Spectrum Wealth Counsel, LLC, doing business as Spectrum Wealth Management (“SWM” or “we,” “us,” or “our”),
acquired the advisory business of Spectrum Management Group, LLC. Spectrum Management Group, LLC., was
formed in March 2010 and conducted business as an SEC-registered investment adviser since October 2010 until its
acquisition by SWM in 2023.
Focus Financial Partners
SWM is part of the Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus LLC”) partnership. Specifically, SWM is a wholly-owned
indirect subsidiary of Focus LLC. Ferdinand FFP Acquisition, LLC is the sole managing member of Focus LLC. Ultimate
governance of Focus LLC is conducted through the board of directors at Ferdinand FFP Ultimate Holdings, LP. Focus
LLC is majority-owned, indirectly and collectively, by investment vehicles affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC
(“CD&R”). Investment vehicles affiliated with Stone Point Capital LLC (“Stone Point”) are indirect owners of Focus LLC.
Because SWM is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus LLC, CD&R and Stone Point investment vehicles are
indirect owners of SWM.
Focus LLC also owns other registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, pension consultants, insurance firms,
business managers, and other firms (the “Focus Partners”), most of which provide wealth management, benefit
consulting, and investment consulting services to individuals, families, employers, and institutions. Some Focus
Partners also manage or advise limited partnerships, private funds, or investment companies as disclosed on their
respective Form ADVs.
SWM is managed by Robert Phillips and Leslie Thompson (“SWM Principals”), pursuant to a management agreement
between Slainté, LLC, and SWM. The SWM Principals serve as leaders and officers of SWM and are responsible for
the management, supervision, and oversight of SWM.
SWM endeavors to provide personalized, comprehensive wealth management strategies for growing, preserving, and
effectively transferring wealth for high-net-worth individuals and families and providing investment management
services to individual and institutional investors.
When we act as your investment adviser, we must act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. At
the same time, the method by which we are compensated creates some conflicts with your interests. The following
items outline our activities and address conflicts associated with those activities. You should understand and ask us
about these potential conflicts because they can affect the investment advice we provide you.
As a fiduciary, we have duties of care and loyalty to you and are subject to obligations imposed on us by federal and
state securities laws. As a result, you have certain rights that you cannot waive or limit by contract. Nothing in our
agreement with you should be interpreted as a limitation of our obligations under the federal and state securities laws
or as a waiver of any unwaivable rights you possess.
As of December 31, 2023, SWM had $922,114,855 of discretionary assets under management and $ 54,266,814
of nondiscretionary assets under management.
Wealth Management Services
SWM’s wealth management service, LifeSpectrum PlanningTM, is designed to build a framework for financial decision-
making. LifeSpectrum PlanningTM entails an intensive data-gathering process of the client’s current financial condition
(including review of prior tax returns, investment holdings, insurance policies, estate and legal documents, and other
relevant information), organizing the data, preparing financial projections, and creating a Plan based on pre-defined
goals, reporting the results of the projections, strategies, and scenarios, providing recommendations to fill gaps that
would prevent a client from reaching goals, and assisting a client in implementing the Plan, which includes the
discretionary management of investment assets and advisory services related to nondiscretionary investments assets
outside of our advisory agreement. This service is designed for clients who meet a minimum one-million-dollars
($1,000,000) investment under management threshold and is an ongoing process of continual monitoring and
refinement as circumstances dictate. As part of these services, clients have access to secure client portals, which allow
them to view information about their Plan and their investment assets, including holdings, values, and asset allocation,
performance, and provide an electronic vault for valuable wealth-related documents such as wills, trusts, tax returns,
insurance documents, and projections. However, it remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify SWM of any
change in their financial situation or objectives. Implementation of the Plan is inherent in SWM’s Wealth Management
Service offering. A summary of SWM’s investment management services, which are also available on a stand-alone
basis, is addressed below.
While SWM has Certified Public Accountants (CPA) on staff, neither SWM nor its representatives serve as an
accountant when providing recommendations, and no portion of SWM’s services should be construed as the same.
SWM is not a public accounting firm and does not provide accounting, audit, review, or attest services. Furthermore,
other professionals representing a client – attorneys, accountants, insurance agents, and other advisors – may need
to implement some of the client's recommendations by SWM. SWM suggests clients work closely with these
professionals to implement pertinent aspects of their Plan. SWM is available to make recommendations of trusted
professionals and to coordinate with a client’s other trusted professionals. The client is under no obligation to engage
the services of any such recommended professional. The client retains discretion over all planning implementation
decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from SWM.
Accumulator Wealth Management Services
Spectrum also offers wealth management to certain clients who do not meet the firm’s $1,000,000 minimum relationship
threshold. Spectrum believes that its wealth management and investment portfolios are best structured for those clients
who can invest a minimum of $1,000,000 but understand certain relationships may not qualify for these services.
Spectrum offers the Accumulator Wealth Management service better to serve our primary client relationships and family
needs. This service is intended for client relationships based on related account relationships and specific client
profiles. The service is designed to provide investment management layered with financial planning and consulting to
Accumulator clients, who work closely with their designated financial professional. The financial professional assists
the client in determining their financial goals, ascertaining risk tolerance, and structure a foundational financial plan
and portfolio strategy. This strategy strives towards moving the client to accrue enough assets to be eligible for regular
wealth or investment management services. Once the relationship meets the minimum requirements, it is transitioned
to Spectrum’s standard platforms. Clients who begin with the Accumulator agreement pay more for these services as
Spectrum personnel provides additional guidance and account education not generally required for more established
or sophisticated relationships. Find out more about these fees in Item 5 below.
Wealth Management and Accumulator Retirement Plan Advice
Wealth Management and Accumulator Clients may also engage our firm to receive a quarterly review and reporting of
their portfolio holdings held away in the client’s separate qualified retirement plan by the designated investment advisor
representative. SWM does not charge additional fees for this service, as it is added as a compliment to the client’s
existing Wealth and Investment Management Agreement or Wealth and Investment Accumulator Agreement. The
investment advisor representative will recommend asset allocation and investment strategy changes, where applicable,
each quarter. SWM’s Investment Committee continuously reviews and monitors portfolio strategies and securities from
which the investment advisor representative may choose for recommendation to clients. Under this service, SWM
provides advice and recommendations and will not execute this advice. Wealth Management and Accumulator Clients
will have the sole responsibility to implement any recommendations or reallocate securities through their retirement
plan transaction platform. Clients who elect SWM to execute recommendations will do so under a separate agreement.
Clients should be aware of certain conflicts of interest that exist when we provide advice regarding qualified retirement
plans. SWM may recommend that the client withdraw the assets from their employer's retirement plan and roll the
assets over to an individual retirement account ("IRA") that SWM (or another adviser) will manage. If the plan participant
elects to roll the assets to an IRA managed by our firm, the client will be charged an asset-based fee. This practice
presents a conflict of interest because SWM has a financial incentive to recommend the rollover to the client based on
the potential revenues rather than solely on the client’s needs. Consequently, clients are never obligated to roll over
their qualified retirement plan assets, nor are they obligated to transfer the assets to our firm. Your financial professional
should perform an analysis of the benefits of the rollover and what services or benefits you will lose or the additional
costs of a rollover. Ask your financial professional to review this analysis before making your final decision.
Wealth Management and Accumulator Client Held Away Assets
We implement investment advice on behalf of certain clients in held-away accounts maintained by independent third-
party custodians. These held-away accounts are often 401(k) accounts, 529 plans, and other assets not held by our
primary custodian(s).
Pontera Solutions, Inc. provides the order management system that we use for certain held-away accounts. We review,
monitor, and manage these held-away accounts integrated with client accounts held at our primary custodian(s).
Further information about this service is available in Item 5.
Investment Management Services
SWM provides discretionary investment management services to clients on a fee basis. Clients who do not wish to
engage in the comprehensive nature of SWM’s Wealth Management offering may hire SWM to manage their
investment assets on a stand-alone basis.
SWM’s investment approach combines a blend of investment strategies detailed below. All investments made or
recommended by SWM under the terms of this agreement are assessed, reviewed, and approved by the SWM
Investment Committee. The intent is to delegate investment-related decisions to an experienced investment committee.
The Investment Committee includes SWM Advisors who serve clients and is led by staff whose primary duties include
investment-related research and recommendations. SWM portfolios consist of various building blocks available to
Advisors to create portfolios for each client they serve. The result is a variety of customized portfolios designed to
position each client for financial security and wealth accumulation to meet the client’s objectives over the long term.
The investment strategies that form the building blocks of the client portfolio consist of the strategies noted below.
SWM may also create customized portfolio solutions to meet a specific need or investment theme of a particular client
mandate.
Individual Equity Portfolios
SWM All Cap – Our focus is to invest in quality companies with competitive advantages and the potential for sustained
growth, focusing on high returns on capital and earnings growth. We seek to invest in companies with a durable
earnings profile driven by a sustainable competitive advantage, financial strength, and proven management teams.
Rooted in fundamental analysis and confirmed through technical analysis, our focus is on selecting approximately thirty
portfolio holdings that meet our objective. Because of the technical analysis overlay that we employ, the portfolio may
increase its cash allocation during periods of heightened volatility or what we define as protect mode. Technical analysis
and quantitative strategies often involve more frequent trading than a buy-and-hold strategy, which could increase
brokerage costs.
SWM Dividend Growth – Our focus is to invest in quality companies with competitive brand positioning, solid balance
sheets, consistent dividends, cash flow, and earnings growth. Our goal is to produce an attractive and rising income
stream and capital appreciation. Rooted in fundamental analysis and confirmed through technical analysis, our focus
is on selecting approximately thirty portfolio holdings that meet our objective. Because of the technical analysis overlay
that we employ, the portfolio may increase its cash allocation during periods of heightened volatility or what we define
as protect mode. Technical analysis and quantitative strategies often involve more frequent trading than a buy-and-
hold strategy, which could increase brokerage costs.
Over time, dividends have made up a substantial portion of the total return of the S&P 500. We feel that dividend
income provides a distinct advantage when fixed-income yields are low, the inflation outlook is uncertain, and the
broader market is volatile. In addition, dividend-payers tend to be less volatile and outperform non-dividend-paying
stocks over the long term.
SWM Growth and Income – Our dual mandate focuses on investing in quality growth and dividend-paying companies.
We seek companies with a proven track record and strong potential for sustainable future growth in revenue, earnings,
and free cash flow. Attractive dividends are an essential part of the portfolio, but we will also invest in companies that
reinvest cash flow into growth opportunities or share repurchase activity. Rooted in fundamental analysis and confirmed
through technical analysis, our focus is on selecting approximately thirty portfolio holdings that meet our objective.
Because of the technical analysis overlay that we employ, the portfolio may increase its cash allocation during periods
of heightened volatility or what we define as protect mode. Technical analysis and quantitative strategies often involve
more frequent trading than a buy-and-hold strategy, which could increase brokerage costs.
Custom Equity Portfolio – If required by a specific client mandate, we can create custom portfolios that align with
issues of low basis stock, ESG parameters, or specific security inclusion or exclusion from a portfolio. We employ the
same focused research in developing custom solutions.
Tactical Focused Portfolios
Investment Philosophy
We study macroeconomic factors and technical analysis, which focuses on evaluating trend, price, and relative strength
to identify what we believe to be favorable investment opportunities. We evaluate market activities and rotate the
portfolio to specific investment themes, which we believe offer the strongest potential for price appreciation. We attempt
to control risk by underweighting or removing exposure to markets exhibiting negative price trends and evaluated risk.
As a result, the Tactical Focused Core Portfolios can hold most of the investments in a single asset such as U.S.
Equities, Foreign Equities, or Cash. For example, it could also concentrate on broad or micro-sectors such as
Technology or S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Producers. The Tactical Focused Core portfolio can be less diversified
than a traditional allocation portfolio.
Core - The Core portfolio invests in cost-efficient Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) to complement our stock portfolios
by providing broader diversification of asset classes and sectors. The Core portfolio is rebalanced monthly or
opportunistically.
Sector Rotation - The sector rotation portfolios, which are comprised of U.S.-focused and global-focused portfolios,
invest in cost-efficient ETFs to gain market exposure to areas of the market that exhibit strong relative strength and
trend over the intermediate term. Sectors tend to perform differently throughout market cycles. The buy and sell
discipline is based on relative strength and trends. We believe that attention to risk management, which we define as
"protect mode," is as significant as return management, which we define as "advance mode." The Sector Rotation
portfolios are rebalanced monthly or opportunistically.
SWM Macro Advance and Protect – The SWM Macro Advance and Protect Strategy is designed to allocate up to
five equity funds, four fixed-income funds, and a cash component for a total allocation across ten different asset
classes. The top-level macroeconomic model determines the appropriate equity and fixed-income allocation, relying
on analyzing leading economic indicators, relative strength and market breadth indicators, and second-level indicators
and ranking system to determine the equity allocation and fixed-income baskets. While unlikely, the model could
allocate 100% to cash or any single asset class. The strategy is reviewed monthly to determine if any changes should
occur. The strategy is actively traded and could lead to less favorable tax treatment of investment gains. As such, this
strategy is recommended for tax-deferred accounts.
Allocation Focused Portfolios
The Allocation Focused portfolios invest in cost-effective ETFs to complement our stock portfolios by providing
diversification of broader asset classes and sectors.
Investment Philosophy
The Allocation Focused portfolios take a longer-term view of market conditions and drivers, focusing on diversified
target allocation among asset classes, but adapt to changing macro conditions. The Allocation Focused portfolios have
target allocations ranging from 100 percent equity to 100 percent fixed income. The goal of Allocation Focused
Portfolios is to focus on investor risk profiles (conservative, moderate, aggressive). Unlike our Tactical Focused
portfolios, the Allocation Focused portfolios maintain their target focus within tightly defined constraints. The Allocation
Focused portfolios are rebalanced opportunistically.
Periodically, a client may designate the desire to purchase a specific security. In such an event, SWM will indicate the
security as “non-managed” and rely upon the client’s further recommendation for removing or selling such security from
the client’s account. SWM is not obligated to provide ongoing monitoring or due diligence of such “non-managed”
security.
Before engaging SWM to provide Wealth Management or Investment Management Services, the client must enter into
a formal Investment Advisory Agreement with SWM setting forth the terms and conditions under which SWM shall
manage the client’s assets and the expected services to be performed. A separate custodial/clearing agreement with
each designated broker-dealer/custodian will also be required to allow SWM to manage the client’s assets effectively.
Third-Party Money Managers
SWM provides management services to clients who choose to utilize third-party managers (registered investment
advisers). We conduct due diligence on and recommend third-party managers in situations where it is appropriate. We
monitor the performance of the selected registered investment adviser(s) for our clients.
A client's investment with a third-party manager is made via a contract between the client and the third-party manager.
The client provides SWM authority to allocate client assets to the manager. If we determine that a particular appointed
third-party manager is not providing adequate management services to the client or managing the client's portfolio
consistent with the client's investment objectives, we suggest the client terminate their agreement with the manager.
However, any change to a new registered investment adviser is solely at the client's discretion.
Third-party managers are unaffiliated with our firm, and although we perform due diligence on the third-party managers,
we do not control their activities nor guarantee their performance. We will initially evaluate and recommend investment
advisers and portfolios based on reasonably available information at the time and periodically report on the third-party
manager’s investment performance in conjunction with the standard reporting process.
Family Office and Trust Services
SWM also provides Family Office and Trust services. Family Office Services include wealth management,
intergenerational wealth transfer strategies, advice and planning, family meeting facilitation and education, guidance
towards family governance, philanthropic planning, and investment management of client trust. The Family Office
service targets clients with a minimum net worth of $10 million. SWM may accept clients with less than the minimum
for this specialized service who have unique situations that require services provided through this service offering.
Trust Services are provided through NATC and other trust companies. Clients should be aware that Mr. Phillips and
Ms. Thompson both have passive ownership shares with NATC. As such, this creates a conflict to recommend NATC
over other trust companies. Clients are never required to utilize the services of NATC and should evaluate each trust
company to understand their services and fees prior to making a decision of which trust service is best for that client.
We may engage independent trust companies who are not affiliated with our firm, depending on the client’s needs and
wishes. SWM offers planning and advice, while NATC acts as the Trustee of all trusts and could offer custodial services
for clients' assets.
ERISA Plan and Pension Consulting Services
SWM provides consulting services to plan trustees of ERISA-based plans. SWM acknowledges it is an ERISA
investment fiduciary. As requested by the trustees, SWM will assist in developing an Investment Policy Statement for
the Plan. SWM assumes the responsibility for the following:
• Providing professionally selected investment alternatives, risk-based models, and portfolio alternatives;
• Investment model customization includes ongoing active portfolio management, which also includes
monitoring, rebalancing, and adjustments to model portfolios;
• Continuous manager due diligence;
• Conducting enrollment and educational meetings for plan participants and
• Coordination between the plan sponsor and third-party administrator
Retirement Accounts
SWM is a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), concerning
investment management services and investment advice provided to ERISA plans and ERISA plan participants. SWM
is also a fiduciary under section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “IRC”) concerning
investment management services and investment advice provided to individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), ERISA
plans, and ERISA plan participants. As such, SWM is subject to specific duties and obligations under ERISA and the
IRC, as applicable, that include, among other things, prohibited transaction rules that are intended to prohibit fiduciaries
from acting on conflicts of interest. When a fiduciary gives advice, the fiduciary must either avoid certain conflicts of
interest or rely upon an applicable prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”).
Limited Consulting Services
While rare, SWM may provide limited-scope consulting engagements, including a one-time financial planning
engagement, investment portfolio review, facilitating family meetings, business succession planning, and consulting
with personal representatives in estate matters related to financial assets. The fees for this service depend on the
complexity of the service provided.
Certified Public Accountants
While SWM has Certified Public Accountants (CPA) on staff, neither SWM nor its representatives serve as an
accountant when providing recommendations, and no portion of SWM’s services should be construed as the same.
SWM is not a public accounting firm and does not provide accounting, audit, review, or attest services.
Focus Risk Solutions, LLC (“FRS”)
We help our clients obtain certain insurance solutions from unaffiliated, third-party insurance brokers by introducing
clients to our affiliate, Focus Risk Solutions, LLC (“FRS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of our parent company, Focus
Financial Partners, LLC. Please see Items 5 and 10 for a more in-depth discussion of these services and other
important information.
Credit and Cash Management Solutions
We offer clients the option of obtaining certain financial solutions from unaffiliated third-party financial institutions
through UPTIQ Treasury & Credit Solutions, LLC (together with UPTIQ, Inc. and its affiliates, “UPTIQ”) and Flourish
Financial LLC (“Flourish”). Please see Items 5 and 10 for a more complete discussion of these services and other
important information.