The Company
R.V. Kuhns & Associates, Inc. (operating under the assumed business name RVK, Inc., "we,”
"us," or "RVK”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser.1 Since we were founded in 1985, we
have focused solely on providing investment consulting to institutions, including public and
corporate pension plans, defined benefit and defined contribution plans, Taft-Hartley funds,
endowments and foundations, insurance companies and other business entities, as well as
select high-net-worth individuals and families.
We are owned entirely by our employees. Our principal owners are Rebecca A. Gratsinger, our
Chief Executive Officer, and Scott P. Gratsinger, our Chief Information Officer.2
Consulting Services
Core Values of RVK
Trust – We pride ourselves on being a business partner our clients can trust. RVK delivers
objective, informed, and unbiased advice. We aim to provide advice that is free of conflicts of
interest. We believe that the only way to deliver unbiased advice is to eliminate potential
conflicts of interest in our business model:
• 100% of our revenues are from consulting fees paid by our clients in return for
services rendered. We accept no payments from investment management firms or
any service providers that would create a conflict of interest.
• Our policy is that employees will not accept business gifts from service providers in
the investment industry including, but not limited to, host/thank-you gifts, holiday
gifts, or travel expenses.
• We recommend investment managers on the merits of their investment products.
• Our firm maintains a comprehensive Code of Conduct and Ethics and a Compliance
Manual to which all employees receive mandatory training, agree to in writing, and
provide regular reporting to monitor compliance.
• We will not engage in business activities that compromise the firm’s commitment to
conflict-free investment consulting.
• We are 100% independently owned and managed by our employees, and we have
no outside investors or a parent company that can influence our business practices.
• Our primary purpose is to exceed the expectations of our clients.
Credibility is fundamental to our continued success. Accountability is a core value at RVK, and
our 33 principals each have an owner's point of view on client satisfaction. Copies of RVK’s
Code of Conduct and Ethics, as well as our Compliance Manual and related documents are
available upon request.
1 Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
2 The shares owned by Mr. and Mrs. Gratsinger are combined for this determination. SEC rules state that
shares owned by one spouse are also beneficially owned by the other spouse.
RVK • 5 March 20, 2024
Client Service – RVK's client service philosophy has four main tenets:
• We believe that our core value to clients lies in our analysis and interpretation of data
leading to tailored recommendations to our clients. We provide guidance, not reports.
• We believe that our team approach to clients is the best way of ensuring that the right
expertise is available when needed, especially given the complexity and volatility of
current financial markets.
• We believe in continually renovating a portfolio rather than tearing it down. Manager and
security transitions can be expensive, so we spend time evaluating what is working well
in a portfolio and what needs improvement, and renovate where necessary.
• We believe in a client-specific work product that is individually tailored, comprehensive,
and understandable.
Professional Expertise3 – The RVK team has a deep well of experience and expertise to draw
on. We have 17 CFA Charterholders, 10 MBAs, 2 CFA candidates, 3 CAIA Charterholders,
1 CAIA candidate, 18 other Master’s degrees, as well as numerous other designations
including: FRM, CPA, JD, MAAA, and ASA. Our consulting professionals average nearly
18 years of investment industry experience, including investment and financial management,
actuarial advisory services, and consulting to plan sponsors, as well as an average of 16 years
of investment consulting experience. In a complex and volatile environment, success comes
from having a solid understanding of market dynamics and the ability to anticipate and adapt.
RVK prides itself in delivering our work product to clients in the most professional manner
possible, and we invest heavily in developing internal tools, policies, and training for our team
members so that we can deliver the very best to our clients.
Description of Services
Strategic investment consulting on a non-discretionary basis is our only business. We provide a
wide range of general consulting services and products, including:
• investment policy development and monitoring
• asset allocation studies
• asset/liability studies
• investment manager search and recommendations, including traditional, alternative and
real estate investment evaluation and consulting
• manager structure analysis
• trust/custody and third-party administrator evaluation and search
• defined contribution plan evaluation
• performance analysis and monitoring
• alternative assets reporting
• public pension fund universe analysis
• client education
• client-directed consulting support services
• investment program review
• special projects and enhanced reporting
3 Employee data as of March 20, 2024.
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• ESG consultative services
• OCIO search, evaluation and monitoring services
Investment Policy Development and Monitoring – The development of client-specific investment
policies is a critical step in tailoring our services to meet specific client needs. See the
discussion in this Item 4 under "Tailored Advisory Services" for further information on this
service.
Asset Allocation Studies – An asset allocation study is a strategic planning tool used to assist
clients in optimizing the balance between portfolio risk and return. Through these studies, we
provide our clients with portfolio configurations that help them balance their primary objectives
of maximized return and low volatility.
Asset/Liability Studies – By modeling a pension, endowment, or insurance portfolio in actuarial
or mean variance optimization, Monte Carlo and other software and tools, we are able to test
asset mixes for their ability to satisfy the client's liabilities. The product of an asset/liability study
is the identification of investment risk levels and broad investment portfolios that are most likely
to meet an institution's unique expected future liability
cash outflows or spending needs while
minimizing the risk that those needs will not be met.
Investment Manager Search and Recommendations – We seek to match client objectives with
appropriate investment managers. We have extensive experience in evaluating the vast
universe of traditional and alternative asset investment managers. Our process combines
rigorous quantitative evaluations, which are complemented by an experienced perspective of
qualitative factors and includes specialized consulting services specifically focused on direct
investments in hedge funds and primary real estate investments across all investment
instruments and property types. In addition, our real estate team offers real estate portfolio
assessments on a project basis, advisory assistance in secondary real estate sales, and
project-based due diligence on real estate and related real asset investments.
Manager Structure Analysis – We provide clients with analysis explaining how selections and
weightings of different types of investment strategies collectively tilt a portfolio toward particular
investment styles, sectors or capitalization biases.
Trust/Custody and Third-Party Administrator Evaluation and Search – We evaluate custodians
and third-party administrators based on the services required by a client and effective costs
available for providing those services. We work with clients to develop monitoring criteria and
have created a service-delivery tracking tool to objectively assess custodian performance.
Defined Contribution Plan Evaluation and Fee Reviews – We evaluate participant-directed
defined contribution plans to determine whether the plan utilizes an array of return/risk
differentiated and appropriate investment fund (asset class) choices and has adequate record-
keeping services and communication plans.
Portfolio Performance Analysis and Monitoring – Our clients receive Investment Performance
Analysis reports that describe and analyze the performance of the client's total assets, asset
class exposures, and investment managers. These reports aggregate data from multiple
managers into a single report, supply analytical depth not found in quarterly reports provided by
RVK • 7 March 20, 2024
managers or custodians, place manager and total-portfolio returns in the context of peer
universes and broad-market benchmarks, and provide an independent evaluation of manager
performance. Further information on these reports can be found in Item 13 below.
Alternative Assets Reporting – We developed a proprietary performance monitoring and
reporting tool that provides our clients with customizable analyses of their exposure to
alternative investments such as private equity and real estate.
Public Pension Fund Universe Analysis – We produce a comprehensive analysis of public funds
pension semiannually. The analysis compares asset allocation, performance, fees and actuarial
comparative data from a broad universe of public pension plans and other sovereign funds in
the U.S. We have the ability to customize this report to include any subset of the universe in
order to provide the most appropriate peer comparison available.
We also produce a survey of investment professionals' compensation at large public funds. This
analysis compares average base salary and ranges, total potential compensation, years at
fund/experience required as well as fund assets under management, internal vs. external
management for each asset class, allocation of staff by asset class and title, professional
certifications and turnover rate, and cost of living by geographic area.
Client Education – Our consultants have experience developing and conducting educational
sessions/seminars for clients with varying levels of investment knowledge. Sessions range in
length from half an hour to two days and have been presented to investment staff, retirement-
plan participants, and the boards overseeing investment pools. These seminars have covered
topics such as fiduciary responsibility, asset allocation concepts, appropriate manager structure,
the benefits of active vs. passive management, the benefits and risks of financial investing,
investments in alternative asset classes, and other topics.
Client-Directed Consulting Services – Additional support for clients in their management of the
nuts and bolts of fund administration includes the drafting, transmitting, and confirming activities
relating to client-directed cash movement, whether due to the termination or funding of new
managers, meeting capital calls for alternative investments, investing incoming cash flows,
portfolio rebalancing or raising and transferring cash for spending/benefit requirements. Our
clients maintain full discretion over all investment decisions while RVK’s consulting team
provides timely execution, planning, and support.
Investment Program Review – Our firm conducts full or targeted reviews of the investment
programs of institutional investors on behalf of fiduciaries and oversight bodies. These reviews
may cover any or all facets of the investment program including, but not limited to, board and
investment staff organization, governance, operations and resources, investment policy and
overall governance, asset allocation and risk management, mandate creation, manager
selection and monitoring, and internal investment staffing, job functions, performance reviews,
and compensation policies.
Special Projects and Enhanced Reporting – Our special projects team actively focuses on the
next generation of client reporting and on investment operations efficiencies. Our customized
reports allow clients to access and more fully understand the information central to their
decisions and operations, even in situations with unique characteristics. Within this activity is
RVK • 8 March 20, 2024
our customized risk reporting conducted for clients with varying frequency depending on their
needs. We welcome specialized and challenging projects that help our clients better understand
their portfolios and the general investment climate.
ESG Consultative Services – RVK, as part of our Investment Manager Research services, also
offers clients comprehensive, updated information, industry knowledge and general education
related to the incorporation of environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) into
investment decisions. This includes research on outcomes related to ESG factor incorporation,
such as impact outcomes, by money managers and other entities.
OCIO Search, Evaluation and Monitoring Services – RVK offers a suite of services to clients
seeking assistance in searching for, evaluating and monitoring a category of discretionary asset
managers normally referred to as outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) providers.