Overview
- Headquarters
- Cincinnati, OH
- Average Client Assets
- $5.7 million
- SEC CRD Number
- 105664
Recent Rankings
Forbes 2025: 46
Forbes 2024: 47
Fee Structure
Primary Fee Schedule (COMMAS - ADV PART 2A)
| Min | Max | Marginal Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | and above | 1.00% |
Illustrative Fee Rates
| Total Assets | Annual Fees | Average Fee Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $1 million | $10,000 | 1.00% |
| $5 million | $50,000 | 1.00% |
| $10 million | $100,000 | 1.00% |
| $50 million | $500,000 | 1.00% |
| $100 million | $1,000,000 | 1.00% |
Clients
- HNW Share of Firm Assets
- 89.41%
- Total Client Accounts
- 9,643
- Discretionary Accounts
- 8,804
- Non-Discretionary Accounts
- 839
Services Offered
Services: Financial Planning, Portfolio Management for Individuals, Portfolio Management for Institutional Clients, Pension Consulting
Regulatory Filings
Additional Brochure: COMMAS - ADV PART 2A (2026-03-20)
View Document Text
SEC Form
ADV Part 2A
Firm Brochure
COMMAS
March 20, 2026
This brochure provides clients and prospective clients with information about Commas and the qualifications,
business practices, and nature of its services that should be carefully considered before becoming an advisory client.
If you have any questions about the content of this brochure, please contact Commas at 513-301-2871 or
hello@usecommas.com.
The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) or any state securities administrator. Commas is wholly owned by Truepoint, Inc. Additional
information about Truepoint, Inc. is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
While the firm and its associates may be registered and/or licensed within a particular jurisdiction, that registration
and/or licensing in itself does not imply an endorsement by any regulatory authority, nor does it imply a certain level
of skill or training on the part of the firm or its associated personnel.
Commas
9999 Carver Road, Suite 200
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(P) 513-301-2871
www.usecommas.com
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Item 2 — Material Changes
Since our last annual update filed March 31, 2025, the following are the material changes made to this brochure:
In July 2025, the following updates were made to this brochure:
•
o Our address was updated to 9999 Carver Road, Suite 200, Cincinnati, OH 45242 as shown on the
cover page of this brochure.
In March 2026, the following updates were made to this brochure:
•
o
o
Item 5 was updated to disclose a revised fee schedule for 401(k) plans and to clarify that the services
offered through Betterment are offered on a Wrap fee basis; and
Item 11 was updated to reflect our current policy.
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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 and Compensation
Item 6 — Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Item 7 — Types of Clients
Item 8 — Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Item 9 — Disciplinary Information
Item 10 — Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Item 11 — Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
Item 13 — Review of Accounts
Item 14 — Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Item 15 — Custody
Item 16 — Investment Discretion
Item 17 — Voting Client Securities
Item 18 — Financial Information
Important Information
Throughout this document Commas may also be referred to as “the firm,” “firm,” “our,” “we” or “us.” The client or prospective client may be also
referred to as “you,” “your,” etc., and refers to a client engagement involving a single person as well as two or more persons, and may refer to natural
persons and legal entities. In addition, the term “advisor” and “adviser” are used interchangeably where accuracy in identification is necessary (i.e.,
Internet address, etc.).
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Item 4 — Advisory Business
Description of the Firm
Commas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Truepoint, Inc. (“Truepoint”). As of 12/31/2025, Commas had $220,784,383
in assets under management managed on a discretionary basis and $439,799 in assets under management
managed on a non-discretionary basis.
Description of Advisory Services Offered
Our firm’s financial planning services provide clients with advice on key topics such as cash flow and budgeting, debt
management, funding a college education, retirement planning, social security, and risk management, estate or tax
planning, among others.
During or prior to your first meeting with a representative of our firm you will be provided with our current Form ADV
Part 2 brochure that includes a statement involving our firm’s privacy policy, as well as a copy of a brochure
supplement from your investment advisor representative who will be assisting you. Our firm will also ensure that we
have disclosed any material conflicts of interest that could be reasonably expected to impair the rendering of
unbiased and objective advice.
Should you wish to engage Commas for its services, you must first execute our client engagement agreement.
Thereafter discussion and analysis will be conducted to determine your financial needs, goals, holdings, etc.
Depending on the scope of the engagement, you may be asked to provide copies of the following documents early in
the process:
• Wills, codicils and trusts
Insurance policies
•
• Mortgage information
• Student loans
• Tax returns
• Divorce decree or separation agreement
• Current financial specifics including W-2s or 1099s
•
Information on current retirement plans and benefits provided by your employer
• Statements reflecting current investments in retirement and non-retirement accounts
• Employment or other business agreements you may have in place
• Completed risk profile questionnaires or other forms provided by our firm
It is important that we are provided with an adequate level of information and supporting documentation throughout
the term of the engagement including but not limited to: source of funds, income levels, and an account holder or
attorney-in-fact’s authority to act on behalf of the account, among other information that may be necessary for our
services.
The information and/or financial statements provided to us need to be accurate. Our firm may, but is not obligated to,
verify the information that you have provided to us which will then be used in the advisory process.
It is essential that you inform our firm of significant issues that may call for an update to your plan. Events such as
changes in employment or marital status, an unplanned windfall, etc., can have an impact on your circumstances and
plans. Our firm needs to be aware of such events so that adjustments may be made as necessary.
Financial Planning Services
Financial planning services may be as broad-based or narrowly focused as you desire. The incorporation of most or
all of the listed components allows not only a thorough analysis but also a refined focus of your plans so that the firm
is able to assist you in reaching your goals and objectives.
Student Debt Consultation
A comprehensive review of your student loans and current financial situation. We will discuss strategies for debt
repayment, consolidation strategies, and other financing options available to you. In addition, we may provide
recommendations on where to save money to facilitate debt repayment.
Risk Management
A risk management review includes an analysis of your exposure to major risks that could have a significant adverse
impact on your financial picture, such as premature death, disability, property and casualty losses, or the need for
long-term care planning. Advice may be provided on ways to minimize such risks and about weighing the costs of
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purchasing insurance versus the benefits of doing so and, likewise, the potential cost of not purchasing insurance
(“self-insuring”).
Employee Benefits
A review is conducted and analysis is made as to whether you, as an employee, are taking maximum advantage of
your employee benefits. We will also offer advice on your employer-sponsored retirement plan and/or stock options,
along with other benefits that may be available to you.
Social Security Benefits
A review of the social security benefits available to you. We will provide you with your expected social security
distributions and examine different filing strategies based upon your specific financial objectives.
Personal Retirement Planning
Retirement planning services typically include projections of your likelihood of achieving your financial goals, with
financial independence usually the primary objective. For situations where projections show less than the desired
results, a recommendation may include showing you the impact on those projections by making changes in certain
variables (i.e., working longer, saving more, spending less, taking more risk with investments). If you are near
retirement or already retired, advice may be given on appropriate distribution strategies to minimize the likelihood of
running out of money or having to adversely alter spending during your retirement years.
When Commas provides investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual retirement
account, Commas is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or
the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. The way Commas makes
money creates some conflicts with your interests, so Commas operates under a special rule that requires Commas to
act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.
Education Planning
Advice involving college funding may include projecting the amount that will be needed to achieve postsecondary
education funding goals, along with savings strategies and the “pros-and-cons” of various college savings vehicles
that are available. We are also available to review your financial picture as it relates to eligibility for financial aid or the
best way to contribute to family members, such as grandchildren, if appropriate.
Tax Strategies
Advice may include ways to minimize current and future income taxes as a part of your overall financial planning
picture. For example, recommendations may be offered as to which type of account(s) or specific investments should
be owned based in part on their “tax efficiency,” with consideration that there is always a possibility of future changes
to federal, state or local tax laws and rates that may impact your situation.
Investment Consultation
Investment consultation services often involve providing information on the types of investment vehicles available,
employee retirement plans and/or stock options, investment analysis and strategies, asset selection and portfolio
design, as well as limited assistance if your investment account is maintained at another broker/dealer or custodian.
The strategies and types of investments that may be recommended are further discussed in Item 8 of this brochure.
General Information
Commas does not provide legal or accounting services. With your consent, we may work with other professionals,
such as your estate planning attorney, to assist with the coordination and implementation of accepted strategies. You
should be aware that these other advisors will charge you separately for their services and these fees will be in
addition to our own advisory fees.
Our firm will use its best judgment and good faith effort in rendering its services. We cannot warrant or guarantee the
achievement of a planning goal or any particular level of account performance or that your account will be profitable
over time. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Except as may otherwise be provided by law, our firm will not be liable to the client, heirs, or assignees for any loss
an account may suffer by reason of an investment decision made or other action taken or omitted in good faith by our
firm with that degree of care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances that a prudent person acting in a
fiduciary capacity would use; any loss arising from our adherence to your direction or that of your legal agent; any act
or failure to act by a service provider maintaining an account. Federal and state securities laws impose liabilities
under certain circumstances on persons who act in good faith and, therefore, nothing contained in this document or
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our client engagement agreement shall constitute a waiver of any rights that a client may have under federal and
state securities laws.
Education
Commas offers education services to businesses where the Firm may present educational, financial and other
content to employees. The employer is charged an hourly rate which includes the time spent preparing and
presenting. This hourly charge is $350, but is negotiable depending on the client.
Retirement Plan Services
Commas offers investment advisory services to qualified retirement plans. When serving in a discretionary
investment advisory capacity for a plan, Commas is in a status defined by section 3(38) of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). As a discretionary investment advisor to such plans, Commas assumes the
fiduciary responsibility for the selection, monitoring, and replacement of investment options of the plan. In its role as
a 3(38) fiduciary, Commas is only responsible for the plan investments selected by Commas. Commas has no
responsibility for those plan investments maintained in the plan by direction of the plan sponsor/trustees or any other
person or entity. Furthermore, the plan sponsor/trustees should be aware that they retain all of their fiduciary duties,
obligations, and responsibilities pursuant to applicable law.
When serving in a non-discretionary capacity for a plan, Commas is in a status defined by section 3(21) of ERISA. In
this capacity, Commas assumes no fiduciary responsibility for the completion of an investment policy statement or
any aspect of the definition, selection, maintenance, or replacement of any plan investment options. Commas only
provides information to the plan sponsor/trustees regarding investment option style parameters and performance
reporting. The plan sponsor/trustees exercise full authority over the selection of plan investment options and may, or
may not, utilize the information provided by Commas as part of their decision making process.
Commas may also provide certain information and services to plans or plan sponsors/trustees to help these parties
meet their management and fiduciary obligations to the plan. These other services may include the following:
• Assist with platform provider search and plan setup
• Plan review
• Plan participant education and communication
• Acting as a third party service liaison
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Item 5 — Fees and Compensation
Fee Description
Commas provides investment management via a platform provided by Betterment LLC (“Betterment”), a registered
investment adviser, who serves as sub-advisor to our clients in these instances. The Betterment platform is offered on
a wrap-fee basis as described below.
Clients are assessed a monthly fee of $85 and accounts are billed an annualized asset-based fee of 1.00%. This fee is
distributed as follows based on how the account is opened with us:
Betterment for Advisors
Betterment Advisors Network
Commas
0.88%
Betterment
0.12%
“All in”
1.00%
Commas
0.75%
Betterment
0.25%
“All in”
1.00%
Betterment 401(k)
Asset Level
Commas
Betterment
“All in”
Up to $249,999
1.00%
0.15%
1.15%
$250,000-$999,999
0.75%
0.15%
0.90%
Over $1,000,000
0.50%
0.15%
0.65%
Fees are billed monthly in arrears. For billing purposes, the annual rate in the table above is converted to a daily rate,
and this daily rate is multiplied by the account’s ending daily value. The sum of these daily values is then billed to
accounts on a monthly basis.
In certain instances, Commas may utilize other qualified custodians like Fidelity or Schwab. In these cases, Commas
retains the full 1.00% fee. For these custodians, fees are billed quarterly in arrears.
Discounting of Advisory Fees
The services to be provided and their specific fees will be detailed in each engagement agreement. Our published
fees may be discounted with the final decision to be made by our firm. We strive to offer fees that are fair and
reasonable in light of the experience of our firm and the services to be provided to our clients.
Additional Client Fees
Any transactional or service fees (sometimes termed brokerage fees), individual retirement account fees, qualified
retirement plan fees, account termination fees, or wire transfer fees will be borne by the account holder and per the
separate fee schedule of the custodian of record.
Fees paid by our clients to our firm for our advisory services are separate from any of these fees or other similar
charges. In addition, advisory fees paid to our firm for its services are separate from internal fees associated with
mutual funds, ETFs, exchange-traded notes (ETNs) or other investments of this type.
Per annum interest at the current statutory rate in which the client resides may be assessed on fee balances due more
than 30 days, and we may refer past due accounts to collections or legal counsel for processing. We reserve the right
to suspend some or all services once an account is deemed past due. Additional information about our fees in
relationship to our brokerage practices are noted in Items 12 and 14 of this document.
External Compensation for the Sale of Securities to Clients
Our firm does not charge or receive a commission or a mark-up on securities transactions, nor will the firm or an
associate be paid a commission on the purchase of a securities holding that is recommended to a client. We do not
receive “trailer” or SEC Rule 12b-1 fees from an investment company that may be recommended to a client. Fees
charged by such issuers are detailed in prospectuses or product descriptions and interested investors are always
encouraged to read these documents before investing. Our firm and its associates receive none of these described or
similar fees or charges. Our clients retain the option to purchase recommended or similar investments through their
own service provider.
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Termination of Services
Either party may terminate the agreement at any time by communicating the intent to terminate in writing. If you
verbally notify our firm of the termination and, if in two business days following this notification we have not received
your notice in writing, we will make a written notice of the termination in our records and send you our own termination
notice as a substitute. Our firm will not be responsible for investment allocation, advice or transactional services
(except for limited closing transactions) upon receipt of a termination notice. It will also be necessary that we inform
the custodian of record that the relationship between parties has been terminated.
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Item 6 — Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Our firm’s advisory fees will not be based on a share of capital gains or capital appreciation (growth) of any portion of
managed funds, also known as performance-based fees. Our fees will also not be based on side by-side
management, which refers to a firm simultaneously managing accounts that do pay performance-based fees (such as
a hedge fund) and those that do not.
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Item 7 — Types of Clients
We provide our budgeting and financial planning services to individuals and families of all investment experience. We
do not require minimum income, minimum asset levels or other similar preconditions for our services through this form
of engagement. We reserve the right to waive or reduce certain fees based on unique individual circumstances, special
arrangements or preexisting relationships.
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Item 8 — Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis and Investment Strategies
Our advisors meet with clients individually to fully develop client goals and objectives, assess risk tolerance based on
additional qualitative and quantitative factors, and re-adjust portfolio allocations, if necessary. We believe that the
combination of an experienced advisor leveraging a sophisticated technology platform provides the best opportunity
for our clients to reach their goals.
Commas’ core principles are rooted in the belief that investors are best served by a low-cost, passive investment
strategy. In particular, our investment philosophy is driven by the belief that low-cost, passive management via a
portfolio of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), outperforms active management on an after-tax, net-of-fees basis. We will
work with our clients to construct portfolios using highly liquid, index-tracking ETFs to ensure clients gain the desired
asset exposure at the lowest total cost of ownership. Our equity allocation maintains a slight tilt towards value and
small-cap stocks in the U.S. and achieves further diversification through the ownership of international and emerging
stocks. The recommended bond allocations balance the returns of each asset class versus the risks associated with
interest rate, credit, and geopolitical risk.
In determining the client’s long-term investment objectives, Commas helps clients understand the inherent risks
involved in investing in the capital markets. As with all investment securities, including mutual funds and ETFs, there is
a risk of loss of both income and principal. Clients should not assume that future performance of any specific
investment or investment strategy, including those recommended by Commas, will be profitable or achieve any
specific performance level.
Investment Strategy and Method of Analysis Material Risks
Our firm believes its strategies and investment recommendations are designed to produce the appropriate potential
return for the given level of risk; however, there is no guarantee that an investment objective will be achieved.
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear. We have offered examples of such
risk in the following paragraphs, and we believe it is important that our clients review and consider each of them risk
prior to investing.
Company Risk
When investing in securities, such as stocks, there is always a certain level of company or industry-specific risk that is
inherent in each company or issuer. 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. This is also referred to as unsystematic risk and can be
reduced or mitigated through diversification.
Credit Risk
The value of a fixed income security may decline, or the issuer or guarantor of that security may fail to pay interest or
principal when due, as a result of adverse changes to the issuer’s or guarantor’s financial status and/or business. In
general, lower-rated securities carry a greater degree of credit risk than higher-rated securities.
ETF Risks
The risk of owning ETFs reflect their underlying securities (e.g., stocks, bonds, etc.). These forms of securities
typically carry additional expenses based on their share of operating expenses and certain brokerage fees, which may
result in the potential duplication of certain fees.
Financial Risk
Excessive borrowing to finance a business operation increases profitability risk because the company must meet the
terms of its obligations in good times and bad. During periods of financial stress, the inability to meet loan obligations
may result in bankruptcy and/or a declining market value.
Index Investing
Certain ETFs have the potential to be affected by “active risk” (or “tracking error risk”), which might be defined as a
deviation from a stated benchmark.
Inflation Risk
When any type of inflation is present, a dollar next year will not buy as much as a dollar today because purchasing
power is eroding at the rate of inflation.
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Interest Rate Risk
Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in interest rates. The risk that
changes in interest rates will adversely affect investments will be greater for longer-term fixed income securities than
for shorter-term fixed income securities.
Market Risk
When the stock market as a whole or an industry as a whole falls, it can cause the prices of individual stocks to fall
indiscriminately. This is also called systemic or systematic risk.
Passive Investing
A portfolio that employs a passive, efficient markets approach has the potential risk at times to generate lower-than-
expected returns for the broader allocation than might be the case for a more narrowly focused asset class, and the
return on each type of asset may be a deviation from the average return for the asset class.
Political Risk
The risk of financial or market loss because of political decisions or disruptions in a particular country or region, and
may also be known as “geopolitical risk.”
QDI Ratios
While various investment holdings may be known for their potential tax-efficiency and higher “qualified dividend
income” (QM) percentages, there are asset classes within these investment vehicles or holding periods within that
may not benefit. Shorter holding periods, as well as commodities and currencies that may be part of an ETF, may be
considered “non-qualified” under certain tax code provisions. A holding’s QDI will be considered when tax-efficiency is
an important aspect of the client’s portfolio.
Research Data
When research and analyses are based on commercially available software, rating services, general market and
financial information, or due diligence reviews, a firm is relying on the accuracy and validity of the information or
capabilities provided by selected vendors, rating services, market data, and the issuers themselves. While our firm
makes every effort to determine the accuracy of the information received, we cannot predict the outcome of events or
actions taken or not taken, or the validity of all information researched or provided which may or may not affect the
advice on or investment management of an account.
Cybersecurity Risk
Cybersecurity risk, which is the risk related to unauthorized access to the systems and networks of Commas and its
service providers. The computer systems, networks and devices used by Commas and service providers to us and
our clients to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or
interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by
unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized, systems, networks or devices
potentially can be breached. A client could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.
Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices; infection from computer
viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow or otherwise disrupt operations,
business processes or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches cause disruptions and impact
business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to a client; impediments to trading; the inability by us and
other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties,
reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or other compliance costs; as well as the
inadvertent release of confidential information. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity
breaches affecting issues of securities in which a client invests; governmental and other regulatory authorities;
exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions; and other
parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by those entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches
in the future.
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Item 9 — Disciplinary History
Neither the firm nor its management has been involved in a material criminal or civil action in a domestic, foreign or
military jurisdiction, an administrative enforcement action, or self-regulatory organization proceeding that would reflect
poorly upon our offering advisory business or its integrity.
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Item 10 — Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Firm policies require associated persons to conduct business activities in a manner that avoids conflicts of interest
between the firm and its clients, or that may be contrary to law. We will provide disclosure to each client prior to and
throughout the term of an engagement regarding any conflicts of interest involving its business relationships that might
reasonably compromise its impartiality or independence.
Our firm is not registered nor has an application pending to register as a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(FINRA) or National Futures Association (NFA) member firm, nor are we required to be registered with such entities.
Neither our firm nor its management is or has a material relationship with any of the following types of entities :
insurance company or insurance agency
lawyer or law firm
• accounting firm or accountant
• bank, credit union or thrift institution
•
•
• pension consultant
•
•
•
•
real estate broker or dealer
sponsor or syndicator of limited partnerships
trust company
issuer of a security, to include investment company or other pooled investment vehicle (including a mutual
fund, closed-end investment company, unit investment trust, private investment company or “hedge fund,” and
offshore fund)
Upon your request, you may be provided a referral to various professionals, such as an accountant, attorney or
insurance representative. While these referrals are based on our best information, we do not guarantee the quality or
adequacy of the work provided by these referred professionals. We do not have an agreement with or receive fees
from these professionals for these informal referrals. Any fees charged by these other entities for their services are
completely separate from fees charged by our firm.
Commas is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Truepoint Inc. dba Truepoint Wealth Counsel. Investment advisory services
are also offered through Truepoint Wealth Counsel, and a complete description of the services offered in that program
is available in the Truepoint Wealth Counsel Part 2A Brochure.
Truepoint Institutional Advisors, LLC is wholly owned by Truepoint. Truepoint offers advisory services to institutions
under the Truepoint Institutional Advisors name. A complete description of this program is available in the Truepoint
Institutional Advisors Part 2A Brochure.
Related persons of Truepoint, Inc. own Truepoint Tax Counsel. Commas clients may receive tax services from
Truepoint Tax Counsel. Those services and related fees are described in a separate Agreement that is executed for
those services.
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Item 11 — Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
Commas, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Truepoint, Inc., holds itself to a fiduciary standard, which means the firm
and its associates will act in the utmost good faith, performing in a manner believed to be in the best interest of its
clients. Our clients entrust us with their assets, which in turn places a high standard on our conduct and integrity. Our
fiduciary duty compels all employees to act with the utmost integrity in all of our dealings. This fiduciary duty is the
core principle underlying this Code of Ethics Policy, and represents the expected basis of all of our dealings with our
clients.
This Code of Ethics consists of the following core principles:
• The interests of clients will be placed ahead of the firm’s or any employee’s own investment interests.
Employees are expected to act in the best interest of clients.
• Employees are expected to conduct their personal securities transactions in accordance with the Personal
Trading Policy and will strive to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest with the client.
• Employees will not take inappropriate advantage of their position with the firm.
• Employees shall offer and provide professional services with integrity and objectivity.
• Employees are expected to comply with federal securities laws.
• Employees will provide services to clients competently and maintain the necessary knowledge and skill to
continue to do so in those areas in which the employee is engaged.
A copy of the Code of Ethics in its entirety is available upon request to Compliance@truepointwealth.com or by writing
at Commas’ office address.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Commas and its employees do not recommend investments in which any employee or related individual has a
material financial interest.
Personal Trading
Commas and its employees may invest in the same mutual funds or ETFs as its clients. Commas and its employees
are limited to making purchases or sales of mutual funds and ETFs, based on the employee’s own unique investment
goals. These transactions are not necessarily communicated to Commas clients.
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Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
Factors Used to Select Broker/Dealers for Client Transactions
Commas does not maintain physical custody of your assets. Your account must be maintained by a qualified
custodian (generally a broker/dealer, bank or trust company) that is frequently reviewed for its capabilities to serve in
that capacity by their respective industry regulatory authority. Our firm is not a custodian nor is there an affiliate that is
a custodian.
We do not accept referral compensation from a service provider that we may recommend to our clients; however, we
utilize Betterment as our preferred custodian, and we receive a range of additional services and discounts from
Betterment through their institutional brokerage platform — trading, custody, reporting and related services — many of
which are not typically available to Betterment retail customers. Betterment also makes available various support
services. Some of those services help us manage or administer our clients’ accounts, while others help us manage
and grow our business. These may also benefit our advisory firm but may not directly benefit a client account.
For certain clients, we may recommend other qualified custodians like Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) or
Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services (“Fidelity”), FINRA-registered broker-dealers, members SIPC. We are
independently owned and operated and not affiliated with any broker-dealer.
Fidelity provides us with Fidelity’s “platform services”. The platform services include, among others, brokerage,
custodial, administrative support, record keeping and related services that are intended to support us in conducting
business and in serving the best interests of our clients. In addition, we also receive discounts on certain third-party
software applications that are used by us to manage accounts for which we have investment discretion. As a result,
Commas may have an incentive to continue to use or expand the use of Fidelity’s services.
Schwab provides our clients and us 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 us manage or administer our clients’ accounts, while others help us
manage and grow our business. In addition, Schwab makes available investment research, both the custodians’ own
and that of third parties. We may use this research to service all or some substantial number of our clients’ accounts,
including accounts not maintained at the custodian providing the investment research.
Best Execution
In seeking best execution, the determinative factor is not the lowest possible cost, but whether the transaction
represents the best overall qualitative execution, taking into consideration the full range of a broker-dealer/custodian’s
services, including among others, the value of research provided, execution capability, commission rates, and
responsiveness. Commas seeks competitive rates but may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission
rates for client transactions.
Directed Brokerage
We do not require or engage in directed brokerage involving investment consultation accounts, nor do we believe we
are obligated to seek better execution services or prices from any provider. Since transactions are completed at a
service provider of the plan’s choice they may pay more for their transactions.
Aggregating Securities Transactions
Our firm is not engaged for continuous supervision of the account through an investment consultation agreement, nor
do we have the type of investment authority over an account allowing aggregating (“batching”) trades. Note that when
trades are completed independently the account holder may pay more for the transaction than those accounts where
trades have been aggregated.
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Item 13 — Review of Accounts
Schedule for Periodic Review of Client Accounts
Periodic financial check-ups or reviews are recommended. We believe they should occur on an annual basis
whenever practical. Reviews will be conducted by your assigned investment advisor representative who is associated
with our firm and typically involve analysis and possible revision of your previous financial plan or investment
allocation. A copy of revised plans or asset allocation reports will be provided to the client upon request.
Review of Client Accounts on Non-Periodic Basis
You should contact our firm for additional reviews when you anticipate or have experienced changes in your financial
situation (i.e., changes in employment, an inheritance, the birth of a new child, etc.), or should you prefer to change
requirements involving your investment account.
Content of Client Provided Reports and Frequency
Whether you have opened and maintained an investment account on your own or with our assistance, you will receive
account statements sent directly from mutual fund companies, transfer agents, plan administrators, custodians or
brokerage companies where your investments are held. We urge you to carefully review these account statements for
accuracy and clarity, and to ask questions when something is not clear.
Our firm may provide portfolio “snapshots” if we are engaged to provide periodic asset allocation or investment advice,
but we do not provide ongoing performance reporting through our financial planning service. You should carefully
review and compare account statements that you have received from your custodian with any report you may receive
from any source, including our advisory firm, if that report contains account performance information.
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Item 14 — Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Beyond what had been previously disclosed in Item 12, our firm does not receive economic benefit from an external
source that we may recommend. We do not engage in solicitation activities involving unregistered persons.
We may have arrangements in place with third parties whereby Commas provides compensation for client referrals.
Solicitation arrangements inherently give rise to potential conflicts of interest because solicitors receive an economic
benefit for the recommendation of advisory services. Commas addresses these conflicts through this disclosure. If a
client is introduced to Commas by a solicitor, Commas has agreed to pay the solicitor a referral fee in accordance with
the requirements of Rule 206(4)-1 of the Advisers Act and any corresponding state securities law requirements. Any
referral fees incurred for successful solicitations are paid solely from Commas investment management fee, and do
not result in any additional charge to the client. If the client is introduced to Commas by a solicitor, the solicitor is
required to provide the client with a copy of Commas’ written disclosure brochure which meets the requirements of
Rule 206(4)-1 of the Advisers Act and a copy of the solicitor’s disclosure statement containing the terms and
conditions of the solicitation arrangement, including the compensation the solicitor is to receive.
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Item 15 — Custody
All client assets are held at independent, qualified custodians.
Your custodian of record will provide you with investment account transaction confirmations and account statements,
which will include all debits and credits for that period. Statements are provided on at least a quarterly basis or as
transactions occur within your account. Our firm will not create an account statement for a client or serve as the sole
recipient of an account statement.
Should you ever receive a report from our firm that includes investment performance information, you are urged to
carefully review and compare your account statements you have received directly from the custodian of record with
any performance-related report from our firm.
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Item 16 — Investment Discretion
Clients provide Commas with investment discretion on their behalf, pursuant to a grant of limited power or attorney
contained in Commas’ client agreement. By granting Commas discretion, a client authorizes Commas to direct
securities transactions and determine which securities are bought and sold, the total amount to be bought and sold,
and the costs at which the transactions will be executed. Clients may not impose limitations in the form of specific
constraints on any of these areas of discretion.
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Item 17 — Voting Client Securities
You may periodically receive proxies or other similar solicitations sent directly from their custodian or transfer agent.
Should we receive a duplicate copy, note that we do not forward these or any correspondence relating to the voting of
your securities, class action litigation, or other corporate actions.
Our firm does not vote proxies on behalf of an account. We do not offer guidance on how to vote proxies, nor will we
offer guidance involving any claim or potential claim in any bankruptcy proceeding, class action securities litigation or
other litigation or proceeding relating to securities held at any time in a client account, including, without limitation, to
file proofs of claim or other documents related to such proceeding, or to investigate, initiate, supervise or monitor class
action or other litigation involving client assets.
We will answer limited questions with respect to what a proxy voting request or other corporate matter may be and
how to reach the issuer or their legal representative.
Clients maintain exclusive responsibility for directing the manner in which proxies solicited by issuers of securities that
are beneficially owned by them shall be voted, as well as making all other elections relative to mergers, acquisitions,
tender offers or other legal matters or events pertaining to their holdings. Clients should consider contacting the issuer
or their legal counsel involving specific questions they may have with respect to a particular proxy solicitation or
corporate action.
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Item 18 — Financial Information
Commas is not required to disclose any financial information pursuant to this item due to the following:
• Commas does not require or solicit the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees six months or more in
advance of rendering services;
• Commas is unaware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet its
contractual commitments relating to its discretionary authority over certain client accounts; and
• Commas has never been the subject of a bankruptcy petition.
Additional Brochure: TRUEPOINT INSTITUTIONAL - ADV PART 2A (2026-03-20)
View Document Text
SEC Form
ADV Part 2A
Firm Brochure
March 20, 2026
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Truepoint Institutional Advisors, LLC, wholly
owned by Truepoint, Inc. (“Truepoint” or “Firm”). If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact
Truepoint at 513-792-6648 or Compliance@truepointwealth.com. The information in this brochure has not been approved or
verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or by any state securities authority.
Additional information about Truepoint is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The CRD number for
Truepoint is 105664.
Truepoint Institutional Advisors, LLC
9999 Carver Road, Suite 200
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(P) 513-792-6648
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Item 2 — Material Changes
Since our last annual update filing on March 31, 2025, the following material changes were made to this brochure:
•
In March 2026, Item 12 was updated to remove a reference to a custodian that is no longer applicable. In
addition, the section titled Order Aggregation was updated to reflect our current process.
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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 and Compensation
Item 6 — Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Item 7 — Types of Clients
Item 8 — Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Item 9 — Disciplinary History
Item 10 — Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Item 11 — Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
Item 13 — Review of Accounts
Item 14 — Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Item 15 — Custody
Item 16 — Investment Discretion
Item 17 — Voting Client Securities
Item 18 — Financial Information
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Item 4 — Advisory Business
About Truepoint Wealth Counsel, LLC
As of December 31, 2024, Truepoint Institutional Advisors, LLC (“Truepoint”) is wholly owned by Truepoint, Inc.
Truepoint offers investment advisory services to charitable foundations and endowments, non-profits, retirement
plans and other institutional investors. Our mission is to help small and mid-sized organizations manage their
investments more effectively and efficiently.
Institutional Engagement Level
Truepoint provides the following services for our institutional investment management clients:
• Assess investment objectives and risk trade-offs
• Establish appropriate asset allocation and portfolio structure
• Develop Investment Policy Statement (IPS)
• Ongoing monitoring and real-time portfolio rebalancing
• Portfolio benchmarking and clear performance reporting
Retirement plan services include:
• Plan sponsor consulting and sharing of fiduciary responsibility
• Truepoint management of each participant portfolio
• Optional development of low-cost menu for self-direction
• Ongoing employee financial education and consultation
ERISA
Truepoint is deemed to be a fiduciary to advisory clients that are employee benefit plans or individual retirement
accounts (IRAs) pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income and Securities Act (“ERISA”), and regulations under
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), respectively. As such our firm is subject to specific duties and
obligations under ERISA and the Code that include, amongst other things, restrictions concerning certain forms of
compensation. To avoid engaging in prohibited transactions, we may only charge fees for investment advice about
products for which our firm and/or related persons do not receive any commissions or 12b-1 fees, or conversely,
investment advice about products for which we receive such fees but such fees are offset by a commensurate
reduction in our investment advisory fee.
Assets under Management
We utilize a limited power of attorney to perform investment management services on behalf of our clients. We may
provide on-going advice and guidance to clients on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. This includes
assets in qualified retirement plans that are self-directed by participants, as well as private equity investments held by
select clients. As of December 31, 2025, the allocation between discretionary and non-discretionary AUM was as
follows:
Discretionary
Non-discretionary
Total AUM
$118,827,228
$875,508
$ 119,702,736
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Item 5 — Fees and Compensation
Fee Description
As a fee-only firm, fees directly from clients are the sole source of Truepoint’s compensation. The fee is calculated as a
percentage of assets according to the schedule below:
Portfolio Value
Institutional
First $5,000,000
Next $5,000,000
Next $10,000,000
Next $30,000,000
0.50%
0.40%
0.30%
0.20%
Above $50,000,000
0.10%
Truepoint Institutional Advisors, LLC seeks a minimum level of assets under management of $1,000,000. Portfolio
values below the suggested minimum are subject to a minimum fee of $5,000, which may result in an annual rate in
excess of 0.50%. Truepoint, in its sole discretion, may reduce its minimum fee and/or charge a reduced advisory fee
based upon specific circumstances. The agreement for services may be terminated at any time upon written notice of
either Truepoint or the client.
Fee Invoice
For all types of ongoing advisory services, the client will be charged at the end of each calendar quarter for advisory
services rendered. The fee is calculated on a percentage basis by multiplying one-fourth of the applicable annual rate
against the asset value under management on the last day of the quarter. Truepoint will deduct the quarterly fee from
the client’s investment portfolio; however, clients may elect to remit payment via check. In either instance, the client
has access to an invoice with the fee calculation.
Other Portfolio Expenses
Transaction Costs
Truepoint recommends a qualified third-party custodian to hold assets for clients. Clients are charged for all for
custodial expenses (brokerage commissions or transaction fees) incurred on their behalf. These fees are levied by
the custodian and charged directly to the client’s account. Truepoint does not receive any income from custodial
fees. Fees charged for buying and selling mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETF) generally range between
no cost and $25 per trade, but may be higher.
Expense Ratios
All mutual funds and ETFs include a management fee paid to the investment manager of the fund. These fees and
expenses are described in each fund’s prospectus and generally include a management fee, other fund expenses
and a possible distribution fee. Truepoint exclusively recommends low-cost, no-load funds.
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Item 6 — Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, Truepoint does not charge a performance-based fee, which is a calculation of
the fee based upon the capital gains or the capital appreciation of any of the client’s funds.
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Item 7 — Types of Clients
Description
Truepoint Institutional Advisors delivers customized investment management solutions and independent, unbiased
advice so organizational leaders can focus on fulfilling their mission. Our institutional clients include:
• Non-profit foundations and endowments
• Healthcare and community service organizations
• Private charitable foundations
• Defined benefit and pension plans
• 401(k) and other retirement plans
• Profit-sharing plans
• Trusts
Account Minimums
Truepoint recommends a minimum asset requirement of $1,000,000 for institutions seeking services.
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Item 8 — Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Investment Philosophy
Truepoint employs a holistic, evidence-based investment philosophy. We believe our role is to work with the
board/investment committee to assess the investment objectives and risk tolerance, establish an appropriate asset
allocation, develop the investment policy statement, and construct portfolios based on the following philosophical
beliefs:
• Emphasize long-term investment principles over short-term outcomes.
• Control risk through broad, global diversification as opposed to concentrated portfolio bets.
• Seek to capture market returns using low-cost, rules-based investment strategies instead of higher-cost,
traditional active managers. Our strategy uses low-cost exchanged-traded funds (ETFs) and institutionally-
priced mutual funds to accomplish this goal.
• Maintain the strategic asset allocation with disciplined rebalancing rather than attempting to tactically allocate
(i.e., market timing) and allow emotions to influence rebalancing decisions.
We recognize that certain investment principles have been proven to be persistent and pervasive over time and
employing these factors has led to superior results. These factors include:
• Exposure to the market – stocks are expected to outperform bonds over time. This will not occur every year or
even every 5 or 10-year period, but should over the long-term. For long-term investors, we believe investing in
assets with higher return expectations outweighs the short-term volatility risk, and therefore, invest the
majority of the portfolio in stocks.
• Value – relatively cheap assets tend to outperform relatively expensive assets. Just as stocks sometimes
underperform bonds, value stocks sometimes underperform growth stocks. Nevertheless, we believe value
should prevail over time, and therefore, tilt portfolios towards value.
• Size – small cap stocks should provide a performance premium over large cap stocks and therefore we
employ a small cap tilt to portfolios.
Other factors that are incorporated into portfolios by the underlying investment managers include:
• Profitability – the tendency of more profitable assets to generate higher returns.
• Momentum – the phenomenon that assets that have performed well in the past relative to other assets
continue to perform well in the future, and assets that have performed relatively poorly continue to perform
poorly.
Asset Allocation
The process begins by understanding the following:
• Time horizon
• Return objectives
• Willingness to assume risk
• Liquidity needs
Once we have a clear understanding of the investment objectives, we leverage Markowitz mean-variance and Monte
Carlo modeling as a tool to determine the appropriate strategic asset mix for each client. Because the inputs into the
models are the drivers to ensuring the output is relevant, the investment team develops forward-looking capital market
assumptions. Importantly, the risk (i.e., standard deviation) of the asset classes and the correlation between asset
classes are also developed internally.
Although these models are effective tools, our understanding of the inputs and interpretation of the outputs are equally
important. No model can give the “right” answer; therefore, these models should be complemented with a thorough
understanding of the statistical formulas, good judgment, and a real world, common sense approach to asset
allocation. We have years of experience working with institutional clients and a deep understanding of portfolio
modeling, two key components of structuring a long-term, successful asset allocation.
Portfolio Structure
The portfolio construction process includes designing well-diversified portfolios consistent with the asset allocation
targets. The research is conducted internally, but relies on industry research, best practices, and manager research.
Portfolio construction considerations include:
• Geographic weightings (i.e., U.S. vs. foreign exposures)
• Portfolio tilts (i.e., style and size)
• Use of index funds vs. rules-based strategies designed to outperform the indexes
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• Number of funds and level of diversification (seek to avoid over- and under-diversification)
Extensive research and experience play key roles in designing custom portfolios to assist our clients in meeting their
unique investment objectives.
Managers: Rules-based Investment Strategies
Investment theory, academic studies, and real world results demonstrate that active equity managers have difficulty
outperforming their benchmark returns. Even if there are skillful managers, investors would have difficulty identifying
these managers beforehand. Relying on past performance is not a reliable measure of a manager’s skill, as most do
not have track records long enough to distinguish skill from luck and past performance is not a reliable indicator of
future performance. Moreover, those investors who are confident in their ability to select superior managers are rarely
patient enough to withstand the invariable performance slumps all active managers eventually experience. Therefore,
we invest with index funds and other low cost, rules-based strategies that consistently and efficiently capture desired
market factors.
Types of Investments
In addition to diversifying clients’ accounts with mutual funds and ETFs, on a limited basis, Truepoint provides advice
on private equity investments, hedge funds and institutional grade investments for qualified investors. Private equity
investments carry a higher degree of risk because they are not publicly-traded and lack liquidity.
Investment Risk
Additional risks involved in the securities recommended by Truepoint include, among others:
• Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. The market value of equity
securities will generally fluctuate with market conditions. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of
rising prices and periods of falling prices. Prices of equity securities tend to fluctuate over the short term as a
result of factors affecting the individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. Equity
securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.
•
• Sector risk, which is the chance that significant problems will affect a particular sector, or that returns from that
sector will trail returns from the overall stock market. Daily fluctuations in specific market sectors are often
more extreme than fluctuations in the overall market.
Issuer risk, which is the risk that the value of a security will decline for reasons directly related to the issuer,
such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or
services.
• Non-diversification risk, which is the risk of focusing investments in a small number of issuers, industries or
foreign currencies, including being more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political or
regulatory occurrence than a more diversified portfolio might be.
• Non-diversification risk, which is the risk of focusing investments in a small number of issuers, industries or
foreign currencies, including being more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political or
regulatory occurrence than a more diversified portfolio might be.
• Value investing risk, which is the risk that value stocks not increase in price, not issue the anticipated stock
dividends, or decline in price, either because the market fails to recognize the stock’s intrinsic value, or
because the expected value was misgauged. If the market does not recognize that the securities are
undervalued, the prices of those securities might not appreciate as anticipated. They also may decline in price
even though in theory they are already undervalued. Value stocks are typically less volatile than growth
stocks, but may lag behind growth stocks in an up market.
• Smaller company risk, which is the risk that the value of securities issued by a smaller company will go up or
down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably as compared to more widely held securities. Investments in
smaller companies are subject to greater levels of credit, market and issuer risk.
• Foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk, which is the risk that investing in foreign securities result in the portfolio
•
experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a portfolio that invests exclusively in securities of
U.S. companies. Risks associated with investing in foreign securities include fluctuations in the exchange
rates of foreign currencies that may affect the U.S. dollar value of a security, the possibility of substantial price
volatility as a result of political and economic instability in the foreign country, less public information about
issuers of securities, different securities regulation, different accounting, auditing and financial reporting
standards and less liquidity than in the U.S. markets.
Interest rate risk, which is the chance that prices of fixed income securities decline because of rising interest
rates. Similarly, the income from fixed income securities may decline because of falling interest rates.
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• Credit risk, which is the chance that an issuer of a fixed income security 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 that fixed income security to decline.
• Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) risk, which is the risk of an investment in an ETF, including the possible loss of
principal. ETFs typically trade on a securities exchange and the prices of their shares fluctuate throughout the
day based on supply and demand, which may not correlate to their net asset values. Although ETF shares will
be listed on an exchange, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market will develop or continue.
Owning an ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities it is designed to track. ETFs are
also subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance
of the index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF, the
temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market, or discrepancies between the ETF and
the index with respect to weighting of securities or number of securities held.
•
• Management risk, which is the risk that the investment techniques and risk analyses applied by Truepoint may
not produce the desired results and that legislative, regulatory or tax developments, affect the investment
techniques available to Truepoint. There is no guarantee that a client’s investment objectives will be achieved.
• Real Estate risk, which is the risk that an investor’s investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) or
real estate-linked derivative instruments will subject the investor to risks similar to those associated with direct
ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general
economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property
taxes and operating expenses. An investment in REITs or real estate-linked derivative instruments subject the
investor to management and tax risks.
Investment Companies (“Mutual Funds”) risk, when an investor invests in mutual funds, the investor will bear
additional expenses based on his/her pro rata share of the mutual fund’s operating expenses, including the
management fees. The risk of owning a mutual fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying
investments the mutual fund holds.
• Cybersecurity risk, which is the risk related to unauthorized access to the systems and networks of Truepoint
and its service providers. The computer systems, networks and devices used by Truepoint and service
providers to us and our clients to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections
designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and
telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various
protections utilized, systems, networks or devices potentially can be breached. A client could be negatively
impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach. Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to
systems, networks or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks
that shut down, disable, slow or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes or website access or
functionality. Cybersecurity breaches cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting
in financial losses to a client; impediments to trading; the inability by us and other service providers to transact
business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage,
reimbursement or other compensation costs, or other compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of
confidential information. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting
issues of securities in which a client invests; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and
other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions; and other parties. In
addition, substantial costs may be incurred by those entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in
the future.
• Alternative Investments / Private Funds risk, investing in alternative investments is speculative, not suitable for
all clients, and intended for experienced and sophisticated investors who are willing to bear the high economic
risks of the investment, which can include:
o
o
loss of all or a substantial portion of the investment due to leveraging, short-selling or other
speculative investment practices;
lack of liquidity in that there may be no secondary market for the investment and none expected to
develop;
restrictions on transferring interests in the investment;
o volatility of returns;
o
o potential lack of diversification and resulting higher risk due to concentration of trading authority when
a single adviser is utilized;
o absence of information regarding valuations and pricing;
o delays in tax reporting;
o
o
less regulation and higher fees than mutual funds;
risks associated with the operations, personnel, and processes of the manager of the funds investing
in alternative investments.
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• Closed-End Funds risk, Closed-end funds typically use a high degree of leverage. They may be diversified or
non-diversified. Risks associated with closed-end fund investments include liquidity risk, credit risk, volatility
and the risk of magnified losses resulting from the use of leverage. Additionally, closed-end funds may trade
below their net asset value.
• Structured Notes risk -
o Complexity. Structured notes are complex financial instruments. Clients should understand the
reference asset(s) or index(es) and determine how the note’s payoff structure incorporates such
reference asset(s) or index(es) in calculating the note’s performance. This payoff calculation may
include leverage multiplied on the performance of the reference asset or index, protection from losses
should the reference asset or index produce negative returns, and fees. Structured notes may have
complicated payoff structures that can make it difficult for clients to accurately assess their value, risk
and potential for growth through the term of the structured note. Determining the performance of each
note can be complex and this calculation can vary significantly from note to note depending on the
structure. Notes can be structured in a wide variety of ways. Payoff structures can be leveraged,
inverse, or inverse-leveraged, which may result in larger returns or losses. Clients should carefully
read the prospectus for a structured note to fully understand how the payoff on a note will be
calculated and discuss these issues with Truepoint.
o
o Market risk. Some structured notes provide for the repayment of principal at maturity, which is often
referred to as “principal protection.” This principal protection is subject to the credit risk of the issuing
financial institution. Many structured notes do not offer this feature. For structured notes that do not
offer principal protection, the performance of the linked asset or index may cause clients to lose some,
or all, of their principal. Depending on the nature of the linked asset or index, the market risk of the
structured note may include changes in equity or commodity prices, changes in interest rates or
foreign exchange rates, and/or market volatility.
Issuance price and note value. The price of a structured note at issuance will likely be higher than the
fair value of the structured note on the date of issuance. Issuers now generally disclose an estimated
value of the structured note on the cover page of the offering prospectus, allowing investors to gauge
the difference between the issuer’s estimated value of the note and the issuance price. The
estimated value of the notes is likely lower than the issuance price of the note to investors because
issuers include the costs for selling, structuring and/or hedging the exposure on the note in the initial
price of their notes. After issuance, structured notes may not be re-sold on a daily basis and thus may
be difficult to value given their complexity.
o Liquidity. The ability to trade or sell structured notes in a secondary market is often very limited, as
structured notes (other than exchange-traded notes known as ETNs) are not listed for trading on
securities exchanges. As a result, the only potential buyer for a structured note may be the issuing
financial institution’s broker-dealer affiliate or the broker-dealer distributor of the structured note. In
addition, issuers often specifically disclaim their intention to repurchase or make markets in the notes
they issue. Clients should, therefore, be prepared to hold a structured note to its maturity date, or risk
selling the note at a discount to its value at the time of sale.
o Credit risk. Structured notes are unsecured debt obligations of the issuer, meaning that the issuer is
obligated to make payments on the notes as promised. These promises, including any principal
protection, are only as good as the financial health of the structured note issuer. If the structured note
issuer defaults on these obligations, investors may lose some, or all, of the principal amount they
invested in the structured notes as well as any other payments that may be due on the structured
notes.
Clients are advised that they should only commit assets for management that can be invested for the long term, that
volatility from investing can occur, and that all investing is subject to risk. Truepoint does not guarantee the future
performance of a client’s portfolio, as investing in securities involves the risk of loss that clients should be prepared to
bear.
Past performance of a security or a fund is not necessarily indicative of future performance or risk of loss.
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Item 9 — Disciplinary History
Registered Investment Advisors are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal or disciplinary events
that would be material to your evaluation of firm or integrity of the firm’s management in this item. Neither Truepoint,
nor any of its employees, has any legal or disciplinary events to report.
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Item 10 — Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Financial Industry Activities
No employees of Truepoint are registered, or have an application pending to register, as a broker-dealer or a
registered representative of a broker dealer.
Affiliations
Effective April 2016, Truepoint Inc., parent of the Advisor, wholly owns RhineVest Advisors, LLC. Effective March
2021, RhineVest Advisors, LLC changed its name to Commas.
Related persons of Truepoint own Truepoint Tax Counsel. Truepoint offers tax services under the Truepoint Tax
Counsel name. Those services and related fees are described in a separate Agreement that is executed for those
services.
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Item 11 — Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
As a fiduciary, Truepoint has a duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients. Our
clients entrust us with their assets, which in turn places a high standard on our conduct and integrity. Our fiduciary
duty compels all employees to act with the utmost integrity in all of our dealings. This fiduciary duty is the core
principle underlying this Code of Ethics Policy and represents the expected basis of all of our dealings with our clients.
This Code of Ethics consists of the following core principles:
• The interests of clients will be placed ahead of the firm’s or any employee’s own investment interests.
Employees are expected to act in the best interest of clients.
• Employees are expected to conduct their personal securities transactions in accordance with the Personal
Trading Policy and will strive to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest with the client.
• Employees will not take inappropriate advantage of their position with the firm.
• Employees shall offer and provide professional services with integrity and objectivity.
• Employees are expected to comply with federal securities laws.
• Employees will provide services to clients competently and maintain the necessary knowledge and skill to
continue to do so in those areas in which the employee is engaged.
A copy of the Code of Ethics in its entirety is available upon request to Compliance@truepointwealth.com, at Truepoint’s
office address.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Truepoint and its employees do not recommend investments in which any employee or related individual has a
material financial interest.
Personal Trading
Truepoint and its employees may invest in the same mutual funds or ETFs as its clients based on the employee’s own
unique investment goals. These transactions are not necessarily communicated to Truepoint clients.
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Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
Selecting Brokerage Firms/Best Execution
Truepoint (“we/our”) does not maintain custody of your assets that we manage (although we may be deemed to have
custody of your assets if you give us authority to withdraw assets from your account (see Item 15 – Custody, below).
Your assets must be maintained in an account at a “qualified custodian,” generally a broker-dealer or bank. We may
recommend that our clients use Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) or Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services
(“Fidelity”), FINRA-registered broker-dealers, members SIPC, as the qualified custodians. We are independently
owned and operated and not affiliated with any broker-dealer.
Fidelity and Schwab charge commission rates that are generally considered discounted from customary retail
commission rates. In seeking best execution, the determinative factor is not solely the lowest possible cost, but
whether the transaction represents the best overall qualitative execution, taking into consideration the full range of a
broker-dealer/custodian’s services, including execution capability, commission rates and responsiveness. Accordingly,
although Truepoint will seek competitive rates, it may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rates for
client account transactions.
Our custodians will hold your assets in a brokerage account and buy and sell securities when we instruct them to.
While we may recommend that you use a specific custodian, you will decide whether to do so and open your account
with them by entering into an account agreement directly with them. We do not open the account for you.
How We Select Brokers/Custodians
We seek to recommend a custodian/broker who will hold your assets and execute transactions on terms that are
overall most advantageous when compared with other available providers and their services. We consider a wide
range of factors, including these:
• 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 your account)
• 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 us 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
• Their prior service to us and our other clients
• Availability of other products and services that benefit us, as discussed below (see “Products and Services
Available to Us from Custodians”)
Products and Services Available to Us from Custodians
Fidelity provides Truepoint with Fidelity’s “platform services”. The platform services include, among others, brokerage,
custodial, administrative support, record keeping and related services that are intended to support us in conducting
business and in serving the best interests of our clients. In addition, as part of our arrangement with Fidelity, we also
receive discounts on certain third-party software applications that are used by us to manage accounts for which we
have investment discretion. As a result, Truepoint may have an incentive to continue to use or expand the use of
Fidelity’s services.
Schwab provides our clients and us 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 us manage or administer our clients’ accounts, while others help us
manage and grow our business. In addition, Schwab makes available investment research, both the custodians’ own
and that of third parties. We may use this research to service all or some substantial number of our clients’ accounts,
including accounts not maintained at the custodian providing the investment research.
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Services that Generally Benefit Only Us
Our custodians also offer other services intended to help us manage and further develop our business enterprise.
These services include:
technology, compliance, legal, and business consulting;
• educational conferences and events;
•
• publications and conferences on practice management and business succession; and
• access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants, and insurance providers.
Our custodians may provide some of these services themselves. In other cases, they will arrange for third-party
vendors to provide the services to us. Our custodians may also discount or waive their fees for some of these services
or pay all or a part of a third party’s fees. Our custodians may also provide us with other benefits such as occasional
business entertainment of our personnel.
Soft Dollars
Truepoint and its employees do not receive any financial compensation from brokerage referrals, nor does it receive
any targeted or customized research, etc. As part of the Institutional Wealth Services division of Fidelity, Truepoint will
receive general research reports and newsletters that all such advisors receive. Any research services provided by
Fidelity may be of benefit to all of our clients and not only clients having accounts at Fidelity.
Order Aggregation
Trades in the same security will be bunched in a single order (a “block”) at each custodian in an effort to obtain best
execution at the best security price available. When employing a block trade:
• We will attempt to fill client orders by day end;
•
•
If the block order is not filled by day-end, shares will be allocated to underlying accounts on a pro rata basis,
adjusted as necessary to keep client transaction costs to a minimum and in accordance with specific account
guidelines;
If a block order is filled (full or partial fill at several prices through multiple trades, an average price and
commission will be used for all trades executed;
• All accounts receiving securities from the block trade will receive the average price; and
• Only trades executed within the block on the single day may be combined for purposes of calculating the
average price.
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Item 13 — Review of Accounts
Description
Members of Truepoint’s investment team monitor accounts on a daily basis. With the use of software, portfolios are
reviewed daily and rebalanced, as necessary, to the client’s targeted allocations as noted in the client’s Investment
Policy Statement.
Regular Reports
As mentioned previously, Truepoint recommends independent, qualified custodians to hold client assets. Custodians
directly provide clients with accounts statements at least quarterly.
Truepoint provides clients with access to performance reporting detailing positions on an account level, as well as the
asset allocation of the overall portfolio. Clients are encouraged to compare the information presented by Truepoint
with the statements that are received from the custodian.
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Item 14 — Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Incoming Referrals
We do not directly compensate for referrals.
Referrals Out
We refer business to estate planning attorneys, accountants and insurance brokers. We may receive client referrals
from individuals or firms to whom we refer business. Truepoint does not directly pay for the referrals which it receives.
Other Compensation
We receive an economic benefit from Schwab in the form of the support products and services it makes available to
us and other independent investment advisors that have their clients maintain accounts at Schwab. These products
and services, how they benefit us, and the related conflicts of interest are described above (see Item 12 – Brokerage
Practices). The availability of Schwab’s products and services to us is not based on our giving particular investment
advice, such as buying particular securities for our clients.
Retirement Plan Accounts
When Truepoint provides investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual retirement
account, Truepoint is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or
the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. The way Truepoint makes
money creates some conflicts with your interests, so Truepoint operates under a special rule that requires Truepoint to
act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.
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Item 15 — Custody
All client assets are held at independent, qualified custodians. For certain clients, Truepoint is deemed to have
custody because it has the ability to withdraw funds and securities from the client’s account and/or directly debit fees.
As required, Truepoint has engaged a Certified Public Accountant to conduct surprise examinations of its process
annually.
Clients will receive monthly or quarterly account statements directly from the custodian where these assets are held.
Truepoint urges clients to carefully review these statements and compare those statements with information they
receive from Truepoint.
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Item 16 — Investment Discretion
Discretionary Authority for Trading
Clients may hire Truepoint to provide investment management services, in which case we place trades in a client’s
account without contacting the client prior to each trade to obtain the client’s permission.
Limited Power of Attorney
We utilize a limited power of attorney to perform investment management services on behalf of our clients. As
indicated, our investment management process employs a rebalancing strategy. This requires a client to pre-
authorize Truepoint to execute transactions, which will return the portfolio to its targeted allocation.
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Item 17 — Voting Client Securities
Proxy Voting Policy
Truepoint does not accept the authority to and does not vote proxies on behalf of clients. Clients retain the
responsibility for receiving and voting proxies for all and any securities maintained in client portfolios.
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Item 18 — Financial Information
Truepoint is not required to disclose any financial information pursuant to this item due to the following:
a) Truepoint does not require or solicit the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees six months or more in
advance of rendering services;
b) Truepoint is unaware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet its
contractual commitments relating to its discretionary authority over certain client accounts; and
c) Truepoint has never been the subject of a bankruptcy petition.
Additional Brochure: TRUEPOINT WEALTH - ADV PART 2A (2026-03-20)
View Document Text
SEC Form
ADV Part 2A
Firm Brochure
March 20, 2026
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Truepoint, Inc. dba Truepoint
Wealth Counsel, LLC (“Truepoint” or “Firm”). If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please
contact Truepoint at 513-792-6648 or Compliance@truepointwealth.com. The information in this brochure has not
been approved or verified by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or by any state securities
authority.
Additional information about Truepoint is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. The CRD
number for Truepoint is 105664.
Truepoint Wealth Counsel, LLC
9999 Carver Road, Suite 200
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(P) 513-792-6648
(F) 513-792-6644
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Item 2 — Material Changes
Since our last annual update filing done March 31, 2025, the following are the material changes made to this
brochure:
In March 2026:
•
o
o
o
Item 5 was updated to disclose fees associated with External Managers. Fees related to
Irrevocable Trust Administration services were removed since they are no longer applicable;
Item 12 was updated to disclose our current Order Aggregation process; and
Item 13 was updated to describe our current Account Review process.
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Item 3 — Table of Contents
Item 1 — Cover Page
1
Item 2 — Material Changes
2
Item 3 — Table of Contents
3
Item 4 — Advisory Business
4
Item 5 — Fees and Compensation
5
Item 6 — Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
7
Item 7 — Types of Clients
8
Item 8 — Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
9
Item 9 — Disciplinary History
12
Item 10 — Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
13
Item 11 — Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading 14
Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
15
Item 13 — Review of Accounts
17
Item 14 — Client Referrals and Other Compensation
18
Item 15 — Custody
19
Item 16 — Investment Discretion
20
Item 17 — Voting Client Securities
21
22
Item 18 — Financial Information
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Item 4 — Advisory Business
About Truepoint Wealth Counsel, LLC
Truepoint, Inc. dba Truepoint Wealth Counsel, LLC offers wealth management and financial advisory services that
deliver clarity and confidence to our clients’ lives. As part of our fiduciary responsibility, we place clients first in
proactively delivering advice and customized service. Delivered by integrated teams of specialists, our services
include financial planning, investment management, tax management, risk management and estate planning. We are
proud of our legacy of independence and our investing track record. Founded by Michael J. Chasnoff in 1990 as one
of the first fee-only wealth management firms in the greater Cincinnati area, Truepoint is 100% employee-owned.
Individual and Family Engagement Levels
For every level of engagement, you can expect personal service, a long-term perspective, integrated planning and a
disciplined investment process.
True Wealth Management
Truepoint provides comprehensive wealth management services primarily to individuals and families who have in
excess of $3 million of investable assets. These ongoing services include:
Investment portfolio design, tax efficient management and reporting
Insurance needs analysis, policy review and coverage design
•
• Comprehensive financial planning analysis and strategy
• Budgeting and cash flow planning
• Tax services including strategic income tax planning and preparation
• Estate planning strategy, architecture, document review and monitoring
•
• Coordinated personal action plan
• Values-based, life-centered approach to goal setting
Foundational Wealth Management
Our Foundational Wealth Management program is designed for clients with at least $1 million of investable assets
and includes the following services:
Investment portfolio design, tax‐efficient management and reporting
•
• Financial projections and scenario testing
• General financial advice in areas such as:
o Retirement savings and income planning
o Portfolio withdrawal rate analysis
o College and K-12 education planning and savings strategies
o Budget and savings / distributions strategies
o Beneficiary designation and account titling recommendations and implementation
o Debt management
o Employee benefits advice
o Life insurance, long-term care, and disability insurance
Family Office
Truepoint provides expanded services for the needs of complex multi-generational families with a net worth in excess
of $30 million. In addition to benefiting from our True Wealth Management services, the unique needs of our family
office clients may require additional services such as:
Integrated individual and multi-generational planning and family governance
Intra-family loan administration
•
• Next-gen education
• Philanthropic planning and optimization
• Legacy planning
•
• Executor/Trustee services
• Tax optimization strategies across all family members and entities
• External account aggregation
• Customized reporting on all assets
Family Office clients execute a custom agreement that details the fees for this service.
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Truepoint also offers specialized services for current employees of Procter & Gamble. Please contact us for details.
Additional Services
Truepoint also offers additional services beyond what our True Wealth Management engagement provides. For
additional fees, described in Item 5 below, Truepoint can assist with estate administration, irrevocable trust
administration, and bill payment and reporting.
Commas
For fee-only fiduciary advice regardless of asset size, see the Commas Brochure. A wholly-owned subsidiary of
Truepoint, Commas marries a robust digital platform with ongoing, personal guidance.
Institutional Engagement Level
Truepoint provides retirement plan management and investment management services for corporations and non-
profit entities. Please see the Truepoint Institutional Advisory Brochure for additional details.
Assets under Management
We utilize a limited power of attorney to perform investment management services on behalf of our clients. We may
provide on-going advice and guidance to clients on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. This includes
assets in qualified retirement plans that are self-directed by participants, as well as private equity investments held by
select clients. As of December 31, 2025, the allocation between discretionary and non-discretionary AUM was as
follows:
Discretionary
Non-discretionary
$6,319,120,995
$73,609,959
Item 5 — Fees and Compensation
Fee Description
As a fee-only firm, fees directly from clients are the sole source of Truepoint’s compensation. The fee is calculated as a
percentage of assets according to the schedule below:
Portfolio Value
First $3,000,000
Next $2,000,000
Next $5,000,000
Above $10,000,000
Annual Advisory Fee
1.00%
0.75%
0.60%
0.45%
Quarterly Advisory Fee
0.25%
0.1875%
0.15%
0.1125%
For True Wealth Management clients, asset totals below the suggested minimum of $3,000,000 are subject to a
minimum quarterly fee of $7,500 which may result in an annual rate in excess of 1.00%.
For Foundational Wealth Management clients, asset totals below the suggested minimum of $1,000,000 are subject to
a minimum quarterly fee of $2,500 which may result in an annual rate in excess of 1.00%.
Truepoint, in its sole discretion, may reduce its minimum fee and/or charge a reduced advisory fee based upon
specific circumstances. The agreement for services may be terminated at any time upon written notice of either
Truepoint or the client.
Fee Invoice
For all types of ongoing advisory services, the client will be charged at the end of each calendar quarter for advisory
services rendered. The fee is calculated on a percentage basis by multiplying one-fourth of the applicable annual rate
against the asset value under management on the last day of the quarter. Truepoint will deduct the quarterly fee from
the client’s investment portfolio, however, clients may elect to remit payment via check. In either instance, the client
has access to an invoice with the fee calculation.
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Other Portfolio Expenses
Transaction Costs
Truepoint recommends a qualified third-party custodian to hold assets for clients. Clients are charged for all for
custodial expenses (brokerage commissions or transaction fees) incurred on their behalf. These fees are levied by
the custodian and charged directly to the client’s account. Truepoint does not receive any income from custodial
fees. Fees charged for buying and selling mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETF) generally range between
no cost and $25 per trade, but may be higher.
Expense Ratios
All mutual funds and ETFs include a management fee paid to the investment manager of the fund. These fees and
expenses are described in each fund’s prospectus and generally include a management fee, other fund expenses
and a possible distribution fee. Truepoint exclusively recommends low-cost, no-load funds. The current average-
weighted expense ratio for a typical Truepoint portfolio approximates 0.14%.
External Managers
Truepoint may further recommend to clients that all or a portion of their investment portfolio be managed on a
discretionary basis by one or more unaffiliated money managers or investment platforms (“External Managers”).
The client may be required to enter into a separate agreement with the External Manager(s), which will set forth the
terms and conditions of the client’s engagement of the External Manager and the investment management fees
charged by the designated External Managers. The fees charged by the External Manager are in addition to the
annual advisory fee charged by Truepoint.
Additional Administrative Services
Estate Administration – services may include, but not limited to, consultation regarding the distribution of assets and
probate court process, review of income or estate tax returns, and participation in meetings with attorneys and/or
beneficiaries. A one-time fee of $2,500 shall be charged to cover these services. For more complex cases, additional
fees may apply. In these cases, a separate Agreement will be executed that details the fee.
Bill Payment and Reporting – the fee for adding bill supervision and expense management reporting will vary
depending on the complexity of the services required. A separate Agreement specific to this service will be executed
that details the corresponding fee.
Tax Services – clients receiving tax preparation services execute a separate Agreement outside of the standard
Advisory Agreement. If not already included as part of the client’s standard Advisory Agreement, additional fees for
tax preparation services are addressed in the separate Agreement.
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Item 6 — Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, Truepoint does not charge a performance-based fee, which is a calculation of
the fee based upon the capital gains or the capital appreciation of any of the client’s funds.
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Item 7 — Types of Clients
Description
Truepoint generally serves individuals (mass affluent to high-net worth), families, trusts and institutional relationships
(corporations, foundations and qualified plans).
Account Minimums
Truepoint provides suggested account minimums for each service level, however, we allow consumers to determine
whether our services are appropriate for their needs. Therefore, the firm does not impose a minimum investment net
worth requirement for individuals seeking services. However, portfolios below certain values are subject to a minimum
fee. The minimum fee may result in an annual rate in excess of the stated rate.
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Item 8 — Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Item 8 — Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Our Investment Philosophy
Conventional investment wisdom suggests that smart people, working diligently and informing themselves with the
latest information, can pick undervalued stocks and time the market. Further, many believe that this kind of “active”
investing leads to superior returns.
Decades of historical data, a huge body of academic research and ongoing market realities make clear that:
• Market timing and stock picking do not work—Wall Street and the financial media perpetuate the myth that
they work because they stand to profit from people who believe it.
• The high cost of active investing means about 70% of managers are destined to under perform the overall
market in any given year.
• Most managers achieving market outperformance do so simply by chance.
We believe there is opportunity for results in establishing and adhering to an appropriate long-term investment
strategy built on goal-focused, long-term financial planning, low-cost funds and disciplined rebalancing.
Our intellectually honest and transparent approach recognizes that the hardest work in investing is often emotional
and that investor behavior can be the primary determinant of long-term returns.
Our Process, Types of Investments and Risk of Loss
Truepoint’s investment process is rigorously focused on the long term and leverages what works. We build from a
sound empirical foundation of decades of market performance data and the overwhelming evidence provided by many
academic studies. Our approach is designed to build confidence, reduce complexity and mitigate against both market
and emotional risks.
How do we do it? By following a set of essential steps.
• Start with Goals: Identify objectives; define time horizon; cash flow needs and risk preferences; assess
financial resources required; evaluate savings ability and strategies.
• Design Intelligent Portfolio: Diversify by asset class to efficiently balance market; inflation and longevity risks
in light of time horizon and cash flow needs; strategically allocate assets and classes so that overall portfolio
volatility is lower than the sum of individual components.
• Make Smart Selections: Identify funds for each asset class; choose index funds based on design and total
cost.
• Rebalance with Discipline: Seize opportunity in resetting to allocation targets; systematize “sell high, buy low”
and maintain the intended portfolio risk levels.
In addition to diversifying clients’ accounts with mutual funds and ETFs, on a limited basis, Truepoint provides advice
on private equity investments, hedge funds and institutional grade investments for qualified investors. Alternative
investments carry a higher degree of risk since they are not publicly-traded and lack liquidity.
In determining the client’s long-term investment objectives, Truepoint helps clients understand the inherent risks
involved in investing in the capital markets. As with all investment securities, including mutual funds and ETFs, there is
a risk of loss of both income and principal. Clients should not assume that future performance of any specific
investment or investment strategy, including those recommended by Truepoint, will be profitable or achieve any
specific performance level.
Additional risks involved in the securities recommended by Truepoint include, among others:
• Stock market risk, which is the chance that stock prices overall will decline. The market value of equity
securities will generally fluctuate with market conditions. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of
rising prices and periods of falling prices. Prices of equity securities tend to fluctuate over the short term as a
result of factors affecting the individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. Equity
securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.
• Sector risk, which is the chance that significant problems will affect a particular sector, or that returns from that
sector will trail returns from the overall stock market. Daily fluctuations in specific market sectors are often
more extreme than fluctuations in the overall market.
•
Issuer risk, which is the risk that the value of a security will decline for reasons directly related to the issuer,
such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or
services.
• Non-diversification risk, which is the risk of focusing investments in a small number of issuers, industries or
foreign currencies, including being more susceptible to risks associated with a single economic, political or
regulatory occurrence than a more diversified portfolio might be.
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• Value investing risk, which is the risk that value stocks not increase in price, not issue the anticipated stock
dividends, or decline in price, either because the market fails to recognize the stock’s intrinsic value, or
because the expected value was misgauged. If the market does not recognize that the securities are
undervalued, the prices of those securities might not appreciate as anticipated. They also may decline in price
even though in theory they are already undervalued. Value stocks are typically less volatile than growth
stocks, but may lag behind growth stocks in an up market.
• Smaller company risk, which is the risk that the value of securities issued by a smaller company will go up or
down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably as compared to more widely held securities. Investments in
smaller companies are subject to greater levels of credit, market and issuer risk.
• Foreign (non-U.S.) investment risk, which is the risk that investing in foreign securities result in the portfolio
•
experiencing more rapid and extreme changes in value than a portfolio that invests exclusively in securities of
U.S. companies. Risks associated with investing in foreign securities include fluctuations in the exchange
rates of foreign currencies that may affect the U.S. dollar value of a security, the possibility of substantial price
volatility as a result of political and economic instability in the foreign country, less public information about
issuers of securities, different securities regulation, different accounting, auditing and financial reporting
standards and less liquidity than in the U.S. markets.
Interest rate risk, which is the chance that prices of fixed income securities decline because of rising interest
rates. Similarly, the income from fixed income securities may decline because of falling interest rates.
• Credit risk, which is the chance that an issuer of a fixed income security 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 that fixed income security to decline.
• Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) risk, which is the risk of an investment in an ETF, including
the possible loss of principal. ETFs typically trade on a securities exchange and the prices of their shares
fluctuate throughout the day based on supply and demand, which may not correlate to their net asset values.
Although ETF shares will be listed on an exchange, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market
will develop or continue. Owning an ETF generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying securities it is
designed to track. ETFs are also subject to secondary market trading risks. In addition, an ETF may not
replicate exactly the performance of the index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction
costs incurred by the ETF, the temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market, or
discrepancies between the ETF and the index with respect to weighting of securities or number of securities
held.
•
• Management risk, which is the risk that the investment techniques and risk analyses applied by Truepoint may
not produce the desired results and that legislative, regulatory, or tax developments, affect the investment
techniques available to Truepoint. There is no guarantee that a client’s investment objectives will be achieved.
• Real Estate risk, which is the risk that an investor’s investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) or
real estate-linked derivative instruments will subject the investor to risks similar to those associated with direct
ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general
economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property
taxes and operating expenses. An investment in REITs or real estate-linked derivative instruments subject the
investor to management and tax risks.
Investment Companies (“Mutual Funds”) risk, when an investor invests in mutual funds, the investor will bear
additional expenses based on his/her pro rata share of the mutual fund’s operating expenses, including the
management fees. The risk of owning a mutual fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying
investments the mutual fund holds.
• Cybersecurity risk, which is the risk related to unauthorized access to the systems and networks of Truepoint
and its service providers. The computer systems, networks and devices used by Truepoint and service
providers to us and our clients to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections
designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and
telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various
protections utilized, systems, networks or devices potentially can be breached. A client could be negatively
impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach. Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to
systems, networks or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks
that shut down, disable, slow or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes or website access or
functionality. Cybersecurity breaches cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting
in financial losses to a client; impediments to trading; the inability by us and other service providers to transact
business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage,
reimbursement or other compensation costs, or other compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of
confidential information. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting
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issues of securities in which a client invests; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and
other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions; and other parties. In
addition, substantial costs may be incurred by those entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in
the future.
• Alternative Investments / Private Funds risk, investing in alternative investments is speculative, not suitable for
all clients, and intended for experienced and sophisticated investors who are willing to bear the high economic
risks of the investment, which can include:
o
o
loss of all or a substantial portion of the investment due to leveraging, short-selling or other
speculative investment practices;
lack of liquidity in that there may be no secondary market for the investment and none expected to
develop;
restrictions on transferring interests in the investment;
o volatility of returns;
o
o potential lack of diversification and resulting higher risk due to concentration of trading authority when
a single adviser is utilized;
o absence of information regarding valuations and pricing;
o delays in tax reporting;
o
o
less regulation and higher fees than mutual funds;
risks associated with the operations, personnel, and processes of the manager of the funds investing
in alternative investments.
• Closed-End Funds risk, Closed-end funds typically use a high degree of leverage. They may be diversified or
non-diversified. Risks associated with closed-end fund investments include liquidity risk, credit risk, volatility
and the risk of magnified losses resulting from the use of leverage. Additionally, closed-end funds may trade
below their net asset value
Clients are advised that they should only commit assets for management that can be invested for the long term, that
volatility from investing can occur, and that all investing is subject to risk. Truepoint does not guarantee the future
performance of a client’s portfolio, as investing in securities involves the risk of loss that clients should be prepared to
bear.
Past performance of a security or a fund is not necessarily indicative of future performance or risk of loss.
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Item 9 — Disciplinary History
Registered Investment Advisors are required to disclose all material facts regarding any legal or disciplinary events
that would be material to your evaluation of firm or integrity of the firm’s management in this item. Neither Truepoint,
nor any of its employees, has any legal or disciplinary events to report.
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Item 10 — Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Financial Industry Activities
No employees of Truepoint are registered, or have an application pending to register, as a broker-dealer or a
registered representative of a broker dealer.
Affiliations
Effective April 2016, Truepoint Inc., wholly owns RhineVest Advisors, LLC. Effective March 2021, RhineVest
Advisors, LLC changed its name to Commas. A complete description of this program is available in the Commas Part
2A Brochure.
Truepoint Institutional Advisors, LLC is wholly owned by Truepoint. Truepoint offers advisory services to institutions
under the Truepoint Institutional Advisors name. A complete description of this program is available in the Truepoint
Institutional Advisors Part 2A Brochure.
Related persons of Truepoint own Truepoint Tax Counsel. Truepoint offers tax services under the Truepoint Tax
Counsel name. Those services and related fees are described in a separate Agreement that is executed for those
services.
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Item 11 — Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
As a fiduciary, Truepoint has a duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients. Our
clients entrust us with their assets, which in turn places a high standard on our conduct and integrity. Our fiduciary
duty compels all employees to act with the utmost integrity in all of our dealings. This fiduciary duty is the core
principle underlying this Code of Ethics Policy, and represents the expected basis of all of our dealings with our
clients.
This Code of Ethics consists of the following core principles:
• The interests of clients will be placed ahead of the firm’s or any employee’s own investment interests.
Employees are expected to act in the best interest of clients.
• Employees are expected to conduct their personal securities transactions in accordance with the Personal
Trading Policy and will strive to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest with the client.
• Employees will not take inappropriate advantage of their position with the firm.
• Employees shall offer and provide professional services with integrity and objectivity.
• Employees are expected to comply with federal securities laws.
• Employees will provide services to clients competently and maintain the necessary knowledge and skill to
continue to do so in those areas in which the employee is engaged.
A copy of the Code of Ethics in its entirety is available upon request to Compliance@truepointwealth.com, at
Truepoint’s office address.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Truepoint and its employees do not recommend investments in which any employee or related individual has a
material financial interest.
Personal Trading
Truepoint and its employees may invest in the same mutual funds or ETFs as its clients. Truepoint and its employees
are limited to making purchases or sales of mutual funds and ETFs, based on the employee’s own unique investment
goals. These transactions are not necessarily communicated to Truepoint clients.
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Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
Item 12 — Brokerage Practices
The Custodians and Brokers We Use
Truepoint Wealth Counsel (“we/our”) does not maintain custody of your assets that we manage (although we may be
deemed to have custody of your assets if you give us authority to withdraw assets from your account (see Item 15 –
Custody, below). Your assets must be maintained in an account at a “qualified custodian,” generally a broker-dealer or
bank. We may recommend that our clients use Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) or Fidelity Institutional Wealth
Services (“Fidelity”), FINRA-registered broker-dealers, members SIPC, as the qualified custodians. We are
independently owned and operated and not affiliated with any broker-dealer.
Fidelity and Schwab charge commission rates that are generally considered discounted from customary retail
commission rates. In seeking best execution, the determinative factor is not solely the lowest possible cost, but
whether the transaction represents the best overall qualitative execution, taking into consideration the full range of a
broker-dealer/custodian’s services, including execution capability, commission rates and responsiveness. Accordingly,
although Truepoint will seek competitive rates, it may not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rates for
client account transactions.
Our custodians will hold your assets in a brokerage account and buy and sell securities when we instruct them to.
While we may recommend that you use a specific custodian, you will decide whether to do so and open your account
with them by entering into an account agreement directly with them. We do not open the account for you.
How We Select Brokers/Custodians
We seek to recommend a custodian/broker who will hold your assets and execute transactions on terms that are
overall most advantageous when compared with other available providers and their services. We consider a wide
range of factors, including these:
• 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 your account)
• 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 us 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
• Their prior service to us and our other clients
• Availability of other products and services that benefit us, as discussed below (see “Products and Services
Available to Us from Custodians”)
Products and Services Available to Us from Custodians
Fidelity provides Truepoint with Fidelity’s “platform services”. The platform services include, among others, brokerage,
custodial, administrative support, record keeping and related services that are intended to support us in conducting
business and in serving the best interests of our clients. In addition, as part of our arrangement with Fidelity, we also
receive discounts on certain third-party software applications that are used by us to manage accounts for which we
have investment discretion. As a result, Truepoint may have an incentive to continue to use or expand the use of
Fidelity’s services.
Schwab provides our clients and us 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 us manage or administer our clients’ accounts, while others help us
manage and grow our business. In addition, Schwab makes available investment research, both the custodians’ own
and that of third parties. We may use this research to service all or some substantial number of our clients’ accounts,
including accounts not maintained at the custodian providing the investment research.
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technology, compliance, legal, and business consulting;
Services that Generally Benefit Only Us
Our custodians also offer other services intended to help us manage and further develop our business enterprise.
These services include:
• educational conferences and events;
•
• publications and conferences on practice management and business succession; and
• access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants, and insurance providers.
Our custodians may provide some of these services themselves. In other cases, they will arrange for third-party
vendors to provide the services to us. Our custodians may also discount or waive their fees for some of these services
or pay all or a part of a third party’s fees. Our custodians may also provide us with other benefits such as occasional
business entertainment of our personnel.
Soft Dollars
Truepoint and its employees do not receive any financial compensation from brokerage referrals, nor does it receive
any targeted or customized research, etc. The custodians may provide Truepoint with general research reports and
newsletters that all such advisors receive. Any research services provided by the custodians may be of benefit to all of
our clients, not only clients having accounts at a specific custodian. Truepoint has not entered into any formal “soft
dollar” arrangements with any custodian.
Order Aggregation
Trades in the same security will be bunched in a single order (a “block”) at each custodian in an effort to obtain best
execution at the best security price available. When employing a block trade:
• We will attempt to fill client orders by day end;
•
•
If the block order is not filled by day-end, shares will be allocated to underlying accounts on a pro rata basis,
adjusted as necessary to keep client transaction costs to a minimum and in accordance with specific account
guidelines;
If a block order is filled (full or partial fill at several prices through multiple trades, an average price and
commission will be used for all trades executed;
• All accounts receiving securities from the block trade will receive the average price; and
• Only trades executed within the block on the single day may be combined for purposes of calculating the
average price.
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Item 13 — Review of Accounts
Description
Members of Truepoint’s investment team monitor accounts on a continual basis. With the use of software, portfolios
are reviewed daily and rebalanced, as necessary, to the client’s targeted allocations as noted in the client’s Investment
Policy Statement. Additionally, portfolios are reviewed as needed by the Wealth Advisor and in connection with the
annual meeting process.
Regular Reports
As mentioned previously, Truepoint recommends independent, qualified custodians to hold client assets. Custodians
directly provide clients with accounts statements at least quarterly.
Truepoint provides clients with access to performance reporting detailing positions on an account level, as well as the
asset allocation of the overall portfolio. Clients are encouraged to compare the information presented by Truepoint
with the statements that are received from the custodian.
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Item 14 — Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Incoming Referrals
We are pleased that the majority of our new clients are generated by existing client referrals. We do not directly
compensate clients for such referrals.
Referrals Out
We refer business to estate planning attorneys, accountants and insurance brokers. Certain individuals to whom we
refer business engage Truepoint for retainer services at standard pricing. We may receive client referrals from
individuals or firms to whom we refer business. Truepoint does not directly compensate for the referrals which it
receives.
Other Compensation
We receive economic benefits from Schwab and Fidelity in the form of the support products and services it makes
available to us and other independent investment advisors that have their clients maintain accounts at these
custodians. These products and services, how they benefit us, and the related conflicts of interest are described
above (see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices). The availability of Fidelity’s or Schwab’s products and services to us is not
based on our giving particular investment advice, such as buying particular securities for our clients.
Retirement Plan Accounts
When Truepoint provides investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual retirement
account, Truepoint is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or
the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. The way Truepoint makes
money creates some conflicts with your interests, so Truepoint operates under a special rule that requires Truepoint to
act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.
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Item 15 — Custody
All client assets are held at independent, qualified custodians. For certain clients, Truepoint is deemed to have
custody since it has the ability to withdraw funds and securities from the client’s account and/or directly debit fees. In
addition, if Truepoint serves as trustee or executor for a client, Truepoint is deemed to have custody.
As required, Truepoint has engaged a Certified Public Accountant to conduct surprise examinations of its process
annually. These relationships are limited to a small number of clients.
Clients will receive monthly or quarterly account statements directly from the custodian where these assets are held.
Truepoint urges clients to carefully review these statements and compare those statements with account information
they receive from Truepoint.
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Item 16 — Investment Discretion
Clients of Truepoint hire us to provide discretionary investment advisory services, in which case, we place trades in a
client account without contacting the client prior to each trade to obtain the client’s permission. Clients give us
discretionary authority when they sign an investment advisory agreement with our firm. This requires a client to pre-
authorize Truepoint to execute transactions, which will return the portfolio to its targeted allocation. Other trading
activity may include tax loss harvesting or portfolio restructuring.
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Item 17 — Voting Client Securities
Proxy Voting Policy
Truepoint does not accept the authority to and does not vote proxies on behalf of clients. Clients retain the
responsibility for receiving and voting proxies for all and any securities maintained in client portfolios.
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Item 18 — Financial Information
Truepoint is not required to disclose any financial information pursuant to this item due to the following:
a) Truepoint does not require or solicit the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees six months or more in
advance of rendering services;
b) Truepoint is unaware of any financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair its ability to meet its
contractual commitments relating to its discretionary authority over certain client accounts; and
c) Truepoint has never been the subject of a bankruptcy petition.
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