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SAGE MOUNTAIN ADVISORS, LLC
945 East Paces Ferry Road NE, Suite 2660
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 795-8361
www.sagemountainadvisors.com
July 31, 2025
This Brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Sage
Mountain Advisors, LLC (hereinafter “Sage Mountain” or the “Firm”). If you have any
questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact the Firm at the telephone
number listed above. 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 the Firm is available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The Firm is a registered investment adviser. Registration does not
imply any level of skill or training.
Item 2 – Material Changes
This Brochure dated July 31, 2025, replaces our last annual amendment dated February 28,
2025.
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
•
The following information reflects only material updates made to our Brochure since our last
annual amendment, dated February 28, 2025:
: added language regarding fees charged to PPLI
•
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
and PPVA accounts
: added language
regarding Spearhead.
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Item 3 – Table of Contents
Item 2 – Material Changes.................................................................................................................................................... ii
Item 3 – Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................. iii
Item 4 – Advisory Business ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management .................................................................... 7
Item 7 – Types of Clients ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss ............................................................ 7
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information .................................................................................................................................. 15
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations ........................................................................... 15
Item 11 – Code of Ethics ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices ......................................................................................................................................... 17
Item 13 – Review of Accounts .......................................................................................................................................... 21
Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation .............................................................................................. 22
Item 15 – Custody .................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Item 16 – Investment Discretion ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities .................................................................................................................................. 23
Item 18 – Financial Information ...................................................................................................................................... 23
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Item 4 – Advisory Business
4. A. Advisory Firm Description
Sage Mountain offers a variety of advisory services, which include financial planning,
consulting, and wealth management services. Prior to Sage Mountain rendering any of the
foregoing advisory services, clients are required to enter into one or more written
agreements with Sage Mountain setting forth the relevant terms and conditions of the
advisory relationship (the “Advisory Agreement”).
As part of our fiduciary duty as a registered investment adviser, Sage Mountain endeavors
to put the interests of its clients first, at all times.
Sage Mountain has been registered as an investment adviser since September 2018 and is
owned by Scott Neu (principally through Lake Chutes, Inc.).
While this brochure generally describes the business of Sage Mountain, certain sections also
discuss the activities of its Supervised Persons, which refer to the Firm’s officers, partners,
directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions),
employees or other persons who provide investment advice on Sage Mountain’s behalf and
4.B. Types of Advisory Services
are subject to the Firm’s supervision or control.
Financial Planning and Consulting Services
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Sage Mountain offers clients a broad range of financial planning and consulting services,
which include any or all of the following functions:
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Business Planning
Retirement Planning
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Cash Flow Forecasting
Risk Management
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Trust and Estate Planning
Charitable Giving
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Financial Reporting
Distribution Planning
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Investment Consulting
Tax Planning
Insurance Planning
Manager Due Diligence
While each of these services is available on a stand-alone basis, certain of them can also be
rendered in conjunction with investment portfolio management as part of a comprehensive
wealth management engagement (described in more detail below).
In performing these services, Sage Mountain is not required to verify any information
received from the client or from the client’s other professionals (e.g., attorneys, accountants,
etc.,) and is expressly authorized to rely on such information. Sage Mountain recommends
certain clients engage the Firm for additional related services and/or other professionals to
implement its recommendations. Clients are advised that a conflict of interest exists for the
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Firm to recommend that clients engage Sage Mountain or its affiliates to provide (or continue
to provide) additional services for compensation, including wealth management services.
Clients retain absolute discretion over all decisions regarding implementation and are under
no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations made by Sage Mountain under a
financial planning or consulting engagement. Clients are advised that it remains their
responsibility to promptly notify the Firm of any change in their financial situation or
investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising Sage Mountain’s
Wealth Management Services
recommendations and/or services.
Sage Mountain offers clients wealth management services, which include a broad range of
financial planning and consulting services as well as discretionary and/or non-discretionary
management of investment portfolios.
Sage Mountain primarily allocates client assets among various mutual funds, exchange-
traded funds (“ETFs”), real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and independent investment
managers (“Independent Managers”) in accordance with their stated investment objectives.
In addition, Sage Mountain expects to recommend that certain eligible clients invest in
privately placed securities including pooled investment vehicles such as hedge funds and
private equity funds.
Where appropriate, the Firm also provides advice about any type of legacy position or other
investment held in client portfolios. Clients can engage Sage Mountain to manage and/or
advise on certain investment products that are not maintained at their primary custodian,
such as variable life insurance and annuity contracts and assets held in employer sponsored
retirement plans and qualified tuition plans (i.e., 529 plans). In these situations, Sage
Mountain directs or recommends the allocation of client assets among the various
investment options available with the product. These assets are generally maintained at the
Use of Independent Managers
underwriting insurance company, or the custodian designated by the product’s provider.
As mentioned above, Sage Mountain selects certain Independent Managers to actively
manage a portion of its clients’ assets. The specific terms and conditions under which a client
engages an Independent Manager may be set forth in a separate written agreement with the
designated Independent Manager. In addition to this brochure, clients may also receive the
written disclosure documents of the respective Independent Managers engaged to manage
their assets.
Sage Mountain evaluates a variety of information about Independent Managers, which
includes the Independent Managers’ public disclosure documents, materials supplied by the
Independent Managers themselves and other third-party analyses it believes are reputable.
To the extent possible, the Firm seeks to assess the Independent Managers’ investment
strategies, past performance and risk results in relation to its clients’ individual portfolio
allocations and risk exposure. Sage Mountain also takes into consideration each Independent
Manager’s management style, returns, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing and
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research capabilities, among other factors.
Sage Mountain continues to provide services relative to the discretionary or non-
discretionary selection of the Independent Managers. On an ongoing basis, the Firm
monitors the performance of those accounts being managed by Independent Managers. Sage
Mountain seeks to ensure the Independent Managers’ strategies and target allocations
Private Investment Funds
remain aligned with its clients’ investment objectives and overall best interests.
Sage Mountain provides discretionary investment advisory services to pooled investment
vehicles (the “Private Investment Funds”) in accordance with the investment guidelines set
forth in each Private Investment Fund’s offering documents. Sage Mountain is responsible
for the investment decisions and performance of the Private Investment Funds. Sage
Mountain does not tailor its investment advice to the needs of the investors of the Private
Investment Funds. Investors are required to meet certain suitability requirements, such as
being an “Accredited Investor,” a “Qualified Client” and/or a “Qualified Purchaser” as defined
under federal laws. Investors interested in a Private Investment Fund should refer to the
Private Investment Fund’s offering documents for important information regarding the
Private Investment Fund’s investment objectives, risks, fees and additional disclosures for a
complete understanding of the terms and conditions for investing in the relevant Private
Investment Fund.
An affiliate of Sage Mountain, Sage-Mtn Tiger Global PIP 15 Access GP, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company, is the General Partner of Sage-Mtn Tiger Global PIP 15 Access Fund
LP. An affiliate of Sage Mountain, Sage-Mtn Tiger Global Flagship Fund Onshore GP, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company, is the General Partner of Sage-Mtn Tiger Global Flagship
Fund Onshore. An affiliate of Sage Mountain, Sage-Mtn Tiger Global Flagship Fund Cayman
GP LLC, a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership, is the General Partner of Sage-Mtn
4.C. Client Investment Objectives/Restrictions
Tiger Global Flagship Fund Cayman.
Sage Mountain tailors its advisory services to meet the needs of its individual clients and
seeks to ensure, on a continuous basis, that client portfolios are managed in a manner
consistent with those needs and objectives. Sage Mountain consults with clients on an initial
and ongoing basis to assess their specific risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity constraints
and other related factors relevant to the management of their portfolios. Clients are advised
to promptly notify Sage Mountain if there are changes in their financial situation or if they
wish to place any limitations on the management of their portfolios. Clients can impose
reasonable restrictions or mandates on the management of their accounts if Sage Mountain
determines, in its sole discretion, the conditions would not materially impact the
performance of a management strategy or prove overly burdensome to the Firm’s
4.D. Wrap-Fee Programs
management efforts.
Sage Mountain does not currently participate in any wrap-fee programs.
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4.E. Client Assets as of December 31, 2024:
Assets Under Management:
Discretionary basis: $3,363,826,124
Assets Under Advisement:
Non-Discretionary basis: $433,144
Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
$2,222,676,737
5.A. Adviser Compensation
Sage Mountain offers wealth management services generally for a quarterly fee subject to
the terms of each client’s written Advisory Agreement. Fees may be either a fixed annual fee
or based upon assets under the Firm’s management or advisement. Clients may also be
subject to a minimum fee. In addition, the Firm offers standalone financial planning services
Wealth Management Fees
for a fixed fee.
Sage Mountain offers wealth management services for a quarterly fee based on a fixed annual
fee, or the average daily balance of assets managed or advised upon during the billing period.
Fees for the first billing period will be pro-rated beginning when the account is funded, or
the fixed fee takes effect through the last day of the billing period. This management fee
varies from 0.20% to 1.25% per annum depending upon the size and complexity of a client’s
Minimum Account Size
portfolio and the type of services rendered.
Due to the comprehensive and ongoing nature of our wealth management services, Sage
Mountain requires a minimum portfolio size or a minimum annual fee for these services.
Account relationships who do not meet our asset minimum but still wish to engage our
services may do so by agreeing to a minimum annual fee of $100,000, billed quarterly and in
arrears. If assets increase above our minimum level, then normal billing rates will apply.
Sage Mountain, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to waive its minimum fee and/or
charge a lesser investment advisory fee based upon certain criteria (e.g., historical
relationship, type of assets, anticipated future earning capacity, anticipated future assets,
related accounts, negotiations with clients, etc). Clients should note that similar advisory
services may (or may not) be available from other investment advisors for similar or lower
fees.
Due to the complexity of certain relationships, Sage Mountain may negotiate a base fee
higher than the minimum fee plus an asset-based fee of 0.05%. Base fees charged in these
complex relationships are negotiable, but generally range from $100,000 to $750,000 per
year, billed quarterly and in arrears.
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Financial Planning and Consulting Fees
For consulting services, the Firm provides with respect to certain client holdings that are not
managed on a regular basis (e.g., held-away assets, concentrated positions, accommodation
accounts, alternative investments, etc.), Sage Mountain may negotiate a fee rate that differs
from the wealth management fee set forth above. This will be a fixed fee for financial
planning services, and a fixed or asset-based fee for investment consulting services, under
stand-alone engagements. These fees are negotiable depending upon the scope and
complexity of the services and the professional rendering the financial planning and/or the
consulting services. If the client engages the Firm for additional investment advisory
services, Sage Mountain may offset all or a portion of its fees for those services based upon
the amount paid for the financial planning and/or consulting services. Sage Mountain may
also charge a fee for reporting on non-managed assets. This “reporting only” fee is typically
0.05%.
The terms and conditions of the financial planning and/or consulting engagement are set
forth in the Financial Planning and/or Investment Consulting Agreement and Sage Mountain
requires one-half of the fee payable upon execution of the agreement. The outstanding
balance is due upon delivery of the financial plan or completion of the agreed upon services.
The Firm does not, however, take receipt of $1,200 or more in prepaid fees in excess of six
Note About Fee Calculation Based on Quarter-End or Month-End Account Values:
months in advance of services rendered.
Clients who elect to be charged an Asset-Based Fee should note that there may be variations
in the account values used to calculate Sage Mountain’s fees and the account values on the
last day of the previous quarter or other period as reflected on the account statement the
client receives from the custodian. These variations include, but are not limited to, variations
resulting from (1) unsettled trades; (2) accrued income; and (3) dividends earned but not
received. Usually, any differences in account values due to these variations will be relatively
small. Sage Mountain Advisors will not make any adjustments, refunds, or further
assessments of fees based on these differences. Any client who has a question about any
such difference or any other issue relating to calculations of fees is encouraged to contact
5.B. Direct Billing of Advisory Fees
Sage Mountain for an explanation.
Clients provide Sage Mountain and/or certain Independent Managers with the authority to
directly debit their accounts for payment of the investment advisory fees. The Financial
Institutions that act as the qualified custodian for client accounts, from which the Firm
retains the authority to directly deduct fees, have agreed to send statements to clients not
less than quarterly detailing all account transactions, including any amounts paid to Sage
Mountain. Alternatively, clients may elect to have Sage Mountain send a separate invoice for
direct payment.
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Use of Margin
Sage Mountain does not recommend that clients use margin in their investment portfolio.
Should a client request margin for investments, the Firm will help with the borrowing
process and manage the assets accordingly. In these cases, the fee payable will be assessed
gross of margin such that the market value of the client’s account and corresponding fee
payable by the client to Sage Mountain will be increased.
In addition, Sage Mountain may recommend margin or other borrowing for non-investment
needs, such as bridge loans and other financing needs. The Firm’s fees are determined based
Account Additions and Withdrawals
upon the value of the assets being managed gross of any margin or borrowing.
Clients can make additions to and withdrawals from their account at any time, subject to
Sage Mountain’s right to terminate an account. Additions can be in cash or securities
provided that the Firm reserves the right to liquidate any transferred securities or declines
to accept particular securities into a client’s account. Clients can withdraw account assets on
notice to Sage Mountain, subject to the usual and customary securities settlement
procedures. However, the Firm designs its portfolios as long-term investments, and the
withdrawal of assets may impair the achievement of a client’s investment objectives.
Sage Mountain may consult with its clients about the options and implications of transferring
securities. Clients are advised that when transferred securities are liquidated, they may be
subject to transaction fees, short-term redemption fees, fees assessed at the mutual fund
5.C. Private Investment Funds
level (e.g., contingent deferred sales charges) and/or tax ramifications.
Private Investment Fund investors bear their proportionate share of the applicable wealth
management fee charged to such Private Investment Fund(s). No management fee or
incentive fee is charged by the Private Investment Funds managed by Sage Mountain. A
management fee and incentive fee is charged by the underlying fund in which the Private
Investment Funds invest.
Details about the fees charged to the Private Investment Funds can be found in the
5.D. Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) and Private Placement Variable
underlying fund’s relevant offering documents.
Annuities (PPVA)
Private Placement Life Insurance and Private Placement Variable Annuity investments are
charged a .05% fee from the provider within the account. Sage Mountain will adjust billing
5.E. Other Non-Advisory Fees
to waive this fee to clients.
In addition to the advisory fees paid to Sage Mountain, clients also incur certain charges
imposed by other third parties, such as broker-dealers, custodians, trust companies, banks
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and other financial institutions (collectively “Financial Institutions”). These additional
charges include securities brokerage commissions, transaction fees, custodial fees, fees
attributable to alternative assets, margin costs, charges imposed directly by a mutual fund
or ETF in a client’s account, as disclosed in the fund’s prospectus (e.g., fund management fees
and other fund expenses), deferred sales charges, odd-lot differentials, transfer taxes, wire
transfer and electronic fund fees, and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and
securities transactions. Fees charged by the Independent Managers may be included in the
Firm’s fee or may be charged by the Independent Manager separately. The Independent
Manager fee will be discussed in the Advisory Agreement. Clients qualifying as accredited
investors under SEC guidelines, may have the opportunity to participate as limited partners
in certain alternative investments. Detailed information regarding the fees charged to the
alternative investments is provided in each Fund’s offering documents. Generally, the
investors in alternative investments pay fees quarterly until the termination of the
5.F. Advance Payment of Fees
respective Fund. The Firm’s brokerage practices are described at length in Item 12, below.
Sage Mountain’s annual fee is prorated and charged quarterly, in arrears, based on a fixed
annual fee or the market value of the average daily account balance during that quarter. In
certain cases, Sage Mountain’s annual fee will be billed at a different frequency. For the initial
period of an engagement, the fee is calculated on a pro rata basis. In the event the Advisory
Agreement is terminated, the fee for the final billing period is prorated through the effective
date of the termination and the outstanding or unearned portion of the fee is charged or
5.G. No Compensation for Sale of Securities or Other Investment Products
refunded to the client, as appropriate.
Neither Sage Mountain nor any of its supervised persons accept compensation for the sale of
securities or other investment products, including asset-based sales charges or service fees
Item 6 – Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
from the sale of mutual funds.
Sage Mountain does not provide any services for a performance-based fee (i.e., a fee based
Item 7 – Types of Clients
on a share of capital gains or capital appreciation of a client’s assets).
Sage Mountain offers services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations,
corporations and business entities. Sage Mountain provides portfolio management services
to private pooled investment vehicles. The minimum investment in a Private Investment
Item 8 – Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Fund can be found in the relevant Private Investment Fund’s offering documents.
8.A. Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies
Sage Mountain meets with each client to discuss their comprehensive financial picture
including investable assets, illiquid assets, liabilities, income and expenses. The Firm works
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with clients to build a recommended portfolio by seeking to understand their objectives and
risk tolerance. Sage Mountain focuses on downside risk, and stress tests portfolios using
historical and projected asset class returns, risk and correlations to quantify potential losses
in periods of market stress.
Sage Mountain also analyzes portfolios using methods such as Monte Carlo simulation to
project future portfolio values over time. This analysis can include cash outflows to
determine if a portfolio is likely to be able to support clients’ expected level of spending.
Sage Mountain advises on investments including ETFs, mutual funds, REITs, Independent
Managers, bonds, stocks, options, structured notes, and alternative investments. When
evaluating investments, the Firm considers the asset class, fees, performance track record,
8.B. Material Risks of Investment Strategies
manager experience, tax considerations, and liquidity.
The following list of risk factors does not purport to be a complete enumeration or
explanation of the risks involved with respect to the Firm’s wealth management activities.
The Firm seeks to limit risk through diversification. Sage Mountain also believes it is
important to develop a thorough understanding of each client’s liquidity needs to ensure
should consult with
they hold an appropriate amount of cash and liquid investments. Clients
their legal, tax, and other advisors before engaging the Firm to provide wealth management
services on their behalf.
There is no guarantee of success of the investment strategies offered by Sage Mountain. The
investment portfolios managed by Sage Mountain may be adversely affected by general
economic and market conditions such as interest rate fluctuations, availability of credit,
inflation rates, changes in laws, and national and international political circumstances.
These strategies may not employ limitations on particular sectors, industries, countries,
General Economic and Market Conditions
regions or securities. Investors should also consider the following risks:
. The success of a portfolio’s activities may be
affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of
credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws and national and international
political circumstances. These factors may affect the level and volatility of securities prices
and the liquidity of certain investments. Unexpected volatility or illiquidity could impair a
Market Risks
portfolio’s profitability or result in losses.
Individual investments may decline in value due to economic developments or events that
affect the entire market. Equity investments including ETFs, mutual funds, Independent
Managers, or single stock positions may lose value due to a decline in economic growth,
volatility of earnings, or a decline in risk sentiment. Fixed income investments may be
negatively impacted by rising interest rates which could be caused by accelerating economic
growth, increased inflation expectations, or a perceived decrease in credit quality across the
market.
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Credit Risk
Fixed income products, including bonds, are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the
entity issuing a bond such as a government, municipality or corporation will not be able to
Concentration Risk
meet its obligation to make the required interest payment or repay the principal at maturity.
Even though a portfolio will be somewhat diversified, there is the risk from having a
substantial portion of a portfolio held in a single investment, or limited investments, thereby
Liquidity Risk
having little or no asset classes, industry, or geographical diversification.
There are certain investments that Sage Mountain makes, including in private equity funds
or other alternative investments, that generally do not allow their investors to liquidate their
positions for a significant amount of time which could last up to several years or more. If an
investor needs to liquidate prior to the end of that period, they could be forced to sell at a
large discount to fair market value or may find no buyer. In liquid asset classes such as
equities, it is possible that in times of market stress investors may be unable to sell securities
Currency Risk
quickly without negatively impacting the market price.
There is a risk that an investment denominated in a foreign currency will lose value because
Option Risk
of a movement in the exchange rate of that currency.
Risks of investing in options include losing the entire amount paid to purchase the option if
an investor is wrong about the direction, timing, and amount of the price movement of the
underlying asset, potentially large bid-ask spreads in the secondary market, being forced to
buy or sell the underlying security at any time if an investors sells an American-style option,
loss of profits above the exercise price for covered calls, and loss of value below the exercise
Structured Note Risk
price for sellers of put options.
Investors in structured notes may lose some or all of their investment if the underlying
security or index decreases in value over the term of the note. They are also subject to the
credit risk of the issuer and can experience losses in the event of a default of the issuer
Volatility Risks
regardless of the performance of the underlying security.
The prices and values of investments can be highly volatile, and are influenced by, among
other things, interest rates, general economic conditions, the condition of the financial
markets, the financial condition of the issuers of such assets, changing supply and demand
relationships, and programs and policies of governments.
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Cash Management Risks
The Firm invests some of a client’s assets temporarily in money market funds or other
similar types of investments, during which time an advisory account may be prevented from
Equity-Related Securities and Instruments
achieving its investment objective.
The Firm takes long positions in common stocks of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers traded on
national securities exchanges and over-the-counter markets. The value of equity securities
varies in response to many factors. These factors include, without limitation, factors specific
to an issuer and factors specific to the industry in which the issuer participates. Individual
companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic
trends and developments, and the stock prices of such companies may suffer a decline in
response. In addition, equity securities are subject to stock risk, which is the risk that stock
prices historically rise and fall in periodic cycles. U.S. and non-U.S. stock markets have
experienced periods of substantial price volatility in the past and may do so again in the
future. In addition, investments in small- capitalization, mid-capitalization and financially
distressed companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements and may
Mutual Funds and ETFs
lack sufficient market liquidity, and these issuers often face greater business risks.
An investment in a mutual fund or ETF involves risk, including the loss of principal. Mutual
fund and ETF shareholders are necessarily subject to the risks stemming from the individual
issuers of the fund’s underlying portfolio securities. Such shareholders are also liable for
taxes on any fund-level capital gains, as mutual funds and ETFs are required by law to
distribute capital gains in the event they sell securities for a profit that cannot be offset by a
corresponding loss.
Shares of mutual funds are generally distributed and redeemed on an ongoing basis by the
fund itself or a broker acting on its behalf. The trading price at which a share is transacted is
equal to a fund’s stated daily per share net asset value (“NAV”), plus any shareholders fees
(e.g., sales loads, purchase fees, redemption fees). The per share NAV of a mutual fund is
calculated at the end of each business day, although the actual NAV fluctuates with intraday
changes to the market value of the fund’s holdings. The trading prices of a mutual fund’s
shares may differ significantly from the NAV during periods of market volatility, which may,
among other factors, lead to the mutual fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to
actual NAV.
Shares of ETFs are listed on securities exchanges and transacted at negotiated prices in the
secondary market. Generally, ETF shares trade at or near their most recent NAV, which is
generally calculated at least once daily for indexed based ETFs and potentially more
frequently for actively managed ETFs. However, certain inefficiencies may cause the shares
to trade at a premium or discount to their pro rata NAV. There is also no guarantee that an
active secondary market for such shares will develop or continue to exist. Generally, an ETF
only redeems shares when aggregated as creation units (usually 20,000 shares or more).
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Therefore, if a liquid secondary market ceases to exist for shares of a particular ETF, a
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
shareholder may have no way to dispose of such shares.
Sage Mountain recommends investments in, or allocates assets among, various real estate
investment trusts (“REITs”), the shares of which exist in the form of either publicly traded or
privately placed securities. REITs are collective investment vehicles with portfolios
comprised primarily of real estate and mortgage related holdings. Many REITs hold heavy
concentrations of investments tied to commercial and/or residential developments, which
inherently subject REIT investors to the risks associated with a downturn in the real estate
market. Investments linked to certain regions that experience greater volatility in the local
real estate market may give rise to large fluctuations in the value of the vehicle’s shares.
Mortgage related holdings may give rise to additional concerns pertaining to interest rates,
Management Risk
inflation, liquidity and counterparty risk.
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Client investments also vary with the success and failure of Sage Mountain’s investment
strategies, research, analysis and determination of portfolio securities. If Sage Mountain’s
strategies do not produce the expected returns, the value of a client’s investments will
decrease. Judgments about the value and potential appreciation of a particular investment
may be wrong and there is no guarantee that the investment will perform as anticipated. The
value of any single investment can be more volatile than the market as a whole or Sage
Mountain’s intrinsic value approach may fail to produce the intended results. There is
dependence on the diligence, skill and business contacts of Sage Mountain’s investment
advisory personnel for the execution of Sage Mountain’s strategies, including the selection,
structuring and closing of the Private Investment Fund’s investments.
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Business, Terrorism and Catastrophe Risks. Investments are subject to the risk of loss
arising from the occurrence of various events, including hurricanes, earthquakes, and
other natural disasters, terrorism and other catastrophic events such as a pandemic.
These catastrophic risks of loss can be substantial and could have a material adverse
effect on Sage Mountain’s business and Private Investment Funds’ portfolios.
Sector Focus Risk. Portfolios may be more heavily invested in certain sectors or
industries, which may cause the value of their investments to be especially sensitive
to factors and economic risks that specifically affect those sectors and may cause the
value of the portfolios to fluctuate. Certain sectors in which the portfolios invest are
continuously evolving and are subject to rapid technological and regulatory change.
The success of any business operating in these sectors is, to a large extent, dependent
on its ability to acquire, develop, adopt and exploit new and existing technologies and
strategies and to distinguish its products and services from those of its competitors.
The acquisition, development, adoption, exploitation and distribution of new and
existing technology and strategy may take long periods of time and may require
significant capital investment. In addition, the success of any business in these
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sectors is dependent on its ability to anticipate and adapt to regulatory change. These
sectors are also characterized by intense competition.
Use of Independent Managers
Non-diversified Risk. Because Private Investment Funds may invest more of their
assets in securities of a single issuer or a limited number of issuers, rather than a
portfolio with greater diversification limitations, they may be more susceptible to a
single adverse economic or political occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers.
As stated above, Sage Mountain selects certain Independent Managers to manage a portion
of its clients’ assets. In these situations, Sage Mountain continues to conduct ongoing due
diligence of such managers, but such recommendations rely to a great extent on the
Independent Managers’ ability to successfully implement their investment strategies. In
addition, Sage Mountain does not have the ability to supervise the Independent Managers on
Use of Private Collective Investment Vehicles
a day-to-day basis.
Sage Mountain recommends that certain clients invest in privately placed collective
investment vehicles (e.g., hedge funds, private equity funds, etc.). The managers of these
vehicles have broad discretion in selecting the investments. There are few limitations on the
types of securities or other financial instruments which may be traded and no requirement
to diversify. Hedge funds may trade on margin or otherwise leverage positions, thereby
potentially increasing the risk to the vehicle. In addition, because the vehicles are not
registered as investment companies, there is an absence of regulation. There are numerous
other risks in investing in these securities. Clients should consult each fund’s private
Private investment Funds
placement memorandum and/or other documents explaining such risks prior to investing.
Sage Mountain will primarily invest in private investment funds managed by independent,
third-party investment managers. The Private Investment Funds will primarily co-invest
with Managers focusing on individual high-conviction equity and credit investments,
generally employing a fundamental approach to investing.
The Private Investment Fund will potentially make tactical allocations to other alternative
investment strategies, including hedge funds, direct investments, secondaries, and private
equity and private credit funds.
The Private Investment Fund seeks to be opportunistic across asset classes, sectors,
investment strategies and market environments. Investments made by the Private
Investment fund will typically be made through Special Purpose Vehicles, separately
managed accounts or commingled vehicles. The co-investments targeted by the Private
Investment Fund will fall into several investment themes including activist equity,
stressed/distressed credit, sovereign/ municipal debt, direct lending/private debt, late-
stage private equity, event driven/special situations and thematic.
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With respect to potential allocations to hedge funds, direct investments, secondaries, and
private equity and private credit funds, the strategies that the Fund will allocate to may
include, but are not limited to: equity long/short, equity long only, equity short only, fixed
income, fixed income arbitrage, convertible arbitrage, event driven, emerging markets,
macro, structured credit, and high yield/distressed.
In general, Managers that the Private Investment Fund allocates to, may invest and trade in,
stocks, notes, bills, bonds, debentures, subscriptions, preferred stocks, convertible
securities, options (including, without limitation, covered and uncovered puts and calls and
over-the-counter options), rights, warrants, swaps, non-U.S. currencies, futures, single stock
futures, other commodity interests, commodity options, options on futures, certificates of
deposit, trust receipts, American Depositary Receipts, global depositary receipts, equipment
trust certificates, interests in partnerships, certificates of interest or participation in any
profit-sharing agreement, collateral trust certificates, bankruptcy claims, investment
contracts, shares of investment companies, evidences of indebtedness and derivative and
similar transactions.
There is no guarantee that the Private Investment Fund will succeed in achieving its
investment objective. The Private Investment Fund could realize substantial losses, rather
Use of Margin
than gains, from some or all the investments described herein.
While the use of margin borrowing for investments can substantially improve returns, it may
also increase overall portfolio risk. Margin transactions are generally effected using capital
borrowed from a Financial Institution, which is secured by a client’s holdings. Under certain
circumstances, a lending Financial Institution may demand an increase in the underlying
collateral. If the client is unable to provide the additional collateral, the Financial Institution
may liquidate account assets to satisfy the client’s outstanding obligations, which could have
extremely adverse consequences. In addition, fluctuations in the amount of a client’s
borrowings and the corresponding interest rates may have a significant effect on the
Interest Rate Risks
profitability and stability of a client’s portfolio.
Interest rates may fluctuate significantly, causing price volatility with respect to securities
Material Risks of Securities Used in Investment Strategies
or instruments held by clients.
Judgements about the value and potential appreciation of a particular security may be wrong
and there is no guarantee that securities will perform as anticipated. The value of a security
Private Investment Vehicles
can be more volatile than the market as a whole.
Private Investment Fund portfolios may be invested in other private funds, such as real
estate funds, venture capital funds or other private pooled vehicles. Investments in a private
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fund may be subject to wide swings in value and may employ the use of leverage or hold
illiquid securities. An investment in a private fund will not be liquid and may not have
limitations on particular sectors, industries, countries, regions or securities. Because private
investment vehicles are not registered investment companies, they are not subject to the
Real Estate Risks
same regulatory reporting or oversight as registered entities.
Investments in real estate are subject to various known and unknown risks, including
unforeseen changes in the local, national, and global economy, dynamic shifts in the
geopolitical environment, the financial conditions of tenants, changes in the number of
buyers for a specific asset type or geography, increases in the supply of product relative to
demand, changes in availability and terms of third party financing, increases in interest rates,
real estate tax rates, energy prices, and other operating expenses, changes in environmental
laws and regulations, zoning laws, and other governmental rules and policies, volatility of
real estate cash flows that can affect debt service and overall returns, commodity and labor
prices impacting the cost of construction, as well as acts of God, terrorism, labor shortages,
material shortages, and uninsurable losses, and other factors that are beyond the control of
Sage Mountain. The acquisition, ownership, management, and disposition of property
carries potential litigation risks, which could result in unexpected losses to the real estate
Private Company Risks
fund.
Companies in which the Private Investment Funds invest, directly or indirectly through other
funds, may be in the early stages of growth, and the performance of early-stage companies
may be more volatile due to their limited product lines, markets or financial reserves, or their
susceptibility to competitors’ actions, major economic setbacks or downturns. The portfolio
companies may also depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of
people and, as a result, the death disability, resignation or termination of one or more of
those persons could have a material adverse impact on the prospective business
opportunities and the investments made. Additionally, some of the companies may require
a significant investment of capital to support their operating, or finance the development of
their products or markets, and may be highly leveraged and subject to significant debt
service obligations, which could have a material adverse impact on the Private Investment
Risks Related to Fixed Income Investments
Funds’ investments.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a debt security or
counterparty to the portfolio’s transactions will be unable or unwilling to make timely
principal and/or interest payments, or otherwise will be unable or unwilling to honor its
financial obligations. If the issuer, guarantor, or counterparty fails to pay interest, the
portfolio’s income may be reduced. If the issuer, guarantor, or counterparty fails to repay
principal, the value of that security and the value of the portfolio may be reduced.
Fixed Income Securities. Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of an issuer’s ability
14
to meet principal and interest payments on the obligation (credit risk), and may also be
subject to price volatility due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity, market perception
of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (market risk). The market
values of fixed income securities tend to vary inversely with the level of interest rates.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, when economic conditions appear to be deteriorating,
medium to lower rated securities may decline in value due to heightened concern over credit
Risk of Loss
quality, regardless of prevailing interest rates.
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear.
Sage Mountain does not represent, warrant, or imply that the services or methods of analysis
employed by Sage Mountain can or will predict future results, successfully identify market
tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
All investments present the risk of loss of principal – the risk that the value of securities,
when sold or otherwise disposed of, may be less than the price paid for the securities. Even
when the value of the securities when sold is greater than the price paid, there is the risk that
the appreciation will be less than inflation. In other words, the purchasing power of the
proceeds may be less than the purchasing power of the original investment.
The investment risks described above represent some but not all of the risks associated with
the various types of investments and investment strategies. Investors should refer to the
offering documents of any relevant Private Investment Fund for additional information
Item 9 – Disciplinary Information
relating to investment risks.
Registered investment advisers are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal
or disciplinary events that would be material to your evaluation of Sage Mountain or the
integrity of Sage Mountain’s management. Sage Mountain has no legal or disciplinary events
Item 10 – Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
applicable to this Item.
10.A. No Registered Representatives
Sage Mountain’s management persons are not registered, nor do any management persons
have an application pending to register, as a broker-dealer or a registered representative of
10.B. No Other Registrations
a broker-dealer.
Sage Mountain’s management persons are not registered, nor do any management persons
have an application pending to register, as a futures commission merchant, commodity pool
10.C. Material Relationships or Arrangements
operator, a commodity trading advisor, or an associated person of the foregoing entities.
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Certain officers of the firm serve on advisory boards for private investment funds that are
recommended to, or are held by, the firm’s clients. These officers also hold personal
investments in certain private funds which are also held by clients (please refer to Item 11
“Code of Ethics”). Because of this advisory board role, the firm’s officers will have more
information than other investors in the affected private fund. In order to mitigate this
conflict, potential investors, who are also Sage Mountain clients, will be provided disclosure
regarding any officer role in those particular investments. Further, the officer will recuse
themselves from recommending the investment to Sage Mountain clients. The officers do
not receive any compensation for their advisory board role.
Affiliates of Sage Mountain, Sage-Mtn Tiger Global PIP Access GP, LLC, Sage-Mtn Tiger Global
Flagship Fund Onshore GP LLC and Sage-Mtn Tiger Global Flagship Fund Cayman GP LLC
serve as the General Partner to the Private Investment Funds and oversee the management
and investment operations of the Private Funds managed by Sage Mountain.
A conflict of interest exists as Sage Mountain’s compensation may be higher when wealth
management accounts assets are invested in the Private Investment Funds. In addition, the
amount of the wealth advisers’ clients that invest in the Private Investment Funds is a factor
in determining ownership of the general partner. This creates a conflict of interest as wealth
advisers have an incentive to recommend that Client assets are invested in the Private
Investment Funds. Sage Mountain only recommends that a Client invest its assets in one or
more of the Private Investment Funds when Sage Mountain believes the investment is in the
Client’s best interest.
Sage Mountain has entered into an agreement with Spearhead Administrative Services LLC,
an approved administrator of SMA programs within the Private Placement Life Insurance
(PPLI) and Private Placement Variable Annuity (PPVA) markets whereby Sage Mountain
receives compensation for the management of these types of accounts, billed within the
policy. A conflict of interest exists as Sage Mountain will receive additional fees from
Spearhead. This conflict is mitigated due to Sage Mountain adjusting billing to waive this fee
to clients.
10.D. Recommendation of Other Investment Advisers
Sage Mountain may recommend other investment advisers for clients, but it does not receive
any compensation related to its recommendation of other investment advisers other than
Item 11 – Code of Ethics
any applicable management fee.
11.A. Code of Ethics Document
Sage Mountain has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to SEC rule 204A-1. The basic principle
of Sage Mountain’s Code of Ethics is that the interests of clients are always placed first. Sage
Mountain’s Code of Ethics contains written policies reasonably designed to prevent certain
unlawful practices such as the use of material non-public information by the Firm or any of
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its Supervised Persons and the trading in the same of securities ahead of clients in order to
take advantage of pending orders.
Clients and prospective clients may contact Sage Mountain to request a copy of its Code of
11.B. Recommendations of Securities and Material Financial Interests
Ethics.
While neither Sage Mountain nor any of the firm’s officers or employees recommend, hold,
acquire or dispose of any securities in which Sage Mountain or any of the firm’s officers or
employees has a material financial interest, officers and employees do buy or sell securities
for their personal accounts identical to or different than those recommended to clients.
Please see below for the firm’s Code of Ethics reporting requirements to address potential
11.C. Personal Trading
conflicts.
The Code of Ethics also requires certain of Sage Mountain’s personnel to report their
personal securities holdings and transactions and obtain pre-approval of certain
investments (e.g., initial public offerings, limited offerings). However, the Firm’s Supervised
Persons are permitted to buy or sell securities that it also recommends to clients if done in a
fair and equitable manner that is consistent with the Firm’s policies and procedures.
These requirements are not applicable to: (i) direct obligations of the Government of the
United States; (ii) money market instruments, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of
deposit, commercial paper, repurchase agreements and other high quality short-term debt
instruments, including repurchase agreements; (iii) shares issued by money market funds;
11.D. Timing of Personal Trading
and (iv) shares issued by other unaffiliated open-end mutual funds.
impact on the markets of such securities. Therefore, under
The Code of Ethics has been established recognizing that some securities trade in sufficiently
broad markets to permit transactions by certain personnel to be completed without any
appreciable
limited
circumstances, exceptions may be made to the policies stated below.
•
When the Firm is engaging in or considering a transaction in any security on behalf of a client,
no Supervised Person with access to this information may knowingly effect for themselves
or for their immediate family (i.e., spouse, minor children and adults living in the same
household) a transaction in that security unless:
•
the transaction has been completed;
•
the transaction for the Supervised Person is completed as part of a batch trade with
clients; or
Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
a decision has been made not to engage in the transaction for the client.
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12.A. Recommendation of Broker-Dealers for Client Transactions
Sage Mountain recommends that clients utilize the custody, brokerage and clearing services
of National Financial Services LLC and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (together with
affiliates, “Fidelity”) for wealth management accounts. The final decision to custody assets
with Fidelity is at the discretion of the client, including those accounts under ERISA or IRA
rules and regulations, in which case the client is acting as either the plan sponsor or IRA
accountholder. Sage Mountain is independently owned and operated and not affiliated with
Fidelity. Fidelity provides Sage Mountain with access to its institutional trading and custody
services, which are typically not available to retail investors.
Factors which Sage Mountain considers in recommending Fidelity or any other broker-
dealer to clients include their respective financial strength, reputation, execution, pricing,
research and service. Fidelity enables the Firm to obtain many mutual funds without
transaction charges and other securities at nominal transaction charges. Fidelity has also
agreed to reimburse clients for exit fees associated with moving accounts to Fidelity. The
reimbursement is only available up to a certain amount for all of the Firm’s clients over a
twelve-month period. Fees are reimbursed on a first-come-first-served basis so that no
clients are favored. The commissions and/or transaction fees charged by Fidelity may be
higher or lower than those charged by other Financial Institutions.
The commissions paid by Sage Mountain’s clients to Fidelity comply with the Firm’s duty to
obtain “best execution.” Clients may pay commissions that are higher than another qualified
Financial Institution might charge to effect the same transaction where Sage Mountain
determines that the commissions are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage
and research services received. In seeking best execution, the determinative factor is not the
lowest possible cost, but whether the transaction represents the best qualitative execution,
taking into consideration the full range of a Financial Institution’s services, including among
others, the value of research provided, execution capability, commission rates and
responsiveness. Sage Mountain seeks competitive rates but may not necessarily obtain the
lowest possible commission rates for client transactions.
Consistent with obtaining best execution, brokerage transactions are directed to certain
broker-dealers in return for investment research products and/or services which assist Sage
Mountain in its investment decision-making process. Such research will be used to service
all of the Firm’s clients, but brokerage commissions paid by one client may be used to pay
for research that is not used in managing that client’s portfolio. The receipt of investment
research products and/or services as well as the allocation of the benefit of such investment
research products and/or services poses a conflict of interest because Sage Mountain does
not have to produce or pay for the products or services.
Sage Mountain periodically and systematically reviews its policies and procedures regarding
Software and Support Provided by Financial Institutions
its recommendation of Financial Institutions in light of its duty to obtain best execution.
Sage Mountain receives without cost from Fidelity administrative support, computer
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software, related systems support, as well as other third-party support as further described
below (together “Support”) which allows Sage Mountain to better monitor client accounts
maintained at Fidelity and otherwise conduct its business. Sage Mountain receives the
Support without cost because the Firm renders investment management services to clients
that maintain assets at Fidelity. The Support is not provided in connection with securities
transactions of clients (i.e., not “soft dollars”). The Support benefits Sage Mountain, but not
its clients directly. Clients should be aware that Sage Mountain’s receipt of economic benefits
such as the Support from a broker-dealer creates a conflict of interest since these benefits
may influence the Firm’s choice of broker-dealer over another that does not furnish similar
software, systems support or services, especially because the level of client assets at Fidelity
is used to determine the amount of support. In fulfilling its duties to its clients, Sage Mountain
endeavors at all times to put the interests of its clients first and has determined that the
recommendation of Fidelity is in the best interest of clients and satisfies the Firm's duty to
seek best execution.
Specifically, Sage Mountain receives the following benefits from Fidelity: (i) receipt of
duplicate client confirmations and bundled duplicate statements; (ii) access to a trading desk
that exclusively services its institutional traders; (iii) access to block trading which provides
the ability to aggregate securities transactions and then allocate the appropriate shares to
client accounts; and (iv) access to an electronic communication network for client order
entry and account information.
Fidelity also makes available to the Firm, at no additional charge, certain research and
brokerage services, including research services obtained by Fidelity directly from
independent research companies, as selected by Sage Mountain (within specified
parameters). These research and brokerage services are used by the Firm to manage
accounts for which it has investment discretion. Sage Mountain also receives additional
services and support, including support for certain transition expenses (subject to review by
Fidelity) which is available for the first twenty-four months from the start of the Firm’s
relationship with Fidelity. Without this arrangement, the Firm might be compelled to
Brokerage for Client Referrals
purchase the same or similar services at its own expense.
Sage Mountain does not consider, in selecting or recommending broker-dealers, whether the
Directed Brokerage
Firm receives client referrals from the Financial Institutions or other third party.
The client may direct Sage Mountain in writing to use a particular Financial Institution to
execute some or all transactions for the client. In that case, the client will negotiate terms
and arrangements for the account with that Financial Institution and the Firm will not seek
better execution services or prices from other Financial Institutions or be able to “batch”
client transactions for execution through other Financial Institutions with orders for other
accounts managed by Sage Mountain (as described above). As a result, the client may pay
higher commissions or other transaction costs, greater spreads or may receive less favorable
net prices, on transactions for the account than would otherwise be the case. Subject to its
duty of best execution, Sage Mountain may decline a client’s request to direct brokerage if,
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in the Firm’s sole discretion, such directed brokerage arrangements would result in
12.B. Aggregation of Orders
additional operational difficulties.
Transactions for each client will be effected independently, unless Sage Mountain decides to
purchase or sell the same securities for several clients at approximately the same time. Sage
Mountain may (but is not obligated to) combine or “batch” such orders to obtain best
execution, to negotiate more favorable commission rates or to allocate equitably among the
Firm’s clients, differences in prices and commissions or other transaction costs that might
not have been obtained had such orders been placed independently. Under this procedure,
transactions will be averaged as to price and allocated among Sage Mountain’s clients pro
rata to the purchase and sale orders placed for each client on any given day. To the extent
that the Firm determines to aggregate client orders for the purchase or sale of securities,
including securities in which Sage Mountain’s Supervised Persons may invest, the Firm does
so in accordance with applicable rules promulgated under the Advisers Act and no-action
guidance provided by the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Sage
Mountain does not receive any additional compensation or remuneration as a result of the
aggregation.
In the event that the Firm determines that a prorated allocation is not appropriate under the
particular circumstances, the allocation will be made based upon other relevant factors,
which include: (i) when only a small percentage of the order is executed, shares may be
allocated to the account with the smallest order or the smallest position or to an account that
is out of line with respect to security or sector weightings relative to other portfolios, with
similar mandates; (ii) allocations may be given to one account when one account has
limitations in its investment guidelines which prohibit it from purchasing other securities
which are expected to produce similar investment results and can be purchased by other
accounts; (iii) if an account reaches an investment guideline limit and cannot participate in
an allocation, shares may be reallocated to other accounts (this may be due to unforeseen
changes in an account’s assets after an order is placed); (iv) with respect to sale allocations,
allocations may be given to accounts low in cash; (v) in cases when a pro rata allocation of a
potential execution would result in a de minimis allocation in one or more accounts, the Firm
may exclude the account(s) from the allocation; the transactions may be executed on a pro
rata basis among the remaining accounts; or (vi) in cases where a small proportion of an
order is executed in all accounts, shares may be allocated to one or more accounts on a
12.C. Private Fund Investments
random basis.
Sage Mountain may be presented with investment opportunities that fall within the
investment objective of more than one Private Investment Fund. When two or more Private
Investment Funds are formed to invest on a parallel basis, Sage Mountain will allocate
investments to such Private Investment Funds pro rata based on commitments, subject to
any limitations in the applicable Private Investment Fund’s offering documents. In addition,
one or more non-parallel Private Investment Funds may invest together, subject to
limitations set forth in the applicable Private Investment Fund’s offering documents. Sage
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Mountain will determine allocations of investment opportunities in a manner that they
believe is fair and equitable to the Private Investment Funds consistent with Sage Mountain’s
obligations to each such Private Investment Fund, including as set forth in the applicable
Private Investment Fund’s offering documents and Sage Mountain’s trade allocation
Item 13 – Review of Accounts
procedures.
13.A. Frequency and Nature of Review
Sage Mountain monitors client portfolios on a continuous and ongoing basis. Such reviews
are conducted by the Firm’s Principals and/or investment adviser representatives. All
investment advisory clients are encouraged to discuss their needs, goals and objectives with
Sage Mountain and to keep the Firm informed of any changes thereto. The Firm contacts
ongoing investment advisory clients at least annually to review its previous services and/or
13.B. Factors That May Trigger An Account Review Outside of Regular Review
recommendations.
In addition to regular reviews, Sage Mountain reviews accounts based upon triggering
events, such as a client meeting, economic news, national or world events, or other similar
13.C. Content and Frequency of Reports
factors.
Clients are provided with transaction confirmation notices and regular summary account
statements directly from the Financial Institutions where their assets are custodied. From
time-to-time or as otherwise requested, clients may also receive written or electronic
reports from Sage Mountain and/or an outside service provider, which contain certain
account and/or market-related information, such as an inventory of account holdings or
account performance. This may also include access to aggregated reports provided by a third
party. Clients should compare the account statements they receive from their custodian with
13.D. Private Investment Funds
any documents or reports they receive from Sage Mountain or an outside service provider.
Sage Mountain’s Managing Partners are responsible and have ultimate authority for all
transactions and investment decisions made on behalf of the Private Investment Funds. At
least annually, the Private Investment Funds’ portfolios are reviewed by a Managing Partner
to ensure compliance with Private Investment Funds’ objectives and restrictions as stated in
the Private Investment Funds’ offering documents.
The Private Investment Fund’s investments are reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be
reviewed specifically with regard to certain factors such as cash flows or in response to
market conditions.
Sage Mountain, or its service provider, will furnish each Private Investment Fund investor
with written reports pursuant to the terms set forth in each Private Investment Fund’s
offering documents
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Item 14 – Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Sage Mountain has no arrangements, oral or in writing, where it directly or indirectly
compensates any person for client referrals.
Sage Mountain receives an economic benefit from Fidelity in the form of support products
and services it makes available to Sage Mountain and other independent investment advisors
that have their clients maintain accounts at Fidelity. These products and services, how they
benefit Sage Mountain, and the related conflicts of interest are described above (see Item 12
– Brokerage Practices). The availability to Sage Mountain of Fidelity’s products and services
is not based on Sage Mountain giving particular investment advice, such as buying particular
Item 15 – Custody
securities for its clients.
Sage Mountain is deemed to have custody of client funds and securities because clients have
given the Firm the ability to debit client accounts for payment of the Firm’s fees, have granted
the Firm limited power of attorney, or have engaged one of the Firm’s principals to serve as
trustee on an account. As such, Sage Mountain is considered to have custody over certain
client accounts.
Client funds and securities are maintained at one or more Financial Institutions that serve as
the qualified custodian with respect to such assets. Such qualified custodians will send
account statements to clients at least once per calendar quarter that typically detail any
transactions in such account for the relevant period.
In addition, as discussed in Item 13, Sage Mountain will also send, or otherwise make
available, periodic supplemental reports to clients. Clients should carefully review the
statements sent directly by the Financial Institutions and compare them to those received
Private Investment Funds
from Sage Mountain.
Sage Mountain is deemed to have custody of the assets of the Private Investment Funds by
reason of legal ownership or access to such assets because affiliated entities serve as General
Partner to the Private Investment Funds. However, all client assets and transferable
securities are maintained at independent qualified custodians. Sage Mountain will comply
with the requirements of the Custody Rule, as defined in the Investment Advisers Act of
1940, with regard to the custody as a result of affiliates serving as General Partner to the
Private Investment Funds. Sage Mountain has entered into a written Advisory Agreement
with an independent public accountant to provide audited financial statements to each
Private Investment Fund’s investors within 120 days following the Private Investment
Item 16 – Investment Discretion
Fund’s fiscal year end (180 days for any fund of funds).
Sage Mountain is given the authority to exercise discretion on behalf of clients. Sage
Mountain is retained by the General Partner of the Private Investment Funds to provide
22
•
investment advisory services on a discretionary basis. Sage Mountain is considered to
exercise investment discretion over a client’s account if it can effect and/or direct
transactions in client accounts without first seeking their consent. Sage Mountain is given
this authority through a power-of-attorney included in the Advisory Agreement between
Sage Mountain and the client. Clients may request a limitation on this authority (such as
certain securities not to be bought or sold). Sage Mountain takes discretion over the
following activities:
•
The securities to be purchased or sold;
•
The amount of securities to be purchased or sold;
•
When transactions are made; and
The Independent Managers to be hired or fired.
Investments for the Private Investment Funds are managed in accordance with each Private
Investment Fund’s investment objectives, strategies and restrictions, and are not tailored to
the individualized needs of any particular investor in the Private Investment Funds. Any
limitations on this discretionary authority are described in the Private Investment Funds’
Item 17 – Voting Client Securities
offering documents.
17.A. Voting Policies and Procedures
7.B. Security Claims Class Action Litigation
Sage Mountain does not accept the authority to vote a client’s securities (i.e., proxies) on
their behalf. Clients receive proxies directly from the Financial Institutions where their
assets are custodied and may contact the Firm at the contact information on the cover of this
brochure with questions about any such issuer solicitations. The Firm may offer assistance
as to proxy matters upon a client's request, but the client always retains the proxy voting
responsibility.
1
Sage Mountain has engaged a third-party service provider, Chicago Clearing Corporation
(“CCC”), to monitor and file securities claims class action litigation paperwork with claims
administrators on behalf of the Firm’s clients. Sage Mountain does not receive any fees or
remuneration in connection with this service, nor does it receive any fees from the third-
party provider(s). CCC earns a fee based on a flat percentage of all claims it collects on behalf
of Sage Mountain's clients. This fee is collected and retained by CCC out of the claims paid by
the claim administrator. Clients may opt out of this service at any time. If a client opts out,
Sage Mountain does not have an obligation to advise or take any action on behalf of a client
with regard to class action litigation involving investments held in, or formerly held in, a
Item 18 – Financial Information
client’s account.
18.A. Advance Payment of Fees
23
Sage Mountain does not require or solicit prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees per client,
18.B. Financial Condition
six months or more in advance.
Registered investment advisers are required in this Item to provide you with certain
financial information or disclosures about their financial condition. Sage Mountain has no
financial commitments that impair its ability to meet contractual and fiduciary commitments
18.C. No Bankruptcy Proceedings
to clients.
Sage Mountain has not been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
24