Introduction
This Brochure relates to the Managed Account Strategies program (“Program”) sponsored by Goldman
Sachs & Co. LLC (“GS&Co.”). The Program is offered to clients of GS&Co.’s Private Wealth Management
group (“PWM”). PWM, together with various affiliates as described in the PWM Brochure, comprises the
wealth management business of Goldman Sachs Asset & Wealth Management (“Asset & Wealth
Management”) that perform investment advisory and other services on behalf of the wealth management
business of Asset & Wealth Management. PWM primarily provides advisory services to high net worth
individuals and institutional clients and helps clients build and preserve their financial wealth. PWM operates
through offices located in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brentwood, Cohoes, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and West
Palm Beach. Unless otherwise specified, references in this Brochure to “clients” mean Program clients and
references to the advisory services provided by GS&Co. mean the advisory services provided by GS&Co.
as sponsor of the Program.
Clients investing in the Program include clients of advisory affiliates of GS&Co. that had previously been
GS&Co. clients or where a GS&Co. advisory affiliate otherwise makes the Program available. Certain
GS&Co. affiliates may charge at a different rate than the Program rates set forth herein. The actual rate for
each client will be set forth in the client’s applicable agreements.
GS&Co.’s affiliate The Ayco Company, L.P. (“Goldman Sachs Ayco”) financial advisors are also registered
representatives of GS&Co., as more fully described in the Goldman Sachs Ayco Brochure,
GS&Co.’s principal owner is The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (“GS Group”), a publicly traded bank holding
company and financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended
(“BHCA”), and a worldwide, full-service financial services organization. GS&Co. has been a registered
investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) since 1981. GS Group,
GS&Co. and their respective affiliates, directors, partners, trustees, managers, members, officers and
employees are referred to collectively as “Goldman Sachs.”
Overview of the Services Provided under the Program
Clients investing in the Program pay a “wrap” fee for discretionary investment management services by
managers that are affiliated with Goldman Sachs (“Affiliated Managers”) and managers that are unaffiliated
with Goldman Sachs (including where Goldman Sachs-advised Accounts hold equity, profits or other
interests in investment advisers that Goldman Sachs does not control) (“Unaffiliated Managers,” and
together with Affiliated Managers, “Managers”) participating in the Program. This fee covers the
compensation of GS&Co. as sponsor of the Program, as well as the Manager, and also generally covers
the cost of brokerage execution through Goldman Sachs, custody at GS&Co., reporting and other
administrative services.
Manager Selection
Based upon information provided by the client, GS&Co. selects, or recommends that the client select, one
or more Managers in the Program to manage the client’s assets in an Account established for this purpose
(“Program Account”). Where a client authorizes GS&Co., the client’s relationship manager (“Private Wealth
Advisor”) may select, appoint and remove Managers and may allocate and reallocate assets in the client’s
Program Accounts without the client’s prior approval or consent.
The Manager has full decision making authority over investments and transactions, subject to any
reasonable restrictions imposed by a client, the investment style that the client has selected, and any
guidelines negotiated between the Manager and the External Investing Group Public Strategies (“XIG –
Public Strategies”) group. The Manager may accept, or withdraw from the management of, a client’s
Account based on the nature of the proposed restrictions or for any other reason. Restrictions regarding
industry groups are determined by reference to an independent source, such as industry classifications in
a well-recognized index, or by the Manager. Clients should be aware that the performance of Program
Accounts with restrictions will differ from, and may be lower than, the performance of Program Accounts
without restrictions. The Manager may, in its discretion, hold the amount that would have been invested in
the restricted security in cash, invest in substitute securities or invest it across the other securities in the
strategy that are not restricted.
The Manager also has exclusive responsibility to determine trades, select brokers and dealers and the
markets on or in which trades will be executed. Please refer to each Manager’s Form ADV brochure for
information about its advisory business.
Manager Selection – Retirement Plans
Retirement plans (including 401(k) plans) and other employee pension benefit plans subject to the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), tax-qualified retirement plans
(including Keogh plans) under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “IRC”) and not
covered by ERISA, individual retirement accounts under IRC Section 408 or 408A and Coverdell Education
Savings Accounts (collectively, “Retirement Plans”) have two different options for selecting Managers.
Generally, Private Wealth Advisors will provide advice and recommendations regarding manager and
strategy selection, including Affiliated and Unaffiliated Managers. Managed Account Strategies fees paid
to GS&Co. for Retirement Plans are consistent regardless of whether the client selects Affiliated or
Unaffiliated Managers. In cases where an Unaffiliated Manager is selected, an additional fee will be charged
all of which is passed onto the Unaffiliated Manager.
With respect to Managed Account Strategies, certain Retirement Plans who have sophisticated plan
fiduciaries can choose participating Managers either comprised exclusively of Affiliated Managers
(“Affiliated Manager Option”) or Unaffiliated Managers (“Unaffiliated Manager Option”). In such cases,
unless GS&Co. otherwise agrees, GS&Co. does not act as a “fiduciary”, provide advice, make
recommendations or otherwise assist Retirement Plans in the decision to select between an Affiliated
Manager or an Unaffiliated Manager. The selection between the Affiliated Manager Option and the
Unaffiliated Manager Option will be the sole responsibility of the Retirement Plan. Once a Retirement Plan
chooses an option, GS&Co. may assist the Retirement Plan in identifying, evaluating and selecting one or
more potential Managers within the option selected.
GS&Co. has a managed program platform for eligible Retirement Plans (the “Retirement Platform”), the
terms of which are available as part of the account opening documents.
If a client maintains both Retirement Plans and Program Accounts that are not Retirement Plans with
GS&Co., any advice or recommendations made by GS&Co., including Private Wealth Advisors or any other
GS&Co. personnel, for an Account that is not a Retirement Plan does not apply to and should not be used
by the client for any decision made by a Retirement Plan, which present different considerations.
There may also be changes in applicable law governing Retirement Plans that may drive certain changes
to available products and services.
Execution Services
Each Manager has the sole discretion to select broker-dealers, including Goldman Sachs, to execute trades
for Program Accounts. The Manager is responsible for executing client trades in a manner consistent with
its obligation to seek best execution, and clients are encouraged to review the selected Manager’s Form
ADV brochure concerning its brokerage practices.
Generally, the Manager selects Goldman Sachs to execute most equity trades. This is because the fee
paid by each client, as described under “Fees for the Program” below, covers all Program fees on all agency
trades effected through Goldman Sachs. When executing trades for Program Accounts, Goldman Sachs is
not acting as an investment adviser, but is acting exclusively as a broker-dealer in connection with such
trades, and only executes trades for Program Accounts upon a Manager’s instruction. Transactions in
Program Accounts will generally produce increased trading flow for Goldman Sachs. To the extent
permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs may act as principal in executing trades for each client’s
Account, or as agent while also representing another client of GS&Co. on the other side of the trade (an
“agency cross trade”). For more information about principal and agency cross trades, please refer to Item
9, Principal Trading and Cross/Agency Cross Transactions with Advisory Accounts. If the Manager
executes trades in auction rate securities through Goldman Sachs, the client may obtain a written
description of Goldman Sachs’ disclosures and considerations for investing in auction rate securities at
http://www.gs.com/ars (a hard copy is also available upon request).
If a Manager selects a broker-dealer other than Goldman Sachs to execute trades for a Program Account, the client
may pay additional Execution Charges for trades executed by that third-party broker-dealer, and any such Execution
Charges will be in addition to the Program fee. For more information about the Program fee, please refer to Item 4,
Fees for the Program below.
Custody and Administrative Services
GS&Co. handles some or all of the custody, clearance and settlement services, as well as certain other
administrative services, provided under the Program at no additional fee. If a client elects a third-party
custodian, the client will bear the fees, costs, expenses and/or commissions charged by the custodian,
including any custody and administrative fees.
Unless instructed otherwise, each Manager will be responsible for voting proxies associated with securities
held in the Program Accounts in accordance with the Manager’s proxy voting policy. Where GS&Co. acts
as custodian, it will forward to the Manager copies of all related proxies and shareholder communications.
Clients who elect not to custody assets with GS&Co. are encouraged to contact their third-party custodians
to ensure that they, or their selected Manager, receive such materials directly from their custodians.
Neither GS&Co. nor the Manager will render any advice or take any action with respect to securities or
other property held in the Program Account or the issuers thereof that become the subject of any legal
proceedings, including bankruptcies and class actions.
Cash Sweep
Generally, free credit balances in a Program Account may be automatically invested or “swept” daily, or at
such other interval as determined by GS&Co., into bank deposit accounts (“Bank Deposit”) or one or more
money market mutual funds. The Bank Deposit, which is offered through Goldman Sachs Bank USA (“GS
Bank”), is generally used with eligible Program Accounts. Clients whose cash is swept to money market
funds receive the prospectus for the applicable fund.
Clients who elect not to sweep cash may earn less than clients who elect to sweep or may earn nothing on
their free credit balances. Clients should check their account statements for the applicable interest rate.
Special Notice for Cash Sweeps for Retirement Plans
GS&Co. will not charge any Program fees
to Retirement Plan assets in the Program that are invested in
one or more money market funds or bank deposit accounts advised by Goldman Sachs during the period
they are so invested. However, Goldman Sachs may earn investment management, investment advisory
or similar fees for its investment management or investment advisory services with respect to the services
it provides to the money market funds or bank deposit accounts. Please refer to the applicable prospectus
for the current annual contractual management fee.
As a result, the differential in fees to be paid to Goldman Sachs for Retirement Plans invested in the money
market funds or bank deposit accounts will be the difference between the fees that would have otherwise
been charged by GS&Co. for its investment management or advisory services under the Program fee, on
the one hand, and the investment management, investment advisory and other similar fees for investment
management or investment advisory services paid by the money market fund or bank deposit account to
Goldman Sachs, on the other hand. Please note, however, that there are also other expenses, as described
in the applicable prospectus, which are paid to Goldman Sachs as transfer agent or to third parties (e.g.,
fees paid to attorneys and accountants who render professional services to the Funds). These expenses
will represent an additional expense to the Retirement Plan.
Money market funds and bank deposit accounts are available as a cash sweep vehicle because GS&Co.
believes that it is prudent to sweep all uninvested assets to a sweep vehicle, and the Program uses open-
end investment companies managed by Goldman Sachs.
Program Accounts will not pay a sales commission in connection with the purchase or a sale of any
Financial Square Fund and will not pay a redemption fee in connection with a sale by it to the Financial
Square Fund.
For information on Bank Deposit, please see Item 4, Cash Sweep, above.
Fees for the Program
Clients pay GS&Co. an annual fee based on a percentage of the market value of the Program Account, as
set forth on the fee schedule signed by the client at account opening. Actual fees paid may be negotiated
and may differ from those in Appendix A (for other than Retirement Plans) and Appendix B (for Retirement
Plans). A client may pay more or less than the fees for similar clients depending on the particular
circumstances of the client, including the size of the relationship and required service levels.
Fee Schedule
Absent special circumstances, the fees set forth in the first asset tiers ($0-$10 million) in Appendix A (for
other than Retirement Plans) and Appendix B (for Retirement Plans) represent the maximum fees that
clients may currently be charged for new Program Accounts, irrespective of current asset balances. Fees
for preexisting Program Accounts may be higher or lower per strategy or may have negotiated a flat fee
that is higher or lower than the current ADV rate. Certain employees of the firm or an affiliate may receive
advisory services at lower rates or on a fee free basis and may be able to invest at lower minimum amounts
than clients currently invest.
GS&Co. pays a portion of the Program fee to the Manager. For Program Accounts (other than Retirement
Plans) the Manager fee is currently 0.20% for fixed income Accounts and between 0.20% and 0.85% for
equity Accounts (including Dynamic Equity) based on the value of the Program Accounts managed by the
Manager. For Retirement Plan Accounts, the Manager fee is between 0.275% and 0.80% for equity
Accounts (including Dynamic Equity).
As an accommodation, GS&Co. may permit clients to transfer separately managed accounts managed by
an investment manager that does not participate in the Program from their current custodian to GS&Co. In
these circumstances, GS&Co. charges clients an annual fee of up to 0.40% of the value of the client’s
assets managed by that investment manager. This fee is in addition to the investment management fee
and other fees charged by the client’s Manager. The fee covers all charges (including brokerage
commissions on agency transactions and commission equivalents (but not the spreads and certain mark-
ups and mark-downs on principal transactions) for transactions executed through Goldman Sachs and
GS&Co.’s administrative charges as well as fees for general asset allocation advice. GS&Co. does not
recommend or monitor these managers, and each client is solely responsible for the selection, retention
and termination of these managers.
Calculation and Deduction of Advisory Fees
Advisory fees paid by clients for Program Accounts are generally charged quarterly in arrears based on the
average market value of the assets in the Program Account during the previous quarter. Average market
value is generally determined using end-of-day quantities and an end-of-day market price for each security
Fees are prorated and due upon termination or for partial periods.
Where GS&Co. acts as custodian, the Program fees are automatically deducted from the client’s Program
Account unless other arrangements have been agreed upon between the client and GS&Co. In the case of
Program Accounts held at a third-party custodian, clients generally direct their custodian to have their fees
and expenses debited from the account for credit to GS&Co.
Ability to Obtain Services Separately
Clients may be able to obtain some or all of the services offered through the Program separately from
GS&Co. or from other firms, and the cost of obtaining the services separately may be more or less than the
Program fee. Factors that bear on the cost of the Program in relation to the cost of the same services
purchased separately include the range of investment strategies and Managers selected, anticipated
trading activity and the range of custodial, reporting and other ancillary services that are available. Clients
should also understand that the combination of the Program services may not be available separately and
certain Managers might not be willing or able to provide their services or particular investment strategies
outside of the Program because of minimum Account sizes or other factors.
Other Fees and Expenses
The Program fee does not include certain execution costs that may be charged to the client, including:
broker-dealer spreads; certain broker-dealer mark-ups or mark-downs on principal transactions; fees and
other expenses related to transactions in depository receipts, including fees associated with foreign ordinary
conversion; creation fees charged by third parties and foreign tax charges; auction fees; fees charged by
exchanges on a per transaction basis; debit balances and margin interest; certain odd-lot differentials;
transfer taxes; electronic fund and wire transfer fees; fees in connection with trustee and other services
rendered by Goldman Sachs; fees on NASDAQ trades; certain costs associated with trading in foreign
securities and other property; any other charges mandated by law; and certain fees in connection with trust
accounting, or the establishment, administration or termination of retirement plans.
The Program fees also do not cover Execution Charges (such as commissions, commission equivalents,
mark-ups, mark-downs, spreads) on transactions a Manager places with broker-dealers other than
Goldman Sachs. For example, Managers of fixed income strategies will generally execute trades through
third-party dealers and, therefore, the spread, mark-ups and mark-downs on those trades will be paid by
clients to the third-party dealer. Any such Execution Charges will be separately charged to the client’s
Program Account. Third-party custodians reserve the right to charge fees including trade away fees and
fees related to specific investments such as mutual funds and alternative investments. For a complete list
of fees that may apply to the Program Account, clients should review their customer agreements with the
applicable custodian. Clients will pay the public offering price for any securities purchased from an
underwriter or dealer involved in a distribution. If GS&Co. is a member of the underwriting syndicate from
which a security is purchased, GS&Co. may, directly or indirectly, benefit from such purchase. In addition,
the value of Program assets invested in shares of investment companies (closed-end or mutual fund
companies, and unit investment trusts) is included in calculating the Program fee, to the extent permitted
by law. These shares are also subject to investment advisory, administration, transfer agency, distribution,
shareholder service and other fund-level expenses (some of which may be paid to Goldman Sachs) that
are paid by the fund and clients, indirectly, as a fund shareholder. The Program fee will not be reduced by
any of these fund-level fees unless required by law. Goldman Sachs may charge fees on cash swept into
the Bank Deposit or held as free credit balances.
Compensation for Recommending the Wrap Fee Program
Private Wealth Advisors and GS&Co. receive compensation in connection with a client’s participation in the
Program. The amount of this compensation may differ from the compensation that might have been
received by the Private Wealth Advisors and GS&Co. if the client had instead participated in another
advisory program offered by GS&Co. or paid separately for the investment advice, brokerage and other
services available through the Program.
The amount of the compensation received also may vary based on the selection of a Manager, asset class
or investment strategy, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Goldman Sachs will generally benefit from
the selection of an Affiliated Manager, as the amount of compensation received from a Program Account
advised by an Affiliated Manager may be more or less than the compensation received from a traditional
separate Advisory Account (that is, an Advisory Account with an advisory fee that does not include
Execution Charges, custodial and other fees) also advised by Goldman Sachs. Except in the case of
Retirement Plans, the Private Wealth Advisors and GS&Co. also may recommend or select certain
Managers based on the nature of the compensation arrangement with each Manager. These arrangements
may include fee break points that GS&Co. has negotiated with the Managers that reduce the fee paid to
Managers (and correspondingly increase the portion of the fee retained by GS&Co.) as assets managed
by a particular Manager in the Program increase. Any such differentials in compensation create a financial
incentive on the part of GS&Co. and Private Wealth Advisors to recommend or, if applicable, select one
advisory program, Manager, asset class or investment strategy over another.
Clients who grant GS&Co. discretionary authority to select and remove Managers, allocate assets, and
reallocate assets in Program Accounts should understand that any changes made by GS&Co. may result
in changes to the overall asset allocation and selection of investment strategies for the Program Accounts.
Because the fees for each investment strategy vary by asset class, GS&Co.’s discretionary actions may
result in a client paying a higher aggregate fee for the Program.
In addition to the disclosures contained in this Brochure, these and other potential conflicts of interest may
be disclosed in the GS&Co. Form ADV brochure and other strategy-specific documents provided to clients
from time to time and in GS&Co.’s investment advisory agreement with the client.