Firm Description and Principal Owners
Madison was founded as a limited liability company on July 12, 2000 in the state of Ohio.
James McDermott, CFP®, Alan Henning, CFA and Edward Kuresman, CFA are Madison’s
managers. Madison is federally registered with the SEC as a Registered Investment Adviser.
James McDermott is Madison’s principal owner (> 25% ownership interest). Five other
Principals, Alan Henning, Edward Kuresman, Joseph Hack, Bradley Meeks, and Sally
Humphrey Dempsey each have an ownership interest in Madison.
Madison provides wealth management services to its clients. Wealth management includes
personal financial planning, investment management and consulting services to individuals,
families and their related entities, trusts and estates, and family businesses. Madison also
serves business entities, pension and profit sharing plans and charitable organizations.
Madison works with clients to define financial objectives, and to develop and implement
investment strategies to reach those objectives.
Madison is compensated solely from fees paid directly by clients. The firm does not receive
commissions based on the client’s purchase of any financial product, including insurance. No
commissions in any form are accepted. No referral fees are paid or accepted. No benefits are
received from account custodians based on client securities transactions (“soft dollar
benefits”). Please refer to Item 12 for information regarding benefits that Madison receives
from Charles Schwab and Co., Inc (“Schwab”), a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, member
SIPC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (“Raymond James”), member New York Stock
Exchange/SIPC, and/or TD Ameritrade, Inc. (“TD Ameritrade), member FINRA/SIPC, that
are not based on client securities transactions.
Assets under the direct management of Madison are held by independent custodians, including
Charles Schwab, Raymond James, TD Ameritrade, TIAA, and others, in the client’s name.
Madison does not act as a custodian of client assets.
Madison may recommend other professionals (e.g. lawyers, accountants, insurance agents,
real estate agents) at the request of the client. Other professionals are engaged as directed by
the client on an as-needed basis even when recommended by Madison. Madison represents
that there are no conflicts of interest in this process, however, should any ever arise they will
be disclosed to the client and managed in the best interest of the client.
Madison is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) with respect to investment management services
and investment advice provided to ERISA plan clients, including ERISA plan participants.
Madison is also a fiduciary under section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “IRC”) with
respect to investment management services and investment advice provided to individual
retirement accounts (“IRAs”), ERISA plans, and ERISA plan participants (collectively,
“Retirement Account Clients”). As such, Madison is subject to specific duties and obligations
under ERISA and the IRC that include, among other things, prohibited transaction rules which
are intended to prohibit fiduciaries from acting on conflicts of interest. When a fiduciary gives
advice in which it has a conflict of interest, the fiduciary must either avoid or eliminate the
conflict or rely upon a prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”).
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Types of Advisory Services
Wealth Management Services: The primary type of service offered by Madison is wealth
management. Wealth management is the combination of financial planning, investment
management and consulting services. Not every client makes use of all of Madison’s services,
as some are not requested or are being provided by other professionals.
Limited Consulting/Implementation Services: To the extent specifically requested by the
client, Madison may provide limited consultation services to its clients on investment and non-
investment related matters, such as estate planning, tax planning and insurance. Madison does
not receive any separate or additional fee for any such consultation services unless mutually
agreed to prior to providing. Neither Madison, nor any of its representatives, serves as an
attorney, accountant, or licensed insurance agent, and no portion of Madison’s services should
be construed as such. To the extent requested by a client, Madison may recommend the
services of other professionals for certain non-investment implementation purposes (e.g.
attorneys, accountants, insurance agents). A client is under no obligation to engage the
services of any such recommended professional. Please Note: If a client engages any such
recommended professional, and a dispute arises
thereafter relative to such engagement, the
client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from and against the engaged professional.
Non-Discretionary Service Limitations: Clients that engage Madison on a non-discretionary
investment advisory basis must be willing to accept that Madison cannot effect any account
transactions without obtaining prior consent in a form acceptable to Madison in its sole
discretion to any such transaction(s) from the client. Thus, in the event of a market correction
during which the client is unavailable, Madison will be unable to effect any account
transactions (as it would for its discretionary clients) without first obtaining the client’s
consent.
Sub-Advisory Arrangements: Madison may engage sub-advisors for the purpose of assisting
Madison with the management of its client accounts. The sub-advisor(s) shall have
discretionary authority for the day-to-day management of the assets that are allocated to it by
Madison. The sub-advisor shall continue in such capacity until such arrangement is terminated
or modified by Madison.
Private Investment Funds: Madison may provide investment advice regarding private
investment funds. Madison’s role relative to the private investment funds shall be limited to
its initial and ongoing due diligence and investment monitoring services. If a client determines
to become a private fund investor, the amount of assets invested in the fund(s) shall be
included as part of “assets under management” for purposes of Madison calculating its
investment advisory fee. Madison’s clients are under absolutely no obligation to consider or
make an investment in a private investment fund(s).
Important Note: Risk Factors: Private investment funds generally involve
various risk factors, including, but not limited to, potential for complete
loss of principal, liquidity constraints and lack of transparency, a complete
discussion of which is set forth in each fund’s offering documents, which
will be provided to each client for review and consideration. Unlike other
liquid investments that a client may maintain, private investment funds do
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not provide daily liquidity or pricing. Each prospective client investor will
be required to complete a Subscription Agreement, pursuant to which the
client shall establish that he/she/it is qualified for investment in the fund,
and acknowledges and accepts the various risk factors that are associated
with such an investment.
Important Note: Valuation. In the event that Madison references private
investment funds owned by the client on any supplemental account reports
prepared by Madison, the value(s) for all such private investment funds
shall reflect either the initial purchase and/or the most recent valuation
provided by the fund sponsor. If the valuation reflects the initial purchase
price (and/or a value as of a previous date), the current value(s) (to the
extent ascertainable) could be significantly more or less than the original
purchase price.
Client Obligations: In performing its services, Madison shall not be required to verify any
information received from the client or from the client’s other professionals, and is expressly
authorized to rely upon the information so provided. Moreover, each client is advised that it
remains his/her/its responsibility to promptly notify Madison if there is ever any change in
his/her/its financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of
reviewing/evaluating/revising Madison’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Disclosure Statement: A copy of Madison’s written Brochure as set forth on Part 2A of Form
ADV shall be provided to each client prior to, or at the same time as, the execution of the
Investment Advisory Agreement.
Customized Services
Madison shall provide investment advisory services specific to the needs of each client. Prior
to providing investment advisory services, an investment adviser representative will ascertain
each client’s investment objective(s). Thereafter, Madison shall allocate and/or recommend
that the client allocate investment assets consistent with the designated investment
objective(s). The client may, at anytime, impose reasonable restrictions, in writing, on
Madison’s services.
Wrap Fee Program
Madison does not participate in a wrap fee program by providing portfolio management
services. Under a typical wrap-fee program, a client will pay the sponsor a single fee for
management, brokerage, custody and other services provided under the program.
Regulatory Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2022 Madison managed on a discretionary basis approximately
$1,123,859,860 in assets for about 2,495 accounts.
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