A. Mainsail Asset Management, LLC (the “Registrant”) is a limited liability company formed
on August 5, 2003 in the state of Alabama. The Registrant became a U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission registered Investment Adviser Firm in January 2007. The
Registrant is owned by William H. Parsons, Jr., the Registrant’s Managing Member.
B. As discussed below, the Registrant offers to its clients (individuals, high net worth
individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, business entities, trusts, estates and charitable
organizations, etc.) investment advisory services, and, to the extent specifically requested
by a client, financial planning and related consulting services.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
Services to Individuals
Individuals can determine to engage the Registrant to provide discretionary investment
advisory services on a fee-only basis. The Registrant’s annual investment advisory fee is
based upon a percentage (%) of the market value of the assets placed under the Registrant’s
management, generally between 0.50% and 1.25%. Registrant’s annual investment
advisory fee shall include investment advisory services, and, to the extent specifically
requested by the client, may also include 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 the Registrant), the Registrant may determine to charge
for such additional services pursuant to a stand-alone Financial Planning Agreement (see
below).
*In addition, in limited situations, the Registrant may determine to provide investment
advisory services on a fixed annual retainer fee basis for a fee mutually agreed upon
between the Registrant and the client. See Fee Dispersion discussion in Item 5 below.
Services to Businesses and Other Entities
Businesses, retirement plans, charitable organizations, or other entities can determine to
engage the Registrant to provide discretionary and/or non-discretionary (generally
participant directed retirement plans) investment advisory services on a fee-only basis.
Registrant’s investment advisory fee for businesses and other entities is based upon various
objective and subjective factors, including, but not limited to, the scope, complexity, and
duration of the engagement. The fee may be based on a percentage of assets under
management, or a fixed fee, or both. (See Fee Dispersion discussion in Item 5 below).
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES
The Registrant may provide financial planning and/or consulting services (including
investment and non-investment related matters, including estate planning, insurance
planning, etc.) either inclusive of its advisory fee as set forth in Item 5 below, or on a stand-
alone separate fee basis. For standalone financial planning and consulting engagements,
Registrant’s fees are negotiable, but generally range from $5,000 to $50,000 on a fixed fee
basis, depending upon the level and scope of the service(s) required and the professional(s)
rendering the service(s). Prior to engaging the Registrant to provide planning or consulting
services, clients are generally required to enter into a Financial Planning and Consulting
Agreement with Registrant 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 Registrant commencing services. If requested
by the client, Registrant may recommend the services of other professionals for
implementation purposes. The client is under no obligation to engage the services of any
such recommended professionals. The client retains absolute discretion over all such
implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from the
Registrant.
If the client engages any professional, recommended or otherwise, and a dispute arises
thereafter relative to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from
the engaged professional. At all times, the engaged licensed professional(s), and not
Registrant, shall be responsible for the quality and competency of the services provided.
The Registrant does not provide ongoing monitoring of previously provided financial
planning recommendations, and the client is free to accept or reject any recommendations
made by Registrant. Unless otherwise agreed, the client remains exclusively responsible
for implementation of any accepted recommendations. It remains the client’s responsibility
to promptly notify the Registrant if there is ever any change in their financial situation or
investment objectives in order to request a re-evaluation of Registrant’s previous
recommendations and/or services.
RETIREMENT CONSULTING
The Registrant also provides retirement plan consulting/management services, pursuant to
which it assists sponsors of self-directed retirement plans organized under the Employee
Retirement Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). The terms and conditions of the engagement
shall be set forth in a Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement between the Registrant and
the plan sponsor.
To the extent that the plan sponsor engages the Registrant in an ERISA Section 3(21)
capacity, the Registrant will assist with the selection and/or monitoring of investment
options (generally open-end mutual funds and exchange traded funds) from which plan
participants shall choose in self-directing the investments for their individual plan
retirement accounts. If the plan sponsor chooses to engage the Registrant in an ERISA
Section 3(38) capacity, Registrant may provide the same services as described above, but
may also: create specific asset allocation models that Registrant manages on a discretionary
basis, which plan participants may choose in managing their individual retirement account;
and/or modify the investment options made available to plan participants on a discretionary
basis.
MISCELLANEOUS
Limitations of Financial Planning and Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation
Services. To the extent requested by a client, Registrant may provide financial planning
and related consulting services regarding non-investment related matters, such as estate
planning, tax planning, insurance, etc. The Registrant does not serve as a law firm,
accounting firm, or insurance agency, and no portion of Registrant’s services should be
construed as legal, accounting, or insurance implementation services. Accordingly,
Registrant does not prepare estate planning documents, tax returns or sell insurance
products. To the extent requested by a client, Registrant may recommend the services of
other professionals for certain non-investment implementation purposes (i.e., attorneys,
accountants, insurance agents, etc.). Clients are reminded that they are 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 made by Registrant or its representatives.
If the client engages any professional, recommended or otherwise, and a dispute arises
thereafter relative to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from
the engaged professional. At all times, the engaged licensed professional(s), and not
Registrant, shall be responsible for the quality and competency of the services provided.
Retirement Rollovers – No Obligation / 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 Registrant recommends that a client roll over their
retirement plan assets into an account to be managed by Registrant, such a recommendation
creates a conflict of interest if Registrant will earn new (or increase its current)
compensation as a result of the rollover. If Registrant provides a recommendation as to
whether a client should engage in a rollover or not (whether it is from an employer’s plan
or an existing IRA), Registrant 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 Registrant, whether it is from
an employer’s plan or an existing IRA.
Cash Positions. Registrant continues to treat cash as an asset class. As such, unless
determined to the contrary by Registrant, all cash positions (money markets, etc.) shall
continue to be included as part of assets under management for purposes of calculating
Registrant’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), Registrant 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, Registrant’s advisory fee
could exceed the interest paid by the client’s money market fund.
Cash Sweep Accounts. Certain account custodians can require that cash proceeds from
account transactions or new deposits, be swept to and/or initially maintained in a
specific custodian designated sweep account. The yield on the sweep account will
generally be lower than those available for other money market accounts. When this
occurs, to help mitigate the corresponding yield dispersion Registrant shall (usually within
30 days thereafter) generally (with exceptions) purchase a higher yielding money market
fund (or other type security) available on the custodian’s platform, unless Registrant
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, the size of the cash balance, 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.
The above does not apply
to the cash component maintained within a Registrant actively
managed investment strategy (the cash balances for which shall generally remain in the
custodian designated cash sweep account), an indication from the client of a need for access
to such cash, assets allocated to an unaffiliated investment manager and cash balances
maintained for fee billing purposes.
The client shall remain exclusively responsible for yield dispersion/cash balance decisions
and corresponding transactions for cash balances maintained in any Registrant unmanaged
accounts.
Portfolio Trading Activity. Registrant has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent
with the client’s best interest. As part of its investment advisory services, Registrant will
review client portfolios on an ongoing basis to determine if any trades are necessary based
upon various factors, including but not limited to investment performance, fund manager
tenure, style drift, account additions/withdrawals, the client’s financial circumstances, and
changes in the client’s investment objectives. Based upon these and other factors, there
may be extended periods of time when Registrant determines that trades within a client’s
portfolio are neither necessary nor prudent. Clients nonetheless remain subject to the fees
described in Item 5 below during periods of account inactivity.
Account Aggregation Platforms. Registrant may provide its clients with access to one or
more online account aggregation platforms (collectively, the “Platforms”). The Platforms
allows a client to view their complete asset allocation, including those assets that Registrant
does not manage (the “Excluded Assets”). Registrant does not provide investment
management, monitoring, or implementation services for the Excluded Assets. Therefore,
Registrant 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 Registrant, shall be exclusively responsible for such investment
performance. The client may choose to engage Registrant to manage some or all of the
Excluded Assets pursuant to the terms and conditions of an Investment Advisory
Agreement between Registrant and the client. The Platforms may also provide access to
other types of information, including financial planning concepts, which should not, in any
manner whatsoever, be construed as services, advice, or recommendations provided by
Registrant. Finally, Registrant 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 Platforms without Registrant’s assistance or oversight.
Use of Mutual Funds: While the Registrant may recommend allocating investment assets
to mutual funds that are not available directly to the public, the Registrant may also
recommend that clients allocate investment assets to publicly available mutual funds that
the client could obtain without engaging Registrant as an investment adviser. However, if
a client or prospective client determines to allocate investment assets to publicly available
mutual funds without engaging Registrant as an investment adviser, the client or
prospective client would not receive the benefit of Registrant’s initial and ongoing
investment advisory services. Other mutual funds, such as those issued by Dimensional
Fund Advisors (“DFA”), are generally only available through registered investment
advisers. Registrant may allocate client investment assets to DFA mutual funds. Therefore,
upon the termination of Registrant’s services to a client, restrictions regarding
transferability and/or additional purchases of, or reallocation among DFA funds will apply.
Client Obligations. In performing its services, Registrant shall not be required to verify
any information received from the client or from the client’s other designated professionals
and is expressly authorized to rely thereon. Moreover, each client is advised that it remains
their responsibility to promptly notify Registrant if there is ever any change in their
financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating and
revising Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Private Investments. Registrant may also provide investment advice regarding affiliated
and unaffiliated private investment funds and private placement equity securities. With
regard to First Avenue Bridge Equity, LLC, First Avenue Funding, LLC, First Avenue
Private Partners, LLC and First Avenue Infrastructure II, LLC (the “affiliated funds”), the
Registrant, on a non-discretionary basis, may recommend that qualified clients consider
allocating a portion of their investment assets to one or more of the affiliated funds. The
terms and conditions for participation in the affiliated private funds, including management
and incentive fees, conflicts of interest, and risk factors, are set forth in the fund’s offering
documents. Registrant’s clients are under absolutely no obligation to consider or make an
investment in an affiliated fund.
Registrant’s role relative to unaffiliated private investments shall be limited to its initial
and ongoing due diligence and investment monitoring services. If a client determines to
become a private fund and/or private placement equity investor in an unaffiliated private
fund, the amount of assets invested shall be included as part of “assets under management”
for purposes of Registrant calculating its investment advisory fee. Registrant’s clients are
under absolutely no obligation to consider or make an investment in a private investment
fund(s) or private placement equity security.
Risks: Private investment funds and private placement equity securities 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 security’s and/or fund’s offering documents, which will be provided to each client
for review and consideration. Unlike liquid investments that a client may own, private
investments 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, and acknowledges and accepts the various
risk factors that are associated with such an investment.
Fund Valuation: In the event that Registrant references private investments owned by the
client on any supplemental account reports prepared by Registrant, the value(s) for all
private investments owned by the client shall reflect the most recent valuation provided by
the sponsor. If no subsequent valuation post-purchase is provided by the sponsor, then the
valuation shall reflect the initial purchase price (and/or a value as of a previous date), or
the current value(s) (either the initial purchase price and/or the most recent valuation
provided by the sponsor). If the valuation reflects 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 original purchase price. The client’s advisory fee shall be based upon
reflected private investment value(s).
Separate Account Managers. For clients that require an enhanced and/or specialized level
of investment management services, Registrant may recommend a client allocate a portion
of the client’s investment assets among unaffiliated separate account managers (“Separate
Account Manager(s)”) in accordance with the client’s designated investment objective(s).
In such situations, the Separate Account Manager(s) will have day-to-day responsibility
for the active discretionary management of the allocated assets. Registrant will continue to
monitor such Separate Account Manager’s investment activities on behalf of the client.
The factors Registrant considers in recommending Separate Account Manager(s) include
the client’s designated investment objective(s), management style, performance,
reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing, and research. The investment
management fee charged by the Separate Account Manager(s) is separate from, and in
addition to, Registrant’s advisory fee as set forth in Item 5.
Cybersecurity Risk. The information technology systems and networks that Registrant
and its third-party service providers use to provide services to Registrant’s clients employ
various controls, which are designed to prevent cybersecurity incidents stemming from
intentional or unintentional actions that could cause significant interruptions in Registrant’s
operations and result in the unauthorized acquisition or use of clients’ confidential or non-
public personal information. Clients and Registrant 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 Registrant has established procedures to reduce the risk
of cybersecurity incidents, there is no guarantee that these efforts will always be successful,
especially considering that Registrant 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.
Disclosure Statement. A copy of the Registrant’s written Brochure as set forth on Part 2
of Form ADV and Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) shall be provided to each
client (as applicable) prior to, or contemporaneously with, the execution of the applicable
form of agreement between Registrant and the client.
C. The Registrant 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, the
Registrant 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 the Registrant’s services.
D. The Registrant does not participate in a wrap fee program.
E. As of December 31, 2023, the Registrant had $343,935,777 in assets under management
on a discretionary basis.