General Information
Southeast Asset Advisors, LLC (“SAA”) was formed in 1991 (SAA was originally formed as a
corporation and converted to a Limited Liability Company in 2019) and provides wealth management
services including portfolio management and consulting services to our clients, primarily individuals
(including high net worth individuals), family offices, endowments, foundations and corporate and
public pension plans.
SEAA Holdings, Inc. is the primary owner of SAA. Bernard Lanigan, C. Bradford Jackson, Mark C.
Saussy, Frank Mercer, and David Mark Fletcher (including certain family trusts of the forgoing) are
shareholders of SEAA Holdings, Inc. Also, Mikell Leland, Ned Johnson and Chris Osborne are Members
of SAA. Please see Brochure Supplements, Exhibit A, for more information on all individuals who
formulate investment advice and have direct contact with clients or have discretionary authority over
client accounts.
Report of Assets under Management as of December 31, 2023
Discretionary Assets Under
Management
$2,694,761,193
Consulting (Non-Discretionary)
Assets Under Management
$1,052,418,468
Total $3,747,179,661
SERVICES OFFERED
At the outset of our relationship, we seek to gain an understanding and assessment of your current and
prospective financial position, investment experience, goals, objectives and risk tolerance (ability and
willingness to handle volatility). Based on our reviews, we generally develop an overall investment
and asset allocation plan for your investment portfolio.
We engage in an ongoing dialogue throughout the course of our relationship. Changes in your
circumstances may require a change in your asset allocation or overall investment plan.
Portfolio Management (Discretionary Services)
Your portfolio is generally invested in mutual funds, individual stocks and bonds, ETFs, separate
account managers (“SAMs”) and private investment funds or partnerships (e.g., hedge funds or private
equity funds) where appropriate for you.
We will generally manage your investment portfolio on a discretionary basis. As a discretionary
investment advisor, we will have authority to supervise and direct your portfolio without prior
consultation with you. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may impose certain restrictions on us in
the management of your investment portfolio, such as prohibiting the inclusion of certain types of
investments. You should note, however, that restrictions imposed by you may adversely affect the
composition and performance of your investment portfolio. You should also note that your investment
portfolio is treated individually by giving consideration to each purchase or sale for your account. For
these and other reasons, performance of your investment portfolio within the same investment
objectives, goals and/or risk tolerance may differ and you should not expect that the composition or
performance of your investment portfolio would necessarily be consistent with similar clients of ours.
We do not have discretionary authority to invest your funds in private investment funds or
partnerships (i.e., hedge funds or private equity funds), or when we select Separate Account Managers.
When we recommend such investments, you must decide whether to invest and, if you invest, you
must execute subscription or similar documents with the fund or related entity. We monitor these
investments and include the assets in quarterly reports to you. In general, private investment funds
are carried at market value in your portfolio and updated on a monthly (or in some cases quarterly or
annually) basis by the fund administrator.
Consulting Services (Non-Discretionary Services)
We also work with endowments, foundations, trusts, family offices, retirement plans and corporations
on a consulting basis. In this role, we do not have discretion over the portfolio but rather work with
client trustees, investment committee or others responsible for the assets to develop an investment
plan, make ongoing recommendations to implement the plan and monitor the performance of the
portfolio. We may assist the client in implementation of the strategy to the extent possible, but it is
generally the client’s responsibility to authorize and execute all recommendations, and the client
retains the responsibility for all decisions regarding actions taken (or not taken) with respect to the
portfolio.
Retirement Plan Advisory Services
Establishing a sound fiduciary governance process is vital to good decision-making and to ensuring
that prudent procedural steps are followed in making investment decisions. We will provide
Retirement Plan consulting services to Plans and Plan Fiduciaries as described below. The particular
services provided will be detailed in the consulting agreement. The appropriate Plan Fiduciary(ies)
designated in the Plan documents (e.g., the Plan sponsor or named fiduciary) will (i) make the decision
to retain our firm; (ii) agree to the scope of the services that we will provide; and (iii) make the
ultimate decision as to accepting any of the recommendations
that we may provide. The Plan
Fiduciaries are free to seek independent advice about the appropriateness of any recommended
services for the Plan.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) sets forth rules under which Plan
Fiduciaries may retain investment advisers for various types of services with respect to Plan assets.
For certain services, we will be considered a fiduciary under ERISA. For example, we will act as an
ERISA § 3(21) fiduciary when providing non-discretionary investment advice to the Plan Fiduciaries
by recommending a suite of investments as choices among which Plan Participants may select. Also, to
the extent that the Plan Fiduciaries retain us to act as an investment manager within the meaning of
ERISA § 3(38), we will provide discretionary investment management services to the Plan.
When we provide investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual
retirement account, we are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are
laws governing retirement accounts. The way we make money creates some conflicts with your
interests, so we operate under a special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not put
our interests ahead of yours. Additional disclosure may be found elsewhere in this Brochure or in the
written agreement between you and SAA.
Fiduciary Consulting Services
• Investment Selection Services
We will provide Plan Fiduciaries with recommendations of investment options consistent with
ERISA section 404(c). Plan Fiduciaries retain responsibility for the final determination of
investment options and for compliance with ERISA section 404(c).
• Non-Discretionary Investment Advice
We provide Plan Fiduciaries and Plan Participants general, non-discretionary investment
advice regarding assets classes and investments.
• Investment Monitoring
We will assist in monitoring the plan’s investment options by preparing periodic investment
reports that document investment performance, consistency of fund management and
conformation to the guidelines set forth in the investment policy statement and we will make
recommendations to maintain or remove and replace investment options. The details of this
aspect of service will be enumerated in the engagement agreement between the parties.
Fiduciary Management Services
• Discretionary Management Services
When retained as an investment manager within the meaning of ERISA § 3(38), we provide
continuous and ongoing supervision over the designated retirement plan assets. We will
actively monitor the designated retirement plan assets and provide ongoing management of
the assets. When applicable, we will have discretionary authority to make all decisions to buy,
sell or hold securities, cash or other investments for the designated retirement plan assets in
our sole discretion without first consulting with the Plan Fiduciaries. We also have the power
and authority to carry out these decisions by giving instructions, on your behalf, to brokers and
dealers and the qualified custodian(s) of the Plan for our management of the designated
retirement plan assets.
• Discretionary Investment Selection Services
We will monitor the investment options of the Plan and add or remove investment options for
the Plan without prior consultation with the Plan Fiduciaries. We will have discretionary
authority to make and implement all decisions regarding the investment options that are
available to Plan Participants.
• Investment Management via Model Portfolios.
We will provide discretionary management of Model Portfolios among which the participants
may choose to invest as Plan options.
Separate Account Managers
From time to time, when suitable, we may utilize one or more Separate Account Managers (each a
“SAM”). In cases where we recommend the use of one or more SAMs to manage a portion of your
portfolio, we will either select or assist you in the selection of the SAM(s). The SAMs may be granted
trading authority for one or more accounts in the portfolio. You will enter into a separate advisory
agreement with the SAM and may be charged a fee by the SAM in addition to our fee. With respect to
assets managed by a SAM, our role will be to monitor your overall financial situation, the investment
approach and performance of the SAM, to assist you in understanding the investments of your
portfolio, and to recommend whether to retain or terminate the SAM.
Other Financial Services
In addition to the services described above, we may provide other financial services to you. These
services are generally provided on a project basis, and may include, without limitation, estate
planning, cash flow planning for certain events such as education expenses or retirement, , income tax
planning analysis and review of your insurance portfolio, as well as other matters specific to you as
and when requested by you and agreed to by us.