NEAM offers a variety of advisory services, which include comprehensive investment management
services. Prior to NEAM rendering any of the foregoing advisory services, clients are required to enter into
one or more written agreements with NEAM setting forth the relevant terms and conditions of the advisory
relationship (the “Advisory Agreement”).
NEAM has recently been approved as a registered investment adviser with the U.S. Securities & Exchange
Commission. As of December 31, 2023, NEAM manages two (2) pooled investment vehicles (private
funds) on a discretionary basis in the amount of $204,861,103.
While this brochure generally describes the business of NEAM, certain sections also discuss the activities of
its Supervised Persons, which refer to the Firm’s officers, partners, directors (or other persons occupying a
similar status or performing similar functions), employees or any other person who provides investment
advice on NEAM’s behalf and is subject to the Firm’s supervision or control.
Financial Planning and Consulting Services
NEAM’s services are heavily rooted in financial planning. The Firm offers clients a broad range of
financial planning and consulting services, which includes any or all of the following functions:
• Business Planning
•
Cash Flow Forecasting
• Trust and Estate Planning
•
Financial Reporting
• Investment Consulting
•
Insurance Planning
• Retirement Planning
Risk Management
• Charitable Giving
Distribution Planning
• Tax Planning
Manager Due Diligence
These services are generally rendered in conjunction with investment portfolio management as part of a
comprehensive wealth management engagement (described in more detail below). For services outside of
the scope of the Firm’s wealth management services (including business consulting), the Firm may provide
financial planning and consulting services on a stand-alone basis.
In performing these services, NEAM is not required to verify any information received from the client or
from the client’s other professionals (e.g., attorneys, accountants, etc.,) and is expressly authorized to rely
on such information. NEAM recommends certain clients engage the Firm for additional related services, its
Supervised Persons in their individual capacities as insurance agents or registered representatives of a
broker-dealer and/or other professionals to implement its recommendations.
Clients are advised that a conflict of interest exists for the Firm to recommend that clients engage NEAM
or its affiliates to provide
(or continue to provide) additional services for compensation, including investment management services.
Clients retain absolute discretion over all decisions regarding implementation and are under no obligation
to act upon any of the recommendations made by NEAM under a financial planning or consulting
engagement. Clients are advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify the Firm of any
change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or
revising NEAM ’s recommendations and/or services.
Comprehensive Investment Management Services
NEAM provides clients with wealth management services which includes a broad range of comprehensive
financial planning and consulting services as well as discretionary and/or non-discretionary management
of investment portfolios.
NEAM primarily allocates client assets among various mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), and
independent investment managers (“Independent Managers”) in accordance with their stated investment
objectives. Where appropriate, the Firm also provides advice about any type of legacy position or other
investment held in client portfolios. Clients can engage NEAM to manage and/or advise on certain
investment products that are not maintained at their primary custodian, such as variable life insurance and
annuity contracts and assets held in employer sponsored retirement plans and qualified tuition plans (i.e.,
529 plans). In these situations, NEAM directs or recommends the allocation of client assets among
the
various investment options available with the product. These assets are generally maintained at the
underwriting insurance company or the custodian designated by the product’s provider.
NEAM tailors its advisory services to meet the needs of its individual clients and seeks to ensure, on a
continuous basis, that client portfolios are managed in a manner consistent with those needs and objectives.
NEAM consults with clients on an initial and ongoing basis to assess their specific risk tolerance, time
horizon, liquidity constraints and other related factors relevant to the management of their portfolios. Clients
are advised to promptly notify NEAM if there are changes in their financial situation or if they wish to place
any limitations on the management of their portfolios.
Clients can impose reasonable restrictions or mandates on the management of their accounts if NEAM
determines, in its sole discretion, the conditions would not materially impact the performance of a
management strategy or prove overly burdensome to the Firm’s management efforts.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
NEAM provides various consulting services to qualified employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries. This
suite of institutional services is designed to assist plan sponsors in structuring, managing and optimizing
their corporate retirement plans.
Each engagement is individually negotiated and customized, and includes any or all of the following
services:
• Plan Design and Strategy
• Plan Review and Evaluation
• Executive Planning & Benefits
Investment Selection
• Plan Fee and Cost Analysis
• Plan Committee Consultation
• Fiduciary and Compliance
Participant Education
As disclosed in the Advisory Agreement, certain of the foregoing services are provided by NEAM as a
fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). In
accordance with ERISA Section 408(b)(2), each plan sponsor is provided with a written description of
NEAM ’s fiduciary status, the specific services to be rendered and all direct and indirect compensation the
Firm reasonably expects under the engagement.
Use of Independent Managers
As mentioned above, NEAM selects certain Independent Managers to actively manage a portion of its
clients’ assets. The specific terms and conditions under which a client engages an Independent Manager
may be set forth in a separate written agreement with the designated Independent Manager. In addition to
this brochure, clients may also receive the written disclosure documents of the respective Independent
Managers engaged to manage their assets. The Firm will typically access the Independent Managers through
a Unified Managed Account ("UMA") platform. As described below, the fees charged by the Independent
Managers and the UMA platform provider are generally in addition to the Firm's fee in order to provide
transparency and limit any conflicts of interest in choosing a specific Independent Manager and UMA
platform.
NEAM evaluates a variety of information about Independent Managers, which includes the Independent
Managers’ public disclosure documents, materials supplied by the Independent Managers themselves and
other third-party analyses it believes are reputable.
To the extent possible, the Firm seeks to assess the Independent Managers’ investment strategies, past
performance and risk results in relation to its clients’ individual portfolio allocations and risk exposure.
NEAM also takes into consideration each Independent Manager’s management style, returns, reputation,
financial strength, reporting, pricing and research capabilities, among other factors.
NEAM continues to provide services relative to the discretionary or non-discretionary selection of the
Independent Managers. On an ongoing basis, the Firm monitors the performance of those accounts being
managed by Independent Managers. NEAM seeks to ensure the Independent Managers’ strategies and target
allocations remain aligned with its clients’ investment objectives and overall best interests.