Description of FirmTownSquare Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser primarily based in Provo, UT. We are
organized as a limited liability company ("LLC") under the laws of the State of Utah. We have been
providing investment advisory services since June 2017. We are primarily owned by Foundry Partners,
LLC.
The following paragraphs describe our services and fees. Refer to the description of each investment
advisory service listed below for information on how we tailor our advisory services to your individual
needs. As used in this brochure, the words "we," "our," and "us" refer to TownSquare Capital, LLC and
the words "you," "your," and "client" refer to you as either a client or prospective client of our firm.
Asset Management ServicesWe offer discretionary asset management services. Our investment advice is tailored to meet our
clients' needs and investment objectives.
If you participate in our discretionary asset management services, we require you to grant us
discretionary authority to manage your account. Subject to a grant of discretionary authorization, we
have the authority and responsibility to formulate investment strategies on your behalf. Discretionary
authorization will allow us to determine the specific securities, and the amount of securities, to be
purchased or sold for your account without obtaining your approval prior to each transaction. We will
also have discretion over the broker or dealer to be used for securities transactions in your account.
Discretionary authority is typically granted by the investment advisory agreement you sign with our
firm, a power of attorney, or trading authorization forms.
You may limit our discretionary authority (for example, limiting the types of securities that can be
purchased or sold for your account) by providing our firm with your restrictions and guidelines in
writing.
We may also offer non-discretionary asset management services. If you enter into non-discretionary
arrangements with our firm, we must obtain your approval prior to executing any transactions on behalf
of your account. You have an unrestricted right to decline to implement any advice provided by our firm
on a non-discretionary basis.
As part of our asset management services, in addition to other types of investments (see disclosures
below in this section), we may invest your assets according to one or more model portfolios developed
by our firm. These models are designed for investors with varying degrees of risk tolerance ranging
from a more aggressive investment strategy to a more conservative investment approach. Clients
whose assets are invested in model portfolios may not set restrictions on the specific holdings or
allocations within the model, nor the types of securities that can be purchased in the model.
Nonetheless, clients may impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities in
their account. In such cases, this may prevent a client from investing in certain models that are
managed by our firm.
Financial Planning ServicesWe offer financial planning services which typically involve providing a variety of advisory services to
clients regarding the management of their financial resources based upon an analysis of their
individual needs. These services can range from broad-based financial planning to consultative or
single subject planning. If you retain our firm for financial planning services, we will meet with you to
gather information about your financial circumstances and objectives. We may also use financial
planning software to determine your current financial position and to define and quantify your long-term
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goals and objectives. Once we specify those long-term objectives (both financial and non-financial), we
will develop shorter-term, targeted objectives. Once we review and analyze the information you provide
to our firm and the data derived from our financial planning software, we will deliver a written plan to
you, designed to help you achieve your stated financial goals and objectives.
We provide the following financial planning services:
•Financial Planning: We will collect the pertinent data, conduct personal interviews with you,
and present you with a written financial plan.
•Specific Financial Planning: We will collect the pertinent data, conduct personal interviews
with you, and present selected report(s).
•Hourly Financial Consultation: We will provide financial consulting services on an hourly
basis.
•Seminar Training: We will provide educational seminars to our clients on financial industry
related matters.
Financial plans are based on your financial situation at the time we present the plan to you, and on the
financial information you provide to us. You must promptly notify our firm if your financial situation,
goals, objectives, or needs change.
You are under no obligation to act on our financial planning recommendations. Should you choose to
act on any of our recommendations, you are not obligated to implement the financial plan through any
of our other investment advisory services. Moreover, you may act on our recommendations by placing
securities transactions with any brokerage firm.
Sub-Advisory Services to Registered Investment AdvisersWe offer sub-advisory services to unaffiliated third party money managers (the "Primary Investment
Adviser") per the terms and conditions of a written Sub-Advisory Agreement. With respect to its sub-
advisory services, the unaffiliated investment advisers that engage Adviser's sub-advisory services
maintain both the initial and ongoing day-to-day relationship with the underlying client, including initial
and ongoing determination of client suitability for Adviser's designated investment strategies.
Adviser's obligation shall be limited to management of the allocated assets consistent with the
objective and/or strategy designated by the Adviser. If the custodian/broker-dealer is determined by the
unaffiliated investment adviser, Adviser will be unable to negotiate commissions and/or transaction
costs, and/or seek better execution. As a result, client may pay higher commissions or other
transaction costs or greater spreads, or receive less favorable net prices, on transactions for the
account than would otherwise be the case through alternative clearing arrangements recommended by
Adviser. Higher transaction costs adversely impact account performance.
Types of InvestmentsWe offer advice on equity securities, warrants, corporate debt securities (other than commercial
paper), commercial paper, certificates of deposit, municipal securities, variable life insurance, variable
annuities, mutual fund shares, United States government securities, options contracts on securities,
options contracts on commodities, futures contracts on tangibles, futures contracts on intangibles,
money market funds, real estate, REITs, PIPEs, derivatives, structured notes, ETFs, interests in
partnerships investing in real estate, oil and gas.
Additionally, we may advise you on various types of investments based on your stated goals and
objectives. We may also provide advice on any type of investment held in your portfolio at the inception
of our advisory relationship.
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Wrap Fee ProgramsIn the event that Adviser is engaged to provide investment advisory services as part of an unaffiliated
wrap-fee program, Adviser will be unable to negotiate commissions and/or transaction costs. Under a
wrap program, the wrap program sponsor arranges for the investor participant to receive investment
advisory services, the execution of securities brokerage transactions, custody and reporting services
for a single specified fee. Participation in a wrap program may cost the participant more or less than
purchasing such services separately.
Assets Under ManagementAs of January 3, 2019, we provide continuous management services for $450,833,037 in client assets
on a discretionary basis, and $627,714,899 in client assets on a non-discretionary basis.
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Asset Management ServicesOur annual fee for asset management services varies between 0.10% and 2.50% depending upon the
market value of your assets under our management and the scope of the services we provide to you.
These fees are negotiable. Assets in each of your account(s) are included in the fee assessment
unless specifically identified in writing for exclusion.
Our annual asset management fee is billed and payable, quarterly in advance, based on the balance at
end of billing period.
If the asset management agreement is executed at any time other than the first day of a calendar
quarter, our fees will apply on a pro rata basis, which means that the advisory fee is payable in
proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you are a client. Our advisory fee is
negotiable, depending on individual client circumstances.
At our discretion, we may combine the account values of family members living in the same household
to determine the applicable advisory fee. For example, we may combine account values for you and
your minor children, joint accounts with your spouse, and other types of related accounts. Combining
account values may increase the asset total, which may result in your paying a reduced advisory fee
based on the available breakpoints in our fee schedule stated above.
We will deduct our fee directly from your account through the qualified custodian holding your funds
and securities. We will deduct our advisory fee only when you have given our firm written authorization
permitting the fees to be paid directly from your account. Further, the qualified custodian will deliver an
account statement to you at least quarterly. These account statements will show all disbursements
from your account. You should review all statements for accuracy.
You may terminate the asset management agreement upon written notice. You will incur a pro rata
charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the asset management agreement, which
means you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you
are a client. If you have pre-paid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated
refund of those fees.
Financial Planning ServicesWe charge an hourly fee of $150 for financial planning services, which is negotiable depending on the
scope and complexity of the plan, your situation, and your financial objectives. An estimate of the total
time/cost will be determined at the start of the advisory relationship. In limited circumstances, the
cost/time could potentially exceed the initial estimate. In such cases, we will notify you and request that
you approve the additional fee.
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We also offer advice on single subject financial planning/general consulting services at the same
hourly rate.
We will not require prepayment of a fee more than six months in advance and in excess of $1,200.
You may terminate the financial planning agreement upon 30 days written notice to our firm. Since
fees are payable in arrears, you will be responsible for a prorated fee based on services performed.
Sub-Advisory Services for Registered Investment AdvisersFees and payment arrangements are negotiable and will vary on a case-by-case basis.
You may terminate the agreement upon written notice to our firm. You will incur a pro rata charge for
services rendered prior to the termination of the agreement, which means you will incur advisory fees
only in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you are a client. If you have pre-paid
advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated refund of those fees.
Additional Fees and ExpensesAs part of our investment advisory services to you, we may invest, or recommend that you invest, in
mutual funds and exchange traded funds, as well as exchange traded equities. The fees that you pay
to our firm for investment advisory services are separate and distinct from the fees and expenses charged by mutual funds or exchange traded funds (described in each fund's prospectus) to their shareholders. These fees will generally include a management fee and other
fund expenses. You will also incur transaction charges and/or brokerage fees when purchasing or
selling securities, including but not limited to stocks or equities, bonds, exchange traded funds
("ETFs"), options, and mutual funds. These charges and fees are typically imposed by the broker-
dealer or custodian through whom your account transactions are executed. We do not share in any
portion of the brokerage fees/transaction charges imposed by the broker-dealer or custodian. To fully
understand the total cost you will incur, you should review all the fees charged by mutual funds,
exchange traded funds, our firm, and others. For information on our brokerage practices, refer to the
Brokerage Practices section of this brochure.
We may trade client accounts on margin. Each client must sign a separate margin agreement before
margin is extended to that client account. Fees for advice and execution on these securities are based
on the total asset value of the account, which includes the value of the securities purchased on margin.
While a negative amount may show on a client's statement for the margined security as the result of a
lower net market value, the amount of the fee is based on the absolute market value. This creates a
conflict of interest where we have an incentive to encourage the use of margin to create a higher
market value and therefore receive a higher fee. The use of margin may also result in interest charges
in addition to all other fees and expenses associated with the security involved.
Compensation for the Sale of Securities or Other Investment ProductsSome of the persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are registered representatives
with DFPG Investments, Inc., securities broker-dealers, and members of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. In their capacity as registered
representatives, these persons receive compensation in connection with the purchase and sale of
securities or other investment products, including asset-based sales charges, service fees or 12b-1
fees, for the sale or holding, of mutual funds. Compensation earned by these persons in their
capacities as registered representatives is separate and in addition to our advisory fees. This practice
presents a conflict of interest because persons providing investment advice to advisory clients on
behalf of our firm who are registered representatives have an incentive to recommend investment
products based on the compensation received rather than solely based on your needs. Persons
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providing investment advice to advisory clients on behalf of our firm can select or recommend, and in
many instances will select or recommend, mutual fund investments in share classes that pay 12b-1
fees when clients are eligible to purchase share classes of the same funds that do not pay such fees
and are less expensive. This presents a conflict of interest. You are under no obligation, contractually
or otherwise, to purchase securities products through any person affiliated with our firm who receives
compensation described above.
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We do not accept performance-based fees or participate in side-by-side management. Performance-
based fees are fees that are based on a share of a capital gains or capital appreciation of a client's
account. Side-by-side management refers to the practice of managing accounts that are charged
performance-based fees while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged performance-
based fees. Our fees are calculated as described in the
Fees and Compensation section above, and
are not charged on the basis of a share of capital gains upon, or capital appreciation of, the funds in
your advisory account.
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We offer investment advisory services to individuals, high net worth individuals, charitable
organizations, corporations, and other business entities.
In general, we do not require a minimum dollar amount to open and maintain an advisory account;
however, we have the right to terminate your Account if it falls below a minimum size which, in our sole
opinion, is too small to manage effectively. We may also combine account values for you and your
minor children, joint accounts with your spouse, and other types of related accounts to meet the stated
minimum.
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Our Methods of Analysis and Investment StrategiesWe may use one or more of the following methods of analysis or investment strategies when providing
investment advice to you:
Charting Analysis - involves the gathering and processing of price and volume pattern information for
a particular security, sector, broad index or commodity. This price and volume pattern information is
analyzed. The resulting pattern and correlation data is used to detect departures from expected
performance and diversification and predict future price movements and trends.
Risk: Our charting analysis may not accurately detect anomalies or predict future price
movements. Current prices of securities may reflect all information known about the security and
day-to-day changes in market prices of securities may follow random patterns and may not be
predictable with any reliable degree of accuracy.
Technical Analysis - involves studying past price patterns, trends and interrelationships in the
financial markets to assess risk-adjusted performance and predict the direction of both the overall
market and specific securities.
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Risk: The risk of market timing based on technical analysis is that our analysis may not accurately
detect anomalies or predict future price movements. Current prices of securities may reflect all
information known about the security and day-to-day changes in market prices of securities may
follow random patterns and may not be predictable with any reliable degree of accuracy.
Fundamental Analysis - involves analyzing individual companies and their industry groups, such as a
company's financial statements, details regarding the company's product line, the experience and
expertise of the company's management, and the outlook for the company and its industry. The
resulting data is used to measure the true value of the company's stock compared to the current
market value.
Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis is that information obtained may be incorrect and the
analysis may not provide an accurate estimate of earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's
value. If securities prices adjust rapidly to new information, utilizing fundamental analysis may not
result in favorable performance.
Cyclical Analysis - a type of technical analysis that involves evaluating recurring price patterns and
trends. Economic/business cycles may not be predictable and may have many fluctuations between
long-term expansions and contractions.
Risk: The lengths of economic cycles may be difficult to predict with accuracy and therefore the
risk of cyclical analysis is the difficulty in predicting economic trends and consequently the
changing value of securities that would be affected by these changing trends.
Modern Portfolio Theory - a theory of investment which attempts to maximize portfolio expected
return for a given amount of portfolio risk, or equivalently minimize risk for a given level of expected
return, by carefully diversifying the proportions of various assets.
Risk: Market risk is that part of a security's risk that is common to all securities of the same
general class (stocks and bonds) and thus cannot be eliminated by diversification.
Long-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that the value of those securities
will grow over a relatively long period of time, generally greater than one year.
Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally assumes the financial markets will go up in
the long-term which may not be the case. There is also the risk that the segment of the market
that you are invested in or perhaps just your particular investment will go down over time even if
the overall financial markets advance. Purchasing investments long-term may create an
opportunity cost - "locking-up" assets that may be better utilized in the short-term in other
investments.
Short-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that they will be sold within a
relatively short period of time, generally less than one year, to take advantage of the securities' short-
term price fluctuations.
Risk: Using a short-term purchase strategy generally assumes that we can predict how financial
markets will perform in the short-term which may be very difficult and will incur a disproportionately
higher amount of transaction costs compared to long-term trading. There are many factors that
can affect financial market performance in the short-term (such as short-term interest rate
changes, cyclical earnings announcements, etc.) but may have a smaller impact over longer
periods of times.
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Short Sales - Unlike a straightforward investment in stocks where you buy shares with the expectation
that their price will increase so you can sell at a profit, in a "short sale" you borrow stocks from your
brokerage firm and sell them immediately, hoping to buy them later at a lower price. Thus, a short
seller hopes that the price of a stock will go down in the near future. A short seller thus uses declines in
the market to his advantage. The short seller makes money when the stock prices fall and loses when
prices go up. The SEC has strict regulations in place regarding short selling.
Risk: Short selling is very risky. Investors should exercise extreme caution before short selling is
implemented. A short seller will profit if the stock goes down in price, but if the price of the shares
increase, the potential losses are unlimited because the stock can keep rising forever. There is no
ceiling on how much a short seller can lose in a trade. The share price may keep going up and the
short seller will have to pay whatever the prevailing stock price is to buy back the shares.
However, gains have a ceiling level because the stock price cannot fall below zero.
Risks: A short seller has to undertake to pay the earnings on the borrowed securities as long as
the short seller chooses to keep the short position open. If the company declares huge dividends
or issues bonus shares, the short seller will have to pay that amount to the lender. Any such
occurrence can skew the entire short investment and make it unprofitable. The broker can use the
funds in the short seller's margin account to buy back the loaned shares or issue a "call away" to
get the short seller to return the borrowed securities. If the broker makes this call when the stock
price is much higher than the price at the time of the short sale, then the investor can end up
taking huge losses.
Risk: Margin interest can be a significant expense. Since short sales can only be undertaken in
margin accounts, the interest payable on short trades can be substantial, especially if short
positions are kept open over an extended period.
Risk: Shares that are difficult to borrow - because of high short interest, limited float, or any other
reason - have "hard-to-borrow" fees. These fees are based on an annualized rate that can range
from a small fraction of a percent to more than 100% of the value of the short trade. The hard-to-
borrow rate can fluctuate substantially on a daily basis; therefore, the exact dollar amount of the
fee may not be known in advance, and may be substantial.
Margin Transactions - a securities transaction in which an investor borrows money to purchase a
security, in which case the security serves as collateral on the loan.
Risk: If the value of the shares drops sufficiently, the investor will be required to either deposit
more cash into the account or sell a portion of the stock in order to maintain the margin
requirements of the account. This is known as a "margin call." An investor's overall risk includes
the amount of money invested plus the amount that was loaned to them.
Option Writing - a securities transaction that involves selling an option. An option is a contract that
gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a particular security at a specified price
on or before the expiration date of the option. When an investor sells a call option, he or she must
deliver to the buyer a specified number of shares if the buyer exercises the option. When an investor
sells a put option, he or she must pay the strike price per share if the buyer exercises the option, and
will receive the specified number of shares. The option writer/seller receives a premium (the market
price of the option at a particular time) in exchange for writing the option.
Risk: Options are complex investments and can be very risky, especially if the investor does not
own the underlying stock. In certain situations, an investor's risk can be unlimited.
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Trading - We may use frequent trading (in general, selling securities within 30 days of purchasing the
same securities) as an investment strategy when managing your account(s). Frequent trading is not a
fundamental part of our overall investment strategy, but we may use this strategy occasionally when
we determine that it is suitable given your stated investment objectives and tolerance for risk. This may
include buying and selling securities frequently in an effort to capture significant market gains and
avoid significant losses.
Risk: When a frequent trading policy is in effect, there is a risk that investment performance within
your account may be negatively affected, particularly through increased brokerage and other
transactional costs and taxes.
Our investment strategies and advice may vary depending upon each client's specific financial
situation. As such, we determine investments and allocations based upon your predefined objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other various suitability factors.
Your restrictions and guidelines may affect the composition of your portfolio. It is important that you
notify us immediately with respect to any material changes to your financial circumstances, including for example, a change in your current or expected income level, tax circumstances, oremployment status.
We will not perform quantitative or qualitative analysis of individual securities. Instead, we will advise
you on how to allocate your assets among various classes of securities or third party money
managers. We primarily rely on investment model portfolios and strategies developed by the third party
money managers and their portfolio managers. We may replace/recommend replacing a third party
money manager if there is a significant deviation in characteristics or performance from the stated
strategy and/or benchmark.
Tax ConsiderationsOur strategies and investments may have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless we
specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in the
management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you consult with a tax professional regarding the investing of your assets.
Moreover, custodians and broker-dealers must report the cost basis of equities acquired in client
accounts on or after January 1, 2011. Your custodian will default to the First-In First-Out ("FIFO")
accounting method for calculating the cost basis of your investments. You are responsible for
contacting your tax advisor to determine if this accounting method is the right choice for you. If your tax
advisor believes another accounting method is more advantageous, provide written notice to our firm
immediately and we will alert your account custodian of your individually selected accounting method.
Decisions about cost basis accounting methods will need to be made before trades settle, as the cost
basis method cannot be changed after settlement.
Risk of LossInvesting in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent or
guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully
identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
We cannot offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past
performance is in no way an indication of future performance.
Other Risk ConsiderationsWhen evaluating risk, financial loss may be viewed differently by each client and may depend on many
different risks, each of which may affect the probability and magnitude of any potential loses. The
following risks may not be all-inclusive, but should be considered carefully by a prospective client
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before retaining our services.
Liquidity Risk: The risk of being unable to sell your investment at a fair price at a given time due to high
volatility or lack of active liquid markets. You may receive a lower price or it may not be possible to sell
the investment at all.
Credit Risk: Credit risk typically applies to debt investments such as corporate, municipal, and
sovereign fixed income or bonds. A bond issuing entity can experience a credit event that could impair
or erase the value of an issuer's securities held by a client.
Inflation and Interest Rate Risk: Security prices and portfolio returns will likely vary in response to
changes in inflation and interest rates. Inflation causes the value of future dollars to be worth less and
may reduce the purchasing power of a client's future interest payments and principal. Inflation also
generally leads to higher interest rates which may cause the value of many types of fixed income
investments to decline.
Horizon and Longevity Risk: The risk that your investment horizon is shortened because of an
unforeseen event, for example, the loss of your job. This may force you to sell investments that you
were expecting to hold for the long term. If you must sell at a time that the markets are down, you may
lose money. Longevity Risk is the risk of outliving your savings. This risk is particularly relevant for
people who are retired, or are nearing retirement.
Recommendation of Particular Types of SecuritiesWe recommend various types of securities and we do not primarily recommend one particular type of
security over another since each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each type of
security has its own unique set of risks associated with it and it would not be possible to list here all of
the specific risks of every type of investment. Even within the same type of investment, risks can vary
widely. However, in very general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an investment, the higher
the risk of loss associated with the investment. A description of the types of securities we may
recommend to you and some of their inherent risks are provided below.
Money Market Funds: A money market fund is technically a security. The fund managers attempt to
keep the share price constant at $1/share. However, there is no guarantee that the share price will stay
at $1/share. If the share price goes down, you can lose some or all of your principal. The U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") notes that "While investor losses in money market
funds have been rare, they are possible." In return for this risk, you should earn a greater return on
your cash than you would expect from a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insured
savings account (money market funds are not FDIC insured). Next, money market fund rates are
variable. In other words, you do not know how much you will earn on your investment next month. The
rate could go up or go down. If it goes up, that may result in a positive outcome. However, if it goes
down and you earn less than you expected to earn, you may end up needing more cash. A final risk
you are taking with money market funds has to do with inflation. Because money market funds are
considered to be safer than other investments like stocks, long-term average returns on money market
funds tends to be less than long term average returns on riskier investments. Over long periods of
time, inflation can eat away at your returns.
Certificates of Deposit: Certificates of deposit are generally the safest type of investment since they
are insured by the federal government up to a certain amount. However, because the returns are
generally very low, it is possible for inflation to outpace the return. Likewise, U.S. government
securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government but it is also possible for the
rate of inflation to exceed the returns.
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Municipal Securities: Municipal securities, while generally thought of as safe, can have significant
risks associated with them including, but not limited to: the credit worthiness of the governmental entity
that issues the bond; the stability of the revenue stream that is used to pay the interest to the
bondholders; when the bond is due to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same amount of interest or yield to maturity.
Bonds: Corporate debt securities (or "bonds") are typically safer investments than equity securities,
but their risk can also vary widely based on: the financial health of the issuer; the risk that the issuer
might default; when the bond is set to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same rate of return.
Stocks: There are numerous ways of measuring the risk of equity securities (also known simply as
"equities" or "stock"). In very broad terms, the value of a stock depends on the financial health of the
company issuing it. However, stock prices can be affected by many other factors including, but not
limited to the class of stock (for example, preferred or common); the health of the market sector of the
issuing company; and, the overall health of the economy. In general, larger, better established
companies ("large cap") tend to be safer than smaller start-up companies ("small cap") are but the
mere size of an issuer is not, by itself, an indicator of the safety of the investment.
Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds: Mutual funds and exchange traded funds ("ETF") are
professionally managed collective investment systems that pool money from many investors and invest
in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, other mutual funds, other securities, or any
combination thereof. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund's investments in accordance
with the fund's investment objective. While mutual funds and ETFs generally provide diversification,
risks can be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a particular sector of the market,
primarily invests in small cap or speculative companies, uses leverage (i.e., borrows money) to a
significant degree, or concentrates in a particular type of security (i.e., equities) rather than balancing
the fund with different types of securities. ETFs differ from mutual funds since they can be bought and
sold throughout the day like stock and their price can fluctuate throughout the day. The returns on
mutual funds and ETFs can be reduced by the costs to manage the funds. Also, while some mutual
funds are "no load" and charge no fee to buy into, or sell out of, the fund, other types of mutual funds
do charge such fees which can also reduce returns. Mutual funds can also be "closed end" or "open
end". So-called "open end" mutual funds continue to allow in new investors indefinitely whereas
"closed end" funds have a fixed number of shares to sell which can limit their availability to new
investors.
ETFs may have tracking error risks. For example, the ETF investment adviser may not be able to
cause the ETF's performance to match that of its Underlying Index or other benchmark, which may
negatively affect the ETF's performance. In addition, for leveraged and inverse ETFs that seek to track
the performance of their Underlying Indices or benchmarks on a daily basis, mathematical
compounding may prevent the ETF from correlating with performance of its benchmark. In addition, an
ETF may not have investment exposure to all of the securities included in its Underlying Index, or its
weighting of investment exposure to such securities may vary from that of the Underlying Index. Some
ETFs may invest in securities or financial instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but
which are expected to yield similar performance.
Commercial Paper: Commercial paper ("CP") is, in most cases, an unsecured promissory note that is
issued with a maturity of 270 days or less. Being unsecured the risk to the investor is that the issuer
may default. There is a less risk in asset based commercial paper (ABCP). The difference between
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ABCP and CP is that instead of being an unsecured promissory note representing an obligation of the
issuing company, ABCP is backed by securities. Therefore, the perceived quality of the ABCP
depends on the underlying securities.
Variable Annuities: A variable annuity is a form of insurance where the seller or issuer (typically an
insurance company) makes a series of future payments to a buyer (annuitant) in exchange for the
immediate payment of a lump sum (single-payment annuity) or a series of regular payments (regular-
payment annuity). The payment stream from the issuer to the annuitant has an unknown duration
based principally upon the date of death of the annuitant. At this point, the contract will terminate and
the remainder of the funds accumulated forfeited unless there are other annuitants or beneficiaries in
the contract. Annuities can be purchased to provide an income during retirement. Unlike fixed annuities
that make payments in fixed amounts or in amounts that increase by a fixed percentage, variable
annuities, pay amounts that vary according to the performance of a specified set of investments,
typically bond and equity mutual funds. Many variable annuities typically impose asset-based sales
charges or surrender charges for withdrawals within a specified period. Variable annuities may impose
a variety of fees and expenses, in addition to sales and surrender charges, such as mortality and
expense risk charges; administrative fees; underlying fund expenses; and charges for special features,
all of which can reduce the return. Earnings in a variable annuity do not provide all the tax advantages
of 401(k)s and other before-tax retirement plans. Once the investor starts withdrawing money from
their variable annuity, earnings are taxed at the ordinary income rate, rather than at the lower capital
gains rates applied to other non-tax-deferred vehicles which are held for more than one year. Proceeds
of most variable annuities do not receive a "step-up" in cost basis when the owner dies like stocks,
bonds and mutual funds do. Some variable annuities offer "bonus credits." These are usually not free.
In order to fund them, insurance companies typically impose mortality and expense charges and
surrender charge periods. In an exchange of an existing annuity for a new annuity (so-called 1035
exchanges), the new variable annuity may have a lower contract value and a smaller death benefit;
may impose new surrender charges or increase the period of time for which the surrender charge
applies; may have higher annual fees; and provide another commission for the broker.
Real Estate: Real estate is increasingly being used as part of a long-term core strategy due to
increased market efficiency and increasing concerns about the future long-term variability of stock and
bond returns. In fact, real estate is known for its ability to serve as a portfolio diversifier and inflation
hedge. However, the asset class still bears a considerable amount of market risk. Real estate has
shown itself to be very cyclical, somewhat mirroring the ups and downs of the overall economy. In
addition to employment and demographic changes, real estate is also influenced by changes in
interest rates and the credit markets, which affect the demand and supply of capital and thus real
estate values. Along with changes in market fundamentals, investors wishing to add real estate as part
of their core investment portfolios need to look for property concentrations by area or by property type.
Because property returns are directly affected by local market basics, real estate portfolios that are too
heavily concentrated in one area or property type can lose their risk mitigation attributes and bear
additional risk by being too influenced by local or sector market changes.
Real Estate Investment Trust: A real estate investment trust ("REIT") is a corporate entity which
invests in real estate and/or engages in real estate financing. A REIT reduces or eliminates corporate
income taxes. REITs can be publicly or privately held. Public REITs may be listed on public stock
exchanges. REITs are required to declare 90% of their taxable income as dividends, but they actually
pay dividends out of funds from operations, so cash flow has to be strong or the REIT must either dip
into reserves, borrow to pay dividends, or distribute them in stock (which causes dilution). After 2012,
the IRS stopped permitting stock dividends. Most REITs must refinance or erase large balloon debts
periodically. The credit markets are no longer frozen, but banks are demanding, and getting, harsher
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terms to re-extend REIT debt. Some REITs may be forced to make secondary stock offerings to repay
debt, which will lead to additional dilution of the stockholders. Fluctuations in the real estate market can
affect the REIT's value and dividends.
Limited Partnerships: A limited partnership is a financial affiliation that includes at least one general
partner and a number of limited partners. The partnership invests in a venture, such as real estate
development or oil exploration, for financial gain. The general partner does not usually invest any
capital, but has management authority and unlimited liability. That is, the general partner runs the
business and, in the event of bankruptcy, is responsible for all debts not paid or discharged. The
limited partners have no management authority and confine their participation to their capital
investment. That is, limited partners invest a certain amount of money and have nothing else to do with
the business. However, their liability is limited to the amount of the investment. In the worst-case
scenario for a limited partner, he/she loses what he/she invested. Profits are divided between general
and limited partners according to an arrangement formed at the creation of the partnership.
Warrants: A warrant is a derivative (security that derives its price from one or more underlying
assets) that confers the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a security - normally an equity - at a
certain price before expiration. The price at which the underlying security can be bought or sold is
referred to as the exercise price or strike price. Warrants that confer the right to buy a security are
known as call warrants; those that confer the right to sell are known as put warrants. Warrants are in
many ways similar to options. The main difference between warrants and options is that warrants are
issued and guaranteed by the issuing company, whereas options are traded on an exchange and are
not issued by the company. Also, the lifetime of a warrant is often measured in years, while the lifetime
of a typical option is measured in months. Warrants do not pay dividends or come with voting rights.
Options Contracts: Options are complex securities that involve risks and are not suitable for
everyone. Option trading can be speculative in nature and carry substantial risk of loss. It is generally
recommended that you only invest in options with risk capital. An option is a contract that gives the
buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specific price on or before
a certain date (the "expiration date"). The two types of options are calls and puts:
A call gives the holder the right to buy an asset at a certain price within a specific period of time. Calls
are similar to having a long position on a stock. Buyers of calls hope that the stock will increase
substantially before the option expires.
A put gives the holder the right to sell an asset at a certain price within a specific period of time. Puts
are very similar to having a short position on a stock. Buyers of puts hope that the price of the stock
will fall before the option expires.
Selling options is more complicated and can be even riskier.
The option trading risks pertaining to options buyers are:
•Risk of losing your entire investment in a relatively short period of time.
•The risk of losing your entire investment increases if, as expiration nears, the stock is below the
strike price of the call (for a call option) or if the stock is higher than the strike price of the put
(for a put option).
•European style options which do not have secondary markets on which to sell the options prior
to expiration can only realize its value upon expiration.
•Specific exercise provisions of a specific option contract may create risks.
•Regulatory agencies may impose exercise restrictions, which stops you from realizing value.
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The option trading risks pertaining to options sellers are:
•Options sold may be exercised at any time before expiration.
•Covered Call traders forgo the right to profit when the underlying stock rises above the strike
price of the call options sold and continues to risk a loss due to a decline in the underlying
stock.
•Writers of Naked Calls risk unlimited losses if the underlying stock rises.
•Writers of Naked Puts risk unlimited losses if the underlying stock drops.
•Writers of naked positions run margin risks if the position goes into significant losses. Such
risks may include liquidation by the broker.
•Writers of call options could lose more money than a short seller of that stock could on the
same rise on that underlying stock. This is an example of how the leverage in options can work
against the option trader.
•Writers of Naked Calls are obligated to deliver shares of the underlying stock if those call
options are exercised.
•Call options can be exercised outside of market hours such that effective remedy actions
cannot be performed by the writer of those options.
•Writers of stock options are obligated under the options that they sold even if a trading market
is not available or that they are unable to perform a closing transaction.
•The value of the underlying stock may surge or ditch unexpectedly, leading to automatic
exercises.
Other option trading risks are:
•The complexity of some option strategies is a significant risk on its own.
•Option trading exchanges or markets and option contracts themselves are open to changes at
all times.
•Options markets have the right to halt the trading of any options, thus preventing investors from
realizing value.
•Risk of erroneous reporting of exercise value.
•If an options brokerage firm goes insolvent, investors trading through that firm may be affected.
•Internationally traded options have special risks due to timing across borders.
Risks that are not specific to options trading include market risk, sector risk and individual stock risk.
Option trading risks are closely related to stock risks, as stock options are a derivative of stocks.
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We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a client's
evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. We do not have any required
disclosures under this item.
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We have not provided information on other financial industry activities and affiliations because we do
not have any relationship or arrangement that is material to our advisory business or to our clients with
any of the types of entities listed below.
1. broker-dealer, municipal securities dealer, or government securities dealer or broker.
2. 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).
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3. other investment adviser or financial planner.
4. futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator, or commodity trading advisor.
5. banking or thrift institution.
6. accountant or accounting firm.
7. lawyer or law firm.
8. insurance company or agency.
9. pension consultant.
10.real estate broker or dealer.
11.sponsor or syndicator of limited partnerships.
Registrations with Broker-Dealer Some of the persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are registered representatives
with DFPG Investments, Inc., a securities broker-dealer, and member of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. See the
Fees and
Compensation section in this brochure for more information on the compensation received by
registered representatives who are affiliated with our firm.
Recommendation of Other AdvisersWe may recommend that you use a third party money manager ("TPMM") based on your needs and
suitability. We will not receive separate compensation, directly or indirectly, from the TPMM for
recommending that you use their services. Moreover, we do not have any other business relationships
with the recommended TPMM(s). Refer to the
Advisory Business section above for additional
disclosures on this topic.
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Personal Trading Description of Our Code of EthicsWe strive to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing our practices. Therefore, our Code
of Ethics includes guidelines for professional standards of conduct for persons associated with our
firm. Our goal is to protect your interests at all times and to demonstrate our commitment to our
fiduciary duties of honesty, good faith, and fair dealing with you. All persons associated with our firm
are expected to adhere strictly to these guidelines. Persons associated with our firm are also required
to report any violations of our Code of Ethics. Additionally, we maintain and enforce written policies
reasonably designed to prevent the misuse or dissemination of material, non-public information about
you or your account holdings by persons associated with our firm.
Clients or prospective clients may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting us at the
telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
Participation or Interest in Client TransactionsNeither our firm nor any persons associated with our firm has any material financial interest in client
transactions beyond the provision of investment advisory services as disclosed in this brochure.
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Personal Trading PracticesOur firm or persons associated with our firm may buy or sell the same securities that we recommend to
you or securities in which you are already invested. A conflict of interest exists in such cases because
we have the ability to trade ahead of you and potentially receive more favorable prices than you will
receive. To mitigate this conflict of interest, it is our policy that neither our firm nor persons associated
with our firm shall have priority over your account in the purchase or sale of securities.
Block TradingOur firm or persons associated with our firm may buy or sell securities for you at the same time we or
persons associated with our firm buy or sell such securities for our own account. We may also combine
our orders to purchase securities with your orders to purchase securities ("block trading"). Refer to the
Brokerage Practices section in this brochure for information on our block trading practices.
A conflict of interest exists in such cases because we have the ability to trade ahead of you and
potentially receive more favorable prices than you will receive. To eliminate this conflict of interest, it is
our policy that neither our firm nor persons associated with our firm shall have priority over your
account in the purchase or sale of securities.
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We have arrangements with and typically recommend the brokerage and custodial services of TD
Ameritrade, Inc. and/or Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. ("CS&Co"), collectively your ("Custodian").
In all cases, the recommended Custodian is a securities broker-dealer and a member of the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC").
We believe that the recommended Custodian provides quality execution services for you at competitive
prices. Price is not the sole factor we consider in evaluating best execution. We also consider the
quality of the brokerage services provided by the Custodian, including the value of the Custodian's
reputation, execution capabilities, commission rates, and responsiveness to our clients and our firm. In
recognition of the value of the services the Custodian provides, you may pay higher commissions
and/or trading costs than those that may be available elsewhere.
TD Ameritrade InstitutionalWe participate in the institutional advisor program (the "Program") offered by TD Ameritrade
Institutional. TD Ameritrade Institutional is a division of TD Ameritrade Inc., member FINRA/SIPC ("TD
Ameritrade "), an unaffiliated SEC-registered broker-dealer and FINRA member. TD Ameritrade offers
to independent investment advisors services which include custody of securities, trade execution,
clearance and settlement of transactions. We receive some benefits from TD Ameritrade through our
participation in the Program.
As disclosed above, we participate in TD Ameritrade's institutional customer program and we may
recommend TD Ameritrade to you for custody and brokerage services. There is no direct link between
our participation in the Program and the investment advice we give you, although we receive economic
benefits through our participation in the Program that are typically not available to TD Ameritrade retail
investors. These benefits include the following products and services (provided without cost or at a
discount): receipt of duplicate Client statements and confirmations; research related products and
tools; consulting services; access to a trading desk serving our participants; access to block trading
(which provides the ability to aggregate securities transactions for execution and then allocate the
appropriate shares to your accounts); the ability to have advisory fees deducted directly from your
accounts; access to an electronic communications network for order entry and account information;
access to mutual funds with no transaction fees and to certain institutional money managers; and
discounts on compliance, marketing, research, technology, and practice management products or
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services provided to us by third party vendors. TD Ameritrade may also have paid for business
consulting and professional services received by our related persons. Some of the products and
services made available by TD Ameritrade through the Program may benefit us but may not benefit
your accounts. These products or services may assist us in managing and administering your
accounts, including accounts not maintained at TD Ameritrade. Other services made available by TD
Ameritrade are intended to help us manage and further develop our business enterprise. The benefits
received by us or our personnel through participation in the Program do not depend on the amount of
brokerage transactions directed to TD Ameritrade. As part of our fiduciary duties to you, we endeavor
at all times to put your interests first. You should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic
benefits by us or our related persons in and of itself creates a potential conflict of interest and may
indirectly influence our choice of TD Ameritrade for custody and brokerage services
Schwab Advisor ServicesWe believe that CS&Co provides quality execution services for you at competitive prices. Price is not
the sole factor we consider in evaluating best execution. We also consider the quality of the brokerage
services provided by Schwab Institutional, including the value of research provided, the firm's
reputation and financial stability, execution capabilities, commission rates, and responsiveness to our
clients and our firm.
Schwab Advisor Services (formerly called Schwab Institutional) is Schwab's business serving
independent investment advisory firms like us. Through Schwab Advisor Services, CS&Co provides us
and our clients, with access to its institutional brokerage services - trading, custody, reporting and
related services - many of which are not typically available to CS&Co retail customers. CS&Co also
makes available various support services. The availability to us of CS&Co's products and services is
not based on us giving particular investment advice, such as buying particular securities for our clients.
CS&Co's institutional brokerage services include access to a broad range of investment products,
execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets. The investment products available
through Schwab include some to which we might not otherwise have access or that would require a
significantly higher minimum initial investment by our clients. CS&Co's services described in this
paragraph generally benefit the client and the client's account. CS&Co also makes available to us
other products and services that benefit us but may not directly benefit the client or its account. These
products and services assist us in managing and administering our clients' accounts. They include
investment research, both Schwab's 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 CS&Co.
In addition to investment research, CS&Co also makes available software and other technology that:
•provide access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account
statements);
•facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts;
•provide pricing and other market data;
•facilitate payment of our fees from our clients' accounts; and
•assist with back-office functions, recordkeeping and client reporting.
CS&Co also offers other services intended to help us manage and further develop our business
enterprise. The availability of the foregoing products and services is not contingent upon us committing
to CS&Co any specific amount of business (assets in custody or trading). Our firm receives
PortfolioCenter software solutions that are provided by Schwab Performance Technologies.
Research and Other Soft Dollar BenefitsWe do not have any soft dollar arrangements.
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Economic BenefitsAs a registered investment adviser, we have access to the institutional platforms of your account
custodian. As such, we will also have access to research products and services from your account
custodian and/or other brokerage firm. These products may include financial publications, information
about particular companies and industries, research software, and other products or services that
provide lawful and appropriate assistance to our firm in the performance of our investment decision-
making responsibilities. Such research products and services are provided to all investment advisers
that utilize the institutional services platforms of these firms, and are not considered to be paid for with
soft dollars. However, you should be aware that the commissions charged by a particular broker for a
particular transaction or set of transactions may be greater than the amounts another broker who did
not provide research services or products might charge.
Recommendation of Prime BrokerIn some circumstances, where a client has not previously made custodial arrangements, we may
suggest that the client use a particular broker-dealer to act as custodian for the funds and securities we
manage. In those cases, we generally only recommend broker-dealers capable of acting as a "prime
broker." Under "prime broker" arrangements, the firm may, on a transaction-by-transaction basis, either
use the "prime broker"/custodian or select other broker-dealers, who will execute transactions for
settlement into the client's "prime brokerage" account. In making suggestions as to "prime
broker"/custodians, we will consider, among other things, the clearance and settlement capabilities of
the broker-dealer where other broker-dealers execute transactions, the broker-dealer's ability to
provide effective and efficient reporting to the client and our firm, the broker-dealer's reliability and
financial stability, and the likelihood that the broker-dealer will often be chosen as executing broker-
dealer on the basis of the considerations described above, including the prospects that the broker-
dealer will provide valuable research services and products.
Brokerage for Client ReferralsWe do not receive client referrals from broker-dealers in exchange for cash or other compensation,
such as brokerage services or research.
Directed BrokerageSome of the persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm who are registered
representatives of DFPG Investments, Inc. will recommend DFPG Investments, Inc. to you for
brokerage services. These individuals are subject to applicable rules that restrict them from conducting
securities transactions away from DPFG Investments, Inc. unless DPFG Investments, Inc. provides the
representative with written authorization to do so. Therefore, these individuals are generally limited to
conducting securities transactions through DFPG Investments, Inc.. It may be the case that DFPG
Investments, Inc. charges higher transactions costs and/or custodial fees than another broker charges
for the same types of services. If transactions are executed through DFPG Investment, Inc., these
individuals (in their separate capacities as registered representatives) may earn commission-based
compensation as result of placing the recommended securities transactions through DFPG
Investments, Inc.. This practice presents a conflict of interest because these registered representatives
have an incentive to effect securities transactions for the purpose of generating commissions rather
than solely based on your needs. You may utilize the broker-dealer of your choice and have no
obligation to purchase or sell securities through such broker as, we recommend. However, if you do
not use DFPG Investments, Inc. we may not be able to accept your account. See the
Fees and
Compensation section in this brochure for more information on the compensation received by
registered representatives who are affiliated with our firm.
In limited circumstances, and at our discretion, some clients may instruct our firm to use one or more
particular brokers for the transactions in their accounts. If you choose to direct our firm to use a
particular broker, you should understand that this might prevent our firm from aggregating trades with
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other client accounts or from effectively negotiating brokerage commissions on your behalf. This
practice may also prevent our firm from obtaining favorable net price and execution. Thus, when
directing brokerage business, you should consider whether the commission expenses, execution,
clearance, and settlement capabilities that you will obtain through your broker are adequately favorable
in comparison to those that we would otherwise obtain for you.
Block TradesWe combine multiple orders for shares of the same securities purchased for discretionary advisory
accounts we manage (this practice is commonly referred to as "block trading"). We will then distribute a
portion of the shares to participating accounts in a fair and equitable manner. Generally, participating
accounts will pay a fixed transaction cost regardless of the number of shares transacted. In certain
cases, each participating account pays an average price per share for all transactions and pays a
proportionate share of all transaction costs on any given day. In the event an order is only partially
filled, the shares will be allocated to participating accounts in a fair and equitable manner, typically in
proportion to the size of each client's order. Accounts owned by our firm or persons associated with our
firm may participate in block trading with your accounts; however, they will not be given preferential
treatment.
We do not block trade for non-discretionary accounts. Accordingly, non-discretionary accounts may
pay different costs than discretionary accounts pay. If you enter into non-discretionary arrangements
with our firm, we may not be able to buy and sell the same quantities of securities for you and you may
pay higher commissions, fees, and/or transaction costs than clients who enter into discretionary
arrangements with our firm.
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Your advisory representative will monitor your accounts on an ongoing basis and will conduct account
reviews at least annual, to ensure the advisory services provided to you are consistent with your
investment needs and objectives. Additional reviews may be conducted based on various
circumstances, including, but not limited to: contributions and withdrawals, year-end tax planning,
market moving events, security specific events, and/or, changes in your risk/return objectives.
The individuals conducting reviews may vary from time to time, as personnel join or leave our firm.
We will not provide you with additional or regular written reports. You will receive trade confirmations
and monthly or quarterly statements from your account custodian(s).
While reviews and updates to the financial plan are not part of the contracted services, at your request
we will review your financial plan to determine if the investment advice provided is consistent with your
investment needs and objectives. We will also update the financial plan at your request. At our sole
discretion, reviews and updates may be subject to our then current hourly rate. If you implement the
financial planning advice provided by our firm, you will receive trade confirmations and monthly or
quarterly statements from relevant custodians.
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As disclosed under the
Fees and Compensation section in this brochure, some of the persons
providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are registered representatives with DFPG
Investments, Inc., securities broker-dealers, and members of the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. For information on the conflicts of interest
this presents, and how we address these conflicts, refer to the
Fees and Compensation section.
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We directly compensate non-employee (outside) consultants, individuals, and/or entities (Solicitors) for
client referrals. In order to receive a cash referral fee from our firm, Solicitors must comply with the
requirements of the jurisdictions in which they operate. If you were referred to our firm by a Solicitor,
you should have received a copy of this brochure along with the Solicitor's disclosure statement at the
time of the referral. If you become a client, the Solicitor that referred you to our firm will receive a
percentage of the advisory fee you pay our firm for as long as you are a client with our firm, or until
such time as our agreement with the Solicitor expires. You will not pay additional fees because of this
referral arrangement. Referral fees paid to a Solicitor are contingent upon your entering into an
advisory agreement with our firm. Therefore, a Solicitor has a financial incentive to recommend our
firm to you for advisory services. This creates a conflict of interest; however, you are not obligated to
retain our firm for advisory services. Comparable services and/or lower fees may be available through
other firms.
Solicitors that refer business to more than one investment adviser may have a financial incentive to
recommend advisers with more favorable compensation arrangements. We request that our Solicitors
disclose to you whether multiple referral relationships exist and that comparable services may be
available from other advisers for lower fees and/or where the Solicitor's compensation is less
favorable.
Other CompensationWe receive compensation from Bank of Idaho and Foresight Wealth Management, LLC for referring
clients to them. These arrangements will not cause you to pay more in advisory fees than you would
otherwise pay had there been no solicitor's compensation. All referral fees paid to our firm represent a
portion of the fees actually charged to you by Bank of Idaho and/or Foresight Wealth Management for
investment advisory services. There is no differential between the amount or level of investment
advisory fees that the Bank of Idaho and/or Foresight Wealth Management, LLC will charge for
managing the client account(s) in excess of that which they would customarily charge for managing
any other new client's account with similar assets and which was not referred to by our firm.
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As paying agent for our firm, your independent custodian will directly debit your account(s) for the
payment of our advisory fees. This ability to deduct our advisory fees from your accounts causes our
firm to exercise limited custody over your funds or securities. We do not have physical custody of any
of your funds and/or securities. Your funds and securities will be held with a bank, broker-dealer, or
other qualified custodian. You will receive account statements from the qualified custodian(s) holding
your funds and securities at least quarterly. The account statements from your custodian(s) will
indicate the amount of our advisory fees deducted from your account(s) each billing period. You should
carefully review account statements for accuracy.
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Before we can buy or sell securities on your behalf, you must first sign our discretionary management
agreement and the appropriate trading authorization forms.
If you enter into non-discretionary arrangements with our firm, we will obtain your approval prior to the
execution of any transactions for your account(s). You have an unrestricted right to decline to
implement any advice provided by our firm on a non-discretionary basis.
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We will not vote proxies on behalf of your advisory accounts. At your request, we may offer you advice
regarding corporate actions and the exercise of your proxy voting rights. If you own shares of
applicable securities, you are responsible for exercising your right to vote as a shareholder.
In most cases, you will receive proxy materials directly from the account custodian. However, in the
event we were to receive any written or electronic proxy materials, we would forward them directly to
you by mail, unless you have authorized our firm to contact you by electronic mail, in which case, we
would forward any electronic solicitations to vote proxies.
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Our firm does not have any financial condition or impairment that would prevent us from meeting our
contractual commitments to you. We do not take physical custody of client funds or securities, or serve
as trustee or signatory for client accounts, and, we do not require the prepayment of more than $1,200
in fees six or more months in advance. Therefore, we are not required to include a financial statement
with this brochure.
We have not filed a bankruptcy petition at any time in the past ten years.
Item 19 Requirements for State-Registered Advisers
We are a federally registered investment adviser; therefore, we are not required to respond to this
item.
Item 20 Additional Information Your PrivacyWe view protecting your private information as a top priority. Pursuant to applicable privacy
requirements, we have instituted policies and procedures to ensure that we keep your personal
information private and secure.
We do not disclose any non-public personal information about you to any non-affiliated third parties,
except as permitted by law. In the course of servicing your account, we may share some information
with our service providers, such as transfer agents, custodians, broker-dealers, accountants,
consultants, and attorneys.
We restrict internal access to non-public personal information about you to employees, who need that
information in order to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical and procedural
safeguards that comply with regulatory standards to guard your non-public personal information and to
ensure our integrity and confidentiality. We will not sell information about you or your accounts to
anyone. We do not share your information unless it is required to process a transaction, at your
request, or required by law.
You will receive a copy of our privacy notice prior to or at the time you sign an advisory agreement with
our firm. Thereafter, we will deliver a copy of the current privacy policy notice to you on an annual
basis. Contact our main office at the telephone number on the cover page of this brochure if you have
any questions regarding this policy.
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If you decide to close your account(s) we will adhere to our privacy policies, which may be amended
from time to time.
If we make any substantive changes in our privacy policy that would further permit or require
disclosures of your private information, we will provide written notice to you. Where the change is
based on permitted disclosures, you will be given an opportunity to direct us as to whether such
disclosure is acceptable. Where the change is based on required disclosures, you will only receive
written notice of the change. You may not opt out of the required disclosures.
If you have questions about our privacy policies contact our main office at the telephone number on the
cover page of this brochure and ask to speak to the Chief Compliance Officer.
Trade ErrorsIn the event a trading error occurs in your account, our policy is to restore your account to the position
it should have been in had the trading error not occurred. Depending on the circumstances, corrective
actions may include canceling the trade, adjusting an allocation, and/or reimbursing the account.
Class Action LawsuitsWe do not determine if securities held by you are the subject of a class action lawsuit or whether you
are eligible to participate in class action settlements or litigation nor do we initiate or participate in
litigation to recover damages on your behalf for injuries as a result of actions, misconduct, or
negligence by issuers of securities held by you.
IRA Rollover ConsiderationsAs part of our investment advisory services to you, we may recommend that you withdraw the assets
from your employer's retirement plan and roll the assets over to an individual retirement account
("IRA") that we will manage on your behalf. If you elect to roll the assets to an IRA that is subject to our
management, we will charge you an asset based fee as set forth in the agreement you executed with
our firm. This practice presents a conflict of interest because persons providing investment advice on
our behalf have an incentive to recommend a rollover to you for the purpose of generating fee based
compensation rather than solely based on your needs. You are under no obligation, contractually or
otherwise, to complete the rollover. Moreover, if you do complete the rollover, you are under no
obligation to have the assets in an IRA managed by our firm.
Many employers permit former employees to keep their retirement assets in their company plan. Also,
current employees can sometimes move assets out of their company plan before they retire or change
jobs. In determining whether to complete the rollover to an IRA, and to the extent the following options
are available, you should consider the costs and benefits of:
1. Leaving the funds in your employer's (former employer's) plan.
2. Moving the funds to a new employer's retirement plan.
3. Cashing out and taking a taxable distribution from the plan.
4. Rolling the funds into an IRA rollover account.
Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages and before making a change we encourage
you to speak with your CPA and/or tax attorney.
If you are considering rolling over your retirement funds to an IRA for us to manage here are a few
points to consider before you do so:
1. Determine whether the investment options in your employer's retirement plan address your
needs or whether you might want to consider other types of investments.
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a. Employer retirement plans generally have a more limited investment menu than IRAs.
b. Employer retirement plans may have unique investment options not available to the
public such as employer securities, or previously closed funds.
2. Your current plan may have lower fees than our fees.
a. If you are interested in investing only in mutual funds, you should understand the cost
structure of the share classes available in your employer's retirement plan and how the
costs of those share classes compare with those available in an IRA.
b. You should understand the various products and services you might take advantage of
at an IRA provider and the potential costs of those products and services.
3. Our strategy may have higher risk than the option(s) provided to you in your plan.
4. Your current plan may also offer financial advice.
5. If you keep your assets titled in a 401k or retirement account, you could potentially delay your
required minimum distribution beyond age 70.5.
6. Your 401k may offer more liability protection than a rollover IRA; each state may vary.
a. Generally, federal law protects assets in qualified plans from creditors. Since 2005, IRA
assets have been generally protected from creditors in bankruptcies. However, there
can be some exceptions to the general rules so you should consult with an attorney if
you are concerned about protecting your retirement plan assets from creditors.
7. You may be able to take out a loan on your 401k, but not from an IRA.
8. IRA assets can be accessed any time; however, distributions are subject to ordinary income tax
and may also be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty unless they qualify for an exception
such as disability, higher education expenses or the purchase of a home.
9. If you own company stock in your plan, you may be able to liquidate those shares at a lower
capital gains tax rate.
10.Your plan may allow you to hire us as the manager and keep the assets titled in the plan name.
It is important that you understand the differences between these types of accounts and to decide
whether a rollover is best for you. Prior to proceeding, if you have questions contact your investment
adviser representative, or call our main number as listed on the cover page of this brochure.
You may terminate the asset management agreement upon written notice. You will incur a pro rata charge
for services rendered prior to the termination of the asset management agreement, which means you will
incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you are a client. If you
have pre-paid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated refund of those fees.
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