ATON Financial LLC is a registered investment advisor firm registered with the U. S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) since April 2018. Prior to that, the firm was registered with
the Puerto Rico securities regulators since February 2015.
The principal owners of ATON Financial LLC are Marko Rendic, CFA, Managing Member and
Dionisio Trigo, Investor.
Advisory Services
ATON Financial LLC’s (“ATON” or “Advisor”) principal service is providing fee-based
investment advisory services and financial planning services. The Advisor practices custom
management of portfolios, on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis, according to the
client’s objectives. The Advisor’s primary approach is to use a tactical allocation strategy aimed
at reducing risk and increasing performance. The Advisor may use any of the following: exchange
listed securities, over-the-counter securities, foreign securities, corporate debt securities,
commercial paper, CDs, variable annuities, municipal securities, mutual funds, and United States
government securities to accomplish this objective. The Advisor measures and selects mutual
funds by using various criteria, such as the fund manager’s tenure, and/or overall career
performance. The Advisor may recommend, on occasion, redistributing investment allocations to
diversify the portfolio in an effort to reduce risk and increase performance. The Advisor may
recommend specific stocks to increase sector weighting and/or dividend potential. The Advisor
may recommend employing cash positions as a possible hedge against market movement which
may adversely affect the portfolio. The Advisor may recommend selling positions for reasons that
include, but are not limited to, harvesting capital gains or losses, business or sector risk exposure
to a specific security or class of securities, overvaluation or overweighting of the position(s) in the
portfolio, change in risk tolerance of client, or any risk deemed unacceptable for the client’s risk
tolerance.
Selection of Other Money Managers
ATON may recommend and refer clients to unaffiliated money managers or investment advisors
through Managed Account programs sponsored by a third-party provider. In these arrangements,
the client will then enter into a program and investment advisory agreement with the program
sponsor and third-party money managers. ATON will assist and advise the client in establishing
investment objectives for the third-party money managers and continue to provide oversight of the
client account and ongoing monitoring of the activities of the third-party money managers. The
third-party money managers will develop an investment strategy to meet those objectives by
identifying appropriate investments and monitoring such investments. In consideration for such
services, the program sponsor will charge a program fee that includes the investment advisory fee
of the third-party money managers, the administration of the program and trading, clearance and
settlement costs. The program sponsor will add ATON 's investment advisory fee (described below
in Item 5) and will deduct the overall fee from the client account quarterly in arrears based on the
fair market value at the end of the preceding quarter. The asset-based program fee will depend on
factors such as the size of the account, the asset class of the underlying securities and the third-
party money managers selected.
ATON will ensure that all third-party money managers recommended to clients will be either an
investment advisor registered with the Puerto Rico Securities Commission, the Securities and
Exchange Commission, or exempt from such registrations. The client, prior to entering into an
agreement with a third-party money manager selected by ATON, will be provided with that
manager’s Brochure. In addition, ATON and its client will agree
in writing that the client’s
account will be managed by that selected third party money manager on a discretionary basis.
Financial Planning
In addition to investment supervisory services, ATON may provide Financial Planning Services
to some of its clients. The Advisor’s Financial Planning services may include recommendations
for portfolio customization based on their client’s investment objectives, goals and financial
situation. Financial Planning Services may also include recommendations relating to investment
strategies as well as tailored investment advice, and estate planning services.
Qualified Retirement Plan Consulting Services
ATON will evaluate the Plan and its operation including its: Trustee, custodial and recordkeeping
arrangement; design; fiduciary compliance program; costs and fees associated with investments
and service providers; required and elective contributions; employee communication and
education program, and; investment selection and monitoring process, including its investment
policy statement, hereinafter referred to as the “IPS”. With regard to the IPS, the Advisor will
assist the Plan Sponsor in adopting a suitable IPS, amending it from time to time, and will provide
information and recommendations, consistent with the IPS, to aid the Plan Sponsor in selecting
and monitoring investments offered to Participants in the Plan. Information and recommendations
will be based on data as of the end of each calendar quarter. Within a reasonable period of time
following each calendar quarter, the Advisor will provide the Plan Sponsor with a written report
detailing, at a minimum, all costs and fees associated with investments and operation of the Plan,
and information and recommendations, consistent with the IPS, for the Plan Sponsor's selection,
removal and replacement of investments offered to Participants in the Plan. The Advisor’s asset
management fee (described below in Item 5) will be calculated based on assets in the Plan at the
end of the quarter, added to the Plan Administrator’s fee, and charged to the Plan by the Plan
Administrator in accordance with the agreement between the Plan Sponsor and the Administrator.
The Administrator will remit the Advisor’s portion of the fee to the Advisor.
The Advisor's roles and actions in fulfilling all responsibilities pertaining to this Agreement shall
not include those of the Plan's Trustee, and will be performed solely at the direction of the Plan
Sponsor, its authorized officers, employees and/or agents. At no time will the Advisor accept,
maintain possession of, or have custodial responsibility for, the Plan's assets. The Advisor will
not conduct or effect the purchase or sale of any assets of the Plan on behalf of the Plan Sponsor
or Plan Participants. The Advisor will not advise, in any manner, any Participant, person or entity
related to the Plan other than the Plan Sponsor. Communicational and educational activities in
which the Advisor engages related to Participants in the Plan shall be solely at the direction of the
Plan Sponsor, and shall not be represented by the Advisor or Plan Sponsor as investment, tax or
legal advice. The Advisor is not licensed to provide, shall not provide, nor be construed to provide,
the services of an attorney or accountant.
ATON will tailor its advisory services to its client’s individual needs based on meetings and
conversations with the client. If clients wish to impose certain restrictions on investing in certain
securities or types of securities, the Advisor will address those restrictions with the client to have
a clear understanding of the client’s requirements.
ATON does not provide portfolio management services to wrap fee programs.
As of February 15, 2023, ATON had the following client assets under management:
Discretionary $296,668,000
Non-discretionary 132,212,000
Total $428,880,000