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Form ADV Part 2A
Firm Brochure
Cover Page
Item 1: Cover Page
Form ADV Part 2A
Firm Brochure
Rothschild Investment LLC
November 19, 2025
SEC File No. 801-7395
311 S. Wacker Drive Suite 5900
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Phone: 312.983.8900
info@rothschildwealth.com
www.rothschildwealth.com
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Rothschild Investment
LLC (“Rothschild”). If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact Curtis
Ellergodt, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, at 312-983-8900 or
cellergodt@rothschildwealth.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 Rothschild is also available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
You can search the site by firm name or by our Firm’s CRD number: 728.
Material Changes
Item 2: Material Changes
This section provides an overview of material changes to Rothschild Investment, (“RI”) brochure listed below. The
last annual update was made 03/31/2025 with the last other-than-annual update made on 11/17/2025.
We will ensure that clients receive a summary of any material changes to this and subsequent Brochures within
120 days of the close of our fiscal year. Furthermore, we will provide clients with other interim disclosures about
material changes as necessary. The list below summarizes the material changes made on 3/31/2025, 4/28/2025
and 11/17/2025.
The firm has an affiliate registered investment advisor, Rothschild Wealth, LLC (“RW”) Certain
Rothschild Investmnet professionals are dually registered with RW. Please see Items 5 and 10 of this
brochure for more information and related conflicts of interest.
The firm sells Insurance products and has an affiliate insurance agency, Sentinus Insurance Services,
LLC
Rothschild Investment Corporation changed the legal name to Rothschild Investment, LLC
Rothschild Investment does not charge performance-based fees. Please see Items 4 and 6 of this
brochure for more information.
Item 13 has been corrected to reflect Mr. Curtis Ellergodt as the Chief Compliance Officer.
Item 5 has been updated to reflect an hourly rate for standalone financial planning engagements.
Additionally, although not material, certain disclosures were clarified or modified throughout this brochure in
accordance with evolving industry and firm practices.
Table of Contents
Item 3. Table of Contents
Item 1. Cover Page……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Item 2. Material Changes…………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Item 3. Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
Item 4. Advisory Business ....................................................................................................... 5
Item 5. Fees & Compensation ................................................................................................ 8
Item 6. Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management ..................... 11
Item 7. Types of Clients ......................................................................................................... 13
Item 8. Methods of Anaylsis, Strategies & Risk of Loss ............................................ 13
Item 9. Disciplinary Information......................................................................................... 13
Item 10. Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations ....................................... 17
Item 11. Code of Ethics, Participation, or Interest In Client Transactions &
Personal Trading ..................................................................................................................... 19
Item 12. Brokerage Practices ............................................................................................. 21
Item 13. Review of Accounts .............................................................................................. 24
Item 14. Client Referrals & Other Compensation ........................................................ 25
Item 15. Custody ..................................................................................................................... 26
Item 16. Investment Discretion .......................................................................................... 27
Item 17. Voting Client Securities ....................................................................................... 28
Item 18. Financial Information ........................................................................................... 29
Advisory Business
Item 4. Advisory Business
We are proud of our Firm’s unique position in the investment industry. Established in 1908, Rothschild is the
oldest Chicago-based investment firm that remains a separate entity under the guidance of its founding family.
We are uniquely structured to assist clients in the management of their personal and corporate finances. The
professional staff averages 20 years’ experience in working with professionals, business owners, and their
retirement funds. In fact, the Firm caters to the corporate needs of the closely held business and the personal
needs of its owners. Rothschild has made a long-term commitment to working with entrepreneurs and their
special investment requirements. The longevity of the Firm is testimony to our commitment to service and the
implementation of a successful long-term investment philosophy.
Rothschild specializes in providing highly personalized asset management services for clients. Each account is
individually structured and ongoing advice is provided.
Rothschild is a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 as amended (the “Advisers Act”). As a fiduciary, it adheres to and is bound
by the terms and provisions of that act. Registration with the SEC or any state securities authority does not
imply a certain level of skill or training. Rothschild is also registered with the SEC and various states as a broker-
dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) in that capacity.
Listed below are the Firm’s principal shareholders (i.e., those individuals and/or entities controlling 25% or more
of the company):
Rothschild Holdings LLC
Our Philosophy
Recognizing that investment goals and requirements may vary widely, we stress the importance of
establishing meaningful long-term investment objectives for each of our clients. A thorough understanding of
overall assets, contribution, and payout projections, in addition to client temperament, enables us to evaluate
the relative importance of current income versus the potential for capital gains. We are then in a position to
recommend an appropriate balance between equity and fixed-income investments and to suggest suitable risk
parameters for portfolio investments. Our long- term objective is to establish a pattern of positive total return
for our clients. We strive to achieve a combined rate of return sufficient to enhance, as well as protect, the real
(inflation-adjusted) value of our clients’ assets.
General Approach
A successful approach to investment management must ensure compliance with fiduciary standards while
retaining the potential for meeting rate-of-return objectives. This requires both prudence and flexibility.
Prudence involves ongoing supervision of assets while maintaining meaningful quality standards for
investment and diversification of investment risks. Changing market environments necessitates the ability to
be flexible.
Equity Selection
We rely primarily on basic fundamental analysis in selecting equity investments. We actively seek new
investment candidates that meet our quality and liquidity requirements. Effective equity selection depends
largely upon thorough analysis of both intermediate and long-term economic trends and a reasonable
assessment of the relative attractiveness of various equity alternatives. An evaluation of future earnings,
relative price-earnings ratios, and the consistency of historical results are examples of the criteria used in our
selection process. Because over-diversification often leads to mediocre results, we concentrate our investments
in the industry and market sectors we believe are most likely to benefit from anticipated economic
developments.
Fixed Income Selection
In today’s environment of frequent and sometimes dramatic changes in the level and direction of interest rates,
some traditional fixed-income strategies are no longer effective. Our over-riding concern in structuring a bond
portfolio is protection of principal. Therefore, we will normally construct portfolios comprised of laddered, short-
term to intermediate-term investment grade fixed income securities to protect against interest rate risk and
credit risk.
Advisory Business
Investment Advisory Services
Our Firm provides ongoing advice to clients regarding the investment of their funds based on their individual
needs. Through personal discussions with the client, investment goals and objectives are established based on
the client’s particular circumstances. We develop the client’s personal investment policy and create and
manage a portfolio based on that policy. During our data-gathering process, we determine the client’s
individual objectives, time horizons, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs. As appropriate, we also review and
discuss the client’s prior investment history, as well as family composition and background.
We manage these advisory accounts on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. Account supervision is
guided by the client’s stated objectives (i.e., capital appreciation, growth, income, or growth and income), as
well as tax considerations.
Clients may impose reasonable restrictions on investing in certain securities, types of securities, or industry
sectors. Our investment recommendations are not limited to any specific product or service offered by a broker-
dealer (or insurance company, if applicable) and will generally include advice regarding the following securities:
Exchange-listed securities
Securities traded over-the-counter
Foreign issuers
Warrants
Corporate debt securities (other than commercial paper)
Commercial paper
Certificates of deposit
Municipal securities
Variable annuities (if applicable)
Mutual fund shares
United States governmental securities
Options contracts on securities
investments
Because some types of
involve certain additional degrees of risk, Rothschild will
implement/recommend them only when consistent with the client’s level of sophistication as well as stated
investment objectives, tolerance for risk, liquidity, and suitability.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
We can also provide Retirement Plan Consulting Services as stand-alone services or alongside our traditional
advisory services. Retirement Consulting Services are comprised of four distinct services. Clients may choose
to use any or all of these services.
Investment Policy Statement Preparation (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘IPS’’): We generally meet with the client
to help determine an appropriate investment strategy that reflects the plan sponsor’s stated investment
objectives for management of the overall plan. Our Firm assists with the preparation of a written IPS detailing
those needs and goals. The IPS also may list the criteria for selection of investment vehicles as well as the
procedures and timing interval that assist the client in monitoring investment performance of the plan.
Selection of Investment Options: We generally assist plan sponsors in constructing an appropriate investment
mix. We will then help review various mutual funds (both index and managed) to help the client determine
which investments are appropriate to implement, consistent with the client’s IPS. The client determines the
number of investment options to offer inside a plan.
Monitoring of Investment Performance: We generally assist the client in monitoring the plan’s investments.
Although our Firm is not involved in the purchase or sale of these investments, we typically help the client
supervise the plan and make recommendations to the client as market factors and the client’s needs dictate.
.
Advisory Business
Employee Communications: For pension, profit sharing and 401(k) plan clients where individual plan
participants exercise control over assets in their own account (self-directed plans’’), we will upon request also
provide quarterly educational support and investment seminars designed for the plan participants. Rothschild
and the client determine the nature of the topics to be covered under the guidelines established in ERISA
Section 404(c).
Amount of Managed Assets
As of 12/31/2024, we were actively managing $2,280,060,353 of clients’ assets on a discretionary basis plus
$30,855,228 of clients’ assets on a non-discretionary basis.
Item 5. Fees & Compensation
Our fees for Investment Advisory Services and Retirement Plan Consulting Services are presented separately
below.
Investment Advisory Services
Our annual fees for Investment Advisory Services are based upon a percentage of assets under management
and range from 0.25% to 1.50% per annum. Management fees are generally charged monthly or quarterly in
advance, as outlined in the Investment Advisory Services Agreement. Clients direct whether management fees
are to be debited directly from their accounts or billed separately. Fees may vary based upon account
circumstances.
Our standard Investment Advisory Fee Schedule is shown below:
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$8,000,000
$15,000,000
1.25% per annum on the first
1% per annum on the next
3/4 of 1% per annum on the next
1/2 of 1% per annum on anything over
Limited Negotiability of Advisory Fees: Although Rothschild has established the standard fee schedule
reflected above, we retain the discretion to negotiate alternative fees (both higher and lower) on a client-by-
client basis. We consider client facts, circumstances, and needs in determining the applicable fee structure.
These factors include the complexity of the client assets placed under management, anticipated future
additional assets, related accounts, portfolio style, and account composition, among others. The specific annual
fee schedule is agreed to in the contract between Rothschild and each client.
We may group certain related client accounts for the purposes of achieving account size tiers for determining
the annualized fee (commonly called “householding”).
The Firm provides stand-alone financial planning services for clients who request assistance with specific
financial topics such as retirement planning, cash-flow analysis, education planning, estate considerations,
and other personal financial matters. These services are offered on an hourly fee basis. The Firm charges $400
to $500 per hour for financial planning services. The rate applied depends on the complexity of the
engagement, the scope of work requested, and the level of expertise required. Prior to beginning any
engagement, the Firm will provide the client with an estimate of the expected hours needed to complete the
project. All fees are agreed to in advance.
Financial planning fees are generally billed after the services are completed, unless otherwise agreed. Clients
may terminate the financial planning engagement at any time, with fees prorated to reflect services rendered
through the date of termination.
Financial planning services do not include ongoing investment management unless the client enters into a
separate investment advisory agreement.
Performance-Based Fees (includes Contingency-Based Fees): Rothschild does charge performance-based
fees, see Item 6
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
Rothschild offers several fee options for Retirement Plan Consulting Services. Rothschild may be compensated
based on an annual percentage of plan assets for services involving ongoing reviews (see our fee schedule
below), or we may be compensated by an hourly fee or fixed fee (hourly fees range from $300-$1,200 per
hour). Alternatively, these different types of fees may also be combined as appropriate for the different types
of services requested by the client.
Where we charge an annual asset-based fee for Retirement Plan Consulting Services, the fee ranges from
0.10% to 1.25% of plan assets, depending on the services requested and the size of the plan. Retirement Plan
Consulting Services fees are charged monthly or quarterly, in advance, as agreed to in the appropriate services
agreement. Fees may vary based upon account circumstances. Our standard fee schedule for Retirement Plan
Consulting Services is shown below:
Assets Under Management
Annual Fee
1.25%
1.00%
0.75%
0.50%
Negotiable
Under $1,000,000
$1,000,000 to $5,000,000
$5,000,001 to $10,000,000
$10,000,001 to $25,000,000
Over $25,000,000
For certain Retirement Plan Consulting Services clients, Rothschild will be designated as the broker of record
for the relevant plan(s) and will receive brokerage-based compensation (including without limitation brokerage
commissions, 12b-1 fees and other distribution fees) for the trades executed on behalf of the relevant plan(s)
rather than receiving an asset-based fee as illustrated in the table above. In those circumstances, personnel of
Rothschild who provide services to the relevant plan(s) and are registered representatives of Rothschild will
receive a portion of the brokerage compensation paid to Rothschild by such plan(s). In such cases, Rothschild
provides full disclosure to plan sponsors regarding such commissions and fees.
General Information Regarding Fees and Compensation
Termination of the Advisory Relationship: A client agreement may be canceled at any time, by either party, for
any reason upon receipt of 30 days’ prior written notice. As disclosed above, advisory fees are paid in advance
of the services provided. Upon termination of any account, any prepaid, unearned fees will be promptly
refunded. In calculating a client’s reimbursement of fees, we will pro rate the reimbursement according to the
number of days remaining in the relevant billing period.
Mutual Fund Fees: All fees paid to Rothschild for investment advisory services are charged in addition to the
fees and expenses charged by mutual funds, ETFs, or other investment vehicles to their shareholders. These
fees and expenses are described in the relevant prospectus or other disclosure document. These fees generally
include management fees, operating expenses, and, in some cases, a distribution fee. If a fund also imposes
sales charges, a client may pay an initial or deferred sales charge. A client could invest in a mutual fund directly,
without our services. In that case, the client would not receive the services provided by our Firm which are
designed, among other things, to assist the client in determining which mutual fund or funds are most
appropriate to each client’s financial condition and objectives. Accordingly, the client should review both the
fees charged by the underlying investment vehicles and our fees to fully understand the total amount of fees
to be paid by the client, and to thereby evaluate the advisory services being provided. In some limited
circumstances (such as where a client brings an existing mutual fund position to a new advisory relationship),
the Firm will receive and retain 12b-1 or other distribution-related payments for a limited period of time
(Rothschild will generally then either convert to a non-12b-1 share class, liquidate and reallocate the proceeds
or exclude such assets from the advisory fee base).
Additional Fees and Expenses: In addition to our advisory fees, clients are also responsible for the fees and
expenses that may be charged by custodians and imposed by broker-dealers including, but not limited to, any
transaction charges imposed by a broker-dealer through which an investment adviser representative effects
transactions for the client’s account(s). Please refer to the “Brokerage Practices” section (Item 12) of this Form
ADV for additional information.
Certain members of our management personnel as well as certain investment adviser representatives and
other related persons of our Firm are registered representatives of Rothschild in its capacity as a broker-dealer
and /or and some may also be insurance licensed.. In these other capacities, these individuals can implement
investment recommendations for advisory clients for transaction-based compensation (i.e., commissions, 12b-
1 fees, or other sales-related forms of compensation). This presents a conflict of interest to the extent that these
individuals recommend that a client invest in a security that results in a commission being paid to Rothschild.
Clients are not under any obligation to Rothschild when considering
implementation of advisory
recommendations. The implementation of any or all recommendations and the broker-dealer with which to
execute such recommendations is solely at the discretion of the client.
Our clients ordinarily choose to pay for the services of their representative through either (i) advisory fees paid
to us in our capacity as an investment adviser (a portion of which is paid to the representative), or (ii)
transaction-based compensation paid to us in our capacity as a registered broker-dealer (a portion of which is
paid to the representative). If a client that is subject to an advisory fee elects to use Rothschild as its broker-
dealer, Rothschild will receive its ordinary brokerage commissions for executing the relevant trades, but the
client’s representative will not receive any portion of such brokerage compensation.
In some cases, a Rothschild representative will refer a client that elects to use Rothschild as both the client’s
broker and investment adviser to another Rothschild representative for portfolio management services in which
event the referring representative will receive a portion of the brokerage fees paid by such client and the
portfolio manager will receive a portion of the advisory fees paid by such client. However, clients are under no
obligation to use Rothschild as both broker and investment adviser.
In order to minimize the potential conflict of interest between the Firm and its clients, Rothschild limits its
broker-dealer activity to brokering trades and does not inventory securities for resale to clients. Furthermore,
the Firm does not make commission payouts to investment adviser representatives acting as portfolio
managers for security transactions conducted for advisory accounts that they are responsible for managing.
We recognize that commission costs adversely affect investment performance, and we make every effort to
keep these costs at a minimum.
ERISA Accounts: Rothschild acts as a fiduciary to advisory clients that sponsor employee benefit plans or hold
individual retirement accounts (IRAs) pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income and Securities Act
(“ERISA”), and regulations under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), respectively. As such, our
Firm is subject to specific duties and obligations under ERISA and the Code that include, among other things,
restrictions concerning certain forms of compensation and business relationships. To avoid engaging in
prohibited transactions, Rothschild generally relies on one or more exemptions from the prohibited transaction
rules.
Because Rothschild is both a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, a conflict exists where
Rothschild acts as both investment adviser providing Investment Advisory Services and broker providing trade
execution services for a benefit plan client. Therefore, all benefit plan clients that
retain Rothschild to provide Investment Advisory Services and brokerage services are required to re- affirm
annually their desire to have Rothschild act in both capacities.
Advisory Fees in General: Clients should note that similar advisory services may be available from other
investment advisers for similar or lower fees.
Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
Item 6. Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management
Rothschild Wealth does not charge performance-based fees
Types of Clients
Item 7. Type of Clients
Rothschild provides advisory services to the following types of clients:
Individuals, families, trusts and estates
High net worth individuals
Pension and profit-sharing plans, IRAs
Charitable organizations and foundations
Corporations or other businesses not listed above
Rothschild does not require a minimum dollar value of assets or other conditions for opening or maintaining an
account for these types of clients.
In addition to the types of clients described above, Rothschild acts as investment manager to certain private
pooled investment vehicles serving as conduit vehicles (each, a “Conduit Fund”). Each Conduit Fund is a special
purpose entity (typically a limited partnership, limited liability company or offshore company) formed by
Rothschild for the sole purpose of aggregating investor assets to a single entity and investing such assets in a
designated underlying fund, which is typically a private fund managed by an unaffiliated third-party (the
“Third-Party Managers”). These Third-Party Managers employ a variety of investment techniques and
strategies, including, but not limited to venture, private equity, and hedge fund strategies.
Conduit Funds managed by Rothschild are managed in accordance with each vehicle's investment guidelines
and restrictions and are generally not tailored to the individual needs of any particular investor. In its capacity
as investment manager, Rothschild’s principal services consist of providing investment advice regarding the
investment of the assets of each Fund among professionally selected investment vehicles or accounts that are
managed by the Third-Party Managers, which are selected through a due diligence process.
With respect to Conduit Funds managed by Rothschild, the general requirements to invest in private funds
(qualifications, minimum investment, etc.), as well as the applicable fees and expenses, are set forth in the
relevant offering or governing documents (or in certain cases, in separate fee agreements between Rothschild
and the private fund’s investors)
Methods of Analysis
Item 8. Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss
We may use all or a combination of the following methods of analysis in formulating our investment advice
and/or managing client assets:
Fundamental Analysis: We attempt to measure the intrinsic value of a security by looking at economic and
financial factors (including the overall economy, industry conditions, and the financial condition and
management of the company itself) to determine if the company is underpriced (indicating it may be a good
time to buy) or overpriced (indicating it may be time to sell).
Fundamental analysis does not attempt to anticipate market movements. This presents a potential risk, as the
price of a security can move up or down along with the overall market regardless of the economic and financial
factors considered in evaluating the stock.
Technical Analysis: By analyzing past market movements and applying that analysis to the present, we
attempt to recognize recurring patterns of investor behavior and potentially predict future price movement. We
may review charts of market and security activity in an attempt to identify when the market (or security) is
moving up or down and to predict how long the trend may last and when that trend might reverse.
Technical analysis does not consider the underlying financial condition of a company. This presents a risk in
that a poorly managed or financially unsound company may underperform regardless of market movement.
Quantitative Analysis: We may use mathematical models in an attempt to obtain more accurate measurements
of a company’s quantifiable data, such as the value of a share price or earnings per share and predict changes
to that data.
A risk in using quantitative analysis is that the models used may be based on assumptions that prove to be
incorrect.
Qualitative Analysis: We evaluate non-quantifiable factors such as quality of management, labor relations,
and strength of research and development factors not readily subject to measurement and predict changes to
share price based on that data.
A risk in using qualitative analysis is that our subjective judgment may prove incorrect.
Asset Allocation: Rather than focusing primarily on securities selection, we attempt to identify an appropriate
ratio of securities, fixed income, and cash suitable to the client’s investment goals and risk tolerance.
A risk of asset allocation is that the client may not participate in sharp increases in a particular security,
industry, or market sector. Another risk is that the ratio of securities, fixed income, and cash will change over
time due to stock and market movements and, if not corrected, will no longer be appropriate for the client’s
goals.
Mutual Fund and/or ETF Analysis: We look at the experience and track record of the manager of the mutual
fund or ETF to determine if that manager has demonstrated an ability to invest over a period of time and
through different economic conditions. We also look at the underlying assets in a mutual fund or ETF to
determine if there is a significant overlap in the underlying investments held in other fund(s) in the client’s
portfolio. We also monitor the funds or ETFs to determine if they are continuing to follow their stated investment
strategy.
The risk of mutual fund and/or ETF analysis is that, as in all securities investments, past performance does not
guarantee future results. A manager who has been successful may not be able to replicate that success in the
future. In addition, as we do not control the underlying investments in a fund or ETF, managers of different
funds held by the client may purchase the same security, increasing the risk to the client if that security were
Methods of Analysis
to fall in value. There is also a risk that a manager may deviate from the stated investment mandate or strategy
of the fund or ETF, which could make the holding(s) less suitable for the client’s portfolio.
Risks for all forms of analysis: Our securities analysis methods rely on the assumption that the companies
whose securities we purchase and sell, the rating agencies that review these securities, and other publicly
available sources of information about these securities, are providing accurate and unbiased data. While we
are alert to indications that data may be incorrect, there is always a risk that our analysis may be compromised
by inaccurate or misleading information.
Investment Strategy
Our investment strategy employs a three-pronged approach: asset allocation, theme selection, and individual
security selection. As mentioned previously, establishing meaningful long-term investment objectives for our
clients is paramount to our investment strategy.
Risk of Loss
Securities investments are not guaranteed, and clients may lose money on their investments. We work with
clients in helping them understand their tolerance for risk. There can be no guarantee that any particular client’s
investment strategy will be successful or that clients will not suffer losses.
Disciplinary Information
Item 9. Disciplinary Information
On September 13, 2021, Rothschild entered into a settlement (the “Order”) with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”) relating to recommendations of mutual fund shares to its clients. Without admitting or
denying the SEC’s findings, Rothschild consented to the entry of the Order which states that, as a result of the
conduct described below, Rothschild violated Section 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Advisers Act”), which makes it unlawful for an investment adviser, directly or indirectly, to
“engage in any transaction, practice or course of business which operates as a fraud or deceit upon any client
or prospective client.” and Section 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder, which require a
registered investment adviser to adopt and implement written compliance policies and procedures reasonably
designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act and the rules thereunder.
The SEC alleged that Rothschild breached its fiduciary duty to advisory clients by failing to disclose two types
of compensation it received based on its advisory clients' investments and that Rothschild received fees as a
result of client investments in certain mutual fund shares - specifically 12b-1 fees and revenue sharing
payments from an unaffiliated clearing broker as a result of sweeping Rothschild's advisory clients' cash into
certain money market mutual funds.
The SEC alleged that various investments that resulted in 12b-1 fees or revenue sharing payments were
generally more expensive than lower cost options available to clients, and made related allegations of failure
to seek best execution related to same and failure to consider alternative funds with similar strategies that
might have been less costly.
Additionally, the SEC alleged that Rothschild failed to adopt and implement written compliance policies and
procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of the Advisers Act and the rules thereunder in
connection with its mutual fund and cash sweep money market fund selection practices and its disclosure of
the associated conflicts of interest.
The Order requires Rothschild to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future
violations of Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Advisers Act and Rule 206(4)-7 promulgated thereunder;
censures Rothschild; requires Rothschild to pay disgorgement of $1,885,360.59 and prejudgment interest of
$186,306.41 to compensate advisory clients who were affected by certain conduct detailed in the Order; and
requires Rothschild to pay a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $400,000.
information regarding Rothschild or
its
IARs
is available on the SEC’s website at
Additional
www.advisorinfo.sec.gov or www.finra.org/brokercheck. Rothschild’s CRD number is 728.
Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations
O
Item 10. Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations
Firm Registrations: In addition to Rothschild being an SEC registered investment adviser, our Firm is registered
as a broker-dealer, member FINRA and SIPC. Registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any
State or regulatory authority does not imply a certain level of skill or expertise.
Personnel Dual Registrations: Certain members of our management personnel as well as certain investment
adviser representatives and other related persons of our Firm are licensed as registered representatives of
Rothschild in their capacity as a broker dealer. Several of our employees are also insurance licensed. These
individuals, in these other capacities, can effect securities and other financial services transactions for which
they will receive transaction-based compensation. Our clients ordinarily choose to pay for the services of their
representative through either (i) advisory fees paid to us in our capacity as an investment adviser, or (ii)
transaction-based compensation paid to us in our capacity as a registered broker-dealer. However, as noted
above, in some cases a Rothschild representative will refer a client that elects to use Rothschild as both the
client’s broker and investment adviser to another Rothschild representative for portfolio management services
in which event the referring representative will receive a portion of the brokerage fees paid by such client and
the portfolio manager will receive a portion of the advisory fees paid by such client. Clients are under no
obligation to use Rothschild as both broker and investment adviser.
Third Party Administrators: While Rothschild and these individuals endeavor at all times to put the interest of
the clients first as part of our fiduciary duty, clients should be aware that the receipt of additional compensation
itself creates a conflict of interest and may affect the judgment of these individuals when making
recommendations. Management personnel of Rothschild work with various third-party administrators (“TPAs”)
who provide back-office support services to the sponsors of qualified retirement plans for a fee. In particular,
TPAs provide account recordkeeping services and a trading platform (via internet and telephone) by which plan
participants may direct the investment of assets in their qualified plan accounts. TPAs may refer to plan
sponsors in need of advisory services to our Firm. Conversely, we may refer clients in need of third-party
administrative services to various TPAs. All fee arrangements are disclosed to the plan sponsors.
Third-party administrative services provided by the TPA are separate and distinct from the advisory services
we provide and are provided for separate and typical compensation. No advisory client is obligated to use a
TPA recommended by Rothschild for any third-party administrative services, and no client of any TPA is
obligated to utilize our advisory services. Sponsors or trustees of pension, profit- sharing, 401(k), IRA or other
client accounts subject to the provisions of ERISA or the prohibited transaction provisions of the Code are solely
responsible for determining whether or not to engage the services of a particular TPA.
Affiliations:
Rothschild Investment, LLC and Rothschild Wealth, LLC are affiliates and collectively referred to as Rothschild
Wealth Partners. Rothschild Wealth, LLC is an SEC registered investment advisor and is under common control
with Rothschild Investment, LLC.
Sentinus Insurance Services ("SIS") is an affiliate that is utilized for the sales of insurance products. Certain
managers, members and registered employees are agents for certain insurance carriers. With respect to the
provision of financial planning services, Rothschild Investment professionals may recommend insurance products
offered by such carriers for whom they function as agents and receive a commission for doing so. Insurance sales
may be placed through SIS or other carriers. Clients are advised that there is a conflict of interest in that there is
an economic incentive to recommend insurance and other investment products of such carriers. Clients are also
advised that Rothschild Investment professionals strive to put their clients' interest first and foremost. Clients
may utilize any insurance carrier or agency they desire.
Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations
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Clients should be aware that the receipt of additional compensation by Rothschild and its management persons
or employees creates a conflict of interest that may impair the objectivity of our Firm and these individuals when
making advisory recommendations. Rothschild endeavors at all times to put the interests of its clients first as
part of our fiduciary duty as a registered investment adviser.
We take the following steps to address this conflict:
We disclose to clients the existence of all material conflicts of interest, including when our Firm and our
employees earn additional compensation from advisory clients in addition to our Firm’s advisory fees
We disclose to clients that they are not obligated to follow our investment recommendations, utilize our
broker-dealer services or utilize our insurance services
We require that our employees seek prior approval of any outside business activity so that we may ensure
that any conflicts of interest in such activities are properly addressed
We periodically review all outside business activities for our employees to verify that any conflicts of
interest continue to be properly addressed by our Firm; and
We educate our employees regarding the responsibilities of a fiduciary, including the need for having a
reasonable and independent basis for the investment advice provided to client
Code of Ethics, Participation, or Interest in Client
Transactions & Personal Trading
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Item 11. Code of Ethics, Participation, or Interest In Client Transactions &
Personal Trading
Our Firm has adopted a Code of Ethics which sets forth the high ethical standards of business conduct that we
require of our employees, including compliance with applicable federal securities laws.
Rothschild and our personnel owe a duty of loyalty, fairness, and good faith towards our clients, and have an
obligation to adhere not only to the specific provisions of the Code of Ethics but also to the general principles
that guide the Code of Ethics.
Our Code of Ethics includes policies and procedures for the review of quarterly securities transactions reports
as well as initial and annual securities holdings reports that must be submitted by the Firm’s access persons.
Among other things, our Code of Ethics also requires access persons to get the prior approval of any acquisition
of securities in a limited offering (e.g., private placement) or an initial public offering. Our Code of Ethics also
provides for oversight, enforcement, and recordkeeping provisions.
Rothschild’s Code of Ethics further includes the Firm’s policy prohibiting the use of material non-public
information. While we do not believe that we have any particular access to non-public information, all
employees are reminded that such information may not be used in a personal or professional capacity.
A copy of our Code of Ethics is available to our advisory clients and prospective clients, and may be requested
by contacting Curtis Ellergodt, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, at 312- 983-8900, or by
email sent to cellergodt@rothschildinv.com.
Rothschild may, at times, effect an agency cross-transaction for an advisory client, provided that the
transaction is consistent with our Firm’s fiduciary duty to the client and that all requirements outlined in SEC
Rule 206(3)-2 adopted under the Advisers Act are met. An agency cross-transaction is a transaction where our
Firm acts as an investment adviser in relation to a transaction in which Rothschild, or any person controlled by
or under common control with our Firm, acts as broker for both the advisory client and for another person on
the other side of the transaction.
Our Code of Ethics is designed to assure that the personal securities transactions, activities and interests of our
employees 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.
Our Firm and/or individuals associated with our Firm may buy or sell securities for their personal accounts
identical to or different from those recommended to our clients. In addition, related persons may have an interest
or position in a certain security(ies) which may also be recommended to a client.
It is the expressed policy of our Firm that no employee may purchase or sell any security prior to a transaction(s)
being implemented for an advisory account (so-called frontrunning”), thereby preventing such employee(s) from
benefiting from transactions placed on behalf of advisory accounts.
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Transactions & Personal Trading
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However, we will aggregate our employee trades with client transactions where possible and when compliant
with our duty to seek best execution for our clients. In these instances, participating clients and employees will
receive an average share price, and transaction costs (excluding commissions) will be shared on a pro-rata
basis. In the instances where there is a partial fill of an aggregated order, we will allocate all purchases pro-
rata, with each account paying the average price. Our employee accounts may be included in the pro-rata
allocation.
Rothschild personnel may invest in certain Conduit Funds if they meet the suitability requirements of the
particular fund. To the extent that Rothschild personnel invest in a Conduit Fund, Rothschild may have an
incentive to favor such fund over other Conduit Funds in which Rothschild personnel are not invested. However,
Rothschild believes that this risk is largely mitigated by the fact that Rothschild’s ability to influence the
behavior of the underlying funds is limited to non-existent.
As these situations represent actual or potential conflicts of interest to our clients, we have established the
following policies and procedures for implementing our Firm’s Code of Ethics to ensure our Firm complies with
its regulatory obligations and provides our clients and potential clients with full and fair disclosure of such
conflicts of interest:
No principal or employee of our Firm may put his or her own interest above the interest of an
advisory client.
No principal or employee of our Firm may buy or sell securities for their personal portfolio(s) where
their decision is a result of information received as a result of his or her employment unless the
information is also available to the investing public.
It is the expressed policy of our Firm that no employee may purchase or sell any security prior to a
transaction(s) being implemented for an advisory account (so-called frontrunning”). This prevents
such employees from benefiting from transactions placed on behalf of advisory accounts.
Our Firm requires prior approval for the purchase of any IPO or private placement investments by
access persons of the Firm.
We maintain a list of all reportable securities transactions and holdings for our Firm and anyone
associated with this advisory practice that has access to advisory recommendations (“access
person”). These holdings are reviewed on a regular basis by our Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer or
his/her designee.
We have established procedures for the maintenance of all required books and records.
All clients are fully informed that related persons will receive separate commission compensation
when effecting transactions during the implementation process.
Clients can decline to implement any advice rendered, except in situations where our Firm is
managing an account on a basis.
All of our principals and employees must act in accordance with all applicable Federal and State
statutes and regulations governing registered investment advisers.
We require delivery and acknowledgement of the Code of Ethics by each supervised person of our
Firm.
We have established policies requiring the reporting of suspected or observed Code of Ethics
violations to our senior management.
Any principal or employee who violates any of the above restrictions is subject to discipline, up to
and including termination of employment.
As disclosed in the preceding section of this Brochure (Item 10), certain related persons of our Firm may be
separately registered as securities representatives and/or licensed as insurance representatives. Please refer
to Item 10 for important conflict of interest disclosures.
Brokerage Practices
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Item 12. Brokerage Practices
Custodians are selected for reasons such as client preference, ease of safekeeping of securities, inability to
easily transfer assets, ease of processing trades, etc. Rothschild recommends the clearing and custody services
of Pershing LLC. However, clients are free to choose custody arrangements with other brokerage firms (such
as Charles Schwab and Fidelity), banks, and mutual fund companies.
Rothschild is independently owned and has no affiliation with Pershing or any other custodian.
Rothschild receiving the benefits of Pershing’s clearing and custody services is not contingent upon Rothschild
or its clients committing any specific amount of business (assets in custody or trading commissions) to Pershing.
It is typical that custodial services include the execution of securities transactions, custody, research, and access
to mutual funds and other investments that may be generally available only to institutional investors or require
a significantly higher minimum initial investment.
Clients may or may not directly benefit from products and services offered to us by Pershing. Products and
services that assist Rothschild in managing and administering client accounts include, but are not limited to,
software and other technology that:
Provide access to client account data, such as trade confirmations and account statements
Facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts
Provide research, pricing, and other market data
Facilitate payment of our fees from clients’ accounts
Assist with back-office functions, recordkeeping, and client reporting
Additionally, Pershing offers other services intended to help us manage and further develop our business
enterprise. These services include without limitation:
Compliance, legal and business consulting; and
Publications and conferences on practice management and business succession.
Pershing makes available, arranges and/or pays third-party vendors for some of the services offered to
Rothschild. Pershing also discounts or waives fees it would otherwise charge for some of these services or pays
all or a part of the fees of a third party providing these services to our Firm. Pershing also provides other benefits
such as educational events and occasional business entertainment of our personnel. Rothschild’s receipt of
these additional services does not diminish our duty to act in the best interests of our clients, including seeking
best execution of trades for client accounts.
For clients that elect to custody their accounts with Pershing, Pershing allows Rothschild to markup certain of
the administrative fees charged by Pershing to client accounts. Rather than directly charge administrative fees
itself, Rothschild has implemented an additional $3.50 service charge per trade confirmation fee (Pershing
charges its own trade confirmation fee for hard copy confirmations) that is paid by the client to Pershing which
then passes that full amount to Rothschild.
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In addition, Rothschild receives agent fees on certain purchases of ADR securities (ADRs are U.S. bank
instruments that represents investments in foreign securities) that is collected by Pershing and paid to
Rothschild.
For clients that elect to custody their accounts with Pershing, see the Firm’s Broker Dealer Disclosure Document
for additional information regarding 12b-1 fees and other revenue sharing payments.
In situations where a client selects a different custodian, the client must provide a trading authorization and in
most cases log-in information to Rothschild for access to their accounts. This authorization is limited to trading
the assets of the account, and Rothschild is not authorized to move assets into or out of the account. There is
generally no additional cost for Rothschild’s services to clients who select a custodian other than Pershing, but it
is on a case-by-case basis depending on the particulars of the situation. Some clients may be charged an
additional fee for certain arrangements.
Brokerage custodians and mutual fund custodians generally do not charge separately for custody services but
instead are compensated by account holders through commissions and other transaction-related or asset-based
fees for securities trades that are executed through the custodian or that settle into the custodian’s account.
However, bank custody (and trust custody) facilities generally do charge a separate custodial fee. In most
instances involving a bank (or trust) custodian, clients will enter into a separate custody fee arrangement with
that custodian.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits:
Research services obtained through the use of soft dollars may be offered by brokers to whom brokerage is
directed or by third parties that are compensated by such brokers. Rothschild does not attempt to put a specific
dollar value on the research services rendered or to allocate the relative costs or benefits of those research
services among clients, believing that the research we receive will help us to fulfill our overall duty to our clients.
Some clients will pay brokerage commissions that are used, in part, to purchase research services that are not
used to benefit that specific client. Broker-dealers we select may be paid commissions for effecting transactions
for our clients that exceed the amounts other broker-dealers would have charged for effecting these transactions
if we determine in good faith that such amounts are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or
research services provided by those broker-dealers.
Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, establishes that certain uses of client
commission dollars (so-called “soft dollars”) will not result in a breach of fiduciary duty on the part of an
investment adviser. The enumerated uses are for research and trading services. To the extent that Rothschild
uses a service from a broker-dealer that encompass both 28(e) eligible and non- eligible soft dollar uses, we will
make a good faith determination of the relative portions of each and will limit the use of soft dollars benefits to
that portion of the service that is 28(e) eligible and Rothschild will pay the remaining portion out-of-pocket.
When Rothschild uses client brokerage commissions to obtain research or brokerage services, we receive a
benefit to the extent that we do not have to produce such products internally or compensate third parties with
our own money for the delivery of such services. Therefore, such use of client brokerage commissions may result
in a conflict of interest, because we may have an incentive to direct client brokerage to those brokers who provide
research and services we utilize, even if these brokers do not offer the best price or commission rates for our
clients. We believe that, based on the quality of the research and the thoroughness of the service, clients pay
equitable commissions.
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Brokerage for Client Referrals:
Rothschild does not ordinarily receive client referrals from broker-dealers used to execute trades for our clients.
However, if any referrals fees are paid, such arrangements are disclosed to the client, and the impact of any
referral fee is borne by Rothschild or other broker/dealer rather than by the client.
Directed Brokerage:
There are other brokerage firms that have lower commission rates than Rothschild. Commissions paid through
Rothschild may vary based upon account circumstances. We retain the discretion to negotiate alternative
commission rates on a client-by-client basis.
Clients may elect to direct brokerage to a specific broker(s) for trade execution. Clients are informed that if they
elect to direct brokerage transactions through other brokerage firms, Rothschild may not be able to obtain best
execution for them because we are unable to negotiate on their behalf. As a result, clients who direct brokerage
transactions may pay higher commission rates or may receive less favorable prices.
Aggregate Orders:
We aggregate client orders when we believe them to be advantageous to clients. In these situations, clients will
receive an average share price and execution costs will be shared on a pro-rata basis. No particular group or
client(s) will be favored over others. In situations where an aggregate order results in a “partial fill” (meaning
Rothschild is not able to fill the entire aggregate order), Rothschild will allocate the executed portion of the trade
among participating accounts in an equitable manner. The goal is for clients to benefit from lower execution costs
and better prices.
Review of Accounts
Item 13. Review of Accounts
Investment Advisory Services
Reviews: Accounts are reviewed in the context of each client’s stated investment objectives and guidelines. More
frequent reviews may be triggered by material changes in the client’s individual circumstances. Account reviews
may also be triggered by market, political, or economic developments. Reviews are conducted by the manager(s)
assigned to the relationship.
Managers are supervised by James A. Franke, Managing Director, and Curtis Ellergodt, Chief Compliance Officer.
Reports: In addition to the monthly statements and confirmations of transactions that clients receive from their
custodian, we provide monthly or quarterly (as provided in the relevant client agreement) reports summarizing
account performance, balances, and holdings. Clients are encouraged to carefully review the statements
provided by their custodian.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
Reviews: Rothschild will review the client’s IPS whenever the client advises us of a change in circumstances
regarding the needs of the plan. We will also review the investment options of the plan according to the agreed-
upon time intervals established in the IPS. These accounts are reviewed by the manager(s) assigned to the
account.
Managers are supervised by James A. Franke, Managing Director, and Curtis Ellergodt, Chief Compliance Officer
Reports: These client accounts will receive reports as contracted for at the inception of the advisory relationship.
Client Referrals & Other Compensation
Item 14. Client Referrals & Other Compensation
Client Referrals: Rothschild may pay referral fees to independent persons or firms (“Solicitors”) for introducing
clients to us. Whenever we pay a referral fee, we require that the prospective client be provided with and
acknowledge receipt of a copy of this document (our Firm Brochure) and a separate disclosure statement that
includes the following information:
The Solicitor’s name and relationship with our Firm.
The fact that the Solicitor is being paid a referral fee.
The amount of the fee; and
Whether the fee paid to us by the client will be above our normal fees in order to compensate the Solicitor.
The impact of any referral fee is borne by Rothschild, rather than by the client.
Other Compensation: Our Firm and/or our officers and representatives are eligible to receive compensation
(including bonuses) for referring clients internally and for certain types of investment services that we manage
internally. As noted above, in some cases a Rothschild representative will refer a client that elects to use
Rothschild as both the client’s broker and investment adviser to another Rothschild representative for portfolio
management services in which event the referring representative will receive a portion of the brokerage fees
paid by such client and the portfolio manager will receive a portion of the advisory fees paid by such client.
However, clients are under no obligation to use Rothschild as both broker and investment adviser.
Custody
Item 15. Custody
We previously disclosed in Item 5 of this Brochure that some of our clients direct us to directly debit our advisory
fees from their accounts.
As part of this billing process, the client’s custodian is advised of the amount of the fee to be deducted from that
client’s account. On at least a quarterly basis, the custodian is required to send to the client a statement showing
all transactions within the account during the reporting period.
Because the custodian does not calculate the amount of the fee deducted, it is important for clients to carefully
review their custodial statements to verify the accuracy of the calculation, among other things. Clients should
contact us directly if they believe that there may be an error in their statement.
In addition to the periodic statements that clients receive directly from their custodians (electronically or by mail),
we also send account statements directly to our clients on a monthly/quarterly basis. We urge our clients to
carefully compare the information provided on these statements to ensure that all account transactions,
holdings, and values are correct and current.
Because we may be deemed to have custody of those client assets invested in Conduit Funds, Rothschild is
subject to an annual surprise exam under the custody rules applicable to registered investment advisers
Investment Discretion
Item 16. Investment Discretion
Clients may hire us to provide discretionary asset management services, in which case we are authorized to
place trades in a client’s account without contacting the client prior to each trade to obtain the client’s consent.
Our discretionary authority includes the ability to do the following without contacting the client:
Determine the security to buy or sell; and/or
Determine the amount of the security to buy or sell.
Clients give us discretionary authority when they sign a discretionary agreement with our Firm and may limit
this authority by giving us written instructions. Clients may also change/amend such limitations by once again
providing us with written instructions.
Voting Client Securities
Item 17. Voting Client Securities
As a matter of Firm policy, we do not vote proxies on behalf of clients. Therefore, although our Firm may provide
investment advisory services relative to client investment assets, 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. Clients are responsible for instructing each
custodian of the assets to forward to the client copies of all proxies and shareholder communications relating
to the client’s investment assets.
We may provide clients with assistance regarding proxy issues if they contact us with questions at our principal
place of business.
Financial Information
Item 18. Financial Information
Rothschild Investment does not require or solicit payment of fees in excess of $1,200 per client more than six
months in advance of services rendered.
Like all registered investment advisers, we are also required to disclose any financial condition that is likely to
impair our ability to meet our contractual obligations. Rothschild has no additional financial circumstances to
report.
Rothschild has not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition at any time.