ethics for all supervised persons of the firm describing its high
standard of business conduct and fiduciary duty to its clients. The Code of Ethics includes
provisions relating to the confidentiality of client information, a prohibition on insider
trading, a prohibition of rumor mongering, restrictions on the acceptance of significant gifts
and the reporting of certain gifts and business entertainment items, and personal securities
trading procedures, among other things. All supervised persons at RF must acknowledge the
terms of the Code of Ethics annually, or as amended.
RF anticipates that, in appropriate circumstances, consistent with clients’ investment
objectives, it will cause accounts over which RF has management authority to effect, and will
recommend to investment advisory clients or prospective clients, the purchase or sale of
securities in which RF, its affiliates and/or clients, directly or indirectly, have a position of
interest. RF’s employees and persons associated with RF are required to follow RF’s Code of
Ethics. Subject to satisfying this policy and applicable laws, officers, directors, and employees
of RF and its affiliates may trade for their own accounts in securities which are recommended
to and/or purchased for RF’s clients.
The Code of Ethics is designed to assure that the personal securities transactions, activities
and interests of the employees of RF will not interfere with (i) making decisions in the best
interest of advisory clients and (ii) implementing such decisions while, at the same time,
allowing employees to invest for their own accounts. Under the Code, certain classes of
securities have been designated as exempt transactions, based upon a determination that
these would materially not interfere with the best interest of RF’s clients. The Code requires
employees to pre-clear transactions in private placements, IPOs and securities of issuers
where clients are insiders, and restricts trading in close proximity to client trading activity.
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Nonetheless, because the Code of Ethics in some circumstances would permit employees to
invest in the same securities as clients, there is a possibility that employees might benefit
from market activity by a client in a security held by an employee. Employee trading is
continually monitored under the Code of Ethics, and to reasonably prevent conflicts of
interest between RF and its clients. All trading activities of officers and employees are
reviewed by RF on a quarterly basis to monitor compliance with the Code of Ethics.
Certain affiliated accounts may trade in the same securities with client accounts on an
aggregated basis when consistent with RF’s obligation of best execution. In such
circumstances, the affiliated and client accounts will share commission costs equally and
receive securities at a total average price. RF will retain records of the trade order (specifying
each participating account) and its allocation, which will be completed prior to the entry of
the aggregated order. Completed orders will be allocated as specified in the initial trade
order. Partially filled orders will be allocated on a pro rata basis. Any exceptions will be
explained on the Order.
RF’s clients or prospective clients may request a copy of the firm's Code of Ethics by
contacting Eddie Wilcox.
It is RF’s policy that the firm will not effect any principal or agency cross securities
transactions for client accounts. RF will also not cross trades between client accounts.
Trade errors are generally corrected through using a “trade error” account, or similar
account, at the client’s custodian. Gains and losses resulting from trade errors settled in the
error account at Fidelity are netted and reset at the end of each quarter. RF is responsible for
covering any losses in the error account, while gains are “donated” and not kept by RF.
Conflicts of interest in maintaining a trade correction account are mitigated by RF’s
procedures designed to identify and resolve trade errors promptly, and the requirement that
Fidelity approve the trade error correction.
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
RF considers the following factors in selecting or recommending brokerage firms for your
transactions and in determining the reasonableness of the compensation or other
remuneration paid to the brokerage forms: quality of services provided, implementation
costs, value of research and other information provided, confidentiality of trading intentions,
investment styles (compatibility between RF and the brokerage firm), trade error resolution
process, ability to execute difficult trades.
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RF has established a Best Execution committee which periodically reviews our brokerage
practices and the reasonableness of compensation or other remuneration paid to brokerage
firms and monitors our efforts to seek best execution of client transactions.
Most investments made on behalf of client accounts are mutual funds; therefore, RF does not
have the ability to select the broker to execute the transaction. When individual securities
are selected for client accounts, the account custodian will generally execute the transaction.
All clients will have the opportunity to select the custodian and/or broker dealer of choice;
however, clients in need of custodial services will generally have Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
(“Schwab”) or Fidelity Investments, Inc. (“Fidelity”) recommended to them. If clients select
a custodian other than Schwab or Fidelity, RF may not have the opportunity to negotiate
commissions paid by the client, and RF’s ability to obtain best execution may be impaired.
RF participates in the Institutional programs of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and Fidelity
Investments, Inc., both FINRA members and registered broker-dealers. These service
programs are offered to independent investment advisers by the broker/dealers. As a
participant in the programs, RF receives some benefits.
RF does receive some benefits by its participation in the institutional programs of Charles
Schwab & Co. and Fidelity Investments, although there is no direct link between the
investment advice given and participation in the program. These benefits usually include:
receipt of duplicate client confirmations and bundled duplicate statements; access to market
and economic research reports; access to a service team and trading desk serving adviser
participants exclusively; access to block trading which provides the ability to aggregate
securities transactions and then allocate the appropriate shares to client accounts; access to
an electronic communications network for client order entry and account information;
receipt of compliance publications; and access to mutual funds which generally require
significantly higher minimum initial investments or are generally available only to
institutional investors. The benefits received through participation in the program do not
depend upon the proportion of transactions directed to these broker-dealers (e.g., they are
not “soft dollars”).
When given discretion to do so, RF will endeavor to select those brokers or dealers which
provide the best services at the lowest commission rates possible. The reasonableness of
commission is based on the broker’s ability to provide professional services, competitive
commission rates, research, and other services which will help RF in providing investment
advisory services to clients. RF may recommend (or use) the use of a broker-dealer who
provides useful research and securities transaction services even though a lower
commission may be charged by a different broker-dealer, who offers no research services
and minimal securities transaction assistance. Research services are useful in servicing all of
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RF’s clients, but not all such research may be useful for the account for which the particular
transaction was effected.
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
All accounts are reviewed in detail at least quarterly by RF, but interim reviews are triggered
by a number of factors. These factors include but are not limited to the following: change in
general circumstances, change in personal expense levels, changes in marital status,
retirement, economic developments, political changes, market conditions, etc. In addition,
RF evaluates the investment philosophy of the firm on an ongoing basis and performs
economic analysis for all accounts. The reviewers include Joseph R. Rollins, President/CEO,
Robert E. Schultz, III, Chief Operations Officer and Edward J. Wilcox, Chief Compliance
Officer.
Account custodians are responsible for providing monthly or quarterly account statements
which reflect the positions (and current pricing) in each account as well as transactions in
each account, including fees paid from an account. Account custodians also provide prompt
confirmations of all trading activity, and year-end tax statements, such as 1099 forms. In
addition, RF provides a quarterly report for each client. This report includes a summary of
portfolio holdings, gains, and losses for the period, interest, and dividends earned,
contributions and withdrawals for the period, investment management fees charged, and a
performance review. Additional reports are available upon request.
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
RF has arrangements in place with certain third parties, called promoters, under which such
promoters refer clients to us in exchange for a percentage of the advisory fees we collect
from such referred clients. Such compensation creates an incentive for the promoters to
refer clients to us, which is a conflict of interest for the promoters. Rule 206(4)-1 of the
Advisers Act addresses this conflict of interest by, among other things, requiring disclosure
of whether the promoter is a client or a non-client and a description of the material conflicts
of interest and material terms of the compensation arrangement with the promoter.
Accordingly, we require promoters to disclose to referred clients, in writing: whether the
promoter is a client or a non-client; that the promoter will be compensated for the referral;
the material conflicts of interest arising from the relationship and/or compensation
arrangement; and the material terms of the compensation arrangement, including a
description of the compensation to be provided for the referral.
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In addition, RF compensates its employees, including our portfolio managers, who refer
potential clients to us for our services. Thus, the employee will have a financial interest in
the selection of RF by the client for investment management services.
RF’s parent company is Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus”). From time to time, Focus
holds partnership meetings and other industry and best practices conferences, which
typically include RF, other Focus Partners, and external attendees. These meetings are first
and foremost intended to provide training or education to personnel of Focus Partners,
including RF. However, the meetings do provide sponsorship opportunities for asset
managers, asset custodians, vendors and other third-party service providers. Sponsorship
fees allow these companies to advertise their products and services to Focus Partners,
including RF. Although the participation of Focus Partner personnel in these meetings is not
preconditioned on the achievement of a sales target for any conference sponsor, this practice
could nonetheless be deemed a conflict as the marketing and education activities conducted,
and the access granted, at such meetings and conferences could cause RF to focus on those
conference sponsors in the course of its duties. Focus attempts to mitigate any such conflict
by allocating the sponsorship fees only to defraying the cost of the meeting or future
meetings and not as revenue for itself or any affiliate, including RF. Conference sponsorship
fees are not dependent on assets placed with any specific provider or revenue generated by
such asset placement.
The following entities have provided conference sponsorship to Focus from January 1, 2024
to February 1, 2025:
• Advent Software, Inc. (includes SS&C)
• BlackRock, Inc.
• Blackstone Administrative Services Partnership L.P.
• Capital Integration Systems LLC (CAIS)
• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
• Confluence Technologies Inc.
• Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (includes Parametric Portfolio Associates)
• Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC and Fidelity Distributors Company LLC
(includes Fidelity Institutional Asset Management and FIAM)
• Flourish Financial LLC
• Franklin Distributors, LLC (includes O’Shaughnessy Asset Management,
L.L.C. (OSAM) and CANVAS)
• K&L Gates LLP
• Nuveen Securities, LLC
• Orion Advisor Technology, LLC
• Pinegrove Capital Partners LLC (includes Brookfield Oaktree Wealth
Solutions)
• Practifi, Inc.
•
•
Salus GRC, LLC
Stone Ridge Asset Management LLC
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• The Vanguard Group, Inc.
• TriState Capital Bank
• UPTIQ, Inc.
You can access a more recently updated list of recent conference sponsors on Focus’ website
through the following link:
https://focusfinancialpartners.com/conference-sponsors/
Item 15 – Custody
Pursuant to Rule 206(4)-2 of the Advisers Act, RF is deemed to have custody of certain client
funds because the Firm has the authority and ability to debit its fees directly from clients’
accounts. To mitigate any potential conflicts of interests, all RF client account assets will be
maintained with an independent qualified custodian. RF currently recommends that its
investment management clients use Schwab and Fidelity for custodial services. In addition,
pursuant to that Rule, RF is deemed to have custody of certain client funds in those situations
where a client provides RF with authority pursuant to a third party standing letter of
authorization (“SLOA”). Any SLOA is implemented pursuant to the instruction of the client,
the procedures of the independent qualified custodian and applicable regulatory
requirements – including the seven conditions which must be met under the Custody Rule in
order for RF to not be subject to the surprise custody asset examination.
Clients should receive at least quarterly statements from the broker-dealer, bank, or other
qualified custodian that holds and maintains client’s investment assets. RF urges you to
carefully review such statements and compare such official custodial records to the account
statements that we provide to you. Our statements may vary from custodial statements
based on accounting procedures, reporting dates, or valuation methodologies of certain
securities.
Item 16 – Investment Discretion
RF usually receives discretionary authority from the client at the outset of an advisory
relationship to select the identity and amount of securities to be bought or sold. In all cases,
however, such discretion is to be exercised in a manner consistent with the stated
investment objectives for the particular client account.
When selecting securities and determining amounts, RF observes the investment policies,
limitations and restrictions of the clients for which it advises. For registered investment
companies, RF’s authority to trade securities may also be limited by certain federal securities
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and tax laws that require diversification of investments and favor the holding of investments
once made.
Investment guidelines and restrictions must be provided to RF in writing.
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities
Rollins Financial has adopted policies and procedures that require it to evaluate and vote
proxy issues in the best interests of its clients. RF has determined that it is in the best interests
of its clients to vote proxies in a manner that furthers the economic interest of its clients with
the objective of maximizing the ultimate economic value of the investment. RF’s policy
requires that the firm vote proxies on behalf of all of its discretionary clients in a prudent
manner considering the prevailing circumstances.
Rollins Financial has engaged a third-party, independent proxy voting service (the “Proxy
Voter”), as its independent proxy voting service to provide RF with proxy voting
recommendations, as well as to handle the administrative mechanics of proxy voting. RF has
directed the Proxy Voter to utilize its proxy voting guidelines in making recommendations
to vote.
Rollins Financial has adopted specific procedures that address proxy voting responsibilities,
material conflicts of interest, if any, record keeping and disclosure requirements. RF will
generally vote proxies in accordance with the following guidelines: (i) when RF’s view of the
issuer’s management is favorable, RF will generally support current management initiatives,
subject to the exceptions noted below; and (ii) When RF’s view is that changes to the
management structure would probably decrease shareholder value, RF will generally not
support management initiatives.
Where there is a clear conflict between management and shareholder interests, RF may ele ct
to vote against management. In general, RF opposes proposals that in its view act to entrench
management. In some instances, even though RF may support management, there are some
corporate governance issues that, in spite of management objections, RF believes should be
subject to shareholder approval. Furthermore, as part of RF’s policy, the firm may abstain
from voting a proxy when it is determined that the cost of voting the proxy exceeds the
expected benefit to the client.
There may be occasions where the voting of proxies may present an actual or perceived
conflict of interest between RF and its clients. RF will not vote proxies contrary to the best
interest of its clients due to business or personal relationships with an issuer’s
management, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or candidates for corporate
directorships, or where RF or an employee may have a personal interest in the outcome of
a particular matter before shareholders. When there exists an actual or potential conflict of
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interest, RF addresses these conflicts or appearances of conflicts by ensuring that proxies
are voted in accordance with the recommendations made by the Proxy Voter.
In addition, clients may authorize RF to appoint the various independent managers to vote
proxies for securities held in the client's account with such manager. RF will vote proxies in
accordance with the instructions of the investment manager(s) for securities held in the
client's account with the manager or under such manager’s model, provided that the
instructions are timely received by RF. If the manager’s instructions are not timely received,
RF shall vote the proxies for these securities, as well as proxies for any other securities held
in the client’s account, in accordance with the recommendations provided by the Proxy Voter.
All investment managers selected by RF have adopted and implemented written policies and
procedures. RF will obtain and make available to the client the voting record of each
investment manager with respect to the client’s account upon receipt of a written request
from such client. In addition, clients may obtain information on how proxies were voted for
such client and request a copy of RF’s proxy voting policies and procedures by contacting our
offices at (404) 892-7967.
Item 18 – Financial Information
We are required in this Item to provide you certain financial information or disclosures
about RF’s financial condition. RF does not solicit fees of more than $1,200 per client, six
months or more in advance. RF has no financial commitment that impairs its ability to meet
contractual and fiduciary commitments to clients, and has not been the subject of a
bankruptcy petition.
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