Firm Information
The firm was organized in North Carolina and registered as an investment advisor in 2022. The firm provides
comprehensive discretionary or non-discretionary asset management and financial planning services primarily
to individuals and high net worth clients.
IA Network is a collective of multiple smaller advisory firms that together can achieve greater industry scale
and shared services. This disclosure brochure provides information regarding the qualifications, business
practices and details of the advisory services and the applicable fees.
Principal Owner
Direct Owner – Robert Schaff
Advisory Services Offered
IA Network, LLC provides financial planning and fee-based investment advisory services primarily to
individual Clients and high-net worth individuals. Services are also available to businesses and institutions.
Accounts are managed based on the individual goals, objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance of each Client.
• Investment Strategy
• Asset Allocation
• Risk Tolerance
• Personal investment policy
• Asset Selection
• Regular Portfolio Monitoring
Investment Advisor Representatives (“IAR”) are restricted to providing services and charging fees based in
accordance with the descriptions detailed in this document and the management agreement. However, the exact
service and fees charged to a particular Client are dependent upon the Investment Advisor Representatives that
are working with the Client. Investment Advisor Representatives will consider the individual needs of each
Client when providing investment advice. Investment strategies and recommendations are tailored to the
individual needs of each Client.
Asset Management services are offered on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis.
Discretionary Authority
Client grants Advisor ongoing and continuous discretionary authority to execute its investment
recommendations without the Client's prior approval of each specific transaction. Under this authority,
Client shall allow Advisor to purchase and sell securities and instruments in this Account(s), arrange for
delivery and payment in connection with the foregoing, select and retain sub-advisors, and act on behalf
of the Client in all matters necessary or incidental.
Non-Discretionary Authority
Advisor will not execute any investment recommendations without Client’s prior approval (verbal or
written).
At no time will Advisor accept or maintain custody of a Client’s funds or securities. All Client assets will be
managed within their designated brokerage account or pension account, pursuant to the Client investment
advisory agreement on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis.
• Investment advice is not limited to certain investment types.
• There is generally no minimum amount required to open or maintain an account.
• Advisory services are tailored to the individual need of each Client.
• Clients may place reasonable restrictions on investing in certain types of securities.
SEI Managed Account Program
This program offers Clients a managed account in which IA Network, through its investment advisor
representatives, assists Clients in establishing an account with SEI Investment Management Corporation
(“SIMCO”). The program seeks to manage taxes within individual separate accounts using U.S. equity and/or
bond components in order to meet Client’s long-term goals of managing taxes while controlling risk.
The program may include the services of an integration manager that seeks to manage a consolidated portfolio
of individual equity securities. The program may include a percentage of assets allocated to a portfolio of
mutual funds sponsored by SIMCO or its affiliates. The investment advisor representative assists the Client in
selecting an asset allocation strategy appropriate for the Client by discussing the various levels of risk and
helping the Client complete a suitability profile which details the Client’s annual income, net worth, and long-
term goals and objectives.
The investment advisor representative explains to the Client the various investing alternatives that are available
in the program account, and explains the re-balancing guidelines used in the management of the portfolio.
The Client appoints SIMCO to manage assets within the individual separate accounts and re- balance SIMCO-
affiliated mutual funds pursuant to the Client’s goals and objectives. SIMCO may delegate its responsibility for
management to one or more portfolio managers, including an integration manager.
Wrap Fee Program
A wrap fee program includes brokerage transaction fees together with its investment advisory fees. IA Network
does not sponsor or act as a portfolio manager for a wrap fee program.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
Investment Advisor Representatives assist Clients that are trustees or other fiduciaries to retirement plans
(“Plans”) by providing fee-based consulting and/or non-discretionary advisory services. Investment Advisor
Representatives perform one or more of the following services, as selected by the Client in the Client
agreement:
• Assistance in the preparation or review of an investment policy statement (“IPS”) for the Plan based
upon consultation with client to ascertain Plan’s investment objectives and constraints.
• Acting as a liaison between the Plan and service providers, product sponsors or vendors.
• Ongoing monitoring of investment manager(s) or investments according to written guidelines.
• Preparation of reports describing the performance of Plan investment manager(s) or investments, as well
as comparing the performance to benchmarks.
• Ongoing recommendations for consideration and selection by Client about specific investments to be
held by the Plan or, in the case of a participant-directed defined contribution plan, to be made available
as investment options under the Plan.
• Training for the members of the Plan Committee with regard to their service on the Committee,
including education and consulting with respect to fiduciary responsibilities.
• Assistance in enrolling Plan participants in the Plan, including conducting an agreed upon number of
enrollment meetings. As part of such meetings, Representatives may provide participants with
information about the Plan, which includes information on the benefits of Plan participation, the benefits
of increasing Plan contributions, the impact of pre-retirement withdrawals on retirement income, the
terms of the Plan and the operation of the Plan.
• Assistance with investment education seminars and meetings for Plan participants. Such meetings may
be on a group or individual basis and includes information about the investment options under the Plan
(e.g., investment objectives, risk/return characteristics, and historical performance), investment concepts
(e.g., diversification, asset classes, and risk and return), and how to determine investment time horizons
and assess risk tolerance. Such meetings do not include specific investment advice about investment
options under the Plan as being appropriate for a particular participant.
• Assistance at Client’s direction in making changes to investment options under the Plan.
• Assistance with the preparation, distribution and evaluation of Request for Proposals, finalist interviews,
and conversion support in connection with vendor analysis and service provider
support.
• Preparation of comparisons of Plan data (e.g., regarding fees and services and participant enrollment and
contributions) to data from the Plan’s prior years and/or a benchmark group of similar plans.
• Assistance in identifying the fees and other costs borne by the Plan for, as specified by Client,
investment management, record keeping, participant education, participant communication and/or other
services provided with respect to the Plan.
If the Plan makes available publicly traded employer stock (“company stock”) as an investment option under
the Plan, Investment Advisor Representatives do not provide investment advice regarding company stock and
are not responsible for the decision to offer company stock as an investment option. In addition, if participants
in the Plan invest the assets in their accounts through individual brokerage accounts, a mutual fund window, or
other similar arrangement, or obtain participant loans, Investment Advisor Representatives do not provide any
individualized advice or recommendations to the participants regarding these decisions.
If a Client elects to engage the firm and our Investment Advisor Representatives to perform ongoing investment
monitoring and ongoing investment recommendation services in the Client agreement, such services will
constitute “investment advice” under Section 3(21)(A)(ii) of ERISA. Therefore, the firm and our Investment
Advisor Representative will be deemed a “fiduciary” as such term is defined under Section 3(21)(A)(ii) of
ERISA in connection with those services.
ERISA Fiduciary
Services provided by an Investment Advisor Representative may be subject to the Investment Advisers Act of
1940 (“Advisers Act”), and the advisor is a fiduciary under the Advisers Act with respect to such services. If a
Client elects to engage an Investment Advisor Representative to perform ongoing investment monitoring and
ongoing investment recommendation services to a Plan subject to ERISA in the Client agreement, such services
will constitute “investment advice” under Section 3(21)(A)(ii) of ERISA. Therefore, the Investment Advisor
Representatives will be deemed a “fiduciary” as such term is defined under Section 3(21)(A)(ii) of ERISA in
connection with those services.
Clients should understand that to the extent the Investment Advisor Representative is engaged to perform
services other than ongoing investment monitoring and recommendations, those services are not “investment
advice” under ERISA and therefore, the Investment Advisor Representative will not be a “fiduciary” under
ERISA with respect to those other services. From time to time the Investment Advisor Representative may
make the Plan or Plan participants aware of other services available that are separate and apart from the services
provided under Retirement Plan Consulting. Such other services may be services to the Plan, to a Client with
respect to Client's responsibilities to the Plan and/or to one or more Plan participants. In offering any such
services, the Investment Advisor Representative is not acting as a fiduciary under ERISA with respect to such
offering of services. If any such separate services are offered to a Client, the Client will make an independent
assessment of such services without reliance on the advice or judgment of the Investment Advisor
Representative.
Plan Participant Advisory Services (PPAS)
Investment advisor representatives can be engaged to provide asset allocation and/or specific investment
recommendations for retirement plan assets based on the investment options available and the financial
information provided by the client. The Investment Advisor Representative tailors the recommendation to the
individual needs of the client based upon their investment objectives. Depending on the available options
offered by the plan custodian, investment advisor representatives may have discretionary authority to directly
execute trades on behalf of clients or the client may retain the sole responsibility for determining whether to
implement any recommendations and for placing transactions. The Investment Advisor Representative is
responsible for determining the fee to charge each client based on factors such as total amount of assets
involved in the relationship and the complexity of the services. Clients should consider the level and complexity
of the services to be provided when negotiating the fee with IAR. The client may terminate the arrangement at
any time, and may request a refund of unearned fees, if any, based on the time and effort completed prior to the
termination of the agreement. No refunds will be made after delivery of the recommendation, except when the
number of actual hours is less than the estimated number of hours expected.
Client Account Management
Prior to engaging Advisor to provide investment advisory services, each Client is required to enter into an Asset
Management Agreement with that defines the terms, conditions, authority, and responsibilities.
Unaffiliated Third-Party Technology Resources
Advisor has incorporated certain third-party technology resources to help manage operations and regulatory
Compliance.
Financial Planning Services
Advisor, through its Investment Advisor Representatives, generally provides financial planning as part of a
comprehensive asset management engagement but financial planning is also available as a stand-alone service.
The type of planning can vary greatly depending on the scope and complexity of an individual’s financial
situation. Examples of the type of planning available include the following:
Business Succession
Planning for the continuation of a business in a smooth a transition as possible with the use of buy-sell
agreements, key-man insurance and engaging independent legal counsel as needed.
Cash Flow/ Budget Planning
Planning to manage expenses against current and projected income.
College / Education
Planning to pay the future college / education expenses of a child or grandchild.
Divorce
Planning for the financial impact of divorce such as change in income, retirement benefits and tax
considerations.
Estate Planning
Planning that focuses on the most efficient and tax friendly option to pass on an estate to a spouse, other
family members or a charity.
Final Expenses
Planning to leave assets to cover final expenses such as funeral, debts and potential business continuity.
Insurance Needs
Planning for the financial needs of survivors to satisfy such financial obligations as housing, dependent
childcare and spousal arrangements as well as education.
Investment Planning
Planning an investment strategy consistent with some particular objectives, time horizons and risk
tolerances.
Major Purchase
Evaluation of the pros and cons of home ownership verse renting as well as buying or leasing a car, for
example.
Retirement
Planning an investment strategy with the objective of providing inflation- adjusted income for life.
Tax Planning
Planning a tax efficient investment portfolio to maximize deductions and off-setting losses.
Wealth Accumulation
Planning to build wealth within a portfolio that takes into consideration risk tolerance and time horizon.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, IA Network manages approximately $161,259,876 as shown below.
Assets under Management
Discretionary $161,259,875
Non-Discretionary $644,981
Total $161,904,856