Overview

Assets Under Management: $194 million
Headquarters: HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL
High-Net-Worth Clients: 76
Average Client Assets: $548,328

Services Offered

Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting

Fee Structure

Primary Fee Schedule (FORM ADV2A WRAP BROCHURE)

MinMaxMarginal Fee Rate
$0 $1,000,000 1.00%
$1,000,001 $2,000,000 0.75%
$2,000,001 $3,000,000 0.60%
$3,000,001 $10,000,000 0.50%
$10,000,001 and above 0.35%

Minimum Annual Fee: $4,800

Illustrative Fee Rates
Total AssetsAnnual FeesAverage Fee Rate
$1 million $10,000 1.00%
$5 million $33,500 0.67%
$10 million $58,500 0.58%
$50 million $198,500 0.40%
$100 million $373,500 0.37%

Clients

Number of High-Net-Worth Clients: 76
Percentage of Firm Assets Belonging to High-Net-Worth Clients: 21.52
Average High-Net-Worth Client Assets: $548,328
Total Client Accounts: 982
Discretionary Accounts: 969
Non-Discretionary Accounts: 13

Regulatory Filings

CRD Number: 291828
Filing ID: 1997125
Last Filing Date: 2025-06-27 22:37:00
Website: https://thedalagroup.com

Form ADV Documents

Additional Brochure: FORM ADV PART 2A - FIRM BROCHURE - MARCH 2022 (2025-06-27)

View Document Text
Item 1: Cover Page Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure June 2025 The Dala Group, LLC 2815 Forbs Ave, Suite 107 Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 www.TheDalaGroup.com Firm Contact: Mike Heatwole Chief Compliance Officer This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of The Dala Group, LLC. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at 847-485-0248. The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any State Securities Authority. Additional information about our firm is also available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD #291828. Please note that the use of the term “Registered Investment Adviser” and description of our firm and/or our associates as “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Clients are encouraged to review this Brochure and Brochure Supplements for our firm’s associates who advise clients for more information on the qualifications of our firm and our employees. Item 2: Material Changes The Dala Group, LLC is required to make clients aware of material information that has changed since the last annual update to the Firm Brochure (“Brochure”) and that may be important to them. Clients can then determine whether to review the brochure in its entirety or to contact us with questions about the changes. • Since our firm’s last filing on 02/29/2024, we have the following material changes to disclose: • • • • Our firm has clarified that we have a minimum annual fee of $4,800 for all new clients using our portfolio management service, that is only offered through wrapped accounts. Please see Item 7 of our Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 of our Wrap Brochure, Form CRS or reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm has increased our Financial Consulting service fee. Please see item 5 of our Form ADV Part 2A, Form CRS or reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm no longer offers Retirement Plan Consulting as a service. Please reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm no longer offers our separate Simple IRA Accounts services under our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management services. Please reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm has updated our fee schedule for our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management services. Please see item 4 of our firm’s Wrap Brochure or reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 2 The Dala Group, LLC Item 3: Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................ ....................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................. ........................................................... .............................................................................. ................................................... .......................................................................................................... ................................................................. ........................................................................... ................................................................................................................ .................................................................................. ................................................................................ .................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................ .......................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................. ....................................................................... Item 1: Cover Page Item 2: Material Changes Item 3: Table of Contents Item 4: Advisory Business Item 5: Fees & Compensation Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss Item 9: Disciplinary Information Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Item 12: Brokerage Practices Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation Item 15: Custody Item 16: Investment Discretion Item 17: Voting Client Securities Item 18: Financial Information Item 19: Requirements for State-Registered Advisers 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 10 17 17 18 19 23 23 24 25 25 25 26 ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 3 The Dala Group, LLC Item 4: Advisory Business Our firm is dedicated to providing individuals and other types of clients with a wide array of investment advisory services. Our firm is a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Illinois in 2018 and has been in business as an investment adviser since that time. Our firm is wholly owned by the Michael Heatwole Revocable Living Trust to which the individual Michael Heatwole is the trustee. The purpose of this Brochure is to disclose the conflicts of interest associated with the investment transactions, compensation and any other matters related to investment decisions made by our firm or its representatives. As a fiduciary, it is our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is accomplished in part by knowing our client. Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory practice with open lines of communication for many different types of clients to help meet their financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time horizons. Working with clients to understand their investment objectives while educating them about our process, facilitates the kind of working relationship we value. Types of Advisory Services Offered Financial Consulting: Financial Consultation services rendered to our clients will usually include general recommendations for a course of activity, or specific actions to be taken by the clients, and include individually tailored financial advice. Recommendations may be made that will cover subject matter listed below. It should be noted that we refer clients to an accountant, attorney, or other specialist, as necessary for non-advisory related services. For financial consulting engagements, we usually do not provide our clients with a written summary of our observations. Consultations are typically completed within six (6) months of the client signing a contract with us, assuming that all the information and documents we request from the client are provided to us promptly. Implementation of the recommendations will be at the discretion of the client. • Cash Flow & Debt Analysis: This involves advice with respect to cash accounts, financial obligations, and cash management, including debt and mortgage analysis. We review each client’s income and expenses in order to project future cash flow needs. • Investment Planning: This involves advice with respect to asset selection and allocation, as well as investment income accumulation techniques, for managed and held away accounts. Evaluations are made of existing and, when applicable, potential investments in terms of their economic and tax characteristics as well as their suitability for meeting client’s objectives. We analyze the tax impact of our recommendations with each client and aim to be as tax efficient as possible with our proposals. • Retirement Planning: This involves advice with respect to alternatives and techniques for accumulating wealth for retirement income or advice relative to appropriate distributions of assets following retirement. We analyze the long term tax impact of various retirement ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 4 The Dala Group, LLC income strategies such Social Security analysis, pension option analysis, and required minimum distribution (RMD) planning. • Estate Planning: This service involves advice with respect to property ownership, distribution strategies, estate tax reduction, and tax payment techniques. It involves a discussion of gifts, trusts, etc. and the disposition of business interests. We review all accounts for proper account registration and beneficiary designations. Tax consequences and their implications are identified and evaluated. At the request of the Client, our firm will engage the client’s chosen personal estate attorney or planner, with regard to advising the wealth management of the estate planning. • Charitable Planning: This includes the incorporation of charitable giving into a client’s financial plan that maximizes philanthropic, tax, and legacy planning goals. We provide advice on different gifting strategies such as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) or Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). • Education Planning: This includes alternatives and strategies with respect to the complete or partial funding of college or other post-secondary education experience. We discuss opportunities for tax deductions as part of funding education as well as the alternate tax-advantaged options if an account is overfunded. • Corporate and Personal Tax Planning: Our firm offers annual tax planning as part of our comprehensive financial planning service. We evaluate topics like tax-efficient retirement vehicles, charitable giving strategies, realizing capital gains, Roth IRA conversions, tax credit eligibility, and more. We can run projections to see how potential changes may impact our clients’ upcoming tax liability. We may also offer advice as to how tax laws may affect various financial decisions, e.g. acquisitions, pension strategy, investing in new opportunities or consolidation of existing investments, and individual taxation issues, among others. Insurance Analysis: This includes risk management associated with advisory recommendations based on the combination of insurance types that best meet a client’s specific needs, e.g. life, health, disability, and long-term care, and others as appropriate. Evaluations are made of existing policies and, when applicable, other alternatives such as self-insuring in terms of their suitability for meeting a client’s long-term objective. • Lines of Credit Evaluation: This service includes an evaluation of the client’s access to lines of credit, their applicability as a means to raise funds when the sum required is unknown, and a cost benefit analysis to determine whether opening a line of credit would be advisable given the individual’s current financial goals. • Business and Personal Financial Planning: This service involves an analysis of Client’s cash flow, their business’ cash flow where applicable, and combined tax liabilities. This service may extend to incorporate other financial planning services stated above to determine a better balance between the client’s personal and professional enterprises. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 5 The Dala Group, LLC Tailoring of Advisory Services Our firm offers specific allocation and investment advice to consulting and wealth management clients. SP Financial Group When our firm believes that individual bonds are the best fit for a specific client need, we may recommend that clients use SP Financial Group to analyze and purchase these bonds. Prior to purchasing, SP Financial Group will provide a client specific proposal that is reviewed and approved by our Chief Investment Officer, Mike Heatwole. SP Financial Group does not have discretionary authority or custody over client assets, as once the bond is purchased it is moved into the client’s Schwab account. SP Financial Group earns their fees based on the markups that are charged on the individual bonds they purchase. Our firm does not receive a portion of these fees. Participation in Wrap Fee Programs Our firm offers and sponsors a wrap fee program. Comprehensive Portfolio Management services are only offered through wrapped accounts, which are managed on an individualized basis according to the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc. Please see our Part 2A, Appendix 1 (the “Wrap Fee Program Brochure”) for more information. Regulatory Assets Under Management Our firm manages $188,184,618 on a discretionary basis and $5,473,582 on a non- discretionary basis as of December 31, 2024. Item 5: Fees & Compensation Compensation for Our Advisory Services Financial Consulting: We charge on an hourly basis for our financial consulting services. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee that we charge you, is based on the scope and complexity of our engagement with you. Our hourly fees are $425. We require a retainer of fifty-percent (50%) of the ultimate financial consulting fee with the remainder of the fee directly billed to you and due to us within thirty (30) days of your financial plan being delivered or consultation rendered to you. We will not require a retainer exceeding $1,200 when services cannot be rendered within 6 (six) months. Hourly Fees : Our hourly fees are non-negotiable. Projects spanning more than three months will be billed quarterly. The items addressed in a modular plan or general consulting services may include one or more of the services listed above. The amount of time spent will depend on the ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 6 The Dala Group, LLC complexity of the request and all services will be completed within six months. The total number of hours will be estimated prior to the engagement and will be specified in our firm’s Financial Planning & Consulting Agreement for hourly services. The client will be invoiced directly for hourly fees. • Example: A client meets with our firm to discuss basic financial consulting issues and seeks general investment advice relating to broad issues such as retirement planning and education planning. The meeting lasts 2 hours and follow up research takes 2 hours. At $425 per hour, the client would be charged a $850 retainer fee at the time of the initial meeting (425 x 2 hours) and an additional $850 upon completion of the engagement ($425 x 2 hours). Our firm will perform all financial consulting work before six months expire. Either party may terminate the Financial Consulting service at any time by providing written notice. For purposes of calculating refunds, all work performed by us up to the point of termination shall be calculated at our hourly fee currently in effect. You will receive a pro-rata refund of unearned fees based on the time and effort expended by our firm and Planner. Other Types of Fees & Expenses Wrap clients will not incur transaction costs for trades by their chosen custodian, but will be billed on a pro-rata basis monthly in arrears based on the market value of the assets in your account(s) on the daily time-weighted average of the month. The minimum fee for this service is $4,800. More information about this can be found in our separate Wrap Fee Program Brochure. Termination & Refunds Consulting clients may terminate their agreement at any time before the work has been completed by providing written notice. For purposes of calculating refunds, all work performed by us up to the point of termination shall be calculated at the hourly fee currently in effect. Clients will receive a pro-rata refund of unearned fees based on the time and effort expended by our firm. Commissionable Securities Sales Our firm and representatives do not sell securities for a commission in advisory accounts. Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management Our firm does not charge performance-based fees. Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements • Our firm has the following types of clients: Individuals and High Net Worth Individuals; ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 7 The Dala Group, LLC • Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and/or Other Business Types Our firm has a minimum annual fee of $4,800 for all new clients using our portfolio management service, that is only offered through wrapped accounts. Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss Methods of Analysis We use the following methods of analysis in formulating our investment advice and/or managing client assets: Fundamental Analysis: The analysis of a business's financial statements (usually to analyze the business's assets, liabilities, and earnings), health, and its competitors and markets. When analyzing a stock, futures contract, or currency using fundamental analysis there are two basic approaches one can use: bottom up analysis and top down analysis. The terms are used to distinguish such analysis from other types of investment analysis, such as quantitative and technical. Fundamental analysis is performed on historical and present data, but with the goal of making financial forecasts. There are several possible objectives: (a) to conduct a company stock valuation and predict its probable price evolution; (b) to make a projection on its business performance; (c) to evaluate its management and make internal business decisions; (d) and/or to calculate its credit risk.; and (e) to find out the intrinsic value of the share. When the objective of the analysis is to determine what stock to buy and at what price, there are two basic methodologies investors rely upon: (a) Fundamental analysis maintains that markets may misprice a security in the short run but that the "correct" price will eventually be reached. Profits can be made by purchasing the mispriced security and then waiting for the market to recognize its "mistake" and re-price the security.; and (b) Technical analysis maintains that all information is reflected already in the price of a security. Technical analysts analyze trends and believe that sentiment changes predate and predict trend changes. Investors' emotional responses to price movements lead to recognizable price chart patterns. Technical analysts also analyze historical trends to predict future price movement. Investors can use one or both of these different but complementary methods for stock picking. This presents a potential risk, as the price of a security can move up or down along with the overall market regardless of the economic and financial factors considered in evaluating the stock. Quantitative Analysis: The use of models, or algorithms, to evaluate assets for investment. The process usually consists of searching vast databases for patterns, such as correlations among liquid assets or price-movement patterns (trend following or mean reversion). The resulting strategies may involve high-frequency trading. The results of the analysis are taken into consideration in the decision to buy or sell securities and in the management of portfolio characteristics. A risk in using quantitative analysis is that the methods or models used may be based on assumptions that prove to be incorrect. Qualitative Analysis: A securities analysis that uses subjective judgment based on unquantifiable information, such as management expertise, industry cycles, strength of research ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 8 The Dala Group, LLC and development, and labor relations. Qualitative analysis contrasts with quantitative analysis, which focuses on numbers that can be found on reports such as balance sheets. The two techniques, however, will often be used together in order to examine a company's operations and evaluate its potential as an investment opportunity. Qualitative analysis deals with intangible, inexact concerns that belong to the social and experiential realm rather than the mathematical one. This approach depends on the kind of intelligence that machines (currently) lack, since things like positive associations with a brand, management trustworthiness, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage and cultural shifts are difficult, arguably impossible, to capture with numerical inputs. A risk in using qualitative analysis is that subjective judgment may prove incorrect. Sector Analysis : Sector analysis involves identification and analysis of various industries or economic sectors that are likely to exhibit superior performance. Academic studies indicate that the health of a stock's sector is as important as the performance of the individual stock itself. In other words, even the best stock located in a weak sector will often perform poorly because that sector is out of favor. Each industry has differences in terms of its customer base, market share among firms, industry growth, competition, regulation and business cycles. Learning how the industry operates provides a deeper understanding of a company's financial health. One method of analyzing a company's growth potential is examining whether the amount of customers in the overall market is expected to grow. In some markets, there is zero or negative growth, a factor demanding careful consideration. Additionally, market analysts recommend that investors should monitor sectors that are nearing the bottom of performance rankings for possible signs of an impending turnaround. Investment Strategies We Use We use the following strategies in managing client accounts, provided that such strategies are appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations: Asset Allocation: The implementation of an investment strategy that attempts to balance risk versus reward by adjusting the percentage of each asset in an investment portfolio according to the investor's risk tolerance, goals and investment time frame. Asset allocation is based on the principle that different assets perform differently in different market and economic conditions. A fundamental justification for asset allocation is the notion that different asset classes offer returns that are not perfectly correlated, hence diversification reduces the overall risk in terms of the variability of returns for a given level of expected return. Although risk is reduced as long as correlations are not perfect, it is typically forecast (wholly or in part) based on statistical relationships (like correlation and variance) that existed over some past period. Expectations for return are often derived in the same way. An asset class is a group of economic resources sharing similar characteristics, such as riskiness and return. There are many types of assets that may or may not be included in an asset allocation strategy. The "traditional" asset classes are stocks (value, dividend, growth, or sector-specific [or a "blend" of any two or more of the preceding]; large-cap versus mid-cap, small-cap or micro- cap; domestic, foreign [developed], emerging or frontier markets), bonds (fixed income securities more generally: investment-grade or junk [high-yield]; government or corporate; short-term, intermediate, long- term; domestic, foreign, emerging markets), and cash or cash equivalents. Allocation among these three provides a starting point. Usually included are hybrid instruments such as convertible bonds and preferred stocks, counting as a mixture of bonds and ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 9 The Dala Group, LLC stocks. Other alternative assets that may be considered include: commodities: precious metals, nonferrous metals, agriculture, energy, others.; Commercial or residential real estate (also REITs); Collectibles such as art, coins, or stamps; insurance products (annuity, life settlements, catastrophe bonds, personal life insurance products, etc.); derivatives such as long-short or market neutral strategies, options, collateralized debt, and futures; foreign currency; venture capital; private equity; and/or distressed securities. • There are several types of asset allocation strategies based on investment goals, risk tolerance, time frames and diversification. The most common forms of asset allocation are: strategic, dynamic, tactical, and core-satellite. • • • Strategic Asset Allocation: The primary goal of a strategic asset allocation is to create an asset mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance between expected risk and return for a long- term investment horizon. Generally speaking, strategic asset allocation strategies are agnostic to economic environments, i.e., they do not change their allocation postures relative to changing market or economic conditions. Dynamic Asset Allocation: Dynamic asset allocation is similar to strategic asset allocation in that portfolios are built by allocating to an asset mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance between expected risk and return for a long-term investment horizon. Like strategic allocation strategies, dynamic strategies largely retain exposure to their original asset classes; however, unlike strategic strategies, dynamic asset allocation portfolios will adjust their postures over time relative to changes in the economic environment. Tactical Asset Allocation: Tactical asset allocation is a strategy in which an investor takes a more active approach that tries to position a portfolio into those assets, sectors, or individual stocks that show the most potential for perceived gains. While an original asset mix is formulated much like strategic and dynamic portfolio, tactical strategies are often traded more actively and are free to move entirely in and out of their core asset classes Core-Satellite Asset Allocation: Core-Satellite allocation strategies generally contain a 'core' strategic element making up the most significant portion of the portfolio, while applying a dynamic or tactical 'satellite' strategy that makes up a smaller part of the portfolio. In this way, core-satellite allocation strategies are a hybrid of the strategic and dynamic/tactical allocation strategies mentioned above. Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”): An ETF is a type of Investment Company (usually, an open- end fund or unit investment trust) whose primary objective is to achieve the same return as a particular market index. The vast majority of ETFs are designed to track an index, so their performance is close to that of an index mutual fund, but they are not exact duplicates. A tracking error, or the difference between the returns of a fund and the returns of the index, can arise due to differences in composition, management fees, expenses, and handling of dividends. ETFs benefit from continuous pricing; they can be bought and sold on a stock exchange throughout the trading day. Because ETFs trade like stocks, you can place orders just like with individual stocks - such as limit orders, good- until-canceled orders, stop loss orders etc. They can also be sold short. Traditional mutual funds are bought and redeemed based on their net asset values (“NAV”) at the end of the day. ETFs are bought and sold at the market prices on the exchanges, which resemble the underlying NAV but are independent of it. However, arbitrageurs will ensure that ETF prices are kept very close to the NAV of the underlying securities. Although an investor can buy as few as one share of an ETF, most buy in board lots. Anything bought in less than a board lot will increase the cost to the investor. Anyone can buy any ETF no matter where in the world it trades. This provides a benefit over mutual funds, which generally can only be ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 10 The Dala Group, LLC bought in the country in which they are registered. One of the main features of ETFs are their low annual fees, especially when compared to traditional mutual funds. The passive nature of index investing, reduced marketing, and distribution and accounting expenses all contribute to the lower fees. However, individual investors must pay a brokerage commission to purchase and sell ETF shares; for those investors who trade frequently, this can significantly increase the cost of investing in ETFs. That said, with the advent of low-cost brokerage fees, small or frequent purchases of ETFs are becoming more cost efficient. Equity Securities: Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. Equity securities typically consist of common stocks. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic and other conditions. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular equity securities, which may adversely affect our firm's ability to value accurately or dispose of such equity securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of equity securities. Investing in smaller companies may pose additional risks as it is often more difficult to value or dispose of small company stocks, more difficult to obtain information about smaller companies, and the prices of their stocks may be more volatile than stocks of larger, more established companies. Clients should have a long- term perspective and, for example, be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. Fixed Income: Fixed income is a type of investing or budgeting style for which real return rates or periodic income is received at regular intervals and at reasonably predictable levels. Fixed- income investors are typically retired individuals who rely on their investments to provide a regular, stable income stream. This demographic tends to invest heavily in fixed-income investments because of the reliable returns they offer. Fixed-income investors who live on set amounts of periodically paid income face the risk of inflation eroding their spending power. Some examples of fixed-income investments include treasuries, money market instruments, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, municipal bonds and international bonds. The primary risk associated with fixed-income investments is the borrower defaulting on his payment. Other considerations include exchange rate risk for international bonds and interest rate risk for longer- dated securities. The most common type of fixed-income security is a bond. Bonds are issued by federal governments, local municipalities and major corporations. Fixed-income securities are recommended for investors seeking a diverse portfolio; however, the percentage of the portfolio dedicated to fixed income depends on your own personal investment style. There is also an opportunity to diversify the fixed-income component of a portfolio. Riskier fixed- income products, such as junk bonds and longer-dated products, should comprise a lower percentage of your overall portfolio. The interest payment on fixed-income securities is considered regular income and is determined based on the creditworthiness of the borrower and current market rates. In general, bonds and fixed- income securities with longer-dated maturities pay a higher rate, also referred to as the coupon rate, because they are considered riskier. The longer the security is on the market, the more time it has to lose its value and/or default. At the end of the bond term, or at bond maturity, the borrower returns the amount borrowed, also referred to as the principal or ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 11 The Dala Group, LLC par value. Index Fund: A mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) designed to follow certain preset rules so that the fund can track specified basket of underlying investments. Those rules may include tracking prominent indexes like the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average or implementation rules, such as tax-management, tracking error minimization, large block trading or patient/flexible trading strategies that allows for greater tracking error, but lower market impact costs. Index funds may also have rules that screen for social and sustainable criteria. An index fund’s rules of construction clearly identify the type of companies suitable for the fund. The most commonly known index fund, the S&P 500 Index Fund, is based on the rules established by S&P Dow Jones Indices for their S&P 500 Index. Equity index funds would include groups of stocks with similar characteristics such as the size, value, profitability and/or the geographic location of the companies. A group of stocks may include companies from the United States, Non- US Developed, emerging markets or Frontier Market countries. Additional index funds within these geographic markets may include indexes of companies that include rules based on company characteristics or factors, such as companies that are small, mid-sized, large, small value, large value, small growth, large growth, the level of gross profitability or investment capital, real estate, or indexes based on commodities and fixed-income. Companies are purchased and held within the index fund when they meet the specific index rules or parameters and are sold when they move outside of those rules or parameters. Think of an index fund as an investment utilizing rules-based investing. Some index providers announce changes of the companies in their index before the change date and other index providers do not make such announcements. Index funds must periodically "rebalance" or adjust their portfolios to match the new prices and market capitalization of the underlying securities in the stock or other indexes that they track. This allows algorithmic traders to perform index arbitrage by anticipating and trading ahead of stock price movements caused by mutual fund rebalancing, making a profit on foreknowledge of the large institutional block orders. This results in profits transferred from investors to algorithmic traders. One problem occurs when a large amount of money tracks the same index. According to theory, a company should not be worth more when it is in an index. But due to supply and demand, a company being added can have a demand shock, and a company being deleted can have a supply shock, and this will change the price. This does not show up in tracking error since the index is also affected. A fund may experience less impact by tracking a less popular index Individual Stocks : A common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders of common stock exercise control by electing a board of directors and voting on corporate policy. Investing in individual common stocks provides us with more control of what you are invested in and when that investment is made. Having the ability to decide when to buy or sell helps us time the taking of gains or losses. Common stocks, however, bear a greater amount of risk when compared to Certificate of Deposits, preferred stock, and bonds. It is typically more difficult to achieve diversification when investing in individual common stocks. Additionally, common stockholders are on the bottom of the priority ladder for ownership structure; if a company goes bankrupt, the common stockholders do not receive their money until the creditors and preferred shareholders have received their respective share of the leftover assets. Long-Term Purchases: Our firm may buy securities for your account and hold them for a relatively long time (more than a year) in anticipation that the security’s value will appreciate ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 12 The Dala Group, LLC over a long horizon. The risk of this strategy is that our firm could miss out on potential short- term gains that could have been profitable to your account, or it’s possible that the security’s value may decline sharply before our firm make a decision to sell. Mutual Funds : A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests the money in a variety of differing security types based the objectives of the fund. The portfolio of the fund consists of the combined holdings it owns. Each share represents an investor’s proportionate ownership of the fund’s holdings and the income those holdings generate. The price that investors pay for mutual fund shares is the fund’s per share net asset value (“NAV”) plus any shareholder fees that the fund imposes at the time of purchase (such as sales loads). Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades. With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which is calculated daily after market close. The benefits of investing through mutual funds include: (a) Mutual funds are professionally managed by an investment adviser who researches, selects, and monitors the performance of the securities purchased by the fund; (b) Mutual funds typically have the benefit of diversification, which is an investing strategy that generally sums up as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Spreading investments across a wide range of companies and industry sectors can help lower the risk if a company or sector fails. Some investors find it easier to achieve diversification through ownership of mutual funds rather than through ownership of individual stocks or bonds.; (c) Some mutual funds accommodate investors who do not have a lot of money to invest by setting relatively low dollar amounts for initial purchases, subsequent monthly purchases, or both.; and (d) At any time, mutual fund investors can readily redeem their shares at the current NAV, less any fees and charges assessed on redemption. Mutual funds also have features that some investors might view as disadvantages: (a) Investors must pay sales charges, annual fees, and other expenses regardless of how the fund performs. Depending on the timing of their investment, investors may also have to pay taxes on any capital gains distribution they receive. This includes instances where the fund went on to perform poorly after purchasing shares.; (b) Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades.; and (c) With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which the fund might not calculate until many hours after the investor placed the order. In general, mutual funds must calculate their NAV at least once every business day, typically after the major U.S. exchanges close. When investors buy and hold an individual stock or bond, the investor must pay income tax each year on the dividends or interest the investor receives. However, the investor will not have to pay any capital gains tax until the investor actually sells and makes a profit. Mutual funds are different. When an investor buys and holds mutual fund shares, the investor will owe income ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 13 The Dala Group, LLC tax on any ordinary dividends in the year the investor receives or reinvests them. Moreover, in addition to owing taxes on any personal capital gains when the investor sells shares, the investor may have to pay taxes each year on the fund’s capital gains. That is because the law requires mutual funds to distribute capital gains to shareholders if they sell securities for a profit, and cannot use losses to offset these gains. Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”): REITs primarily invest in real estate or real estate- related loans. Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs hold construction, development and/or long-term mortgage loans. Changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, tax laws, and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment all can affect the values of REITs. Both types of REITs are dependent upon management skill, the cash flows generated by their holdings, the real estate market in general, and the possibility of failing to qualify for any applicable pass-through tax treatment or failing to maintain any applicable exemptive status afforded under relevant laws. Short-Term Purchases: When utilizing this strategy, our firm may also purchase securities with the idea of selling them within a relatively short time (typically a year or less). Our firm does this in an attempt to take advantage of conditions that our firm believes will soon result in a price swing in the securities our firm purchase. Risk of Loss Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. While the stock market may increase and the account(s) could enjoy a gain, it is also possible that the stock market may decrease and the account(s) could suffer a loss. It is important that clients understand the risks associated with investing in the stock market, and that their assets are appropriately diversified in investments. Clients are encouraged to ask our firm any questions regarding their risk tolerance. Company Risk: When investing in stock positions, there is always a certain level of company or industry specific risk that is inherent in each investment. This is also referred to as unsystematic risk and can be reduced through appropriate diversification. There is the risk that the company will perform poorly or have its value reduced based on factors specific to the company or its industry. For example, if a company’s employees go on strike or the company receives unfavorable media attention for its actions, the value of the company may be reduced. Credit Risk: Credit risk can be a factor in situations where an investment’s performance relies on a borrower’s repayment of borrowed funds. With credit risk, an investor can experience a loss or unfavorable performance if a borrower does not repay the borrowed funds as expected or required. Investment holdings that involve forms of indebtedness (i.e. borrowed funds) are subject to credit risk. Equity (Stock) Market Risk: Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer. ETF & Mutual Fund Risk : When investing in an ETF or mutual fund, you will bear additional ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 14 The Dala Group, LLC expenses based on your pro rata share of the ETF’s or mutual fund’s operating expenses, including the potential duplication of management fees. The risk of owning an ETF or mutual fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF or mutual fund holds. Clients will also incur brokerage costs when purchasing ETFs. Fixed Income Securities Risk: Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause your account value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, prepayment risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk. Credit risk is the chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to make such payments will cause the price of a bond to decline. Liquidity Risk: Certain assets may not be readily converted into cash or may have a very limited market in which they trade. Thus, you may experience the risk that your investment or assets within your investment may not be able to be liquidated quickly, thus, extending the period of time by which you may receive the proceeds from your investment. Liquidity risk can also result in unfavorable pricing when exiting (i.e. not being able to quickly get out of an investment before the price drops significantly) a particular investment and therefore, can have a negative impact on investment returns. Strategy Risk: There is no guarantee that the investment strategies discussed herein will work under all market conditions and each investor should evaluate his/her ability to maintain any investment he/she is considering in light of his/her own investment time horizon. Investments are subject to risk, including possible loss of principal. Description of Material, Significant or Unusual Risks Our firm generally invests client cash balances in money market funds, FDIC Insured Certificates of Deposit, high-grade commercial paper and/or government backed debt instruments. Ultimately, our firm tries to achieve the highest return on client cash balances through relatively low-risk conservative investments. In most cases, at least a partial cash balance will be maintained in a money market account so that our firm may debit advisory fees for our services related to our services, as applicable. Item 9: Disciplinary Information There are no legal or disciplinary events that are material to the evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations Representatives of our firm are insurance agents/brokers. They offer insurance products and ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 15 The Dala Group, LLC receive fees as a result of insurance sales. A conflict of interest exists as these insurance sales create an incentive to recommend products based on the compensation adviser and/or our supervised persons may earn. To mitigate this potential conflict, our firm will act in the client’s best interest. Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions & Personal Trading As a fiduciary, it is an investment adviser’s responsibility to provide fair and full disclosure of all material facts and to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients at all times. Our fiduciary duty is the underlying principle for our firm’s Code of Ethics, which includes procedures for personal securities transaction and insider trading. Our firm requires all representatives to conduct business with the highest level of ethical standards and to comply with all federal and state securities laws at all times. Upon employment with our firm, and at least annually thereafter, all representatives of our firm will acknowledge receipt, understanding and compliance with our firm’s Code of Ethics. Our firm and representatives must conduct business in an honest, ethical, and fair manner and avoid all circumstances that might negatively affect or appear to affect our duty of complete loyalty to all clients. This disclosure is provided to give all clients a summary of our Code of Ethics. If a client or a potential client wishes to review our Code of Ethics in its entirety, a copy will be provided promptly upon request. Our firm recognizes that the personal investment transactions of our representatives demands the application of a Code of Ethics with high standards and requires that all such transactions be carried out in a way that does not endanger the interest of any client. At the same time, our firm also believes that if investment goals are similar for clients and for our representatives, it is logical, and even desirable, that there be common ownership of some securities. In order to prevent conflicts of interest, our firm has established procedures for transactions effected 1 by our representatives for their personal accounts . In order to monitor compliance with our personal trading policy, our firm has pre-clearance requirements, more specifically for initial public offerings (“IPOs”) and private placements, and a quarterly securities transaction reporting system for all of our representatives. Neither our firm nor a related person recommends, buys or sells for client accounts, securities in which our firm or a related person has a material financial interest without prior disclosure to the client. Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities and other investments that are also recommended to clients. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Likewise, related persons of our firm buy or sell securities for themselves at or about the same time they buy or sell the same securities for client accounts. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Further, our related persons will refrain from buying or selling the same securities prior to buying or selling for our clients in the ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 16 The Dala Group, LLC same day unless included in a block trade. Item 12: Brokerage Practices Custodian & Brokers Used Item Our firm does not maintain custody of client assets (although our firm may be deemed to have 15 Custody custody of client assets if given the authority to withdraw assets from client accounts. See , below). Client assets must be maintained in an account at a “qualified custodian,” generally a broker-dealer or bank. Our firm recommends that clients use the Schwab Advisor Services division of Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. (“Schwab”), a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, member SIPC, as the qualified custodian. Our firm is independently owned and operated, and not affiliated with Schwab. Schwab will hold client assets in a brokerage account and buy and sell securities when instructed. While our firm recommends that clients use Schwab as custodian/broker, clients will decide whether to do so and open an account with Schwab by entering into an account agreement directly with them. Our firm does not open the account. Even though the account is maintained at Schwab, our firm can still use other brokers to execute trades, as described in the next paragraph. How Brokers/Custodians Are Selected • Our firm seeks to recommend a custodian/broker who will hold client assets and execute transactions on terms that are overall most advantageous when compared to other available providers and their services. A wide range of factors are considered, including, but not limited to: • • • • • • • • Products & Services Available from Schwab combination of transaction execution services along with asset custody services (generally without a separate fee for custody) capability to execute, clear and settle trades (buy and sell securities for client accounts) capabilities to facilitate transfers and payments to and from accounts (wire transfers, check requests, bill payment, etc.) breadth of investment products made available (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), etc.) availability of investment research and tools that assist in making investment decisions quality of services competitiveness of the price of those services (commission rates, margin interest rates, other fees, etc.) and willingness to negotiate them reputation, financial strength and stability of the provider prior service to our firm and our other clients availability of other products and services that benefit our firm, as discussed below (see “ ”) Custody & Brokerage Costs Schwab generally does not charge a separate fee for custody services, but is compensated by charging commissions or other fees to clients on trades that are executed or that settle into the Schwab account. In addition to commissions, Schwab charges a flat dollar amount as a “prime ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 17 The Dala Group, LLC broker” or “trade away” fee for each trade that our firm has executed by a different broker-dealer but where the securities bought or the funds from the securities sold are deposited (settled) into a Schwab account. These fees are in addition to the commissions or other compensation paid to the executing broker- dealer. Because of this, in order to minimize client trading costs, our firm has Schwab execute most trades for the accounts. Products & Services Available from Schwab Schwab Advisor Services is Schwab’s business serving independent investment advisory firms like our firm. They provide our firm and clients with access to its institutional brokerage – trading, custody, reporting and related services – many of which are not typically available to Schwab retail customers. Schwab also makes available various support services. Some of those services help manage or administer our client accounts while others help manage and grow our business. Schwab’s support services are generally available on an unsolicited basis (our firm does not have to request them) and at no charge to our firm. The availability of Schwab’s products and services is not based on the provision of particular investment advice, such as purchasing particular securities for clients. Here is a more detailed description of Schwab’s support services: Services that Benefit Clients Schwab’s institutional brokerage services include access to a broad range of investment products, execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets. The investment products available through Schwab include some to which our firm might not otherwise have access or that would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment by firm clients. Schwab’s services described in this paragraph generally benefit clients and their accounts. Services that May Not Directly Benefit Clients • Schwab also makes available other products and services that benefit our firm but may not directly benefit clients or their accounts. These products and services assist in managing and administering our client accounts. They include investment research, both Schwab’s and that of third parties. This research may be used to service all or some substantial number of client accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab. In addition to investment research, Schwab also makes available software and other technology that: • • • • provides access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account statements); facilitates trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts; provides pricing and other market data; facilitates payment of our fees from our clients’ accounts; and assists with back-office functions, recordkeeping and client reporting. Services that Generally Benefit Only Our Firm Schwab also offers other services intended to help manage and further develop our business enterprise. These services include: ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 18 The Dala Group, LLC • • • • educational conferences and events technology, compliance, legal, and business consulting; publications and conferences on practice management and business succession; and access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants and insurance providers. Schwab may provide some of these services itself. In other cases, Schwab will arrange for third- party vendors to provide the services to our firm. Schwab may also discount or waive fees for some of these services or pay all or a part of a third party’s fees. Schwab may also provide our firm with other benefits, such as occasional business entertainment for our personnel. Irrespective of direct or indirect benefits to our client through Schwab, our firm strives to enhance the client experience, help clients reach their goals and put client interests before that of our firm or associated persons. Our Interest in Schwab’s Services. The availability of these services from Schwab benefits our firm because our firm does not have to produce or purchase them. Our firm does not have to pay for these services, and they are not contingent upon committing any specific amount of business to Schwab in trading commissions or assets in custody. In light of our arrangements with Schwab, a conflict of interest exists as our firm may have incentive to require that clients maintain their accounts with Schwab based on our interest in receiving Schwab’s services that benefit our firm rather than based on client interest in receiving the best value in custody services and the most favorable execution of transactions. As part of our fiduciary duty to our clients, our firm 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 may indirectly influence our firm’s choice of Schwab as a custodial recommendation. Our firm examined this potential conflict of interest when our firm chose to recommend Schwab and have determined that the recommendation is in the best interest of our firm’s clients and satisfies our fiduciary obligations, including our duty to seek best execution. 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. Our firm believes that the selection of Schwab as a custodian and broker is the best interest of our clients. It is primarily supported by the scope, quality and price of Schwab’s services, and not Schwab’s services that only benefit our firm. Soft Dollars Our firm does not receive soft dollars in excess of what is allowed by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The safe harbor research products and services obtained by our firm will generally be used to service all of our clients but not necessarily all at any one particular time. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 19 The Dala Group, LLC Client Brokerage Commissions Schwab does not make client brokerage commissions generated by client transactions available for our firm’s use. Client Transactions in Return for Soft Dollars Our firm does not direct client transactions to a particular broker-dealer in return for soft dollar benefits. Brokerage for Client Referrals Our firm does not receive brokerage for client referrals. Directed Brokerage In certain instances, clients may seek to limit or restrict our discretionary authority in making the determination of the brokers with whom orders for the purchase or sale of securities are placed for execution, and the commission rates at which such securities transactions are effected. Clients may seek to limit our authority in this area by directing that transactions (or some specified percentage of transactions) be executed through specified brokers in return for portfolio evaluation or other services deemed by the client to be of value. Any such client direction must be in writing (often through our advisory agreement), and may contain a representation from the client that the arrangement is permissible under its governing laws and documents, if this is relevant. Our firm provides appropriate disclosure in writing to clients who direct trades to particular brokers, that with respect to their directed trades, they will be treated as if they have retained the investment discretion that our firm otherwise would have in selecting brokers to effect transactions and in negotiating commissions and that such direction may adversely affect our ability to obtain best price and execution. In addition, our firm will inform clients in writing that the trade orders may not be aggregated with other clients’ orders and that direction of brokerage may hinder best execution. Client-Directed Brokerage Our firm allows clients to direct brokerage outside our recommendation. Our firm may be unable to achieve the most favorable execution of client transactions. Client directed brokerage may cost clients more money. For example, in a directed brokerage account, clients may pay higher brokerage commissions because our firm may not be able to aggregate orders to reduce transaction costs, or clients may receive less favorable prices. Aggregation of Purchase or Sale Our firm provides investment management services for various clients. There are occasions on which portfolio transactions may be executed as part of concurrent authorizations to purchase or sell the same security for numerous accounts served by our firm, which involve accounts with similar ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 20 The Dala Group, LLC investment objectives. Although such concurrent authorizations potentially could be either advantageous or disadvantageous to any one or more particular accounts, they are affected only when our firm believes that to do so will be in the best interest of the effected accounts. When such concurrent authorizations occur, the objective is to allocate the executions in a manner which is deemed equitable to the accounts involved. In any given situation, our firm attempts to allocate trade executions in the most equitable manner possible, taking into consideration client objectives, current asset allocation and availability of funds using price averaging, proration and consistently non-arbitrary methods of allocation. Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans Financial Consulting clients do not receive reviews of their written plans unless they take action to schedule a financial consultation with us. Our firm does not provide ongoing services to financial consulting clients, but are willing to meet with such clients upon their request to discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Financial Consulting clients do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their financial plans unless they separately engage our firm for an update to their initial consulting appointment. Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices) Our firm receives economic benefit from Schwab in the form of the support products and services made available to our firm and other independent investment advisors that have their clients maintain accounts at Schwab. These products and services, how they benefit our firm, and the related conflicts of interest are described above . The availability of Schwab’s products and services is not based on our firm giving particular investment advice, such as buying particular securities for our clients. Referral Fees In accordance with Rule 206 (4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, our firm provides cash or non-cash compensation directly or indirectly to unaffiliated persons for testimonials or endorsements (which include client referrals). Such compensation arrangements will not result in higher costs to the referred client. In this regard, our firm maintains a written agreement with each unaffiliated person that is compensated for testimonials or endorsements in an aggregate amount of $1,000 or more (or the equivalent value in non-cash compensation) over a trailing 12-month period in compliance with Rule 206 (4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and applicable state and federal laws. The following information will be disclosed clearly and prominently to referred prospective clients at the time of each testimonial or endorsement: • • Whether or not the unaffiliated person is a current client of our firm, A description of the cash or non-cash compensation provided directly or indirectly by our firm to the unaffiliated person in exchange for the referral, if applicable, and ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 21 The Dala Group, LLC • A brief statement of any material conflicts of interest on the part of the unaffiliated person giving the referral resulting from our firm’s relationship with such unaffiliated person. In cases where state law requires licensure of solicitors, our firm ensures that no solicitation fees are paid unless the solicitor is registered as an investment adviser representative of our firm. If our firm is paying solicitation fees to another Registered Investment Adviser, the licensure of individuals is the other firm’s responsibility. Item 15: Custody While our firm does not maintain physical custody of client assets (which are maintained by a qualified custodian, as discussed above), we are deemed to have custody of certain client assets if given the authority to withdraw assets from client accounts, as further described below under “Third Party Money Movement.” All of our clients receive account statements directly from their qualified custodian(s) at least quarterly upon opening of an account. We urge our clients to carefully review these statements. Additionally, if our firm decides to send its own account statements to clients, such statements will include a legend that recommends the client compare the account statements received from the qualified custodian with those received from our firm. Clients are encouraged to raise any questions with us about the custody, safety or security of their assets and our custodial recommendations. Clients are encouraged to raise any questions with us about the custody, safety or security of their assets and our custodial recommendations. • • • • • • • The SEC issued a no-action letter (“Letter”) with respect to the Rule 206(4)-2 (“Custody Rule”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”). The letter provided guidance on the Custody Rule as well as clarified that an adviser who has the power to disburse client funds to a third party under a standing letter of instruction (“SLOA”) is deemed to have custody. As such, our firm has adopted the following safeguards in conjunction with our custodian, Schwab: The client provides an instruction to the qualified custodian, in writing, that includes the client’s signature, the third party’s name, and either the third party’s address or the third party’s account number at a custodian to which the transfer should be directed. The client authorizes the investment adviser, in writing, either on the qualified custodian’s form or separately, to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or from time to time. The client’s qualified custodian performs appropriate verification of the instruction, such as a signature review or other method to verify the client’s authorization, and provides a transfer of funds notice to the client promptly after each transfer. The client has the ability to terminate or change the instruction to the client’s qualified custodian. The investment adviser has no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third party, the address, or any other information about the third party contained in the client’s instruction. The investment adviser maintains records showing that the third party is not a related party of the investment adviser or located at the same address as the investment adviser. The client’s qualified custodian sends the client, in writing, an initial notice confirming the instruction and an annual notice reconfirming the instruction. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 22 The Dala Group, LLC Item 16: Investment Discretion Clients have the option of providing our firm with investment discretion on their behalf, pursuant to an executed investment advisory client agreement. By granting investment discretion, our firm is authorized to execute securities transactions, determine which securities are bought and sold, and the total amount to be bought and sold. Should clients grant our firm non-discretionary authority, our firm would be required to obtain the client’s permission prior to effecting securities transactions. Limitations may be imposed by the client in the form of specific constraints on any of these areas of discretion with our firm’s written acknowledgement. Item 17: Voting Client Securities Our firm does not accept the proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients will receive proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian or a transfer agent. In the event that proxies are sent to our firm, our firm will forward them to the appropriate client and ask the party who sent them to mail them directly to the client in the future. Clients may call, write or email us to discuss questions they may have about particular proxy votes or other solicitations. Item 18: Financial Information • Our firm is not required to provide financial information in this Brochure because: • • Our firm does not require the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees when services cannot be rendered within 6 months. Our firm does not take custody of client funds or securities. Our firm does not have a financial condition or commitment that impairs our ability to meet contractual and fiduciary obligations to clients. Our firm has never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding. ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 23 The Dala Group, LLC

Primary Brochure: FORM ADV2A WRAP BROCHURE (2025-06-27)

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Item 1: Cover Page Part 2A Appendix 1 of Form ADV: Wrap Fee Program Brochure June 2025 Sponsored by: The Dala Group, LLC 2815 Forbs Ave, Suite 107 Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 www.TheDalaGroup.com Firm Contact: Mike Heatwole Chief Compliance Officer This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of The Dala Group, LLC. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at 847-485-0248. The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any State Securities Authority. Additional information about our firm is also available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD #291828. Please note that the use of the term “Registered Investment Adviser” and description of our firm and/or our associates as “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Clients are encouraged to review this Brochure and Brochure Supplements for our firm’s associates who advise clients for more information on the qualifications of our firm and our employees. Item 2: Material Changes The Dala Group, LLC is required to make clients aware of information that has changed since the last annual update to the Wrap Brochure (“Wrap Brochure”) and that may be important to them. Clients can then determine whether to review the brochure in its entirety or to contact us with questions about the changes. • • • • • • Since our firm’s last filing on 02/29/2024, we have the following material changes to disclose: Our firm has clarified that we have a minimum annual fee of $4,800 for all new clients using our portfolio management service, that is only offered through wrapped accounts. Please see Item 7 of our Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 of our Wrap Brochure, Form CRS or reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm has increased our Financial Consulting service fee. Please see item 5 of our Form ADV Part 2A, Form CRS or reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm no longer offers Retirement Plan Consulting as a service. Please reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm no longer offers our separate Simple IRA Accounts services under our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management services. Please reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. Our firm has updated our fee schedule for our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management services. Please see item 4 of our firm’s Wrap Brochure or reach out to The Dala Group, LLC for additional information or questions. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 2 The Dala Group, LLC Item 3: Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................ .................................................................................................. ................................................................................ ................................................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................................... .............................................................................................................. ....................................................................... Item 1: Cover Page Item 2: Material Changes Item 3: Table of Contents Item 4: Services, Fees & Compensation Item 5: Account Requirements & Types of Clients Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection & Evaluation Item 7: Client Information Provided to Portfolio Manager(s) Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio Manager(s) Item 9: Additional Information Item 10: Requirements for State-Registered Advisers 1 2 3 4 5 5 13 14 14 16 ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 3 The Dala Group, LLC Item 4: Services, Fees & Compensation Our firm manages assets for many different types of clients to help meet their financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time horizons. As a fiduciary, it is our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is accomplished in part by knowing the client. Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory practice with open lines of communication. Working with clients to understand their investment objectives while educating them about our process, facilitates the kind of working relationship we value. Our firm sponsors and offers a wrap fee program, which allows clients to pay a single fee for investment advisory services and associated custodial transaction costs. Transaction fees will be paid by our firm via individual transaction charges. Because our firm absorbs client transaction fees, an incentive exists to limit trading activities in client accounts. Our Wrap Advisory Services Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management: As part of our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management service clients will be provided asset management and financial planning or consulting services. This service is designed to assist clients in meeting their financial goals through the use of a financial plan or consultation. Our firm conducts client meetings to understand their current financial situation, existing resources, financial goals, and tolerance for risk. Based on what is learned, an investment approach is presented to the client, consisting of individual stocks, bonds, ETFs, options, mutual funds and other public securities or investments. Once the appropriate portfolio has been determined, portfolios are continuously and regularly monitored, and if necessary, rebalanced based upon the client’s individual needs, stated goals and objectives. Upon client request, our firm provides a summary of observations and recommendations for the planning or consulting aspects of this service. We charge a blended fee for our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management services that is based on a percentage of your assets we manage and is set forth in the following fee schedule: Tiered Fee Assets Under Management Annual % $0 $480,001 $1,000,001 $2,000,001 $3,000,001 to to to to to $480,000 $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $10,000,000 Over $10,000,000 $4,800 1.00% 0.75% 0.60% 0.50% 0.35% ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 4 The Dala Group, LLC Our annual portfolio management fee is billed and payable on a pro-rata basis, monthly in arrears, based on the value of the account(s) on the time-weighted daily average of the month. Our minimum fee is $4,800. Accounts initiated or terminated during a calendar month will be charged a pro-rated fee based on the amount of time remaining in the billing period. Our firm bills on cash unless indicated otherwise in writing. Fees are non-negotiable and will be deducted from the client account(s). Adjustments will be made for deposits and withdrawals during the month. Investment allocation reviews will be done quarterly. Fees will be debited from the client’s investment accounts at Charles Schwab & Co. As an example, a client with $15,000,000 in Assets Under Management will be charged 1.0% on the first $1,000,000 of Assets, 0.75% on the next $1,000,000 of Assets, 0.60% on the next $1,000,000 of Assets, 0.50% on the next $7,000,000 of Assets, and 0.35% on the remaining Other Types of Fees & Expenses: assets. In addition to our advisory fees above, clients may also pay holdings charges imposed by the chosen custodian for certain investments, charges imposed directly by a mutual fund, index fund, or exchange traded fund, which shall be disclosed in the fund’s prospectus (i.e., fund management fees, initial or deferred sales charges, mutual fund sales loads, 12b-1 fees, surrender charges, variable annuity fees, IRA and qualified retirement plan fees, and other fund expenses), mark-ups and mark- downs, spreads paid to market makers, fees for trades executed away from custodian, wire transfer fees and other fees and taxes on brokerage accounts and securities transactions. Our firm does not receive a portion of these fees. SP Financial Group When our firm believes that individual bonds are the best fit for a specific client need, we may recommend that clients use SP Financial Group to analyze and purchase these bonds. Prior to purchasing, SP Financial Group will provide a client specific proposal that is reviewed and approved by our Chief Investment Officer, Mike Heatwole. SP Financial Group does not have discretionary authority or custody over client assets, as once the bond is purchased it is moved into the client’s Schwab account. SP Financial Group earns their fees based on the markups that are charged on the individual bonds they purchase. Our firm does not receive a portion of these fees. Wrap Fee Program Recommendations Our firm does not recommend or offer the wrap program services of other providers. Item 5: Account Requirements & Types of Clients Our firm has a minimum annual fee of $4,800 for all new clients. Our firm has the following types of clients: • • Individuals and High Net Worth Individuals; Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and/or Other Business Types ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 5 The Dala Group, LLC Item 6: Portfolio Manager Selection & Evaluation Selection of Portfolio Managers Our firm’s investment adviser representatives (“IARs”) act as portfolio manager(s) for this wrap fee program. A conflict arises in that other investment advisory firms may charge the same or lower fees than our firm for similar services. Our IARs are subject to individual licensing requirements as imposed by state securities boards. Our firm is required to confirm or update each IAR’s Form U4 on an annual basis. IAR supervision is conducted by our Chief Compliance Officer or management personnel. Advisory Business: Information about our wrap fee services can be found in Item 4 of this brochure. Our firm offers individualized investment advice to our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management clients. Each Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management client can place reasonable restrictions on the types of investments to be held in the portfolio. Restrictions on investments in certain securities or types of securities may not be possible due to the level of difficulty this would entail in managing the account. Participation in Wrap Fee Programs: Our firm only offers wrap fee accounts to our clients, which are managed on an individualized basis according to the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc. Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management: Our firm does not charge performance-based fees. Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss: We use the following methods of analysis in formulating our investment advice and/or managing client assets: Fundamental Analysis: The analysis of a business's financial statements (usually to analyze the business's assets, liabilities, and earnings), health, and its competitors and markets. When analyzing a stock, futures contract, or currency using fundamental analysis there are two basic approaches one can use: bottom up analysis and top down analysis. The terms are used to distinguish such analysis from other types of investment analysis, such as quantitative and technical. Fundamental analysis is performed on historical and present data, but with the goal of making financial forecasts. There are several possible objectives: (a) to conduct a company stock valuation and predict its probable price evolution; (b) to make a projection on its business performance; (c) to evaluate its management and make internal business decisions; (d) and/or to calculate its credit risk.; and (e) to find out the intrinsic value of the share. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 6 The Dala Group, LLC When the objective of the analysis is to determine what stock to buy and at what price, there are two basic methodologies investors rely upon: (a) Fundamental analysis maintains that markets may misprice a security in the short run but that the "correct" price will eventually be reached. Profits can be made by purchasing the mispriced security and then waiting for the market to recognize its "mistake" and re-price the security.; and (b) Technical analysis maintains that all information is reflected already in the price of a security. Technical analysts analyze trends and believe that sentiment changes predate and predict trend changes. Investors' emotional responses to price movements lead to recognizable price chart patterns. Technical analysts also analyze historical trends to predict future price movement. Investors can use one or both of these different but complementary methods for stock picking. This presents a potential risk, as the price of a security can move up or down along with the overall market regardless of the economic and financial factors considered in evaluating the stock. Quantitative Analysis: The use of models, or algorithms, to evaluate assets for investment. The process usually consists of searching vast databases for patterns, such as correlations among liquid assets or price-movement patterns (trend following or mean reversion). The resulting strategies may involve high-frequency trading. The results of the analysis are taken into consideration in the decision to buy or sell securities and in the management of portfolio characteristics. A risk in using quantitative analysis is that the methods or models used may be based on assumptions that prove to be incorrect. Qualitative Analysis: A securities analysis that uses subjective judgment based on unquantifiable information, such as management expertise, industry cycles, strength of research and development, and labor relations. Qualitative analysis contrasts with quantitative analysis, which focuses on numbers that can be found on reports such as balance sheets. The two techniques, however, will often be used together in order to examine a company's operations and evaluate its potential as an investment opportunity. Qualitative analysis deals with intangible, inexact concerns that belong to the social and experiential realm rather than the mathematical one. This approach depends on the kind of intelligence that machines (currently) lack, since things like positive associations with a brand, management trustworthiness, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage and cultural shifts are difficult, arguably impossible, to capture with numerical inputs. A risk in using qualitative analysis is that subjective judgment may prove incorrect. Sector Analysis: Sector analysis involves identification and analysis of various industries or economic sectors that are likely to exhibit superior performance. Academic studies indicate that the health of a stock's sector is as important as the performance of the individual stock itself. In other words, even the best stock located in a weak sector will often perform poorly because that sector is out of favor. Each industry has differences in terms of its customer base, market share among firms, industry growth, competition, regulation and business cycles. Learning how the industry operates provides a deeper understanding of a company's financial health. One method of analyzing a company's growth potential is examining whether the amount of customers in the overall market is expected to grow. In some markets, there is zero or negative growth, a factor demanding careful consideration. Additionally, market analysts recommend that investors should monitor sectors that are nearing the bottom of performance rankings for possible signs of an impending turnaround. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 7 The Dala Group, LLC Investment Strategies We Use We use the following strategies in managing client accounts, provided that such strategies are appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations: Asset Allocation: The implementation of an investment strategy that attempts to balance risk versus reward by adjusting the percentage of each asset in an investment portfolio according to the investor's risk tolerance, goals and investment time frame. Asset allocation is based on the principle that different assets perform differently in different market and economic conditions. A fundamental justification for asset allocation is the notion that different asset classes offer returns that are not perfectly correlated, hence diversification reduces the overall risk in terms of the variability of returns for a given level of expected return. Although risk is reduced as long as correlations are not perfect, it is typically forecast (wholly or in part) based on statistical relationships (like correlation and variance) that existed over some past period. Expectations for return are often derived in the same way. An asset class is a group of economic resources sharing similar characteristics, such as riskiness and return. There are many types of assets that may or may not be included in an asset allocation strategy. The "traditional" asset classes are stocks (value, dividend, growth, or sector-specific [or a "blend" of any two or more of the preceding]; large-cap versus mid-cap, small-cap or micro- cap; domestic, foreign [developed], emerging or frontier markets), bonds (fixed income securities more generally: investment-grade or junk [high-yield]; government or corporate; short-term, intermediate, long- term; domestic, foreign, emerging markets), and cash or cash equivalents. Allocation among these three provides a starting point. Usually included are hybrid instruments such as convertible bonds and preferred stocks, counting as a mixture of bonds and stocks. Other alternative assets that may be considered include: commodities: precious metals, nonferrous metals, agriculture, energy, others.; Commercial or residential real estate (also REITs); Collectibles such as art, coins, or stamps; insurance products (annuity, life settlements, catastrophe bonds, personal life insurance products, etc.); derivatives such as long-short or market neutral strategies, options, collateralized debt, and futures; foreign currency; venture capital; private equity; and/or distressed securities. • There are several types of asset allocation strategies based on investment goals, risk tolerance, time frames and diversification. The most common forms of asset allocation are: strategic, dynamic, tactical, and core-satellite. • • Strategic Asset Allocation: The primary goal of a strategic asset allocation is to create an asset mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance between expected risk and return for a long- term investment horizon. Generally speaking, strategic asset allocation strategies are agnostic to economic environments, i.e., they do not change their allocation postures relative to changing market or economic conditions. Dynamic Asset Allocation: Dynamic asset allocation is similar to strategic asset allocation in that portfolios are built by allocating to an asset mix that seeks to provide the optimal balance between expected risk and return for a long-term investment horizon. Like strategic allocation strategies, dynamic strategies largely retain exposure to their original asset classes; however, unlike strategic strategies, dynamic asset allocation portfolios will adjust their postures over time relative to changes in the economic environment. Tactical Asset Allocation: Tactical asset allocation is a strategy in which an investor takes a more active approach that tries to position a portfolio into those assets, sectors, or ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 8 The Dala Group, LLC • individual stocks that show the most potential for perceived gains. While an original asset mix is formulated much like strategic and dynamic portfolio, tactical strategies are often traded more actively and are free to move entirely in and out of their core asset classes Core-Satellite Asset Allocation: Core-Satellite allocation strategies generally contain a 'core' strategic element making up the most significant portion of the portfolio, while applying a dynamic or tactical 'satellite' strategy that makes up a smaller part of the portfolio. In this way, core-satellite allocation strategies are a hybrid of the strategic and dynamic/tactical allocation strategies mentioned above. Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”): An ETF is a type of Investment Company (usually, an open-end fund or unit investment trust) whose primary objective is to achieve the same return as a particular market index. The vast majority of ETFs are designed to track an index, so their performance is close to that of an index mutual fund, but they are not exact duplicates. A tracking error, or the difference between the returns of a fund and the returns of the index, can arise due to differences in composition, management fees, expenses, and handling of dividends. ETFs benefit from continuous pricing; they can be bought and sold on a stock exchange throughout the trading day. Because ETFs trade like stocks, you can place orders just like with individual stocks - such as limit orders, good- until-canceled orders, stop loss orders etc. They can also be sold short. Traditional mutual funds are bought and redeemed based on their net asset values (“NAV”) at the end of the day. ETFs are bought and sold at the market prices on the exchanges, which resemble the underlying NAV but are independent of it. However, arbitrageurs will ensure that ETF prices are kept very close to the NAV of the underlying securities. Although an investor can buy as few as one share of an ETF, most buy in board lots. Anything bought in less than a board lot will increase the cost to the investor. Anyone can buy any ETF no matter where in the world it trades. This provides a benefit over mutual funds, which generally can only be bought in the country in which they are registered. One of the main features of ETFs are their low annual fees, especially when compared to traditional mutual funds. The passive nature of index investing, reduced marketing, and distribution and accounting expenses all contribute to the lower fees. However, individual investors must pay a brokerage commission to purchase and sell ETF shares; for those investors who trade frequently, this can significantly increase the cost of investing in ETFs. That said, with the advent of low-cost brokerage fees, small or frequent purchases of ETFs are becoming more cost efficient. Equity Securities: Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. Equity securities typically consist of common stocks. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic and other conditions. For example, prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties (such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. There may be little trading in the secondary market for particular equity securities, which may adversely affect Our firm's ability to value accurately or dispose of such equity securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of equity securities. Investing in smaller companies may pose additional risks as it is often more difficult to value or dispose of small company stocks, more difficult to obtain information about smaller companies, and the prices of their stocks may be more volatile than stocks of larger, more established companies. Clients should have a long- term perspective and, for example, be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 9 The Dala Group, LLC Fixed Income: Fixed income is a type of investing or budgeting style for which real return rates or periodic income is received at regular intervals and at reasonably predictable levels. Fixed- income investors are typically retired individuals who rely on their investments to provide a regular, stable income stream. This demographic tends to invest heavily in fixed-income investments because of the reliable returns they offer. Fixed-income investors who live on set amounts of periodically paid income face the risk of inflation eroding their spending power. Some examples of fixed-income investments include treasuries, money market instruments, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, municipal bonds and international bonds. The primary risk associated with fixed-income investments is the borrower defaulting on his payment. Other considerations include exchange rate risk for international bonds and interest rate risk for longer- dated securities. The most common type of fixed-income security is a bond. Bonds are issued by federal governments, local municipalities and major corporations. Fixed-income securities are recommended for investors seeking a diverse portfolio; however, the percentage of the portfolio dedicated to fixed income depends on your own personal investment style. There is also an opportunity to diversify the fixed-income component of a portfolio. Riskier fixed-income products, such as junk bonds and longer-dated products, should comprise a lower percentage of your overall portfolio. The interest payment on fixed-income securities is considered regular income and is determined based on the creditworthiness of the borrower and current market rates. In general, bonds and fixed- income securities with longer-dated maturities pay a higher rate, also referred to as the coupon rate, because they are considered riskier. The longer the security is on the market, the more time it has to lose its value and/or default. At the end of the bond term, or at bond maturity, the borrower returns the amount borrowed, also referred to as the principal or par value. Index Fund: A mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) designed to follow certain preset rules so that the fund can track specified basket of underlying investments. Those rules may include tracking prominent indexes like the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average or implementation rules, such as tax-management, tracking error minimization, large block trading or patient/flexible trading strategies that allows for greater tracking error, but lower market impact costs. Index funds may also have rules that screen for social and sustainable criteria. An index fund’s rules of construction clearly identify the type of companies suitable for the fund. The most commonly known index fund, the S&P 500 Index Fund, is based on the rules established by S&P Dow Jones Indices for their S&P 500 Index. Equity index funds would include groups of stocks with similar characteristics such as the size, value, profitability and/or the geographic location of the companies. A group of stocks may include companies from the United States, Non- US Developed, emerging markets or Frontier Market countries. Additional index funds within these geographic markets may include indexes of companies that include rules based on company characteristics or factors, such as companies that are small, mid-sized, large, small value, large value, small growth, large growth, the level of gross profitability or investment capital, real estate, or indexes based on commodities and fixed-income. Companies are purchased and held within the index fund when they meet the specific index rules or parameters and are sold when they move outside of those rules or parameters. Think of an index fund as an investment utilizing rules-based investing. Some index providers announce changes of the companies in their index before the change date and other index providers do not make such announcements. Index funds must periodically "rebalance" or adjust their portfolios to match the new prices and ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 10 The Dala Group, LLC market capitalization of the underlying securities in the stock or other indexes that they track. This allows algorithmic traders to perform index arbitrage by anticipating and trading ahead of stock price movements caused by mutual fund rebalancing, making a profit on foreknowledge of the large institutional block orders. This results in profits transferred from investors to algorithmic traders. One problem occurs when a large amount of money tracks the same index. According to theory, a company should not be worth more when it is in an index. But due to supply and demand, a company being added can have a demand shock, and a company being deleted can have a supply shock, and this will change the price. This does not show up in tracking error since the index is also affected. A fund may experience less impact by tracking a less popular index Individual Stocks: A common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders of common stock exercise control by electing a board of directors and voting on corporate policy. Investing in individual common stocks provides us with more control of what you are invested in and when that investment is made. Having the ability to decide when to buy or sell helps us time the taking of gains or losses. Common stocks, however, bear a greater amount of risk when compared to certificate of deposits, preferred stock and bonds. It is typically more difficult to achieve diversification when investing in individual common stocks. Additionally, common stockholders are on the bottom of the priority ladder for ownership structure; if a company goes bankrupt, the common stockholders do not receive their money until the creditors and preferred shareholders have received their respective share of the leftover assets. Long-Term Purchases: Our firm may buy securities for your account and hold them for a relatively long time (more than a year) in anticipation that the security’s value will appreciate over a long horizon. The risk of this strategy is that our firm could miss out on potential short- term gains that could have been profitable to your account, or it’s possible that the security’s value may decline sharply before our firm make a decision to sell. Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests the money in a variety of differing security types based the objectives of the fund. The portfolio of the fund consists of the combined holdings it owns. Each share represents an investor’s proportionate ownership of the fund’s holdings and the income those holdings generate. The price that investors pay for mutual fund shares is the fund’s per share net asset value (“NAV”) plus any shareholder fees that the fund imposes at the time of purchase (such as sales loads). Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades. With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which is calculated daily after market close. The benefits of investing through mutual funds include: (a) Mutual funds are professionally managed by an investment adviser who researches, selects, and monitors the performance of the securities purchased by the fund; (b) Mutual funds typically have the benefit of diversification, which is an investing strategy that generally sums up as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Spreading investments across a wide range of companies and industry sectors can help lower the risk if a company or sector fails. Some investors find it easier to achieve ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 11 The Dala Group, LLC diversification through ownership of mutual funds rather than through ownership of individual stocks or bonds.; (c) Some mutual funds accommodate investors who do not have a lot of money to invest by setting relatively low dollar amounts for initial purchases, subsequent monthly purchases, or both.; and (d) At any time, mutual fund investors can readily redeem their shares at the current NAV, less any fees and charges assessed on redemption. Mutual funds also have features that some investors might view as disadvantages: (a) Investors must pay sales charges, annual fees, and other expenses regardless of how the fund performs. Depending on the timing of their investment, investors may also have to pay taxes on any capital gains distribution they receive. This includes instances where the fund went on to perform poorly after purchasing shares.; (b) Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades.; and (c) With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which the fund might not calculate until many hours after the investor placed the order. In general, mutual funds must calculate their NAV at least once every business day, typically after the major U.S. exchanges close. When investors buy and hold an individual stock or bond, the investor must pay income tax each year on the dividends or interest the investor receives. However, the investor will not have to pay any capital gains tax until the investor actually sells and makes a profit. Mutual funds are different. When an investor buys and holds mutual fund shares, the investor will owe income tax on any ordinary dividends in the year the investor receives or reinvests them. Moreover, in addition to owing taxes on any personal capital gains when the investor sells shares, the investor may have to pay taxes each year on the fund’s capital gains. That is because the law requires mutual funds to distribute capital gains to shareholders if they sell securities for a profit, and cannot use losses to offset these gains. Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”): REITs primarily invest in real estate or real estate- related loans. Equity REITs own real estate properties, while mortgage REITs hold construction, development and/or long-term mortgage loans. Changes in the value of the underlying property of the trusts, the creditworthiness of the issuer, property taxes, interest rates, tax laws, and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment all can affect the values of REITs. Both types of REITs are dependent upon management skill, the cash flows generated by their holdings, the real estate market in general, and the possibility of failing to qualify for any applicable pass-through tax treatment or failing to maintain any applicable exemptive status afforded under relevant laws. Short-Term Purchases: When utilizing this strategy, our firm may also purchase securities with the idea of selling them within a relatively short time (typically a year or less). Our firm does this in an attempt to take advantage of conditions that our firm believes will soon result in a price swing in the securities our firm purchase. Risk of Loss Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. While the stock market may increase and the account(s) could enjoy a gain, it is also possible that the stock market may decrease and the account(s) could suffer a loss. It is important that clients understand the risks associated with investing in the stock market, and that their assets are ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 12 The Dala Group, LLC appropriately diversified in investments. Clients are encouraged to ask our firm any questions regarding their risk tolerance. Company Risk: When investing in stock positions, there is always a certain level of company or industry specific risk that is inherent in each investment. This is also referred to as unsystematic risk and can be reduced through appropriate diversification. There is the risk that the company will perform poorly or have its value reduced based on factors specific to the company or its industry. For example, if a company’s employees go on strike or the company receives unfavorable media attention for its actions, the value of the company may be reduced. Credit Risk: Credit risk can be a factor in situations where an investment’s performance relies on a borrower’s repayment of borrowed funds. With credit risk, an investor can experience a loss or unfavorable performance if a borrower does not repay the borrowed funds as expected or required. Investment holdings that involve forms of indebtedness (i.e. borrowed funds) are subject to credit risk. Equity (Stock) Market Risk: Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. If you held common stock, or common stock equivalents, of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer. ETF & Mutual Fund Risk: When investing in an ETF or mutual fund, you will bear additional expenses based on your pro rata share of the ETF’s or mutual fund’s operating expenses, including the potential duplication of management fees. The risk of owning an ETF or mutual fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF or mutual fund holds. Clients will also incur brokerage costs when purchasing ETFs. Fixed Income Securities Risk: Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that their value will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause your account value to likewise decrease, and vice versa. How specific fixed income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, prepayment risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk. Credit risk is the chance that a bond issuer will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer’s ability to make such payments will cause the price of a bond to decline. Liquidity Risk: Certain assets may not be readily converted into cash or may have a very limited market in which they trade. Thus, you may experience the risk that your investment or assets within your investment may not be able to be liquidated quickly, thus, extending the period of time by which you may receive the proceeds from your investment. Liquidity risk can also result in unfavorable pricing when exiting (i.e. not being able to quickly get out of an investment before the price drops significantly) a particular investment and therefore, can have a negative impact on investment returns. Strategy Risk: There is no guarantee that the investment strategies discussed herein will work under all market conditions and each investor should evaluate his/her ability to maintain any investment he/she is considering in light of his/her own investment time horizon. Investments are subject to risk, including possible loss of principal. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 13 The Dala Group, LLC Description of Material, Significant or Unusual Risks Our firm generally invests client cash balances in money market funds, FDIC Insured Certificates of Deposit, high-grade commercial paper and/or government backed debt instruments. Ultimately, our firm tries to achieve the highest return on client cash balances through relatively low-risk conservative investments. In most cases, at least a partial cash balance will be maintained in a money market account so that our firm may debit advisory fees for our services related to our Comprehensive Portfolio Management services, as applicable. Voting Client Securities: Our firm does not accept the proxy authority to vote client securities. Clients will receive proxies or other solicitations directly from their custodian or a transfer agent. In the event that proxies are sent to our firm, our firm will forward them to the appropriate client and ask the party who sent them to mail them directly to the client in the future. Clients may call, write or email us to discuss questions they may have about particular proxy votes or other solicitations. Item 7: Client Information Provided to Portfolio Manager(s) All accounts are managed by our in-house licensed IARs. The IAR selected to manage the client’s account(s) or portfolio(s) will be privy to the client’s investment goals and objectives, risk tolerance, restrictions placed on the management of the account(s) or portfolio(s) and relevant client notes taken by our firm. Please see our firm’s Privacy Policy for more information on how our firm utilizes client information. Item 8: Client Contact with Portfolio Manager(s) Clients are always free to directly contact their portfolio manager(s) with any questions or concerns about their portfolios or other matters. Item 9: Additional Information Disciplinary Information There are no legal or disciplinary events that are material to the evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations Representatives of our firm are insurance agents/brokers. They offer insurance products and ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 14 The Dala Group, LLC receive fees as a result of insurance sales. A conflict of interest exists as these insurance sales create an incentive to recommend products based on the compensation adviser and/or our supervised persons may earn. To mitigate this potential conflict, our firm will act in the client’s best interest. Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions & Personal Trading As a fiduciary, it is an investment adviser’s responsibility to provide fair and full disclosure of all material facts and to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients at all times. Our fiduciary duty is the underlying principle for our firm’s Code of Ethics, which includes procedures for personal securities transaction and insider trading. Our firm requires all representatives to conduct business with the highest level of ethical standards and to comply with all federal and state securities laws at all times. Upon employment with our firm, and at least annually thereafter, all representatives of our firm will acknowledge receipt, understanding and compliance with our firm’s Code of Ethics. Our firm and representatives must conduct business in an honest, ethical, and fair manner and avoid all circumstances that might negatively affect or appear to affect our duty of complete loyalty to all clients. This disclosure is provided to give all clients a summary of our Code of Ethics. If a client or a potential client wishes to review our Code of Ethics in its entirety, a copy will be provided promptly upon request. Our firm recognizes that the personal investment transactions of our representatives demands the application of a Code of Ethics with high standards and requires that all such transactions be carried out in a way that does not endanger the interest of any client. At the same time, our firm also believes that if investment goals are similar for clients and for our representatives, it is logical, and even desirable, that there be common ownership of some securities. In order to prevent conflicts of interest, our firm has established procedures for transactions effected 1 . In order to monitor compliance with our by our representatives for their personal accounts personal trading policy, our firm has pre-clearance requirements, more specifically for initial public offerings (“IPOs”) and private placements, and a quarterly securities transaction reporting system for all of our representatives. Neither our firm nor a related person recommends, buys or sells for client accounts, securities in which our firm or a related person has a material financial interest without prior disclosure to the client. Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities and other investments that are also recommended to clients. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Likewise, related persons of our firm buy or sell securities for themselves at or about the same time they buy or sell the same securities for client accounts. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Further, our related persons will refrain from buying or selling the same securities prior to buying or selling for our clients in the same day. If related persons’ accounts are included in a block trade, our related persons will always trade personal accounts last. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 15 The Dala Group, LLC Review of Accounts The Dala Group, LLC, reviews accounts on at least an annual basis for our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management clients. The nature of these reviews is to learn whether clients’ accounts are in line with their investment objectives, appropriately positioned based on market conditions, and investment policies, if applicable. Our firm may review client accounts more frequently than described above. Among the factors which may trigger an off-cycle review are major market or economic events, the client’s life events, requests by the client, etc. Our firm does not provide written reports to clients, unless asked to do so. Verbal reports to clients take place on at least an annual basis when our Wrap Comprehensive Portfolio Management clients are contacted. Other Compensation Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices) Our firm receives economic benefit from Schwab in the form of the support products and services made available to our firm and other independent investment advisors that have their clients maintain accounts at Schwab. These products and services, how they benefit our firm, and the related conflicts of interest are described above . The availability of Schwab’s products and services is not based on our firm giving particular investment advice, such as buying particular securities for our clients. Client Referrals In accordance with Rule 206 (4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, our firm provides cash or non-cash compensation directly or indirectly to unaffiliated persons for testimonials or endorsements (which include client referrals). Such compensation arrangements will not result in higher costs to the referred client. In this regard, our firm maintains a written agreement with each unaffiliated person that is compensated for testimonials or endorsements in an aggregate amount of $1,000 or more (or the equivalent value in non-cash compensation) over a trailing 12-month period in compliance with Rule 206 (4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and applicable state and federal laws. The following information will be disclosed clearly and prominently to referred prospective clients at the time of each testimonial or endorsement: • • • Whether or not the unaffiliated person is a current client of our firm, A description of the cash or non-cash compensation provided directly or indirectly by our firm to the unaffiliated person in exchange for the referral, if applicable, and A brief statement of any material conflicts of interest on the part of the unaffiliated person giving the referral resulting from our firm’s relationship with such unaffiliated person. In cases where state law requires licensure of solicitors, our firm ensures that no solicitation fees are paid unless the solicitor is registered as an investment adviser representative of our firm. If our firm is paying solicitation fees to another Registered Investment Adviser, the licensure of individuals is the other firm’s responsibility. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 16 The Dala Group, LLC Financial Information • Our firm is not required to provide financial information in this Brochure because: • • Our firm does not require the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees when services cannot be rendered within 6 months. Our firm does not take custody of client funds or securities. Our firm does not have a financial condition or commitment that impairs our ability to meet contractual and fiduciary obligations to clients. Our firm has never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding. ADV Part 2A, Appendix 1 – Wrap Fee Brochure Page 17 The Dala Group, LLC