Overview
- Headquarters
- Stamford, CT
- Average Client Assets
- $1.1 million
- Minimum Account Size
- $25,000
- SEC CRD Number
- 283004
Recent Rankings
Barron's 2025:
9
Barron's 2024:
18
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (STEWARD PARTNERS ADV PART 2A)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | and above | 3.00% |
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $30,000 | 3.00% |
| $5 million | $150,000 | 3.00% |
| $10 million | $300,000 | 3.00% |
| $50 million | $1,500,000 | 3.00% |
| $100 million | $3,000,000 | 3.00% |
Clients
- HNW Share of Firm Assets
- 82.84%
- Total Client Accounts
- 71,582
- Discretionary Accounts
- 19,166
- Non-Discretionary Accounts
- 52,416
Services Offered
Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Pension Consulting, Investment Advisor Selection
Regulatory Filings
Additional Brochure: STEWARD PARTNERS - RIA MANAGED ACCOUNT PROGRAM (2026-03-31)
View Document Text
STEWARD PARTNERS INVESTMENT ADVISORY, LLC
Firm Brochure Form ADV Part 2A
Appendix 1A
RIA Managed Account Program
Wrap Fee Brochure
400 Atlantic Street, Floor 10, Suite 1020
Stamford, CT 06901-3512
Telephone: (866) 694-7769
www.stewardpartners.com
March 31, 2026
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Steward
Partners Investment Advisory, LLC. If you have any questions about the contents of this
brochure, contact us at (866) 694-7769 or info@stewardpartners.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 Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (CRD No. 283004) is
available on the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration with
the SEC or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
ITEM 2: SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES
Form ADV Part 2 requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when
information becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser's
disclosure brochure, the adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description of
the material changes.
Since our last wrap fee brochure dated February 20, 2026, Steward Partners Investment
Advisory, LLC (“SPIA”) has made the following material changes to our wrap fee program
disclosures:
• Advisory Program Disclosures – We expanded our program offering disclosures to
include Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios (Guided and Discretionary), Steward
Partners Separate Account Solutions (SMA), and Steward Partners Unified Managed
Account (“UMA”) Program.
• Third-Party Platforms and Models – We introduced the use of SMArtX Advisory
Solutions to provide trade execution, reconciliation, and access to managers. In addition,
we added disclosures regarding a proprietary model offering, Life Wealth Optimization
(LWO).
• Custodians – We now utilize Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Folio Investments, Inc., d/b/a
Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions, and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC as custodians for
program accounts.
Page 2 of 15
ITEM 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS
ITEM 2: SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES ..................................................................................................................................... 2
ITEM 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
ITEM 4 – SERVICES, FEES, AND COMPENSATION ......................................................................................................................... 4
BROKERAGE SERVICES ...................................................................................................................................................................................7
FEES AND COMPENSATION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
ITEM 5 – ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS AND TYPES OF CLIENTS .......................................................................................... 13
ITEM 6 – PORTFOLIO MANAGER SELECTION AND EVALUATION..................................................................................... 13
ITEM 7 – CLIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO PORTFOLIO MANAGERS .................................................................14
ITEM 8 – CLIENT CONTACT WITH PORTFOLIO MANAGERS .................................................................................................14
ITEM 9 – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................................14
Page 3 of 15
ITEM 4 – SERVICES, FEES, AND COMPENSATION
The Steward Partners - RIA Managed Account Program (“Program”) is sponsored by Steward
Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (“SPIA,” the “Firm,” “us” or “we” or “our”), an SEC-registered
investment adviser. SPIA is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of
Delaware and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. SPIA has been providing investment
advisory services since March 2016. SPIA is wholly-owned by Steward Partners Holdings, LLC
(“SPH”). Steward Partners Investment Solutions, LLC (“SPIS”) operates as a broker-dealer
registered with the SEC and is a member of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)
and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). SPIA, SPIS, and Steward Partners Global
Advisory, LLC (“SPGA”), are wholly owned subsidiary of SPH, are affiliates and separately
operated. SPGA provides corporate and related services to SPIA and SPIS.
Advisory Services
SPIA provides investment management services to individuals and businesses, including
investment advice, portfolio checkups, retirement planning (for individuals, employees, and
employers), and/or estate planning strategies. We help clients coordinate and prioritize their
financial lives with all aspects of their life goals. Client input and involvement are critical parts of
the planning process and the implementation of investment decisions.
SPIA has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent with the client's best interest. We offer
discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management services generally exercised within
the auspices of the managed account program. Regardless of the program(s) selected, when
you engage for portfolio management services, we will consult with you to discuss your financial
circumstances and objectives and to assist you in determining (a) an appropriate set of financial
goals, (b) a time horizon for your investments, and (c) your level of risk tolerance. Based on our
evaluation of your financial situation, we will provide you with recommendations as to which
investment program is the most appropriate for the management of your assets and which
particular investments and strategies are suited for your investment profile. Our investment
advice is tailored to meet our clients' needs and investment objectives.
As part of its investment advisory services, SPIA will review client portfolios on an ongoing basis
to determine whether changes are necessary based upon a change in the c's investment
objective, risk tolerance or other factors. Based upon this, there will be extended periods of time
when we determine that changes to a client's portfolio or the investment program are neither
necessary nor prudent. Clients remain subject to the fees described in Item 5 during periods of
account inactivity. As indicated below, there can be no assurance that SPIA's investment
recommendations and decisions will be profitable or achieve any specific performance level(s).
We offer advice on a broad range of securities including, but not limited to, mutual funds,
exchange-traded funds, exchange-listed equity securities, alternative investments, municipal
securities, corporate bonds, U.S. government securities, and money market funds. We do not
primarily recommend one particular type of security over another since each client has different
needs and a different tolerance for risk. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions on investing
in certain securities or types of securities.
Client accounts are managed with either discretionary or non-discretionary authority
depending on the terms of your Investment Advisory Agreement (“IA Agreement”) with us. For
non-discretionary accounts, we must first obtain your approval prior to executing any
transactions in your accounts established at the custodian named in the IA Agreement
(“Account” or “Accounts”). This may include providing you with a proposed course of trading and
affording you an opportunity to review the trade. In the case no response is received, after a
reasonable amount of time, we may execute the trade based upon your negative consent to the
course of conduct. Investment recommendations are executed on behalf of discretionary
accounts without the prior approval of each specific transaction.
You retain the right to (1) withdraw securities or cash; (2) vote on shareholder proposals of
beneficially owned security issues; (3) be provided, in a timely manner, with a written
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confirmation or other notification of each securities transaction, and all other documents
required by law to be provided to security holders; and (4) proceed directly as a security holder
against the issuer of any security in your Account and not be obligated to join any person
involved in the operation of the applicable Program, or any other client of the applicable
Program, as a condition precedent to initiating such proceeding. We will provide you with
periodic monitoring and reporting of your portfolio’s performance. Your request to establish or
terminate program services, including contribution and withdrawal activity, is not considered a
market order due to the administrative processing time needed to establish your advisory
Account. We will initiate Program services for new advisory Program Accounts within a
reasonable amount of time, generally within 15 days, after your execution of any required
Account documentation, approvals, and funding of the account. If you transition from one
Program to another, we will execute the transition within a reasonable amount of time,
generally within 15 days, after our receipt of your instruction to make the change. As part of a
transition from one Program to another and until such a transition is complete, a transitioning
Account may, for a reasonable period of time generally not exceeding 15 days, hold positions
that do not directly align with the newly selected Program. As a result, transitioning Accounts
may be subject to market volatility in a manner that is different than that associated with the
prior or newly selected Program. A transitioning Account will continue to be subject to the fees
associated with the Program that it is being transitioned from until the transition is complete.
As described below in the "Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations" section, we are
engaged in a wide range of securities services. The advice given and action taken in the
performance of our duties to you will differ from advice given, or the timing and nature of action
taken, with respect to other Program cs and/or clients in other advisory Programs.
You can specify investment objectives and guidelines and/or impose certain reasonable
conditions or investment parameters for your account(s). For example, you can specify that the
investment in any particular stock or industry should not exceed specified percentages of the
value of the portfolio and/or impose reasonable restrictions or prohibitions of transactions in the
securities of a specific industry or security.
Types of Programs
•
IAR Directed– Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios which consist of:
• Steward Partners Guided Portfolios, and
• Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios
• Steward Partners Unified Managed Account Program
• Third Party Directed– which consist of:
• Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions, and
• Steward Partners Direct Access Solutions
Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios
Steward Partners Guided Portfolios
The Steward Partners Guided Portfolio is a non-discretionary investment advisory product in
which your Investment Advisor Representative (“IAR”) provides investment recommendations
based on your investment objectives, financial situation, and risk tolerance. You have the option
of accepting these recommendations or selecting different investments for your Account.
Your IAR can recommend a portfolio amongst a mix of stocks, bonds, options, exchange-traded
funds, mutual funds annuities, alternative investments, and other securities (“Program Assets”)
based on your investment goals, objectives, and risk tolerance.
Program-eligible mutual funds include, at any given time, asset allocation funds, alternative
strategy mutual funds, or other select funds that utilize derivatives, short-selling, leverage, and
other strategies to meet stated investment objectives, enhance diversification, hedge risks,
accentuate returns or facilitate certain market exposures or more dynamic allocation changes.
Certain mutual funds that cannot be purchased at net asset value are not eligible as Program
Assets and are referred to collectively as "Excluded Assets" (also known as "Non-Program
Assets"). The purchase or sale of Excluded Assets in your Program Account is prohibited and
must be executed in a separate brokerage account which will incur commissions or charges.
Page 5 of 15
While new-issue certificates of deposits (“CDs”) are an eligible Program Asset, the yield of new-
issue CDs considers a sales concession to compensate the brokerage firms that sell the CDs. For
certain advisory Accounts, the underwriter retains this sales concession. Although we do not
receive the sales concession, it has an impact on the overall yield paid to you. Since we charge
an advisory fee on all eligible assets within an advisory Account, you are effectively charged both
the sales concession (retained by the underwriter) and the advisory fee on the CD. These charges
reduce the overall yield on the CD, and, in some cases, this results in a negative yield. You should
be aware that you can obtain the same CDs without being subject to the advisory fee if you
purchase them in a non-advisory brokerage account.
Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios
The Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolio is a type of account where SPIA IARs act as your
Portfolio Manager and provide investment advisory services to your Account on a discretionary
basis. Before we can buy or sell securities on your behalf, you must first sign a discretionary
management agreement. By granting discretionary authority, you authorize us to implement
our investment recommendations directly within your account, including, but not limited to the
right to determine:
• Which securities to buy and sell for your account;
• When to buy and sell securities for your account; AND
• The amount of securities to buy and sell for your account.
Your IAR can allocate your portfolio amongst a mix of stocks, bonds, options, exchange-traded
funds, mutual funds annuities, alternative investments, and other securities based on your
investment goals, objectives, and risk tolerance.
Program-eligible mutual funds include, at any given time, asset allocation funds, alternative
strategy mutual funds, or other select funds that utilize derivatives, short-selling, leverage,
and other strategies to meet stated investment objectives, enhance diversification, hedge risks,
accentuate returns or facilitate certain market exposures or more dynamic allocation changes.
Some Portfolio Managers may use investment recommendations from third-party research
providers to assist in developing security selections for your Account. When seeking to
anticipate trends and identify undervalued securities with sound fundamentals, our Portfolio
Managers may also use a security selection and portfolio modeling process that
incorporates fundamental, technical, and statistical analyses of historical data. Due to any
number of factors, including timing of Client asset deposits, investment selection process or
client investment needs, certain clients receive different execution prices and investment
results.
Separate Account Solutions
The Separate Account Solutions is a Program that consists of a portfolio of assets managed on
a discretionary basis by a third-party professional investment firm (“Investment Manager”) and
offers direct ownership of securities, including ETFs, and mutual funds. Each separately
managed account (“SMA”) has a single Investment Manager with each investment selected
according to a specific strategy recommended by your IAR based on your financial goals and
investment objectives. In an SMA, each Investment Manager strategy is assigned to their own
custodial account. The SMA may also contain mutual funds and ETFs, generally used to
complement the Investment Manager’s strategy employed within the SMA. Under the terms of
your IA Agreement with us, we provide holistic portfolio oversight and communication. You also
grant the Investment Manager trading authority to execute trades directly in your custodial
account.
Direct Access Solutions Program
The Direct Access Solutions Program (“SPDAS”) offers clients’ access to certain separate
managed account services through Investment Manager marketplaces available through
custodians, such as but not limited to the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Managed Account
Marketplace® and the Fidelity Separate Account Network platforms (collectively, “Manager
Page 6 of 15
Marketplace”).
Accounts will contain individual securities which are managed on a discretionary basis by
Investment Managers unaffiliated to Steward Partners. SPDAS is a dual-contract managed
account program where two separate advisory agreements govern the relationship—one
between you and Steward Partners, and another between you and the Investment Manager.
Under the terms of your IA Agreement with us, we provide holistic portfolio oversight and
communication. We agree to you provide asset allocation, Investment Manager selection, and
ongoing monitoring services for specified fee. The terms of your agreement with the Investment
Manager, you grant trading authority to them to execute trades directly in your custodial
account. Your agreement with the Investment Manager also specifies the investment strategy,
benchmark, and the Investment Manager’s own fee schedule.
Steward Partners negotiate management fees directly with certain Investment Managers,
conduct due diligence and choose, in some cases, from transaction or asset-based pricing for
custodian’s brokerage services. Most Investment Managers require a minimum investment. The
minimum investment is generally $100,000 for equity strategies and $250,000 for fixed-income
strategies. Each Investment Manager sets each account minimum.
Please refer to your investment advisory agreement for specific terms and conditions.
Steward Partners UMA Program
A Unified Managed Account (“UMA”) includes similar investment options offered in an SMA but
also allows multiple strategies in a single account. These strategies are created and managed
by third-party Investment Managers, by Steward Partners, or by your IAR (collectively “UMA
Investment Managers”). Unlike the SMA, all Investment Manager strategies, mutual funds and
other Program investments are held in a single custodial account. Based on your financial goals
and investment objectives, your IAR has discretion to create an asset allocation model for your
Account. This model determines how your assets are allocated among various investment
strategies. Overlay management is provided to coordinate the trading activities of UMA
Investment Managers. Overlay management includes services such as rebalancing, optional tax
management, and the application of any socially responsible or reasonable investment
restrictions you have selected. In other words, the overlay manager helps ensure that your
overall account stays aligned with your target allocation and investment preferences, even
though multiple managers may be involved.
Services Provided by SMArtX
We have a master agreement with SMArtX Advisory Solutions, LLC (“SMArtX”), to provide trade
management and reconciliation for Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios, SMA and UMA
Program Accounts. SMArtX provides us access to its agreement with each of the investment
managers in the Program (“Third-Party Money Managers”). In addition to Third Party Money
Managers, Steward also offers strategies managed by Steward and referred to as Life Wealth
Optimization (“LWO”) Models. Together, the Third-Party Money Managers and LWO are referred
to as “Investment Managers”.
For more information regarding services provided by SMArtX Advisory Solutions, please refer to
their Form ADV 2A available through the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at
https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/.
BROKERAGE SERVICES
When your Steward Partners IAR manages your Account through the Program, your Account
will be established at the custodian named in the IA Agreement that you sign to participate in
the Program. An unaffiliated entity acts as custodian and broker-dealer for the Program
described in this brochure. The custodian is named in your IA Agreement. The custodian will be
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”), Folio Investments, Inc., d/b/a Goldman Sachs Custody
Solutions (“Goldman”), or Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“Fidelity”), all third-party broker-
Page 7 of 15
dealers registered with the SEC and members of FINRA and SIPC. The custodian will act solely
as a broker-dealer and not as an investment adviser to you. It will have no discretion over your
account and will act solely on instructions it receives from us or you.
The custodian has no responsibility for our services and undertakes no duty to you to monitor
our management of your account or other services we provide to you. The custodian will hold
your assets in a brokerage account and buy and sell securities and execute other transactions
when we or you instruct them to.
“Step-out” Trades
Occasionally, to achieve best execution and reduce market impact, trades in certain thinly
traded or illiquid securities may be “stepped out.” A “step-out” is an arrangement in which a
broker-dealer executes a trade on behalf of an investment adviser and then allocates all or part
of that trade to another broker-dealer for settlement. In some instances, stepped-out trades are
executed by the executing broker without any additional commission or markup or markdown,
but in other cases, the executing firm will impose a commission or markup or markdown on the
trade. If trades are placed with a firm that imposes a commission or equivalent fee on the trade,
including a commission that is embedded in the price of the security, the Client will incur
trading costs in addition to the fee you pay your IAR. It is important to know that you may pay a
commission in addition to your advisory fee for those stepped-out trades. SMArtX has
procedures in place to monitor these transactions. We periodically review SMArtX’s procedures,
and results may rely on a third-party review as well.
Transaction Aggregation (Block Trading) and Allocation Practices
The Firm may aggregate (i.e., “block”) transactions for multiple Client accounts when it believes
that doing so is consistent with its duty to seek best execution and is in the overall best interest
of participating Clients. Aggregation is generally intended to promote efficiency in execution,
facilitate more consistent pricing, and reduce the likelihood that any particular Client is
disadvantaged in the execution of transactions.
When transactions are aggregated, participating Client accounts will generally receive an
allocation at the same average price for the security, reflecting the weighted average execution
price of the aggregated order, before the application of any account-specific transaction costs
or account-specific fees. This approach is designed to ensure that no participating Client is
systematically advantaged or disadvantaged relative to other participating accounts.
In situations where an aggregated order is partially filled, executed over multiple prices, or
subject to market or operational constraints, the Firm will allocate securities among
participating accounts in a manner it believes to be fair and equitable, considering factors such
as order size, investment objectives, account restrictions, and other relevant considerations.
The Firm, its investment adviser representatives, or third-party managers retain discretion as to
whether to aggregate transactions for particular Client accounts. Aggregation may not occur in
all circumstances, including whether it is not practicable or consistent with a Client’s investment
strategy, account guidelines, or specific instructions. In addition, the timing of Client directions,
market conditions, or operational considerations may result in certain Client transactions being
executed separately from others.
Clients should be aware that non-aggregated transactions may be executed at prices that
are more or less favorable than those obtained in aggregated trades, and that aggregation
does not guarantee more favorable execution in all cases.
FEES AND COMPENSATION
Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios are offered as an Account with separate advisory fees
and transaction charges (“Non-Wrap Fee”) or as an Account where no separate transaction
charges apply and a single fee is paid for all advisory services and transactions (“Wrap Fee”). In
Page 8 of 15
both Wrap Fee and Non-Wrap Fee Accounts, you pay a quarterly Fee (“Program Fee”) on
Program Assets. Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions and Steward Partners UMA
Program are offered exclusively as a Wrap Fee account.
In addition to advisory and transaction fees, portions of the Program Fee are remitted to third-
party Investment Managers for investment management services, SMArtX for services provided
through its agreement with Steward, as well as any other applicable third-party service and
technology providers. The remainder of the Program Fee is retained by us and our related
persons, including your IAR.
Fees for third-party Investment Managers vary by provider and strategy, therefore a conflict of
interest exists in selecting Investment Managers that charge lower fees to increase the
remainder of the Program Fee retained by us and our related persons. This conflict is mitigated
by policies and procedures designed to ensure recommended strategies are in your best
interest. Please contact your IAR for more information regarding the Investment Manager fees
that apply to your portfolio.
The total Program Fee will not exceed 2.50% of your assets under management on an
annualized basis. The negotiated Program Fee is documented on the Fee Schedule of the IA
Agreement. Fees are charged in advance, on a quarterly basis, based on the Account Value on
the last business day of the prior calendar quarter. “Account Value" means the aggregate value
of all eligible long positions, including accrued income, cash, and cash alternatives held in the
Account, offset by the value of the short positions held in the Account.
The initial Program Fee is calculated as of the date that we accept the Account into the Program
and covers the remainder of the calendar quarter. There is usually a short delay between
Account inception and initial investment transactions, but certain strategies (e.g., municipal
fixed income) may take longer. Subsequent Program Fees will be determined for calendar
quarter periods and shall be calculated based on the Account Value on the last business day of
the prior calendar quarter.
No fee adjustment will be made to the Program Fee during any fee period for appreciation or
depreciation in the value of the assets in your Account during that period. The Account will be
charged or refunded a prorated quarterly Program Fee on any net additions or net withdrawals
in the Account. Program Fees will be assessed in the month following the net addition or net
withdrawal. Fees are based on the value of the assets in your Account on the date stated and
other than those fees, we will not otherwise be compensated based on a share of capital gains
upon or capital appreciation of the funds or any portion of your funds (i.e., performance fee). No
adjustment will be made to the fee for cash and/or securities added or withdrawn if the Account
terminates prior to our monthly fee adjustment for such activity.
General Information About Fees for Program Services
You should be aware that fees charged for the Program could be higher or lower than those
otherwise available if you were to select a separate brokerage service and negotiate
commissions in the absence of the advisory service provided. Advisory Programs typically
assume a normal amount of trading activity and, therefore, prolonged periods of inactivity will
result in higher fees than if commissions were paid separately for each transaction. The overall
costs associated with your relationship with us (and the compensation we receive) vary
depending on several factors, including:
• Your particular investment advice requirements and product preferences
• The value of your Account or household relations with us
• The frequency of trades and other account activity
• The type, scope, and frequency of services provided
The Program Fee is negotiable based upon these and other subjective factors, as well as our
point-in-time views of the prevailing market prices for similar investment services. As a result of
negotiated Program Fees, certain Clients have a lower Program Fee for their Accounts than
Page 9 of 15
other Clients.
If you liquidate securities prior to initiating or after terminating Program services, you will be
subject to customary brokerage charges with respect to that transaction, in addition to any
custodian fees that are applicable during the period. For eligible securities purchased previously
in a brokerage account and subsequently moved into an advisory Account, these securities will
be included in the calculation of fees for Program services.
A portion of the Program Fee will be paid to our IARs in connection with the introduction of
Accounts as well as for providing Client-related services within the Programs. This
compensation could be more or less than an IAR would receive if you paid separately for
investment advice, brokerage, and other services. If an IAR wishes to discount the Program Fee
below certain levels, they can do so under certain circumstances. IARs generally will earn
reduced compensation resulting from the discount. This creates an incentive for IARs to not
discount.
In an advisory Account, you pay fees based on the value of assets in your Account. The
investment advisory Program agreement outlines the amount of your fee. These fees are
generally paid quarterly, in advance. Certain advisory Programs have higher total fees than
other advisory Programs based on several factors including, but not limited to, management
fees, and administrative fees. A conflict of interest exists to the extent that we have a financial
incentive to recommend a particular advisory Program that results in additional or greater
compensation to us.
Unless agreed to otherwise in writing, you authorize us to deduct fees at the rates indicated in
the Fee Schedule for your Program quarterly from your Account(s). The Program Fee will
generally be applied in advance. For the purposes of calculating fees in our Programs, "Account
Value" means the aggregate value of all eligible long positions, including accrued income, cash,
and cash alternatives held in the Account, offset by the value of the short positions held in the
Account. When you initially enter a short position, the cash proceeds from the short sale will not
affect your Account Value for billing purposes, but once the value of the short position changes,
this change will be reflected in your Account Value. Accordingly, if your Account has a short
position that reflects an unrealized gain, the Account Value will increase by the amount of that
unrealized gain. Similarly, an unrealized loss will reduce your Account Value by the amount of
such loss. Note that if you use the proceeds of a short sale to purchase additional securities,
those securities are included in the long positions used to calculate your Account Value.
Margin debit balances do not reduce the Account Value, and purchasing eligible securities with
proceeds from a margin loan increases your Account Value by the value of those positions. If the
margin loan proceeds are reinvested in securities, the Account Value will be affected by any
changes in the value of those securities. You will also be charged margin interest on the debit
balance in your Account. Margin interest is in addition to the Program Fee. The margin interest
charges, combined with the Program Fee, may exceed the income generated by the assets in
your Account and, as a result, the value of your Account may decrease. The Firm and its IARs
have a conflict of interest given their financial incentive to recommend that you use margin,
since your use of margin will maintain or increase the assets in your account, upon which the
Program Fee is charged, resulting in the Firm and IARs receipt of higher fees.
In determining the Account Value, we will use the closing prices or, if not available, bid prices of
the last recorded transactions for listed securities, options, and over-the-counter securities. For
mutual funds, we will use the fund's most current net asset value, as computed by the mutual
fund company. We will use information provided by quotation services believed to be reliable
in determining the Account Value. If any such prices are unavailable or believed to be unreliable,
we will determine prices in good faith to reflect our understanding of fair market value.
The Program Fee will be applied to cash alternatives (i.e., money market funds) held inside the
Account. Due to trade date or settlement date accounting, the treatment of accrued income,
short positions and other factors, the Account Value used in the calculation of fees could differ
Page 10 of 15
from that shown on your monthly Account statement and/or performance report.
Whenever there are changes to your fee schedule, the schedule of charges previously in effect
shall continue until the next billing cycle. We can amend your Client Agreement at any time.
Any changes we make to your Client Agreement will be effective after 15 days of written notice
to you. Your continued use of the services indicates your agreement to the modified terms.
The Program Fee does not cover all fees and costs. The fees not included in the wrap fee include
charges imposed directly by the custodian, a mutual fund, or exchange-traded fund which shall
be disclosed in the fund's prospectus (e.g., fund management fees and other fund expenses),
mark-ups and mark-downs, spreads paid to market makers, fees (such as a commission or
markup) for trades executed away from custodian at another broker-dealer, wire transfer fees
and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and securities transactions.
Wrap Fee Program Disclosures
The benefits under a wrap fee program depend, in part, upon the size of the account, the costs
associated with managing the account, and the frequency or type of securities transactions
executed in the account. For example, a wrap fee program may not be suitable for all accounts,
including but not limited to accounts holding primarily, and for any substantial period, cash or
cash equivalent investments, fixed income securities or no-transaction-fee mutual funds, or any
other type of security that can be traded without commissions or other transaction fees.
To evaluate whether a wrap or bundled fee arrangement is appropriate for you, you should
compare the agreed-upon Wrap Program Fee and any other costs associated with participating
in our Wrap Fee Program with the amounts that would be charged by other advisers, broker-
dealers, and custodians, for advisory fees, brokerage and execution costs, and custodial services
comparable to those provided under the Wrap Fee Program.
Conflict of Interest
When managing a Client's Account on a wrap fee basis, we receive as compensation for our
investment advisory services, the balance of the total wrap fee you pay after custodial, trading
and other management costs (including execution and transaction fees) have been deducted.
Accordingly, we have a conflict of interest because we have a financial incentive to maximize
our compensation by seeking to reduce or minimize the total costs incurred in your account(s)
subject to a wrap fee.
Custodians available for the Program have eliminated commissions or transaction fees for
online trades of U.S. equities, ETFs, certain mutual funds, and options (subject to an additional
per contract fee). This means that, in most cases, when we buy and sell these types of securities,
we will not have to pay any commissions to the custodian.
We encourage you to review pricing to compare the total costs of entering into a wrap fee
arrangement versus a non-wrap fee arrangement. If you choose to enter into a wrap fee
arrangement, your investment cost could exceed the cost of paying for brokerage and advisory
services separately.
To see what you would pay for transactions in a non-wrap account, please refer to:
• Schwab's pricing schedules, which are available at schwab.com/aspricingguide.
• Fidelity’s pricing schedules, which are available at fidelity.com/why-fidelity/pricing-fees
• We do not currently offer non-wrap arrangements through Goldman.
Mutual Funds in Advisory Programs
When structuring our advisory Program offerings, a selected universe of mutual funds will be
made available to advisory Program Clients.
Mutual funds generally offer multiple share classes available for investment based on certain
eligibility and/or purchase requirements. For instance, in addition to the more commonly
offered retail mutual fund share classes (typically, Class A, B and C shares), some mutual funds
Page 11 of 15
also offer institutional or advisor share classes and other share classes that are specifically
designed for purchase in an account enrolled in fee-based investment advisory programs.
Institutional share classes or classes of shares designed for purchase in an investment advisory
program usually, but not always, have a lower expense ratio than other share classes. An investor
who holds a more expensive share class of a fund will pay higher fees over time – and earn lower
investment returns than an investor who holds a less expensive share class of the same fund.
Not all mutual funds and share classes offered to the investing public are available through our
advisory programs for which a client might otherwise be eligible to purchase.
Certain mutual fund share classes are available for purchase or sale from the Custodian without
a transaction fee (“NTF Funds”); these NTF Funds are typically available in the higher-cost share
class. Mutual fund share classes with a transaction fee are typically available in the lower-cost
share classes. In non-wrap accounts, the decision to use the higher-cost share classes versus the
lower-cost share classes is based on the anticipated level of trading activity in the selected
mutual fund. Generally, prolonged holding periods of the higher cost share classes result in
higher underlying expenses to the Client than if a lower cost share class were chosen with a
transaction fee. In discussing with Clients which share class is appropriate, our IARs will typically
discuss the size of the investment in the particular mutual fund, the anticipated number of
transactions in the mutual fund, the preference of paying a transaction fee, and the likely
turnover of the assets in the account based on the proposed strategy for the account. Please
contact your IAR for more information about share class eligibility.
Some of the mutual funds that are included on our advisory Program platform charge 12b-1 fees
a distribution fee pursuant to section 12(b)-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended. We do not receive any 12b-1 fee payments for eligible mutual funds in Program
Assets.
Over time, certain funds may offer share classes with lower fees. In these instances, we will
determine, from time to time in our discretion, whether and in what manner to offer these share
classes to our advisory Clients. This may result in the conversion of your shares of the relevant
fund to the share class with lower fees. In other cases, such share class with lower fees will only
be available for new purchases.
Account Termination
You or we may terminate your program account by notifying the other party in writing of the
program account to be terminated, and termination will become effective upon the receipt of
the notice. If a program account is terminated, we will promptly make a pro-rata refund to you
of fees paid to us pursuant to the IA Agreement for the period after the date of effectiveness of
such termination through the end of the then current fee period.
If you choose to terminate your IA Agreement with any of our investment advisory Programs,
we can liquidate your Account upon your written instruction. If so instructed, we will make all
reasonable efforts to liquidate your Account in an orderly and efficient manner. We do not
charge for such redemption; however, you should be aware that certain mutual funds impose
redemption fees as stated in their fund prospectus. For taxable Accounts, you should also keep
in mind that the decision to liquidate security issues or mutual funds may result in tax
consequences that should be discussed with your tax advisor.
We will not be responsible for market fluctuations in your Account from the time of written
notice until complete liquidation. Factors that affect the orderly and efficient liquidation of an
Account may include the size and types of securities, the liquidity of the markets, and market
makers' abilities. In the event of the unavailability, including the suspension of trading, of a
security’s market efforts to continue the liquidation will commence as soon as practicable
following the resumption of such security’s trading. Due to the administrative processing time
needed to terminate a Program Account, termination orders cannot be considered market
orders. It could take several business days under normal market conditions to process your
request.
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Program Fee on Cash Balances
Your IAR may maintain cash and cash equivalent positions (such as cash sweep, money market
funds or CDs) for defensive and liquidity purposes or for dollar cost averaging. Program Fees are
assessed on the cash balance in your Account.
You should understand that the portion of the account held in cash will experience negative
performance if the applicable Program Fee charged is higher than the return received on the
cash sweep balance.
You should periodically re-evaluate whether your maintenance of a cash balance is appropriate
considering your financial situation and investment goals and should understand that this cash
may be held outside of your advisory account and not subject to Program Fees.
Fee Payments through the Custodian
At the inception of the relationship, and each quarter thereafter, we will notify your custodian
of the amount of the fee due and payable to us based on the fee schedule in your IA Agreement.
They will “deduct” the fees from your Account(s) that you have designated to pay our advisory
fees. If there is activity, each month, you will receive a statement directly from your custodian
showing all transactions, positions, and credits/debits into or from your Account; the statements
after the quarter end will reflect these transactions, including the Program Fee paid by you to
us. At a minimum, you will receive statements quarterly. You should carefully review your
statements for accuracy and notify us immediately with any questions or concerns.
Cash Sweep Program
“Free Credit Balances” refers to credit balances in brokerage accounts which are subject to
immediate cash payment to customers on demand. These typically result from the sales of
securities, dividends, interest, or deposits. A “Cash Sweep Program” is a service offered by the
custodian where a client is offered the option to automatically transfer free credit balances in
their brokerage accounts to either a money market mutual fund or a bank deposit account.
Cash Sweep program(s) should not be viewed as a long-term investment option and are solely
used to hold uninvested cash balances. If you are seeking the highest yield currently available
in the market for your cash balances, please contact your IAR to discuss investment options
available outside of the available sweep features that may be more suitable for your investment
goals.
ITEM 5 – ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS AND TYPES OF CLIENTS
Types of Clients
The Firm provides portfolio management services to individuals, high net worth individuals,
charitable institutions, foundations, endowments, small businesses, limited liability companies,
trusts and corporations.
Minimum Account Size
The Firm typically requires $5,000 for opening an account. At our discretion, we can choose to
waive the minimum opening account values.
ITEM 6 – PORTFOLIO MANAGER SELECTION AND EVALUATION
An IAR of SPIA will act as portfolio manager with respect to the Steward Partners Personalized
Portfolios and Steward Partners UMA Program. Because the IAR is the portfolio manager in this
Program, in which you elected to participate, you acknowledge that you have chosen an IAR to
act in this capacity. IARs are selected by the Firm based on various criteria including experience.
All third-party Investment Managers are subject to a due diligence process which includes
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annual reviews designed to determine if an Investment Manager meets a sufficient level of
quality and stability through their policies and practices and are evaluated using a variety of
data and information from one or more resources, including SMArtX.
On an ongoing basis, SMArtX reviews third-party Investment Managers participating in the
Program to determine whether they continue to meet SMArtX’s guidelines and evaluation
criteria. SMArtX analyzes a third-party Investment Manager’s background, including reviewing
the firm’s investment offerings, the firm’s operational history, and the firm’s regulatory history.
SMArtX will further review the backgrounds of key principals, including regulatory history, credit
history, in terms of any judgments, liens, and criminal history. The primary objective of the third-
party Investment Manager due diligence review is to identify any issues that could affect the
manager’s ability to consistently deliver the same level of investment advice in the future as was
provided historically.
While all third-party Investment Managers are subject to a due diligence process, your IAR is
responsible for determining whether any particular mutual fund or investment strategy is
appropriate and suitable for use by you.
ITEM 7 – CLIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
You will provide to us information on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, risk
tolerance and any restrictions you wish to impose on investment activities. We will notify you in
writing at least annually to update your information and indicate if there have been any changes
in your financial situation, investment objectives or instructions; and you agree to inform us in
writing of any material change in your financial circumstances that might affect the way your
assets should be invested. Your IAR will be reasonably available to you for consultation on these
matters and will act on any changes deemed to be material or appropriate as soon as practical
after we become aware of the change.
Please refer to the Firm’s Privacy Policy located at:
https://www.stewardpartners.com/Regulatory-Information-&-Disclosures.36.htm to for more
information on your information is used.
ITEM 8 – CLIENT CONTACT WITH PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
You are encouraged to contact your IAR regarding any changes regarding your investment
objectives, risk tolerance, and requested restrictions regarding the management of your
Program Investments. You should direct any questions that you have regarding the Program
to your IAR.
ITEM 9 – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Disciplinary Information
We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a Client's
evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. We do not have any
required disclosures under this item.
Code of Ethics
SPIA has adopted an Investment Adviser Code of Ethics (the “Code”) and all IARs and “access
persons” (as defined under the Advisers Act) are required to understand and follow its
provisions. Our Code includes guidelines for professional standards of conduct for associates of
our Firm. Our goal is to protect your interests at all times and to demonstrate our commitment
to our fiduciary duties of honesty, good faith, and fair dealing with you. All associates of our Firm
are expected to adhere strictly to these guidelines. Our associates are also required to report
any violations of our Code of Ethics. Additionally, we maintain and enforce written policies
reasonably designed to prevent the misuse or dissemination of material, non-public information
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about you or your account holdings by associates with our Firm. Clients or prospective Clients
can request a copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting us at the telephone number on the cover
page of this brochure.
Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Please refer to our ADV Part 2A Firm Brochure and Brochure Supplement of your IAR for
information regarding any of their other financial industry affiliations and any associated
conflicts of interest.
Participation and Interest in Client Transactions
We can recommend or buy and sell securities in which we have a financial interest. Please refer
to our ADV Part 2A for further details on these financial interests and associated conflicts of
interest.
Indirect Compensation
Steward Partners offers a range of investments and services to its clients. As you work with your
IAR to determine the right investments and services to achieve your investment goals, it is also
important for you to understand how we are compensated. This is because various forms of
compensation create potential conflicts of interest, and it is important for you to assess potential
conflicts of interest in making investment decisions.
To better understand how we and your IAR are compensated, please refer to our Form ADV Part
2A.
Financial Information
Your Program assets are custodied at a qualified custodian. The Program does not allow,
require, or solicit prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees per client six months or more in
advance. Therefore, we are not required to include a balance sheet for our most recent fiscal
year. We have no financial condition that might impair our ability to meet our contractual
commitments to clients and have never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
Page 15 of 15
Additional Brochure: STEWARD PARTNERS ADV PART 2A (2026-03-31)
View Document Text
STEWARD PARTNERS INVESTMENT ADVISORY, LLC
Firm Brochure Form ADV Part 2A
400 Atlantic Street, Floor 10, Suite 1020
Stamford, CT 06901-3512
Telephone: (866) 694-7769
www.stewardpartners.com
March 31, 2026
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Steward
Partners Investment Advisory, LLC. If you have any questions about the contents of this
brochure, contact us at (866) 694-7769 or info@stewardpartners.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 Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (CRD No. 283004) is
available on the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration with
the SEC or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
ITEM 2: SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES
Form ADV Part 2 requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when
information becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser's
disclosure brochure, the adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description of
the material changes.
Since our last annual amendment, dated March 31, 2025, we have made the following material
changes to our Disclosure Brochure.
Item 4: Advisory Business
• We now offer Steward Partners - RIA Managed Account Program custodied through
Folio Investments, Inc., d/b/a Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions.
• We have updated our headquarters location from New York, New York to Stamford,
Connecticut
• Added disclosure regarding the Steward Partners sponsored Unified Managed Account
Program custodied at Raymond James.
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
• Added disclosure concerning our December 2025 strategic capital transaction with Ares
Management (“Ares”).
Item 12: Brokerage Practices
• Added information concerning our clearing and custody relationship with Goldman Sachs
Custody Solutions (Goldman)
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ITEM 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS
ITEM 2: SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES ..................................................................................................................................... 2
ITEM 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
ITEM 4: ADVISORY BUSINESS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4
ITEM 5: FEES AND COMPENSATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
ITEM 6: PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT ............................................................. 32
ITEM 7: TYPES OF CLIENTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 32
ITEM 8: METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS .............................................. 32
ITEM 9: DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................................... 38
ITEM 10: OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS .................................................................... 39
ITEM 11: CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT TRANSACTIONS AND
PERSONAL TRADING..................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
ITEM 12: BROKERAGE PRACTICES ........................................................................................................................................................ 40
ITEM 13: REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS ............................................................................................................................................................ 45
ITEM 14: CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION ............................................................................................ 46
ITEM 15: CUSTODY ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 48
ITEM 16: INVESTMENT DISCRETION ..................................................................................................................................................... 49
ITEM 17: VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES ................................................................................................................................................. 49
ITEM 18: FINANCIAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................................... 49
ITEM 19: REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE-REGISTERED ADVISERS ....................................................................................... 49
Page 3 of 49
ITEM 4: ADVISORY BUSINESS
Description of Firm
Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (“SPIA”, “Steward Partners”, the “Firm,” “us” or “we”
or “our”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, is a
registered investment adviser (“RIA”) headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. SPIA has
provided investment advisory services since March 2016. SPIA is wholly owned by Steward
Partners Holdings, LLC (“SPH”). Steward Partners Investment Solutions, LLC (“SPIS”) operates as
a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority (“FINRA”) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). SPIA, SPIS, and
Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC (“SPGA”) are wholly owned subsidiaries of SPMH and are
affiliates and separately operated. SPGA provides corporate and related services to SPIA and
SPIS.
Steward Partners requires that clients select and establish “Account” or “Accounts” with one or
more of the following qualified custodians: Pershing, LLC (“Pershing”), Raymond James &
Associates, Inc. (“RJA” or “Raymond James”), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”), Fidelity
Brokerage Services LLC (“Fidelity”), Folio Investments, Inc., d/b/a Goldman Sachs Custody
Solutions (“Goldman”).
Managed Programs Overview
We offer a range of managed account programs designed to provide discretionary and non-
discretionary portfolio management services tailored to our clients' individual financial
circumstances and objectives. These programs involve a consultation process to help you
identify a set of financial goals, a time horizon for your investments, and your level of risk
tolerance. Based on our evaluation, we provide recommendations regarding investments, asset
allocation models, and third-party managed portfolios that align with your investment profile.
Our managed programs include a variety of options, discussed below.
Steward Partners Sponsored Investment Advisory Programs
Steward Partners Managed Account Program
When you select the Steward Partners Managed Account Program, your account will be
established with our affiliated securities broker/dealer SPIS. SPIS accounts are custodied with
Pershing or Raymond James, third parties, where SPIS acts as an introducing broker-dealer.
Portfolio management services are offered through the following products in this program and
custodied with Pershing include:
• BNY Advisors Asset AdvisorFlex Portfolios
• BNY Advisors Asset Allocation Portfolios
• BNY Advisors WealthStart & American Funds
• Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios
• Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios
• Steward Partners Guided Portfolios
• Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions
• Steward Partners Strategy Solutions
• Steward Partners Unified Managed Account Program
Portfolio management services are offered through the following product in this Program and
custodied with RJA include:
• Steward Partners Unified Managed Account Program
Please refer to the Steward Partners Managed Accounts Program Wrap Fee Brochure for more
details on the programs, products, and services offered.
Steward Partners – RIA Managed Account Program
When you select the Steward Partners-RIA Managed Account Program, your account will be
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established at the custodian named in the Investment Advisory Agreement (“IA Agreement”) that
you will sign to participate in the program. An unaffiliated entity acts as custodian and broker-dealer
for this program. The custodian is named in your IA Agreement. The custodian will typically be
Schwab, Fidelity, or Goldman - third-party broker-dealers registered with the SEC and a member of
FINRA and SIPC.
Portfolio management services are offered through the following products in this program include:
• Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios which consist of:
• Steward Partners Guided Portfolios, and
• Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios
• Steward Partners Unified Managed Account Program
• Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions, and
• Steward Partners Direct Access Solutions
Please refer to the Steward Partners– RIA Managed Account Program Wrap Fee Brochure for more
details on the programs, product, and services offered.
RJA Sponsored Investment Advisory Programs
When you select the RJA Sponsored Investment Advisory Program, your account will be established
at RJA, a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC. As a sponsor of
the wrap fee programs, RJA organizes or administers the programs including, regarding certain
programs, selecting investments or providing advice regarding the selection of other investment
advisers in the program. The Asset Management Services (“AMS”) division of RJA provides a variety
of support services to the various wrap-fee programs including, but not limited to fee-billing, model
portfolio implementation, portfolio management, due diligence, and financial advisor support.
• Separately managed accounts (“SMA’s)
• Multiple discipline accounts (“MDA’s”)
• Unified managed accounts (“UMA’s”)
• Mutual fund and/or exchange-traded funds(“ETFs”) asset allocation programs.
• Ambassador accounts IAR Managed Program
Please refer to the Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Wrap Fee Program Brochure for more details
on the programs and services offered. https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/brochure/705
Available Account Types and Relationships
When you choose to purchase products and services through SPIA, you have the option of investing
through a transaction-based account, such as a brokerage account, a fee-based investment advisory
program, or both. It is important for you to understand the services you will receive, the fees, costs,
and expenses you will pay, and SPIA’s and your IAR’s (or “Investment Advisory Representative”)
conflicts of interest in connection with each of these different types of accounts and relationships
with SPIA. These services, fees, costs, expenses, and conflicts of interest are described below and in
greater detail in the Form CRS for SPIA and SPIS, respectively. You can find the most recent Form
CRS for SPIS broker-dealer at the following location https://files.brokercheck.finra.org/crs_1254.pdf.
Investment Advisory and Portfolio Management Services
As part of its investment advisory services, SPIA will review Client portfolios on an ongoing basis to
determine whether changes are necessary based upon a change in the Client's investment
objective, risk tolerance or other factors. Based upon this, there will be extended periods of time
when we determine that changes to a Client's portfolio or the investment program are not
necessary, nor prudent. Clients remain subject to the fees described in Item 5 during periods of
account inactivity. As indicated below, there can be no assurance that investment recommendations
and decisions made by SPIA will be profitable or equal any specific performance level(s).
Types of Investments
We offer advice on a broad range of securities including, but not limited to, equity securities,
warrants, corporate debt securities, certificates of deposit, municipal securities, variable life
insurance, variable annuities, registered investment companies, which include mutual fund and
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ETFs, and options. We do not primarily recommend one particular type of security over another since
each Client has different needs and a different tolerance for risk. Additionally, we can also provide
advice on other types of investments held in your portfolio at the inception of our advisory
relationship.
ESG/Socially Responsible Investing
Certain Clients may desire to invest all, or a portion, of their investment portfolio in socially
responsible securities including but not limited to mutual funds and exchange traded funds
(together, “ESG Funds”) (i.e., funds that have a mandate to avoid, when possible, investments in
alcohol, tobacco, firearms, oil drilling, etc.). There are potential limitations associated with
allocating a portion of an investment portfolio to ESG Funds. The number of ESG Funds are
substantially fewer when compared to those that do not maintain such a mandate. ESG Funds
could underperform broad market indices. Investors must accept these limitations, including
the potential for underperformance. The Client is under no obligation to invest any portion of
their portfolio in ESG Funds. As with any type of investment (including the investments and/or
investment strategies recommended and/or undertaken by SPIA), there can be no assurance
that an investment in ESG Funds will be profitable or prove successful.
Wrap Fee Programs
Accounts in an investment advisory wrap fee program are not charged commissions and/or
transaction fees. The advisory fee paid by the Client includes custody, trades, management
expertise, and reporting in a bundled format. In such instances, your IAR receives a portion of
the wrap fee.
You should understand that wrap fee programs may cost more or less than other fee
arrangements depending on the trading activity in your account. For example, if your Account
has little or no trading activity, you may pay more in a wrap fee program than you would under
a non-wrap advisory account where transaction costs are charged separately.
The wrap fee does not include all expenses. You will still incur certain additional costs, including
fees and expenses associated with mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other
investments, and in some cases, fees charged by third-party managers.
Because we receive a portion of the wrap fee for the services we provide, we have a financial
incentive to recommend a wrap fee program, which creates a conflict of interest. We seek to
mitigate this conflict by recommending a wrap fee program only when we believe it is
appropriate based on your investment profile, service preferences, and anticipated account
activity.
Our IARs have a financial incentive to recommend a fee-based advisory program rather than
having you pay separately for investment advisory services, brokerage, performance reporting
and other services. A portion of the annual fee charged in fee-based programs is paid to our
IARs. This can be more than what would be received under an alternative program or if these
services were paid for separately. Our IARs have a financial incentive to recommend a particular
account program over another. Compensation structures vary by product type, our IARs may receive
higher compensation for certain products or program types.
We believe the charges and fees offered within each fee-based program are competitive and
reasonable. However, we make no guarantee that the aggregate cost of a particular program is lower
than that which is available elsewhere. If you participate in a wrap fee program, we will provide you
with a separate Wrap Fee Program Brochure explaining the program and costs associated with the
program.
Discretionary vs. Non-Discretionary Accounts
Discretionary Accounts:
In discretionary accounts, you delegate decision-making authority to your IAR or a Third-Party
Money Manager. This delegation allows them to make investment decisions, including buying
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or selling securities, on your behalf without requiring prior approval. Most of our wrap fee
programs operate as discretionary accounts.
Non-Discretionary Accounts:
In non-discretionary accounts, your IAR provides investment advice and recommendations, but
you retain full authority over all investment decisions. No trades or transactions are executed
without your explicit approval.
The specific discretionary or non-discretionary nature of your account is outlined in your Client
Agreement, which governs the terms of your relationship with us. For additional information
refer to Item 16: Investment Discretion.
Access to Regulatory Documents
When you delegate investment discretion to a program sponsor or manager, regulatory
documents such as mutual funds prospectuses and other disclosures may be provided directly
to the program sponsor for investment purposes. If you would like to receive copies of these
documents, we will make them available to you upon request.
Portfolio Management and Third-Party Money Manager Selection
Your Steward Partners IAR will act as portfolio manager with respect to the Steward Partners
Personalized Portfolios and Steward Partners UMA Program. By enrolling in these Programs,
you acknowledge that you have chosen an IAR to act in this capacity. IARs are selected by SPIA
based on a variety of criteria, including experience.
For Accounts utilizing Third-Party Money Managers, all such money managers are subject to a
due diligence process. Our due diligence is conducted in coordination with service providers
such as Raymond James, Pershing BNY, and SMArtX. This process includes an initial evaluation
and ongoing annual reviews to determine whether each money manager continues to meet
established quality and stability standards. The due diligence process may consider a money
manager’s investment offerings, operational history, regulatory history, and the backgrounds of
key principals, including regulatory, credit, and criminal history. The primary objective of this
review is to identify any issues that could affect the money manager’s ability to deliver
consistent investment advice.
While Third-Party Money Managers undergo due diligence review, your IAR is responsible for
determining whether any particular money manager, mutual fund, ETF, or investment strategy
is appropriate and suitable for your account.
Financial Planning Services
We offer financial planning services which typically involve providing a variety of advisory
services to Clients regarding the management of their financial resources based upon an
analysis of their individual needs. These services can range from broad-based financial planning
to consultative or single subject planning. If you retain our firm for financial planning services,
we will meet with you to gather information about your financial circumstances and objectives.
Your IAR may also use financial planning software to determine your current financial position
and to define and quantify your long-term goals and objectives. Once we specify those long-
term objectives (both financial and non-financial), we will develop shorter-term, targeted
objectives. Once we review and analyze the information you provide to our firm and the data
derived from our financial planning software, we will deliver a written plan to you, designed to
help you achieve your stated financial goals and objectives.
While reviews and updates to the financial plan are not part of the contracted services, at your
request we will review your financial plan to determine if the investment advice provided is
consistent with your investment needs and objectives. We will also update the financial plan at
your request. At our sole discretion, reviews and updates can be subject to a negotiable flat fee,
hourly rate, or percentage of assets. If you implement the financial planning advice provided by
our firm, you will receive trade confirmations and monthly or quarterly statements from relevant
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custodians, for a securities account. Financial plans are based on your financial situation at the
time we present the plan to you, and on the financial information you provide to us. You must
promptly notify our firm if your financial situation, goals, objectives, or needs change.
topics. The
topics we address
include but are not
limited
to:
Financial Consulting Services
We offer financial consulting services that primarily involve advising Clients on specific financial-
related
risk
assessment/management, investment planning, retirement planning, financial organization, or
financial decision making.
Advised Retirement Plan Accounts Program
We utilize an unaffiliated third-party platform that can allow an IAR of the Firm to facilitate the
management of held-away assets for certain employer-sponsored retirement plan assets on a
discretionary basis. Through this platform, the Firm does not take custody of your funds and
does not have direct access to your account(s). A link will be provided to the Client, allowing
them to connect account(s) to the platform. Once your account(s) is connected to the third-
party platform, your IAR will review the current account(s) allocations and, when necessary, will
make any changes in the current holdings and/or future allocations based on their
understanding of your goals, objectives, risk tolerance, and any other circumstances necessary
to make investment changes within the account. Account allocations are limited based on the
options made available by the employer-sponsored plan and such limitations may impact the
IARs ability to effectively manage the assets. Please be mindful that should your employer-
sponsored plan make a “brokerage window” available, your IAR will not be able to manage
securities through this feature.
Pension Consulting Services
We offer pension consulting services to employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries based upon
the needs of the plan and the services requested by the plan sponsor or named fiduciary. In
general, these services include an existing plan review and analysis, plan-level advice regarding
fund selection and investment options, education services to plan participants, investment
performance monitoring, and/or ongoing consulting. These pension consulting services will
generally be non-discretionary and advisory in nature. The ultimate decision to act on behalf of
the plan shall remain with the plan sponsor or other named fiduciary.
We also offer assistance with participant enrollment meetings and provide investment-related
educational seminars to plan participants on such topics as: diversification, asset allocation, risk
tolerance, and time horizon. Our educational seminars include other investment-related topics
specific to the particular plan.
We also provide additional types of pension consulting services to plans on an individually
negotiated basis. All services, whether discussed above or customized for the plan based upon
requirements from the plan fiduciaries (which may include additional plan-level or participant-
level services) shall be detailed in a written agreement and be consistent with the parameters
set forth in the plan documents.
We will determine with the Client in advance the scope of services to be performed and the fees
for all requested services. Prior to engaging us to provide consulting services, the Client will be
required to enter into a written agreement with us setting forth the terms and conditions of the
engagement, describing the scope of the services to be provided, and the relevant fees and fee-
paying arrangements. The services outlined above that we provide are explained in more detail
in the written agreement. We will also provide additional disclosures about our services and
fees, where required by Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as amended (“ERISA”).
When we perform the agreed upon services, we will rely on the Client to provide accurate and
consistent information, and we will not be required to verify the accuracy or consistency of any
information provided by the Client. We will serve in a non-discretionary ERISA fiduciary capacity
with respect to some but not all of the services that we provide, which will be further explained
in the written agreement we sign with the Client. The Client is always free to seek independent
Page 8 of 49
advice about the appropriateness of any recommendations made by us.
The agreement we sign with the Client includes the disclosures required of Steward Partners
under Section 408(b)(2) of ERISA, in particular, (i) the services to be provided by the by us and
your IAR, (ii) the extent to which we or your IAR is acting as a fiduciary, (iii) the compensation to
be received by us and your IAR, and the manner of receipt of that compensation, and (iv) any
fees payable on termination of the advisory agreement. Your IAR receives no indirect
compensation in respect of the services provided pursuant to the agreement. We retain a
portion of the compensation described in the advisory agreement for our services in connection
with the agreement, the amount of which varies with our arrangement with each IAR. Pursuant
to the agreement, We and your IAR neither provide recordkeeping services nor makes available
any designated investment alternative for the plan nor advises any investment contract, fund
or entity in which the plan has a direct equity investment, and no disclosures under Section
408(b)(2) are thus required to be provided in respect of those matters.
Use of Third-Party Estate Planning Services
Steward Partners may facilitate access to third-party estate planning document preparation
services. These services are provided solely by an unaffiliated third-party law firm or legal service
provider. Steward Partners also facilitates access to Wealth.com. a third-party, technology-
driven estate planning platforms tailored for financial advisors and their clients. Wealth.com’s
services encompass the creation, management, and optimization of estate plans. In certain
situations, Steward Partners may include the cost of services provided by Wealth.com as part of
investment advisory or consulting services fees it charges to you.
Any assistance provided by your financial professional in connection with these services is
strictly administrative in nature and is offered to help you organize and communicate your
personal and financial information to the third-party provider. Steward Partners does not act as
a law firm, and its financial professionals are not authorized to practice law or provide legal
advice. Your financial professional will not draft legal documents, interpret legal provisions, or
make recommendations as to the legal sufficiency or appropriateness of any estate planning
document or strategy.
Fees charged by Steward Partners for financial planning or consulting services in connection
with third-party estate planning arrangements are for administrative assistance only and do not
include legal services. Any legal services rendered are the responsibility of the third-party
provider and are governed by their separate agreement with you. Clients are encouraged to
consult with a licensed attorney if they have questions regarding their estate planning needs.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2025, SPIA manages $25,161,251,035 in client assets on a discretionary basis
and $8,354,400,031 in Client assets on a non-discretionary basis; for a total of $ 33,515,651,066 of
regulatory assets under management. SPIA also provides advice to $2,161,321,831 in Client Assets
Under Advisement. SPIS, our affiliated broker-dealer, provides brokerage services to an
additional $11,861,787,088. SPIA does not provide continuous and regular supervisory or
management services on these assets. The combined advisory and brokerage assets under
Steward Partners administration total $47,538,759,985.
IRA Rollover Considerations
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may suggest you consider withdrawing
the assets from your employer's retirement plan and roll the assets over to an individual
retirement account ("IRA") that we will manage on your behalf. If you elect to roll the assets to
an IRA that is subject to our management, we will charge you an asset-based fee as set forth in
the advisory agreement you executed with our Firm. This practice presents a conflict of interest
because associates providing investment advice on our behalf have an incentive to recommend
a rollover to you for the purpose of generating fee-based compensation rather than solely based
on your needs. You are under no obligation to complete the rollover. Moreover, if you do
complete the rollover, you are under no obligation to have the assets in an IRA managed by our
Firm.
Page 9 of 49
Pursuant to Department of Labor regulations, employers are required to permit former
employees to keep their retirement assets in their company plan, if their vested balance is over
$5,000. Also, current employees can sometimes move assets out of their company plan before
they retire or change jobs. In determining whether to complete the rollover to an IRA, and to
the extent the following options are available, you should consider the costs and benefits of
moving your assets.
An employee will typically have four options:
• Leaving the assets in your employer's (former employer's) plan.
• Moving the assets to a new employer's retirement plan.
• Cashing out and taking a taxable distribution from the plan.
• Rolling the assets into an IRA rollover account.
Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages and before making a change we
encourage you to speak with your CPA and/or tax attorney.
It is important that you understand the differences between these types of accounts and decide
whether a rollover is best for you. Prior to proceeding, if you have questions contact your
investment adviser representative. Please be sure to discuss your options with your IAR who will
provide you with additional information.
Fiduciary Responsibility for Retirement Accounts
When we provide investment advice to a Client, on a regular basis, regarding a retirement plan
account or individual retirement account, SPIA is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of
ERISA and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as applicable. The way SPIA
makes money creates some conflicts with your interests, so we operate under regulations that
require us to act in the best interest of the Client and not put SPIA’s interest ahead of the Client’s
interest.
Pursuant to these regulations, we must:
• Meet a professional standard of care when making investment recommendations (give
prudent advice);
recommendations (give loyal advice);
• Never put SPIA’s financial interests ahead of the Client’s financial interests when making
•
• Avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interests, fees, and investments;
• Follow policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that SPIA gives advice
that is in the best interest of the Client;
• Charge no more than is reasonable for services provided; and
• Give the Client basic information about conflicts of interest.
Page 10 of 49
ITEM 5: FEES AND COMPENSATION
This section provides information concerning fees and compensation for investment advisory
services and programs available through us. Additional information regarding fees and
compensation for advisory programs offered by SPIA can be found in the applicable Wrap Fee
Program brochures.
SPIA and our IARs are compensated for our services by charging an advisory fee. Advisory fees
are typically calculated as a percentage of assets under management. The advisory fee is shared
between your IAR and SPIA. Our fees and compensation for investment advisory and portfolio
management services varies based on factors such as, but not limited to; the IAR, the market
value of your assets under management, the type and complexity of the asset management
services provided, the securities utilized, and the investment strategy employed, as well as the
level of administration requested either directly or assumed by the Client. Each of our IARs
negotiates fees directly with you.
The amount of compensation we can receive varies between advisory programs and services,
therefore, we have a financial incentive to recommend an advisory program or service over another
advisory program or service where our level of compensation is less. Notwithstanding that conflict
of interest, SPIA and our IARs take our duty of loyalty to you seriously and will recommend an advisory
program or service in your best interest based on the information you provide.
The costs associated with an advisory account may be more than the costs associated with a
traditional brokerage account arrangement where a client pays a commission for each transaction
but does not receive ongoing advice, this is particularly true for clients that intend to have a low
number of transactions or follow a buy-and-hold approach. If you intend to follow a buy-and-hold
investment strategy or do not wish to receive ongoing investment advice or management services,
you should consider opening a commission-based brokerage account rather than an advisory
account.
As disclosed in Item 4 above, certain programs offered by SPIA are considered to be Wrap Fee
Programs in that there are no commissions or transaction charges. The advisory fee paid by the
Client includes custody, trades, management expertise and reporting in a bundled format. Please
see the respective Wrap Fee Program Brochure for more information on the fees you will pay.
Steward Partners Sponsored Investment Advisory Programs
Steward Partners Managed Account Program
The Program is offered as an account where no separate transaction charges apply and a single
fee is paid for all advisory services and transactions (“Wrap Fee”). All services listed below charge
a “Program Fee” on eligible Program assets that includes the asset based advisory fee, Platform
Fee and, if applicable, Third-Party Money Manager Fee(s). The Program Fee is negotiable
between you and your IAR. Depending on the Service, “Excluded Assets”, which are other
products and services that we offer, but that are not available through the Program you select,
are not typically held in a Program Account. For more details, please refer to applicable Wrap
Fee Brochure. For transactions in Excluded Assets, you will pay all our usual and customary
commissions, transaction fees and other charges. Excluded Assets are not included in the
calculation of the Program Fee. Commissions and fees on Excluded Assets and other charges
will be assessed against your Account on or about the transaction date or another date when
assessed by us. See below for details on fee exclusions, calculations, refunds, and other
information.
Page 11 of 49
Schedule of Program Fees and Minimum Account Sizes.
Program
Product
Maximum
Program
Fee1
Minimum
New
Account
Values3
$25,000
Steward Partners Discretionary
Portfolios
$25,000
Steward
Partners
Personalized
Portfolios
Steward Partners Guided
Portfolios
$25,000
$25,000
$25,000
$25,000
Steward
Partners
Managed
Account
Solutions
Steward Partners Separate
Account Solutions –
Equity / Balanced
Steward Partners Separate
Account Solutions –
Fixed Income
Steward Partners Separate
Account Solutions - Model
Equity
/ Balanced
Steward Partners Separate
Account Solutions –
Model Fixed Income
2.50%
$50,000
BNY Advisors Asset
Allocation Portfolios
$10,000
BNY Advisors WealthStart &
American Funds
$10,000
Steward Partners Strategy
Solutions
BNY Advisors
AdvisorFlex
Portfolios
BNY Advisors AdvisorFlex
Portfolios
$50,000
Steward Partners Unified
Managed Account Program
$5,000
Steward
Partners Unified
Managed
Program
1 Annualized, calculated on your Account Value.
2 Minimum Quarterly Program Fee (Prior to May 2011) is $250.
3 Subadvisors, model providers and third-party investment managers may have greater minimum requirements.
Client should note that the minimum Program Fee could cause your Program Fee (expressed
as a percentage) to be greater than the standard Program Fee stated above or the Program Fee
stated in your Client Agreement. At our discretion, we can choose to waive the minimum fee.
Platform Fees
As part of the Program Fee, our Firm assesses a Platform Fee based on the Client Account’s
assets under management on an annualized basis. The Platform Fee, in part, is to offset the
Program Fee that BNY Advisors charges the Firm as compensation for its advisory services (BNY
Advisors’ overlay/portfolio management services with respect to the BNY Advisors Advised
Programs) that Pershing charges for certain administrative tasks in connection with operating
the advisory program. The Platform Fee is also used to defray any costs the Firm has related to
the ongoing operational and administrative maintenance of client accounts and compensates
SPIS and the Firm for the various services it provides in its role as broker-dealer of record and/or
program sponsor for such client accounts, respectively. Depending on the Program, the
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Platform Fee is between 0.06% - 0.30% per annum. Depending on which Program you choose
and the Platform Fee associated with it, your IAR will receive more compensation if they do not
use certain Programs with lower Platform Fee. This Platform Fee is not negotiable. Specific
Platform Fees for each Program can be found in your Agreement.
Cash Sweep Program
SPIA and its affiliates receive various revenue streams, including, but not limited to substantial
revenue sharing payments from custodians, including Pershing and Raymond James based
upon clients’ cash sweep balances. The Firm’s receipt of these and other revenue streams
through its custodial relationship supports and defrays the costs the Firm has related to the
ongoing operational and administrative maintenance of client accounts and compensates us
for the various services it provides in its role as broker-dealer of record and/or program sponsor
for such client accounts. Cash Sweep program(s) should not be viewed as a long-term
investment option and are solely used to hold uninvested cash balances.
This compensation structure creates a conflict of interest because cash sweep elections will impact
both what you receive in interest and what the Firm receives in compensation. In addition to
disclosing it to you, this conflict is mitigated by the controls around billing on cash balances. This
conflict is further mitigated because SPIA does not share any portion of this revenue with your IAR.
If you are seeking the highest yield currently available in the market for your cash balances, please
contact your IAR to discuss investment options available outside of the available sweep features that
may be more suitable for your investment goals.
The Steward Partners Managed Account Program offers one sweep product for accounts custodied
at Pershing, which is determined by the type of relevant investment account as described below:
• Retirement plans will be offered by the Dreyfus Government Cash Management Investor
•
Shares (DGIMM) MMF.
Individual Retirement Accounts managed pursuant to an advisory agreement will be offered
the Dreyfus Insured Deposits M (DIDM) insured bank deposit product.
• All other investment accounts at Steward Partners will be offered the Dreyfus Insured
Deposits H product (DIDH) insured bank deposit.
The Steward Partners Managed Account Program offers sweep products for accounts custodied at
Raymond James, as described below:
• A deposit sweep called the Raymond James Bank Deposit Program (“RJBDP) and its
•
variations.
In addition, we offer a cash feature called the Client Interest Program (“CIP”) in which eligible
accounts earn interest on cash awaiting investment
Your IAR can provide you with additional information about cash sweep eligibility.
Steward Partners – RIA Managed Account Program
The Program is offered alternatively as an account with separate advisory fees and transaction
charges (“Non-Wrap Fee”) or as an account where no separate transaction charges apply, and a
single fee is paid for all advisory services and transactions (“Wrap Fee”). In both Wrap Fee and
Non-Wrap Fee accounts, you pay a quarterly Fee (“Program Fee”) on Program Assets.
The Program Fee is negotiable between you and your IAR. For more details, please refer to the
applicable Wrap Fee Brochure.
Page 13 of 49
Schedule of Program Fees and Minimum Account Sizes.
Service
Product
Maximum
Program
Fee1
Minimum
New
Account
Values
Partners
$25,000
2.50%
Partners
Steward
Partners
Personalized
Portfolios
$25,000
Steward
Discretionary
Portfolios
Steward
Guided
Portfolios
1 Annualized, calculated on your Account Value.
RJA Sponsored Investment Advisory Programs
You will be charged a certain percentage of assets under management but, in no event will our
fees exceed 3.00% on an annualized basis. We charge our fee quarterly in advance based on the
value of the account on the last day of the calendar quarter.
If the portfolio management agreement is executed at any time other than the first day of a
calendar quarter, our fees will apply on a pro-rata basis, which means that the advisory fee is
payable in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you are a Client.
At our discretion, we can combine the account values of family members living in the same
household to determine the applicable negotiated advisory fee. For example, we can combine
account values for you and your minor children, joint accounts with your spouse, and other types
of related accounts.
We will deduct our fee directly from your account through the qualified custodian holding your
funds and securities. We will deduct our advisory fee only when you have given our Firm written
authorization permitting the fees to be paid directly from your account. Further, the qualified
custodian will deliver an account statement to you at least quarterly. These account statements
will show all disbursements from your account. You should review all statements for accuracy.
Either party may terminate your IA Agreement upon written notice by either party to the other,
and termination will become effective upon receipt of (or as otherwise specified in) such notice.
You will incur a pro rata charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the portfolio
management agreement, which means you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the
number of days in the quarter for which you are a Client. If you have pre-paid advisory fees that
we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated refund of those fees.
Aggregation of Related Fee-Based Accounts
Raymond James aggregates fee-based accounts for billing purposes based primarily on
information provided by IARs and Clients, however, it is the Client's obligation to notify SPIA if
there are accounts that the Client believes should be included as "related" and SPIA reserves
the right to determine whether accounts are "related" in its sole discretion. Clients can request
that Raymond James aggregate their fee-based accounts for billing purposes so that each
account will pay a fee under the applicable Program Fee schedule that is calculated on the basis
of the "Relationship Value" (that is, the total aggregate Account Values of all related accounts).
"Account Value" means the aggregate value of all eligible long positions, including accrued
income, cash, and cash alternatives held in the Account, offset by the value of the short positions
held in the Account. In general, related accounts are typically combined based on how the Client
instructs their registered representative/IAR to link their accounts for the delivery of brokerage
statements, trade confirmations and other forms of Client communications. Please note that
Raymond James is subject to limitations in its ability to combine a Client's retirement accounts
where a prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, could
result.
Page 14 of 49
Clients that negotiate a reduced asset-based fee with their IAR should understand that this
discounted rate will be applied until otherwise renegotiated or until the aggregate Relationship
Value of their combined fee-based accounts reaches a level that would qualify for the reduced
retroactive rate under the applicable Program Fee schedule. That is, the negotiated discount rate
would be applied until the applicable Program Fee schedule breakpoint would result in a lower fee.
Investment of Cash Reserves at RJA
RJA has established certain programs through which cash reserves "sweep" daily to and from the
Client's investment account to cover purchases or to allow excess cash balances to immediately
begin earning interest, subject to certain minimum balances. The account in which these cash
reserves are held is considered the Client's sweep account. RJA sweep programs include the
following:
• Client Interest Program® (CIP)
• Raymond James Bank Deposit Program ("RJBDP"), including:
• RJBDP - Raymond James Bank Only
• RJBDP with CIP
However, not all sweep programs are available in all accounts; rather, what sweep programs are
available depends on the specific account type. Please refer to the specific program guide or
RJA Wrap Fee brochure for additional information.
For important information on what sweep programs are available for each account type and
how each sweep program operates, please refer to "Sweeps (Transfers) To and From Income-
Producing Accounts" in the "Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Raymond James Client" in
the RJA Wrap Fee brochure, a current copy of which is available from your IAR.
This website also includes a link at which the interest rates and rate tiers for CIP and RJBDP are
posted online. For information on the rate being paid on your particular account(s), please
contact your IAR or consult your periodic account statements.
With respect to cash reserves of advisory Client accounts, the custodian of the account assets
will determine where cash reserves are held. The custodian will offer one or multiple options to
different account types (such as non-taxable and managed accounts). In addition, the custodian
can, among other things, consider terms and conditions, risks and features, conflicts of interest,
current interest rates, the manner by which future interest rates will be determined, and the
nature and extent of insurance coverage (such as deposit protection from the FDIC and SIPC).
The custodian is permitted to change, modify, or amend an investment option at any time by
providing the Client with thirty days advance written notice of such change, modification, or
amendment. Clients selecting the Raymond James Bank Deposit Program ("RJBDP") option are
responsible for monitoring the total amount of deposits held at each Bank in order to determine
the extent of FDIC insurance coverage available. Raymond James is not responsible for any
insured or uninsured portion of Client deposits at any of the Banks.
In the RJBDP sweep program, Raymond James receives revenue from the participating banks.
Each participating bank, except Raymond James Bank, will pay Raymond James a fee equal to
a percentage of the average daily deposit balance in the Client account at the bank. The fee
paid to Raymond James can be an annual rate of up to an average of 3% as applied across all
Client accounts taken in aggregate. Raymond James Bank will pay Raymond James an annual
fee of up to Deposits in Client accounts at Raymond James Bank provide a stable and low-cost
source of funds for Raymond James Bank which helps contribute to the overall profitability of
the Bank. Raymond James Bank generally earns a higher rate of interest on deposit balances
than the interest it pays on those balances. The banks participating in the sweep programs earn
income by lending or investing the deposits they receive and charging a higher interest rate to
borrowers, or earning a higher yield, than the participating banks pay on the deposits held
through these sweep programs. Like the other participating banks in the program, Raymond
James Bank earns revenue minus interest paid by Raymond James as a participating member
to Clients who have assets on deposit at Raymond James Bank. Raymond James Bank is
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permitted to also buy securities using the deposits placed in the RJBDP sweep program.
Raymond James Bank uses the funds in the Client accounts to fund new lending and
investment activity. The revenue received by Raymond James Bank on those balances is
dependent upon lending activities and which securities are purchased. The profitability of
Raymond James Bank is determined in large part by the difference between the interest paid
and other costs associated with its deposits, and the interest or other income earned on its loans,
investments, and other assets.
Raymond James Bank and the interest rate it offers through the RJBDP sweeps can differ from
the interest rate or yield on the Client Interest Program ("CIP"). Raymond James Bank does not
receive revenue for assets held within the CIP sweep program and in those cases where assets
are not allocated to Raymond James as part of the RJBDP sweep program.
The revenue generated by Raymond James or an affiliate will vary compared to revenue
generated by sweep programs available at other firms. The interest rate or yield on the
Raymond James sweep programs can be higher or lower than the interest rate or yield available
in other sweep programs at other institutions. Clients may be able to earn more favorable rates
of return by investing in other asset classes, including alternatives to cash such as money
market mutual funds and treasury bills, but performance of those asset classes is not
guaranteed.
The advisory fee will be payable quarterly in advance. When the account is opened, the advisory
fee is billed for the remainder of the current billing period and is based on the initial contribution.
The initial payment will become due in full on the date of inception. Subsequent quarterly
advisory fees will be calculated based on the account value as of the last business day of the
previous calendar quarter and will become due the following business day.
Our Firm, in its sole discretion, may charge a lesser investment advisory fee based upon certain
criteria (e.g., historical relationship, types of assets, anticipated future additional assets, dollar
amounts of assets to be managed, related accounts, account composition, etc.).
Administrative-Only Investments
Certain securities can be held in your advisory account and designated as "Administrative-Only
Investments" or non-billable assets. There are two primary categories of Administrative-Only
Investments: Client-designated and TPMM-designated. Client-designated Administrative-Only
Investments can be designated by IARs that do not wish to collect an advisory fee on certain
assets, while TPMM designated Administrative-Only Investments are designated by the TPMM
in conformance with their internal policy. For example, an IAR may make an arrangement with
a Client who holds a security that the IAR did not recommend, or the Client wishes to hold for
an extended period of time and does not wish for their IAR to sell for the foreseeable future. In
such cases the IAR can elect to waive the advisory fee on this security but allow it to be held in
the Client's advisory account - such designations fall into the Client-designated category.
Alternatively, the TPMM may determine that certain securities can be held in an advisory
account but are temporarily not eligible for the advisory fee (such as for mutual funds purchased
with a front-end sales charge within the last two years, new issues and syndicate offerings).
Assets designated by the TPMM as temporarily exempt from the advisory fee fall into the TPMM-
designated category. See RJA Wrap Fee Brochure for more detail. Please note that SPIA does
not provide ongoing monitoring services or otherwise offer advice on administrative-only
positions.
Mutual Funds Assessed or Subject to 12B-1 Fees or Sales Charges
Certain mutual funds, in addition to the management fees and operating expenses, pay RJA
Rule 12b-1 fees, also known as "trails." In certain circumstances, RJA will choose to make share
classes available that pay 12b-1 fees in investment advisory programs even if a less costly share
class is available, due to the ability for Raymond James to earn marketing and education
support payments from the fund adviser or its affiliates. These marketing and education support
payments benefit Raymond James but do not increase costs to the Client, as the 12b-1 is
Page 16 of 49
refunded to the Client. Raymond James receives 12b-1 fees from mutual fund companies on
either a monthly or quarterly basis. Where advisory fee-eligible share classes that pay 12b-1 fees
are used, the 12b-1 fees will be credited bi-monthly to the Client's advisory account, after they
are received by Raymond James. However, 12b- 1 fees received by Raymond James on share
classes that are not eligible for the advisory fee, such as class C shares designated as
Administrative-Only Investments, will not be credited to the Client's account as described
above, but instead will be paid to your IAR.
Many mutual funds also assess sales charges on mutual fund transactions (the mutual fund
equivalent to a commission, also known as a "load"), a portion of which is paid by the fund
company to compensate broker-dealers and their registered representatives for providing
financial advice and Client service. Sales charges apply when you make your investment (known
as a "front-end sales charge" or "front-end load"), or when you redeem your investment (known
as a "back-end sales charge" or "back- end load").
Certain mutual fund shares transferred to RJA to fund a new account or supplement an existing
account will be subject to Raymond James's billing procedures, including those related to 12b-
1 fees or "trails," Administrative-Only Investments, or conversion processes (for example, C shares
held for at least one year, and share classes designated for use by managed account programs),
as applicable.
In June 2018, Raymond James began converting existing advisory fee-eligible mutual fund
positions in Ambassador accounts to a specific mutual fund share class ("wrap recommended
share class") in an effort to provide advisory Clients with lowest cost share class available through
Raymond James. This conversion does not apply to non-wrap eligible, non-billable positions
such as C shares or other back-end load shares that can be held in a Client's Ambassador
account and not eligible for advisory fee billing. Raymond James will perform ongoing monthly
maintenance conversions to ensure the wrap recommended share class has been selected for
the Client's account. These share class conversions are non-taxable events, and Clients' cost
basis will carry over to the new wrap recommended share class.
Raymond James has established conversion processes to exchange class C shares to a lower
cost share class once the class C shares have been held for at least one year or are otherwise no
longer subject to the fund company's contingent deferred sales charge (or CDSC, which is
typically 1% of the amount invested). The one year holding period is the required minimum
holding period typically established by fund companies before they become eligible for
exchange to another share class without being subject to the CDSC. However, certain funds
require that investors hold the class C shares greater than or less than one year before these
shares are CDSC-free. CDSC-free class C shares held in advisory program accounts will
automatically be exchanged, on a tax-free basis, to the recommended share class by Raymond
James on a monthly basis. For example, a Client that holds $50,000 in class C shares purchased
6 months ago that subsequently transfers these shares to their Ambassador account will not be
assessed an advisory fee for 6 months, although the shares will be subsequently exchanged by
Raymond James to the recommended share class the month after they are CDSC-free, at which
point the newly exchanged shares will be subject to advisory fees.
Investments held in Ambassador Accounts can be comprised of mutual fund shares (both load-
waived and no-load funds are permitted), individual equity and fixed income securities, or a
combination of mutual fund shares and individual securities. With respect to load funds, only
such funds for which the sales charge has been waived, pursuant to SEC Rules, are permitted
to be purchased and eligible for the advisory fee in these programs. Clients can hold fund shares
in a fee-based Ambassador account that were originally purchased in a commission-based
account and assessed a front-end load at Raymond James. However, Raymond James will
designate these shares as Administrative-Only assets for two years from their original purchase
date, and no advisory fee will be charged during this period. Likewise, structured investments
such as market-linked notes and market-linked certificates of deposit, as well as unit investment
trusts assessed an upfront commission will be designated as Administrative-Only assets, and no
Page 17 of 49
advisory fees will be assessed for two years from their original purchase date. This two-year
exclusion period (or "Two Year Rule") has been implemented by Raymond James to avoid
Clients being assessed both a load or commission and an advisory fee on the same asset but
only applies to those above-mentioned securities that were purchased through Raymond
James.
In the event a Client purchased a share class designated as Administrative-Only (or "ineligible")
that is subsequently exchanged into a share class that is otherwise eligible for advisory fees (for
example, class C shares held for a year and exchanged into a no-load or load-waived class A
share as described above), the Two Year Rule will not apply, provided the Client held the
ineligible share class at least one year before converting to an eligible share class and the
original load was 1.05% or less. Clients should understand that this Two-Year Rule may create a
financial incentive for their IAR to recommend the Client exchange to an advisory fee eligible
share class. However, per the above example of exchanging C shares to load-waived A shares,
this incentive is mitigated by disclosing it to you and by requiring that the C shares must be
held for at least one year before they will be allowed to be exchanged for A shares, where the
load associated with C shares is typically 1%. The Two-Year Rule is expressly intended to avoid
assessing advisory fees on share classes assessing a load in excess of 1%, where the maximum
load is typically in excess of 4%.
Account Termination
You or we may terminate an Program Account by notifying the other party in writing of the
Program Account to be terminated and termination will become effective upon the receipt of
the notice. If an Program Account is terminated, we will make a pro-rata refund to you of fees
paid to us pursuant to the IA Agreement for the period after the date of effectiveness of such
termination through the end of the then current fee period.
If you choose to terminate your IA Agreement with any of our investment advisory Programs,
we can liquidate your Account if you instruct us to do so. If so, instructed, we will liquidate your
Account in an orderly and efficient manner. We do not charge for such redemption; however,
you should be aware that certain mutual funds impose redemption fees as stated in their fund
prospectus. For taxable Accounts, you should also keep in mind that the decision to liquidate
security issues or mutual funds will result in tax consequences that should be discussed with
your tax advisor.
We will not be responsible for market fluctuations in your Account from the time of written
notice until complete liquidation. All efforts will be made to process the termination in an
efficient and timely manner. Factors that affect the orderly and efficient liquidation of an
Account might be size and types of securities, liquidity of the markets, and market makers'
abilities. Should the necessary securities' markets be unavailable, and trading suspended, efforts
to trade will be done as soon as possible following their reopening. Due to the administrative
processing time needed to terminate a Program Account, termination orders cannot be
considered market orders. It could take several business days under normal market conditions
to process your request.
Upon termination of the Account or transfer of the Advisory class into a retail brokerage account,
you authorize us to convert, at our discretion, the Advisory class to the mutual fund's primary
share class, typically A shares, without incurring a commission or load without your prior
consent. You understand that the primary share class generally has higher operating expenses
than the Advisory class, which will negatively affect your performance. Certain mutual fund
shares are required to be redeemed as part of the Account termination, as stated in their
prospectus. If a Program Account is terminated, but you maintain a brokerage Account with
SPIS, the money market fund used in a "sweep" arrangement could be changed and/or your
shares exchanged for shares of another series of the same fund. You will bear a proportionate
share of the money market fund's fees and expenses. You are subject to the customary
brokerage charges for any securities positions sold in your account after the termination of
Program services.
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Please refer to your IA Agreement for specific terms.
Billing on Cash Balances
SPIA permits cash and cash equivalent positions (such as money market funds or certificates of
deposit) for defensive and liquidity purposes. You should understand that the portion of the
account held in cash will experience negative performance if the applicable Program Fee
charged is higher than the return received on the cash sweep balance.
Programs Sponsored by Steward Partners
Program Fees are assessed on the cash balance in your Account without a cash concentration
limit. This creates a conflict of interest because the Firm could recommend clients with high
cash balances maintain accounts on the Pershing platform, rather than RJA, where a billing
limit is imposed, to receive a higher fee. The Firm mitigates this conflict by monitoring cash
balance concentrations and requiring a reasonable justification for high cash balances,
especially over extended periods of time. Our procedures will differ based on specific program
requirements but are evaluated based on what is in the client’s best interest.
Programs Sponsored by RJA
RJA will assess advisory fees on cash sweep balances ("cash") held in Ambassador accounts,
provided the cash balance does not exceed 20% of the total Account Value. RJA will determine
the Account Value as of the last business day of the quarter (the "valuation date"). RJA will bill
on the full cash balance provided cash did not comprise greater than 20% of the billable Account
Value for three (3) consecutive quarterly valuation dates. If the cash balance exceeded 20% of
the Account Value for three (3) consecutive quarterly valuation dates, the amount in excess of
20% is excluded from billing. For example, an Ambassador account that held 30% of the Account
Value for three (3) consecutive billing valuation dates (March 31st, June 30th, and September
30th) would have the amount in excess of 20% excluded from the Account Value in which
advisory fees are applied. For simplicity of illustration, assuming an account was valued at
$100,000 for all three (3) quarterly billing periods, with $30,000 held in cash, the September 30th
valuation date would exclude $10,000 of the cash from the Account Value, when assessing the
advisory fee.
Within the Ambassador account, the Cash Rule applies on an individual account basis. The Cash
Rule may pose a financial disincentive to a financial advisor as the portion of cash sweep
balances in excess of 20% is excluded from the Fee charged to the account. This fee billing
provision (or "Cash Rule") is intended to equitably assess advisory fees to Client assets for which
an ongoing advisory service is being provided; the exclusion of excess cash from the advisory
fee is intended to benefit Clients holding substantial cash balances (as a percentage of the total
individual Account Value) for an extended period of time. Clients should understand that the
portion of the account held in cash will experience negative performance if the applicable
advisory fee charged is higher than the return received on the cash sweep balance although
such cash balances will not be subject to market risk (that is, risk of loss) associated with
securities investments. As a result, Clients should periodically re-evaluate whether their
maintenance of a cash balance is appropriate in light of their financial situation and investment
goals and should understand that this cash can be held outside of their advisory account and
not subject to advisory fees.
For Discretionary Ambassador accounts, the Cash Rule poses a financial incentive for an IAR to
limit cash sweep balances to 20% or less of the Account Value, as values over 20% for three
consecutive quarterly valuations will be excluded from the asset-based fee charged to the
account. An IAR could choose to reallocate a Client account from cash to advisory fee eligible
investments, including money market funds, or to recommend against raising cash, in order to
avoid the application of this provision and therefore receive a fee on the full account value. This
conflict is mitigated by disclosing it to you. However, please note that Clients who have
delegated investment discretion to their IAR can direct their IAR to raise cash by selling
investments or hold a predetermined percentage of their account in cash at any time. The Cash
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Rule is applicable only to cash sweep balances and, therefore, non-sweep money market funds
would not result in excess "cash" balances being excluded from the asset based advisory fee
calculation.
Cash balances in AMS managed program accounts are generally expected to be a small
percentage of the overall account value as determined by the managers and therefore these
accounts are not subject to the Cash Rule.
For cash sweeps in IRAs and ERISA plan accounts held at RJA as the custodian, RJA uses its bank
affiliate exclusively as a depository. Please see "Investment of Cash Reserves at RJA" for
additional information on cash sweep options.
If you are seeking the highest yield currently available in the market for your cash balances,
please contact your IAR to discuss investment options available outside of the available sweep
features that may be more suitable for your investment goals.
For assets custodied at Pershing, Program Fees are assessed on the cash balance in your
account without a cash concentration limit. This creates a conflict of interest because the Firm
could recommend clients with high cash balances maintain accounts on the Pershing platform,
rather than RJA, where a billing limit is imposed, to receive a higher fee. The Firm mitigates this
conflict by monitoring cash balance concentrations and requiring a reasonable justification for
high cash balances, especially over extended periods of time. Our procedures will differ based
on specific program requirements but are evaluated based on what is in the client’s best
interest.
You should understand that the portion of the account held in cash will experience negative
performance if the applicable Program Fee charged is higher than the return received on the
cash sweep balance.
Additional Expenses Not Included in the Asset-Based Advisory Fee
The fees for Program services do not include certain dealer markups or markdowns, odd lot
differentials, transfer taxes, exchange fees, execution fees (foreign and/or domestic) when
applicable, American depositary receipts (“ADR”) custodial pass-through fees, foreign financial
transaction taxes when applicable, and any other fees required by law. Cash balances in an
Account may be invested in money market mutual funds including, as permitted by law, those
with which we have agreements to provide advisory, administrative, distribution, and other
services and for which we receive compensation for the services rendered. You should
understand that, depending on interest rates and other market factors, the yield that you earn
on cash and cash alternatives, including cash sweep funds, CDs and money market funds in an
Account, have been, and may continue in the future to be, lower than the aggregate fees and
expenses you pay with respect to cash held in an Account (including the Program Fee and
Platform Fee and any fee and expenses you bear as an investor in a cash sweep vehicle. As a
result, you may experience a negative overall investment return with respect to cash held in an
Account. Furthermore, in some instances, the effective yield of a cash sweep may be negative.
If you invest in foreign stocks or ADRs, you will be subject to foreign tax withholding on the
dividends paid or interest earned. An ADR represents underlying shares of a foreign corporation
which are held and issued by a bank. While ADRs are traded on U.S. markets, the income and
tax withholding are subject to the rules and regulation of the foreign tax authorities with
jurisdiction over the underlying corporation. When dividends or interest is paid to investors on
such foreign securities, the tax authorities for that country require the payor to withhold taxes
for certain foreign investors. This can negatively impact the rate of return on your investment.
U.S. clients could be eligible to reclaim a portion of foreign taxes that are withheld and/or receive
a preferential foreign tax rate on foreign securities by filing specific tax forms seeking such relief.
We do not provide tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor for specific information on foreign
tax withholding, your eligibility to reclaim a portion of taxes withheld and/or receiving a
preferential foreign tax rate and the costs associated with these filings.
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Any non-brokerage fees that are not included in the fees for Program Services will be charged to
your Account separately.
Your IAR may suggest that you use other products and services that we offer, but that are not
available through the Program you select (“Excluded Assets” or “Non-Program Assets”). Excluded
Assets are not charged a Program Fee or a Platform Fee and are not considered a part of the
Program or Program services. We generally recommend that you hold these Excluded Assets in a
separate brokerage Account. If an Excluded Asset purchased for or transferred into your Account
later becomes a Program Eligible Asset, the Program Fee and Platform Fee will apply to that Asset
without prior notice to you. You will incur any usual and customary brokerage charges and fees
imposed on transactions in Excluded Assets which could include (I) any dealer markups and odd lot
differentials, transfer taxes, and other fees; (ii) margin interest and operational fees and charges; (iii)
any redemption fees, exchange fees and/or similar fees (among which SEC fees are included)
imposed in connection with mutual fund transactions whereby we or your IAR receive additional
compensation on these Excluded Assets. Where these fees apply, the more transactions you enter,
the more compensation that we and your IAR receive. This compensation creates an incentive for us
to recommend that you buy and sell, rather than hold, these investments. We also have an incentive
to recommend that you purchase investment products that carry higher fees, than investment
products that carry lower fees or no fees at all.
You are also subject to charges for other account services provided by the custodian not directly
related to the advisory, execution, and clearing services provided including, but not limited to, IRA
custodial fees, safekeeping fees, charges/interest for maintenance of margin and/or short positions,
and fees for legal or courtesy transfers of securities.
Fees charged by custodian can include, but not limited to, items such as:
• Transaction fees
• Exchange fees
• Regulatory fees
• Advisory fees and administrative fees charged by ETFs
• Custodial fees
• Wire-transfer and electronic fund processing fees
• SMA/Third-Party Money Manager fees
• Other miscellaneous fees disclosed in the custody agreement.
list of account service charges, visit Steward Partner’s public website:
For a complete
https://www.stewardpartners.com/Regulatory-Information-&-Disclosures.36.htm.
Certain open-end mutual funds that are available to you, may, in addition to assessing
management fees, internally assess a distribution fee pursuant to section 12(b)-1 of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or an administrative or service fee ("trail"). Such
fees are included in the calculation of operating expenses of a mutual fund and are disclosed in
the fund prospectus. IARs that are also registered representatives of SPIA are eligible to receive
this fee in addition to any advisory fee that is assessed in your account. However, the IAR would
not receive both the advisory fee and 12b-1 fee on the same position. The existence of a 12(b)-1
fee is disclosed in the mutual fund prospectus.
You should also understand that the shares of certain mutual funds offered in an advisory
program impose short-term trading charges (typically 1%-2% of the amount originally invested)
for redemptions generally made within short periods of time. These short-term charges are
imposed by the funds to deter "market timers" who trade actively in fund shares. You should
consider these short-term trading charges when selecting the program and/or mutual funds in
which they invest. These charges, as well as operating expenses and management fees, can
increase the overall cost to you by 1%-2% (or more). More information is available in each fund's
prospectus.
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You should be aware that ETFs incur a separate management fee based on the fund's assets
annually which is assessed by the fund directly. This management fee is in addition to the
ongoing advisory fee assessed by SPIA, and will generally result in Clients which utilize an SMA
or TPMM or Investment Strategy that invests in ETFs paying more than Clients utilizing one that
does not invest in ETFs, without taking into effect negotiated asset-based fee discounts, if any.
Certain ETFs are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which may result
in unique tax treatment, including Schedule K-1 reporting. Prospective or existing Clients should
consult their tax adviser for additional information regarding the tax consequences associated
with the purchase, ownership, and disposition of such investments.
Additional information is also available in the ETF prospectus, which is available upon request.
The cost structures of mutual funds can differ. While ETFs are generally less expensive, the
investment structure (Mutual Fund or ETF) is often less important than the management style.
Passive management, a strategy that aims to replicate the performance of a benchmark index
(i.e., S&P 500), is , typically less expensive than an active management strategy where a portfolio
manager makes investment decisions in an effort to achieve a specific objective.
Alternative Investments refers to securities products that serve as alternatives to more
traditional asset classes and include investment products such as hedge funds, private equity
funds, private real estate funds and structured products. IARs that are also registered
representatives of SPIA can offer you a wide range of alternative investments. It is important for
you to work with us to evaluate how a particular alternative investment and its features fit your
individual needs and objectives. An important component of the selection process includes
carefully reading the accompanying offering documents and/or prospectus prior to making a
purchase decision. The offering documents contain important information that will help you
make an informed choice.
As part of the review process, you should consider the fees and expenses associated with a
particular alternative investment, along with the fact that IARs will receive compensation
related to any such purchase. It is important to note that the fees and expenses related to
alternative investments are often higher than those of more traditional investments.
While each investment will differ in terms of both total fees and expenses and how those fees
and expenses are calculated, the following section will discuss the primary categories of fees
and expenses that are common to many alternative investments and the different ways that
Steward Partners and our IARs that are also registered representatives of SPIA can be
compensated.
•
• Management fees: The manager for any particular investment will often charge a
management fee that is based on the total value of your investment. As the value of your
investment increases, the total management fees that a manager receives will increase.
As the value of your investment decreases, the total management fees that a manager
receives will decrease. These fees are similarly structured but are often higher than
management fees associated with other, more traditional, investments such as mutual
funds. IARs that are also registered representatives of SPIA share in a portion of
management fees to which an investment manager is entitled.
Incentive-based compensation: Many alternative investment managers receive incentive-
based compensation in addition to management fees. Incentive-based fees typically
involve the manager retaining a percentage of profits generated for Clients. Fees related
to incentive compensation are often referred to as incentive/performance-based fees or
carried interest. It is important to note that these fees are in addition to management
fees that are charged by the manager and that the exact calculation of incentive fees or
carried interest differs by product and manager. IARs that are also registered
representatives of SPIA may share in any incentive-based compensation to which an
investment manager is entitled.
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• Upfront or ongoing servicing fees or placement fees: Many alternative investments have
upfront costs directly related to compensating
IARs that are also registered
representatives of SPIA. These fees are generally based on the total amount of your
investment. Additionally, there may be ongoing fees, based on the value of your
investment, that are directly related to compensating IARs that are also registered
representatives of SPIA.
• Redemption fees: Some investments may have direct or indirect costs related to
liquidating your position, particularly if an investment is liquidated shortly after being
purchased or if an investment is specifically designed to provide limited or no liquidity to
investors.
Alternative investment strategies can be accessed through a variety of legal structures,
including mutual funds, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. In certain
structures, particularly for new offerings, investors can incur organization and offering expenses
that are related to the creation of the legal structure and marketing of the product. These costs
ultimately serve to decrease the amount of the Client's investment. Additionally, investors may
incur other expenses based on the investment activity of the fund. For instance, in a real estate
fund, investors can be charged fees related to the acquisition of a property. In a hedge fund that
shorts stock, there are costs associated with establishing and maintaining the short position.
Lastly, investors in alternative investments generally bear the cost of certain ongoing expenses
related to administration of the product. These expenses include costs related to tax document
preparation, auditing services or custodial services.
Alternative investments often have limited liquidity, intermittent pricing and values based on
appraisal-based pricing versus market-based pricing. Client accounts with alternative
investments are charged advisory fees based on the fair value of the assets determined by the
underlying fund managers. The managers value investments at fair value, which is the price that
would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between
market participants at measurement date. Please note: Values based on information from the
funds, may not be currently priced, are for informational purposes only and may not be realized
if you seek to liquidate your investment. There may not be an established market for interests
in alternative investment funds or for privately held portfolio companies of alternative
investment funds, and there may not be any comparable companies for which public market
valuations exist. Additionally, if an alternative investment is reflected on your statement, the
value reflected is often an estimate subject to revision by the fund manager. One or a
combination of these issues impact the value on which you are charged when your investment
is eligible for asset-based advisory fees. Client accounts will not be adjusted based on value
revisions made by the manager or fluctuations in the fair value subsequent to advisory fees
being charged. Thus, Client accounts may be charged advisory fees that can be higher or lower
than the actual value of the assets. We will typically only assess an advisory fee on alternative
investment products that are priced at least quarterly and are not assessed an upfront
commission or sales load upon initial investment. Conversely, alternative investment products
not eligible for the asset-based advisory fee typically price less frequently than quarterly and/or
have an upfront commission or sales load assessed upon the initial investment; such
investments will be designated as Administrative-Only assets.
You should also understand that certain no-load variable annuities can be offered in the
Ambassador program and charged an advisory fee. The annual advisory fees charged for these
no-load variable annuities are in addition to the management fees and operating expenses
charged by the insurance companies offering these products.
Your total cost of each of the services provided through these programs, if purchased separately,
could be more or less than the costs of each respective program. Cost factors include your ability to:
• obtain the services provided within the programs separately with respect to the
•
selection of mutual funds,
invest and rebalance the selected mutual funds without the payment of a sales charge,
and
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• obtain performance reporting comparable to those provided within each program.
When making cost comparisons, you should be aware that the combination of multiple mutual
fund investments, advisory services, and custodial and brokerage services available through
each program may not be available separately or can require multiple accounts,
documentation, and fees. If an account is actively traded or you otherwise do not qualify for
reduced sales charges for fund purchases, the fees can be less expensive than separately paying
the sales charges and advisory fees. If an account is not actively traded or you otherwise would
qualify with a significant investment for reduced sales charges, the fees in these programs can
be more expensive than if utilized separately. Further information regarding fees assessed by
mutual funds, variable annuities or unit investment trusts (“UITs”) is available in the appropriate
prospectus, available upon request.
The mutual funds and ETFs available in the advisory programs can often be purchased directly.
Therefore, you could avoid the second layer of fees by not using the investment advisory account
and making your own decisions regarding the investment.
If you are considering transferring mutual fund shares to or from SPIA you should be aware that
if the firm from or to which the shares are to be transferred does not have a selling agreement
with the fund company, you must either redeem the shares (paying any applicable contingent
deferred sales charge and potentially incurring a tax liability) or continue to maintain an
investment account at the firm where the fund shares are currently being held. You should
inquire as to the transferability, or "portability", of mutual fund shares prior to initiating such a
transfer.
Margin Loans
Margin accounts are offered where you may borrow funds for the purpose of purchasing
additional securities. You may also use a margin account to borrow money to pay for fees
associated with your account or to withdraw funds. If you decide to open a margin account,
please carefully consider that: (i) if you do not have available cash in your account and use
margin, you are borrowing money to purchase securities, pay for fees associated with your
account, or withdraw funds; and (ii) you are using the investments that you own in the account
as collateral.
Certain advisory programs may permit margin borrowing and trading. Margin will not be
extended in an advisory account unless authorized by you through a separate margin
agreement. You are responsible for notifying us if you decide that you no longer want to use
margin in your account. You may also discontinue use of margin in your account according to
the terms of the Client agreement. We are not responsible for any losses resulting from our
failure or delay in implementing such instructions.
Margin Loans Are Subject to Separate Terms and Conditions. If you take out a margin loan, the terms
and conditions applicable to the margin loan are governed by the Margin Disclosure Statement and
the Client agreement. You should carefully review the terms, conditions, and risk disclosures for
margin loans and understand that such risks are heightened in the event you hold a concentrated
position in your pledged account or if your pledged account makes up all, or substantially all, of your
overall net worth or investable assets. Certain eligibility requirements must be met, and
documentation in the form of a separate margin agreement must be completed prior to using
margin.
Costs Are in Addition to Advisory Fees. As discussed above, if you use margin to purchase
additional securities, your account value increases and therefore the amount of fees you pay will
increase. You will also be charged margin interest on the debit balance in your account, which
is in addition to the program fee. This results in additional compensation to us.
Money borrowed in a margin account is charged an interest rate that is subject to change over
time. This interest payment is in addition to other fees associated with your account. Pershing
and SPIS, in its capacity as a broker/dealer, charge interest on margin loans to clients. Under its
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agreement with Pershing, SPIS sets the interest rate for margin loans in a range from 0.25% to
2.75% above the Pershing base lending rate, depending on the amount of the margin advance.
Steward Partners has a conflict of interest in recommending to you a margin loan because SPIS
(Steward Partners’ affiliate and acting in the capacity as a broker-dealer) receives a markup on
the interest charged on the loan. The interest charged on a margin loan can be higher than the
interest charged on Securities-Based Loans (defined below), or lending services provided by
third-parties.
We Have an Incentive to Recommend the Use of Margin. The increased asset-based fee and
interest that you pay on a margin loan provides an incentive for your IAR to recommend the use
of margin. Your IAR also has an incentive to use margin to purchase additional securities and
other assets instead of selling existing securities or other assets. We address these conflicts by
disclosing them to you and by various policies to oversee that recommendations are made in
your best interest. Clients should carefully consider this conflict of interest prior to using margin
to purchase additional securities.
Margin Loans May Not Be Suitable for You. Using margin is not suitable for all investors. As
described in the next paragraph, the use of margin increases leverage in your account and
therefore increases risk to a portfolio. We generally believe the use of margin is most appropriate
when short in duration. Before deciding to use margin, you should consider the intended
duration and total cost of the margin loan, as well as other options available to you, such as
alternative loan options or liquidating your account assets.
Using Margin Involves Higher Risks. Generally, we believe that the use of margin adds risk to a
portfolio that you should not assume unless you are prepared to experience significant losses. Losses
in the value of an asset purchased on margin will be magnified because of the use of borrowed
money. You can lose more funds than amounts deposited in margin accounts. In addition, you
generally will not benefit from using margin unless the performance of your account exceeds
interest expenses on the margin loan plus advisory fees incurred. You should also understand that
the use of margin can negatively impact our ability to rebalance your account. You should carefully
consider whether the additional risks are appropriate prior to using margin due to the increased
potential for significantly greater losses associated with using margin. You assume full responsibility
for the use of margin in your account. Please see the Margin Disclosure Statement and the Client
agreement for more details on the risks of margin use. You should read this document carefully.
Securities-Based Loan Programs
You may pledge your account assets as collateral creating a “Securities-Based Loan” with our
consent and where you are eligible under the programs. For your account to be eligible to serve
as collateral for a Securities-Based Loan, your account may not also serve as collateral for a
margin loan. If you wish to use your account as collateral for a Securities-Based Loan, we will
automatically discontinue the availability of margin for your account.
There are risks, costs, and conflicts of interests associated with Securities-Based Loan
Programs. You are encouraged to speak with your IAR to the extent you have questions about
how your account may be used in connection with a Securities- Based Loan Program and how
such arrangement should be taken into consideration when discussing the management of
your account.
Securities-Based Loan Programs Are Subject to Separate Terms and Conditions. If you have
elected to participate in a Securities-Based Loan Program, the terms and conditions applicable
to that Securities-Based Loan Program are governed by the applicable Securities-Based Loan
documents and other service agreements and are not included or described further in this
brochure. You should review carefully the terms, conditions and any related risk disclosures for
the Securities-Based Loan Program and understand that risks are heightened in the event you
hold a concentrated position in your pledged account or if your pledged account makes up all,
or substantially all, of your overall net worth or investable assets. Certain eligibility requirements
must be met, and documentation must be completed prior to obtaining Securities-Based
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Loans.
Interest Rates for Securities-Based Loan Programs Differ. In certain circumstances, more than
one Securities-Based Loan Program product may be available to you. The interest rate charged
for the Securities-Based Loan may be higher than interest rates available through other loan
programs from unaffiliated financial institutions. The Securities-Based Loan through our
custodial relationships are generally more profitable for us than other loan programs from other
financial institutions and gives us an incentive to recommend these Securities-Based Loan
Programs.
Costs Are in Addition to Advisory Fees. The costs, including interest, associated with a Securities-
Based Loan Program are not included in the Program Fee and will result in additional
compensation to us and our IARs. The interest charges on your Securities-Based Loan Program,
combined with the Program Fee, may exceed the income generated by your pledged account
assets and, as a result, the value of your account may decrease. You are encouraged to carefully
consider the total cost of taking out a Securities-Based Loan, and any additional compensation
that we and your IAR will receive, when determining to take out and/or maintain a Securities-
Based Loan against your account assets.
We Have an Incentive to Recommend the Use of Securities-Based Loan Programs. Since our
Firm and your IAR are compensated through asset-based advisory fees paid on your account,
we benefit if you draw down on your Securities- Based Loan, which preserves asset-based
advisory fee revenue and generates additional loan-related compensation, rather than sell
securities or other investments in your account, which would reduce the assets in your account
and our asset-based advisory fee revenue. This presents a conflict of interest for your IAR when
addressing your liquidity needs. In addition, where a Securities-Based Loan is secured by both
brokerage and advisory assets, a IAR will benefit if your brokerage assets are liquidated prior to
or instead of your advisory assets because the IAR would be able to maintain advisory account
assets subject to the Program Fee. We address these conflicts by disclosing them to you.
Securities-Based Loan Programs May Not Be Suitable for You. There are other lending products
that may be suitable for you and for which we and your IAR would receive different or no
compensation. You are responsible for independently evaluating if a Securities-Based Loan is
appropriate for your needs, if the lending terms are acceptable, and whether the Securities-
Based Loan will have potential adverse tax or other consequences for you.
There Are Limitations on the Use of Securities-Based Loan Proceeds. Except for margin
accounts, where the loan proceeds can be used to purchase, carry, or trade securities, the
proceeds of Securities-Based Loan may not be used to purchase, carry, or trade securities or (b)
reduce or retire any indebtedness incurred to purchase, carry, or trade securities. If your Account
is used as collateral for a Securities-Based Loan, the Account is pledged to support the
Securities-Based Loan and you are not permitted to withdraw funds or other assets from your
Account unless enough collateral remain to continue supporting the Securities-Based Loan (as
determined under the applicable Securities-Based Loan Program). Although you are required
to satisfy such collateral requirements, you can terminate your advisory relationship with us, at
which time the funds and assets in your Account will be treated as a brokerage account at our
Firm and the collateral requirements for the Securities-Based Loan will continue to apply.
Additional Considerations Associated with Pledging Advisory Account Assets for Margin Loans
and Securities-Based Loans
In addition to the risks mentioned above, if your Account assets are pledged or otherwise used as
collateral for Margin Loans or Securities-Based Loans, the exercise of our rights and powers over your
Account assets, including the disposition and sale of any and all assets pledged as collateral, may be
contrary to your interests and the investment objective of your Account.
There Are Collateral Maintenance Requirements. When you use margin to purchase securities or
draw down on a Securities Based Loan, your Account assets serve as collateral. We can increase our
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“house” maintenance requirements or call your Margin Loan or Securities Based Loan at any time
and for any reason and are not required to provide you with advance written notice. If your Account
assets decline in value, so does the value of the collateral. If the required collateral is not maintained,
you may need to deposit additional cash or securities as collateral or repay a partial or entire amount
of the funds borrowed on short notice. You are not entitled to an extension of time on a margin call.
The lender may refuse to fund any advance request due to insufficient collateral. Where the lender
assigns different release rates to different asset types, you may be able to satisfy collateral
maintenance requirements by selling securities with a low release rate and investing and/or holding
the proceeds in assets that have a higher release rate for the loan.
Liquidation of Securities in a Maintenance Call. Failure to promptly meet requests for additional
collateral or repayment, or other circumstances including but not limited to a rapidly declining
market, will cause the liquidation of some or all the collateral supporting any Margin Loans or
Securities-Based Loans to meet the maintenance requirements. We can sell your Account assets
without contacting you. We are not required to notify you of a maintenance call. You will be
responsible for any shortfall if your Account assets are insufficient to cover the maintenance
deficiency. Even if we have notified you and provided a specific date by which you can meet a
maintenance call, we can still take necessary steps to protect our financial interests, including
immediately selling your Account assets without notice to you. You should understand that because
your Account assets are collateral for the Margin Loans or Securities-Based Loans, in selling such
assets, we will seek to protect or advance our interests over your interests. You should expect that
our interests will not be aligned with – and will be adverse to – your interests when we sell assets
during a maintenance call, and that we may sell assets that you desire to keep or sell them at prices
that may be less than the value that we or you believe the assets are worth. You are not entitled to
choose which Account assets are liquidated or sold to meet a maintenance call. If there are Account
assets that you desire to own during the term of your Margin Loan or Securities-Based Loan, you
should not pledge them as collateral. Depending on market circumstances, the prices obtained for
your Account assets may be less favorable and may be less than the value that we or you believe the
assets are worth. If a margin or maintenance call cannot be fully satisfied from your Account assets,
you remain liable for the outstanding debt.
Impact of Margin and Maintenance Calls on Management of Your Account. In a maintenance call,
we might liquidate Account assets that you, your IAR or your Third-Party Money Manager otherwise
would not sell, and that might not otherwise be in your best interests to sell, and you might not get
to choose the assets that are liquidated. We or a Third-Party Money Manager will seek to manage
your Account as agreed under your advisory Client Agreement and applicable Program Features
and Fee Schedule, provided that, if a maintenance call takes place, you should expect that we or your
third- party Manager will not be able to manage your Account consistent with our or the Third-Party
Money Manager’s overall strategy. In addition, to preserve sufficient collateral value to support the
loan and avoid a maintenance call, depending on your leverage, a IAR may be inclined to invest your
account in more conservative investments, which may result in lower investment performance than
more aggressive investments (depending on market conditions). We mitigate this risk by requiring
and monitoring to ensure that your Account is managed consistent with your respective investment
strategies.
No Legal or Tax Advice. Our Firm and your IAR do not provide legal or tax advice. You should consult
with your own Legal counsel and independent tax advisor before using securities as collateral for
loans in order to fully understand the tax implications associated with pledging your Account as loan
collateral and the potential liquidation of pledged assets.
Short Sales
When executing short sales, you should be aware that RJA receives compensation for
maintenance of the short position, which is in addition to the asset-based advisory fee. This
compensation is generally calculated on a daily basis as a percentage of the current market
value of the security sold short. With respect to short sales, the Client will be assessed asset-
based advisory fees based on the value of the security sold short, but not on the proceeds
received upon initiation of the short sale. Three of the major variables that impact the amount
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of the fee RJA retains, as well as the transparency of the fee on your statement are: 1) availability
of the security from RJA; 2) the current interest rate environment in the U.S.; and 3) the
availability of the security based on the supply and demand of loanable securities in the market.
When you borrow a security which RJA can lend from its own inventory or its available
customers' securities holdings, RJA generally retains all of the fees generated by that loan. In a
higher interest rate environment, this fee may not be transparent to you because RJA may not
charge it directly to your account. In such instances, the fee is retained from the return
generated by the investment of the collateral posted for the transaction (such as short sale cash
proceeds). In the case of a limited supply of a loanable security and/or a lower interest rate
environment, the interest earned on the invested cash collateral may not be sufficient to cover
the fee; in this case RJA can directly charge the fee to your account until the borrowed balance
is closed.
In cases where RJA has no available supply of loanable securities, RJA can borrow the security
from another firm. In these cases, you will be charged a fee to cover the borrowed securities,
and RJA and the firm which lent the securities will generally split this fee. As above, in a higher
interest rate environment this fee may not be transparent to you because the fee is retained
from the return generated by the investment of the collateral posted for the transaction and
not charged directly to the account. Alternatively, where the interest earned is not sufficient to
cover the fee, RJA can directly charge the fee to your account until the borrowed balance is
closed; a portion of that fee is passed from RJA to the firm from which the securities were
borrowed.
Financial Planning and Financial Consulting Services
Financial planning and consulting fees are negotiable. Fees charged for these services will be
dependent upon the anticipated time to provide the services and complexity of the plan and/or
your financial situation. The fees are determined in advance and disclosed to you at the time
the Investment Advisory Consulting Agreement is executed. It is possible that you would pay
more or less for similar services which are available through another firm.
The manner in which you pay financial planning and consulting fees are payable as follows:
1. Hourly rates for plan development or consultation will vary depending on the amount of
time it takes to complete services rendered.
2. Fixed fees for plans or consulting services will vary depending on a number of factors
which include, but are not limited to, the complexity and comprehensiveness of the plan
or consulting services rendered.
3. Fees as a percentage of assets are generally assessed on the aggregate value for which
services are rendered. Services rendered and fees charged are disclosed in each
Investment Advisory Consulting Agreement.
You can terminate the advisory relationship without penalty within five (5) business days of
entering into the advisory agreement.
It is important to note that we provide investment products or securities recommendations as
part of financial planning services or hourly consulting services. This presents a conflict to the
extent that your IAR receives compensation from implementation of such recommendations.
Also, compensation to your IAR varies depending on the product or service your IAR
recommends.
In providing financial planning services, we may recommend our services and/or our associated
persons services in their separate capacity as licensed insurance agents and/or registered
representatives through our affiliated agencies and/or broker/dealer. A conflict of interest exists
when we make such recommendations. You are under no obligation to act on our financial
planning recommendations. Should you choose to act on any of our recommendations, you are
not obliged to implement the recommendations through your IAR or our Firm. If you decide to
implement the financial plan or consulting advice through one of the Programs or services we
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offer, your IAR will provide you at the time of engagement with a Client agreement that will
contain specific information about fees and compensation that your IAR and SPIA will receive
in connection with that program.
You should also understand that your IAR can perform advisory services for various other Clients
and give advice or take actions for those other Clients that differ from the advice given to you.
Also, the timing or nature of any action taken for your account can be different. You should note
that similar advisory services may be available from other registered investment advisers for
similar or lower fees.
In the event we agree to billing in advance, we do not require you to pay fees in excess of $1,200
six months or more in advance. Should the engagement last longer than six months between
acceptance of financial planning agreement and delivery of the financial plan, any prepaid
unearned fees will be promptly returned to you less a pro rata charge for bona fide financial
planning services rendered to date. At our discretion, we can offset our financial planning fees
to the extent you implement the financial plan through services offered by us and/our affiliated
entities.
Our financial planning fees are negotiable and generally payable in advance of services rendered.
You can terminate the financial planning agreement by providing written notice to our Firm. If you
have pre-paid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated refund of those
fees.
Either party can terminate the advisory agreement. You can terminate with written notice to our
Firm. If you were charged fees in arrears, you will be responsible for a prorated fee based on services
performed. If fees are paid in advance, you may be entitled to a refund of unearned fees.
Selection of Other Advisers
We do not charge you a separate fee for the selection of other advisers. We will share in the advisory
fee you pay directly to the TPMM. The advisory fee you pay to the TPMM is established and payable
in accordance with the brochure provided by each TPMM to whom you are referred. These fees may
or may not be negotiable. Our compensation can differ depending upon the individual agreement
we have with each TPMM. As such, a conflict of interest exists where our Firm or persons associated
with our Firm has an incentive to recommend one TPMM over another TPMM with whom we have
more favorable compensation arrangements or other advisory programs offered by TPMMs with
whom we have less or no compensation arrangements.
Advisory fees charged by TPMMs are separate and apart from our advisory fees. Assets managed by
TPMMs will be included in calculating our advisory fee, which is based on the fee schedule set forth
in the Investment Advisory and Portfolio Management Services section in this brochure. Advisory
fees that you pay to the TPMM are established and payable in accordance with the brochure
provided by each TPMM to whom you are referred. These fees may or may not be negotiable. You
should review the recommended TPMM's brochure and take into consideration the TPMM's fees
along with our fees to determine the total amount of fees associated with this Program.
You may be required to sign an agreement directly with the recommended TPMM(s). You can
terminate your advisory relationship with the TPMM according to the terms of your agreement with
the TPMM. You should review each TPMM's brochure for specific information on how you are able to
terminate your advisory relationship with the TPMM and how you will receive a refund, if applicable.
You should contact the TPMM directly for questions regarding your advisory agreement with the
TPMM.
Advised Retirement Plan Accounts Program
You will be charged an advisory fee as specified in your program agreement. A portion of the advisory
fee is paid to the third party in exchange for access to their system. Fees are assessed quarterly in
advance and determined based on the total account value on the last business day of the prior
quarter. However, for the initial period, the advisory fee will be paid on a pro-rata basis based on the
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number of days in the billing period for which services were provided in arrears, based on the market
value of assets in the account on or about that date. No Fee adjustment will be made during any
quarter for appreciation or depreciation in asset value during that current period, nor shall any
adjustment or refund be made with respect to partial additions or withdrawals during that current
period.
Fees cannot be debited directly from the employer-sponsored plan. You are required to maintain a
non-qualified brokerage account with the firm from where the Advisory fee will be debited. In the
event of an account closure or termination of the agreement, Advisory fees will not be rebated based
on the remaining days in the period.
Pension Consulting Services
Our advisory fees for these customized services will be negotiated with the plan sponsor or named
fiduciary on a case-by-case basis.
Depending on the arrangements made at the inception of the engagement we will agree to either
send you an invoice for the payment of our advisory fee, or we will deduct our fee directly from your
account through the qualified custodian holding your funds and securities. We will deduct our
advisory fee only when you have given our Firm written authorization permitting the fees to be paid
directly from your account. Further, the qualified custodian will deliver an account statement to you
at least quarterly. These account statements will show all disbursements from your account. You
should review all statements for accuracy.
You may terminate the pension consulting services agreement upon 30 days written notice to our
Firm. You will incur a pro rata charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the agreement,
which means you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for
which you are a Client. If you have pre-paid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive
a prorated refund of those fees.
Additional Fees and Expenses
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may invest, or recommend that you invest, in
mutual funds and exchange traded funds in a retail brokerage account. The fees that you pay to our
firm for investment advisory services are separate and distinct from the fees and expenses charged
by mutual funds or exchange traded funds (described in each fund's prospectus) to their
shareholders. These fees will generally include a management fee and other fund expenses. You will
also incur transaction charges and/or brokerage fees when purchasing or selling securities in a
brokerage account. These charges and fees are typically imposed by the broker-dealer or custodian
through whom your account transactions are executed. To fully understand the total cost you will
incur, you should review all the fees charged by mutual funds, exchange traded funds, our firm, and
others. For information on our brokerage practices, refer to the Brokerage Practices section of this
brochure.
“Step-out” Trades
Occasionally, to achieve best execution and reduce market impact, trades in certain thinly traded or
illiquid securities may be “stepped out.” A “step-out” is an arrangement in which a broker-dealer
executes a trade on behalf of an investment adviser and then allocates all or part of that trade to
another broker-dealer for settlement. In some instances, stepped-out trades are executed by the
executing broker without any additional commission or markup or markdown, but in other
instances, the executing firm will impose a commission or markup or markdown on the trade. If
trades are placed with a firm that imposes a commission or equivalent fee on the trade, including a
commission that is embedded in the price of the security, the client will incur trading costs in
addition to the fee you pay your Advisory Representative. It is important to know that you may pay a
commission in addition to your advisory fee for those stepped-out trades.
Transaction Aggregation (Block Trading) and Allocation Practices
The Firm may aggregate (i.e., “block”) transactions for multiple Client accounts when it believes that
doing so is consistent with its duty to seek best execution and is in the overall best interest of
participating Clients. Aggregation is generally intended to promote efficiency in execution, facilitate
more consistent pricing, and reduce the likelihood that any particular Client is disadvantaged in the
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execution of transactions.
When transactions are aggregated, participating Client accounts will generally receive an allocation
at the same average price for the security, reflecting the weighted average execution price of the
aggregated order, before the application of any account-specific transaction costs or account-
specific fees. This approach is designed to ensure that no participating Client is systematically
advantaged or disadvantaged relative to other participating accounts.
In situations where an aggregated order is partially filled, executed over multiple prices, or subject
to market or operational constraints, the Firm will allocate securities among participating accounts
in a manner it believes to be fair and equitable, considering factors such as order size, investment
objectives, account restrictions, and other relevant considerations.
The Firm, its investment adviser representatives, or third-party managers retain discretion as to
whether to aggregate transactions for particular Client accounts. Aggregation may not occur in all
circumstances, including whether it is not practicable or consistent with a Client’s investment
strategy, account guidelines, or specific instructions. In addition, the timing of Client directions,
market conditions, or operational considerations may result in certain Client transactions being
executed separately from others.
Clients should be aware that non-aggregated transactions may be executed at prices that are more
or less favorable than those obtained in aggregated trades, and that aggregation does not
guarantee more favorable execution in all cases.
Compensation for the Sale of Securities or Other Investment Products
Associates providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are registered representatives with
SPIS, our affiliated broker-dealer and a member of the FINRA and the SIPC. In their capacity as
registered representatives, these associates receive compensation in connection with the purchase
and sale of securities or other investment products, including sales charges, commissions, service
fees or 12b-1 fees for the sale, or holding, of mutual funds. Compensation earned by these associates
in their capacities as registered representatives is separate and in addition to our advisory fees.
Associates providing investment advice on behalf of our Firm may also be licensed as independent
insurance agents of SPGA. These associates will earn commission-based compensation for selling
insurance products, including insurance products they sell to you. Insurance commissions earned
by these persons are separate and in addition to our advisory fees.
This receipt of commission-based compensation presents a conflict of interest because associates
providing advice on behalf of our Firm have an incentive to recommend investment or insurance
products based on the compensation received. We mitigate this conflict by disclosing it to you and
conducting a suitability review of your account and securities transactions in an effort to ensure that
with any securities transaction the interests of the Client are ahead of the interests of the IAR or Firm.
Moreover, you are under no obligation to purchase securities or insurance products through any
person affiliated with our Firm.
Investment Advisor Representative Loans
SPGA, in order to facilitate the recruitment of IARs and the acquisition of existing registered
investment advisory firms (“RIAs”), offers recruited IARs and the IARs of acquired RIAs recruitment
loans (the “Recruitment Loans”). Any Recruitment Loans would be expected to have a term of up to
ten (10) years and would be accompanied by an unrelated bonus agreement which would provide
the recipient IAR of the loan with monies over a similar period to repay the loan over time (the “Bonus
Agreement”). These Recruitment Loans and the Bonus Agreement payments would constitute an
additional economic benefit for SPIA IARs.
The receipt of Recruitment Loans presents a conflict of interest because recruited or acquired IARs
are incentivized to recommend that Clients move their assets to, and continue to utilize the services
of, SPIA rather than basing such recommendations on a Client's particular needs or best interest.
The Recruitment Loans incentivize SPIA and its IARs to recommend that existing Clients begin or
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continue to utilize the services of SPIA. Persons providing investment advice on behalf of SPIA and
who are also registered representatives of SPIS, along with their Clients, may choose to solely use
RJA as their custodian. Consequently, these individuals are generally limited to conducting securities
transactions through RJA.
Please note: SPIA's IAR's have a fiduciary duty to act in the Client's best interest. Clients are reminded
that they are not under any obligation to custody assets at a particular custodian or purchase
securities commission products through SPIS and/or SPIA's IARs, and that they can purchase such
securities commission products through other, non-affiliated broker-dealers or registered
representatives. Clients are also reminded that they are not required to utilize RJA for its custodial
services.
These conflicts are mitigated by disclosing them to you and by requiring that there be a review of
your account at account opening and periodically to determine whether it is suitable and in your
best interest in light of your investment objectives, risk tolerance, financial circumstances, and other
characteristics.
ITEM 6: PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
We do not charge performance-based fees or participate
in side-by-side management.
Performance-based fees are fees that are based on a share of capital gains or capital appreciation of
a Client's account. Side-by-side management refers to the practice of managing accounts that are
charged performance-based fees while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged
performance- based fees. Our fees are calculated as described in the Fees and Compensation
section above and are not charged on the basis of a share of capital gains upon, or capital
appreciation of, the funds in your advisory account.
ITEM 7: TYPES OF CLIENTS
We offer investment advisory services to individuals (including high net worth individuals), pension
and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business
entities.
SPIA requires a minimum new advisory account opening value of $25,000. Other advisory programs
have higher or lower minimums. Each IAR will also have different account relationship minimums
and smaller accounts may be accepted based upon the specific circumstances of an account. Please
refer to the specific program guide and/or the RJA Wrap Fee Program Brochure for more
information on account minimums.
ITEM 8: METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS
We will use one or more of the following methods of analysis or investment strategies when
providing investment advice to you:
Charting Analysis - involves the gathering and processing of price and volume pattern information
for a particular security, sector, broad index, or commodity. This price and volume pattern
information is analyzed. The resulting pattern and correlation data are used to detect departures
from expected performance and diversification and predict future price movements and trends.
• Risk: Our charting analysis may not accurately detect anomalies or predict future price
movements. Current prices of securities may reflect all information known about the security
and day-to-day changes in market prices of securities may follow random patterns and may not
be predictable with any reliable degree of accuracy.
Technical Analysis - involves studying past price patterns, trends, and interrelationships in the
financial markets to assess risk-adjusted performance and predict the direction of both the overall
market and specific securities.
• Risk: The risk of market timing based on technical analysis is that our analysis may not
accurately detect anomalies or predict future price movements. Current prices of securities may
reflect all information known about the security and day-to-day changes in market prices of
securities may follow random patterns and may not be predictable with any reliable degree of
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accuracy.
Fundamental Analysis - involves analyzing individual companies and their industry groups, such as
a company's financial statements, details regarding the company's product line, the experience and
expertise of the company's management, and the outlook for the company and its industry. The
resulting data is used to measure the true value of the company's stock compared to the current
market value.
• Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis is that information obtained may be incorrect and the
analysis may not provide an accurate estimate of earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's
value. If securities prices adjust rapidly to new information, utilizing fundamental analysis may
not result in favorable performance.
Cyclical Analysis - a type of technical analysis that involves evaluating recurring price patterns and
trends. Economic/business cycles may not be predictable and can have many fluctuations between
long-term expansions and contractions.
• Risk: The lengths of economic cycles may be difficult to predict with accuracy and therefore the
risk of cyclical analysis is the difficulty in predicting economic trends and consequently the
changing value of securities that would be affected by these changing trends.
Long-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that the value of those securities
will grow over a relatively long period of time, generally greater than one year.
• Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally assumes the financial markets will go up
in the long-term which may not be the case. There is also the risk that the segment of the
market that you are invested in or perhaps just your particular investment will go down over
time even if the overall financial markets advance. Purchasing investments long-term may
create an opportunity cost - "locking-up" assets that may be better utilized in the short-term in
other investments.
Short-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that they will be sold within a
relatively short period of time, generally less than one year, to take advantage of the securities' short-
term price fluctuations.
• Risk: Using a short-term purchase strategy generally assumes that we can predict how financial
markets will perform in the short-term which may be very difficult and will incur a
disproportionately higher amount of transaction costs compared to long-term trading. There
are many factors that can affect financial market performance in the short-term (such as short-
term interest rate changes, cyclical earnings announcements, etc.) but may have a smaller
impact over longer periods of time.
Short Sales - Unlike a straightforward investment in stocks where you buy shares with the
expectation that their price will increase so you can sell at a profit, in a "short sale" you borrow stocks
from your brokerage firm and sell them immediately, hoping to buy them later at a lower price. Thus,
a short seller hopes that the price of a stock will go down in the near future. A short seller thus uses
declines in the market to their advantage. The short seller makes money when the stock prices fall
and loses when prices go up. The SEC has strict regulations in place regarding short selling.
• Risk: Short selling is very risky. A short seller will profit if the stock goes down in price, but if the
price of the shares increase, the potential losses are unlimited. There is no ceiling on how much
a short seller can lose in a trade. The share price may keep going up and the short seller will
have to pay whatever the prevailing stock price is to buy back the shares. However, gains have
a ceiling level because the stock price cannot fall below zero. A short seller has to undertake to
pay the earnings on the borrowed securities as long as the short seller chooses to keep the short
position open. If the company declares huge dividends or issues bonus shares, the short seller
will have to pay that amount to the lender. Any such occurrence can skew the entire short
investment and make it unprofitable. The broker can use the funds in the short seller's margin
account to buy back the loaned shares or issue a "call away" to get the short seller to return the
borrowed securities. If the broker makes this call when the stock price is much higher than the
price at the time of the short sale, then the investor can end up taking huge losses.
Margin Transactions - a securities transaction in which an investor borrows money to purchase a
security, in which case the security serves as collateral on the loan.
• Risk: If the value of the shares drops sufficiently, the investor will be required to either deposit
more cash into the account or sell a portion of the stock in order to maintain the margin
requirements of the account. This is known as a "margin call." An investor's overall risk includes
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the amount of money invested plus the amount that was loaned to them.
Option Writing - a securities transaction that involves selling an option. An option is the right, but
not the obligation, to buy or sell a particular security at a specified price before the expiration date
of the option. When an investor sells an option, he or she must deliver to the buyer a specified
number of shares if the buyer exercises the option. For puts, the seller must purchase from the buyer
a specified number of shares if the buyer exercises the option. The buyer pays the seller a premium
(the market price of the option at a particular time) in exchange for writing the option.
• Risk: Options are complex investments and can be very risky, especially if the investor does not
own the underlying stock. In certain situations, an investor's risk can be unlimited.
Our investment strategies and advice will vary depending upon each Client's specific financial
situation. As such, we determine investments and allocations based upon your predefined
objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other various
suitability factors. Additionally, your restrictions and guidelines affect the composition of your
portfolio. It is important that you notify us immediately with respect to any material changes to
your financial circumstances, including for example, a change in your current or expected
income level, tax circumstances, or employment status.
We will not perform quantitative or qualitative analysis of individual securities. Instead, we will advise
you on how to allocate your assets among various classes of securities or Third-Party Money
Managers. We primarily rely on investment model portfolios and strategies developed by the Third-
Party Money Managers and their portfolio managers. We may replace/recommend replacing a
Third-Party Money Manager if there is a significant deviation in characteristics or performance from
the stated strategy and/or benchmark.
Tax Considerations
Our strategies and investments can have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless
we specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in the
management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you consult with a tax professional regarding the investing of your assets.
Moreover, custodians and broker-dealers must report the cost basis of equities acquired in Client
accounts on or after January 1, 2011. Your custodian will default to the First-In First-Out ("FIFO")
accounting method for calculating the cost basis of your investments. You are responsible for
contacting your tax advisor to determine if this accounting method is the right choice for you. If your
tax advisor believes another accounting method is more advantageous, provide written notice to
our Firm immediately and we will alert your account custodian of your individually selected
accounting method. Decisions about cost basis accounting methods will need to be made before
trades settle, as the cost basis method cannot be changed after settlement.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent
or guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully
identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate Clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
We cannot offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past
performance is in no way an indication of future performance. All investment programs have certain
risks that are borne by the investor. Investors face the following investment risks:
Interest-rate Risk: Fluctuations in interest rates may cause investment prices to fluctuate. For
example, when interest rates rise, yields on existing bonds become less attractive, causing their
market values to decline.
Market Risk: The price of a security, bond, or mutual fund may drop in reaction to tangible and
intangible events and conditions. This type of risk is caused by external factors independent of a
security's particular underlying circumstances. For example, political, economic, and social
conditions may trigger market events.
Inflation Risk: This type of risk is the chance that future cash from an investment will not be worth
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as much due to inflation. Inflation is the increase in the price of goods and services, which causes
purchasing power to erode.
Currency Risk: Overseas investments are subject to fluctuations in the value of the dollar against the
currency of the investment's originating country. This is also referred to as exchange rate risk.
Reinvestment Risk: This is the risk that future proceeds from investments may have to be reinvested
at a potentially lower rate of return (i.e., interest rate). This primarily relates to fixed income securities.
Business Risk: These risks are associated with a particular industry or a particular company within an
industry. For example, oil-drilling companies depend on finding oil and then refining it, a lengthy
process, before they can generate a profit. They carry a higher risk of profitability than an electric
company, which generates its income from a steady stream of customers who buy electricity no
matter what the economic environment is like.
Liquidity Risk: Liquidity is the ability to readily convert an investment into cash. Generally, assets are
more liquid if many traders are interested in a standardized product. For example, Treasury Bills are
highly liquid, while real estate properties are not.
Recommendation of Particular Types of Securities
We recommend various types of securities and we do not primarily recommend one particular type
of security over another since each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each
type of security has its own unique set of risks associated with it and it would not be possible to list
here all of the specific risks of every type of investment. Even within the same type of investment,
risks can vary widely. However, in very general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an
investment, the higher the risk of loss associated with the investment. A description of the types of
securities we may recommend to you and some of their inherent risks are provided below.
Money Market Funds: A money market fund is technically a security. The fund managers attempt
to keep the share price constant at $1/share. However, there is no guarantee that the share price will
stay at $1/share. If the share price goes down, you can lose some or all of your principal. The SEC notes
that "While investor losses in money market funds have been rare, they are possible." In return for
this risk, you should earn a greater return on your cash than you would expect from a FDIC insured
savings account (money market funds are not FDIC insured). Next, money market fund rates are
variable. In other words, you do not know how much you will earn on your investment next month.
The rate could go up or go down. If it goes up, that may result in a positive outcome. However, if it
goes down and you earn less than you expected to earn, you may end up needing more cash. A final
risk you are taking with money market funds has to do with inflation. Because money market funds
are considered to be safer than other investments like stocks, long-term average returns on money
market funds tends to be less than long term average returns on riskier investments. Over long
periods of time, inflation can eat away at your returns.
Certificates of Deposit: Certificates of deposit ("CD") are generally a safe type of investment since
they are insured by the FDIC up to a certain amount. However, because the returns are generally
low, there is risk that inflation outpaces the return of the CD. Certain CDs are traded in the
marketplace and not purchased directly from a banking institution. In addition to trading risk, when
CDs are purchased at a premium, the premium is not covered by the FDIC.
Municipal Securities: Municipal securities, while generally thought of as safe, can have significant
risks associated with them including, but not limited to: the credit worthiness of the governmental
entity that issues the bond; the stability of the revenue stream that is used to pay the interest to the
bondholders; when the bond is due to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same amount of interest or yield to maturity.
Bonds: Corporate debt securities (or "bonds") are typically safer investments than equity securities,
but their risk can also vary widely based on: the financial health of the issuer; the risk that the issuer
might default; when the bond is set to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
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paying the same rate of return.
Stocks: There are numerous ways of measuring the risk of equity securities (also known simply as
"equities" or "stock"). In very broad terms, the value of a stock depends on the financial health of the
company issuing it. However, stock prices can be affected by many other factors including, but not
limited to the class of stock (for example, preferred or common); the health of the market sector of
the issuing company; and, the overall health of the economy. In general, larger, better established
companies ("large cap") tend to be safer than smaller start-up companies ("small cap") are but the
mere size of an issuer is not, by itself, an indicator of the safety of the investment.
Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds: Mutual funds and ETFs are professionally managed
collective investment systems that pool money from many investors and invest in stocks, bonds,
short-term money market instruments, other mutual funds, other securities, or any combination
thereof. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund's investments in accordance with the
fund's investment objective. While mutual funds and ETFs generally provide diversification, risks can
be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a particular sector of the market, primarily
invests in small cap or speculative companies, uses leverage (i.e., borrows money) to a significant
degree, or concentrates in a particular type of security (i.e., equities) rather than balancing the fund
with different types of securities. ETFs differ from mutual funds since they can be bought and sold
throughout the day like stock and their price can fluctuate throughout the day. The returns on
mutual funds and ETFs are reduced by the costs to manage the funds. Also, while some mutual
funds are "no load" and charge no fee to buy into, or sell out of, the fund, other types of mutual funds
do charge such fees which can also reduce returns. Mutual funds can also be "closed end" or "open
end". So-called "open end" mutual funds continue to allow in new investors indefinitely whereas
"closed end" funds have a fixed number of shares to sell which can limit their availability to new
investors. Certain types of mutual funds and ETFs also have tracking error risks. For example, the ETF
investment adviser may not be able to cause the ETF's performance to match that of its underlying
Index or other benchmark, which may negatively affect the ETF's performance. In addition, for
leveraged and inverse ETFs that seek to track the performance of their underlying Indices or
benchmarks on a daily basis, mathematical compounding may prevent the ETF from correlating
with performance of its benchmark. In addition, a mutual fund or ETF may not have investment
exposure to all of the securities included in its underlying Index, or its 17 weighting of investment
exposure to such securities may vary from that of the underlying Index. Some mutual funds or ETFs
may invest in securities or financial instruments that are not included in the underlying Index, but
which are expected to yield similar performance.
Commercial Paper: Commercial paper ("CP") is, in most cases, an unsecured promissory note that is
issued with a maturity of 270 days or less. Being unsecured the risk to the investor is that the issuer
may default. There is a less risk in asset based commercial paper (ABCP). The difference between
ABCP and CP is that instead of being an unsecured promissory note representing an obligation of
the issuing company, ABCP is backed by securities. Therefore, the perceived quality of the ABCP
depends on the underlying securities.
Real Estate Investment Trust: A real estate investment trust ("REIT") is a corporate entity which
invests in real estate and/or engages in real estate financing. A REIT reduces or eliminates corporate
income taxes. REITs can be publicly or privately held. Public REITs may be listed on public stock
exchanges. REITs are required to declare 90% of their taxable income as dividends, but they actually
pay dividends out of funds from operations, so cash flow has to be strong or the REIT must either dip
into reserves, borrow to pay dividends, or distribute them in stock (which causes dilution). After 2012,
the IRS stopped permitting stock dividends. Most REITs must refinance or erase large balloon debts
periodically. Banks can demand, and depending on credit markets, get more favorable terms to re-
extend REIT debt. Some REITs may be forced to make secondary stock offerings to repay debt, which
will lead to additional dilution of the stockholders. Fluctuations in the real estate market can affect
the REIT's value and dividends.
Limited Partnerships: A limited partnership is a financial affiliation that includes at least one general
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partner and a number of limited partners. The partnership invests in a venture, such as real estate
development or oil exploration, for financial gain. The general partner has management authority
and unlimited liability. The general partner runs the business and, in the event of bankruptcy, is
responsible for all debts not paid or discharged. The limited partners have no management authority
and their liability is limited to the amount of their capital commitment. Profits are divided between
general and limited partners according to an arrangement formed at the creation of the partnership.
The range of risks are dependent on the nature of the partnership and disclosed in the offering
documents if privately placed. Publicly traded limited partnership have similar risk attributes to
equities. However, like privately placed limited partnerships, their tax treatment is under a different
tax regime from equities. You should speak to your tax adviser in regard to their tax treatment.
Private Placements: A private placement (non-public offering) is an illiquid security sold to qualified
investors and are not publicly traded nor registered with the SEC. Private placements generally carry
a higher degree of risk due to illiquidity. Most securities that are acquired in a private placement will
be restricted securities and must be held for an extended amount of time and therefore cannot be
sold easily. The range of risks are dependent on the nature of the partnership and are disclosed in
the offering documents.
Digital Assets: Digital Assets generally refers to an asset that is issued and/or transferred using
distributed ledger or blockchain technology, including, "virtual currencies" (also known as
cryptocurrencies), "coins", and "tokens". We may invest client accounts in and/or advise Clients on
the purchase or sale of digital assets. This advice or investment may be in actual digital
coins/tokens/currencies or via investment vehicles such as ETFs or separately managed accounts.
The investment characteristics of Digital Assets generally differ from those of traditional securities
and currencies. Digital Assets are not backed by a central bank or a national, international
organization, any hard assets, human capital, or other form of credit and are relatively new to the
market place. Rather, Digital Assets are market-based: a Digital Asset's value is determined by (and
fluctuates often, according to) supply and demand factors, its adoption in the traditional commerce
channels, and/or the value that various market participants place on it through their mutual
agreement or transactions. The lack of history to these types of investments entail certain unknown
risks, are very speculative and are not appropriate for all investors.
Price Volatility of Digital Assets Risk: A principal risk in trading Digital Assets is the rapid fluctuation
of market price. The value of client portfolios relates in part to the value of the Digital Assets held in
the client portfolio, and fluctuations in the price of Digital Assets could adversely affect the value of
a client's portfolio. There is no guarantee that a Client will be able to achieve a better than average
market price for Digital Assets or will purchase Digital Assets at the most favorable price available.
The price of Digital Assets achieved by a Client may be affected generally by a wide variety of
complex factors such as supply and demand; availability and access to Digital Asset service providers
(such as payment processors), exchanges, miners or other Digital Asset users and market
participants; perceived or actual security vulnerability; and traditional risk factors including inflation
levels; fiscal policy; interest rates; and political, natural and economic events.
Digital Asset Service Providers Risk: Service providers that support Digital Assets and the Digital
Asset marketplace(s) may not be subject to the same regulatory and professional oversight as
traditional securities service providers. Further, there is no assurance that the availability of and
access to virtual currency service providers will not be negatively affected by government regulation
or supply and demand of Digital Assets. Accordingly, companies or financial institutions that
currently support virtual currency may not do so in the future.
Custody of Digital Assets Risk: Under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers
Act”), SEC registered investment advisers are required to hold securities with "qualified custodians,"
among other requirements. Certain Digital Assets are deemed to be securities; however, many types
of Digital Assets do not currently fall under the SEC definition of security. As a result, companies
providing custodial services for certain Digital Assets fall outside of the SEC's definition of "qualified
custodian". Accordingly, Clients seeking to purchase actual digital coins/tokens/currencies are
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required to use nonqualified custodians to hold all or a portion of their Digital Assets, which involves
additional risks.
Government Oversight of Digital Assets Risk: The regulatory framework and agencies responsible
for oversight of Digital Assets or a Digital Asset network is evolving and subject to change. Regulators
may adopt laws, regulations, policies or rules directly or indirectly affecting Digital Assets their
treatment, transacting, custody, and valuation.
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.
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.
Adviser may recommend professionally managed investment products like low-cost mutual funds
and ETFs. As with any investment, past performance is not a guarantee of future results. But costs
often do affect investment performance. Adviser attempts to use low-cost products whenever
possible and appropriate, such as index funds and ETFs. Clients should always review and
understand an investment’s key literature such as a prospectus and annual report.
Adviser constructs portfolios based on different risk and return objectives which are reviewed with
each Client in order to identify the most appropriate portfolio. Adviser’s investment strategy involves
analyzing global market conditions to determine how best to allocate portfolios. In addition, Adviser
conducts manager research in order to identify the most attractive and suitable securities. We take
this approach by working with the client to understand their needs.
Adviser believes in the benefits of diversification through asset allocation. While diversification can
help to lower a portfolio’s overall volatility (significant price changes), investing always involves a risk
of loss that Clients should be prepared to bear. Adviser therefore attempts to balance reasonable
levels of risk with reasonable levels of return to generate the capital necessary to meet client goals.
Individual Client risk tolerance and risk capacity are also key factors in the investment planning
process.
Asset Allocations Not Static
Depending on the asset allocation approach, and according to your investment needs, assets within
your portfolio may periodically be rebalanced or reallocated as recommended by the investment
strategy selected for your account. When market returns have caused asset allocations to extend
beyond predetermined limits, your portfolio can be rebalanced back to an original target mix. As our
economic outlook evolves, assets within your portfolio may also be reallocated to capture
opportunities or manage risk. Investments can go down in value. You can lose some, much or all
your invested money. Do not invest money you cannot afford to lose.
ITEM 9: DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a Client's
evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. We do not have any required
disclosures under this item.
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ITEM 10: OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
Registrations with Broker-Dealer and Other Investment Adviser
As disclosed above, associates providing investment advice on behalf of our Firm can also be
registered representatives of SPIS. Notwithstanding the fact that principals and associates of our
Firm can also be registered representatives of SPIS, we are solely responsible for advice rendered
and/or services provided in accordance with this Brochure and the advisory agreement entered into
by you and our Firm.
You are under no obligation to purchase or sell securities and/or insurance products through these
related persons in their separate capacities as securities representatives of SPGA and/or insurance
agencies. However, if you choose to implement a securities transaction through such individuals the
broker/dealer used will be SPIS, and commissions will be earned in addition to any fees paid for
advisory services. The commissions could be higher or lower at SPIS than at other broker-dealers.
Arrangements with Affiliated Entities
We are affiliated with Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC (”SPGA”), a licensed insurance agency,
through common control and ownership. Therefore, associates providing investment advice on
behalf of our Firm may be licensed as insurance agents. These associates will earn commission-
based compensation for selling insurance products, including insurance products they sell to you.
Insurance commissions earned by these associates are separate from our advisory fees. Please see
the "Fees and Compensation" section in this brochure for more information on the compensation
received by insurance agents who are affiliated with our firm.
SPIA is wholly-owned by Steward Partners Management Holdings, LLC (“SPMH”). SPIS operates as a
broker-dealer, wholly-owned by SPMH. SPIA is a SEC registered investment adviser. Steward
Partners Global Advisory, LLC (“SPGA”), is a wholly owned subsidiary of SPMH and is separately
operated. SPGA provides corporate and related services to SPIA and SPIS.
Recommendation of Other Advisers
We can recommend that you use a Third-Party Money Manager or TPMM based on your needs and
suitability. We will receive compensation from the TPMM for recommending that you use their
services. These compensation arrangements present a conflict of interest because we have a
financial incentive to recommend the services of the third-party adviser. You are not obligated,
contractually or otherwise, to use the services of any TPMM we recommend. We do not have any
other business relationships with the recommended TPMM(s). Refer to the Advisory Business section
above for additional disclosures on this topic.
Ares Management
In December 2025, the Firm entered into a strategic capital transaction with Ares Management
(“Ares”), including an expanded lending relationship and a non-controlling minority investment in
the Firm. Ares is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary
primary and secondary investment solutions across credit, real estate, private equity and
infrastructure asset classes. As a global alternative asset manager, Ares offers a diverse range of
alternative investment funds to both institutional and individual investors.
Steward can recommend alternative investment funds sponsored by global alternative asset
managers such as Ares when such a recommendation is in the investors’ best interest. Steward’s
financial relationship with Ares can create a potential conflict of interest to recommend Ares over
other available investments. The Firm does not receive additional compensation from Ares for
recommending its investments. This conflict is mitigated since Ares lending facility and investment
in Steward Is not contingent on the offering to recommendation of Ares products to investors. The
Firm further mitigates this conflict through disclosure to you and by applying its investment
diligence process and making recommendation are reasonable based on your investment profile
and in your best interest
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ITEM 11: CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL
TRADING
Description of Our Code of Ethics
SPIA has adopted an Investment Adviser Code of Ethics (the “Code”) and all IARs and “access
persons” (as defined under the Advisers Act) are required to understand and follow its provisions.
Our Code includes guidelines for professional standards of conduct for associates of our Firm. Our
goal is to protect your interests at all times and to demonstrate our commitment to our fiduciary
duties of honesty, good faith, and fair dealing with you. All associates of our Firm are expected to
adhere strictly to these guidelines. Our associates are also required to report any violations of our
Code of Ethics. Additionally, we maintain and enforce written policies reasonably designed to
prevent the misuse or dissemination of material, non-public information about you or your account
holdings by associates with our Firm. Clients or prospective Clients can request a copy of our Code
of Ethics by contacting us at the telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Neither our Firm nor any persons associated with our Firm has any material financial interest in
Client transactions beyond the provision of investment advisory services as disclosed in this
brochure.
Personal Trading Practices
Our Firm or associates of our Firm may buy or sell the same securities that we recommend to you or
securities in which you are already invested. A conflict of interest exists in such cases because we
have the ability to trade ahead of you and potentially receive more favorable prices than you will
receive. To mitigate this conflict of interest, we maintain policies and procedures to review the trades
of our associates.
ITEM 12: BROKERAGE PRACTICES
The Firm is a multi-custodial investment adviser, which means the Firm has relationships with
various custodians that are not affiliated with SPIA. Currently, the Firm utilizes Pershing, RJA, Fidelity,
Goldman and Schwab. Generally, each IAR chooses to use one of the custodians exclusively to
execute transactions and custody of client funds and securities. Steward Partners does not require
IARs to utilize a particular custodian over another that we currently offer.
A number of factors affect custodial choice and 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 broker-dealer’s services, including the value of research
provided, safety of customer funds, execution capability, commission rates and responsiveness.
Accordingly, although the Firm will seek competitive rates, to the benefit of all clients, it will not
necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rates for specific client account transactions. In
recommending broker-dealers for custodial services, the Firm considers the following:
• Combination of transaction execution services along with asset custody services
• Quality of overall execution services provided
• Promptness of execution
• Creditworthiness, financial condition, and business reputation
• Research (if any) provided
• Promptness and accuracy of reports on execution
• Ability and willingness to correct errors
• Ability to access various market centers
• The custodian’s facilities, technology & technology integrations
• Competitiveness of the price of services (commission rates, margin interest rates, other
fees, etc.) and willingness to negotiate them
• Execution capabilities and operational efficiencies
• Product specialty and availability (types of securities)
• Banking, charitable & trust services offered
• Your current relationship with a particular custodian
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• The custodian’s prior service to us and our Clients
Some of our advisory programs offer brokerage services for our affiliated entity Steward Partners
Investment Solutions, LLC. SPIS is a securities broker-dealer and a member of the FIRA and the SIPC.
SPIS accounts are custodied with Pershing and RJA, third-party custodians, where SPIS acts in its
capacity as an introducing broker-dealer. SPIS acting as a broker-dealer is material to our advisory
business because this results in additional forms of compensation to SPIS, which are discussed in
more detail in this brochure.
You will enter into separate custodial/clearing agreements with the applicable custodian for your
advisory account. Your funds and securities are held with those custodial firms, and not by us, SPIS
or your IAR. Custodians handle the delivery and receipt of all securities bought and sold in your
account, values securities, receives and distributes all dividend and other distributions, and
processes exchange offers, rights offerings, warrants, tender offers, or redemptions. Custodians also
send trade confirmations (unless suppressed by you), periodic account statements of all activities,
and shareholder communications. They maintain custody of your assets and perform other
customary custodial services.
Our affiliated broker-dealer, SPIS, has clearing and custody relationships with Pershing and RJA,
from which SPIS receives economic benefits. This creates a conflict of interest because, while we
offer other custodians on our platform, we have a financial incentive to recommend Pershing or RJA
due to these economic benefits. Clients should be aware that custodians both on and off our
platform may offer different features, such as lower costs, additional services, or other benefits that
might better suit their needs. To address this conflict, we disclose it to you and maintain policies and
procedures intended to consider factors such as execution quality, service capabilities, costs, and
overall client value when making recommendations.
It is possible that you will pay higher commissions and/or trading costs than those that are available
elsewhere. Refer to the Fees and Compensation section above for additional disclosures on this
topic.
Please Note: Clients are reminded that they are not under any obligation to custody securities at
Pershing and RJA or purchase securities commission products through SPIS or SPIA, and that they
are able to purchase such securities commission products through other, non-affiliated broker-
dealers or registered representatives. SPIA has systems in place to review IAR-managed accounts for
suitability and best execution practices over the course of your advisory relationship.
Pershing Clearing Relationship
Pershing offers their broker-dealer client’s substantial financial strength and stability, economies of
scale, and reliable, state-of-the-art technology. As part of this business relationship, SPIS, in its
capacity as introducing broker/dealer, pays Pershing various execution and clearing charges and
fees in connection with Pershing maintaining custody and effecting the purchase and sale of
securities for our clients. One such fee Pershing imposes is a quarterly charge based on assets. Cash
balances and money fund balances are excluded from this fee. Therefore, Steward Partners has a
financial incentive to recommend these assets to you to reduce its fees for Pershing’s execution and
clearing services. The Firm mitigates this conflict by avoiding incentives to its IARs for
recommending these types of assets, and by maintaining policies and procedures so that
recommendations are reasonable based on your investment profile and in your best interest.
Pershing charges Steward Partners for certain account services for accounts custodied with
Pershing (including advisory accounts), including clearing and executing transactions, outgoing
transfers, wired funds, direct registration of securities, paper statements and confirms, margin
extensions, ticket charges, and IRA custodial maintenance and termination. Steward Partners sets
its own price for its services, which are designed to cover its costs of doing business (including
overhead and other costs) as well as provide for a profit to Steward Partners. Steward Partners
charges clients more for certain services than it pays Pershing, which is sometimes called a
“markup,” and the markups vary by product and the type of service and can be substantial. Steward
Partners keeps the difference between the fees and charges our clients pay and the amount paid to
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Pershing to cover the costs associated with processing transactions and providing other services.
Please refer to the Steward Partners Investment Solution Fee Schedule published in the Regulatory
Information & Disclosure section of our website (stewardpartners.com) for a detailed schedule of fees
and other brokerage costs as well as for a better understanding of where we receive additional
compensation. These forms of compensation are not shared with your IAR and are in addition to
advisory fees you pay to us.
Steward Partners is currently subject to a substantial fee for terminating its relationship with
Pershing. This fee reduces over time. This arrangement creates an incentive for Steward Partners for
you to continue using Pershing for brokerage services, until the termination fee is no longer
substantial to us.
Best Execution
We believe Pershing offers Clients financial strength and stability, economies of scale, and reliable
technology. In seeking best execution, we review the quality of Pershing as compared to other
industry custodians at least annually. 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 Pershing's services, including among others, the value of research provided, execution
capability, commission rates and responsiveness. Each custodian has differential pricing that may
vary in areas such as service fees, processing fees, and banking fees. It is possible that more favorable
execution for some transactions could be provided elsewhere. Clients should discuss these
differences and Client’s preferences with their IAR and may also access additional information on
these fees on our fee schedule located on our website at stewardpartners.com.
It is important to note the not all registered investment advisers require clients to direct brokerage
to their affiliate Broker-Dealer.
Raymond James & Associates Clearing Relationship
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. or RJA is the clearing firm for Steward Partners Investments
Solutions’ brokerage business and is a custodial option for its accounts (“Custodian” for purposes of
this section). RJA offers their broker-dealer clients substantial financial strength and stability,
economies of scale, and reliable, state-of-the-art technology. We evaluate RJA execution quality for
you to help ensure trades are executed on reasonable terms consistent with our best execution
obligations. As part of this business relationship, SPIS, as broker/dealer, pays RJA various execution
and clearing charges and fees in connection with RJA maintaining custody and effecting the
purchase and sale of securities for our clients.
RJA has a revenue-sharing arrangement with our affiliated broker-dealer SPIS. According to the
terms of the agreement, RJA agrees to pay SPIS a portion of the interest earned on margin debit
balances and securities-based lending loan balances in advisory accounts at SPIA. RJA also agrees
to pay SPIS a portion of the revenue it receives from most mutual funds companies. Mutual fund
payments from RJA to SPIS are substantial. This is a conflict of interest at the Firm level since the
SPIA has an incentive to establish margin and/or securities-based loans or to recommend mutual
funds to earn additional revenue. This conflict is mitigated by disclosing it to you in addition to the
fact that SPIA IARs do not receive or otherwise directly share in the interest payments received by
SPIS from RJA.
Also, as part of the revenue-sharing arrangement, RJA agrees to pay SPIS a portion of the interest
earned on credit and cash sweep balances in advisory accounts. Payments from RJA to SPIS are
substantial. This is a conflict of interest at the Firm level since the SPIA has an incentive to have
Clients maintain assets in one of the available cash sweep vehicles. In addition to disclosing it to you,
SPIA IARs do not receive or otherwise directly share in the interest payments received by SPIS from
RJA. This conflict is further mitigated by the controls around billing on cash balances.
SPIS’ receipt of these and other revenue streams through its clearing relationship with RJA supports
and defrays the costs SPIS has related to the ongoing operational and administrative maintenance
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of Client accounts and compensates SPIS for the various services it provides in its role as broker-
dealer of record.
As part of this business relationship, SPIS, as broker/dealer, pays RJA for various execution and
clearing services in connection with RJA, maintaining custody and effecting the purchase and sale
of securities for our clients (“Custody Fee”). RJA imposes its Custody Fee based on assets. The Custody
Fee decreases based on certain asset thresholds. Under this arrangement, SPIA and its affiliates,
including SPIS, have a financial incentive to retain assets with RJA to minimize costs.
Schwab Custodial Relationship
Schwab Advisor Services division of Schwab, a registered broker-dealer, offers to maintain custody
of Clients’ assets and to effect trades for their accounts. The decision to custody assets with Schwab
is at the discretion of our Clients, including those accounts under ERISA or IRS rules and regulations,
in which case a Client is acting as either the plan sponsor or IRA account holder. Schwab provides
Steward Partners with access to its institutional trading and custody services, which are typically not
available to Schwab retail investors. These services generally are available to independent
investment advisers on an unsolicited basis, at no charge to them so long as a total of at least $10
million of the advisor’s clients’ assets are maintained in accounts at Schwab Advisor Services.
Schwab’s services include brokerage services that are related to the execution of securities
transactions, custody, research, including that in the form of advice, analyses and reports, and access
to mutual funds and other investments that are otherwise generally available only to institutional
investors or would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment. Please refer to the
Schwab’s fee schedule to review charges not covered by the Program Fee. Schwab's most recent
pricing schedules are available at schwab.com/aspricingguide.
Schwab also makes available to Steward Partners other products and services that benefit Steward
Partners but do not benefit our Clients’ accounts. These benefits include national, regional, or
Steward Partners specific educational events organized or sponsored by Schwab Advisor Services.
Other benefits include occasional business entertainment of personnel of Steward Partners by
Schwab Advisor Services personnel, including meals, invitations to sporting events, including golf
tournaments, and other forms of entertainment, some of which may accompany educational
opportunities. Other of these products and services assist Steward Partners in managing and
administering Clients’ accounts. These include software and other technology (and related
technological training) that provide access to Client account data (such as trade confirmations and
account statements); facilitate trade execution (and allocation of aggregated trade orders for
multiple client accounts); provide research, pricing information, and other market data; facilitate
payment of Steward Partners’ fees from its Clients’ accounts; and assist with back-office training and
support functions, recordkeeping, and Client reporting. Many of these services may be used to
service all or some substantial number of Steward Partners’ Client accounts, including accounts not
maintained at Schwab Advisor Services. Schwab Advisor Services also makes available to Steward
Partners other services intended to help Steward Partners manage and further develop its business
enterprise. These services include professional compliance, legal, and business consulting,
publications, and conferences on practice management,
information technology, business
succession, regulatory compliance, employee benefits providers, human capital consultants,
insurance, and marketing. In addition, Schwab makes available, arranges, and/or pays vendors for
these types of services rendered to Steward Partners by independent third parties. Schwab Advisor
Services may discount or waive fees it would otherwise charge for some of these services or pay all
or a part of the fees of a third-party providing these services to Steward Partners. Schwab also
reimburses certain Steward Partners Clients who open an account with Schwab for fees that they
incur to close their accounts with another custodian and open an account and transition their assets
to Schwab. There is a cap on the total fees that Schwab will reimburse each year and Steward
Partners must transition a minimum number of new accounts and assets to Schwab to be eligible
for the benefit.
Fidelity Custodial Relationship
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (collectively, and together with all affiliates, "Fidelity") provides our
Firm with "institutional platform services." The institutional platform services include, among others,
Page 43 of 49
brokerage, custody, and other related services. Fidelity's institutional platform services that assist us
in managing and administering Clients' accounts include software and other technology that (i)
provide access to Client account data (such as trade confirmations and account statements); (ii)
facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple Client accounts; (iii)
provide research, pricing and other market data; (iv) facilitate payment of fees from its Clients'
accounts; and (v) assist with back-office functions, recordkeeping and Client reporting.
Fidelity may make certain research and brokerage services available at no additional cost to our Firm.
Research products and services provided by Fidelity may
include: research reports on
recommendations or other information about particular companies or industries; economic surveys,
data and analyses; financial publications; portfolio evaluation services; financial database software
and services; computerized news and pricing services; quotation equipment for use in running
software used in investment decision-making; and other products or services that provide lawful and
appropriate assistance by Fidelity to our Firm in the performance of our investment decision-making
responsibilities. The aforementioned research and brokerage services qualify for the safe harbor
exemption defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange Act”).
Fidelity does not make Client brokerage commissions generated by Client transactions available for
our Firm's use. The aforementioned research and brokerage services are used by our Firm to manage
accounts for which our Firm has investment discretion. Without this arrangement, our Firm might
be compelled to purchase the same or similar services at our own expense.
As part of our fiduciary duty to our Clients, Steward Partners will endeavor at all times to put the
interests of our clients first. Clients should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits
by our Firm or our related persons creates a potential conflict of interest and can indirectly influence
our Firm's choice of Fidelity as a custodial recommendation.
Our non-wrap fee clients can pay a transaction fee or commission to Fidelity that is higher than
another qualified broker dealer might charge to effect the same transaction where our Firm
determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage
and research services provided to the Client as a whole.
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
broker-dealer's services, including the value of research provided, execution capability, commission
rates, and responsiveness. Although our Firm will seek competitive rates, to the benefit of all Clients,
our Firm may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rates for specific client account
transactions.
Goldman Custodial Relationship
Folio Investments, Inc., d/b/a Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions, a registered broker-dealer, offers to
maintain custody of Clients’ assets and to effect trades for their accounts. The decision to custody
assets with Goldman is at the discretion of our Clients, including those accounts under ERISA or IRS
rules and regulations, in which case a Client is acting as either the plan sponsor or IRA account
holder. Goldman provides Steward Partners with access to its institutional trading and custody
services which includes clearing services for executed transactions, holding and safekeeping funds
and securities credited to the accounts, providing margin financing, and generating trade
confirmations, account statements and tax documents.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits
We do not have any soft dollar arrangements with any broker-dealer or custodian.
Economic Benefits
As a registered investment adviser, SPIA has access to the institutional platform of your account
custodian. As such, we will also have access to research products and services from your account
custodian and/or other brokerage firms. These products may include financial publications,
information about particular companies and industries, research software, and other products or
Page 44 of 49
services that provide lawful and appropriate assistance to our firm in the performance of our
investment decision-making responsibilities. Such research products and services are provided to all
investment advisers that utilize the institutional services platforms of these firms and are not
considered to be paid for with soft dollars. However, you should be aware that the commissions
charged by a particular broker for a particular transaction or set of transactions can be greater than
the amounts another broker who did not provide research services or products might charge.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
We do not receive Client referrals from broker-dealers in exchange for cash or other compensation,
such as brokerage services or research.
Directed Brokerage
When we are acting as your introducing broker/dealer, we routinely require that you direct our Firm
to execute transactions through SPIS. As such, we are not always able to achieve the most favorable
execution of your transactions, and you can pay higher brokerage commissions than you would
otherwise pay through another broker-dealer that offers the same types of services. Not all advisers
require their Clients to direct brokerage.
Associates providing investment advice on behalf of our firm who are registered representatives
of SPIS will recommend SPIS to you for brokerage services. These individuals are subject to
applicable rules that restrict them from conducting securities transactions away from SPIS
unless SPIS provides the representative with written authorization to do so. Therefore, these
individuals are generally limited to conducting securities transactions through SPIS. It can be
the case that SPIS charges higher transactions costs than another broker charges for the same
types of services. If transactions are executed though SPIS, these individuals (in their separate
capacities as registered representatives of SPIS) will earn commission-based compensation as
a result of placing the recommended securities transactions through SPIS. This practice
presents a conflict of interest because these registered representatives have an incentive to
effect securities transactions for the purpose of generating commissions rather than solely
based on your needs. You are able to utilize the broker-dealer of your choice and have no
obligation to purchase or sell securities through SPIS as we recommend. See the Fees and
Compensation section in this brochure for more information on the compensation received by
registered representatives who are affiliated with our Firm.
ITEM 13: REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
Your IAR will monitor your account on an ongoing basis to identify situations that warrant
specific actions be taken or recommended with respect to your investments or overall
investment portfolio. Such reviews include, but are not limited to: suitability, performance, asset
allocation, change in investment objectives and risk tolerance, and concentrations. In addition,
your IAR will provide regular investment advice or investment supervisory services, review your
portfolio(s) and communicate with you at least annually, for conformity with the respective
portfolios, investment objectives, changes in your financial situation, account performance and
any reasonable restrictions to be imposed as to the specific assets or types of securities to be
included or excluded from your portfolio(s).
Additional monitoring of accounts is executed by our supervisory personnel located within
various offices of our Firm. These reviews are conducted on an ongoing and as needed basis and
at a minimum are done annually and are designed to ensure that the advisory services provided
to you are consistent with your investment needs and objectives.
The individuals conducting reviews will vary from time to time, as personnel join or leave our
Firm. We will not provide you with additional or regular written reports. You will receive trade
confirmations and monthly or quarterly statements from your account custodian(s).
Reporting from Custodian
You will receive the following from your Custodian:
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• Trade confirmations reflecting all transactions in securities; provided, however, that periodic
statements of account activity may be furnished in lieu of transaction by transaction
confirmations to the extent and in the manner permitted by Rule 10b-10 under the Exchange
Act; and
• A statement of account activity, holdings, fees, and expenses at least quarterly.
Performance Reports
Advisory accounts will have written performance (or similar) reports available to you. Each
performance report will include a reminder to contact us if your suitability information changes and
instructions for contacting us. Please contact your IAR to request performance reports.
ITEM 14: CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION
As disclosed under the Fees and Compensation section in this brochure, associates providing
investment advice on behalf of our Firm may be licensed insurance agents and are registered
representatives with SPIS. For information on the conflicts of interest this presents, and how we
address these conflicts, refer to the Fees and Compensation section.
Refer to the Brokerage Practices section above for benefits we are able to receive resulting from
our relationship with your account custodian.
We directly compensate non-employee (outside) consultants, individuals, and/or entities
(“Promoters”) for Client referrals. In order to receive a cash referral fee from our Firm, Promoters
must comply with the requirements of the jurisdictions in which they operate. If you were
referred to our Firm by a Promoter, you should have received the Promoter's disclosure
statement at the time of the referral. If you become a Client, the Promoter that referred you to
our Firm will receive a percentage of the advisory fee you pay our Firm for as long as you are a
Client with our Firm, or until such time as our agreement with the Promoter expires. You will
not pay additional fees because of this referral arrangement. Referral fees paid to a Promoter
are contingent upon your entering into an advisory agreement with our Firm. Therefore, a
Promoter has a financial incentive to recommend our Firm to you for advisory services. This
creates a conflict of interest, which we mitigate by disclosing it to you. However, you are not
obliged to retain our Firm for advisory services. Comparable services and/or lower fees can be
available through other firms.
Promoters that refer business to more than one investment adviser may have a financial
incentive to recommend advisers with more favorable compensation arrangements. We
request that our Promoters disclose to you whether multiple referral relationships exist and that
comparable services may be available from other advisers for lower fees and/or where the
Promoter's compensation is less favorable.
Transition Loans
Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC, an affiliate of SPIA and SPIS, may provide loans, bonus
payments and production awards to certain SPIA IARs. SPIA's IARs may receive the proceeds of
a loan based on their respective trailing 12 months' revenue, generally, upon joining SPIA as an
IAR. These compensation arrangements and the restrictive terms and conditions of the loans
and any bonus payments incentivize SPIA IARs to remain, and retain Client assets, at SPIA.
Growth Incentives
Growth Award Program
The Growth Award Program is intended to incentivize investment adviser representatives who grow
their business by providing them with additional equity ownership in our affiliate, Steward Partners
Management Holdings, LLC. The program incentivizes an IAR or IAR Team ("Team") who have a
certain amount of growth in revenue as determined by the Firm in its sole discretion. An additional
award representing a percentage of the amount awarded to the IAR/Team may be distributed
among the IAR or Team's Support Staff, subject to the Firm's sole discretion and with management
approval. The review period is based on Calendar Year production (January through December).
Page 46 of 49
Please contact us for further information on the program.
Length of Service Award Programs
The Length of Service Award (LOS Award) program is a discretionary program maintained by the
Firm for eligible IARs who achieve certain continuous service milestones. Typically, these awards
require the IAR to have active employment status on the payment date. However, the Firm may, at
its sole and absolute discretion, consider special circumstances such as the timing of their
retirement when determining final eligibility and payments for the LOS Award.
Other Growth Payments
Certain IARs are eligible to receive payments from SPGA in cash and equity by meeting long-term
revenue growth projections agreed as a component of the purchase price for the acquisition of the
IAR’s business.
Conflict of Interest
These programs present a conflict of interest between the IAR and you as a Client since it creates a
financial incentive for the IAR and/or the Team to act to remain with the Firm and increase their
revenue. However, as a fiduciary, SPIA and our IAR have an obligation to always put your interests
first. In assessing whether this standard is met, we must determine whether our recommendations
and investment strategies are not only appropriate for you but are in your best interests as well. We
periodically evaluate the holdings in your account and the advice provided to you to ensure they
align with your current investment objectives and risk tolerance. In addition, we have an obligation
to obtain your informed consent after providing full and fair disclosure of all material facts. While we
cannot eliminate the conflict of interest, we believe the disclosures provided herein are sufficient for
you to provide us with your informed consent before we engage in activity on your behalf.
Strategic Partners
In addition to commissions or asset-based fees, the Firm, receives compensation (“marketing
support”) from certain providers such as, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, variable
insurance products, fixed insurance products, direct participation programs, alternative
investments, money managers, and UITs
Such providers providing us with compensation are hereinafter referred to as (“Strategic
Partner” or “Strategic Partners”). Strategic Partners are selected, in part, based on the
competitiveness of their products, their technology, their customer service and their training
capabilities. Strategic Partners have more opportunities than other companies to market and
educate our Advisory Representatives on investments and the products they offer. Marketing
support payments are typically calculated as a fixed fee. Strategic Partners pay Steward Partners
and/or its affiliates, differing amounts of marketing support payments, for which the Strategic
Partner receives various benefits. You do not pay more to purchase Strategic Partner
investment products through Steward Partners than you would pay to purchase non-partner
products or those partner products through another broker- dealer. Additionally, marketing
support payments received by our firm and/or its affiliates are not paid to or directed to your
Advisory Representative. Nevertheless, a conflict of interest exists, in that your Advisory
Representative indirectly benefits from Strategic Partner payments when the money is used to
support the costs of product review, marketing or training. This conflict of interest is mitigated
by the fact that your Advisory Representative does not receive any additional compensation for
selling Strategic Partner products, and that the Firm maintains policies and procedures to
ensure recommendations are in your best interest.
Our Firm will update information regarding Strategic Partners who participate in marketing
support arrangements with Steward Partners and/or its affiliates on its website on a regular
basis.
For additional information, including specifics on the marketing support amounts, please refer
to our Indirect Compensation Disclosure located at:
https://www.stewardpartners.com/files/118678/indirect-compensation-disclosure%201-1-
Page 47 of 49
2024.pdf.
From time to time, our firm and/or its affiliates also receives marketing support payments
from companies that are not Strategic Partners, generally to cover meetings expenses.
Structured Product Transactions
The Firm has entered into a referral agreement with Navian Capital Securities, LLC (“Navian’), a
third-party broker–dealer to purchase structured products we recommend to our clients.
Structured products are generally defined as certificates of deposit and/or notes issued by an
institution, which provides a rate of return linked to stocks, equities, commodities, currencies,
interest rates or indices. In most cases, Navian receives a fee from the issuing institution for the
distribution of structured products.
When a Steward Partners Client purchases structured products, Steward Partners receives a
referral fee of up to 50 bps from Navian based on the transaction amount. Clients are not directly
charged by Steward Partners or Navian for this fee. This revenue creates a potential conflict of
interest for recommending structured products and referring transaction to Navian. The Firm
mitigates this conflict by disclosing it you and reviewing structured product transactions for
your best interest. Furthermore, fees received from Navian are not paid directly to your IAR as
compensation.
ITEM 15: CUSTODY
As paying agent for our Firm, your independent custodian will directly debit your account(s) for
the payment of our advisory fees. This ability to deduct our advisory fees from your Accounts
causes our Firm to exercise limited custody over your funds or securities. We do not have
physical custody of any of your funds and/or securities. Your funds and securities will be held
with a bank, broker-dealer, or other qualified custodian. You will receive account statements
from the qualified custodian(s) holding your funds and securities at least quarterly. The account
statements from your custodian(s) will indicate the amount of our advisory fees deducted from
your account(s) each billing period. You should carefully review account statements for
accuracy.
Additionally, we also allow Clients to grant authority to their IARs to initiate transfers of funds
and securities on the Client’s behalf, including transfers to third parties, through standing
written authorizations or instructions. The SEC has determined that this capability is considered
“custody” under Advisers Act rules.
If you have a question regarding your account statement, or if you do not receive a statement
from your custodian, contact us immediately at the telephone number on the cover page of this
brochure.
Trustee Services
Associates of our Firm are allowed to serve as trustees to certain accounts for which we also
provide investment advisory services. In all cases, the persons associated with our Firm have
been appointed trustee as a result of a family or personal relationship with the trust grantor
and/or beneficiary and not as a result of employment with our Firm. Therefore, we are not
deemed to have custody over the advisory accounts for which associates of our Firm serve as
trustee.
Page 48 of 49
ITEM 16: INVESTMENT DISCRETION
Before we can buy or sell securities on your behalf, Clients must grant SPIA the authority to
exercise discretion by signing a discretionary management agreement. By granting
discretionary authority, you authorize us to implement our investment recommendations
directly within your Account, including the right to determine:
• Which securities to buy and sell for your Account;
• When to buy and sell securities for your Account ;
• The amount of securities to buy and sell for your Account, and ;
• The Third-Party Money Managers to be engaged for management of your assets all
without obtaining your consent or approval for each transaction.
This can include allocating assets through our Steward Partners Unified Managed Account
(“UMA”) Program In addition to Third Party Money Managers. Steward Partners also offers
proprietary strategies managed by Steward Partners and referred to as Life Wealth
Optimization (“LWO”) Models.
Investment Restrictions
You are able to specify investment objectives, guidelines, and/or impose certain conditions or
investment parameters for your Account(s). For example, you can specify that the investment
in any particular stock or industry should not exceed specified percentages of the value of the
portfolio and/or impose restrictions or prohibitions of transactions in the securities of a specific
industry or security.
Non-Discretionary
If you do not enter into a discretionary arrangement with our Firm, we will obtain your approval
prior to the execution of any transactions for your Account(s). You have an unrestricted right to
decline to implement any advice provided by our Firm on a non-discretionary basis.
If we are unable to reach you or you are slow to respond to our request, this delay can have an
adverse impact on the timing of your trade implementation, and we may not achieve the same
execution price.
ITEM 17: VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
We will not vote proxies on behalf of your advisory accounts. At your request, we will offer you
advice regarding corporate actions and the exercise of your proxy voting rights. If you own
shares of applicable securities, you are responsible for exercising your right to vote as a
shareholder.
In most cases, you will receive proxy materials directly from the account custodian. However, in
the event we were to receive any written or electronic proxy materials, we would forward them
directly to you by mail, unless you have authorized our firm to contact you by electronic mail, in
which case, we would forward any electronic solicitations to vote proxies.
ITEM 18: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Our Firm does not have any financial condition or impairment that would prevent us from
meeting our contractual commitments to you. We have not filed a bankruptcy petition at any
time in the past ten years, nor do we take physical custody of Client funds or securities, nor serve
as trustee or signatory for Client accounts, and we do not require the prepayment of more than
$1,200 in fees six or more months in advance. Therefore, we are not required to include a
financial statement with this brochure.
ITEM 19: REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE-REGISTERED ADVISERS
We are a federally registered investment adviser; therefore, we are not required to respond to
this item.
Page 49 of 49
Additional Brochure: STEWARD PARTNERS INVESTMENT ADVISORY MANAGED ACCOUNT PROGRAM WRAP FEE BROCHURE (2026-03-31)
View Document Text
STEWARD PARTNERS INVESTMENT ADVISORY, LLC
Firm Brochure Form ADV Part 2A
Appendix 1A
Steward Partners Investment Advisory
Managed Account Program
Wrap Fee Brochure
400 Atlantic Street, Floor 10, Suite 1020
Stamford, CT 06901-3512
Telephone: (866) 694-7769
www.stewardpartners.com
March 31, 2026
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Steward
Partners Investment Advisory, LLC. If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure,
contact us at 978-809-3720. 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 Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (CRD No. 283004) is
available on the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration with
the SEC or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Page 1 of 29
ITEM 2 – MATERIAL CHANGES
Since our last wrap fee brochure dated August 22, 2025, we made the following material change:
• We updated the Steward Partners UMA Program to include Raymond James as a
custodian.
A summary of material changes is included with our brochure on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The searchable IARD/CRD number for Steward Partners Investment
Solutions, LLC is 1254.
We will continue to provide other ongoing disclosure information about material changes as
necessary and will provide you with a new brochure when required based on those changes or
new information.
Page 2 of 29
ITEM 3 – TABLE OF CONTENTS
ITEM 2 – MATERIAL CHANGES..................................................................................................................................................................... 2
ITEM 3 – TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................... 3
OUR FIRM AND AFFILIATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
ITEM 4 – SERVICES, FEES, AND COMPENSATION ......................................................................................................................... 4
Non-Discretionary Programs.................................................................................................................................................................7
Investment Advisor Representative (“IAR”) Directed Programs ................................................................................... 8
Third Party Manager Directed Programs ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Services Provided by SMArtX ................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Fees and Compensation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Other Compensation Considerations: ........................................................................................................................................... 19
ITEM 5 – ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS AND TYPES OF CLIENTS .........................................................................................20
Account Requirements ..........................................................................................................................................................................20
Types of Clients ............................................................................................................................................................................................20
ITEM 6 – PORTFOLIO MANAGER SELECTION AND EVALUATION....................................................................................20
Client Restrictions and Instructions ............................................................................................................................................... 28
Proxy and Reorganizations .................................................................................................................................................................. 28
ITEM 7 – CLIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ................................................................ 28
ITEM 8 – CLIENT CONTACT WITH PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ................................................................................................ 28
ITEM 9 – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................................ 28
Disciplinary Information ........................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Code of Ethics ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Financial Information .............................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Page 3 of 29
OUR FIRM AND AFFILIATIONS
Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (“SPIA”, “Steward Partners”, the “Firm,” “us” or “we”
or “our”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, is a
registered investment adviser (“RIA”) headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. SPIA has been
providing investment advisory services since March 2016. SPIA is wholly-owned by Steward
Partners Holdings, LLC (“SPH”). Steward Partners Investment Solutions, LLC (“SPIS”) operates as
a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority (“FINRA”) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). SPIS is wholly-
owned by SPH. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC (“SPIA”) and Elan Wealth
Management, LLC (“EWM”) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Affiliated Advisers”) are
separate SEC registered investment advisers. SPIS, its Affiliated Advisers and Steward Partners
Global Advisory, LLC (“SPGA”), also a wholly owned subsidiary of SPH, are affiliates and separately
operated. SPGA provides corporate and related services to SPIA, SPIS, and its Affiliated Advisers.
Steward Partners requires that clients select and establish “Account” or “Accounts” with one or
more of the following qualified custodians: Pershing, LLC (“Pershing”) and Raymond James &
Associates, Inc. (“RJA” or “Raymond James ”). Pershing and RJA act as custodians and clearing
agents to client Accounts introduced by SPIA and facilitate various advisory programs Steward
Partner’s affiliation with a broker-dealer is material to our advisory business because advisory
accounts are custodied with Pershing and RJA where SPIS acts in its capacity as an introducing
broker-dealer. This results in additional forms of compensation to Steward Partners which are
discussed in the SPIA’s Firm brochure ADV Part 2A. Please refer to Item 12 – Brokerage Practices
– Pershing Clearing Relationship.
Please refer to SPIA’s ADV Part 2A (“Firm Brochure”) for information regarding all advisory
services offered by the firm.
ITEM 4 – SERVICES, FEES, AND COMPENSATION
SPIA provides investment management services to individuals and businesses including
investment advice, portfolio checkups, retirement planning (for individuals, employees, and
employers), and/or estate planning strategies. We help clients coordinate and prioritize their
financial lives with all aspects of their life goals. Client input and involvement are critical parts
of the planning process and implementation of investment decisions. After Client assets are
invested in an advisory account, on an ongoing basis the IAR will monitor the investments and
provide advice related to financial and investment needs.
SPIA has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent with the Client's best interest. We offer
discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management services generally exercised within
the auspices of the managed account program. Regardless of the program(s) selected, when
you engage for portfolio management services, we will consult with you to discuss your financial
circumstances and objectives and to assist you in determining (a) an appropriate set of financial
goals, (b) a time horizon for your investments, and (c) your level of risk tolerance. Based on our
evaluation of your financial situation, we will provide you with recommendations as to which
investment program is the most appropriate for management of your assets and as to which
particular investments, asset allocation models, and/or underlying third-party managed
investment program(s) is suited for your investment profile. Our investment advice is tailored to
meet our Clients' needs and investment objectives.
inactivity. As
indicated below, there can be no assurance that
As part of its investment advisory services, SPIA will review Client portfolios on an ongoing basis
to determine whether changes are necessary based upon a change in the Client's investment
objective, risk tolerance, or other factors. Based upon this, there will be extended periods of time
when we determine that changes to a Client's portfolio or the investment program are not
necessary, nor prudent. Clients remain subject to the fees described in Item 5 during periods of
account
investment
recommendations and decisions made by SPIA will be profitable or equal any specific
performance level(s).
Page 4 of 29
We offer advice on a broad range of securities including, but no limited to, mutual funds,
exchange-traded funds, exchange-listed equity securities, alternative investments, municipal
securities, corporate bonds, U.S. government securities, and money market funds. We do not
primarily recommend one particular type of security over another since each Client has different
needs and a different tolerance for risk. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions on investing
in certain securities or types of securities.
Client funds are managed with either discretionary or non-discretionary authority in accounts
managed pursuant to your advisory agreement with us (“Account” or “Accounts”). For non-
discretionary clients in Guided Programs, we must first obtain your approval prior to executing
any transactions in your account(s). For discretionary clients in both Investment Advisor
Representative (or “IAR”) Directed Programs and Third-Party Manager Directed Programs,
investment recommendations are executed on their behalf without prior approval of each
specific transaction.
The following advisory programs (“Programs” or “Advisory Programs”)) are available through our
custodial relationship with Pershing, and Raymond James.
Page 5 of 29
Advisory Services
Product Name
Program
Custodial
Platform
Directed
Program Type
Steward
Partners
Managed
Account
Solutions
Pershing
Third Party
Manager(s)
Directed
Programs
Steward Partners
Separate Account
Solutions – Equity /
Balanced
Steward Partners
Separate Account
Solutions – Fixed
Income
Steward Partners
Separate Account
Solutions - Model
Equity / Balanced
Steward Partners
Separate Account
Solutions – Model
Fixed Income
BNY Advisors1 Asset
Allocation Portfolios
BNY Advisors1
WealthStart &
American Funds
Steward Partners
Strategy Solutions
BNY Advisors
AdvisorFlex
Portfolios
BNY
Advisors1
AdvisorFlex
Portfolios
Steward Partners
Guided Portfolios
Pershing
Steward
Partners
Personalize
d Portfolios
Steward Partners
Discretionary
Portfolios
Non-
Discretionary
Guided
Program
Investment
Advisor
Representative
(“IAR”)
Directed
Program
Pershing
and RJA
IAR Directed
Program
Steward Partners
Unified Managed
Account Program
Steward
Partners
UMA
Program
Types of Programs
IAR Directed– Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios
• Non-discretionary Programs
•
• Third Party Directed– Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions
• Steward Partners Unified Managed Account Program
All Advisory Programs
For all Programs you retain the right to: (1) withdraw securities or cash; (2) vote on shareholder
proposals of beneficially owned security issues; (3) be provided, in a timely manner, with a written
confirmation or other notification of each securities transaction, and all other documents
1 An affiliate of Pershing and registered investment adviser.
Page 6 of 29
required by law to be provided to security holders; and (4) proceed directly as a security holder
against the issuer of any security in your Account and not be obligated to join any person
involved in the operation of the applicable Program, or any other Client of the applicable
Program, as a condition precedent to initiating such proceeding. We will provide you with
periodic monitoring and reporting of your portfolio’s performance. A Client request to establish
or terminate Program services, including contribution and withdrawal activity, is not considered
a market order due to the administrative processing time needed to establish your advisory
Account. We will initiate Program services for new advisory Program accounts within a
reasonable amount of time, generally within 15 days, after your execution of any required
Account documentation, approvals, and funding of the account. If you transition from one
Program to another, we will execute the transition within a reasonable amount of time, generally
within 15 days, after our receipt of your instructions to make the change. As part of a transition
from one Program to another and until such a transition is complete, a transitioning Account
may for a reasonable period, generally not exceeding 15 days, hold positions that do not directly
align with the newly selected Program. As a result, transitioning Accounts may be subject to
market volatility in a manner that is different than that associated with the prior or newly
selected Program. A transitioning Account will continue to be subject to the fees associated
with the Program that it is being transitioned from until the transition is complete. As described
below in the "Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations" section, we are engaged in a
wide range of securities services. The advice given and action taken in the performance of our
duties to you will differ from advice given, or the timing and nature of action taken, with respect
to other Program Clients and/or Clients in other advisory Programs.
Non-Discretionary Programs
Steward Partners Guided Portfolios
Steward Partners Guided Portfolios (previously known as “Steward Partners Advisory Program
– Non-discretionary”) is a non-discretionary investment advisory product in which your
Investment Advisor Representative provides investment recommendations based on your
investment objectives, financial situation, and risk tolerance. You have the option of accepting
these recommendations or selecting different investments for your Account.
Most types of securities are eligible for purchase in the Steward Partners Guided Portfolios
Account including, but not limited to, common and preferred stocks, exchange-traded funds
("ETF"), closed-end funds ("CEF"), fee-based unit investment trusts ("UIT"), corporate and
government bonds, certificates of deposit ("CD"), options, structured products, and certain
open-end mutual funds whose shares can be purchased at net asset value. Collectively, these
are referred to as "Program Assets." Program eligible mutual funds include, at any given time,
asset allocation funds, alternative strategy mutual funds or other select funds that utilize
derivatives, short-selling, leverage, and other strategies to meet stated investment objectives,
enhance diversification, hedge risks, accentuate returns or facilitate certain market exposures
or more dynamic allocation changes.
Certain mutual funds that cannot be purchased at net asset value are not eligible as Program
assets and are referred to collectively as "Excluded Assets" (also known as "Non-Program
Assets"). The purchase or sale of an Excluded Assets in your Program Account is prohibited and
must be executed in a separate brokerage account which will incur commissions or charges.
While new-issue CDs are an eligible Program asset, the yield of new-issue CDs considers a sales
concession to compensate the brokerage firms that sell the CDs. For certain advisory Accounts,
the underwriter retains this sales concession. Although we do not receive the sales concession,
it has an impact on the overall yield paid to you. Since we charge an advisory fee on all eligible
assets within an advisory Account, you are effectively charged both the sales concession
(retained by the underwriter) and the advisory fee on the CD. These charges reduce the overall
yield on the CD, and, in some cases, this results in a negative yield. You should be aware that
you could obtain the same CDs without being subject to the advisory fee if you purchase it in a
non-advisory brokerage Account.
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Investment Advisor Representative (“IAR”) Directed Programs
For these Programs, certain IARs act as “Portfolio Managers” and provide investment advisory
services to your Account on a discretionary basis. As a minimum criterion for providing advisory
services, we require our IARs to possess satisfactory past business experience, plus any required
industry examinations and registrations.
Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios
In the Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios (previously known as “Steward Partners Advisory
Program – Discretionary”), Clients must grant SPIA the authority to exercise discretion on their
behalf. Before we can buy or sell securities on your behalf, you must first sign a discretionary
management agreement. By granting discretionary authority, you authorize us to implement
our investment recommendations directly within your account, including the right to determine:
• Which securities to buy and sell for your account;
• When to buy and sell securities for your account;
• The amount of securities to buy and sell for your account; AND
• The third-party money managers to be engaged for management of your assets all
without obtaining your consent or approval for each transaction.
You are able to specify investment objectives, guidelines, and/or impose certain reasonable
conditions or investment parameters for your account(s). For example, you can specify that the
investment in any particular stock or industry should not exceed specified percentages of the value
of the portfolio and/or impose reasonable restrictions or prohibitions of transactions in the securities
of a specific industry or security. Allowable securities include stocks, bonds, cash, Program eligible
mutual funds, ETFs, CEFs, fee based UITs, CDs and covered options (“Program Assets”). Steward
Partners Discretionary Portfolios eligible mutual funds include asset allocation funds, alternative
strategy mutual funds or other select funds that utilize derivatives, short-selling, leverage, and other
strategies to meet stated investment objectives, enhance diversification, hedge risks, accentuate
returns or facilitate certain market exposures or more dynamic allocation changes.
Some Portfolio Managers follow the investment recommendations that are the basis for investment
decisions from third-party research to assist in developing security selections. When seeking to
anticipate trends and identify undervalued securities with sound fundamentals, our Portfolio
Managers may also use a security selection and portfolio modeling process that incorporates
fundamental, technical, and statistical analyses of historical data. Due to any number of factors,
including timing of client asset deposits, investment selection process or Client investment needs,
certain Clients receive different execution prices and investment results.
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions
A separately managed account (“SMA”) consists of a portfolio of assets managed on a discretionary
basis by a professional investment firm and offers direct ownership of securities, including exchange
traded funds and mutual funds. Each SMA account has a single unaffiliated third-party money
manager (“Manager”) with each investment selected according to a specific SMA strategy
recommended by your IAR based on your financial goals and investment objectives. In an SMA, each
investment manager strategy is assigned to their own custodial account.
Third Party Manager Directed Programs
After your IAR reviews your investment needs, objectives, risk tolerance and other factors, we will
assist you in selecting among various investment options available within the Steward Partners
Managed Account Solutions Program, which offers a broad array of investment strategies
managed by a Manager.
The intent of the Program is to offer a competitive roster of high-quality Managers, mutual funds,
ETFs, and advisory annuities representing a broad array of investment asset classes and
approaches. The varied asset classes and investment styles are generally intended to be
complementary in nature with respect to their combined diversification and risk/return-based
characteristics.
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Trading Authorization of Managers
The Manager will have discretion over the day-to-day investments of the account. Who you
grant trading authorization depends upon the strategies you have chosen.
Trading Authority - where an account or a portion of your account is allocated to a Manager, the
Manager participates in one of two ways:
1. Discretionary Managers - Discretionary Managers are responsible for the day-to-day
investing of your assets participating in their selected investment strategy. We will not
be responsible for any decision made by a Discretionary Manager as to the day-to-day
management of your assets.
2. Model Managers – “Model Managers” provide
investment models or strategy
recommendations that are implemented by the applicable discretionary manager for
the Program. Depending on the Program, the applicable discretionary manager may be
the Firm and its IARs, the overlay manager, or another designated discretionary
manager. When acting in that capacity, the applicable discretionary manager will
manage all or a portion of your account on a discretionary basis, including the day-to-
day investment of assets, based on the model or advice provided by the Model Manager,
subject to any applicable Firm instructions and any reasonable restrictions you impose.
Manager profiles or other Program materials associated with the selected strategy will
indicate when a Manager is acting as a Model Manager.
In addition to acting as a Model Manager, we also have discretion to direct transactions in the
following circumstances:
1. Rebalancing a Multi-Strategy Account as you directed to maintain your target allocation
when the actual allocation within Managers/strategies varies by more than established
percentages from your target allocation, whether due to market changes or additions
to, or withdrawals from, the account;
2. Any gain or loss selling that you request;
3. Selling securities being added to the account, initially or during the term of the service,
which are not compatible with the Manager's investment model portfolio;
4. Liquidating all or a portion of the account as requested should you terminate the
Steward Partners UMA Program Account; and
5. Under certain circumstances, we retain the right to use discretion to direct trades and
notify the Managers after those trades are completed.
Steward Partners UMA Program
Steward Partners offers a Unified Managed Account (“UMA”) program through Pershing and
Raymond James that allows multiple investment strategies to be combined in a single custodial
account. In this program, your Investment Adviser Representative (“IAR”) has discretion to
design an overall asset allocation model for your account. Based on your financial goals,
investment objectives, and any restrictions you provide, your IAR may select among Steward
Partners-managed strategies, third-party money managers, and/or other investment vehicles,
including individual securities, mutual funds (including alternative or derivative strategies),
ETFs, closed-end funds, UITs, CDs, and covered options. Your IAR may also directly manage the
cash portion of the account.
All UMA strategies, funds, and other program investments are held in a single account. To help
ensure that the account remains consistent with your target allocation and preferences, overlay
management services are provided. Overlay management coordinates trading activity among
the various managers, rebalances portfolios, applies any investment restrictions you have
selected, and may provide optional tax management.
Your IAR is responsible for ensuring that any managers or strategies used in your UMA are
suitable for your account. All third-party managers available in the Program are subject to due
diligence and ongoing monitoring conducted in coordination with the UMA platform provider.
Services Provided by SMArtX
Page 9 of 29
We have a master agreement with SMArtX Advisory Solutions, LLC (“SMArtX”), to provide trade
management and reconciliation for certain Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios, SMA and
UMA Program Accounts. SMArtX also provides us access to Managers, including Model
Managers, through SMArtX’s agreement with these providers.
For more information regarding services provided by SMArtX Advisory Solutions, please refer to
their Form ADV 2A available through the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at
https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/.
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Equity /Balanced
The Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Equity /Balanced Strategies provides Clients
with an opportunity to access equity and balanced strategies of select Managers which the Firm,
conducted initial and ongoing due diligence of the Manager. The Firm is the sponsor of this
product with the Managers serving as the sub-advisors. The Manager acts as Portfolio Manager and
has discretionary trading authority to invest, reinvest, sell, or retain account assets under
management.
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Fixed Income
The Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Fixed Income Strategies provides Clients with
an opportunity to access fixed income strategies of select Managers which the Firm, utilizing
research provided by BNY Advisors and our initial and ongoing due diligence of the Manager. The
Firm is the sponsor of this product with the Managers serving as the sub-advisors. The Manager
acts as Portfolio Manager and has discretionary trading authority to invest, reinvest, sell, or retain
account assets under management.
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Model Equity /Balanced
The Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Model Equity /Balanced Strategies provides
Clients with an opportunity to access equity and balanced strategies of select Model Managers
which the Firm, utilizing research provided by BNY Advisors and our initial and ongoing due
diligence of the Model Manager. The Firm is the sponsor of the product with the Model Managers
serving as the sub-advisors. The Model Manager provide us with their investment strategy, and we
act as Portfolio Manager and have discretionary trading authority to invest, reinvest, sell, or retain
account assets under management.
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Model Fixed Income
The Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions - Model Fixed Income Strategies provides Clients
with an opportunity to access to fixed income strategies of select Model Managers which the Firm,
utilizing research provided by BNY Advisors and our initial and ongoing due diligence of the Model
Manager. The Firm is the sponsor of the product with the Model Managers serving as the sub-
advisors. The Model Manager provide us with their investment strategy and we, act as Portfolio
Manager and have discretionary trading authority to invest, reinvest, sell, or retain account assets
under management.
BNY Advisors Asset Allocation Portfolios
BNY Advisors Asset Allocation Portfolios is a discretionary, multi-discipline managed portfolio
product. The Firm is the sponsor for this product and BNY Advisors acts as the Portfolio
Manager. As Manager, BNY Advisors determines the asset allocation strategy and selects
investment vehicles for each investment style in the portfolio, based upon proprietary modeling
strategies, economic outlook and investment research discipline.
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BNY Advisors Asset Allocation Portfolios offers ten (10) diversified, discretionary investment
portfolios that generally include allocations to traditional asset classes.
• Tax Aware Model I: Current Income
• Tax Aware Model II: Growth & Income
• Tax Aware Model III: Conservative
Growth
• Tax Aware Model
IV: Moderate
• Model I: Current Income
• Model II: Growth & Income
• Model III: Conservative Growth
• Model IV: Moderate Growth
• Model V: Growth
• Model VI: U.S. Aggressive Equity: Aggressive
Growth
Growth
Model I is the most conservative model, with most of the model allocated to fixed income and
the balance to equities; Model VI is the most aggressive model, with an allocation focused on
equities. The Tax Aware models include municipal bond funds in the fixed income asset classes.
These models may include open and closed end mutual funds, ETFs and other types of
securities, as determined by BNY Advisors, in its sole discretion. If a model does not perform
according to expectations, BNY Advisors may adjust the model.
BNY Advisors WealthStart & American Funds
BNY Advisors WealthStart & American Funds is a discretionary mutual fund and ETF advisory
product that seeks to assist Clients with growing their wealth. The Firm is the sponsor for this
product and BNY Advisors acts as the Portfolio Manager. BNY Advisors determines the asset
allocation strategy and selects investment vehicles for each investment style in the portfolio,
based upon proprietary modeling strategies, economic outlook and investment research
discipline.
BNY Advisors WealthStart & American Funds offers twelve (12) diversified, discretionary
investment portfolios that generally include allocations to traditional asset classes.
• Tax Aware Model I: Current Income
• Tax Aware Model II: Growth & Income
• Tax Aware Model III: Conservative
Growth
• Model I: Current Income
• Model II: Growth & Income
• Model III: Conservative Growth
• Model IV: Moderate Growth
• Model V: Growth
• Model VI: Aggressive Growth
• Tax Aware Model IV: Moderate Growth
• Tax Aware Model V: Growth
• Tax Aware Model VI: Aggressive
Growth
Model I is the most conservative model, with the majority of the model allocated to fixed income
and the balance to equities; Model VI is the most aggressive model, with an allocation focused
on equities. The Tax Aware models include municipal bond funds in the fixed income asset
classes.
Steward Partners Strategy Solutions
Steward Partners Strategy Solutions is a model delivery product where the Firm, as product
sponsor, selects certain Third-Party Managers, made available under BNY Advisors’ advisory
platform, who provide model portfolios to BNY Advisors for use in Steward Partners Strategy
Solutions. BNY Advisors acts as the overlay Portfolio Manager to Steward Partners Strategy
Solutions and manages Client accounts at its discretion based on the selected models,
implementing model changes and rebalancing Client accounts pursuant to target allocations
and program trading parameters.
BNY Mellon Advisors AdvisorFlex Portfolios
The Firm is the sponsor for BNY Advisors AdvisorFlex Portfolios and BNY Advisors acts as the
Portfolio Manager for BNY Advisors AdvisorFlex Portfolios, which is a managed account
Page 11 of 29
includes three, objectives-based strategies
(Appreciation,
program that
Income and
Preservation), with multiple BNY Advisors proprietary models within each strategy, as described
in BNY Advisors’ Disclosure Documents. For each investment selection within a model, BNY
Advisors identifies several options from which Client may choose.
BNY Advisors will implement certain updates and changes to the models and may replace one
investment vehicle with another and/or change the asset allocation of the model.
If a model does not perform according to expectations, BNY Advisors may adjust the model.
Recommending Third-Party Money Managers (“Managers”)
We may recommend Managers for the management of your accounts. Managers selection is
guided by your stated objectives (e.g., capital appreciation, growth, income, or growth and
income), as well as tax considerations. You may impose reasonable restrictions on investing in
certain securities, types of securities, or industry sectors. In managing your investment portfolio,
we consider your financial situation, risk tolerance, investment horizon, liquidity needs, tax
considerations, investment objectives, and any other issues important to your financial affairs.
You should notify us promptly if there are any changes in your financial situation, investment
objectives, or restrictions upon the management of your account.
The Managers recommended by us are chosen for their approach in building portfolios that are
designed to help mitigate downside risk, offer consistency over time, and offer values-based
options as well when applicable. Assets may be managed through a model portfolio that is
applied universally to all accounts invested in the model (the “Investment Strategies” for
purposes of this section). The Manager will oversee the Investment Strategies on a discretionary
basis, which means they will purchase and sell securities for your account(s) without first
consulting with or obtaining specific authorization from you or your IAR. The Manager manages
the Investment Strategies in accordance with its stated investment objectives, not according to
the client’s investment goals. The Manager will monitor the Investment Strategies on an
ongoing basis. Managers may have minimum account balance requirements to invest in the
Investment Strategies.
When working with a Manager, we will be responsible for determining the suitability of the
Investment Strategies to be provided by the Manager and assisting you in determining which
Manager services are appropriate based on your specific investment goals and objectives, now
and in the future. We will monitor performance and are available to discuss the selected
Manager's strategy and/or performance. Clients recommended for these programs will receive
complete program descriptions, including services, fees, payment structures, and termination
features, all of which are found in the respective disclosure brochures, investment advisory
agreements, and account opening documents, as well as related Manager disclosure notices.
Portfolio Manager Termination
If for any reason your Steward Partners Portfolio Manager is unable to provide investment
advisory services to your account, the Firm will attempt to transfer the account to another IAR
to act as Portfolio Manager, and you will be notified of any such transfer. If we are unable to
transfer your account to another IAR who is eligible to provide investment services to the
account, then we will terminate the account in accordance with the terms of the advisory
agreement, and you will be notified of such termination.
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Fees and Compensation
All our Advisory Programs charge a "Wrap Fee" (“Program Fee”) on Eligible Program Assets that
includes the Asset Based Advisory Fee, Platform Fee and if applicable, third-party Manager
fee(s). The Program Fee is negotiable between you and your IAR. The total Program Fee will
not exceed 2.50% of assets under management on an annualized basis. Excluded Assets may
not be held in Program accounts and must be held in a separate brokerage account. For
transactions in Excluded Assets in a brokerage account, you will pay all our usual and customary
commissions, transaction fees and other charges. See below for details on fee exclusions,
calculations, refunds, and other information.
Program Name
Product Name
Maximum
Program
Fee2
Steward
Partners
Managed
Account
Solutions
&
Steward Partners Separate Account
Solutions – Equity / Balanced
Steward Partners Separate Account
Solutions – Fixed Income
Steward Partners Separate Account
Solutions - Model Equity / Balanced
Steward Partners Separate Account
Solutions – Model Fixed Income
BNY Advisors Asset Allocation
Portfolios
BNY Advisors WealthStart
American Funds
Steward Partners Strategy Solutions
2.50%
BNY Advisors Advisor Flex Portfolios
Steward Partners Unified Managed
Accounts
Steward Partners Discretionary
Portfolios
Steward Partners Guided Portfolios
Steward Partners UMA Program
BNY Advisors
AdvisorFlex
Portfolios
Steward
Partners
Unified
Managed
Accounts
Steward
Partners
Personalized
Portfolios
Steward
Partners UMA
Program
2 Annualized, calculated on your account value.
Fees and Compensation - Additional Information
The negotiated Program Fee is documented on the investment advisory agreement. Fees are
charged in advance, on a quarterly basis, based on the Account Value on the last business day
of the prior calendar quarter. “Account Value" means the aggregate value of all eligible long
positions, including accrued income, cash, and cash alternatives held in the account, offset by
the value of the short positions held in the account.
The initial Program Fee is calculated as of the date that the account is accepted by our Firm into
the Program and covers the remainder of the calendar quarter. There is usually a short delay
between account inception and initial investment transactions, but certain strategies (e.g.,
municipal fixed income) may take longer. Subsequent Program Fees will be determined for
calendar quarter periods and shall be calculated based on the Account Value on the last
business day of the prior calendar quarter.
Page 13 of 29
No fee adjustment will be made to the Program Fee during any fee period for appreciation or
depreciation in the value of the assets in your account during that period. The account will be
charged or refunded a prorated quarterly Program Fee on any net additions or net withdrawals
in the account. Program Fees will be assessed in the month following the net addition or net
withdrawal. Fees are based on the value of the assets in your account on the date stated and
other than those fees we will not otherwise be compensated based on a share of capital gains
upon or capital appreciation of the funds or any portion of your funds (i.e., performance fee). No
adjustment will be made to the fee for cash and/or securities added or withdrawn if the account
terminates prior to our monthly fee adjustment for such activity.
Asset Based Advisory Fee
All Advisory Programs have an Asset Based Advisory Fee which is a percentage of the Client
account’s assets under management on an annualized basis. The Asset Based Advisory Fee
covers advisory, execution, trading, custodial, and reporting services. This fee can be negotiable
between you and your IAR.
Third-Party Managers (“Manager Fees”) in Advisory Programs
In the Steward Partners Managed Account Solutions, BNY Advisors AdvisorFlex Portfolios, and
Steward Partners UMA Program, third-party Managers who are engaged to manage client
assets and/or provide investment strategies will charge a Manager Fee in addition to the Asset
Based Advisory Fee and, where applicable, a Platform Fee (collectively the “Program Fee”). All
fees due and payable will be disclosed in the investment advisory agreement between the
Client and our Firm. This fee is typically not negotiable with the Manager.
In the Steward Partners Managed Account Solutions and BNY Advisors AdvisorFlex Portfolios at
Pershing, Managers fees can range from 0-1.75% per annum. Manager fees are calculated and
deducted from your account as stated in the Agreement.
For the Steward Partners Unified Managed Accounts Program, Managers can be accessed
through RJA, the BNY Mellon Advisors Platform, and at Pershing. For clients who invest with
Managers, the fee will range from 0-1.75% per annum. Manager fees are calculated and
deducted from your account as stated in your investment advisory agreement.
For the Steward Partners UMA Program, Managers can be accessed through the SMArtX
Platform. For clients who invest with Managers, the fee will range from 0-1.75% per annum.
Manager fees are calculated and deducted from your account as stated in the Agreement.
certain
Programs
lower
Platform
Platform Fees
As Program Sponsors for the Firm’s Advisory Programs, the Firm assesses a Platform Fee based
upon Client account’s assets under management on an annualized basis. The Platform Fee, in
part, is to offset platform, administrative, and related servicing fees charged to the Firm by third-
party service providers, custodians, and platform providers, including Pershing, Raymond
James, and, where applicable, BNY Advisors or SMArtX
in connection with advisory,
overlay/portfolio management, custodial, and other support services provided to the Advisory
Programs. The Platform Fee is also used to defray any costs the Firm has related to the ongoing
operational and administrative maintenance of client accounts and compensates the Firm for
the various services it provides in its role as broker-dealer of record and/or Program Sponsor for
such client accounts. Depending on the Program, the Platform Fee is between 0.075% - 0.30%
per annum and is included in your Program Fee. Depending on which Program you choose
and the Platform Fee associated with it, your IAR will receive more compensation if they do not
use
Fees.
with
In addition to advisory and transaction fees, portions of the Program Fee are remitted to third-
party Managers for investment management services, SMArtX for services provided through its
agreement with Steward, as well as any other applicable third-party service and technology
providers.
Page 14 of 29
General Information About Fees for Program Services
You should be aware that fees charged for the Program could be higher or lower than those
otherwise available if you were to select a separate brokerage service and negotiate
commissions in the absence of the extra advisory service provided. Advisory Programs typically
assume a normal amount of trading activity and, therefore, under circumstances, prolonged
periods of inactivity will result in higher fees than if commissions were paid separately for each
transaction. The overall costs associated with your relationship with us (and the compensation
we receive) vary depending on several factors, including:
• Your particular investment advice requirements and product preferences
• The value of your Account or household relations with us
• The frequency of trades and other account activity
• The type, scope, and frequency of services provided.
The Program Fee is negotiable based upon these and other subjective factors, as well as our
point-in-time views of the prevailing market prices for similar investment services. As a result of
negotiated Program Fees, certain Clients have a lower Program Fee for their Accounts than
other Clients.
If you liquidate securities prior to initiating or after terminating Program services, you will be
subject to customary brokerage charges with respect to that transaction, in addition to any fees
for Program services that are applicable during the period. For eligible securities purchased
previously in a brokerage account and subsequently moved into an advisory Account, these
securities will be included in the calculation of fees for Program services.
A portion of the Program Fee will be paid to our IARs in connection with the introduction of
Accounts as well as for providing Client-related services within the Programs. This
compensation could be more or less than a IAR would receive if you paid separately for
investment advice, brokerage, and other services. If an IAR wishes to discount the Program Fee
below certain levels, they can do so under certain circumstances. IARs generally will earn
reduced compensation resulting from the discount. This creates an incentive for IARs to not
discount.
In an advisory Account, you pay fees based on the value of assets in your Account. The
investment advisory Program agreement outlines the amount of your fee. These fees are
generally paid quarterly, in advance. Certain advisory Programs have higher total fees than
other advisory Programs based on several factors including, but not limited to, management
fees, and administrative fees. A conflict of interest exists to the extent that we have a financial
incentive to recommend a particular advisory Program that results in additional or greater
compensation to us.
Unless agreed to otherwise in writing, you authorize us to deduct fees at the rates indicated in
the Fee Schedule for your Program quarterly from your Account(s). The Program Fee will
generally be applied in advance. For the purposes of calculating fees in our Programs, "Account
Value" means the aggregate value of all eligible long positions, including accrued income, cash,
and cash alternatives held in the Account, offset by the value of the short positions held in the
Account. When you initially enter a short position, the cash proceeds from the short sale will
not affect your Account Value for billing purposes, but once the value of the short position
changes, this change will be reflected in your Account Value. Accordingly, if your Account has
a short position that reflects an unrealized gain, the Account Value will increase by the amount
of that unrealized gain. Similarly, an unrealized loss will reduce your Account Value by the
amount of such loss. Note that if you use the proceeds of a short sale to purchase additional
securities, those securities are included in the long positions used to calculate your Account
Value.
Margin debit balances do not reduce the Account Value and purchasing eligible securities with
proceeds from a margin loan increases your Account Value by the value of those positions. If
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the margin loan proceeds are reinvested in securities, the Account Value will be affected by any
changes in the value of those securities. You will also be charged margin interest on the debit
balance in your Account. Margin interest is in addition to the Program Fee. The interest charges,
combined with the Program Fee, may exceed the income generated by the assets in your
Account and, as a result, the value of your Account may decrease. The Firm and its IARs have a
conflict of interest given their financial incentive to recommend that you use margin, since your
use of margin will maintain or increase the assets in your account, upon which the Program Fee
is charged, resulting in the Firm and IARs receipt of higher fees.
In determining the Account Value, we will use the closing prices or, if not available, bid prices of
the last recorded transactions for listed securities, options, and over-the-counter securities. For
mutual funds, we will use the fund's most current net asset value, as computed by the fund
company. We will use information provided by quotation services believed to be reliable in
determining the Account Value. If any such prices are unavailable or believed to be unreliable,
we will determine prices in good faith to reflect our understanding of fair market value.
The Program Fee will be applied to cash alternatives (i.e., money market funds) held inside the
Account. Due to trade date or settlement date accounting, the treatment of accrued income,
short positions and other factors, the Account Value used in the calculation of fees could differ
from that shown on your monthly Account statement and/or performance report. For more
details on Program Fee on Cash Balances.
Whenever there are changes to your fee schedule, the schedule charges previously in effect
shall continue until the next billing cycle. We can amend your Client Agreement at any time.
Any changes we make to your Client Agreement will be effective after 15 days written notice to
you. Your continued use of the services indicates your agreement to the modified terms.
The Program Fee does not cover all fees and costs. The fees not included in the wrap fee include
charges imposed directly by the custodian, a mutual fund, or exchange-traded fund which shall
be disclosed in the fund's prospectus (e.g., fund management fees and other fund expenses),
mark-ups and mark-downs, spreads paid to market makers, fees (such as a commission or
markup) for trades executed away from custodian at another broker-dealer, wire transfer fees
and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and securities transactions.
Market Timing in Mutual Funds
Market timing is defined as excessive short-term purchase and sale transactions or exchanges
with the intention of capturing short-term profits in violation of the terms of the fund's
prospectus. We will not support market timing strategies or activities for mutual funds or any
extreme trading activity that we deem, in our sole discretion or by direction of the fund
company, detrimental to the interest of average mutual fund shareholders, or contrary to the
policies or interest of mutual fund companies with whom we maintain relationships. We, in our
sole discretion or by direction of the fund company, reserve the right to reject any transactions
or to assess a redemption fee for any partial or full liquidation executed in which the Account
trading appears to be inconsistent with the fund's prospectus. Furthermore, when asked by a
fund company, we will cooperate and aid in its attempt to identify and impede the efforts of
anyone engaged in market timing or extreme trading activity. If the fund company notifies us
to reject or cancel a trade for any reason, we reserve the right to cancel it without prior notice to
you or any other Client. We will not be held accountable for any losses resulting from market
timing activities or any action taken under our market timing policies. Finally, the frequency of
mutual fund transactions and exchanges is subject to any limits established by the applicable
mutual funds and us.
Margin Loans and Securities-Based Loan Programs
You may be eligible to use margin in your non-retirement Accounts or pledge your non-
retirement Account assets as collateral for margin loans ("Margin Loans"). You may also be able
to pledge your non-retirement Account assets as collateral for loans obtained through certain
unaffiliated loan programs ("Securities-Based Loan Programs"). It is important that you fully
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understand the costs, risks, and conflicts of interest involved in pledging your Account assets
for a Margin Loan or Securities-Based Loan. Please refer to Item 5: Fees and Compensation) of
SPIAs Firm Brochure for further information regarding Margin Loans and Securities-Based Loan
Programs.
Other Account Fees
The fees for Program services do not include certain additional expenses. . Please refer to
Additional Expenses Not Included in the Asset-Based Advisory Fee in Item 5 (Fees and
Compensation) of SPIA’s Form ADV Part 2A (Firm Brochure) for further information.
Mutual Funds in Advisory Programs
When structuring our advisory Program offerings, a selected universe of mutual funds will be
made available to advisory Program Clients. Although mutual fund companies typically offer
multiple share classes of each of their mutual funds with varying levels of fees and expenses,
generally a single share class of each mutual fund is chosen for our advisory Program platform.
The advisory Programs seek to offer mutual funds or share classes that are the lowest available
share class. Investing in mutual funds will generally be more expensive than other investment
options available in your advisory Account. In addition to the Program Fee, you will also bear a
proportionate share of each fund’s expenses, including investment management fees that are
paid to the fund’s investment adviser. These expenses are an additional expense to you and not
covered by the fees for Program services; rather, they are embedded in the price of the fund.
You should carefully consider these underlying expenses, in addition to the Program Fee, when
considering any advisory Program and the total compensation we receive.
Other funds may have different charges, fees, and expenses, which may be lower than the
charges, fees, and expenses of the funds and share classes we make available. These funds and
share classes are available through other broker-dealers and financial intermediaries, and the
Funds directly, including where lower-cost share classes are made available. An investor who
holds a less-expensive share class of a fund will pay lower fees over time – and earn higher
investment returns – than an investor who holds a more expensive share class of the same fund.
Most of the mutual funds that are included on our advisory Program platform do not pay us 12b-
1 fees. Any 12b-1 fee payments we do receive for eligible mutual funds held in advisory Accounts
are credited back to the Client.
We seek to address these conflicts of interests by disclosing them to you.
Over time, given funds may offer share classes with lower fees. In these instances, we will
determine, from time to time in our discretion, whether and in what manner to offer these share
classes to our advisory Clients. This may result in shares you own of the given fund being
converted to the share class with lower fees or such share class with lower fees being available
only for new purchases.
Account Termination
You or we may terminate your Program Account by notifying the other party in writing of the
Program Account to be terminated and termination will become effective upon the receipt of
the notice. If a Program Account is terminated, we will make a pro-rata refund to you of fees
paid to us pursuant to the Agreement for the period after the date of effectiveness of such
termination through the end of the then current fee period.
If you choose to terminate your Agreement with any of our investment advisory Programs, we
can liquidate your Account if you instruct us to do so. If so instructed, we will liquidate your
Account in an orderly and efficient manner. We do not charge for such redemption; however,
you should be aware that certain mutual funds impose redemption fees as stated in their fund
prospectus. For taxable Accounts, you should also keep in mind that the decision to liquidate
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security issues or mutual funds will result in tax consequences that should be discussed with
your tax advisor.
We will not be responsible for market fluctuations in your Account from the time of written
notice until complete liquidation. All efforts will be made to process the termination in an
efficient and timely manner. Factors that affect the orderly and efficient liquidation of an
Account might be size and types of securities, liquidity of the markets, and market makers'
abilities. Should the necessary securities' markets be unavailable, and trading suspended,
efforts to trade will be done as soon as possible following their reopening. Due to the
administrative processing time needed to terminate a Program Account, termination orders
cannot be considered market orders. It could take several business days under normal market
conditions to process your request.
Upon termination of the Account or transfer of the advisory class into a brokerage account, you
authorize us to convert, at our discretion, the advisory cClass to the mutual fund's primary share
class, typically A shares, without incurring a commission or load without your prior consent. You
understand that the primary share class generally has higher operating expenses than the
Advisory Share Class, which will negatively affect your performance. Certain mutual fund shares
are required to be redeemed as part of the Account termination, as stated in their prospectus.
If a Program Account is terminated, but you maintain a brokerage Account with us, the money
market fund used in a "sweep" arrangement could be changed and/or your shares exchanged
for shares of another series of the same fund. You will bear a proportionate share of the money
market fund's fees and expenses. You are subject to the customary brokerage charges for any
securities positions sold in your Account after the termination of Program services.
Program Fee on Cash Balances
Your IAR may maintain cash and cash equivalent positions (such as cash sweep, money market
funds or CDs) for defensive and liquidity purposes or for dollar cost averaging. Program Fees
are assessed on the cash balance in your Account.
You should understand that the portion of the account held in cash will experience negative
performance if the applicable Program Fee charged is higher than the return received on the
cash sweep balance.
You should periodically re-evaluate whether their maintenance of a cash balance is appropriate
considering your financial situation and investment goals and should understand that this cash
may be held outside of your advisory account and not subject to Program Fees.
Fee Payments through the Custodian
At the inception of the relationship and each quarter thereafter, we will notify your custodian of
the amount of the fee due and payable to us through our fee schedule and contract. They will
“deduct” the fees from your Account(s) you have designated to pay our advisory fees. If there is
activity, each month, you will receive a statement directly from your custodian showing all
transactions, positions, and credits/debits into or from your account; the statements after the
quarter end will reflect these transactions, including the Program Fee paid by you to us. At a
minimum, you will receive statements quarterly. You should carefully review your statements
for accuracy and notify us immediately with any questions or concerns.
Cash Sweep Program
SPIA and its affiliates receive various revenue streams, including, but not limited to substantial
revenue sharing payments from custodians, including Pershing and Raymond James, based
upon clients’ cash sweep balances. The Firm’s receipt of these and other revenue streams
through its custodial relationship supports and defrays the costs the Firm has related to the
ongoing operational and administrative maintenance of client accounts and compensates us
for the various services it provides in its role as broker-dealer of record and/or Program Sponsor
for such client accounts. Cash Sweep program(s) should not be viewed as a long-term
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investment option and are solely used to hold uninvested cash balances.
This compensation structure creates a conflict of interest because cash sweep elections will
impact both what you receive in interest and what the Firm receives in compensation. In
addition to disclosing it to you, this conflict is mitigated by the controls around billing on cash
balances. This conflict is further mitigated because SPIA does not share any portion of this
revenue with your IAR.
If you are seeking the highest yield currently available in the market for your cash balances,
please contact your IAR to discuss investment options available outside of the available sweep
features that may be more suitable for your investment goals.
The Steward Partners Managed Account Program offers one sweep product for accounts
custodied at Pershing, which is determined by the type of relevant investment account as
described below:
• Retirement plans will be offered by the Dreyfus Government Cash Management Investor
•
Shares (DGIMM) MMF.
Individual Retirement Accounts managed pursuant to an advisory agreement will be
offered the Dreyfus Insured Deposits M (DIDM) insured bank deposit product.
• All other investment accounts at Steward Partners will be offered the Dreyfus Insured
Deposits H product (DIDH) insured bank deposit.
The Steward Partners Managed Account Program offers sweep products for accounts custodied at
Raymond James, as described below:
• A deposit sweep called the Raymond James Bank Deposit Program (“RJBDP) and its
•
variations.
In addition, we offer a cash feature called the Client Interest Program (“CIP”) in which
eligible accounts earn interest on cash awaiting investment
• Your IAR can provide you with additional information about cash sweep eligibility.
Other Compensation Considerations:
For more information please refer to Item 14: Client Referrals and Other Compensation in
Steward Partners Firm Brochure.
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ITEM 5 – ACCOUNT REQUIREMENTS AND TYPES OF CLIENTS
Account Requirements
The Firm requires the following minimum account opening values for new investment advisory
accounts. At our discretion, we can choose to waive the minimum opening account values.
Products
Minimum new Program Account
Opening Values
$5,000
Steward Partners Discretionary Portfolios
Steward Partners Guided Portfolios
BNY Advisors Asset Allocation Portfolios
BNY Advisors Advisor Flex Portfolios
Steward Partners Unified Managed Account
Program
BNY Advisors WealthStart & American Funds
$10,000
Steward Partners Strategy Solutions
$25,000
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions –
Equity / Balanced
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions –
Fixed Income
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions -
Model Equity / Balanced
Steward Partners Separate Account Solutions –
Model Fixed Income
Types of Clients
The Firm provides portfolio management services to individuals, high net worth individuals,
charitable institutions, foundations, endowments, small businesses, limited liability companies,
trusts and corporations.
ITEM 6 – PORTFOLIO MANAGER SELECTION AND EVALUATION
As described in Item 4 – Services, Fees, and Compensation, IARs serve as the Portfolio Manager in
(“IAR”) Directed Programs including Steward Partners Personalized Portfolios and Steward Partners
UMA Program. These IARs are required to meet firm or industry experience levels and complete
specialized training unless they possess equivalent portfolio management experience. The
Portfolio Manager develop portfolios based on certain established guidelines and your investment
objectives and individual needs. (“IAR”) Directed Programs are designed to provide a disciplined
advisory approach to meet your objectives and needs. Portfolio Managers that do not continue to
meet our guidelines will be removed from the Programs.
In the Steward Partners Managed Account Solutions and BNY Advisors AdvisorFlex Portfolios
Programs, the IAR determines which third-party Manager to recommend to Clients. The Firm
selects Managers for its Advisory Programs based upon the nature of the products offered and
services provided. The Firm may also add or remove Managers from the Programs based upon
the requests of its IARs, or for any reason, in its sole discretion. The Firm uses information
provided by BNY Advisors, the Manager, third party rating services, and various publicly available
information, in reviewing and selecting Portfolio Managers and Model Managers suitable for the
Firm’s Advisory Program. BNY Advisors provides information and research to the Firm with
respect to managers that are research covered by BNY Advisors. BNY Advisors uses proprietary
processes for screening and evaluating managers made available under its advisory platform
that focuses on quantitative factors such as historical performance and volatility, as well as the
manager's reputation and approach to investing.
The Firm does not audit, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or methods of
calculation of any historic or future performance or other information provided by BNY Advisors,
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Manager or third party rating services. There can be no assurance that the performance
information from BNY Advisors, Manager, third party rating services, or other source is or will be
calculated on any uniform or consistent basis or has been or will be calculated according to or
based on any industry or other standards.
In the Steward Partners UMA Program, third-party Managers are selected from our SMArtX
Platform to provide portfolio management services for an account. As a subadvisor to our Firm,
SMArtX is responsible for performing due diligence on the Managers it offers from its “Approved”
manager list through the SMArtX Platform. Our Firm and your IAR have responsibility for
evaluating the money manager on the “Approved” list and assessing if the money manager and
strategy is suitable for a particular Client based on the Client’s investment objective and Client
Information. Prior to approving a new money manager, SMArtX evaluates the experience,
expertise, investment philosophies and past performance of that money manager is examined
to determine if the manager has demonstrated an ability to invest better than its peers over a
period and in different economic conditions. Underlying holdings, strategies, concentrations,
and leverage may also be reviewed as part of an overall risk assessment. On a regular basis,
SMArtX conducts ongoing review of its “Approved” manager list.
We only consider for potential investment those mutual funds with which we have entered into
a selling agreement with the fund company managing or distributing the mutual fund and may
favor certain share classes over others available under that selling agreement. We do not offer
or recommend the full spectrum of funds, Managers, disciplines, and strategies available
throughout the financial services industry. A list of available strategies, funds, Managers,
disciplines, and allocation options may be requested from your IAR. The investment products
selected represent only a fraction of the offerings available to you. Many of the investment
products, including certain funds, strategies, disciplines, and Managers are available in more
than one of our Programs referenced. We may develop and offer additional strategies,
disciplines, Managers, funds or discontinue previously offered strategies, disciplines, Managers
or funds in the future, disciplines or strategies may increase or decrease the minimum
investment and will likely modify the target allocations of certain Program strategies in the
future. Further information on the portfolio manager(s), investment objectives, risks, charges,
fees, including short-term redemption fees, expenses and other details for the funds selected
for the portfolios is available by prospectus, which may be obtained from your IAR. Program
Fees charged for the management of your account are in addition to annual management fees,
operating expenses and distribution fees assessed by funds. Please refer to the “Mutual Funds
in Advisory Programs” section for more information.
Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
We will use one or more of the following methods of analysis or investment strategies when providing
investment advice to you:
Charting Analysis - involves the gathering and processing of price and volume pattern information for
a particular security, sector, broad index, or commodity. This price and volume pattern information is
analyzed. The resulting pattern and correlation data are used to detect departures from expected
performance and diversification and predict future price movements and trends.
Risk: Our charting analysis may not accurately detect anomalies or predict future price movements.
Current prices of securities may reflect all information known about the security and day-to-day
changes in market prices of securities may follow random patterns and may not be predictable with
any reliable degree of accuracy.
Technical Analysis - involves studying past price patterns, trends, and interrelationships in the financial
markets to assess risk-adjusted performance and predict the direction of both the overall market and
specific securities.
Risk: The risk of market timing based on technical analysis is that our analysis may not accurately detect
anomalies or predict future price movements. Current prices of securities may reflect all information
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known about the security and day-to-day changes in market prices of securities may follow random
patterns and may not be predictable with any reliable degree of accuracy.
Fundamental Analysis - involves analyzing individual companies and their industry groups, such as a
company's financial statements, details regarding the company's product line, the experience and
expertise of the company's management, and the outlook for the company and its industry. The
resulting data is used to measure the true value of the company's stock compared to the current market
value.
Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis is that information obtained may be incorrect and the analysis
may not provide an accurate estimate of earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's value. If securities
prices adjust rapidly to new information, utilizing fundamental analysis may not result in favorable
performance.
Cyclical Analysis - a type of technical analysis that involves evaluating recurring price patterns and
trends. Economic/business cycles may not be predictable and can have many fluctuations between
long-term expansions and contractions.
Risk: The lengths of economic cycles may be difficult to predict with accuracy and therefore the risk of
cyclical analysis is the difficulty in predicting economic trends and consequently the changing value of
securities that would be affected by these changing trends.
Long-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that the value of those securities will
grow over a relatively long period of time, generally greater than one year.
Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally assumes the financial markets will go up in the
long-term which may not be the case. There is also the risk that the segment of the market that you are
invested in or perhaps just your particular investment will go down over time even if the overall financial
markets advance. Purchasing investments long-term may create an opportunity cost - "locking-up"
assets that may be better utilized in the short-term in other investments.
Short-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that they will be sold within a
relatively short period of time, generally less than one year, to take advantage of the securities' short-
term price fluctuations.
Risk: Using a short-term purchase strategy generally assumes that we can predict how financial
markets will perform in the short-term which may be very difficult and will incur a disproportionately
higher amount of transaction costs compared to long-term trading. There are many factors that can
affect financial market performance in the short-term (such as short-term interest rate changes, cyclical
earnings announcements, etc.) but may have a smaller impact over longer periods of time.
Short Sales - Unlike a straightforward investment in stocks where you buy shares with the expectation
that their price will increase so you can sell at a profit, in a "short sale" you borrow stocks from your
brokerage firm and sell them immediately, hoping to buy them later at a lower price. Thus, a short seller
hopes that the price of a stock will go down in the near future. A short seller thus uses declines in the
market to his advantage. The short seller makes money when the stock prices fall and loses when prices
go up. The SEC has strict regulations in place regarding short selling.
Risk: Short selling is very risky. A short seller will profit if the stock goes down in price, but if the price of
the shares increase, the potential losses are unlimited. There is no ceiling on how much a short seller
can lose in a trade. The share price may keep going up and the short seller will have to pay whatever the
prevailing stock price is to buy back the shares. However, gains have a ceiling level because the stock
price cannot fall below zero. A short seller has to undertake to pay the earnings on the borrowed
securities as long as the short seller chooses to keep the short position open. If the company declares
huge dividends or issues bonus shares, the short seller will have to pay that amount to the lender. Any
such occurrence can skew the entire short investment and make it unprofitable. The broker can use the
funds in the short seller's margin account to buy back the loaned shares or issue a "call away" to get the
short seller to return the borrowed securities. If the broker makes this call when the stock price is much
higher than the price at the time of the short sale, then the investor can end up taking huge losses.
Margin Transactions - a securities transaction in which an investor borrows money to purchase a
security, in which case the security serves as collateral on the loan.
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Risk: If the value of the shares drops sufficiently, the investor will be required to either deposit more
cash into the account or sell a portion of the stock in order to maintain the margin requirements of the
account. This is known as a "margin call." An investor's overall risk includes the amount of money
invested plus the amount that was loaned to them.
Option Writing - a securities transaction that involves selling an option. An option is the right, but not
the obligation, to buy or sell a particular security at a specified price before the expiration date of the
option. When an investor sells an option, he or she must deliver to the buyer a specified number of
shares if the buyer exercises the option. For puts, the seller must purchase from the buyer a specified
number of shares if the buyer exercises the option. The buyer pays the seller a premium (the market
price of the option at a particular time) in exchange for writing the option.
Risk: Options are complex investments and can be very risky, especially if the investor does not own the
underlying stock. In certain situations, an investor's risk can be unlimited.
Our investment strategies and advice will vary depending upon each Client's specific financial situation.
As such, we determine investments and allocations based upon your predefined objectives, risk
tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other various suitability factors.
Additionally, your restrictions and guidelines affect the composition of your portfolio. It is important
that you notify us immediately with respect to any material changes to your financial
circumstances, including for example, a change in your current or expected income level, tax
circumstances, or employment status.
We will not perform quantitative or qualitative analysis of individual securities. Instead, we will advise
you on how to allocate your assets among various classes of securities or third-party money managers.
We primarily rely on investment model portfolios and strategies developed by the third-party money
managers and their portfolio managers. We may replace/recommend replacing a third-party money
manager if there is a significant deviation in characteristics or performance from the stated strategy
and/or benchmark.
Tax Considerations
Our strategies and investments can have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless we
specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in the
management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you consult with a tax professional regarding the investing of your assets.
Moreover, custodians and broker-dealers must report the cost basis of equities acquired in Client
accounts on or after January 1, 2011. Your custodian will default to the First-In First-Out ("FIFO")
accounting method for calculating the cost basis of your investments. You are responsible for
contacting your tax advisor to determine if this accounting method is the right choice for you. If your
tax advisor believes another accounting method is more advantageous, provide written notice to our
firm immediately and we will alert your account custodian of your individually selected accounting
method. Decisions about cost basis accounting methods will need to be made before trades settle, as
the cost basis method cannot be changed after settlement.
Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent or
guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully identify
market tops or bottoms, or insulate Clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
We cannot offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past
performance is in no way an indication of future performance. All investment programs have certain
risks that are borne by the investor. Investors face the following investment risks:
Interest-rate Risk: Fluctuations in interest rates may cause investment prices to fluctuate. For example,
when interest rates rise, yields on existing bonds become less attractive, causing their market values to
decline.
Market Risk: The price of a security, bond, or mutual fund may drop in reaction to tangible and intangible
events and conditions. This type of risk is caused by external factors independent of a security's
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particular underlying circumstances. For example, political, economic, and social conditions may trigger
market events.
Inflation Risk: This type of risk is the chance that future cash from an investment will not be worth as
much due to inflation. Inflation is the increase in the price of goods and services, which causes
purchasing power to erode.
Currency Risk: Overseas investments are subject to fluctuations in the value of the dollar against the
currency of the investment's originating country. This is also referred to as exchange rate risk.
Reinvestment Risk: This is the risk that future proceeds from investments may have to be reinvested at
a potentially lower rate of return (i.e., interest rate). This primarily relates to fixed income securities.
Business Risk: These risks are associated with a particular industry or a particular company within an
industry. For example, oil-drilling companies depend on finding oil and then refining it, a lengthy
process, before they can generate a profit. They carry a higher risk of profitability than an electric
company, which generates its income from a steady stream of customers who buy electricity no matter
what the economic environment is like.
Liquidity Risk: Liquidity is the ability to readily convert an investment into cash. Generally, assets are
more liquid if many traders are interested in a standardized product. For example, Treasury Bills are
highly liquid, while real estate properties are not.
Recommendation of Particular Types of Securities
We recommend various types of securities and we do not primarily recommend one particular type of
security over another since each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each type of
security has its own unique set of risks associated with it and it would not be possible to list here all of
the specific risks of every type of investment. Even within the same type of investment, risks can vary
widely. However, in very general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an investment, the higher
the risk of loss associated with the investment. A description of the types of securities we may
recommend to you and some of their inherent risks are provided below.
Money Market Funds: A money market fund is technically a security. The fund managers attempt to
keep the share price constant at $1/share. However, there is no guarantee that the share price will stay
at $1/share. If the share price goes down, you can lose some or all of your principal. The SEC notes that
"While investor losses in money market funds have been rare, they are possible." In return for this risk,
you should earn a greater return on your cash than you would expect from a FDIC insured savings
account (money market funds are not FDIC insured). Next, money market fund rates are variable. In
other words, you do not know how much you will earn on your investment next month. The rate could
go up or go down. If it goes up, that may result in a positive outcome. However, if it goes down and you
earn less than you expected to earn, you may end up needing more cash. A final risk you are taking with
money market funds has to do with inflation. Because money market funds are considered to be safer
than other investments like stocks, long-term average returns on money market funds tends to be less
than long term average returns on riskier investments. Over long periods of time, inflation can eat away
at your returns.
Certificates of Deposit: Certificates of deposit ("CD") are generally a safe type of investment since they
are insured by the FDIC up to a certain amount. However, because the returns are generally low, there
is risk that inflation outpaces the return of the CD. Certain CDs are traded in the marketplace and not
purchased directly from a banking institution. In addition to trading risk, when CDs are purchased at a
premium, the premium is not covered by the FDIC.
Municipal Securities: Municipal securities, while generally thought of as safe, can have significant risks
associated with them including, but not limited to: the credit worthiness of the governmental entity
that issues the bond; the stability of the revenue stream that is used to pay the interest to the
bondholders; when the bond is due to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same amount of interest or yield to maturity.
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Bonds: Corporate debt securities (or "bonds") are typically safer investments than equity securities, but
their risk can also vary widely based on: the financial health of the issuer; the risk that the issuer might
default; when the bond is set to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to maturity.
When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character paying the
same rate of return. Stocks: There are numerous ways of measuring the risk of equity securities (also
known simply as "equities" or "stock"). In very broad terms, the value of a stock depends on the financial
health of the company issuing it. However, stock prices can be affected by many other factors including,
but not limited to the class of stock (for example, preferred or common); the health of the market sector
of the issuing company; and, the overall health of the economy. In general, larger, better established
companies ("large cap") tend to be safer than smaller start-up companies ("small cap") are but the mere
size of an issuer is not, by itself, an indicator of the safety of the investment.
Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds: Mutual funds and exchange traded funds ("ETF") are
professionally managed collective investment systems that pool money from many investors and invest
in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, other mutual funds, other securities, or any
combination thereof. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund's investments in accordance
with the fund's investment objective. While mutual funds and ETFs generally provide diversification,
risks can be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a particular sector of the market,
primarily invests in small cap or speculative companies, uses leverage (i.e., borrows money) to a
significant degree, or concentrates in a particular type of security (i.e., equities) rather than balancing
the fund with different types of securities. ETFs differ from mutual funds since they can be bought and
sold throughout the day like stock and their price can fluctuate throughout the day. The returns on
mutual funds and ETFs can be reduced by the costs to manage the funds. Also, while some mutual
funds are "no load" and charge no fee to buy into, or sell out of, the fund, other types of mutual funds do
charge such fees which can also reduce returns. Mutual funds can also be "closed end" or "open end".
So-called "open end" mutual funds continue to allow in new investors indefinitely whereas "closed end"
funds have a fixed number of shares to sell which can limit their availability to new investors. ETFs may
have tracking error risks. For example, the ETF investment adviser may not be able to cause the ETF's
performance to match that of its Underlying Index or other benchmark, which may negatively affect
the ETF's performance. In addition, for leveraged and inverse ETFs that seek to track the performance
of their Underlying Indices or benchmarks on a daily basis, mathematical compounding may prevent
the ETF from correlating with performance of its benchmark. In addition, an ETF may not have
investment exposure to all of the securities included in its Underlying Index, or its 17 weighting of
investment exposure to such securities may vary from that of the Underlying Index. Some ETFs may
invest in securities or financial instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but which are
expected to yield similar performance.
Commercial Paper: Commercial paper ("CP") is, in most cases, an unsecured promissory note that is
issued with a maturity of 270 days or less. Being unsecured the risk to the investor is that the issuer may
default. There is a less risk in asset based commercial paper (ABCP). The difference between ABCP and
CP is that instead of being an unsecured promissory note representing an obligation of the issuing
company, ABCP is backed by securities. Therefore, the perceived quality of the ABCP depends on the
underlying securities.
Real Estate Investment Trust: A real estate investment trust ("REIT") is a corporate entity which
invests in real estate and/or engages in real estate financing. A REIT reduces or eliminates
corporate income taxes. REITs can be publicly or privately held. Public REITs may be listed on public
stock exchanges. REITs are required to declare 90% of their taxable income as dividends, but they
actually pay dividends out of funds from operations, so cash flow has to be strong or the REIT must
either dip into reserves, borrow to pay dividends, or distribute them in stock (which causes dilution).
After 2012, the IRS stopped permitting stock dividends. Most REITs must refinance or erase large
balloon debts periodically. The credit markets are no longer frozen, but banks are demanding, and
getting, harsher terms to re-extend REIT debt. Some REITs may be forced to make secondary stock
offerings to repay debt, which will lead to additional dilution of the stockholders. Fluctuations in
the real estate market can affect the REIT's value and dividends
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Limited Partnerships: A limited partnership is a financial affiliation that includes at least one
general partner and a number of limited partners. The partnership invests in a venture, such as real
estate development or oil exploration, for financial gain. The general partner has management
authority and unlimited liability. The general partner runs the business and, in the event of
bankruptcy, is responsible for all debts not paid or discharged. The limited partners have no
management authority and their liability is limited to the amount of their capital commitment.
Profits are divided between general and limited partners according to an arrangement formed at
the creation of the partnership. The range of risks are dependent on the nature of the partnership
and disclosed in the offering documents if privately placed. Publicly traded limited partnership
have similar risk attributes to equities. However, like privately placed limited partnerships their tax
treatment is under a different tax regime from equities. You should speak to your tax adviser in
regard to their tax treatment.
Private Placements: A private placement (non-public offering) is an illiquid security sold to qualified
investors and are not publicly traded nor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Risk: Private placements generally carry a higher degree of risk due to illiquidity. Most securities
that are acquired in a private placement will be restricted securities and must be held for an
extended amount of time and therefore cannot be sold easily. The range of risks are dependent on
the nature of the partnership and are disclosed in the offering documents.
Digital Assets: Digital Assets generally refers to an asset that is issued and/or transferred using
distributed ledger or blockchain technology, including, "virtual currencies" (also known as
cryptocurrencies), "coins", and "tokens". We may invest client accounts in and/or advise clients
on the purchase or sale of digital assets. This advice or investment may be in actual digital
coins/tokens/currencies or via investment vehicles such as exchange traded funds (ETFs) or
separately managed accounts (SMAs). The investment characteristics of Digital Assets generally
differ from those of traditional securities and currencies. Digital Assets are not backed by a
central bank or a national, international organization, any hard assets, human capital, or other
form of credit and are relatively new to the market place. Rather, Digital Assets are market-
based: a Digital Asset's value is 18 determined by (and fluctuates often, according to) supply and
demand factors, its adoption in the traditional commerce channels, and/or the value that
various market participants place on it through their mutual agreement or transactions. The
lack of history to these types of investments entail certain unknown risks, are very speculative
and are not appropriate for all investors.
Price Volatility of Digital Assets Risk: A principal risk in trading Digital Assets is the rapid
fluctuation of market price. The value of client portfolios relates in part to the value of the Digital
Assets held in the client portfolio, and fluctuations in the price of Digital Assets could adversely
affect the value of a client's portfolio. There is no guarantee that a client will be able to achieve
a better than average market price for Digital Assets or will purchase Digital Assets at the most
favorable price available. The price of Digital Assets achieved by a client may be affected
generally by a wide variety of complex factors such as supply and demand; availability and
access to Digital Asset service providers (such as payment processors), exchanges, miners or
other Digital Asset users and market participants; perceived or actual security vulnerability; and
traditional risk factors including inflation levels; fiscal policy; interest rates; and political, natural
and economic events.
Digital Asset Service Providers Risk: Service providers that support Digital Assets and the Digital
Asset marketplace(s) may not be subject to the same regulatory and professional oversight as
traditional securities service providers. Further, there is no assurance that the availability of and
access to virtual currency service providers will not be negatively affected by government
regulation or supply and demand of Digital Assets. Accordingly, companies or financial
institutions that currently support virtual currency may not do so in the future.
Custody of Digital Assets Risk: Under the Advisers Act, SEC registered investment advisers are
required to hold securities with "qualified custodians," among other requirements. Certain
Digital Assets may be deemed to be securities. Many Digital Assets do not currently fall under
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the SEC definition of security and therefore many of the companies providing Digital Assets
custodial services fall outside of the SEC's definition of "qualified custodian". Accordingly, clients
seeking to purchase actual digital coins/tokens/currencies may need to use nonqualified
custodians to hold all or a portion of their Digital Assets.
Government Oversight of Digital Assets Risk: Regulatory agencies and/or the constructs
responsible for oversight of Digital Assets or a Digital Asset network may not be fully developed
and subject to change. Regulators may adopt laws, regulations, policies or rules directly or
indirectly affecting Digital Assets their treatment, transacting, custody, and valuation.
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.
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.
We may recommend professionally managed investment products like low-cost mutual funds
and exchange traded funds (ETFs). As with any investment, past performance is not a guarantee
of future results. But costs often do affect investment performance. We attempt to use low-cost
products whenever possible, such as index funds and ETFs. Clients should always review and
understand an investment’s key literature such as a prospectus and annual report.
We construct portfolios based on different risk and return objectives which are reviewed with
each client to identify the most appropriate portfolio. Our investment strategy involves
analyzing global market conditions to determine how best to allocate portfolios. In addition, we
conducts manage research to identify the most attractive and suitable securities. We take this
approach by working with the client to understand their needs.
We believe in the benefits of diversification through asset allocation. While diversification can
help to lower a portfolio’s overall volatility (significant price changes), investing always involves
a risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. We therefore attempt to balance
reasonable levels of risk with reasonable levels of return to generate the capital necessary to
meet client goals. Individual client risk tolerance and risk capacity are also key factors in the
investment planning process.
Asset Allocations are Not Static
Depending on the asset allocation approach, and according to your investment needs, assets
within your portfolio may periodically be rebalanced or reallocated as recommended by the
investment strategy selected for your account. When market returns have caused asset
allocations to extend beyond predetermined limits, your portfolio may be rebalanced back to
an original target mix. As our economic outlook evolves, assets within your portfolio may also
be reallocated to capture opportunities or manage risk. Investments can go down in value. You
can lose some, much or all your invested money. Do not invest money you cannot afford to lose.
Services Tailored to Individual Client Needs
All our investment recommendations for Program accounts are based on an analysis of your
individual financial needs. They are drawn from research and analysis we believe to be reliable
and appropriate to your financial circumstances. Each of the advisory services we offer is
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tailored to a specific type of investor and designed to help meet their individual investment
objectives, financial needs, and tolerance of risk. A detailed description of these Programs is
provided in the "Services, Fees and Compensation" section.
Client Restrictions and Instructions
We will comply with any reasonable instructions and/or restrictions you give us when making
recommendations for your account. Reasonable instructions generally include the designation
of particular securities or types of securities that should not be purchased for the account, or
that should be sold if held in the account. If your restrictions are unreasonable or if we or your
IAR believe that the restrictions are inappropriate, we will notify you that, unless they are
modified, we will remove your account from the Program. You will not be able to provide
instructions that prohibit or restrict the investment adviser of an open-end or closed-end
mutual fund or exchange-traded funds, with respect to the purchase or sale of specific securities
or types of securities within the fund. Upon inception, we generally liquidate your preexisting
securities portfolio and bring the Account into conformity with your target allocations. If you
wish to hold certain positions for tax or investment purposes, you should consider holding these
positions in a separate account.
Proxy and Reorganizations
For all Programs both non-discretionary and IAR Directed Programs, if we become aware of
proxy voting in connection with a specific security, our obligations will be limited to forwarding
to you any materials or other information regarding the solicitation and acting upon your
express instructions to us. We do not accept the authority to vote client securities, nor do we
permit our IARs to vote proxies on behalf of advisory clients in connection with any of the
services described in this brochure.
ITEM 7 – CLIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
All Clients must provide information on their investment objectives, financial circumstances, risk
tolerance and any restrictions they wish to impose on investment activities. We will notify you
in writing at least annually to update your information and indicate if there have been any
changes in your financial situation, investment objectives or instructions; and you agree to
inform us in writing of any material change in your financial circumstances that might affect
the way your assets should be invested. Your IAR will be reasonably available to you for
consultation on these matters and will act on any changes deemed to be material or
appropriate as soon as practical after we become aware of the change.
ITEM 8 – CLIENT CONTACT WITH PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
The Firm does not place restrictions on a client’s ability to contact and consult with their IAR,
Portfolio Manager or third-party Manager.
ITEM 9 – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Disciplinary Information
We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a
Client's evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. We do not have
any required disclosures under this item.
Code of Ethics
SPIA has adopted an Investment Adviser Code of Ethics (the “Code”) and all IARs and “access
persons” (as defined under the Advisers Act) are required to understand and follow its
provisions. For more information regarding the Code of Ethics, please refer to SPIA’s Firm
Brochure. Clients or prospective Clients can request a copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting
us at the telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
Our Firm has a conflict of interest because it influences both what you receive in interest and
what it and its employees receive in compensation on the Standard Bank Deposit Sweep. This
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compensation is subject to change, and we may waive all or any part of this fee at any time
without notice. As a result of the fees and benefits described above, the Standard Bank Deposit
Sweep will be more profitable to us than the Expanded Bank Deposit Sweep, which means we
will receive a greater benefit if you select the Standard Bank Deposit Sweep as your Cash Sweep.
Financial Information
We have no financial condition that is likely to impair our ability to meet our contractual
commitments to you.
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