Firm Description
SageOak Financial, LLC (“SageOak,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a limited liability company organized in the state of
Oklahoma. SageOak was established in 2013. Our principal owners are Tyler A. Gray, Steven W. Ellis, and Stan
R. Rickner. SageOak is a fee-only financial planning firm that focuses on providing comprehensive and holistic
financial planning and wealth management advice to working professionals, business owners, near/current
retirees, and their families. Our advice is based on timeless financial wisdom, principles, and truth that is
applicable to every stage of life. Our specialty, however, is providing working professionals, business owners, and
near/current retirees with comprehensive financial planning advice on issues that may include, but are not limited
to the following:
●Investment consulting
●Tax efficiency and tax minimization planning
●Estate planning and wealth transfer goals
●Wealth enhancement and asset/income protection
●Retirement planning
●Insurance needs evaluation and planning
●Charitable and philanthropic counsel
●Business advice and succession planning
●Cash flow planning and debt reduction
●College funding and planning
Types of Advisory Services
Wealth Management Services
This engagement is the primary focus of SageOak’s services. In this engagement, SageOak provides
financial planning and discretionary investment management services based on the client’s individual
values and goals.
This ongoing engagement will likely entail developing an investment policy statement outlining the
client’s goals, time horizon, liquidity needs, risk tolerance and other factors that serve as a guide for the
investment plan moving forward. After the client has established any necessary accounts with third-party
custodians, SageOak will assist with the organization of account paperwork and continue with the
development and implementation of the client’s long-term financial plan. This will involve a more
comprehensive evaluation of the client’s needs with our recommendations for moving forward. This
ongoing process will typically involve meeting with the client regularly, such as quarterly, but no less than
annually, depending upon the needs and desires of the client. Depending on the engagement, it may also
include the annual preparation of the client’s federal and state tax returns.
Finally, since no financial advisor can be an expert in every area of planning, SageOak will consult with a
team of carefully selected outside specialists and experts (i.e. accountants, attorneys, etc.) as the need
arises. We will gladly consult with your current advisors, or we can also recommend outside advisors that
we feel would provide value to the relationship and to the planning process. Due to SageOak’s
independent and fee-only structure, however, we will never accept referral fees, commissions, or other
forms of compensation from third parties. This means you will always receive independent, objective, and
honest financial advice.
Investment Management
Investment management is included in the Wealth Management Services engagement, but for clients who
do not feel they would benefit from a comprehensive, ongoing financial planning arrangement, SageOak
also offers investment management services on a standalone basis.
This ongoing engagement will likely entail developing an investment policy statement outlining the
client’s goals, time horizon, liquidity needs, risk tolerance and other factors that serve as a guide for the
investment plan moving forward. After the client has established any necessary accounts with third-party
custodians, SageOak will assist with the organization of account paperwork and continue with the
development and implementation of the client’s long-term investment plan. This ongoing process will
typically involve meeting with the client regularly, such as quarterly, but no less than annually, depending
upon the needs and desires of the client. Investment Management clients may also obtain financial
planning services through a separate agreement.
Due to SageOak’s independent and fee-only structure, we will never accept referral fees, 12b-1 fees,
commissions, or other forms of compensation from third parties. This means you will always receive
independent, objective, and honest investment advice.
Use of Third-Party Money Manager
When suitable, we may utilize the services of third-party investment advisers (“Money Managers”) to
assist with the management of client accounts. Our review process and analysis of Money Managers is
further discussed in Item 8 of this Brochure.
Financial Planning
Financial Planning is included in the Wealth Management Services engagement, but SageOak may also
arrange financial planning engagements on a one-time or ongoing basis. This type of engagement is
geared towards clients who
desire one-time or ongoing financial planning advice. In the event of a
one-time engagement, SageOak will typically provide financial advice to clients who may have one or
more specific questions related to a client’s financial life, such as “How much do I need to retire?” or “How
much should I save for my children’s college?” In these one-time engagements, SageOak does not provide
any assistance or ongoing advice in relation to the implementation of the plan or recommendations
discussed (with the exception of annual tax preparation) and the relationship is terminated when the final
recommendations are presented to the client.
In an ongoing financial planning engagement, SageOak will typically provide a more comprehensive
evaluation of the client’s needs, including recommendations for the development and implementation of
the client’s long-term financial plan. This ongoing process will typically involve meeting with the client
regularly, such as quarterly, but no less than annually, depending upon the needs and desires of the client.
Both one-time and ongoing Financial Planning clients may obtain Investment Management services
through a separate agreement.
Pontera Services
Pontera is the third-party service provider whereby SageOak provides an additional service for accounts
not directly held with our recommended custodian, but where SageOak does have discretion and leverages
an Order Management System to implement asset allocation or rebalancing strategies on behalf of the
Client. These are primarily 401(k) accounts, 403(b) accounts, variable annuities, and other assets not held
with the recommended custodian. SageOak regularly reviews the current holdings and available
investment options in these accounts, monitors the account, rebalances, and implements our firm’s
strategies, as necessary. SageOak is engaged with Pontera, an unaffiliated entity, to offer this service to
our Clients.
Institutional Advisory Services
SageOak offers Institutional Advisory Services to business entities, charitable organizations, trusts,
estates, 401(k) plans, and other similar entities. These engagements are typically related to investment
management consulting and may include ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) fiduciary services, employee education,
coordination of other service providers, investment selection and monitoring, and a variety of other
services, depending on the needs and desires of the client.
Educational Services
In addition to the services listed above, SageOak may occasionally provide clients and prospective clients
with access to electronic newsletters, a blog, educational seminars/workshops, and other forms of
non-personalized financial planning and wealth management advice. These additional services are
provided free of charge to prospective and current clients.
Retirement Account Advice
When we provide investment advice to you regarding the rollover or transfer of 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.
Client Tailored Services and Client Imposed Restrictions
We tailor the delivery of our services to meet the individual needs of our Clients. We consult with Clients initially and on
an ongoing basis, through the duration of their engagement with us, to determine risk tolerance, time horizon and other
factors that may impact the Clients’ investment and/or planning needs.
Clients are able to specify, within reason, any restrictions they would like to place as it pertains to individual securities
and/or sectors that will be traded in their account. All such requests must be provided to SageOak in writing. SageOak will
notify Clients if they are unable to accommodate any requests.
Wrap Fee Programs
SageOak does not participate in wrap fee programs..
Assets under Management
As of December 31, 2023, SageOak manages approximately $129,146,139 on a discretionary basis and $0 on a
non-discretionary basis.