A. The Registrant is a Delaware corporation formed on November 9, 1992. The Registrant
became registered as an Investment Adviser Firm in December 1993. The Registrant’s
principal shareholder is Samson Wang.
B. As discussed below, the Registrant offers to its clients (individuals, business entities, trusts,
estates, pension and profit-sharing plans and charitable organizations, etc.) investment
advisory services.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
The client 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. Prior to engaging the Registrant to provide investment advisory services,
clients are required to enter into an Investment Advisory 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 fee that is due from the client.
The Registrant provides investment advisory services specific to the needs of each client.
Before providing investment advisory services, an investment adviser representative will
ascertain each client’s investment objective(s). Thereafter, the Registrant will allocate the
client allocate investment assets consistent with the designated investment objective(s).
The Registrant primarily allocates client investment assets among various individual
equities (stocks), individual bond issues, and Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”) on a
discretionary basis in accordance with the client’s designated investment objective(s).
RETIREMENT MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTING SERVICES
The Registrant offers retirement plan consulting services to qualified and non-qualified
retirement plans. As a §3(21) fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), as amended, the Registrant acts in a non-discretionary capacity,
making recommendations to the plan sponsor regarding the plan’s designated investment
alternatives; assists in the development of an investment policy statement based upon the
plan’s goals and objectives; provides participant education; advises the plan regarding its
fiduciary obligations; and assists with ongoing plan operations, as needed. As an ERISA
§3(38) investment manager, Registrant may provide the same services described above,
but may also modify a plan’s designated investment alternatives on a discretionary basis.
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE)
Registrant remains available to provide high-level financial planning and consulting
services to its discretionary investment advisory clients, to the extent specifically
requested, inclusive of Registrant’s asset-based advisory fee. If the client requires
extraordinary planning and/or consulting services (to be determined in the sole discretion
of the Registrant), the Registrant may determine to charge for such additional services, the
fee for which will be agreed upon with the client prior to the commencement of such
services. In very limited circumstances, the Registrant may also 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.
Before engaging the Registrant to provide stand-alone planning or consulting services,
clients are 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 before Registrant commences 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 professional. 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 (i.e., attorney, accountant, insurance agent, etc.),
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.
It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify the Registrant if there is ever any
change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing the
Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or services.
MISCELLANEOUS
Limitations of Financial Planning and Consulting Services. Neither the Registrant, nor
any of its representatives, serves as an attorney, accountant, or licensed insurance agent,
and no portion of the Registrant’s services should be construed as same. To the extent
requested by a client, the Registrant may recommend the services of other professionals
for certain non-investment implementation purposes (i.e., attorneys, accountants,
insurance, etc.). 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 the
Registrant.
If the client engages any professional (i.e., attorney, accountant, insurance agent, etc.),
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.
It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify the Registrant if there is ever any
change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing,
evaluating or revising Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Sub-Advisory Engagements. In very limited instances, Registrant may also serve as a
sub-advisor to an unaffiliated registered investment adviser according to the terms and
conditions of a written Sub-Advisory Agreement. With respect to its sub-advisory services,
the unaffiliated investment adviser that engage the Registrant’s sub-advisory services
maintains both the initial and ongoing day-to-day relationship with the underlying client,
including initial and ongoing determination of client suitability for the Registrant’s
designated investment strategies and/or programs. If the custodian/broker-dealer is
determined by the unaffiliated investment adviser, Registrant will be unable to negotiate
commissions and/or transaction costs, and/or seek better execution. As a result, clients may
pay higher commissions or other transaction costs or greater spreads, or receive less
favorable net prices, on transactions for the account than would otherwise be the case
through alternative clearing arrangements recommended by Registrant. Higher transaction
costs adversely impact account performance.
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. Registrant’s Chief
Compliance Officer remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective
may have regarding the above fee billing practice.
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, Registrant shall generally
purchase a higher yielding money market fund available on the custodian’s platform with
cash proceeds or deposits, 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, 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. Subject to Registrant’s discretion, cash account
balances under $10,000 will generally be excluded from this program and will remain in
the custodian’s sweep account. ANY QUESTIONS: Registrant’s Chief Compliance
Officer, Andrew Wang, remains available to address any questions that a client or
prospective client may have regarding the above.
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 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.
Registrant’s Chief Compliance Officer, Andrew Wang, 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.
Custodian Charges – Additional Fees. As discussed below
at Item 12 below, when
requested to recommend a broker-dealer/custodian for client accounts, Registrant generally
recommends that TD Ameritrade or Fidelity serve as the broker-dealer/custodian for client
investment management assets. Broker-dealers such as TD Ameritrade and Fidelity 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 type fees (as well as the amount of
those fees) shall differ depending upon the broker-dealer/custodian. While certain
custodians, including TD Ameritrade and Fidelity, 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 TD Ameritrade and/or
Fidelity will not change their transaction fee pricing in the future. Please Also Note:
Fidelity and TD Ameritrade may also assess fees to clients who elect to receive trade
confirmations and account statements by regular mail rather than electronically. ANY
QUESTIONS: Registrant’s Chief Compliance Officer, Andrew Wang, remains
available to address any questions that a client or prospective client may have
regarding the above.
Variable Annuity Products. In the event that the client owns a variable annuity product,
the client can engage the Registrant to provide investment management services relative to
the investment subdivisions that comprise the variable annuity product. Registrant’s
investment selection shall be limited to those products provided by the variable annuity
sponsor. If so engaged, the Registrant shall charge an ongoing advisory fee equal to 0.50%
of the variable annuity assets payable quarterly, in advance, based upon the market value
of the assets on the last business day of the previous billing quarter.
Neither the Registrant, nor any of its employees, offers to sell variable annuity products to
its clients. Neither the Registrant, nor any of its employees, are registered as, or associated
with, a broker-dealer or an insurance agency. If the client owns a variable annuity product
and/or seeks to purchase a variable annuity product, the Registrant shall refer the client to
an unaffiliated broker-dealer/insurance agency to advise on same, and if agreed upon by
the client, engage the unaffiliated broker-dealer/insurance agency to exchange a current, or
purchase a new, variable annuity product. Neither the Registrant, nor any of its employees,
shall receive any portion of the fees earned by the unaffiliated broker-dealer/insurance
agency. The Registrant’s only compensation shall be limited to the management of the
investment subdivisions that comprise the variable annuity product, should the client
engage the Registrant to do so. The client is under no obligation to engage Registrant to
provide such management services, nor is the client under any obligation to consider
addressing variable annuity issues with the unaffiliated broker-dealer/insurance agency
that may be recommended by the Registrant.
Because the Registrant could earn an advisory fee on the variable annuity assets, a potential
conflict of interest arises if the Registrant recommends that the client should address
variable annuity issues with the unaffiliated broker-dealer/insurance agency.
Variable annuities are long-term investment products. Variable annuity product sponsors
generally impose financial penalties for early withdrawals as set forth in the variable
annuity documents. Thus, the client must consider such potential penalties prior to agreeing
to exchange or purchase a variable annuity product.
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. Investors must accept these limitations, including potential for
underperformance. 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 Registrant), there can be no assurance that investment
in ESG securities or funds will be profitable or prove successful. The Registrant does not
maintain or advocate an ESG investment strategy but will seek to employ ESG if directed
by a client to do so.
Cryptocurrency. For clients who want exposure to cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin,
the Registrant, will advise the client to consider a potential investment in corresponding
exchange traded securities, or an allocation to separate account managers and/or private
funds that provide cryptocurrency exposure. Crypto is a digital currency that can be used
to buy goods and services and uses an online ledger with strong cryptography (i.e., a
method of protecting information and communications through the use of codes) to secure
online transactions. Unlike conventional currencies issued by a monetary authority,
cryptocurrencies are generally not controlled or regulated, and their price is determined by
the supply and demand of their market. Because cryptocurrency is currently considered to
be a speculative investment, the Registrant will not exercise discretionary authority to
purchase a cryptocurrency investment for client accounts. Rather, a client must expressly
authorize the purchase of the cryptocurrency investment. The Registrant does not
recommend or advocate the purchase of, or investment in, cryptocurrencies. The Registrant
considers such an investment to be speculative. Clients who authorize the purchase of a
cryptocurrency investment must be prepared for the potential for liquidity constraints,
extreme price volatility and complete loss of principal.
Portfolio Activity. Registrant has a fiduciary duty of care and loyalty, and 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
changes are necessary based upon various factors, including, but not limited to, investment
performance, mutual fund manager tenure, style drift, and/or a change in the client’s
investment objective. Based upon these factors, there may be extended periods of time
when Registrant determines that changes to 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. Of course, as indicated below, there can be no assurance that
investment decisions made by Registrant will be profitable or equal any specific
performance level(s).
Other Assets. To the extent that the Registrant provides advisory monitoring or review
services for client investment assets for which the Registrant does not maintain custodian
access or trading authority (including initial and ongoing consideration of such assets as
part of the client’s asset allocation), the Registrant may determine to include such assets in
its advisory fee calculation per Item 5 below.
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 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 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.
Please Note-Use of Mutual and Exchange Traded Funds: Registrant utilizes mutual
funds and exchange traded funds for its client portfolios. In addition to Registrant’s
investment advisory fee described below, and transaction and/or custodial fees discussed
above, clients will 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).
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 professionals and is
expressly authorized to rely thereon. Moreover, each client is advised that it remains their
responsibility to promptly notify the Registrant if there is ever any change in their financial
situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising
Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Disclosure Brochure. A copy of the Registrant’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, or contemporaneously with, the execution of the Investment
Advisory Agreement.
C. The Registrant shall provide investment advisory services specific to needs of each client.
Prior to providing investment advisory services, an investment adviser representative will
discuss with each client, their particular investment objective(s). The Registrant shall
allocate each client’s investment assets consistent with their designated investment
objective(s). Clients may, at any time, impose restrictions, in writing, on the Registrant’s
services.
D. The Registrant does not participate in a wrap fee program.
E. As of December 31, 2022, the Registrant had $76,920,389 in assets under management on
a discretionary basis.