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ITEM 1 – COVER PAGE
Downers Grove Office:
1121 Warren Avenue, Suite 230
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Boulder Office:
885 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (331) 777-5449
Fax: (708) 377-2425
Denver Office:
4566 Xavier Street
Denver, CO 80212
Phone: (708) 703-3100
March 31, 2025
Part 2A Brochure
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Opus Financial Solutions
LLC. If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, please contact us at (331) 777-5449. 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. Opus Financial Solutions LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser.
Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does
not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Opus Financial Solutions LLC is
available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. You can search
this site by a unique identifying number, known as an IARD number. The IARD number for Opus Financial
Solutions LLC is #282311.
ITEM 2 – MATERIAL CHANGES
SUMMARY OF MATERIAL CHANGES
This section of the Brochure will address only those “material changes” that have been incorporated since our
last delivery or posting of this document on the Security and Exchange Commission’s public disclosure website
(IAPD) www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
There have been no material changes since our last filing in March 2024.
Currently, a copy of our Brochure may be requested by contacting Lisa Bayer, CFA, CFP, Chief Compliance Officer
and Principal of Opus Financial Solutions LLC at (708) 703-3100. It is also posted on the homepage of our
website, which can be found at www.opusfinancialsolutions.com
We encourage you to read this document in its entirety.
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
5
ITEM 5 - FEES AND COMPENSATION
9
ITEM 6 - PERFORMANCE BASED FEES AND SIDE -BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
11
ITEM 7 - TYPES OF CLIENTS
11
ITEM 8 - METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS
11
ITEM 9 - DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
15
ITEM 10 - OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
15
ITEM 11 - CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT TRANSACTIONS AND PERSONAL
15
TRADING
ITEM 12 - BROKERAGE PRACTICES
16
ITEM 13 - REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
17
ITEM 14 – CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION
18
ITEM 15 – CUSTODY
19
ITEM 16 – INVESTMENT DISCRETION
20
ITEM 17 – VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
20
ITEM 18 – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
20
ITEM 1 – COVER PAGE—LISA BAYER
21
ITEM 2 – EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND & BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
22
ITEM 1 – COVER PAGE—MATTHEW KUNST
25
ITEM 2 – EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND & BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
26
ITEM 1 – COVER PAGE—MATTHEW SMITH
29
ITEM 2 – EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND & BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
30
ITEM 4 – ADVISORY BUSINESS
This disclosure document is being offered to you by Opus Financial Solutions LLC (“Opus”, “Adviser,” “Our
Firm”,” Our” or “We”) about the investment advisory services we offer. It discloses information about the
services that we provide and the way those services are made available to you, the client.
Opus became registered as an Investment Adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in June
2021. Prior to that time, Opus was registered as an Investment Adviser in the state of Colorado. Lisa Bayer is
the principal owner and Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm.
Opus offers financial planning, tax, and investment advisory services to individuals, families, and businesses
under an Advisory Services Agreement or Financial Planning Agreement. Our Firm is committed to helping
clients build, manage, and preserve their wealth.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISION SERVICES
We provide investment management services on a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. We will offer
initial complimentary meetings upon our discretion; however, investment advisory services are initiated only
after client and Opus execute an Advisory Services Agreement. We do not impose a minimum requirement to
open and maintain a managed account for advisory services.
During personal discussions with clients, we determine the client’s objectives, time horizons, risk tolerance, and
liquidity needs. As appropriate, we also review a client’s prior investment history, as well as financial situation
and background. Based on these factors, we develop a client’s personal profile and investment plan. We then
manage the client’s investments based on an agreed upon investment plan. It is the client’s obligation to notify
us if circumstances have changed with respect to their goals or financial circumstance. Once we have
determined the types of investments to be included in a client’s portfolio and have allocated the assets, we
provide ongoing investment review and management services.
With our discretionary relationship, we will make changes to the portfolio, as we deem appropriate, to pursue
client financial objectives. We execute trades in client portfolios based on the combination of our market views
and client objectives, using our investment process. We make periodic portfolio adjustments as warranted,
including adjustments focused on rebalancing the portfolio to the target allocation, tax loss harvesting
strategies, addressing changes in a client’s financial circumstances, or securities changes based on evolving
market or economic circumstances and our ongoing due diligence. We tailor our advisory services to align with
the needs of our clients and seek to ensure that the client’s portfolio is managed in a manner consistent with
those needs and objectives. Clients have the ability to leave standing instructions with us to refrain from
investing in particular industries or invest in limited amounts of securities. We primarily allocate client assets
among Exchanged Traded Funds (“ETFs”), no-load, load-waived, or institutional shares of mutual funds, or other
equities in accordance with their stated investment objectives. Cash and cash equivalents and any margin debt
balances are generally included in the calculation of advisory fees. On rare occasions, we may also utilize
alternative investments in client portfolios including structured products and registered or non-registered
products including hedge funds, interval funds, private equity, private credit, or real asset strategies. Many
alternative products have limited availability based on client net worth or income qualification, and all have
unique risks which differ from investments in publicly traded securities. Please see Alternative Investments
under Risk of Loss in Item 8.
If a non-discretionary relationship is in place, calls will be placed presenting the recommendation made and
only upon your authorization will any action be taken on your behalf. We have limited authority to direct the
Custodian to deduct our investment advisory fees from accounts, but only with the appropriate advance written
authorization from clients.
Clients may engage us to advise on certain investment products that are not maintained at our Firm’s
recommended custodian, such as variable life insurance, annuity contracts, and assets held in employer
sponsored retirement plans. Where appropriate, we may provide advice about any type of held-away account
that is part of a client portfolio.
You are advised and are expected to understand that our past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Certain market and economic risks exist that can adversely affect an account’s performance and result in capital
losses in your account.
BYALLACCOUNTS PLATFORM
We make the “ByAllAccounts” platform available to all clients to provide periodic comprehensive planning and/or
reporting services, which can incorporate the client’s investment assets, including those investment assets that are
not part of the assets managed by our Firm (the “Excluded Assets”). Unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing,
our service relative to the Excluded Assets is limited to reporting and planning only. Therefore, we shall not be
responsible for the investment performance of the Excluded Assets. Rather, the client maintains supervision,
monitoring and trading authority for the Excluded Assets. If we are asked to make a recommendation as to any
Excluded Assets, the client is under absolutely no obligation to accept the recommendation, and we shall not be
responsible for any implementation error (timing, trading, etc.) relative to the Excluded Assets. In the event the client
desires that we provide investment advisory services for the Excluded Assets, the client may engage us to do so
pursuant the terms and conditions of an agreement between our Firm and the client.
Our Firm and the platform providers are non-affiliated companies. We are charged an annual fee for subscriptions
to the providers. Please note that the fee charged to the client will not increase due to any subscription fees paid
by our Firm.
FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES
Our clients face ongoing financial decisions that require them to make choices about how they allocate their
resources. Our financial planning services are intended to help organize these choices by creating personalized
analyses and recommendations that address our clients’ goals, concerns and needs. In order to develop a plan
and recommendations, we undertake a process of discovery to understand our clients’ financial position, goals,
challenges, concerns, and requirements. With the unique goals and circumstances of each family in mind, we
may offer financial planning recommendations and strategies relating to the client’s budget, savings plan, risk
assessment, portfolio analysis, retirement plan, insurance needs analysis, education savings strategy, tax
strategy and estate plan. This may include preparing a specific asset allocation strategy and an investment plan
that includes the recommended securities in the overall portfolio.
Our specific services in preparing your plan may include:
• Review and clarification of your financial goals.
• Assessment of your overall financial position including cash flow, balance sheet, investment strategy, risk
management, taxes and estate plan.
• Creation of a unique plan for each goal you have, including personal and business real estate, education,
retirement or financial independence, charitable giving, estate planning, business succession, and other
personal goals.
• Development of a goal-oriented investment plan to our clients around investments, taxes, asset allocation,
expenses, risk, and liquidity factors for each goal, and/or other specific areas you have hired us to review
and advise you on.
RETIREMENT PLANNING
Proactive retirement planning should begin early in life and serve as a fundamental component of one’s future
financial security. Our focus with our clients is to help them understand if and when they can comfortably retire
in the lifestyle they choose; how and how much to save; how to structure their portfolios at different periods
of their lives; how to avoid outliving their resources; how to minimize taxes throughout their lives; how to
optimize social security and pension accounts; ideal, tax efficient withdrawal strategies, and increase their
protection in the event of unanticipated health crises. We may look at a variety of potential “scenarios” that
reflect optimistic and pessimistic or conservative inputs, and we may provide our clients with detailed cash flow
scenarios based on these varying assumptions so that they are more informed about the impact of their choices.
Disclosure Regarding Rollover Recommendations
We are fiduciaries under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and when we provide investment advice to you
regarding your retirement plan account or individual retirement account, we are also fiduciaries within the
meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and/or the Internal Revenue Code,
as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. We have adopted certain policies and procedures
to comply with the Department of Labor’s PTE 2020-02, Improving Investment Advice for Workers & Retirees.
Under this special rule’s provisions, we understand that Investment Advisory Representatives of our firm must:
• Meet a professional standard of care when making investment recommendations (give prudent
advice);
• Never put our financial interests ahead of yours when making recommendations (give loyal advice);
• Avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interest, fees, and investments;
• Follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that we give advice that is in your best interest;
• Charge no more than is reasonable for our services; and
• Give you basic information about conflicts of interest (provided below)
We have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. At the same time, the way we earn
compensation creates some conflicts with your interests.
A client or prospect leaving an employer typically has four options regarding an existing retirement plan (and
may engage in a combination of these options):
Leave the money in the former employer’s plan, if permitted
•
• Rollover the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is available and rollovers are permitted
• Rollover to an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”), or
• Cash out the account value (which could, depending upon the client’s age, result in adverse tax
consequences).
Opus may recommend an investor roll over assets from a qualified plan to an IRA, or transfer assets from an
externally held IRA to an IRA for which Opus provides investment advisory services. As a result, Opus and its
representatives may earn an asset-based fee. In contrast, a recommendation that a client or prospective client
leave their plan assets with their previous employer or roll over the assets to a plan sponsored by a new
employer will generally result in no additional compensation to Opus. We therefore may have an economic
incentive to encourage a client to roll plan assets or transfer IRA assets into an IRA that Opus will manage, which
could present a conflict of interest. Some clients may pay Opus an asset-based fee for oversight of their qualified
plan assets, and that same fee may apply if assets are held in an IRA managed by Opus in which case there is no
conflict of interest created by differential fees. To mitigate the conflict of interest, there are various factors that
Opus will consider before recommending a rollover, including but not limited to:
• The investment options available in the plan versus the investment options available in an IRA
• Fees and expenses in the plan versus the fees and expenses in an IRA
• The services and responsiveness of the plan’s investment professionals versus services provided by Opus
such as ongoing investment due diligence and portfolio rebalancing.
• Whether assets held in ERISA qualified plans offer protection of assets from creditors and legal judgments
beyond protections afforded to IRA account holders.
• Required minimum distributions and age considerations, and
• Employer stock tax consequences such as the ability to take advantage of capital gains treatment for net
unrealized appreciation on employer stock.
In general, if there is a significant financial planning reason to leave the assets at the prior plan, we will not
recommend a rollover. Your advisory representative likely will explain why they recommend leaving the assets
in the plan. To fully evaluate expense differentials, Opus may ask you to research participant expenses and plan
investment options and expenses which are otherwise inaccessible by Opus. If you choose not to research and
provide the information to Opus and proceed to move your assets to a managed account with Opus, you
understand that an evaluation of expense differentials as a component to the decision to roll or transfer your
assets cannot be completed.
Acting in your best interest involves more than simply evaluating differences in fees. We also consider subjective
elements such as:
• How our portfolio management style and investment selection may benefit a client versus utilizing the
plan or account investments on a do-it-yourself basis or if your current plan does not provide investment
guidance or equivalent services based on our evaluation.
• Your investment experience and your ability to monitor your own investments.
• Whether consolidation of multiple financial accounts would be beneficial.
• The ability to implement strategies such as ROTH conversions, and more.
Many of these points of evaluation cannot be quantified prospectively and are derived from our professional
evaluation and opinion of a client’s financial circumstance.
If you choose to move forward with a rollover of qualified plan assets or a transfer of an IRA to an Opus managed
account, you acknowledge and accept that there are pros and cons to moving your assets and you are opting to
proceed with a rollover or transfer of your assets and have discussed the decision with your Opus Advisor.
Opus’s Chief Compliance Officer remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective client
has regarding the oversight.
TAX REDUCTION PLANNING
One component of wealth preservation and creation is minimizing taxes. At Opus, while we work closely with
some of our clients’ CPAs and are always open to coordinating with more, we have found that there is often a
need for a more streamlined, integrated solution between clients’ financial planners and their accountants. As
such, we offer a consolidated solution, providing financial planning that when applicable, also integrates tax
planning into our reviews and recommendations. As an Authorized IRS E-File Provider, we can proactively
strategize about our clients’ situations and determine, upon our client’s choosing, the proper preparation and
filing of their federal and state tax returns.
WRAP FEE PROGRAM
We do not offer a Wrap Fee Program.
ASSETS
As of December 31, 2024, Opus managed a total of $125,250,884 in regulatory assets under management.
$122,356,906 is managed on a discretionary basis and $2,893,979 is managed on a non-discretionary basis.
ITEM 5 - FEES AND COMPENSATION
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEES AND COMPENSATION
As mentioned in Item 4, Opus offers financial planning, tax, and advisory services to retail investors and
businesses under an Advisory Services Agreement.
Our Firm charges a fee (“Management Fee”) as compensation for providing investment advisory services on
your account. The Management Fee includes investment management supervision, trade entry, other account
maintenance and service activities, and may include financial planning and tax-related services. Clients who
meet the minimum quarterly Management Fee will be offered at no additional charge an initial financial plan,
which will be updated as client financial needs or circumstances change, on an as-needed basis.
The fees for investment management are an annual percentage of assets under management and based on the
quarter end value of the client’s account(s). Our maximum annual Management Fee for accounts paying a
percentage of assets under management is 1.00%. Our minimum quarterly management fee of $2,500 is
required for advisory services to include full financial planning services, including financial planning and tax
planning services indicated in Item 4 – Advisory Business. Clients who do not meet a quarterly management Fee
of $2,500 per quarter under an Advisory Services Agreement may be provided with financial planning services
upon request at an hourly rate of $350 per hour, a fixed fee, or annual retainer in addition to Management Fees,
subject to Adviser’s discretion to waive or modify additional service charges.
The specific Management Fees are set forth in the Advisory Services Agreement. Management Fees may vary
based on the size of the combined assets, complexity of the portfolio, extent of activity in the account or other
reasons agreed upon by us and you as the client. Management Fees are billed on the quarter end value of the
account, on a pro-rata basis, and billed quarterly in arrears on a three-month billing cycle. The initial
Management Fee will be billed in arrears and based upon the date the assets are transferred to our Custodian
through a three-month billing cycle. Additional deposits and withdrawals made throughout a billing cycle will
be added or subtracted from the assets on a prorated basis to adjust the Management Fee.
Opus may recommend an externally custodied annuity and charge fees in accordance with our Management
Fees schedule. In general, Opus will set up externally held annuities at the marginal Management Fee rate based
on aggregate assets under management including the annuity value. Opus will either use the carrier’s billing
process when it aligns with our own billing process, or manually calculate fees at the effective marginal rate and
submit invoices to each insurance carrier for billing where the carrier’s billing process does not align with our
own billing process.
Unless otherwise instructed by the client, we will aggregate asset amounts in accounts from your same
household together to determine the advisory fee for all your accounts. We would do this, for example, where
we also service accounts on behalf of your family, individual and joint accounts for a spouse, and/or other types
of related accounts. This consolidation practice is designed to allow you the benefit of an increased asset total,
which could cause your account(s) to be assessed a lower marginal advisory fee.
The independent qualified custodian holding your funds and securities will debit your account directly for the
advisory fee and pay that fee to us. You will provide advance written authorization permitting the fees to be
paid directly from your account held by the qualified custodian. Clients will have online access to both the
Custodian’s online platform as well as an Opus client portal that provides position, transaction detail, allocation,
and return information. Further, the qualified custodian agrees to deliver an account statement at least
quarterly directly to you indicating all of the positions and transactions, including the amounts deducted from
the account for our Management Fees. You are encouraged to review your custodian account statements for
accuracy. In certain circumstances, our recommended custodian also charges transaction costs, custodial fees,
and administrative fees or commissions. See Additional Fees and Expenses below for additional details.
As an added service, clients may request that we provide investment recommendations and due diligence
reviews for external assets. There generally are three options available to do so.
1) Linking External accounts (Viewing Access Only). If desired and requested by a client, using the
ByAllAccounts platform described above, Opus advisors will incorporate linked external accounts into
our ongoing investment assessments and recommendations. These accounts will also be viewable
within the Opus portal. While linked, as we will only have view access, clients are solely responsible for
the implementation of any provided recommendations. If clients are unable to link external accounts
but request Adviser to include them into our ongoing investment assessments and recommendations,
the above noted fee applies. The fees for this service are 0.25% annually (minimum of $35 per quarter).
2) External accounts (Aggregation only). This provides linking of external accounts for purposes of view
only aggregation of all of our client’s holdings through the Opus portal. We will not provide investment
advice with respect to these accounts, but they will be incorporated into our overall review and
recommendation pertaining to a client’s portfolio asset allocation. The fee for linked aggregation is $35
per account per quarter.
Either Opus or you may terminate the Advisory Services Agreement immediately upon written notice to the
other party. The Management Fee will be prorated to the date of termination for the month in which the
cancellation notice was given and billed to your account. Upon termination, you are responsible for monitoring
the securities in your account, and we will have no further obligation to act or advise with respect to those
assets. In the event of client’s death or disability, Opus will continue management of the account until we are
given alternative instructions by an authorized party.
Management Fees are calculated pursuant to the agreed upon fee schedule in the Advisory Services Agreement.
Your total fee will increase or decrease as portfolio values change. However, in no case will we alter the agreed
upon fee schedule based on the performance of your funds or investments.
FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES FEES
Advisory Clients who do not meet a quarterly management Fee of $2,500 per quarter may be provided with
financial planning services upon request at an hourly rate of $350 per hour, fixed fee, or annual retainer in
addition to Management Fees. When hourly fees apply, before any engagement, we will provide an estimate of
the time required for each service upon meeting with the client for an initial consultation. For purposes of
disclosure, the typical range is $2,500 - $3,500, depending on the level of complexity of the assignment. As
previously noted, after our initial consultation with our clients, we will provide a verbal estimate of the hours
required to complete a requested assignment based on the services requested in advance of the engagement.
Hourly consulting fees are generally billed and payable at the time the financial plan or agreed-upon deliverable
is provided to you. Adviser may delay invoicing subject to follow-up work and identified at the plan presentation
meeting. Such additional work will continue to accrue hourly charges subject to the adviser’s discretion to waive
or reduce charges, and under these circumstances, fees will generally be billed at the time of final delivery.
Should you choose to terminate the Financial Planning Agreement by providing us with written notice, fees will
be prorated to the date of termination and any earned portion of the fee will be billed to you based on the
hours that our firm has spent on creating your financial plan prior to termination. The hourly rate used for this
purpose is $350 per hour.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
We utilize third party technology platforms to support data reconciliation with our Custodian, performance
reporting, fee calculation and billing, research, security screens, external account linking, client database
maintenance, quarterly performance evaluations, payable reports, client portal administration, and other
functions related to the due diligence and administrative tasks of managing client accounts. Due to this
arrangement, these technology platforms will have access to client information but will not serve as an
investment adviser to our clients. Opus and this third party are non-affiliated companies. This third party
charges our Firm an annual fee based on the number of accounts administered. The annual fee is paid from the
portion of the Management Fee paid to us by our clients.
ADDITIONAL FEES AND EXPENSES:
In addition to the advisory fees paid to our Firm, clients also incur certain charges imposed by other third parties,
such as broker-dealers, custodians, trust companies, banks, and other financial institutions (collectively
“Financial Institutions”). These additional charges include custodial fees, charges imposed by a mutual fund or
ETF in a client’s account, as disclosed in the fund’s prospectus (e.g., fund management fees and other fund
expenses), odd-lot differentials, transfer taxes, wire transfer and electronic fund fees, and other fees and taxes
on brokerage accounts and securities transactions. These practices are described at length in Item 12, below.
ITEM 6 - PERFORMANCE BASED FEES AND SIDE -BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
Our Firm does not engage in performance-based fees. Our advisors are not compensated by performance-based
fees. Performance-based fees may create an incentive for the advisor to recommend an investment that may
carry a higher degree of risk.
ITEM 7 - TYPES OF CLIENTS
We offer investment advisory and financial planning services as described above to individuals, families,
business owners, executives, trusts, corporations, and other entities. There is no minimum to establish an
account with our Firm.
ITEM 8 - METHODS OF ANALYSIS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISK OF LOSS
At Opus, we know our clients have a specific return and risk preference over time so that they can pursue their
lifelong goals. Therefore, in constructing our clients’ investment plan, we work to assure it aligns with their
unique financial circumstances, life goals such as college or retirement savings goals, liquidity needs, tax profile,
risk tolerance, and investment time horizons. Upon reviewing all their disclosed assets, including 401K or
employer plans, we provide a specific savings, allocation, and investment plan that we then may implement or
help to implement depending on the type of client engagement.
While we regularly screen and review our clients’ holdings and our preferred holdings, we may recommend
different securities for different clients, as each type of security has its own unique set of risks and attributes,
and even among similar asset classes, risks can vary widely. However, overall, we typically expect that the higher
the expected return of an investment, the higher the level of volatility and/or risk of loss associated with it.
Importantly, we do not believe it is always in a client’s best interest to shift their portfolio holdings to those that
mirror our recommended investment lists or any “model” portfolio. In some cases, those actions could result
in adverse taxable consequences. In cases such as these, we know we may be required to analyze and regularly
follow a more extensive list of securities in practice, but we also know that’s what our clients pay us for and that
is sometimes required of a fiduciary.
Because high fees can detract from goal achievement, we emphasize no-load, lower-cost mutual funds and/or
ETFs. We also focus on longer term tax savings with tax-conscious asset location and tax-loss harvesting, where
applicable. On an ongoing basis we employ both strategic and tactical investment strategies and rebalancing of
the portfolio.
Through third party technology, we offer a secure web-based client portal where clients can access portfolio
positions, performance, and where they can also store, share, and access their financial information and
documents. While there may be some similarities in the portfolios created by Opus, we understand that every
client has their own unique planning needs. We have the ability and flexibility to create portfolios to help our
client pursue their unique goals that reflect their unique circumstances. We may utilize the following
approaches and forms of analysis:
• Asset Allocation: Rather than focusing primarily on securities selection, we attempt to identify an
appropriate ratio of equities, fixed income, and cash that we believe best supports the client’s financial
situation, investment goals and risk tolerance. A risk of asset allocation is that the client may not
participate in sharp increases in a particular security, industry, or market sector. Another risk is that the
ratio of equity securities, fixed income, and cash will change over time due to stock and market
movements and, if not corrected with rebalancing adjustments, may no longer be appropriate for the
client’s situation and goals.
• Mutual Fund and/or ETF Analysis: We look at the experience and track record of the manager of the
mutual fund or ETF in attempt to determine if that manager or strategy has demonstrated an ability to
invest over a period of time and in different economic conditions. We also look at myriad historical
portfolio statistics in combination to determine the historical efficacy relative to its strategy. We then
monitor the funds or ETFs in attempt to determine if they are continuing to follow their stated
investment strategy. In addition, we evaluate the fund or ETF’s expense ratios and tax efficiency relative
to peers and generally are biased towards lower cost and more tax efficient funds or ETFs. A risk of
mutual fund and/or ETF analysis is that, as in all securities investments, past performance does not
guarantee future results. A manager who has been successful in the past may not be able to replicate
that success in the future. In addition, as we do not control the underlying investments in a fund or ETF,
managers of different funds held by the client may purchase the same security, increasing the risk to
the client if that security were to fall in value. There is also a risk that a manager may deviate from the
stated investment mandate or strategy of the fund or ETF, which could make the holding(s) less suitable
for the client’s portfolio.
• Fundamental and/or Quantitative Analysis: We evaluate portfolio positioning in the context of reports
on the overall economy, industry conditions, asset class valuations relative to history and relative to
other asset classes and government policy. Our approach combines a top-down view with an evaluation
of bottom-up metrics. Top-down refers to a view developed by evaluating macroeconomic factors such
as GDP growth, consumer trends, broad interest rates and government policy. Bottom up refers to a
view developed by evaluating microeconomic factors such as company sales and earnings growth.
Much of the data we use in fundamental analysis can be expressed in quantitative terms as
mathematical ratios and trends. We compare these ratios to historical values and expectations of the
ratios under various future economic and market conditions. Fundamental analysis presents a potential
risk as an asset class can move up or down along with the overall market regardless of the economic
and financial factors considered in evaluating the asset class.
RISK OF LOSS
Investing in securities involve certain investment risks. Securities may fluctuate in value or lose value. Clients
should be prepared to bear the potential risk of loss. Opus will assist Clients in determining an appropriate
strategy based on their tolerance for risk.
Investors should be aware that accounts are subject to the following risks:
• Market Risk - Even a long-term investment approach cannot guarantee a profit. Economic, political,
and issuer-specific events will cause the value of securities to rise or fall. Because the value of
investment portfolios will fluctuate, there is the risk that you will lose money and your investment may
be worth more or less upon liquidation.
• Foreign Securities and Currency Risk - Investments in international and emerging-market securities
include exposure to risks such as currency fluctuations, foreign taxes and regulations, and the potential
for illiquid markets and political instability.
• Capitalization Risk - Small-cap and mid-cap companies may be hindered as a result of limited resources
or less diverse products or services Their stocks have historically been more volatile than the stocks of
larger, more established companies.
•
Interest Rate Risk - In a rising rate environment, the value of fixed-income securities generally declines,
and the value of equity securities may be adversely affected.
• Credit Risk - Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security may be unable to make interest payments
and/or repay principal when due. A downgrade to an issuer’s credit rating or a perceived change in an
issuer’s financial strength may affect a security’s value and thus, impact the fund’s performance.
• Exchange-Traded Funds - ETFs face market-trading or liquidity risks, including the potential lack of an
active market for shares, losses from trading in the secondary markets, and disruption in the
creation/redemption process of the ETF. Any of these factors may lead to the fund’s shares trading at
either a premium or a discount to its “net asset value.”
• Performance of Underlying Managers - We select the mutual funds and ETFs in the asset allocation
portfolios. However, we depend on the manager of such funds to select individual investments in
accordance with their stated investment strategy.
• Cybersecurity Risk - In addition to the Material Investment Risks listed above, investing involves various
operational and “cybersecurity” risks. These risks include both intentional and unintentional events at
our firm or one of its third-party counterparties or service providers, that may result in a loss or
corruption of data, result in the unauthorized release or other misuse of confidential information, and
generally compromise our Firm’s ability to conduct its business. A cybersecurity breach may also result
in a third-party obtaining unauthorized access to our clients’ information, including social security
numbers, home addresses, account numbers, account balances, and account holdings. Our Firm has
established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to reduce the risks
associated with cybersecurity breaches. However, there are inherent limitations in these plans and
systems, including that certain risks may not have been identified, in large part because different or
unknown threats may emerge in the future. As such, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed,
especially because our Firm does not directly control the cybersecurity systems of our third-party
service providers. There is also a risk that cybersecurity breaches may not be detected.
• Alternative Investments present unique risks which generally are not primary considerations with
investments in publicly traded securities. Investors should be aware of these additional risks including:
o Liquidity Risk – Liquidity refers to how quickly an investment can be sold with the proceeds
available to the investor. Depending on the specific strategy, alternative investment liquidity
ranges from immediate liquidity in the case of most structured products, quarterly contingent
liquidity for certain products, all the way to 10-year lockups for certain unregistered strategies. For
structured products, while daily liquidity normally is available, there is no guarantee that liquidity
will be available during times of market stress. In short, you may not be able to sell a product and
access the proceeds if the product doesn’t offer liquidity at the time you need the proceeds.
Secondary markets may not exist and if they do, investors may have to sell at a substantial
discount.
o Credit Risk – Structured products are typically issued by banks and therefore are subject to the
bank’s ability to pay. The products normally are issued as senior unsecured debt, which falls
between bank depositors and bank bonds in the credit hierarchy. Unless specifically issued as a
FDIC insured structured CD, the products do not carry FDIC insurance. Private credit/direct lending
vehicles are subject to the borrower’s ability to pay. While lenders research company financials to
determine credit worthiness, the loans typically are not rated by a ratings agency.
o Transparency and Pricing Risk – Whereas publicly traded ETFs and mutual funds have transparency
to the underlying holdings as well as immediate pricing availability to determine the value of those
holdings, alternative investments generally invest in non-publicly traded companies and loans.
Market value is not readily available on these investments and may only be estimated on a
quarterly basis or when an official appraisal is performed. The estimated or appraised value may
differ substantially from the value which would be realized on sale.
o Leverage – Many alternative investments make use of financial leverage which amplifies returns.
However, leverage also amplifies losses and thus increases the risk of loss.
o Derivatives – Alternative investments like structured products may utilize derivatives like options
and futures contracts to synthetically create (or “structure”) a specific investment outcome. The
use of derivatives means the investment and potential outcomes may be difficult to understand
and subject to unique risks like counterparty risks.
o Tax Reporting - Many alternatives have tax reporting structures which provide K-1 tax reporting
versus 1099 reporting. K-1s typically are provided later than initial tax filing deadlines and normally
require taxpayers to extend their tax return. In addition, careful placement of alternatives
investments is necessary as some generate UBTI (Unrelated Business Taxable Income) which could
disqualify an IRA or ERISA based qualified plan holding the investment.
o Fees – Many alternatives are structured as co-investments made with the investment manager
acting as general partner and the investor as limited partner. Fees typically are structured such that
the general partner is entitled to a share of the limited partner’s profits once a threshold return
has been achieved. Other structures provide for incentive fees to managers, which effectively is a
share of profits, typically above a threshold return and in addition to management fees. In
addition, many alternatives which are made available at lower minimum investment thresholds
charge a distribution fee to cover expenses associated with marketing their investment programs.
Opus will only offer alternatives which are available under a fee-based structure and will never
accept a commission.
o Suitability – Alternatives span a range of risk profiles from very conservative principal protected
structured notes to highly speculative leveraged strategies. It is important to understand the place
of an alternative investment in the investor portfolio as a protective investment, diversifying
investment, or speculative investment.
o Due Diligence – Many alternatives are private investments which are not subject to the same
regulatory filings as publicly traded securities. As a result, track records may not be available to
evaluate. Opus may rely on third party platforms which provide access to alternative strategies for
due diligence services and recommendations.
Availability – Many alternatives are only available via a subscription agreement. Investment
placement may occur immediately, at the end of a period such as end of the month or end of the
quarter or could be subject to capital calls where an investor commits a dollar value and the manager
“calls” the capital when they’ve identified an investment opportunity to be funded. In addition,
alternatives may require certain levels of net worth or income to be eligible to make an investment.
These qualifications may range from no requirement, to accredited investor (currently $1 million net
worth excluding primary residence OR income over $200,000 individually or $300,000 jointly), to
qualified client (currently $2.2 million of investments excluding primary residence), to qualified
purchaser (currently $5 million of investments excluding primary residence) standards or a different
standard as specified by the specific product.
ITEM 9 - DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
Neither Opus, nor any of our advisors, has ever had any reportable disciplinary disclosure or history as a result
of criminal or civil actions, administrative enforcement actions, or self-regulatory organization enforcement
proceedings.
ITEM 10 - OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
OTHER AFFILIATIONS
Neither our firm nor our associated persons engage in any other financial industry activities or have any other
financial industry affiliations.
ITEM 11 - CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT TRANSACTIONS AND
PERSONAL TRADING
Our Firm allows our associated persons to invest for their own accounts, or to have a financial investment in
the same securities or other investments that we recommend or acquire for your account and may engage in
transactions that are the same as or different than transactions recommended to or made for your account.
This creates a conflict of interest. We recognize the fiduciary responsibility to act in your best interest and have
established polices to mitigate conflicts of interest.
We have developed and implemented a Code of Ethics that sets forth standards of conduct expected of our
advisory personnel to mitigate this conflict of interest. The Code of Ethics addresses, among other things,
personal trading, gifts, and the prohibition against the use of inside information.
The Code of Ethics is designed to protect our clients and to detect and deter misconduct, educate personnel
regarding the Firm’s expectations and laws governing their conduct, remind personnel that they are in a position
of trust and must act with complete propriety at all times, protect the reputation of Opus, safeguard against
the violation of the securities laws, and establish procedures for personnel to follow so that we may determine
whether their personnel are complying with the Firm’s ethical principles.
We have established the following restrictions in order to ensure our Firm’s fiduciary responsibilities:
• No associated persons of Opus shall prefer his or her own interest to that of the advisory client.
• We maintain a list of all securities holdings of anyone associated with this advisory practice with access to
advisory recommendations. These holdings are reviewed on a regular basis by an appropriate
officer/individual of Opus.
• We emphasize the unrestricted right of the client to decline implementation of any advice rendered.
• We require that all associated persons must act in accordance with all applicable Federal and State
regulations governing registered investment advisory practices.
• Any associated persons not in observance of the above may be subject to termination.
In addition to our Firm’s internal Code of Ethics, our advisors are subject to various additional Code of Ethics
based on professional certifications and memberships. Examples include the CFP® Code of Ethics and Standards
of Conduct for CFP certificants and the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct for
CFA charter holders.
You may request a complete copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting us at the address, telephone, or email on
the cover page of this Part 2A Brochure; Attn: Lisa Bayer, CFA, CFP, Chief Compliance Officer.
ITEM 12 - BROKERAGE PRACTICES
We generally recommend that clients utilize the custody and brokerage services Charles Schwab & Co, Inc.,
(“Custodian”) a subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation for investment management accounts.
We may recommend that you establish accounts with Custodian to maintain custody of your assets and to effect
trades for your accounts. Some of the products, services and other benefits provided by Custodian benefit us
and may not benefit you or your account. Our recommendation/requirement that you place assets with
Custodian may be based in part on benefits Custodian provides us, and not solely on the nature, cost or quality
of custody and execution services provided by Custodian.
We are independently owned and operated and not affiliated with Custodian. Custodian provides us with
access to their institutional trading and custody services. These services include brokerage, custody, research
and access to mutual funds and other investments that are otherwise generally available only to institutional
investors.
Clients have the right to not act upon any recommendations, and if a client elects to act upon any
recommendations, the client has the right to not place the transactions through any broker/dealer we
recommend. We place trades for client accounts subject to our duty to seek best execution and other fiduciary
duties. Our recommendation is generally based on the broker’s cost and fees, skills, reputation, dependability,
and compatibility with the client. Clients may be able to obtain lower commissions and fees from other brokers
where the value of products, research and services given to us is not a factor in determining the selection of
broker/dealer or the reasonableness of their commissions. Not all advisers require their clients to direct
brokerage. Opus may be unable to achieve most favorable execution of client transactions and that directing
brokerage may cost clients more money. Custodian’s execution quality may be different than other broker-
dealers.
Custodian generally does not charge separately for custody but are compensated by account holders through
custodian ticket charges, commissions on certain trades, and by earning interest on the uninvested cash in your
account.
Custodian makes available to us other products and services that benefit us but may not benefit your accounts
in every case. Some of these other products and services assist us in managing and administering your accounts.
These include software and technology that provide access to client account data (such as trade confirmations
and account statements), facilitate trade execution (and allocation of aggregated trade orders for multiple client
accounts), provide research, pricing information and other market data, facilitate payment of our fees from
your account, and assist with back-office functions, record-keeping, and reporting.
Many of these services generally may be used to service all or a substantial number of our accounts. Custodian
also makes available to us other services intended to help us manage and further develop its business
enterprise. These services may include consulting, publications and conferences on practice management,
information technology, business succession, regulatory compliance, and marketing. In addition, the custodian
may make available, arrange and/or pay for these services rendered to us by third parties. The custodian may
discount or waive fees it would otherwise charge for some of these services or pay all or a part of the fees of a
third-party providing these services to us.
While as a fiduciary, we endeavor to act in your best interest, our recommendation that you maintain your
assets in accounts at our recommended custodian may be based in part on the benefit to us or the availability
of some of the foregoing products and services and not solely on the nature, cost or quality of custody and
brokerage services provided by the custodian, which may create a conflict of interest. We endeavor at all times
to put the interest of our clients first as a part of our fiduciary duty.
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 services on behalf of the plan. Such direction is permitted provided that the
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 services purchased are not for the exclusive benefit of the plan. Consequently, we 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.
DIRECTED BROKERAGE
We do not routinely require that you direct us to execute transactions through a specified broker dealer.
Additionally, we typically do not permit you to direct brokerage. We place trades for your account subject to
our duty to seek best execution and other fiduciary duties.
ITEM 13 - REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
ACCOUNT REVIEWS AND REVIEWERS – INVESTMENT SUPERVISORY SERVICES
We regularly review client accounts along with the securities in those accounts utilizing the ongoing platforms,
software, and portfolio management systems available to us. We also conduct periodic account reviews to
ensure that the portfolio mix is consistent with our clients’ stated objectives, align with the agreed-upon
allocation targets, are consistent with tax planning goals and that security holdings are still appropriate for the
portfolios and the client’s financial situation.
Clients receive financial reports from our custodian at least quarterly, which provide a portfolio statement
detailing the securities owned, unit quantity, price, and month end total market value. Additionally, they have
24/7 access to our custodian’s online platform as well as our online portal which provides ongoing information
about our clients’ portfolio positions, performance, asset, and regional allocations, and documents we post
regarding their portfolios.
All clients are advised to keep us apprised of any changes in their investment objectives and/or financial
situation. They are also advised to let us know immediately if there is a difference between what is reported by
our custodian on the statements and what is reported via our online portal.
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS
Account statements are delivered directly from the qualified custodian to each client, or the client’s
independent representative, at least quarterly. When you have questions about your account statements, you
should contact Opus or the qualified custodian preparing the statement.
Reports regarding the rate of return of accounts under management of Opus are available to clients on-demand
through our client portal. Additional reports are available as requested.
We realize that events and circumstances could change dramatically in between normal reviews. Therefore, if
you experience a life event that might necessitate an early review of your investments or financial plan, please
let us know and we will be happy to schedule a more frequent review. Such an event might include a marriage,
divorce, birth of a child, death or disability of an immediate family member, impending retirement, employment
status, or you bought or sold a business. We also encourage you to ask us if you have any questions about your
financial plan or the reports that we generate.
ITEM 14 – CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER COMPENSATION
Our Firm, and its related entities, do not directly or indirectly compensate any person who is not an IAR of our
firm nor receive any compensation for any client referrals.
As disclosed under Item 12 Brokerage Practices, we participate in Charles Schwab’s (“Custodian”) institutional
customer program, and we recommend Custodian to our clients for custody and brokerage services. There is
no direct link between our participation in the program and the investment advice we give to our clients,
although we receive economic benefits through our participation in the program that are typically not available
to any other independent Investment Advisers which are not participating in the program. These benefits
include the following products and services (provided without cost or at a discount): receipt of duplicate Client
statements and confirmations; research related products and tools; consulting services; access to a trading desk
serving adviser participants; access to block trading (which provides the ability to aggregate securities
transactions for execution and then allocate the appropriate shares to Client accounts); the ability to have
advisory fees deducted directly from Client accounts; access to an electronic communications network for Client
order entry and account information; access to certain ETFs and mutual funds with no transaction fees and to
certain institutional money managers; and discounts on compliance, marketing, research, technology, and
practice management products or services provided to us by third-party vendors. Custodian may also have paid
for business consulting and professional services received by some of our related persons. Some of the products
and services made available by Custodian through the program may benefit us but may not benefit your
account. These products or services may assist us in managing and administering your account, including
accounts not maintained at Custodian. Other services made available by Custodian are intended to help us
manage and further develop our business enterprise. The benefits received by our Firm or our personnel
through participation in the program do not depend on the amount of brokerage transactions directed to
Custodian. As part of our fiduciary duties to clients, we endeavor at all times to put the interests of our clients
first. You should be aware, however, that the receipt of economic benefits by our Firm or our related persons
in and of itself creates a conflict of interest and may indirectly influence our choice of Custodian for custody and
brokerage services.
We also receive certain additional economic benefits (“Additional Services”) from Custodian that may or may
not be offered to any other independent investment Advisers participating in the program. Custodian provide
the Additional Services to our Firm in its sole discretion and at its own expense. We do not pay any fees to
Custodian for the Additional Services.
Our receipt of Additional Services raises potential conflicts of interest. In providing Additional Services to our
Firm, Custodian most likely considers the amount and profitability to Custodian of the assets in, and trades
placed for, our Firm’s Client accounts maintained with Custodian. Custodian has the right to terminate the
Additional Services Addendum with our Firm, in its sole discretion, provided certain conditions are met.
Consequently, in order to continue to obtain the Additional Services from Custodian, our Firm may have an
incentive to recommend to its Clients that the assets under management by our Firm be held in custody with
Custodian and to place transactions for Client accounts with Custodian. Our receipt of Additional Services does
not diminish its duty to act in the best interests of its Clients, including to seek best execution of trades for Client
accounts.
We do not pay compensation to any unaffiliated party for client referrals outside of the scope of relationships
described in Item 10.
NON-CASH REFERRAL ARRANGEMENTS
Our Firm may be asked to recommend a financial professional, such as an attorney, accountant, or mortgage
broker. In such cases, our Firm does not receive any direct or indirect compensation in return for any referrals
made to individuals or firms in our professional network. Clients must independently evaluate these firms or
individuals before engaging in business with them and clients have the right to choose any financial professional
to conduct business. Individuals and firms in our financial professional network may refer clients to our Firm.
Again, our Firm does not pay any direct compensation in return for any referrals made to our Firm. Our Firm
does recognize the fiduciary responsibility to place your interests first and have established policies in this
regard to mitigate any conflicts of interest.
ITEM 15 – CUSTODY
We do not have physical custody, as it applies to investment advisers. Custody has been defined by regulators
as having access or control over client funds and/or securities.
For all accounts, our firm has the authority to have fees deducted directly from client accounts. Our firm has
established procedures to ensure all client funds and securities are held at a qualified custodian in a separate
account for each client under that client’s name. Clients, or an independent representative of the client, will
direct, in writing, the establishment of all accounts and therefore are aware of the qualified custodian’s name,
address, and the manner in which the funds or securities are maintained. Finally, account statements are
delivered directly from the qualified custodian to each client, or the client’s independent representative, at least
quarterly. When you have questions about your account statements, you should contact Opus or the qualified
custodian preparing the statement.
Please refer to Item 5 for more information about the deduction of advisor fees.
ITEM 16 – INVESTMENT DISCRETION
For discretionary accounts, prior to engaging Opus to provide investment advisory services, you will enter a
written Advisory Services Agreement with us granting the Firm the authority to supervise and direct, on an on-
going basis, investments in accordance with the client’s investment objective and guidelines. In addition, you
will need to execute additional documents required by the Custodian to authorize and enable Opus, in its sole
discretion, without prior consultation with or ratification by you, to purchase, sell, or exchange securities in and
for your accounts. We are authorized, in our discretion and without prior consultation with you to: (1) buy, sell,
exchange, and trade any mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds or other securities or assets and (2) determine the
amount of securities to be bought or sold, and (3) place orders with the custodian. Any limitations to such
discretionary authority will be communicated to our Firm in writing by you, the client.
In some instances, we may not have discretion. In such cases, we will discuss all transactions with you
immediately prior to execution or you will be required to make the trades if in an employer sponsored account.
ITEM 17 – VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
We will not vote proxies on your behalf. You are welcome to vote proxies or designate an independent third-
party at your own discretion. You designate proxy voting authority in the custodial account documents. You
must ensure that proxy materials are sent directly to you or your assigned third party. We do not act with
respect to any securities or other investments that become the subject of any legal proceedings, including
bankruptcies. Clients can contact our office with questions about a particular proxy solicitation by phone at
331-777-5449.
ITEM 18 – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
We do not require or solicit prepayment of more than $1,200 in fees per client, six months or more in advance.
Therefore, we are not required to include a balance sheet for our most recent fiscal year. We are not subject
to a financial condition that is reasonably likely to impair our ability to meet contractual commitments to clients.
Finally, Opus has not been the subject of a bankruptcy petition at any time.
ITEM 1 – COVER PAGE—LISA BAYER
Lisa Bayer, CFA®, CFP®
Opus Financial Solutions LLC
Downers Grove Office: 1121 Warren Avenue, Suite 230,
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Boulder Office: 885 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (331) 777-5449
Fax: (708) 377-2425
March 31, 2025
Part 2B Brochure
Additional
information about Lisa Bayer
is available on
This brochure supplement provides information about Lisa Bayer that supplements our brochure. You should
have received a copy of that brochure. Please contact us at (708) 703-3100 or lisa@opusfinsolutions.com if you
did not receive Opus Financial Solutions, LLC’s brochure or if you have any questions about the contents of this
the SEC’s website at
supplement.
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD# 1448970.
ITEM 2 – EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND & BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
Lisa Bayer, CFA®, CFP®
Year of Birth: 1963
Educational Background:
• 2011: Institute of Divorce Financial Analysts
• 2011: Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc
• 1990: CFA Institute; Chartered Financial Analyst
• 1990: DePaul Graduate School of Business; M.B.A, International Business
• 1985: University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign; B.S., Finance
Business Background:
• 01/2016 - PRESENT Opus Financial Solutions LLC; Principal, Managing Member
• 08/2010 – 12/2015 Pinnacle Financial Group, LLC; Principal and Managing Member
• 02/2013 – 12/2015 Pinnacle Financial Group, LLC; Chief Compliance Officer
Exams, Licenses & Other Professional Designations:
• 2011: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) 1
• 1990: Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®)2
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) 1
I am certified for financial planning services in the United States by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
(“CFP Board”). Therefore, I may refer to myself as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional or a CFP® professional,
and I may use these and the CFP Board’s other certification marks (the “CFP Board Certification Marks”). The CFP®
certification is voluntary. No federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold the CFP® certification.
You may find more information about the CFP® certification at www.CFP.net.
CFP® professionals have met the CFP Board’s high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics. To become
a CFP® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:
•
•
•
Education – Earn a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and complete CFP
Board-approved coursework at a college or university through a CFP Board Registered Program. The coursework
covers the financial planning subject areas the CFP Board has determined are necessary for the competent and
professional delivery of financial planning services, as well as a comprehensive financial plan development
capstone course. A candidate may satisfy some of the coursework requirements through other qualifying
credentials. CFP Board implemented the bachelor’s degree or higher requirement in 2007 and the financial
planning development capstone course requirement in March 2012. Therefore, a CFP® professional who first
became certified before those dates may not have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree or completed a financial
planning development capstone course.
Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess an
individual’s ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real-life
financial planning situations.
Experience – Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process
or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.
Ethics – Satisfy the Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP® Certification and Former CFP® Professionals
Seeking Reinstatement and agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (“Code
and Standards”), which sets forth the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain
certified and maintain the right to continue to use the CFP Board Certification Marks:
•
•
Ethics – Commit to complying with the CFP Board’s Code and Standards. This includes a commitment to the CFP
Board, as part of the certification, to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client, at all
times when providing financial advice and financial planning. CFP Board may sanction a CFP® professional who
does not abide by this commitment, but CFP Board does not guarantee a CFP® professional's services. A client
who seeks a similar commitment should obtain a written engagement that includes a fiduciary obligation to the
client.
Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence,
demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and keep up with developments in financial
planning. Two of the hours must address the Code and Standards.
CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST (CFA®) 2
The Chartered Financial Analyst is a globally respected, graduate-level investment credential established in 1962 and
awarded by the CFA® Institute — the largest global association of investment professionals.
There are currently more than 138,000 CFA® charter holders working in 134 countries. To earn the CFA charter,
candidates must: 1) pass three sequential, six-hour examinations; 2) have at least four years of qualified professional
investment experience; 3) join CFA® Institute as members; and 4) commit to abide by and annually reaffirm, their
adherence to the CFA® Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
High Ethical Standards
The CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, enforced through an active professional
conduct program, require CFA charter-holders to:
▪ Place their clients’ interests ahead of their own;
▪ Maintain independence and objectivity;
▪ Act with integrity;
▪ Maintain and improve their professional competence;
▪ Disclose conflicts of interest and legal matters.
Global Recognition
Passing the three CFA exams is a difficult feat that requires extensive study (successful candidates report spending an
average of 300 hours of study per level). Earning the CFA charter demonstrates mastery of the advanced skills needed
for investment analysis and decision-making in today’s quickly evolving global financial industry. As a result, employers
and clients increasingly seek CFA charter holders—often making the charter a prerequisite for employment.
Additionally, regulatory bodies in over 30 countries and territories recognize the CFA charter as a proxy for meeting
specific licensing requirements, and more than 125 colleges and universities around the world have incorporated most
of the CFA® Program curriculum into their finance courses.
Comprehensive and Current Knowledge
The CFA® Program curriculum provides a comprehensive framework of knowledge for investment decision-making and
is firmly grounded in the knowledge and skills used daily in the investment profession. The three levels of the CFA ®
Program test proficiency with a wide range of fundamental and advanced investment topics, including ethical and
professional standards, fixed income and equity analysis, alternative and derivative investments, economics, financial
reporting standards, portfolio management, and wealth planning.
The CFA® Program curriculum is updated annually by experts worldwide to ensure that candidates learn the most
relevant and practical new tools, ideas, and investment and wealth management skills to reflect the dynamic and
complex nature of the profession.
To learn more about the CFA® charter, visit www.cfainstitute.org.
ITEM 3 – DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
Lisa Bayer has no history of any legal or disciplinary events. FINRA’s BrokerCheck® is a resource available to
review the disciplinary history of Lisa Bayer. https://brokercheck.finra.org/
ITEM 4 – OTHER BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Lisa Bayer is not engaged in any other business activities.
ITEM 5 – ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION
Lisa Bayer does not receive any other economic benefit for providing advisory services in addition to advisory
fees or hourly consulting fees.
ITEM 6 – SUPERVISION
Lisa Bayer is supervised through a compliance program designed to prevent and detect violations of federal and
state securities laws. Supervision is conducted by the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), Lisa Bayer, who is
responsible for administering the policies and procedures. As Chief Compliance Officer, Lisa Bayer reviews those
policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation. All policies
and procedures of the firm are followed.
Lisa Bayer may be reached at (708) 703-3100
ITEM 1 – COVER PAGE—MATTHEW KUNST
Matthew Kunst, CFP®, CFA®, CPA®
Opus Financial Solutions, LLC
1121 Warren Avenue, Suite 230, Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: (708) 703-3100
Fax: (708) 377-2425
March 31, 2025
Part 2B Brochure
This brochure supplement provides information about Matthew Kunst that supplements our brochure. You
should have received a copy of that brochure. Please contact us at (708) 703-3100 or lisa@opusfinsolutions.com
if you did not receive Opus Financial Solutions, LLC’s brochure or if you have any questions about the contents
of this supplement. Additional information about Matthew Kunst is available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD# 3163686
ITEM 2 – EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND & BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
Matthew Kunst, CFP®, CFA®, CPA®
Year of Birth: 1971
Educational Background:
• 2016: Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., Certified Financial Planner™
• 2001: CFA Institute, Chartered Financial Analyst
• 1999: University of Chicago Booth School of Business, M.B.A, Finance and Economics
• 1994: Illinois Board of Examiners, Certified Public Accountant
• 1994: University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana, B.S., Accountancy
Business Background:
• 05/2017 - PRESENT Opus Financial Solutions, LLC; Wealth Manager
• 01/2009 – 04/2017 MMK Financial Services; Financial Advisor
Exams, Licenses & Other Professional Designations:
• 2016: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®)1
• 2001: Certified Financial Analyst (CFA®)2
• 1994: Certified Public Accountant (CPA®)3
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) 1
I am certified for financial planning services in the United States by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
(“CFP Board”). Therefore, I may refer to myself as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional or a CFP® professional,
and I may use these and the CFP Board’s other certification marks (the “CFP Board Certification Marks”). The CFP®
certification is voluntary. No federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold the CFP® certification.
You may find more information about the CFP® certification at www.CFP.net.
CFP® professionals have met the CFP Board’s high standards for education, examination, experience, and ethics. To become
a CFP® professional, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:
•
•
•
•
Education – Earn a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university and complete CFP
Board-approved coursework at a college or university through a CFP Board Registered Program. The coursework
covers the financial planning subject areas the CFP Board has determined are necessary for the competent and
professional delivery of financial planning services, as well as a comprehensive financial plan development
capstone course. A candidate may satisfy some of the coursework requirements through other qualifying
credentials. CFP Board implemented the bachelor’s degree or higher requirement in 2007 and the financial
planning development capstone course requirement in March 2012. Therefore, a CFP® professional who first
became certified before those dates may not have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree or completed a financial
planning development capstone course.
Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination is designed to assess an
individual’s ability to integrate and apply a broad base of financial planning knowledge in the context of real-life
financial planning situations.
Experience – Complete 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the personal financial planning process
or 4,000 hours of apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements.
Ethics – Satisfy the Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP® Certification and Former CFP® Professionals
Seeking Reinstatement and agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (“Code
and Standards”), which sets forth the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.
Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements to remain
certified and maintain the right to continue to use the CFP Board Certification Marks:
•
•
Ethics – Commit to complying with the CFP Board’s Code and Standards. This includes a commitment to the CFP
Board, as part of the certification, to act as a fiduciary, and therefore, act in the best interests of the client, at all
times, when providing financial advice and financial planning. CFP Board may sanction a CFP® professional who
does not abide by this commitment, but CFP Board does not guarantee a CFP® professional's services.
Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain competence,
demonstrate specified levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and keep up with developments in financial
planning. Two of the hours must address the Code and Standards.
CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST (CFA®) 2
The Chartered Financial Analyst is a globally respected, graduate-level investment credential established in 1962 and
awarded by the CFA® Institute — the largest global association of investment professionals.
There are currently more than 138,000 CFA® charter holders working in 134 countries. To earn the CFA charter,
candidates must: 1) pass three sequential, six-hour examinations; 2) have at least four years of qualified professional
investment experience; 3) join CFA® Institute as members; and 4) commit to abide by and annually reaffirm, their
adherence to the CFA® Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
High Ethical Standards
The CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, enforced through an active professional
conduct program, require CFA charter-holders to:
Place their clients’ interests ahead of their own;
▪
▪ Maintain independence and objectivity;
▪ Act with integrity;
▪ Maintain and improve their professional competence;
▪ Disclose conflicts of interest and legal matters.
Global Recognition
Passing the three CFA exams is a difficult feat that requires extensive study (successful candidates report spending an
average of 300 hours of study per level). Earning the CFA charter demonstrates mastery of the advanced skills needed
for investment analysis and decision-making in today’s quickly evolving global financial industry. As a result, employers
and clients increasingly seek CFA charter holders—often making the charter a prerequisite for employment.
Additionally, regulatory bodies in over 30 countries and territories recognize the CFA charter as a proxy for meeting
specific licensing requirements, and more than 125 colleges and universities around the world have incorporated most
of the CFA® Program curriculum into their finance courses.
Comprehensive and Current Knowledge The CFA® Program curriculum provides a comprehensive framework of
knowledge for investment decision-making and is firmly grounded in the knowledge and skills used daily in the
investment profession. The three levels of the CFA® Program test proficiency with a wide range of fundamental and
advanced investment topics, including ethical and professional standards, fixed income and equity analysis, alternative
and derivative investments, economics, financial reporting standards, portfolio management, and wealth planning.
The CFA® Program curriculum is updated annually by experts worldwide to ensure that candidates learn the most
relevant and practical new tools, ideas, and investment and wealth management skills to reflect the dynamic and
complex nature of the profession. To learn more about the CFA® charter, visit www.cfainstitute.org.
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT (CPA ®) 3
The Certified Public Accountant (CPA®) Designation is issued by the Boards of Accountancy. Like regular accountants, CPAs
can help organizations and individuals:
record and organize financial information;
analyze trends;
▪
▪
▪ make budgetary recommendations;
▪
▪
▪
prepare tax documents;
perform internal audits;
ensure all financial activities are compliant with local and federal regulations.
However, due to their training in the public sector, CPAs can do a few other things that regular accountants legally can’t,
such as:
▪ Representing clients during IRS audits;
▪
Perform external and public audits;
▪
Prepare audited financial statements for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Each state has slightly different requirements that one must follow for CPA certification. These requirements are
determined by the state’s Board of Accountancy and The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AIPCA). To
check the requirements of your state, please click here. To verify an individual’s CPA status, please click here.
ITEM 3 – DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
Matthew Kunst has no history of any legal or disciplinary events. FINRA’s BrokerCheck® is a resource available
to review the disciplinary history of Matthew Kunst. https://brokercheck.finra.org/
ITEM 4 – OTHER BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Matthew Kunst is not engaged in any other business activities.
ITEM 5 – ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION
Matthew Kunst does not receive any other economic benefit for providing advisory services in addition to
advisory fees.
ITEM 6 – SUPERVISION
Matthew Kunst is supervised through a compliance program designed to prevent and detect violations of
federal and state securities laws. Supervision is conducted by the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), Lisa Bayer,
CFA, CFP, who is responsible for administering the policies and procedures. As Chief Compliance Officer, Lisa
Bayer reviews those policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their
implementation. All policies and procedures of the firm are followed.
Lisa Bayer may be reached at (708) 703-3100.
ITEM 1 – COVER PAGE—MATTHEW SMITH
Matthew D. Smith, CFA®
Opus Financial Solutions LLC
Downers Grove Office: 1121 Warren Avenue, Suite 230,
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Boulder Office: 885 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (331) 777-5449
Fax: (708) 377-2425
March 31, 2025
Part 2B Brochure
This brochure supplement provides information about Matthew Smith that supplements our brochure. You
should have received a copy of that brochure. Please contact us at (708) 703-3100 or lisa@opusfinsolutions.com
if you did not receive Opus Financial Solutions, LLC’s brochure or if you have any questions about the contents
of this supplement. Additional information about Matthew D. Smith is available on the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov by searching CRD# 7254763.
ITEM 2 – EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND & BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
Matthew D. Smith, CFA®
Year of Birth: 1996
Educational Background:
• 2021: CFA Institute, Chartered Financial Analyst
• 2018: University of Pittsburgh, B.S.B.A., Finance
• 2018: University of Pittsburgh, B.A., Economics
Business Background:
• 09/2023 – 03/2025 Paralel Technologies; Investment Consultant
• 07/2019 – 09/2023 PFM Asset Management LLC; Senior Managing Consultant
• 07/2018 – 06/2019 PFM Financial Advisors LLC; Analyst
• 10/2017 – 04/2018 Deaktor Development Inc.; Accounting Analyst
• 05/2017 – 08/2017 Eaton Corporation; Corporate Finance Intern
• 05/2016 – 11/2016 SAP America; Services Sales Operations Intern
Exams, Licenses & Other Professional Designations:
• 2021: Certified Financial Analyst (CFA®)1
CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST (CFA®) 2
The Chartered Financial Analyst is a globally respected, graduate-level investment credential established in 1962 and
awarded by the CFA® Institute — the largest global association of investment professionals.
There are currently more than 138,000 CFA® charter holders working in 134 countries. To earn the CFA charter,
candidates must: 1) pass three sequential, six-hour examinations; 2) have at least four years of qualified professional
investment experience; 3) join CFA® Institute as members; and 4) commit to abide by and annually reaffirm, their
adherence to the CFA® Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
High Ethical Standards
The CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, enforced through an active professional
conduct program, require CFA charter-holders to:
Place their clients’ interests ahead of their own;
▪
▪ Maintain independence and objectivity;
▪ Act with integrity;
▪ Maintain and improve their professional competence;
▪ Disclose conflicts of interest and legal matters.
Global Recognition
Passing the three CFA exams is a difficult feat that requires extensive study (successful candidates report spending an
average of 300 hours of study per level). Earning the CFA charter demonstrates mastery of the advanced skills needed
for investment analysis and decision-making in today’s quickly evolving global financial industry. As a result, employers
and clients increasingly seek CFA charter holders—often making the charter a prerequisite for employment.
Additionally, regulatory bodies in over 30 countries and territories recognize the CFA charter as a proxy for meeting
specific licensing requirements, and more than 125 colleges and universities around the world have incorporated most
of the CFA® Program curriculum into their finance courses.
Comprehensive and Current Knowledge The CFA® Program curriculum provides a comprehensive framework of
knowledge for investment decision-making and is firmly grounded in the knowledge and skills used daily in the
investment profession. The three levels of the CFA® Program test proficiency with a wide range of fundamental and
advanced investment topics, including ethical and professional standards, fixed income and equity analysis, alternative
and derivative investments, economics, financial reporting standards, portfolio management, and wealth planning.
The CFA® Program curriculum is updated annually by experts worldwide to ensure that candidates learn the most
relevant and practical new tools, ideas, and investment and wealth management skills to reflect the dynamic and
complex nature of the profession. To learn more about the CFA® charter, visit www.cfainstitute.org.
ITEM 3 – DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
Matthew Smith has no history of any legal or disciplinary events. FINRA’s BrokerCheck® is a resource available
to review the disciplinary history of Matthew Smith. https://brokercheck.finra.org/
ITEM 4 – OTHER BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Matthew Smith is not engaged in any other business activities.
ITEM 5 – ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION
Matthew Smith does not receive any other economic benefit for providing advisory services in addition to
advisory fees.
ITEM 6 – SUPERVISION
Matthew Smith is supervised through a compliance program designed to prevent and detect violations of
federal and state securities laws. Supervision is conducted by the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), Lisa Bayer,
CFA, CFP, who is responsible for administering the policies and procedures. As Chief Compliance Officer, Lisa
Bayer reviews those policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their
implementation. All policies and procedures of the firm are followed.
Lisa Bayer may be reached at (708) 703-3100.