SageSpring Wealth Partners LLC (“SageSpring” or “Firm”) is a registered investment adviser
primarily based in Franklin, Tennessee. We are organized as a limited liability company
under the laws of the State of Tennessee. We have been providing investment advisory
services since 2016. SageSpring is solely owned by SageSpring Holdings, LLC.
Investment Advisory Services
The following paragraphs describe our services and fees. Please 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 SageSpring and the words “you,” “your,” and “client” refer to you as either a client or
prospective client of our Firm. In addition, you may see the term Access Person throughout
this brochure. As used in this brochure, our Access Person are our Firm’s officers, employees,
and all individuals providing investment advice on behalf of our Firm.
Certain persons affiliated with our Firm are also registered representatives of Raymond
James Financial Services, Inc. (“RJFS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James
Financial, Inc. RJFS is a broker-dealer and member firm of the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and the Securities Investors Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). RJFS
is primarily in the business of selling securities and other investments including annuity,
fixed and life insurance products.
RJFS is also affiliated with Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (“RJA”), a broker-dealer
(member NYSE/SIPC) and an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”). References to Raymond James throughout this document indicates a
combination of companies referenced above and/or that are part of the Raymond James
Financial, Inc. family.
Currently, we offer investment advisory services, which are personalized to each individual
client.
We may base our advisory fees on a percentage of assets under management or fixed fees.
You may negotiate asset-based fees with us, and the decision to accept a negotiated fee is at
the discretion of SageSpring. Factors involved in this negotiation may include the nature and
size of the overall relationship with your investment adviser representative (IAR) and the
level and type of advisory or other financial services being or expected to be provided. You
understand that unless a lower or higher rate has been negotiated, you should expect that
SageSpring will charge fees based upon the applicable standard fee schedule detailed below
for each account program.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, the Firm had $784,159,130 in discretionary assets under
management and $4,718,700,352 in non-discretionary assets, for a total of $5,502,859,482
in assets under management.
Investment Advisory Programs
We provide investment advisory services through the following programs:
Ambassador
The Ambassador Account Program is a wrap fee investment advisory account offered and
administered by RJA. SageSpring will manage your account on a discretionary or non-
discretionary basis according to your investment objectives.
Freedom
The Freedom Account Program is a wrap fee investment advisory account which allocates
your assets, through discretionary mutual fund or exchange traded fund (“ETF”)
management, based upon your financial objectives and risk tolerances.
American Funds Model Portfolio
The American Funds Model Portfolios Program (“American Funds Program”) is a mutual
fund advisory service that provides clients the opportunity to allocate assets among various
asset classes that cover a variety of investment objectives (each an American Funds “Model”).
The American Funds Program is an asset allocation-based mutual fund investment program.
The American Funds Program invests exclusively in American Funds mutual funds.
Raymond James Consulting Services (RJCS)
RJCS accounts are fee-based wrap accounts, assets are professionally managed on a
discretionary basis. The account serves as a conduit which allows clients to access a number
of nationally known money management firms. These managers are made available to
clients for account sizes far below these managers’ normal minimums. Based upon your
financial needs and investment objectives, your Advisor will assist you in selecting an
appropriate manager.
For further information on these wrap programs, please refer to RJA’s Part 2A Wrap Fee
Appendix.
Services Provided by Raymond James and Associates
Asset Management Services (“AMS”) is a division of RJA. AMS manages several investment
advisory programs for RJA, which maintain an approved list of investment managers, provide
asset allocation model portfolios, establish custodial facilities, monitor performance of client
accounts, provide clients with accounting and other administrative services, and assist
investment managers with certain trading management activities.
Individual Investment Advisor Consulting and Financial Planning
We provide investment advisory consulting and/or supervisory services involving an
analysis of a particular investment, investment portfolio, or overall financial situation. We
also provide financial planning and consulting services designed to meet specific financial
needs and objectives. The consulting services may include a review of your current financial
situation, with emphasis on income tax planning, estate tax planning, insurance planning,
education planning, retirement planning and capital needs planning.
When preparing a financial plan, we gather information deemed relevant to the particular
service provided through personal interviews with you and through documents and/or your
profile questionnaires. Each service includes an analysis of related financial information,
which may, but is not necessarily required to, include items such as: current assets, income,
investments, liabilities, short and long-term capital and liquidity needs, risk tolerance and
short and long-term financial goals and objectives.
The decision to implement any recommendation rests exclusively with you, and you have no
obligation to implement any such recommendations through us or our affiliates.
In addition to providing individual financial planning and investment advisory consulting
services to individuals and corporations, we may also provide advice and consultation to
retirement plan sponsors and pension plans. Services rendered may include, but are not
necessarily limited to, the development of a documented investment process, asset
allocation, research and investment recommendations, plan participant education,
investment manager performance monitoring, and guidance to the plan sponsors on its
fiduciary obligations to plan participants. In providing these services, we may act as a
fiduciary as defined under Section 3(21) (A) (ii) of ERISA but will service in such capacity
only with respect to the provision of ERISA-defined investment advice. Fees are separately
negotiated with clients.
Retirement plan and pension consulting services are more fully described below under
Additional Services.
Additional Services
Research
We may also offer investment advice on general matters such as business value analysis,
business succession and/or liquidations, and in manners not described above. We may also
recommend that you utilize certain asset allocation services. Fees for such services are
disclosed in each agreement that you will be provided.
Seminars
Additionally, advice may be rendered regarding securities and/or financial planning through
seminars.
Such seminars may be used as an introduction to the financial planning process as noted
above. Seminars are offered at no obligation and may be sponsored by an investment or
insurance company which does business with SageSpring Wealth Partners or an affiliate.
Pension Consulting Services
We will provide pension-consulting services to employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries
based upon an analysis of the needs of the plan. In general, these services may include any
one or all of the following:
a. Marketplace Search – We will search the marketplace and provide quotations from
leading retirement plan service providers.
b. Service Provider Analysis – We will analyze data regarding fees and services of
responding retirement plan service providers, including plan features and service
standards.
c. Recommendations – We will make recommendations regarding plan service
provider selection based upon study results and the client’s goals and objectives.
d. Plan Benchmarking Studies – We will compare your current retirement plan data
against industry and same-size employer benchmarks. Best practices are then
applied to improve results.
e. Existing Plan Review – A plan review is an examination of major components of
your retirement plan in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. The review
can cover such areas as overall plan structure, related costs, and plan
documentation.
f. Ongoing Consulting – We will also provide quarterly investment reviews of the
plan’s investments to ensure suitability of investments and conformity with the
plan’s investment policy statement.
We will offer a fixed fee payment option ranging between $100 and $100,000 and such fee
will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the agreement entered into at the
time you retain our services, we may require payment of pension consulting fees either
monthly or quarterly and payment may be made in advance or arrears.
We will provide consulting services to the plan fiduciaries as described above. Typically, the
named plan fiduciary must make the ultimate decision as to retaining the services of such
investment advisers as we recommend. The plan fiduciary is free to seek independent advice
about the appropriateness of any recommended services for the plan.
Either party may terminate the pension consulting agreement by providing 30 days written
notice to the other party. In the event the agreement is terminated, the client will incur
charges for bona fide pension consulting services provided prior to such cancellation and
fees will be due and payable by the client.
Any fees paid in advance will be pro-rated and any unearned fees will be returned to you.
Refunds are not applicable for fees payable in arrears.
Note: If the account is not held at RJFS, advisory representatives of our firm will provide
investment advice only. Implementation of such advice is the sole responsibility of the client.
Advisory Services to Retirement Plans
SageSpring offers service to qualified and non-qualified retirement plans including 401(k)
plans, 403(b) plans, pension and profit-sharing plans, cash balance plans, and deferred
compensation plans (“Plan”).
SageSpring acts as a limited scope ERISA 3(21) fiduciary that can advise, help and assist plan
sponsors with their investment decisions. As an investment advisor, SageSpring has a
fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the client. The plan sponsor is still ultimately
responsible for the decisions made in their plan, though using SageSpring can help the plan
sponsor delegate liability by following a diligent process.
1. Fiduciary Services are:
• Provide investment advice to the Plan about asset classes and investment alternatives
available for the Plan in accordance with the Plan’s investment policies and
objectives. The Plan Sponsor will make the final decision regarding the initial
selection, retention, removal and addition of investment options. SageSpring
acknowledges that it is a fiduciary as defined in ERISA section 3 (21) (A) (ii).
• Assist the Plan in the development of an investment policy statement (“IPS”). The IPS
establishes the investment policies and objectives for the Plan. Plan shall have the
ultimate responsibility and authority to establish such policies and objectives and to
adopt and amend the IPS.
• Provide investment advice to the Plan Sponsor with respect to the selection of a
qualified default investment alternative (QDIA) for participants who are
automatically enrolled in the Plan or who have otherwise failed to make investment
elections. The Plan retains the sole responsibility to provide all notices to the Plan
participants required under ERISA Section 404© (5) and 404(a)-5.
• Assist in monitoring investment options by preparing periodic investment reports
that document investment performance, consistency of fund management and
conformance to the guidelines set forth in the IPS and make recommendations to
maintain, remove or replace investment options.
• Meet with the Plan Sponsor on a periodic basis to discuss the reports and the
investment recommendations.
2. Non-fiduciary Services are:
• Assist in the education of Plan participants about general investment information and
the investment alternatives available to them under the Plan. Plan understands
SageSpring’s assistance in education of the Plan participants shall be consistent with
and within the scope of the Department of Labor’s definition of investment education
(Department of Labor Interpretive Bulletin 96-1). As such, SageSpring is not
providing fiduciary advice as defined by ERISA 3(21)(A)(ii) to the Plan participants.
SageSpring will not provide investment advice concerning the prudence of any
investment option or combination of investment options for a particular participant
or beneficiary under the Plan.
• Assist in the group enrollment meetings designed to increase retirement plan
participation among the employees and investment and financial understanding by
the employees.
SageSpring may provide these services or, alternatively, may arrange for the Plan’s other
providers to offer these services, as agreed upon between SageSpring and the Plan.