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Stone Oak Wealth Management, LLC
19026 Ridgewood Parkway
Suite 134
San Antonio, TX 78259
Telephone: 210-339-2707
Facsimile: 888-738-2621
Toll Free: 844-339-2707
March 24, 2025
FORM ADV PART 2A
CLIENT BROCHURE
This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Stone Oak
Wealth Management, LLC. If you have any questions about the contents of this brochure, contact us at
210-339-2707. 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.
Additional information about Stone Oak Wealth Management, LLC is available on the SEC's website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Stone Oak Wealth Management, 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.
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Item 2 Summary of Material Changes
Form ADV Part 2 requires registered investment advisers to amend their brochure when information
becomes materially inaccurate. If there are any material changes to an adviser's disclosure brochure,
the adviser is required to notify you and provide you with a description of the material changes.
Since the filing of our last annual updating amendment on March 26, 2024, we have made no material
changes to our Brochure.
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Item 3 Table of Contents
Item 1 Cover Page
Item 2 Summary of Material Changes
Item 3 Table of Contents
Item 4 Advisory Business
Item 5 Fees and Compensation
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
Item 7 Types of Clients
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
Item 9 Disciplinary Information
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading
Item 12 Brokerage Practices
Item 13 Review of Accounts
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
Item 15 Custody
Item 16 Investment Discretion
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
Item 18 Financial Information
Item 19 Requirements for State-Registered Advisers
Item 20 Additional Information
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Item 4 Advisory Business
Description of Firm
Stone Oak Wealth Management, LLC (aka "Stone Oak Wealth Management") is a registered
investment adviser based in San Antonio, Texas. We are organized as a limited liability company
("LLC") under the laws of the State of Texas. We have been providing investment advisory services
since 2017. We are owned by Mr. Gregory R. Thompson.
The following paragraphs describe our services and fees. Refer to the description of each investment
advisory service listed below for information on how we tailor our advisory services to your individual
needs. As used in this brochure, the words "we," "our," and "us" refer to Stone Oak Wealth
Management and the words "you," "your," and "client" refer to you as either a client or prospective
client of our firm.
Portfolio Management Services
We offer discretionary portfolio management services. Our investment advice is tailored to meet our
clients' needs and investment objectives.
If you participate in our discretionary portfolio management services, we require you to grant our firm
discretionary authority to manage your account. Discretionary authorization will allow us to determine
the specific securities, and the amount of securities, to be purchased or sold for your account without
your approval prior to each transaction. Discretionary authority is typically granted by the investment
advisory agreement you sign with our firm and the appropriate trading authorization forms.
You may limit our discretionary authority (for example, limiting the types of securities that can be
purchased or sold for your account) by providing our firm with your restrictions and guidelines in
writing.
We may also offer non-discretionary portfolio management services. If you enter into non-discretionary
arrangements with our firm, we must obtain your approval prior to executing any transactions on behalf
of your account. You have an unrestricted right to decline to implement any advice provided by our firm
on a non-discretionary basis.
As part of our portfolio management services, in addition to other types of investments (see
disclosures below in this section), we may invest your assets according to one or more
model portfolios developed by our firm. These models are designed for investors with varying degrees
of risk tolerance ranging from a more aggressive investment strategy to a more conservative
investment approach. Clients whose assets are invested in model portfolios may not set restrictions on
the specific holdings or allocations within the model, nor the types of securities that can be purchased
in the model. Nonetheless, clients may impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of
securities in their account. In such cases, this may prevent a client from investing in certain models
that are managed by our firm.
Selection of Other Advisers
We may recommend that you use the services of a third party money manager ("TPMM") to manage
all, or a portion of, your investment portfolio. After gathering information about your financial situation
and objectives, we may recommend that you engage a specific TPMM or investment program. Factors
that we take into consideration when making our recommendation(s) include, but are not limited to, the
following: the TPMM's performance, methods of analysis, fees, your financial needs, investment goals,
risk tolerance, and investment objectives. We will monitor the TPMM(s)' performance to ensure its
management and investment style remains aligned with your investment goals and objectives.
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Financial Planning Services
We provide financial planning services as a component of the broader Portfolio Management Services
described above. Financial Planning Services typically involve providing a variety of advisory services
to clients regarding the management of their financial resources based upon an analysis of their
individual needs. These services can range from broad-based financial planning to consultative or
single subject planning.
In providing you with financial planning services, we will meet with you to gather information about your
financial circumstances and objectives. We may also use financial planning software to determine your
current financial position and to define and quantify your long-term goals and objectives. Once we
specify those long-term objectives (both financial and non-financial), we will develop shorter-term,
targeted objectives. Once we review and analyze the information you provide to our firm and the data
derived from our financial planning software, the results will be made available to you in order to help
you achieve your stated financial goals and objectives.
Financial plans are based on your financial situation at the time we present the plan to you, and on the
financial information you provide to us. You must promptly notify our firm if your financial situation,
goals, objectives, or needs change. Although you are under no obligation to act on our financial
planning recommendations, since we are providing financial planning in conjunction with our Portfolio
Management, it is understood that, particularly for discretionary accounts, the investment
recommendations contained in your financial plan will be implemented through our Portfolio
Management service.
Pension Consulting Services
We offer pension consulting services to employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries based upon the
needs of the plan and the services requested by the plan sponsor or named fiduciary. In general, these
services may include an existing plan review and analysis, plan-level advice regarding fund selection
and investment options, education services to plan participants, investment performance monitoring,
and/or ongoing consulting. These pension consulting services will generally be non-discretionary and
advisory in nature. The ultimate decision to act on behalf of the plan shall remain with the plan sponsor
or other named fiduciary.
We may also assist with participant enrollment meetings and provide investment-related educational
seminars to plan participants on such topics as:
• Diversification
• Asset allocation
• Risk tolerance
• Time horizon
Our educational seminars may include other investment-related topics specific to the particular plan.
We may also provide additional types of pension consulting services to plans on an individually
negotiated basis. All services, whether discussed above or customized for the plan based upon
requirements from the plan fiduciaries (which may include additional plan-level or participant-level
services) shall be detailed in a written agreement and be consistent with the parameters set forth in the
plan documents.
Either party to the pension consulting agreement may terminate the agreement upon written notice to
the other party in accordance with the terms of the agreement for services. The pension consulting
fees will be prorated for the quarter in which the termination notice is given and any unearned fees will
be refunded to the client.
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Wrap Fee Program(s)
We do not offer a wrap fee program.
Types of Investments
We offer advice on equity securities, corporate debt securities (other than commercial paper),
municipal securities, mutual fund shares, United States government securities, money market funds
and exchange traded funds ("ETFs").
Additionally, we may advise you on various types of investments based on your stated goals and
objectives. We may also provide advice on any type of investment held in your portfolio at the inception
of our advisory relationship.
Assets Under Management
As of February 28, 2025, we provide continuous management services for $338,591,040 in client
assets on a discretionary basis, and $0 in client assets on a non-discretionary basis.
Item 5 Fees and Compensation
Portfolio Management Services
Our fee for portfolio management services is based on a percentage of the assets under management.
Fees are negotiable based on factors such as, but not necessarily limited to, the number of accounts
being managed, the amount of assets under management and the overall complexity of the client's
financial situation.
Assets Under Management
Annual Fee
On the First $1,000,000
0.80 - 1.50%
On the Next $2,000,000
0.75 - 1.25%
On the Remaining Assets Over $3,000,000
0.50 - 1.00%
The advisory fee is a blended fee and is calculated by assessing the percentage rates using the
predefined levels of assets as shown in the above chart and applying the fee to the daily average of
the account value or the account value as of the last day of the previous quarter, resulting in a
combined weighted fee. For example, an account valued at $5,000,000 would pay a negotiated fee
on the first $1,000,000 that would range between 0.80% and 1.50%. The next $2,000,000 would be
charged a negotiated fee that would range between 0.75% and 1.25%. The remaining $2,000,000
would then be charged a negotiated rate that would range between 0.50% and 1.00%.
We do not negotiate rates but do set fees based upon various factors including the size of the account,
the service level required, the complexity of the account, and the types of investments that comprise
the portfolio.
Depending on the arrangements made at the inception of the engagement, we may agree to bill our
annual portfolio management fee either quarterly in advance or in arrears. The fee will, based on the
account value on the last trading day of the prior quarter or the last trading day of the billing cycle, as
appropriate.
If the portfolio management agreement is executed at any time other than the first day of a billing
cycle, our fees will apply on a pro rata basis, which means that the advisory fee is payable in
proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you are a client.
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At our discretion, we may combine the account values of family members living in the same household
to determine the applicable advisory fee. For example, we may combine account values for you and
your minor children, joint accounts with your spouse, and other types of related accounts. Combining
account values may increase the asset total, which may result in your paying a reduced advisory fee
based on the available breakpoints in our fee schedule stated above.
We will deduct our fee directly from your account through the qualified custodian holding your funds
and securities. The exception for this is directly-managed held-away accounts, such as 401(k)'s or 529
plans. As it is impossible to directly debit the fees from these accounts, those fees will be assigned to
the client's taxable accounts on a pro-rata basis. Therefore, the amount of our advisory fee deducted
from your account may include fees attributable to your other accounts we manage, such as 401(k)'s
or 529 plans. If you do not have a taxable account, those fees will be billed directly to you.
We will deduct our advisory fee only when the following requirements are met:
• You provide our firm with written authorization permitting the fees to be paid directly from your
account held by the qualified custodian.
• The qualified custodian agrees to send you a statement, at least quarterly, indicating all
•
amounts disbursed from your account including the amount of the advisory fee paid directly to
our firm.
In those states where required, we will send you an invoice showing the amount of the fee, the
value of the assets on which the fee is based, the time period covered by the fee, and the
specific manner in which the fee was calculated. In states where a concurrent fee notice is not
required to be sent, your fees will be listed on the statement you receive from your custodian.
If you have any questions about the statement(s) you receive from the qualified custodian call our main
office number located on the cover page of this brochure. As for the states where the Firm is required
to send you an invoice, we encourage you to reconcile our invoices with the statement(s) you receive
from the qualified custodian. If you find any inconsistent information between our invoice and the
statement(s) you receive from the qualified custodian call our main office number located on the cover
page of this brochure.
You may terminate the portfolio management agreement upon 30 days written notice. You will incur a
pro rata charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the portfolio management agreement,
which means you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for
which you are a client. If you have pre-paid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive
a prorated refund of those fees.
We will not require prepayment of a fee more than six months in advance and in excess of $1200.
Selection of Other Advisers
Depending on the arrangements made at the inception of the engagement, and the Third Party Money
Manager ("TPMM") selected, we may either share in the advisory fee you pay directly to the TPMM, or
we may share a portion of the fee you pay to us with the TPMM, or we may charge you a fee separate
and apart from the fee charged by the TPMM. Advisory fees that are paid to the TPMM are established
and payable in accordance with the Form ADV Part 2 or other equivalent disclosure document
provided by each TPMM to whom you are referred. These fees may or may not be negotiable.
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Our compensation may differ depending upon the individual agreement we have with each TPMM. As
such, a conflict of interest exists where our firm or persons associated with our firm has an incentive to
recommend one TPMM over another TPMM with whom we have more favorable compensation
arrangements or other advisory programs offered by TPMMs with whom we have less or no
compensation arrangements.
Depending on the selection of the TPMM, you may be required to sign an agreement directly with the
recommended TPMM. In such case, you may terminate your advisory relationship with the TPMM
according to the terms of your agreement with the TPMM. You should review each TPMM's brochure
for specific information on how you may terminate your advisory relationship with the TPMM and how
you may receive a refund, if applicable. You should contact the TPMM directly for questions regarding
your advisory agreement with the TPMM. If you are not required to sign a separate agreement with the
TPMM, we will have the authority to hire and fire the TPMM in our discretion.
Financial Planning Services
In most cases Financial Planning fees are incorporated as a part of the overall Portfolio Management
fees outlined above and we will not charge you anything extra for Financial Planning. However, on
occasion, and depending on the arrangements made at the inception of the engagement, we may
charge either a flat fee (which typically ranges between $1,500 and $5,000) or an hourly fee of $200 -
$250. Where we charge an hourly fee we will provide you with an estimate of the amount of time we
anticipate for our work. On occasion, the total amount of time may exceed our estimate. In such case,
we will advise you of the anticipated additional time and obtain your approval before continuing to
proceed.
Pension Consulting Services
Our advisory fees for these customized services will be negotiated with the plan sponsor or named
fiduciary on a case-by-case basis.
You may terminate the pension consulting services agreement upon 30 days written notice to our firm.
You will incur a pro rata charge for services rendered prior to the termination of the agreement, which
means you will incur advisory fees only in proportion to the number of days in the quarter for which you
are a client. If you have pre-paid advisory fees that we have not yet earned, you will receive a prorated
refund of those fees.
Additional Fees and Expenses
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may invest, or recommend that you invest, in
mutual funds and exchange traded funds. The fees that you pay to our firm for investment advisory
services are separate and distinct from the fees and expenses charged by mutual funds or exchange
traded funds (described in each fund's prospectus) to their shareholders. These fees will generally
include a management fee and other fund expenses. You will also incur transaction charges and/or
brokerage fees when purchasing or selling securities. These charges and fees are typically imposed by
the broker-dealer or custodian through whom your account transactions are executed. We do not
share in any portion of the brokerage fees/transaction charges imposed by the broker-dealer or
custodian. To fully understand the total cost you will incur, you should review all the fees charged by
mutual funds, exchange traded funds, our firm, and others. For information on our brokerage practices,
refer to the Brokerage Practices section of this brochure.
Compensation for the Sale of Securities or Other Investment Products
Persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are licensed as insurance agents. These
persons will earn commission-based compensation for selling insurance products, including insurance
products they sell to you. Insurance commissions earned by these persons are separate and in
addition to our advisory fees. Additionally, we have established an affiliated insurance agency by the
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same name, Stone Oak Wealth Management, LLC. If you require insurance products we will refer you
to our affiliate and the persons associated with our firm that are licensed insurance agents will earn
commissions onthe sale thereof. This practice presents a conflict of interest because persons providing
investment advice on behalf of our firm who are insurance agents have an incentive to recommend
insurance products, and our affiliate, to you for the purpose of generating commissions rather than
solely based on your needs. You are under no obligation, contractually or otherwise, to purchase
insurance products through any person affiliated with our firm or through any affiliated entity.
IRA Rollover Recommendations
Effective December 20, 2021 (or such later date as the US Department of Labor ("DOL") Field
Assistance Bulletin 2018-02 ceases to be in effect), for purposes of complying with the DOL's
Prohibited Transaction Exemption 2020-02 ("PTE 2020-02") where applicable, we are providing the
following acknowledgment to you.
When we provide investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual
retirement account, we are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement
accounts. The way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests, so we operate under a
special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. Under
this special rule's provisions, we 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.
We benefit financially from the rollover of your assets from a retirement account to an account that we
manage or provide investment advice, because the assets increase our assets under management
and, in turn, our advisory fees. As a fiduciary, we only recommend a rollover when we believe it is in
your best interest.
Item 6 Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management
We do not accept performance-based fees or participate in side-by-side management. Performance-
based fees are fees that are based on a share of a capital gains or capital appreciation of a client's
account. Side-by-side management refers to the practice of managing accounts that are charged
performance-based fees while at the same time managing accounts that are not charged performance-
based fees. Our fees are calculated as described in the Fees and Compensation section above, and
are not charged on the basis of a share of capital gains upon, or capital appreciation of, the funds in
your advisory account.
Item 7 Types of Clients
We offer investment advisory services to individuals, including high net worth individuals, pension and
profit sharing plans (but not the plan participants), charitable organizations and corporations or other
businesses not listed above.
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There is no minimum dollar amount required to open and maintain an advisory account for assets that
we managed directly; however, we have the right to terminate your Account if it falls below a minimum
size which, in our sole opinion, is too small to manage effectively.
We may also combine account values for you and your minor children, joint accounts with your
spouse, and other types of related accounts to meet the stated minimum.
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to decline to provide investment advisory services to any
person or entity for any reason.
Item 8 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss
We may use one or more of the following methods of analysis or investment strategies when providing
investment advice to you:
Technical Analysis - involves studying past price patterns, trends and interrelationships in the
financial markets to assess risk-adjusted performance and predict the direction of both the overall
market and specific securities.
Risk: The risk of market timing based on technical analysis is that our analysis may not accurately
detect anomalies or predict future price movements. Current prices of securities may reflect all
information known about the security and day-to-day changes in market prices of securities may
follow random patterns and may not be predictable with any reliable degree of accuracy.
Fundamental Analysis - involves analyzing individual companies and their industry groups, such as a
company's financial statements, details regarding the company's product line, the experience and
expertise of the company's management, and the outlook for the company and its industry. The
resulting data is used to measure the true value of the company's stock compared to the current
market value.
Risk: The risk of fundamental analysis is that information obtained may be incorrect and the
analysis may not provide an accurate estimate of earnings, which may be the basis for a stock's
value. If securities prices adjust rapidly to new information, utilizing fundamental analysis may not
result in favorable performance.
Cyclical Analysis - a type of technical analysis that involves evaluating recurring price patterns and
trends. Economic/business cycles may not be predictable and may have many fluctuations between
long-term expansions and contractions.
Risk: The lengths of economic cycles may be difficult to predict with accuracy and therefore the
risk of cyclical analysis is the difficulty in predicting economic trends and consequently the
changing value of securities that would be affected by these changing trends.
Modern Portfolio Theory - a theory of investment which attempts to maximize portfolio expected
return for a given amount of portfolio risk, or equivalently minimize risk for a given level of expected
return, by carefully diversifying the proportions of various assets.
Risk: Market risk is that part of a security's risk that is common to all securities of the same
general class (stocks and bonds) and thus cannot be eliminated by diversification.
Long-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that the value of those securities
will grow over a relatively long period of time, generally greater than one year.
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Risk: Using a long-term purchase strategy generally assumes the financial markets will go up in
the long-term which may not be the case. There is also the risk that the segment of the market
that you are invested in or perhaps just your particular investment will go down over time even if
the overall financial markets advance. Purchasing investments long-term may create an
opportunity cost - "locking-up" assets that may be better utilized in the short-term in other
investments.
Short-Term Purchases - securities purchased with the expectation that they will be sold within a
relatively short period of time, generally less than one year, to take advantage of the securities' short-
term price fluctuations.
Risk: Using a short-term purchase strategy generally assumes that we can predict how financial
markets will perform in the short-term which may be very difficult and will incur a disproportionately
higher amount of transaction costs compared to long-term trading. There are many factors that
can affect financial market performance in the short-term (such as short-term interest rate
changes, cyclical earnings announcements, etc.) but may have a smaller impact over longer
periods of times.
Trading - We may use frequent trading (in general, selling securities within 30 days of purchasing the
same securities) as an investment strategy when managing your account(s). Frequent trading is not a
fundamental part of our overall investment strategy, but we may use this strategy occasionally when
we determine that it is suitable given your stated investment objectives and tolerance for risk. This may
include buying and selling securities frequently in an effort to capture significant market gains and
avoid significant losses.
Risk: When a frequent trading policy is in effect, there is a risk that investment performance within
your account may be negatively affected, particularly through increased brokerage and other
transactional costs and taxes.
Our investment strategies and advice may vary depending upon each client's specific financial
situation. As such, we determine investments and allocations based upon your predefined objectives,
risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other various suitability factors.
Your restrictions and guidelines may affect the composition of your portfolio. It is important that you
notify us immediately with respect to any material changes to your financial circumstances,
including for example, a change in your current or expected income level, tax circumstances, or
employment status.
Tax Considerations
Our strategies and investments may have unique and significant tax implications. However, unless we
specifically agree otherwise, and in writing, tax efficiency is not our primary consideration in the
management of your assets. Regardless of your account size or any other factors, we strongly
recommend that you consult with a tax professional regarding the investing of your assets.
Moreover, custodians and broker-dealers must report the cost basis of equities acquired in client
accounts on or after January 1, 2011. Your custodian will default to the First-In First-Out ("FIFO")
accounting method for calculating the cost basis of your investments. You are responsible for
contacting your tax advisor to determine if this accounting method is the right choice for you. If your tax
advisor believes another accounting method is more advantageous, provide written notice to our firm
immediately and we will alert your account custodian of your individually selected accounting method.
Decisions about cost basis accounting methods will need to be made before trades settle, as the cost
basis method cannot be changed after settlement.
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Risk of Loss
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that you should be prepared to bear. We do not represent or
guarantee that our services or methods of analysis can or will predict future results, successfully
identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.
We cannot offer any guarantees or promises that your financial goals and objectives will be met. Past
performance is in no way an indication of future performance.
Recommendation of Particular Types of Securities
We recommend various types of securities and we do not primarily recommend one particular type of
security over another since each client has different needs and different tolerance for risk. Each type of
security has its own unique set of risks associated with it and it would not be possible to list here all of
the specific risks of every type of investment. Even within the same type of investment, risks can vary
widely. However, in very general terms, the higher the anticipated return of an investment, the higher
the risk of loss associated with the investment. A description of the types of securities we may
recommend to you and some of their inherent risks are provided below.
Money Market Funds: A money market fund is technically a security. The fund managers attempt to
keep the share price constant at $1/share. However, there is no guarantee that the share price will stay
at $1/share. If the share price goes down, you can lose some, or all, of your principal. The U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") notes that "While investor losses in money market
funds have been rare, they are possible." In return for this risk, you should earn a greater return on
your cash than you would expect from a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insured
savings account (money market funds are not FDIC insured). Next, money market fund rates are
variable. In other words, you do not know how much you will earn on your investment next month. The
rate could go up or go down. If it goes up, that may result in a positive outcome. However, if it goes
down and you earn less than you expected to earn, you may end up needing more cash. A final risk
you are taking with money market funds has to do with inflation. Because money market funds are
considered to be safer than other investments like stocks, long-term average returns on money market
funds tends to be less than long term average returns on riskier investments. Over long periods of
time, inflation can eat away at your returns.
Municipal Securities: Municipal securities, while generally thought of as safe, can have significant
risks associated with them including, but not limited to: the credit worthiness of the governmental entity
that issues the bond; the stability of the revenue stream that is used to pay the interest to the
bondholders; when the bond is due to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same amount of interest or yield to maturity.
Bonds: Corporate debt securities (or "bonds") are typically safer investments than equity securities,
but their risk can also vary widely based on: the financial health of the issuer; the risk that the issuer
might default; when the bond is set to mature; and, whether or not the bond can be "called" prior to
maturity. When a bond is called, it may not be possible to replace it with a bond of equal character
paying the same rate of return.
Stocks: There are numerous ways of measuring the risk of equity securities (also known simply as
"equities" or "stock"). In very broad terms, the value of a stock depends on the financial health of the
company issuing it. However, stock prices can be affected by many other factors including, but not
limited to the class of stock (for example, preferred or common); the health of the market sector of the
issuing company; and, the overall health of the economy. In general, larger, better established
companies ("large cap") tend to be safer than smaller start-up companies ("small cap") are but the
mere size of an issuer is not, by itself, an indicator of the safety of the investment.
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Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds: Mutual funds and exchange traded funds ("ETF") are
professionally managed collective investment systems that pool money from many investors and invest
in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, other mutual funds, other securities, or any
combination thereof. The fund will have a manager that trades the fund's investments in accordance
with the fund's investment objective. While mutual funds and ETFs generally provide diversification,
risks can be significantly increased if the fund is concentrated in a particular sector of the market,
primarily invests in small cap or speculative companies, uses leverage (i.e., borrows money) to a
significant degree, or concentrates in a particular type of security (i.e., equities) rather than balancing
the fund with different types of securities. ETFs differ from mutual funds since they can be bought and
sold throughout the day like stock and their price can fluctuate throughout the day. The returns on
mutual funds and ETFs can be reduced by the costs to manage the funds. Also, while some mutual
funds are "no load" and charge no fee to buy into, or sell out of, the fund, other types of mutual funds
do charge such fees which can also reduce returns. Mutual funds can also be "closed end" or "open
end". So-called "open end" mutual funds continue to allow in new investors indefinitely whereas
"closed end" funds have a fixed number of shares to sell which can limit their availability to new
investors.
ETFs may have tracking error risks. For example, the ETF investment adviser may not be able to
cause the ETF's performance to match that of the its Underlying Index or other benchmark, which may
negatively affect the ETF's performance. In addition, for leveraged and inverse ETFs that seek to track
the performance of their Underlying Indices or benchmarks on a daily basis, mathematical
compounding may prevent the ETF from correlating with performance of its benchmark. In addition, an
ETF may not have investment exposure to all of the securities included in its Underlying Index, or its
weighting of investment exposure to such securities may vary from that of the Underlying Index. Some
ETFs may invest in securities or financial instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, but
which are expected to yield similar performance.
Item 9 Disciplinary Information
We are required to disclose the facts of any legal or disciplinary events that are material to a client's
evaluation of our advisory business or the integrity of our management. We do not have any required
disclosures under this item.
Item 10 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations
We have not provided information on other financial industry activities and affiliations because we do
not have any relationship or arrangement that is material to our advisory business or to our clients with
any of the types of entities listed below.
1. broker-dealer, municipal securities dealer, or government securities dealer or broker.
2. investment company or other pooled investment vehicle (including a mutual fund, closed-end
investment company, unit investment trust, private investment company or "hedge fund," and
offshore fund).
3. other investment adviser or financial planner.
4. futures commission merchant, commodity pool operator, or commodity trading advisor.
5. banking or thrift institution.
6. accountant or accounting firm.
7. lawyer or law firm.
8. pension consultant.
9. real estate broker or dealer.
10.sponsor or syndicator of limited partnerships.
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Affiliated Insurance Agency
As noted in Item 5 above, persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are licensed as
insurance agents and we have established an affiliated insurance agency by the same name, Stone
Oak Wealth Management, LLC. If you require insurance products we will refer you to our affiliate and
the persons associated with our firm that are licensed insurance agents will earn commission-based
compensation for selling insurance products, including insurance products they sell to you. Insurance
commissions earned by these persons are separate and in addition to our advisory fees. This practice
presents a conflict of interest because persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm who
are insurance agents have an incentive to recommend insurance products, and our affiliate, to you for
the purpose of generating commissions rather than solely based on your needs. You are under no
obligation, contractually or otherwise, to purchase insurance products through any person affiliated
with our firm or through any affiliated entity.
Item 11 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and
Personal Trading
Description of Our Code of Ethics
We strive to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing our practices. Therefore, our Code
of Ethics includes guidelines for professional standards of conduct for persons associated with our
firm. Our goal is to protect your interests at all times and to demonstrate our commitment to our
fiduciary duties of honesty, good faith, and fair dealing with you. All persons associated with our firm
are expected to adhere strictly to these guidelines. Persons associated with our firm are also required
to report any violations of our Code of Ethics. Additionally, we maintain and enforce written policies
reasonably designed to prevent the misuse or dissemination of material, non-public information about
you or your account holdings by persons associated with our firm.
Clients or prospective clients may obtain a copy of our Code of Ethics by contacting us at the
telephone number on the cover page of this brochure.
Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
Neither our firm nor any persons associated with our firm has any material financial interest in client
transactions beyond the provision of investment advisory services as disclosed in this brochure.
Personal Trading Practices
Our firm or persons associated with our firm may buy or sell the same securities that we recommend to
you or securities in which you are already invested. A conflict of interest exists in such cases because
we have the ability to trade ahead of you and potentially receive more favorable prices than you will
receive. To mitigate this conflict of interest, it is our policy that neither our firm nor persons associated
with our firm shall have priority over your account in the purchase or sale of securities.
Item 12 Brokerage Practices
While you are free to choose any broker-dealer or other service provider as your custodian, we
recommend that you establish an account with a brokerage firm with which we have an existing
relationship. Such relationships may include benefits provided to our firm, including but not limited to
market information and administrative services that help our firm manage your account(s). We believe
that the recommended broker-dealers provide quality execution services for our clients at competitive
prices. Price is not the sole factor we consider in evaluating best execution. We also consider the
quality of the brokerage services provided by recommended broker-dealers, including the value of the
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firm's reputation, execution capabilities, commission rates, and responsiveness to our clients and our
firm. In recognition of the value of the services recommended broker-dealers provide, you may pay
higher commissions and/or trading costs than those that may be available elsewhere.
The custodian and brokers we use - Charles Schwab (Schwab)
We do not maintain custody of your assets that we manage or on which we advise, although we may
be deemed to have custody of your assets if you give us authority to withdraw assets from your
account (see Item 15—Custody, below). Your assets must be maintained in an account at a "qualified
custodian," generally a broker-dealer or bank. We require that our clients use Charles Schwab & Co.,
Inc. (Schwab), a registered broker-dealer, member SIPC, as the qualified custodian, when investing in
the Adviser's model portfolios.
We are independently owned and operated and are not affiliated with Schwab. Schwab will hold your
assets in a brokerage account and buy and sell securities when we instruct them to. While
we recommend that you use Schwab as custodian/broker, you will decide whether to do so and will
open your account with Schwab by entering into an account agreement directly with them. Conflicts of
interest associated with this arrangement are described below as well as in Item 14 (Client referrals
and other compensation). You should consider these conflicts of interest when selecting your
custodian.
We do not open the account for you, although we may assist you in doing so. Not all advisors require
their clients to use a particular broker-dealer or other custodian selected by the advisor. Even though
your account is maintained at Schwab, and we anticipate that most trades will be executed through
Schwab, we can still use other brokers to execute trades for your account as described below (see
"Your brokerage and custody costs").
How we select brokers/custodians
We seek to use Schwab, a custodian/broker that will hold your assets and execute transactions. When
considering whether the terms that Schwab provides are, overall, most advantageous to you when
compared with other available providers and their services, we take into account a wide range of
factors, including:
• Combination of transaction execution services and asset custody services (generally without a
separate fee for custody)
• Capability to execute, clear, and settle trades (buy and sell securities for your account)
• Capability to facilitate transfers and payments to and from accounts (wire transfers, check
requests, bill payment, etc.)
• Breadth of available investment products (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded 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 the prices
• Reputation, financial strength, security and stability
• Prior service to us and our clients
• Services delivered or paid for by Schwab
• Availability of other products and services that benefit us, as discussed below (see "Products
and services available to us from Schwab")
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Your brokerage and custody costs
For our clients' accounts that Schwab maintains, Schwab generally does not charge you separately for
custody services but is compensated by charging you commissions or other fees on trades that it
executes or that settle into your Schwab account. Certain trades (for example, many mutual funds and
ETFs) may not incur Schwab commissions or transaction fees. Schwab is also compensated by
earning interest on the un invested cash in your account in Schwab's Cash Features Program. Schwab
charges you 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 your Schwab account. These fees are in addition to the commissions
or other compensation you pay the executing broker-dealer. Because of this, in order to minimize your
trading costs, we have Schwab execute most trades for your account.
We are not required to select the broker or dealer that charges the lowest transaction cost, even if that
broker provides execution quality comparable to other brokers or dealers.
Although we are not required to execute all trades through Schwab, we have determined that having
Schwab execute most trades is consistent with our duty to seek "best execution" of your trades. Best
execution means the most favorable terms for a transaction based on all relevant factors, including
those listed above (see "How we select brokers/custodians"). By using another broker or dealer you
may pay lower transaction costs.
Products and services available to us from Schwab
Schwab Advisor Services™ is Schwab's business serving independent investment advisory firms like
us. They provide us and our clients with access to their institutional brokerage services (trading,
custody, reporting, and related services), many of which are not typically available to Schwab retail
customers. However, certain retail investors may be able to get institutional brokerage services from
Schwab without going through us.
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. Following is a more detailed description of Schwab's support services:
Services that benefit you. Schwab's institutional brokerage services include access to a broad range
of investment products, execution of securities transactions, and custody of client assets.
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 you and your account.
Services that do not directly benefit you. Schwab also makes available to us other products and
services that benefit us but do not directly benefit you or your account. These products and services
assist us in managing and administering our clients' accounts and operating our firm. They include
investment research, both Schwab's own and that of third parties. We use this research to service all
or a 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:
• Provide access to client account data (such as duplicate trade confirmations and account
statements)
• Facilitate trade execution and allocate aggregated trade orders for multiple client accounts
• Provide pricing and other market data
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• Facilitate payment of our fees from our clients' accounts
• Assist with back-office functions, recordkeeping, and client reporting
Services that generally benefit only us. Schwab also offers other services intended to help us manage
and further develop our business enterprise. These services include:
• Educational conferences and events
• Consulting on technology and business needs
• Consulting on legal and related compliance needs
• Publications and conferences on practice management and business succession
• Access to employee benefits providers, human capital consultants, and insurance providers
• Marketing consulting and support
Schwab provides some of these services itself. In other cases, it will arrange for third-party vendors to
provide the services to us. Schwab also discounts or waives its fees for some of these services or pays
all or a part of a third party's fees. Schwab also provides us with other benefits, such as occasional
business entertainment of our personnel. If you did not maintain your account with Schwab, we would
be required to pay for these services from our own resources.
Our Interest in Schwab's Services
The availability of these services from Schwab benefits us because we do not have to produce or
purchase them. We don't have to pay for Schwab's services. These services are not contingent upon
us committing any specific amount of business to Schwab in trading commissions or assets in
custody. The fact that we receive these benefits from Schwab is an incentive for us to recommend the
use of Schwab rather than making such a decision based exclusively on your interest in receiving the
best value in custody services and the most favorable execution of your transactions. This is a conflict
of interest. We believe, however, that taken in the aggregate, our selection of Schwab as custodian
and broker is in the best interests of our clients. Our selection is primarily supported by the scope,
quality, and price of Schwab's services (see "How we select brokers/ custodians") and not Schwab's
services that benefit only us.
Additional services we receive from Schwab
Schwab has agreed to pay for certain technology products and services on our behalf which include
client relationship management technology. These services are not contingent upon us committing any
specific amount of business to Schwab. The availability of these services from Schwab benefits us
because we do not have to produce or purchase them and we do not have to pay for additional
services. The fact that we receive these services from Schwab is an incentive for us to recommend the
use of Schwab rather than making such a decision based exclusively on your interest in receiving the
best value in custody services and the most favorable execution of your transactions. This is a conflict
of interest. We believe however, that taken in the aggregate our recommendation of Schwab as a
custodian and broker is in the best interest of our clients. Our selection is primarily supported by the
scope, quality and price of Schwab's services and not Schwab's services that benefit only us.
Research and Other Soft Dollar Benefits
We do not have any soft dollar arrangements.
Economic Benefits
As a registered investment adviser, we have access to the institutional platform of your account
custodian. As such, we will also have access to research products and services from your account
custodian and/or other brokerage firm. These products are in addition to any benefits or research we
pay for with soft dollars, and may include financial publications, information about particular companies
and industries, research software, and other products or services that provide lawful and appropriate
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assistance to our firm in the performance of our investment decision-making responsibilities. Such
research products and services are provided to all investment advisers that utilize the institutional
services platforms of these firms, and are not considered to be paid for with soft dollars. However, you
should be aware that the commissions charged by a particular broker for a particular transaction or set
of transactions may be greater than the amounts another broker who did not provide research services
or products might charge.
Brokerage for Client Referrals
We do not receive client referrals from broker-dealers in exchange for cash or other compensation,
such as brokerage services or research.
Directed Brokerage
In limited circumstances, and at our discretion, some clients may instruct our firm to use one or more
particular brokers for the transactions in their accounts. If you choose to direct our firm to use a
particular broker, you should understand that this might prevent our firm from effectively negotiating
brokerage commissions on your behalf. This practice may also prevent our firm from obtaining
favorable net price and execution. Thus, when directing brokerage business, you should consider
whether the commission expenses, execution, clearance, and settlement capabilities that you will
obtain through your broker are adequately favorable in comparison to those that we would otherwise
obtain for you.
Block Trades
Transactions for each client generally will be effected independently, unless we decide to purchase or
sell the same securities for several clients at approximately the same time. We may, but are not
obligated to, combine multiple orders for shares of the same securities purchased for advisory
accounts we manage (this practice is commonly referred to as "block trading"). We will then distribute a
portion of the shares to participating accounts in a fair and equitable manner. Generally, accounts will
pay a fixed transaction cost regardless of the number of shares transacted. In certain cases, each
participating account pays an average price per share for all transactions and pays a proportionate
share of all transaction costs on any given day. In the event an order is only partially filled, the shares
will be allocated to participating accounts in a fair and equitable manner, typically in proportion to the
size of each client's order. Accounts owned by our firm or persons associated with our firm may
participate in block trading with your accounts; however, they will not be given preferential treatment.
We may combine multiple orders for shares of the same securities purchased for discretionary
accounts; however, we do not combine orders for non-discretionary accounts. Accordingly, non-
discretionary accounts may pay different costs than discretionary accounts pay. If you enter into non-
discretionary arrangements with our firm, we may not be able to buy and sell the same quantities of
securities for you and you may pay higher commissions, fees, and/or transaction costs than clients
who enter into discretionary arrangements with our firm.
Item 13 Review of Accounts
Your investment adviser representative will monitor your accounts on an ongoing basis and will
conduct account reviews at least annually, to ensure the advisory services provided to you are
consistent with your investment needs and objectives. Additional reviews may be conducted based on
various circumstances, including, but not limited to:
• contributions and withdrawals,
• year-end tax planning,
• market moving events,
• security specific events, and/or,
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• changes in your risk/return objectives.
The individuals conducting reviews may vary from time to time, as personnel join or leave our firm.
We will provide you with additional or regular written reports in conjunction with account reviews.
Reports we provide to you will contain relevant account and/or market-related information. You will
receive trade confirmations and monthly or quarterly statements from your account custodian(s).
Item 14 Client Referrals and Other Compensation
As disclosed under the Fees and Compensation section in this brochure, persons providing investment
advice on behalf of our firm are licensed insurance agents. For information on the conflicts of interest
this presents, and how we address these conflicts, refer to the Fees and Compensation section.
We host marketing events that are open to clients and prospective clients. Occasionally, although not a
material consideration when determining whether to recommend an investment in a particular
insurance, mutual fund, ETF, or other financial product, sponsoring firms pay for part or all of the
marketing expense. We do not make any corresponding commitment to invest any specific amount or
percentage of client assets in any financial product as a result of the above. Nevertheless, this
presents a conflict of interest since we have a financial incentive to recommend those products.
We have entered into a written agreement with SmartAsset Advisors LLC ("SmartAsset") under which
SmartAsset refers potential clients to the us in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. We pay this
fee to SmartAsset regardless of whether you become a client of Stone Oak Wealth Management, LLC.
The amount of the fee is determined between us and SmartAsset. No portion of the fee paid to
SmartAsset will be charged to you, and the fees you pay us will not be increased as a result of this
arrangement.
Refer to the Brokerage Practices section above for disclosures on research and other benefits we may
receive resulting from our relationship with your account custodian.
Item 15 Custody
As paying agent for our firm, your independent custodian will directly debit your account(s) for the
payment of our advisory fees. This ability to deduct our advisory fees from your accounts causes our
firm to exercise limited custody over your funds or securities. We do not have physical custody of any
of your funds and/or securities. Your funds and securities will be held with a bank, broker-dealer, or
other qualified custodian. You will receive account statements from the qualified custodian(s) holding
your funds and securities at least quarterly. The account statements from your custodian(s) will
indicate the amount of our advisory fees deducted from your account(s) each billing period. You should
carefully review account statements for accuracy.
Wire Transfer and/or Check-Writing Authority and/or Standing Letters of Authorization
Our firm, or persons associated with our firm, may effect wire transfers from client accounts to one or
more third parties designated, in writing, by the client without obtaining written client consent for each
separate, individual transaction, or we may have signatory and check writing authority for client
accounts, as long as the client has provided us with written authorization to do so. Such written
authorization is known as a Standing Letter of Authorization. An adviser with authority to conduct such
third party wire transfers or to sign checks on a client's behalf has access to the client's assets, and
therefore has custody of the clients assets in any related accounts.
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However, we do not have to obtain a surprise annual audit, as we otherwise would be required to by
reason of having custody, as long as we meet the following criteria:
1. You provide a written, signed instruction to the qualified custodian that includes the third party's
name and address or account number at a custodian;
2. You authorize us in writing to direct transfers to the third party either on a specified schedule or
from time to time;
3. Your qualified custodian verifies your authorization (e.g., signature review) and provides a
transfer of funds notice to you promptly after each transfer;
4. You can terminate or change the instruction;
5. We have no authority or ability to designate or change the identity of the third party, the
address, or any other information about the third party;
6. We maintain records showing that the third party is not a related party to us nor located at the
same address as us; and
7. Your qualified custodian sends you, in writing, an initial notice confirming the instruction and an
annual notice reconfirming the instruction.
We hereby confirm that we meet the above criteria.
Item 16 Investment Discretion
Before we can buy or sell securities on your behalf, you must first sign our discretionary management
agreement and the appropriate trading authorization forms.
You may grant our firm discretion over the selection and amount of securities to be purchased or sold
for your account(s) without obtaining your consent or approval prior to each transaction. You may
specify investment objectives, guidelines, and/or impose certain conditions or investment parameters
for your account(s). For example, you may specify that the investment in any particular stock or
industry should not exceed specified percentages of the value of the portfolio and/or restrictions or
prohibitions of transactions in the securities of a specific industry or security. Refer to the Advisory
Business section in this brochure for more information on our discretionary management services.
If you enter into non-discretionary arrangements with our firm, we will obtain your approval prior to the
execution of any transactions for your account(s). You have an unrestricted right to decline to
implement any advice provided by our firm on a non-discretionary basis.
Item 17 Voting Client Securities
We will not vote proxies on behalf of your advisory accounts. At your request, we may offer you advice
regarding corporate actions and the exercise of your proxy voting rights. If you own shares of
applicable securities, you are responsible for exercising your right to vote as a shareholder.
In most cases, you will receive proxy materials directly from the account custodian. However, in the
event we were to receive any written or electronic proxy materials, we would forward them directly to
you by mail, unless you have authorized our firm to contact you by electronic mail, in which case, we
would forward any electronic solicitations to vote proxies.
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Item 18 Financial Information
Our firm does not have any financial condition or impairment that would prevent us from meeting our
contractual commitments to you. We do not take physical custody of client funds or securities, or serve
as trustee or signatory for client accounts, and, we do not require the prepayment of more than $1,200
in fees six or more months in advance. Therefore, we are not required to include a financial statement
with this brochure.
We have not filed a bankruptcy petition at any time in the past ten years.
On May 5, 2020, Stone Oak Wealth Management, LLC. applied for, and subsequently received, a
business loan under the provisions of the "Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)" through the U.S.
Small Business Administration as part of the economic relief provided under the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. While the loan provided a measure of economic support
to the firm and created a buffer given the economic uncertainties created by the COVID 19 pandemic,
if we had not received the loan, it would not have materially impacted our advisory relationships with
clients nor impaired our ability to meet our contractual obligations to our clients. We believe that
current revenue levels will be sufficient to cover all of our expenses. This loan is forgivable provided
the firm satisfies the terms of the loan program.
Item 19 Requirements for State-Registered Advisers
We are a federally registered investment adviser; therefore, we are not required to respond to this
item.
Item 20 Additional Information
Your Privacy
We view protecting your private information as a top priority. Pursuant to applicable privacy
requirements, we have instituted policies and procedures to ensure that we keep your personal
information private and secure.
We do not disclose any non-public personal information about you to any non-affiliated third parties,
except as permitted by law. In the course of servicing your account, we may share some information
with our service providers, such as transfer agents, custodians, broker-dealers, accountants,
consultants, and attorneys.
We restrict internal access to non-public personal information about you to employees, who need that
information in order to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical and procedural
safeguards that comply with regulatory standards to guard your non-public personal information and to
ensure our integrity and confidentiality. We will not sell information about you or your accounts to
anyone. We do not share your information unless it is required to process a transaction, at your
request, or required by law.
You will receive a copy of our privacy notice prior to or at the time you sign an advisory agreement with
our firm. Thereafter, we will deliver a copy of the current privacy policy notice to you on an annual
basis. Contact our main office at the telephone number on the cover page of this brochure if you have
any questions regarding this policy.
If you decide to close your account(s) we will adhere to our privacy policies, which may be amended
from time to time.
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If we make any substantive changes in our privacy policy that would further permit or require
disclosures of your private information, we will provide written notice to you. Where the change is
based on permitted disclosures, you will be given an opportunity to direct us as to whether such
disclosure is acceptable. Where the change is based on required disclosures, you will only receive
written notice of the change. You may not opt out of the required disclosures.
If you have questions about our privacy policies, contact our main office at the telephone number on
the cover page of this brochure and ask to speak to the Chief Compliance Officer.
Trade Errors
In the event a trading error occurs in your account, our policy is to restore your account to the position
it should have been in had the trading error not occurred. Depending on the circumstances, corrective
actions may include canceling the trade, adjusting an allocation, and/or reimbursing the account.
Class Action Lawsuits
We will assist you, in conjunction with your legal counsel or other professionals, in filing claims with the
claims administrator to participate in any settlement proceeds related to class action settlements
involving a security held in your portfolio. We may also work with your legal counsel to determine
whether you are eligible to participate in class action litigation to recover damages on your behalf for
injuries as a result of actions, misconduct, or negligence by issuers of securities held in your portfolio.
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