A. Firm Information
Hill Island Financial LLC (“Hill Island Financial” or the “Advisor”) is a registered investment advisor with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Advisor is organized as a Limited Liability Company (“LLC”)
under the laws of the State of Michigan. Hill Island Financial was founded in September 2021. Hill Island
Financial is owned and operated by Kevin M. Toler (Partner & Private Wealth Advisor) and Joshua Moeller
(Partner, President and Chief Compliance Officer). This Disclosure Brochure provides information regarding the
qualifications, business practices, and the advisory services provided by Hill Island Financial.
B. Advisory Services Offered
Hill Island Financial offers advisory services to individuals, high net worth individuals, families, trusts, estates,
and businesses (each referred to as a “Client”).
The Advisor serves as a fiduciary to Clients, as defined under the applicable laws and regulations. As a fiduciary,
the Advisor upholds a duty of loyalty, fairness, and good faith towards each Client and seeks to mitigate conflicts
of interest. Hill Island Financial’s fiduciary commitment is further described in the Advisor’s Code of Ethics. For
more information regarding the Code of Ethics, please see Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in
Client Transactions and Personal Trading.
Investment Management Services
Hill Island Financial provides customized investment management solutions for its Clients. This is achieved
through continuous personal Client contact and interaction while providing discretionary investment management
and related advisory services. Hill Island Financial works closely with each Client to identify their investment
goals and objectives as well as risk tolerance and financial situation in order to design a portfolio strategy. Hill
Island Financial will then construct an investment portfolio, consisting of exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and/or
mutual funds to achieve the Client’s investment goals. The Advisor may also utilize individual stocks, individual
bonds, and other types of investments, as appropriate, to meet the needs of the Client. The Advisor may retain
certain legacy investments based on portfolio fit and/or tax considerations.
Hill Island Financial will select, recommend and/or retain mutual funds on a fund by fund basis. Due to specific
custodial and/or mutual fund company constraints, material tax consideration, and/or systematic investment
plans, Hill Island Financial will select, recommend and/or retain a mutual fund share classes that do not have
trading costs when possible. These will in most cases be institutional share classes but in some cases may be
share classes with higher internal expense ratios than institutional share classes. Hill Island Financial will seek to
select the lowest cost share class available that is in the best interest of each Client weighing the expected
investment pattern, expense ratios and potential ticket charges, and will ensure the selection aligns with the
Client’s financial objectives and stated investment guidelines.
Hill Island Financial’s investment approach is primarily long-term focused, but the Advisor may buy, sell or re-
allocate positions that have been held for less than one year to meet the objectives of the Client or due to market
conditions. Hill Island Financial will construct, implement, and monitor the portfolio to ensure it meets the goals,
objectives, circumstances, and risk tolerance agreed to by the Client. Each Client will have the opportunity to
place reasonable restrictions on the types of investments to be held in their respective portfolio, subject to
acceptance by the Advisor.
Hill Island Financial evaluates and selects investments for inclusion in Client portfolios only after applying its
internal due diligence process. Hill Island Financial may recommend, on occasion, redistributing investment
allocations to diversify the portfolio. Hill Island Financial may recommend specific positions to increase sector or
asset class weightings. The Advisor may recommend employing cash positions as a possible hedge against the
market movement. Hill Island Financial may recommend selling positions for reasons that include, but are not
limited to, harvesting capital gains or losses, business or sector risk exposure to a specific security or class of
securities, overvaluation or overweighting of the position[s] in the portfolio, change in risk tolerance of the Client,
generating cash to meet Client needs, or any risk deemed unacceptable for the Client’s risk tolerance.
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Retirement Accounts – When the Advisor provides investment advice to Clients regarding ERISA retirement
accounts or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), the Advisor is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) and/or the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”), as applicable,
which are laws governing retirement accounts. When deemed to be in the Client’s best interest, the Advisor will
provide investment advice to a Client regarding a distribution from an ERISA retirement account or to roll over
the assets to an IRA, or recommend a similar transaction including rollovers from one ERISA sponsored Plan to
another, one IRA to another IRA, or from one type of account to another account (e.g. commission-based
account to fee-based account). Such a recommendation creates a conflict of interest if the Advisor will earn a
new (or increase its current) advisory fee as a result of the transaction. No client is under any obligation to roll
over a retirement account to an account managed by the Advisor.
Use of Independent Managers – Hill Island Financial may recommend that Clients utilize one or more unaffiliated
investment managers or investment platforms (collectively “Independent Managers”) for all or a portion of
a
Client’s investment portfolio, based on the Client’s needs and objectives. In certain instances, the Client may be
required to authorize and enter into an investment advisory agreement with the Independent Manager[s] that
defines the terms in which the Independent Manager[s] will provide its services. The Advisor will perform initial
and ongoing oversight and due diligence over each Independent Manager to ensure the strategy remains aligned
with Clients investment objectives and overall best interests. The Advisor will also assist the Client in the
development of the initial policy recommendations and managing the ongoing Client relationship. The Client,
prior to entering into an agreement with an Independent Manager, will be provided with the Independent
Manager's Form ADV Part 2A - Disclosure Brochure (or a brochure that makes the appropriate disclosures).
Financial Planning Services
Hill Island Financial will typically provide a variety of financial planning and consulting services to Clients.
Services are offered in several areas of a Client’s financial situation, depending on their goals and objectives.
Generally, such financial planning services involve preparing a formal financial plan or rendering a specific
financial consultation based on the Client’s financial goals and objectives. This planning or consulting may
encompass one or more areas of need, including but not limited to, investment planning, retirement planning,
personal savings, education savings, insurance needs, and other areas of a Client’s financial situation.
A financial plan developed for or financial consultation rendered to the Client will usually include general
recommendations for a course of activity or specific actions to be taken by the Client. For example,
recommendations may be made that the Client start or revise their investment programs, commence or alter
retirement savings, establish education savings and/or charitable giving programs. Hill Island Financial may also
refer Clients to an accountant, attorney, or other specialists, as appropriate for their unique situation. For certain
financial planning engagements, the Advisor will provide a written summary of the Client’s financial situation,
observations, and recommendations. For project-based or ad-hoc engagements, the Advisor may not provide a
written summary. Project-based financial plans or consultations are typically completed within six (6) months of
contract date, assuming all information and documents requested are provided promptly.
Financial planning and consulting recommendations pose a conflict between the interests of the Advisor and the
interests of the Client. For example, the Advisor has an incentive to recommend that Clients engage the Advisor
for investment management services or to increase the level of investment assets with the Advisor, as it would
increase the amount of advisory fees paid to the Advisor. Clients are not obligated to implement any
recommendations made by the Advisor or maintain an ongoing relationship with the Advisor. If the Client elects
to act on any of the recommendations made by the Advisor, the Client is under no obligation to implement the
transaction through the Advisor.
Retirement Plan Advisory Services
Hill Island Financial provides retirement plan advisory services on behalf of the retirement plans (each a “Plan”)
and the company/sponsor (the “Plan Sponsor”) The Advisor’s retirement plan advisory services are designed to
assist the Plan Sponsor in meeting its fiduciary obligations to the Plan and its Plan Participants. Each
engagement is customized to the needs of the Plan and Plan Sponsor. Services generally include:
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● Investment Policy Statement (“IPS”) Design and Monitoring
● Investment Oversight Services (ERISA 3(21))
● Plan Participant Enrollment and Education Tracking
● Ongoing Investment Recommendation and Assistance
● Vendor Analysis
● ERISA 404(c) Assistance
● Benchmarking Services
These services are provided by Hill Island Financial serving in the capacity as a fiduciary under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). In accordance with ERISA Section 408(b)(2),
the Plan Sponsor is provided with a written description of Hill Island Financial’s fiduciary status, the specific
services to be rendered and all direct and indirect compensation the Advisor reasonably expects under the
engagement.
C. Client Account Management
Prior to engaging Hill Island Financial to provide advisory services, each Client is required to enter into one or
more agreements with the Advisor that define the terms, conditions, authority, and responsibilities of the Advisor
and the Client. These services may include:
● Establishing an Investment Strategy – Hill Island Financial, in connection with the Client, will develop a
strategy that seeks to achieve the Client’s goals and objectives.
● Asset Allocation – Hill Island Financial will develop a strategic asset allocation that is targeted to meet the
investment objectives, time horizon, financial situation, and tolerance for risk for each Client or unique
client goal.
● Portfolio Construction – Hill Island Financial will develop a portfolio for the Client that is intended to meet
the stated goals and objectives of the Client.
● Investment Management and Supervision – Hill Island Financial will provide investment management
and ongoing oversight of the Client’s investment portfolio.
D. Wrap Fee Programs
Hill Island Financial does not manage or place Client assets into a wrap fee program.
E. Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, Hill Island Financial manages $446,640,410 in Client assets, $423,401,383 of which
are on a discretionary basis and $23,239,027 of which are on a non-discretionary basis. Clients may request
more current information at any time by contacting the Advisor.