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Item 1: Cover Page
Part 2A of Form ADV: Firm Brochure
March 2025
100 E. De La Guerra St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
www.ArlingtonFinancialAdvisors.com
Firm Contact:
John Lorenz
Chief Compliance Officer
firm
is also available on
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Arlington
Financial Advisors, LLC. If clients have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please
contact us at 805-699-7300. The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or by any State Securities Authority.
the SEC’s website at
information about our
Additional
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD #283288.
Please note that the use of the term “registered investment adviser” and description of our firm
and/or our associates as “registered” does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Clients are
encouraged to review this Brochure and Brochure Supplements for our firm’s associates who advise
clients for more information on the qualifications of our firm and our employees.
Item 2: Material Changes
Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC is required to make clients aware of information that has changed
since the last annual update to the Firm Brochure (“Brochure”) and that may be important to them.
Clients can then determine whether to review the brochure in its entirety or to contact us with
questions about the changes.
Since our last annual amendment filed on 03/18/2024, we have the following material change(s) to
report:
• Our firm is in the process of establishing the Santa Barbara Trust Company, which will be an
affiliated trust company. The Santa Barbara Trust Company has submitted an application and
is awaiting approval from California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
Following approval, we may refer clients to the Santa Barbara Trust Company when deemed
appropriate. Our firm’s clients are under no obligation to use the Santa Barbara Trust
Company for trust services. Please see Item 10 for additional information.
•
If the Santa Barbara Trust Company acts as a trustee or equivalent for our firm’s clients, our
firm will be deemed to have custody of those client’s assets. The client assets for which our
firm has custody must be audited at least once during each calendar year by an independent
public accountant at a time that is chosen by the accountant without prior notice to our firm
and that is irregular from year to year. Please see Item 15 for additional information.
• We have updated the flat fee billing option for our Financial Planning & Consulting service.
Flat fees will range from $4,950 to $10,000. Clients will remain subject to the fees in their
signed agreement. Please see Item 5 for additional information.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Item 3: Table of Contents
Item 1: Cover Page .................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Item 2: Material Changes ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Item 3: Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Item 4: Advisory Business.................................................................................................................................................... 4
Item 5: Fees & Compensation ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management ........................................................................... 7
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements .................................................................................................... 7
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss ................................................................... 7
Item 9: Disciplinary Information..................................................................................................................................... 10
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations .................................................................................. 10
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions & Personal Trading ............. 10
Item 12: Brokerage Practices ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans ....................................................................................................... 14
Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation ..................................................................................................... 15
Item 15: Custody .................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Item 16: Investment Discretion ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Item 17: Voting Client Securities ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Item 18: Financial Information ........................................................................................................................................ 19
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Item 4: Advisory Business
Our firm is dedicated to providing individuals and other types of clients with a wide array of
investment advisory services. Our firm is a limited liability company formed under the laws of the
State of California in 2010 and has been in business as an investment adviser since 2016. Our firm is
owned by John A. Lorenz, Dianne Duva, Arthur Swalley, R. Wells Hughes, Joseph Weiland, and Cody
Makela.
Our firm provides asset management and investment consulting services for many different types of
clients to help meet their financial goals while remaining sensitive to risk tolerance and time
horizons. As a fiduciary it is our duty to always act in the client’s best interest. This is accomplished
in part by knowing the client. Our firm has established a service-oriented advisory practice with open
lines of communication. Working with clients to understand their investment objectives while
educating them about our process, facilitates the kind of working relationship we value.
Types of Advisory Services Offered
Wrap Portfolio Management:
Please see our Part 2A, Appendix 1 (the “Wrap Fee Program Brochure”) for more information
regarding our Wrap Portfolio Management service.
Financial Planning & Consulting:
Our firm provides a variety of standalone financial planning and consulting services to clients for the
management of financial resources based upon an analysis of current situation, goals, and objectives.
Financial planning services will typically involve preparing a financial plan or rendering a financial
consultation for clients based on the client’s financial goals and objectives. This planning or
consulting may encompass Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Charitable
Planning, Education Planning, Corporate and Personal Tax Planning, Cost Segregation Study,
Corporate Structure, Real Estate Analysis, Mortgage/Debt Analysis, Insurance Analysis, Lines of
Credit Evaluation, or Business and Personal Financial Planning.
Written financial plans or financial consultations rendered to clients usually include general
recommendations for a course of activity or specific actions to be taken by the clients.
Implementation of the recommendations will be at the discretion of the client. Our firm provides
clients with a summary of their financial situation, and observations for financial planning
engagements. Financial consultations are not typically accompanied by a written summary of
observations and recommendations, as the process is less formal than the planning service. Assuming
that all the information and documents requested from the client are provided promptly, plans or
consultations are typically completed within six (6) months of the client signing a contract with our
firm.
Retirement Plan Consulting:
Our firm provides retirement plan consulting services to employer plan sponsors on an ongoing
basis. Generally, such consulting services consist of assisting employer plan sponsors in establishing,
monitoring and reviewing their company's participant-directed retirement plan. As the needs of the
plan sponsor dictate, areas of advising could include: investment options, plan structure and
participant education.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Retirement Plan Consulting services typically include:
•
• Establishing an Investment Policy Statement – Our firm will assist in the development a
statement that summarizes the investment goals and objectives along with the broad
strategies to be employed to meet the objectives.
Investment Options – Our firm will work with the Plan Sponsor to evaluate existing
investment options and make recommendations for appropriate changes.
•
• Asset Allocation and Portfolio Construction – Our firm will develop strategic asset allocation
models to aid Participants in developing strategies to meet their investment objectives, time
horizon, financial situation and tolerance for risk.
Investment Monitoring – Our firm will monitor the performance of the investments and
notify the client in the event of over/underperformance and in times of market volatility.
In providing services for retirement plan consulting, our firm does not provide any advisory services
with respect to the following types of assets: employer securities, real estate (excluding real estate
funds and publicly traded REITS), participant loans, non-publicly traded securities or assets, other
illiquid investments, or brokerage window programs (collectively, “Excluded Assets”). All retirement
plan consulting services shall be in compliance with the applicable state laws regulating retirement
consulting services. This applies to client accounts that are retirement or other employee benefit
plans (“Plan”) governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended
(“ERISA”). If the client accounts are part of a Plan, and our firm accepts appointment to provide
services to such accounts, our firm acknowledges its fiduciary standard within the meaning of Section
3(21) or 3(38) of ERISA as designated by the Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement with respect to
the provision of services described therein.
Tailoring of Advisory Services
Our firm offers individualized investment advice to our Wrap Portfolio Management clients. General
investment advice will be offered to our Financial Planning & Consulting and Retirement Plan
Consulting clients. Each Wrap Portfolio Management client has the opportunity to place reasonable
restrictions on the types of investments to be held in the portfolio. Restrictions on investments in
certain securities or types of securities may not be possible due to the level of difficulty this would
entail in managing the account.
Participation in Wrap Fee Programs
Our firm only offers wrap fee accounts to our clients, which are managed on an individualized basis
according to the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc. Please see our
Wrap Fee Program Brochure for more information regarding the program and its fees. Client-
directed trades are not included in our Wrap Fee Program.
Regulatory Assets Under Management
As of December 31st, 2024, our firm managed $1,044,000,000 on a discretionary basis.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Item 5: Fees & Compensation
Compensation for Our Advisory Services
Wrap Portfolio Management:
Please see our Wrap Fee Program Brochure for more information regarding the program and its fees.
Financial Planning & Consulting:
Our firm charges on an hourly or flat fee basis for financial planning and consulting services. The total
estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee charged, is based on the scope and complexity of our
engagement with the client. The maximum hourly fee to be charged will not exceed $375. Flat fees
range from $4,950 to $10,000. Our firm requires 50% of the ultimate financial planning or consulting
fee at the time of signing. The remainder of the fee will be directly billed to the client and due within
30 days of a financial plan being delivered or consultation rendered. Our firm will not require a
retainer exceeding $1,200 when services cannot be rendered within 6 months.
Retirement Plan Consulting:
Our Retirement Plan Consulting services are billed on an hourly or flat fee basis or a fee based on the
percentage of Plan assets under management. The total estimated fee, as well as the ultimate fee
charged, is based on the scope and complexity of our engagement with the client. The maximum
hourly fee to be charged will not exceed $375. Our flat fees range from $750 to $10,000. Fees based
on a percentage of managed Plan assets will not exceed 1.00%. The fee-paying arrangements for
Retirement Plan Consulting service will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will be detailed
in the signed consulting agreement. Clients will be invoiced directly for the fees.
Other Types of Fees & Expenses
Wrap fee clients will not incur transaction costs for trades. More information about this can be found
in our separate Wrap Fee Program Brochure.
Client-directed trades are not included in our Wrap Fee Program. Non-Wrap client accounts will
incur transaction charges for trades executed in their accounts. These transaction fees are separate
from our firm’s advisory fees and will be disclosed by the chosen custodian. Charles Schwab & Co.,
Inc. (“Schwab”) does not charge transaction fees for U.S. listed equities and exchange traded funds.
Clients may also pay charges imposed directly by a mutual fund, index fund, or exchange traded fund,
which shall be disclosed in the fund’s prospectus (i.e., fund management fees and other fund
expenses), initial or deferred sales charges, mutual fund sales loads, 12b-1 fees, surrender charges,
variable annuity fees, IRA and qualified retirement plan fees. Our firm does not receive a portion of
these fees.
Termination & Refunds
Either party may terminate the advisory agreement signed with our firm for our Wrap Portfolio
Management services by providing written notice to the other party at any time. Upon notice of
termination, our firm will process a pro-rata refund of the unearned portion of the advisory fees
charged in advance at the beginning of the quarter.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Financial Planning & Consulting clients may terminate their agreement at any time before the
delivery of a financial plan by providing written notice. For purposes of calculating refunds, all work
performed by us up to the point of termination shall be calculated at the hourly fee currently in effect.
Clients will receive a pro-rata refund of unearned fees based on the time and effort expended by our
firm.
Either party to a Retirement Plan Consulting Agreement may terminate at any time by providing
written notice to the other party. Full refunds will only be made in cases where cancellation occurs
within 5 business days of signing an agreement. After 5 business days from initial signing, either
party must provide the other party 30 days written notice to terminate billing. Billing will terminate
30 days after receipt of termination notice. Clients will be charged on a pro-rata basis, which takes
into account work completed by our firm on behalf of the client. Clients will incur charges for bona
fide advisory services rendered up to the point of termination (determined as 30 days from receipt
of said written notice) and such fees will be due and payable.
Commissionable Securities Sales
Our firm and representatives do not sell securities for a commission in advisory accounts.
Item 6: Performance-Based Fees & Side-By-Side Management
Our firm does not charge performance-based fees.
Item 7: Types of Clients & Account Requirements
Our firm has the following types of clients:
•
Individuals and High Net Worth Individuals;
• Trusts, Estates or Charitable Organizations;
• Pension and Profit Sharing Plans; and
• Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and/or Other Business Types.
Our firm does not impose requirements for opening and maintaining accounts or otherwise engaging
us.
Item 8: Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies & Risk of Loss
Methods of Analysis
We use the following methods of analysis in formulating our investment advice and/or managing
client assets:
• Business Characteristic Analysis;
• Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) Analysis;
• Fundamental Business Valuation Research; and
•
Investment Manager Evaluation.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Investment Strategies We Use
We may use the following strategies in managing client accounts, provided that such strategies are
appropriate to the needs of the client and consistent with the client's investment objectives, risk
tolerance, and time horizons, among other considerations:
• Annual Portfolio Rebalancing;
• Asset Allocations;
• Diversification;
• ESG Investing;
• Fundamental Indexing; and
• Long Term Purchases.
Risk of Loss
Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”): An ETF is a type of Investment Company (usually, an open-end
fund or unit investment trust) whose primary objective is to achieve the same return as a particular
market index. The vast majority of ETFs are designed to track an index, so their performance is close
to that of an index mutual fund, but they are not exact duplicates. A tracking error, or the difference
between the returns of a fund and the returns of the index, can arise due to differences in
composition, management fees, expenses, and handling of dividends. ETFs benefit from continuous
pricing; they can be bought and sold on a stock exchange throughout the trading day. Because ETFs
trade like stocks, you can place orders just like with individual stocks - such as limit orders, good-
until-canceled orders, stop loss orders etc. They can also be sold short. Traditional mutual funds are
bought and redeemed based on their net asset values (“NAV”) at the end of the day. ETFs are bought
and sold at the market prices on the exchanges, which resemble the underlying NAV but are
independent of it. However, arbitrageurs will ensure that ETF prices are kept very close to the NAV
of the underlying securities. Although an investor can buy as few as one share of an ETF, most buy in
board lots. Anything bought in less than a board lot will increase the cost to the investor. Anyone can
buy any ETF no matter where in the world it trades. This provides a benefit over mutual funds, which
generally can only be bought in the country in which they are registered.
One of the main features of ETFs are their low annual fees, especially when compared to traditional
mutual funds. The passive nature of index investing, reduced marketing, and distribution and
accounting expenses all contribute to the lower fees. However, individual investors must pay a
brokerage commission to purchase and sell ETF shares; for those investors who trade frequently,
this can significantly increase the cost of investing in ETFs. That said, with the advent of low-cost
brokerage fees, small or frequent purchases of ETFs are becoming more cost efficient.
Equity Securities: Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. Equity securities
typically consist of common stocks. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other
things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic and other conditions. For example,
prices of these securities can be affected by financial contracts held by the issuer or third parties
(such as derivatives) relating to the security or other assets or indices. There may be little trading in
the secondary market for particular equity securities, which may adversely affect our firm 's ability
to value accurately or dispose of such equity securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions,
whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and/or liquidity of equity
securities. Investing in smaller companies may pose additional risks as it is often more difficult to
value or dispose of small company stocks, more difficult to obtain information about smaller
companies, and the prices of their stocks may be more volatile than stocks of larger, more established
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
companies. Clients should have a long-term perspective and, for example, be able to tolerate
potentially sharp declines in value.
Margin Transactions: Our firm may purchase securities for your portfolio with money borrowed
from your brokerage account. This allows you to purchase more stock than you would be able to with
your available cash and allows us to purchase securities without selling other holdings. Margin
accounts and transactions are risky and not necessarily appropriate for every client. It should be
noted that our firm charges advisory fees on securities purchased on margin which creates a financial
incentive for us to utilize margin in client accounts.
The potential risks associated with these transactions are (1) You can lose more funds than are
deposited into the margin account; (2) the forced sale of securities or other assets in your account;
(3) the sale of securities or other assets without contacting you; (4) you may not be entitled to choose
which securities or other assets in your account(s) are liquidated or sold to meet a margin call; and
(5) custodians charge interest on margin balances which will reduce your returns over time.
Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests that
money in a variety of differing security types based on the objectives of the fund. The portfolio of the
fund consists of the combined holdings it owns. Each share represents an investor’s proportionate
ownership of the fund’s holdings and the income those holdings generate. The price that investors
pay for mutual fund shares are the fund’s per share net asset value (“NAV”) plus any shareholder fees
that the fund imposes at the time of purchase (such as sales loads). Investors typically cannot
ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given time, nor can they directly influence
which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing of those trades. With an individual
stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-time) pricing information with relative ease by
checking financial websites or by calling a broker or your investment adviser. Investors can also
monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—or even second to second. By contrast, with
a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases or redeems shares will typically depend on
the fund’s NAV, which is calculated daily after market close.
The benefits of investing through mutual funds include: (a) Mutual funds are professionally managed
by an investment adviser who researches, selects, and monitors the performance of the securities
purchased by the fund; (b) Mutual funds typically have the benefit of diversification, which is an
investing strategy that generally sums up as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Spreading
investments across a wide range of companies and industry sectors can help lower the risk if a
company or sector fails. Some investors find it easier to achieve diversification through ownership of
mutual funds rather than through ownership of individual stocks or bonds.; (c) Some mutual funds
accommodate investors who do not have a lot of money to invest by setting relatively low dollar
amounts for initial purchases, subsequent monthly purchases, or both.; and (d) At any time, mutual
fund investors can readily redeem their shares at the current NAV, less any fees and charges assessed
on redemption.
Mutual funds also have features that some investors might view as disadvantages: (a) Investors must
pay sales charges, annual fees, and other expenses regardless of how the fund performs. Depending
on the timing of their investment, investors may also have to pay taxes on any capital gains
distributions they receive. This includes instances where the fund performed poorly after purchasing
shares.; (b) Investors typically cannot ascertain the exact make-up of a fund’s portfolio at any given
time, nor can they directly influence which securities the fund manager buys and sells or the timing
of those trades.; and (c) With an individual stock, investors can obtain real-time (or close to real-
time) pricing information with relative ease by checking financial websites or by calling a broker or
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
your investment adviser. Investors can also monitor how a stock’s price changes from hour to hour—
or even second to second. By contrast, with a mutual fund, the price at which an investor purchases
or redeems shares will typically depend on the fund’s NAV, which the fund might not calculate until
many hours after the investor placed the order. In general, mutual funds must calculate their NAV at
least once every business day, typically after the major U.S. exchanges close.
When investors buy and hold an individual stock or bond, the investor must pay income tax each year
on the dividends or interest the investor receives. However, the investor will not have to pay any
capital gains tax until the investor actually sells and makes a profit. Mutual funds, however, are
different. When an investor buys and holds mutual fund shares, the investor will owe income tax on
any ordinary dividends in the year the investor receives or reinvests them. Moreover, in addition to
owing taxes on any personal capital gains when the investor sells shares, the investor may have to
pay taxes each year on the fund’s capital gains. That is because the law requires mutual funds to
distribute capital gains to shareholders if they sell securities for a profit, and cannot use losses to
offset these gains.
Please Note: Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients should be prepared to bear.
While the stock market may increase and the account(s) could enjoy a gain, it is also possible that the
stock market may decrease and the account(s) could suffer a loss. It is important that clients
understand the risks associated with investing in the stock market, are appropriately diversified in
investments, and ask any questions.
Description of Material, Significant or Unusual Risks
Our firm generally invests client cash balances in money market funds, FDIC Insured Certificates of
Deposit, high-grade commercial paper and/or government backed debt instruments. Ultimately, our
firm tries to achieve the highest return on client cash balances through relatively low-risk
conservative investments. In most cases, at least a partial cash balance will be maintained in a money
market account so that our firm may debit advisory fees related to our Wrap Portfolio Management
service, as applicable.
Item 9: Disciplinary Information
There are no legal or disciplinary events that are material to the evaluation of our advisory business
or the integrity of our management.
Item 10: Other Financial Industry Activities & Affiliations
Our firm is in the process of establishing the Santa Barbara Trust Company, which will be an affiliated
trust company. The Santa Barbara Trust Company has submitted an application and is awaiting
approval from California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Following approval,
we may refer clients to the Santa Barbara Trust Company when deemed appropriate. Our firm’s
clients are under no obligation to use the Santa Barbara Trust Company for trust services.
Item 11: Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in
Client Transactions & Personal Trading
As a fiduciary, it is an investment adviser’s responsibility to provide fair and full disclosure of all material
facts and to act solely in the best interest of each of our clients at all times. Our fiduciary duty is the
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
underlying principle for our firm’s Code of Ethics, which includes procedures for personal securities
transaction and insider trading. Our firm requires all representatives to conduct business with the
highest level of ethical standards and to comply with all federal and state securities laws at all times.
Upon employment with our firm, and at least annually thereafter, all representatives of our firm will
acknowledge receipt, understanding and compliance with our firm’s Code of Ethics. Our firm and
representatives must conduct business in an honest, ethical, and fair manner and avoid all circumstances
that might negatively affect or appear to affect our duty of complete loyalty to all clients. This disclosure
is provided to give all clients a summary of our Code of Ethics. If a client or a potential client wishes to
review our Code of Ethics in its entirety, a copy will be provided promptly upon request.
Our firm recognizes that the personal investment transactions of our representatives demands the
application of a Code of Ethics with high standards and requires that all such transactions be carried out
in a way that does not endanger the interest of any client. At the same time, our firm also believes that if
investment goals are similar for clients and for our representatives, it is logical, and even desirable, that
there be common ownership of some securities.
In order to prevent conflicts of interest, our firm has established procedures for transactions effected by
our representatives for their personal accounts1. In order to monitor compliance with our personal
trading policy, our firm has pre-clearance requirements and a quarterly securities transaction reporting
system for all of our representatives.
Neither our firm nor a related person recommends, buys or sells for client accounts, securities in
which our firm or a related person has a material financial interest without prior disclosure to the
client.
Related persons of our firm may buy or sell securities and other investments that are also
recommended to clients. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our related persons will place
client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of Ethics, a copy of which
is available upon request.
Likewise, related persons of our firm buy or sell securities for themselves at or about the same time they
buy or sell the same securities for client accounts. In order to minimize this conflict of interest, our
related persons will place client interests ahead of their own interests and adhere to our firm’s Code of
Ethics, a copy of which is available upon request. Further, our related persons will refrain from buying
or selling the same securities prior to buying or selling for our clients in the same day. If related persons’
accounts are included in a block trade, our related persons will always trade personal accounts last.
Item 12: Brokerage Practices
Selecting a Brokerage Firm
Our firm does not maintain custody of client assets (although we may be deemed to have custody of
client assets if we are given the authority to withdraw assets from client accounts (see Item 15
Custody, below). Client assets must be maintained in an account at a “qualified custodian,” generally
a broker-dealer or bank. We recommend that our clients use Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., FINRA-
registered broker-dealer, member SIPC, as the qualified custodians. We are independently owned
1 For purposes of the policy, our associate’s personal account generally includes any account (a) in the name of our associate, his/her spouse,
his/her minor children or other dependents residing in the same household, (b) for which our associate is a trustee or executor, or (c) which our
associate controls, including our client accounts which our associate controls and/or a member of his/her household has a direct or indirect
beneficial interest in.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
and operated and not affiliated with Schwab. Schwab will hold client assets in a brokerage account
and buy and sell securities when we instruct them to. While we recommend that clients use Schwab
as custodian/broker, clients will decide whether to do so and open an account with Schwab by
entering into an account agreement directly with them. We do not open the account for the client.
Even though the client account is maintained at Schwab, we can still use other brokers to execute
trades for the account, as described in the next paragraph.
We seek to recommend a custodian/broker who will hold client assets and execute transactions on
terms that are overall most advantageous when compared to other available providers and their
services. We consider a wide range of factors, including, among others, these:
• Combination of transaction execution services along with asset custody services (generally
without a separate fee for custody)
• Capability to execute, clear and settle trades (buy and sell securities for your account)
• Capabilities to facilitate transfers and payments to and from accounts (wire transfers, check
requests, bill payment, etc.)
• Breadth of investment products made available (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, etc.)
• Availability of investment research and tools that assist us in making investment decisions
• Quality of services
• Competitiveness of the price of those services (commission rates, margin interest rates, other
fees, etc.) and willingness to negotiate them
• Reputation, financial strength and stability of the provider
• Their prior service to us and our other clients
Custody & Brokerage Costs
Schwab generally do not charge separately for custody services. Schwab are compensated by
charging commissions or other fees on trades that it executes or that settle into the account. For some
accounts, in addition to what is covered by our advisory fee, Schwab may charge a percentage of the
dollar amount of assets in the account in lieu of commissions. Schwab’s commission rates and/or
asset-based fees applicable to our client accounts were negotiated based on our commitment to
maintain a minimum threshold of our clients’ assets at Schwab. This commitment benefits the client
because the overall commission rates and/or asset-based fees paid are lower than they would be if
we had not made the commitment. In addition to commissions or asset-based fees Schwab charges a
flat dollar amount as a “prime broker” or “trade away” fee for each trade that we have executed by a
different broker-dealer but where the securities bought or the funds from the securities sold are
deposited (settled) into the Schwab account. These fees are in addition to the commissions or other
compensation paid to the executing broker-dealer. Because of this, in order to minimize trading costs,
we have Schwab execute most trades for the client account.
Products & Services Available to Us
Schwab Advisor Services (formerly called Schwab Institutional) is Schwab’s business serving
independent investment advisory firms like us. They provide us and our clients with access to its
institutional brokerage – trading, custody, reporting and related services – many of which are not
typically available to Schwab retail customers. Schwab also makes available various support services.
Some of those services help us manage or administer our clients’ accounts while others help us
manage and grow our business. Schwab’s support services are generally available on an unsolicited
basis (we don’t have to request them) and at no charge to us as long as we keep a total of at least $10
million of our clients’ assets in accounts at Schwab. If we have less than $10 million in client assets at
Schwab, it may charge us quarterly service fees.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Services that Benefit Client
Schwab’s institutional brokerage services include access to a broad range of investment products,
execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets. Schwab may also reimburse clients
for fees associated with account transfers from another custodian or broker-dealer. The investment
products available through Schwab include some to which we might not otherwise have access or
that would require a significantly higher minimum initial investment by our clients. Schwab’s
services described in this paragraph generally benefit clients or their account.
Services that May Not Directly Benefit Clients
Schwab also makes available to us other products and services that benefit us but may not directly
benefit the client or their account(s). These products and services assist us in managing and
administering our clients’ accounts. They include investment research, both Schwab’s own and that
of third parties. We may use this research to service all or some substantial number of our clients’
accounts, including accounts not maintained at Schwab. In addition to investment research, Schwab
also makes available software and other technology that:
• Provides access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account
statements);
• Facilitates trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts;
• Provides pricing and other market data;
• Facilitates payment of our fees from our clients’ accounts; and
• Assists with back-office functions, recordkeeping and client reporting.
Schwab also offers other services intended to help us manage and further develop our business
enterprise. These services include:
• Educational conferences and events
• Technology, compliance, legal, and business consulting;
• Publications and conferences on practice management and business succession; and
• Access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants and insurance providers.
Schwab may provide some of these services itself. In other cases, it will arrange for third-party
vendors to provide the services to us or provide our firm with a one-time sum, which would enable
our firm to purchase these services. Schwab may also discount or waive its fees for some of these
services or pay all or a part of a third party’s fees. Schwab may also provide us with other benefits
such as occasional business entertainment of our personnel.
Irrespective of direct or indirect benefits to our client through Schwab, we strive to enhance the
client’s experience, help reach their goals and put their interests before that of our firm or its
associated persons.
Directed Brokerage
In certain instances, clients may seek to limit or restrict our discretionary authority in making the
determination of the brokers with whom orders for the purchase or sale of securities are placed for
execution, and the commission rates at which such securities transactions are effected. Clients may
seek to limit our authority in this area by directing that transactions (or some specified percentage
of transactions) be executed through specified brokers in return for portfolio evaluation or other
services deemed by the client to be of value. Any such client direction must be in writing (often
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
through our advisory agreement), and may contain a representation from the client that the
arrangement is permissible under its governing laws and documents, if this is relevant.
Our firm provides appropriate disclosure in writing to clients who direct trades to particular brokers,
that with respect to their directed trades, they will be treated as if they have retained the investment
discretion that our firm otherwise would have in selecting brokers to effect transactions and in
negotiating commissions and that such direction may adversely affect our ability to obtain best price
and execution. In addition, our firm will inform clients in writing that the trade orders may not be
aggregated with other clients’ orders and that direction of brokerage may hinder best execution.
Special Considerations for ERISA Clients
A retirement or ERISA plan client may direct all or part of portfolio transactions for its account
through a specific broker or dealer in order to obtain goods or services on behalf of the plan. Such
direction is permitted provided that the goods and services provided are reasonable expenses of the
plan incurred in the ordinary course of its business for which it otherwise would be obligated and
empowered to pay. ERISA prohibits directed brokerage arrangements when the goods or services
purchased are not for the exclusive benefit of the plan. Consequently, our firm will request that plan
sponsors who direct plan brokerage provide us with a letter documenting that this arrangement will
be for the exclusive benefit of the plan.
Aggregation of Purchase or Sale
Our firm provides investment management services for various clients. There are occasions on which
portfolio transactions may be executed as part of concurrent authorizations to purchase or sell the same
security for numerous accounts served by our firm, which involve accounts with similar investment
objectives. Although such concurrent authorizations potentially could be either advantageous or
disadvantageous to any one or more particular accounts, they are affected only when our firm believes
that to do so will be in the best interest of the effected accounts. When such concurrent authorizations
occur, the objective is to allocate the executions in a manner which is deemed equitable to the accounts
involved. In any given situation, our firm attempts to allocate trade executions in the most equitable
manner possible, taking into consideration client objectives, current asset allocation and availability of
funds using price averaging, proration and consistently non-arbitrary methods of allocation.
Item 13: Review of Accounts or Financial Plans
Our management personnel or financial advisors review accounts on at least an annual basis for our
Wrap Portfolio Management clients. The nature of these reviews is to learn whether client accounts
are in line with their investment objectives, appropriately positioned based on market conditions,
and investment policies, if applicable. Our firm does not provide written reports to clients, unless
asked to do so. Verbal reports to clients take place on at least an annual basis when our Wrap
Portfolio Management clients are contacted. Our firm may review client accounts more frequently
than described above. Among the factors which may trigger an off-cycle review are major market or
economic events, the client’s life events, requests by the client, etc.
Financial Planning clients do not receive reviews of their written plans unless they take action to
schedule a financial consultation with us. Our firm does not provide ongoing services to financial
planning clients, but are willing to meet with such clients upon their request to discuss updates to
their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Financial Planning clients do not receive written or
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
verbal updated reports regarding their financial plans unless they separately engage our firm for a
post-financial plan meeting or update to their initial written financial plan.
Retirement Plan Consulting clients receive reviews of their retirement plans for the duration of the
service. Our firm also provides ongoing services where clients are met with upon their request to
discuss updates to their plans, changes in their circumstances, etc. Retirement Plan Consulting clients
do not receive written or verbal updated reports regarding their plans unless they choose to engage
our firm for ongoing services.
Item 14: Client Referrals & Other Compensation
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
We receive an economic benefit from Schwab in the form of the support products and services it
makes available to us and other independent investment advisors that have their clients maintain
accounts at Schwab. These products and services, how they benefit us, and the related conflicts of
interest are described above (see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices). The availability to us of Schwab’s
products and services is not based on us giving particular investment advice, such as buying
particular securities for our clients.
Mutual Fund Companies
We may occasionally be reimbursed for travel expenses by unaffiliated mutual fund companies that
we meet with as part of our due diligence process. Our clients do not pay more for investment
transactions effected and/or assets maintained as result of these arrangements. There is no
commitment made by us to any other institution as a result of these arrangements.
Referral Fees
In accordance with Rule 206 (4)-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, our firm does not provide
cash or non-cash compensation directly or indirectly to unaffiliated persons for testimonials or
endorsements (which include client referrals).
Item 15: Custody
Deduction of Advisory Fees from Client Accounts
All of our clients receive account statements directly from their qualified custodians at least quarterly
upon opening of an account. If our firm decides to also send account statements to clients, such notice
and account statements include a legend that recommends that the client compare the account
statements received from the qualified custodian with those received from our firm.
Affiliated Trust Company
Our firm is in the process of establishing the Santa Barbara Trust Company, which will be an affiliated
trust company. The Santa Barbara Trust Company has submitted an application and is awaiting
approval from California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Following approval,
we may refer clients to the Santa Barbara Trust Company when deemed appropriate. As such, our
firm will be deemed to have custody if such services are provided to our advisory clients. The client
assets for which our firm has custody must be verified by actual examination at least once during
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
each calendar year by an independent public accountant registered with the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board, at a time that is chosen by the accountant without prior notice or
announcement to our firm and that is irregular from year to year. Our firm’s clients are under no
obligation to use the Santa Barbara Trust Company for trust services.
Standing Letters of Authorization
The SEC issued a no‐action letter (“Letter”) with respect to the Rule 206(4)‐2 (“Custody Rule”) under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”). The letter provided guidance on the Custody
Rule as well as clarified that an adviser who has the power to disburse client funds to a third party
under a standing letter of instruction (“SLOA”) is deemed to have custody. As such, our firm has
adopted the following safeguards in conjunction with our custodian, Schwab:
• The client provides an instruction to the qualified custodian, in writing, that includes the
client’s signature, the third party’s name, and either the third party’s address or the third
party’s account number at a custodian to which the transfer should be directed.
• The client authorizes the investment adviser, in writing, either on the qualified custodian’s
form or separately, to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or from
time to time.
• The client’s qualified custodian performs appropriate verification of the instruction, such as
a signature review or other method to verify the client’s authorization, and provides a
transfer of funds notice to the client promptly after each transfer.
• The client has the ability to terminate or change the instruction to the client’s qualified
custodian.
• The investment adviser has no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the
third party, the address, or any other information about the third party contained in the
client’s instruction.
• The investment adviser maintains records showing that the third party is not a related party
of the investment adviser or located at the same address as the investment adviser.
• The client’s qualified custodian sends the client, in writing, an initial notice confirming the
instruction and an annual notice reconfirming the instruction.
Clients are encouraged to raise any questions with us about the custody, safety or security of their
assets and our custodial recommendations.
Item 16: Investment Discretion
Clients have the option of providing our firm with investment discretion on their behalf, pursuant to
an executed investment advisory client agreement. By granting investment discretion, our firm is
authorized to execute securities transactions, determine which securities are bought and sold, and
the total amount to be bought and sold. Limitations may be imposed by the client in the form of
specific constraints on any of these areas of discretion with our firm’s written acknowledgement.
Item 17: Voting Client Securities
SEC Rule 206(4)-6 requires investment advisers who have voting authority with respect to securities
held in their clients’ accounts to monitor corporate actions and vote proxies in their clients’
interests. Our firm is required by the SEC to adopt written policies and procedures, make those
policies and procedures available to clients, and retain certain records with respect to proxy votes
cast.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Our firm votes client proxies when authorized to do so in writing by a client. Our firm understands
our duty to vote client proxies and to do so in the best interest of our clients. Furthermore, it is
understood that any material conflicts between our interests and those of our clients with regard to
proxy voting must be resolved before proxies are voted. Our firm subscribes to a proxy monitor and
voting agent service offered by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. (“Broadridge”),
which includes access to proxy analyses with research and vote recommendations. Our firm will
generally vote in accordance with the recommendations of the board, but may vote in a different
fashion on particular votes if our firm determines that such actions are in the best interest of our
clients. Where applicable, our firm will consider any specific voting guidelines designated in writing
by a client. Clients may request a copy of our written policies and procedures regarding proxy voting
and/or information on how particular proxies were voted by contacting our Chief Compliance Officer,
Mr. Lorenz, by phone at (805) 699-7300 or email at john.lorenz@arlingtonfa.com.
Policy for Voting Proxies
All proxies received by our firm will be given to our Chief Compliance Officer or designated person
for processing. Our Chief Compliance Officer will determine which accounts managed by our firm
hold the security to which the proxy relates. These accounts and their shareholdings will be matched
to the proxies received for each security. Missing proxies or significant variances in shares held will
be investigated.
A grid of securities being voted will be updated with each proxy being voted. The grid will also contain
a list of clients with the security voted upon. Our Chief Compliance Officer will review each item for
voting on each proxy. Based on our proxy voting guidelines outlined below, a determination of how
our firm votes will be made. Proxies will generally be voted online unless custodian requires mailed
forms. In the absence of standing voting guidelines from the client, our firm will vote proxies in
accordance with Board recommendation.
Our firm seeks to ensure compliance with the new Exchange Act Rule 14a-11. In accordance with the
aforementioned rule, our firm provides shareholders with the opportunity to nominate directors at
a shareholder meeting under the applicable state or foreign law. Clients also have the ability to have
their nominees included in the company proxy materials sent to all of our shareholders. Furthermore,
the clients as shareholders also have the ability to use the shareholder proposal process to establish
procedures for the inclusion of shareholder director nominations in company proxy materials.
Proxies Voting Guidelines
Where voting authority exists, proxies are voted by our firm according to Board recommendations
in categories listed below among others unless not deemed to be in the best interests of the client:
•
•
for directors and for management on routine matters;
for a limit on or reduction of the number of directors, and for an increase in the number of
directors on a case by case basis;
• against the creation of a tiered board;
•
•
•
•
•
for the elimination of cumulative voting;
for independence of auditors;
for deferred compensation;
for profit sharing plans;
for stock option plans unless the plan could result in material dilution to shares outstanding
or is excessive;
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
•
•
•
•
•
for stock repurchases;
for an increase in authorized shares unless the authorization effectively results in a blind
investment pool for shareholders;
for reductions in the par value of stock;
for company name changes;
for routine appointments of auditors.
Our firm abstains on motions to limit directors' liability. Material issues not addressed above (e.g.,
mergers, poison pills, social investing and miscellaneous shareholder proposals) are dealt with on a
case-by-case basis.
Our firm will defer to instruction from clients in all voting matters. Records of all issues and votes are
maintained and reported to clients as requested.
Our firm recognizes that under certain circumstances our firm may have a conflict of interest
between us and our clients. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to, situations where
our firm or one or more of our affiliates, including officers, directors and employees, has or is seeking
a client relationship with the issuer of the security that is the subject of the proxy vote. Our firm shall
periodically inform our employees that they are under an obligation to be aware of the potential for
conflicts of interest on the part of our firm with respect to voting proxies on behalf of funds, both as
a result of our employee’s personal relationships and due to circumstances that may arise during the
conduct of our business, and to bring conflicts of interest of which they become aware to the attention
of the proxy manager. Our firm shall not vote proxies relating to such issuers on behalf of client
accounts until our firm has determined that the conflict of interest is not material or a method of
resolving such conflict of interest has been agreed upon by our management team. A conflict of
interest will be considered material to the extent that it is determined that such conflict has the
potential to influence our decision-making in voting a proxy. Materiality determinations will be based
upon an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. If our firm determines that a conflict
of interest is not material, our firm may vote proxies notwithstanding the existence of a conflict. If
the conflict of interest is determined to be material, the conflict shall be disclosed to our management
team and our firm shall follow the instructions of the management team.
Our Chief Compliance Officer will maintain files relating to our proxy voting procedures. Records will
be maintained and preserved for five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry
was made on a record, with records for the last two years kept on our premises. Records of the
following will be included in the files:
• a copy of each proxy statement that our firm receives, provided however that our firm may
rely on obtaining a copy of proxy statements from the SEC’s EDGAR system for those proxy
statements that are available;
• a record of each vote that our firm casts;
• a copy of any document our firm created that was material to making a decision how to vote
proxies, or that memorializes that decision;
• a copy of each written client request for information on how our firm voted such client’s
proxies, and a copy of any written response to any client request for information on how our
firm voted their proxies.
Our written policies and procedures regarding proxy voting are disclosed here. Information on how
particular proxies were voted may contact our Chief Compliance Officer, Mr. Lorenz, by phone at
(805) 699-7300 or email at john.lorenz@arlingtonfa.com.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC
Item 18: Financial Information
Our firm is not required to provide financial information in this Brochure because:
• Our firm does not require the prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees and six or more months
in advance.
• Our firm does not have a financial condition or commitment that impairs our ability to meet
contractual and fiduciary obligations to clients.
• Our firm has never been the subject of a bankruptcy proceeding.
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Arlington Financial Advisors, LLC