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Adviser Profile

As of Date 07/22/2024
Adviser Type - Large advisory firm
Number of Employees 71
of those in investment advisory functions 36
Registration SEC, Approved, 1/2/2004
AUM* 3,137,060,878 10.68%
of that, discretionary 3,135,487,125 11.16%
Private Fund GAV* 16,866,000 -12.45%
Avg Account Size 540,500 5.89%
% High Net Worth 31.59% 3.22%
SMA’s Yes
Private Funds 2
Contact Info 888 xxxxxxx
Websites

Client Types

- Individuals (other than high net worth individuals)
- High net worth individuals
- Pooled investment vehicles
- Pension and profit sharing plans
- Charitable organizations
- Corporations or other businesses not listed above

Advisory Activities

- Financial planning services
- Portfolio management for individuals and/or small businesses
- Portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles
- Portfolio management for businesses
- Pension consulting services
- Selection of other advisers
- Educational seminars/workshops

Compensation Arrangments

- A percentage of assets under your management
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Performance-based fees

Recent News

Reported AUM

Discretionary
Non-discretionary
4B 3B 3B 2B 2B 1B 502M
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Private Funds



Employees

Private Funds Structure

Fund Type Count GAV
Fund TypePrivate Equity Fund Count2 GAV$16,866,000

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Brochure Summary

Overview

General Information Abacus began its operations in 2004 after the merger of Abacus Wealth Management, LLC (“AWM”) and Sherman Financial, Inc. (“SFI”). Since the merger, AWM and SFI have been the principal owners of Abacus, with each holding a 27.3% and 26.7% stake, respectively. SFI is solely owned by Spencer Sherman and AWM is solely owned by Brenton Kessel. Abacus is an investment adviser that specializes in financial planning, which we define as the long-term process of wisely managing your finances so you can achieve your goals and dreams, while at the same time negotiating the financial barriers that inevitably arise in every stage of life. Abacus provides financial planning, consulting, and investment management services. Prior to engaging the firm to provide any of the foregoing investment advisory services, the client is required to enter into one or more written agreements with Abacus setting forth the terms and conditions under which Abacus renders its services (collectively the “Agreement”). Abacus provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services on a fee basis as discussed at Item 5 below. Before engaging Abacus to provide investment advisory services, clients are required to enter into an Investment Advisory Agreement with Abacus setting forth the terms and conditions of the engagement (including termination), describing the scope of the services to be provided, and the fee that is due from the client. In the event that the client requires extraordinary planning and/or consultation services (to be determined in the sole discretion of Abacus), Abacus may determine to charge for such additional services, the dollar amount of which shall be set forth in a separate written notice to the client. To commence the investment advisory process, Abacus will ascertain each client’s investment objective(s) and then allocate the client’s assets consistent with the client’s designated investment objective(s). Once allocated, Abacus provides ongoing supervision of the account(s). For individual retail (i.e., non-institutional) clients, Abacus' annual investment advisory fee shall generally (exceptions can occur-see below) include investment advisory services, and, to the extent specifically requested by the client, financial planning and consulting services. In the event that the client requires extraordinary planning and/or consultation services (to be determined in the sole discretion of Abacus), Abacus may determine to charge for such additional services, the dollar amount of which shall be set forth in a separate written notice to the client. Financial Planning And Consulting Services (Stand-Alone). Abacus may provide financial planning and/or consulting services (including investment and non-investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance planning, etc.) on a stand-alone separate fee basis. Abacus offers financial planning on a project and ongoing basis. Prior to engaging Abacus to provide planning or consulting services, clients are required to enter into a consulting agreement with Abacus setting forth the terms and conditions of the engagement (including termination), describing the scope of the services to be provided, and the portion of the fee that is due from the client prior to Abacus commencing services. If requested by the client, Abacus may recommend the services of other professionals for implementation purposes. The client is under no obligation to engage the services of any such recommended professional. The client retains absolute discretion over all such implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from Abacus. If the client engages any recommended unaffiliated professional, and a dispute arises thereafter relative to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from and against the engaged professional. At all times, the engaged licensed professional(s) (i.e., attorney, accountant, insurance agent, etc.), and not Abacus, shall be responsible for the quality and competency of the services provided. It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify Abacus if there is ever any change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising Abacus’s previous recommendations and/or services. Limitations of Financial Planning and Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation Service. To the extent requested by the client, Abacus will generally provide financial planning and related consulting services regarding matters such as tax and estate planning, insurance, etc. Abacus will generally provide such consulting services inclusive of its advisory fee set forth at Item 5 below (exceptions could occur based upon assets under management, extraordinary matters, special projects, stand-alone planning engagements, etc. for which Firm may charge a separate or additional fee). Please Note: Abacus believes that it is important for the client to address financial planning issues on an ongoing basis. Abacus’s advisory fee, as set forth at Item 5 below, will remain the same regardless of whether or not the client determines to address financial planning issues with Abacus. Please Also Note: Abacus does not serve as an attorney or accountant, and no portion of our services should be construed as same. Accordingly, Abacus does not prepare legal documents or tax returns, nor does it offer or sell insurance products. To the extent requested by a client, we may recommend the services of other professionals for non-investment implementation purpose (i.e., attorneys, accountants, insurance, etc.). The client is not under any obligation to engage any such professional(s). The client retains absolute discretion over all such implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from Abacus and/or its representatives. If the client engages any professional (i.e., attorney, accountant, etc.), recommended or otherwise, and a dispute arises thereafter relative to such engagement, the engaged professional shall remain exclusively responsible for resolving any such dispute with the client. At all times, the engaged licensed professional(s) (i.e., attorney, accountant, insurance agent, etc.), and not Abacus, shall be responsible for the quality and competency of the services provided. Non-Discretionary Service Limitations. Clients that determine to engage Abacus on a non- discretionary investment advisory basis must be willing to accept that Abacus cannot affect any account transactions without obtaining prior consent to any such transaction(s) from the client. Thus, in the event of a market correction during which the client is unavailable, Abacus will be unable to affect any account transactions (as it would for its discretionary clients) without first obtaining the client’s consent. Independent Managers. Abacus may allocate (and/or recommend that the client allocate) a portion of a client’s investment assets among unaffiliated independent investment managers (“Independent Manager(s)”) in accordance with the client’s designated investment objective(s). In such situations, the Independent Manager(s) will have day-to- day responsibility for the active discretionary management of the allocated assets. Abacus will continue to render investment supervisory services to the client relative to the ongoing monitoring and review of account performance, asset allocation and client investment objectives. Abacus generally considers the following factors when recommending Independent Manager(s): the client’s designated investment objective(s), management style, performance, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing, and research. The investment management fees charged by the designated Independent Manager(s) are exclusive of, and in addition to, Abacus’s ongoing investment advisory fee, which will be disclosed to the client before entering into the Independent Manager engagement and/or subject to the terms and conditions of a separate agreement between the client and the Independent Manager(s). Use of Mutual and Exchange Traded Funds. Most mutual funds and exchange traded funds are available directly to the public. Therefore, a prospective client can obtain many of the funds that may be utilized by Abacus independent of engaging Abacus as an investment advisor. However, if a prospective client determines to do so, he/she will not receive Abacus’s initial and ongoing investment advisory services. Clients could also incur, relative to all mutual fund and exchange traded fund purchases, charges imposed at the fund level (e.g., management fees and other fund expenses). Pontera. Abacus uses Pontera, a third-party platform, to facilitate the management of held away assets such as defined contribution plan participant accounts, with discretion. Those clients who choose to engage Abacus to service their held away accounts will be provided a link to connect their outside accounts to the platform. Once the client’s account(s) is connected to the platform, Abacus will review the client’s current account allocations. Abacus will rebalance the connected outside accounts consistent with the client’s investment goals and risk tolerance. Client account(s) will be reviewed at least quarterly. eMoney Advisor Platform. Abacus may provide its clients with access to an online platform hosted by “eMoney Advisor” (“eMoney”). The eMoney platform allows a client to view their complete asset allocation, including those assets that Abacus does not manage (the “Excluded Assets”). Abacus does not provide investment management, monitoring, or implementation services for the Excluded Assets. Unless otherwise specifically agreed to, in writing, Abacus’s service relative to the Excluded Assets is limited to reporting only. Therefore, Abacus shall not be responsible for the investment performance of the Excluded Assets. Rather, the client and/or their advisor(s) that maintain management authority for the Excluded Assets, and not Abacus, shall be exclusively responsible for such investment performance. Without limiting the above, Abacus shall not be responsible for any implementation error (timing, trading, etc.) relative to the Excluded Assets. The client may choose to engage Abacus to manage some or all of the Excluded Assets pursuant to the terms and conditions of an advisory agreement between Abacus and the client. The eMoney platform also provides access to other types of information and applications including financial planning concepts and functionality, which should not, in any manner whatsoever, be construed as services, advice, or recommendations provided by Abacus. Finally, Abacus shall not be held responsible for any adverse results a client may experience if the client engages in financial planning or other functions available on the eMoney platform without Abacus’s assistance or oversight. Abacus has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent with the client’s best interest. As part of its investment advisory services, Abacus will review client portfolios on an ongoing basis to determine if any changes are necessary based on portfolio activity. Socially Responsible Investing Limitations. Socially Responsible Investing involves the incorporation of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) considerations into the investment due diligence process. There are potential limitations associated with allocating a portion of an investment portfolio in ESG securities (i.e., securities that have a mandate to avoid, when possible, investments in such products as alcohol, tobacco, firearms, oil drilling, gambling, etc.). The number of these securities may be limited when compared to those that do not maintain such a mandate. ESG securities could underperform broad market indices. Our ESG investment objective is to identify securities that are attractive along a variety of dimensions including profitability, stability of earnings, earnings growth, valuation, and investor sentiment, carefully balancing risk and return considerations, while consciously minimizing unintended or undesirable ESG exposures and ensuring adherence to client’s investment objectives and guidelines. Investors must accept these limitations, including potential for underperformance due to higher fees for additional services the fund is providing, including selecting underlying investments or strategies to build a portfolio, the use of which may cause the entire ESG portfolio to have higher costs associated with it. Correspondingly, the number of ESG mutual funds and exchange traded funds are few when compared to those that do not maintain such a mandate. As with any type of investment (including any investment and/or investment strategies recommended and/or undertaken by Abacus), there can be no assurance that investment in ESG securities or funds will be profitable or prove successful. Cash Positions. Abacus continues to treat cash as an asset class. As such, unless determined to the contrary by Abacus, all cash positions (money markets, etc.) shall continue to be included as part of assets under management for purposes of calculating Abacus’s advisory fee. At any specific point in time, depending upon perceived or anticipated market conditions/events (there being no guarantee that such anticipated market conditions/events will occur), Abacus may maintain cash positions for defensive purposes. In addition, while assets are maintained in cash, such amounts could miss market advances. Depending upon current yields, at any point in time, Abacus’s advisory fee could exceed the interest paid by the client’s money market fund. Cybersecurity Risk. The information technology systems and networks that Abacus and its third-party service providers use to provide services to Abacus’s clients employ various controls, which are designed to prevent cybersecurity incidents stemming from intentional or unintentional actions that could cause significant interruptions in Abacus’s operations and result in the unauthorized acquisition or use of clients’ confidential or non-public personal information. Clients and Abacus are nonetheless subject to the risk of cybersecurity incidents that could ultimately cause them to incur losses, including for example: financial losses, cost and reputational damage to respond to regulatory obligations, other costs associated with corrective measures, and loss from damage or interruption to systems. Although Abacus has established its systems to reduce the risk of cybersecurity incidents from coming to fruition, there is no guarantee that these efforts will always be successful, especially considering that Abacus does not directly control the cybersecurity measures and policies employed by third-party service providers. Clients could incur similar adverse consequences resulting from cybersecurity incidents that more directly affect issuers of securities in which those clients invest, broker-dealers, qualified custodians, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, or other financial institutions. Cash Sweep Accounts. Account custodians generally require that cash proceeds from account transactions or cash deposits
be swept into and/or initially maintained in the custodian’s sweep account. The yield on the sweep account is generally lower than those available in money market accounts. To help mitigate this issue, Abacus shall generally purchase a higher yielding money market fund available on the custodian’s platform with cash proceeds or deposits, unless Abacus reasonably anticipates that it will utilize the cash proceeds during the subsequent 30-day period to purchase additional investments for the client’s account. Exceptions and/or modifications can and will occur with respect to all or a portion of the cash balances for various reasons, including, but not limited to, the amount of dispersion between the sweep account and a money market fund, an indication from the client of an imminent need for such cash, or the client has a demonstrated history of writing checks from the account. Client Obligations. In performing its services, Abacus 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 thereon. Moreover, each client is advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify Abacus if there is ever any change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising Abacus’s previous recommendations and/or services. Disclosure Statement. A copy of Abacus’s written Brochure and Client Relationship Summary, as set forth on Part 2 of Form ADV and Form CRS respectively, shall be provided to each client prior to the execution of any advisory agreement. Affiliated Private Investment Funds. Abacus serves as general partner and investment manager of the Abacus Sustainable Fund, L.P. (“ASF”) and general partner and co-investment manager of the Align Impact Fund, L.P. (“AIF”), formerly known as Abacus Impact Fund 2013, L.P. (collectively, the "Funds"). Align Impact, LLC, a SEC registered investment adviser, is a subadviser to both ASF and AIF. ASF, launched in 2008, and AIF are funds of funds that aim to bring accredited investors competitive returns alongside positive social change (see additional disclosures in Item 10 below). The Funds are currently closed to new Investors. The complete description of each Fund (the terms, conditions, risks, conflicts and fees, including incentive compensation) is set forth in the respective Fund’s offering documents. Abacus is a minority investor in Align Impact. Abacus has an 8.3% voting interest and 7.53% economic interest in Align Impact. Abacus, on a non-discretionary basis, may recommend that qualified clients consider allocating a portion of their investment assets to the Fund. If a client determines to become a Fund investor, the amount of assets invested in the fund(s) shall be included as part of “assets under management” for purposes of Abacus calculating its investment advisory fee per Item 5 in addition to the Fund’s fees. Abacus’s clients are under absolutely no obligation to consider or make an investment in a private investment fund(s). Please Note: 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 liquid investments that a client may own, private investment funds do 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 is qualified for investment in the fund and acknowledges and accepts the various risk factors that are associated with such an investment. Please Also Note: Conflict of Interest. Because Abacus and/or its affiliates can earn compensation from the Fund (i.e., management fees, incentive compensation, etc.) that could generally exceed the fee that Abacus would earn under its standard asset-based fee schedule referenced in Item 5 below, the recommendation that a client become a Fund investor presents a conflict of interest. No client is under any obligation to become a Fund investor. Given the conflict of interest, Abacus advises that clients consider seeking advice from independent professionals (i.e., attorney, accountant, adviser, etc.) of their choosing prior to becoming a Fund investor. No client is under absolutely any obligation to become a Fund investor. ANY QUESTIONS: Abacus’s Chief Compliance Officer remains available to address any questions regarding this conflict of interest. As of December 31, 2023, Abacus had $3,137,041,000 of assets under management, of which $3,135,467,000 were managed on a discretionary basis and $1,574,000 were managed on a non- discretionary basis. This Firm Brochure describes Abacus’s business. Certain sections will also describe the activities of Supervised Persons. Supervised Persons are any of Abacus’s officers, partners, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employees, or any other person who provides investment advice on Abacus’s behalf and is subject to Abacus’s supervision or control. Financial Planning and Consulting Services As noted above, Abacus may provide its clients with a broad range of comprehensive financial planning and consulting services. These services include business planning, investments, insurance, retirement, education, estate planning, and tax and cash flow needs of the client. Financial Planning starts with goal setting, and depending on your goals, the following areas may be addressed: Goal Setting Goal setting begins with a Financial Checkup meeting, a one-to-two-hour meeting in which we learn about the goals that will be central to your financial plan. We then collect all the financial data that we need to analyze how much you should earn, spend and save to reach your most important goals. Retirement Planning Nearly all clients include retirement as one of their financial goals. A lifetime cash-flow projection is created to analyze when and under what other circumstances that retirement can be achieved. This includes projections of investment returns, taxes, types of retirement accounts, spending and income as well as values of assets and paying down of liabilities. 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 Abacus recommends that a client roll over their retirement plan assets into an account to be managed by Abacus, such a recommendation creates a conflict of interest if Abacus will earn new (or increase its current) compensation as a result of the rollover. If Abacus provides a recommendation as to whether a client should engage in a rollover or not, Abacus is acting as a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. No client is under any obligation to roll over retirement plan assets to an account managed by Abacus. Abacus has policies and procedures that are designed to manage this conflict to ensure we provide advice that’s in your best interest. As a fiduciary, when Abacus makes a rollover recommendation, no client is under any obligation to roll over Retirement Account assets to an account advised or managed by Abacus. Estate Planning In conjunction with your estate planning attorney, we help analyze and suggest the most appropriate estate planning techniques and tools. The analysis incorporates the income needs of dependents, philanthropic goals, business transition and trust management. Insurance - We advise you on the proper amount and type of insurance for your needs by comparing lifetime and disability income needs to your assets. This advice can cover life, disability, property, automobile, earthquake, hurricane, long-term-care and umbrella liability insurance. We may direct you to no-load and low-load insurance products that may not be available through typical insurance agents. Abacus does not sell insurance, nor does it receive commissions for referrals to insurance brokers. Philanthropic Giving Abacus provides advice regarding tax-appropriate vehicles to accomplish your philanthropic objectives, as well as determining which assets to use for funding such a vehicle. Other Planning Services - Abacus provides advice regarding funding college accounts, real estate issues, business transition planning and family meeting coordination. In performing its services, Abacus is not required to verify any information received from the client or from the client’s other professionals (e.g., attorney, accountant, etc.) and is expressly authorized to rely on such information. Abacus may recommend the services of itself and/or other professionals to implement its recommendations. Clients are advised that a conflict of interest exists if Abacus recommends its own services. The client is under no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations made by Abacus under a financial planning or consulting engagement or to engage the services of any such recommended professional, including Abacus itself. The client retains absolute discretion over all such implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any of Abacus’s recommendations. Clients are advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify Abacus if there is ever any change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating, or revising Abacus’s previous recommendations and/or services. Investment Management Services Abacus primarily allocates clients’ investment management assets among mutual funds, although it may also advise on other securities such as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), individual debt and equity securities options, as well as the securities components of variable annuities and variable life insurance contracts in accordance with the investment objectives of the client. In addition, Abacus may recommend that clients who are “accredited investors” as defined under Rule 501 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, invest in private placement securities, which may include debt, equity, and/or pooled investment vehicles when consistent with the clients’ investment objectives. Abacus also provides advice about any type of investment held in clients' portfolios. Abacus also may render non-discretionary investment management services to clients relative to variable life/annuity products that they may own, their individual employer-sponsored retirement plans, and/or 529 plans or other products that may not be held by the client’s primary custodian. In so doing, Abacus either directs or recommends the allocation of client assets among the various investment options that are available with the product. Client assets are maintained at the specific insurance company or custodian designated by the product. Abacus tailors its advisory services to the individual needs of clients. Abacus consults with clients initially and on an ongoing basis to determine risk tolerance, time horizon and other factors that may impact the clients’ investment needs. Abacus ensures that clients’ investments are suitable for their investment needs, goals, objectives, and risk tolerance. Clients are advised to promptly notify Abacus if there are changes in their financial situation or investment objectives or if they wish to impose any reasonable restrictions upon Abacus’s management services. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions or mandates on the management of their account (e.g., require that a portion of their assets be invested in socially responsible funds) if, in Abacus’s sole discretion, the conditions will not materially impact the performance of a portfolio strategy or prove overly burdensome to its management efforts. Custodian Charges-Additional Fees. As discussed at Item 12 below, when requested to recommend a broker-dealer/custodian for client accounts, Abacus generally recommends that Schwab serve as the broker-dealer/custodian for client investment management assets. Broker-dealers such as Schwab charge brokerage commissions, transaction, and/or other type fees for effecting certain types of securities transactions (i.e., including transaction fees for certain mutual funds, and mark-ups and mark-downs charged for fixed income transactions, etc.). The types of securities for which transaction fees, commissions, and/or other fee types (as well as the amount of those fees) shall differ depending upon the broker-dealer/custodian. While certain custodians, including Schwab, generally (with the potential exception for large orders) do not currently charge fees on individual equity transactions (including ETFs), others do. Please Note: there can be no assurance that Schwab will not change their transaction fee pricing in the future. Please Also Note: Schwab may also assess fees to clients who elect to receive trade confirmations and account statements by regular mail rather than electronically. Trade-aways: When beneficial to the client, individual fixed-income and/or equity transactions may be effected through broker-dealers with whom Abacus and/or the client have entered into arrangements for prime brokerage clearing services, including effecting certain client transactions through other SEC registered and FINRA member broker-dealers (in which event, the client generally will incur both the transaction fee charged by the executing broker-dealer and a “trade-away” fee charged by Schwab). The above fees/charges are in addition to Abacus’s investment advisory fee at Item 5 below. Abacus does not receive any portion of these fees/charges. ANY QUESTIONS: Abacus’s Chief Compliance Officer, Jessica Lu, remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the above. Disclosure Statement. A copy of Abacus’s written Brochure and Client Relationship Summary, as set forth on Part 2 of Form ADV and Form CRS respectively, shall be provided to each client prior to the execution of any advisory agreement. Abacus 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, Abacus shall allocate and/or recommend that the client allocate investment assets consistent with the designated investment objective(s). The client may, at any time, impose reasonable restrictions, in writing, on Abacus’s services. Abacus does not participate in a wrap fee program. k