Firm Description
Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC, (“Semper Augustus”) was
founded in 1998.
Semper Augustus is an investment management firm. The firm does not sell
annuities, insurance, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other commissioned
products. The firm is not affiliated with entities that sell financial products or
securities. No commissions in any form are accepted. No finder’s fees are
accepted. A “Registered Investment Adviser” does not imply a certain level of
skill or training.
Principal Owners
Christopher P. Bloomstran is a 50% stockholder of Semper Augustus. Chad
S Christensen is a 50% stockholder of Semper Augustus.
Types of Advisory Services
Semper Augustus provides investment supervisory services and investment
advisory account services through a management fee based on percentage
of assets under management and through performance fees.
Our typical relationship is with a client that has established an account at a
“qualified custodian” and provided us with a limited power of attorney to
execute security transactions in the account.
We typically buy and sell securities based on our own proprietary analysis
and you will own these individual securities in your account.
In this arrangement, you will receive statements from the “qualified
custodian”, you may have access to certain online information to track your
account and all tax reporting will be provided by the “qualified custodian”.
As disclosed below in further detail, we earn a management fee and in some
cases a performance fee. The qualified custodian earns account based fees,
asset based fees and/or transaction fees which are solely payable by you and
we do not share in those fees.
Although we discuss personal finance matters with clients to assist us in
managing their assets, we do not hold ourselves out as financial planners and
do NOT provide insurance, legal or tax advice.
While we do give continuous advice on the specific client portfolios for which
we have responsibility, it is not always that we have obtained, been granted,
or otherwise have come to know the total or complete nature and amount of a
client’s other assets, insurance, liabilities, tax situation and personal/family
obligations. Clients may impose restrictions on certain securities or types of
securities by written notification.
From time to time, we may recommend the purchase of limited partnership
interests, where the underlying portfolio is comprised of securities. Since
employees and managers of Semper Augustus may be invested in these
limited partnership interests, an inherent conflict of interest may exist since
they have an interest in those securities and benefit from spreading
operational costs over a larger asset base and we may receive higher fees
from your investment in our affiliated limited partnership.
Tailored Relationships
For individually managed accounts, clients work directly with the principals of
our firm. We spend the commensurate time in seeking to understand your
objectives, risk tolerance and service needs. In addition, we spend the
necessary time to involve you in our thought process and make you aware of
our ongoing investment philosophy.
For individually managed accounts, we strive to obtain relevant peripheral
information from our clients. In some cases, particular, peculiar, or specific
background factors related to a client are not always disclosed to us, despite
our attempt to ascertain them. We prefer not to manage securities portfolios
without an understanding of the client’s background and objectives, although
in some cases we may be doing just that by directive from the client.
The investment assets and security holdings under our responsibility, as well
as the client’s own appraisal of the nature and amount of other assets,
investments, insurance, liabilities, tax situation, plus the nature and extent of
their personal/family obligations may be considered when we create a
portfolio for you.
Securities or products may be available from other brokers or agents besides
us.
See the Review of Accounts section for additional information.
Types of Agreements
The following agreements define the typical client relationships. Agreements
may not be assigned without prior client consent.
Advisory Service Agreement
Most clients designate Semper Augustus as investment manager of assets
held in their accounts with a qualified custodian, such as a broker-dealer.
This means Semper Augustus assumes all investment duties with respect to
the account and has all investment powers, including investment authority.
Services Offered Through Other Advisors
In addition to the direct accounts we offer as discussed above, Semper
Augustus may offer investment supervisory services and investment advisory
account services on a discretionary basis to the clients of other financial
services firms, such as broker-dealers and bank trust departments
(“sponsors”). These sponsors typically offer comprehensive brokerage,
custodial, and advisory services through a single fee, through a
commissioned fee arrangement, or based on a percentage of assets under
management. In some circumstances, the sponsor may pay Semper
Augustus a portion of their fee in connection with the services provided by
Semper Augustus. In other circumstances, the underlying client may be billed
directly for services provided by Semper Augustus. In other circumstances,
the sponsor and Semper Augustus may
charge separate fees for their
respective services.
In these program-type accounts, Semper Augustus may be chosen by the
client to act as an investment adviser through a pre-selection process
administered by the sponsor. The client information compiled through the
pre-selection process enables Semper Augustus to provide individualized
investment services, which it maintains through ongoing contact with the
sponsor and/or the underlying client. Semper Augustus may be available for
direct telephone conversation with these clients at their request, and
periodically, at the discretion of the sponsor. The sponsor’s services
generally may include, in addition to assistance with the selection of the
investment adviser, asset allocation advice, execution of portfolio transactions
(see related discussion in Section 12 regarding directed brokerage
transactions), custodial services, including trade confirmation and periodic
reporting, continuing evaluation of investment performance and consultation
on investment objectives. These programs differ in structure. As such, each
client should evaluate whether a given program or arrangement is suitable for
their needs while considering such factors as account size, trading activity
and investment objectives.
Pooled Investment Vehicles
Semper Augustus Investment Partners LP (“SAI LP”) is a limited partnership
sponsored by Semper Augustus. SAI LP may be more risky than separately
managed accounts. The partnership may invest in more highly concentrated
positions, may engage in short sales, more extensive options trading,
investments in illiquid securities and private investments; which may or may
not be utilized in separate accounts (particularly in smaller accounts). For
further risk disclosures and information, a prospective client must read and
review the appropriate investment documents of SAI LP, although this is
neither an offer of securities of SAI LP nor a solicitation of an offer of
securities of SAI LP.
Investors in SAI LP will receive a confidential private placement memorandum
(PPM) which contains a detailed description of the types of investments
Semper Augustus may cause SAI LP to invest in and the corresponding risks
associated with those investments as well as disclosure regarding fees,
service providers, conflicts of interest, tax considerations, trading and other
related information.
Retirement Rollovers – Potential for Conflict of Interest
A client or prospective client leaving an employer typically has four options
regarding an existing retirement plan (and may engage in a combination of
these options): (i) leave the money in the former employer’s plan, if permitted,
(ii) roll over the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is available and
rollovers are permitted, (iii) roll over to an Individual Retirement Account
(“IRA”), or (iv) cash out the account value (which could, depending upon the
client’s age, result in adverse tax consequences). If Semper Augustus
recommends that a client roll over their retirement plan assets into an account
to be managed by Semper Augustus, such a recommendation creates a
conflict of interest if Semper Augustus will earn an advisory fee on the rolled
over assets. No client is under any obligation to rollover retirement plan
assets to an account managed by Semper Augustus. The Chief Compliance
Officer of Semper Augustus remains available to address any questions that
a client or prospective client may have regarding the potential for conflict of
interest presented by such rollover recommendation.
Asset Management
Assets are generally invested in individual securities.
Assets Under Management as of 12/31/2023 were: $597,216,000. These
assets represent discretionary assets.
Stocks and bonds may be purchased or sold through a brokerage account
when appropriate. The brokerage firm charges a fee for stock and bond
trades. Semper Augustus does not receive any compensation, in any form,
from fund companies. Custodians of assets provide services to Semper
Augustus.
Investments may also include: equities (stocks), warrants, corporate debt
securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, municipal securities,
investment company securities (variable life insurance, variable annuities,
and mutual fund shares), U. S. government securities, options contracts,
futures contracts, short sales and interests in partnerships.
Initial public offerings (IPOs) generally are not available through Semper
Augustus.
From time to time, we may invest in a mutual fund that charges underlying
management fees. Typically, uninvested cash balances are held in money
market mutual funds and/or cash management programs provided by the
account custodian. In these situations, clients will pay the underlying fees
associated with the mutual fund AND the Semper Augustus management
fees discussed above. This may result in a negative return on assets held in
cash management programs / cash. See the Fees and Compensation
Section.
Termination of Agreement
A client may terminate any of the aforementioned agreements at any time by
notifying Semper Augustus in writing and paying the fees due on the account
(See Fees and Compensation below on pro-rata fee calculations).
Semper Augustus may terminate any of the aforementioned agreements at
any time by notifying the client in writing.
If the client made an advance payment, Semper Augustus will refund any
unearned portion of the advance payment.