SFC offers personalized investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit sharing
plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The
Firm's services and fee arrangements are described in the following pages.
SFC is a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Texas; and SFC is SEC
registered and noticed filed in the States of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida,
Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. The firm has been conducting advisory services
since 2006. This narrative provides Clients with information regarding SFC and the qualifications,
business practices, and nature of advisory services that should be considered before becoming
an advisory Client of SFC.
Individuals associated with SFC will provide its investment advisory services. These individuals
are authorized to provide advisory services on behalf of SFC. Such individuals are known as
Investment Adviser Representatives (IARs).
IARs with SFC may be registered representatives of LPL Financial, a licensed full service securities
broker/dealer and investment adviser under federal and state securities laws, located in Boston,
Massachusetts. LPL Financial is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
(“FINRA”) and the Securities Investors Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). Securities transactions for
LPL's brokerage Clients are executed through LPL. SFC is not an affiliate of LPL Financial.
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES
Financial planning typically involves providing a variety of services, principally advisory in nature,
to Clients regarding the management of their financial resources based upon an analysis of their
individual needs. When a Client needs assistance in setting and evaluating financial goals, SFC
may be engaged to complete one or more elements of a personal or business financial plan,
including, but not limited to the following:
• Retirement Planning
• Educational Planning
• Tax Planning
• Asset Allocation/Recommendations
• Risk Management
• Cash Flow or Budgeting
• Wealth Planning
• Estate Planning
• Business Planning
SFC will first conduct a complimentary initial consultation. If the Client and SFC mutually decide
to proceed, the Client will engage SFC to provide financial planning services. Follow up meetings
will be conducted as necessary, during which pertinent information about the Client’s financial
circumstances and objectives will be collected. Once such information has been reviewed and
analyzed, a financial plan designed to achieve the Client’s stated financial goals and objectives
will be presented to the Client.
In limited circumstances, some Clients may only require advice on a single aspect of the
management of their financial resources. For these Clients, SFC offers financial plans in a targeted
format and/or general consulting services that address only those specific areas of interest or
concern. For hourly consulting services in which a financial plan is not presented to the Client,
the fee will typically be payable upon completion of the consultation.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
SFC offers investment management services in which it actively manages Client assets based
upon the Client’s individual financial and personal needs, investment objectives, time horizon,
and risk tolerance. SFC’s investment management services may include, but may not be limited
to, the use of mutual funds, individual securities (i.e. stocks and bonds), exchange traded funds,
options, etc. SFC may also invest Client's assets according to one or more model portfolios
developed by SFC, such as "Mutual Fund, Equity and Option Portfolio", or "Mutual Fund Only
Portfolio". Clients may also choose among outside third-party money managers recommended
by SFC.
While SFC does offer financial planning as a separate service, some degree of planning is inherent
to the overall management process. For planning services that are purely incidental to the
management process, no additional planning fees will be charged to Investment Management
Clients. Written plans will not be delivered to investment management Clients, unless SFC is
otherwise separately engaged for specific financial planning services that will be subject to the
terms and applicable fees as set forth in a separately executed Planning Agreement, as described
in the Financial Planning and Consulting section above.
SFC provides investment management services on a continuous discretionary basis. Subject to
any written guidelines, which the Client may provide, SFC will be granted discretion and authority
to manage the account. Accordingly, SFC is authorized to perform various functions, at the
Client’s expense, without further approval from the Client. Such functions include making all
investment decisions regarding the securities and amount of securities to be purchased or sold.
Once the portfolio is constructed, SFC provides ongoing supervision and re-balancing of the
portfolio as changes in market conditions and Client circumstances may require. In very limited
circumstances, SFC may enter into non-discretionary arrangements with Clients, where it will
obtain
Client approval prior to the execution of any trades for such accounts.
SFC manages assets on a discretionary basis. As of December 31, 2023, SFC managed
$987,555,104 of client assets on a discretionary basis.
SELECTION OF OTHER ADVISERS
SFC may recommend that Clients utilize the services of a third party money manager (“TPMM”)
to manage a portion of or their entire portfolio. All TPMMs recommended to Clients must be
registered as investment advisers either with the Securities and Exchange Commission or with
the appropriate state authorities.
After gathering information about the Client’s financial situation and objectives, SFC will make
recommendations regarding the suitability of a TPMM or investment style based on, but not
limited to, the Client’s financial needs, investment goals, tolerance for risk, and investment
objectives. Upon selection of a TPMM, SFC will monitor the performance of the TPMM to ensure
their performance and investment style remains aligned with the investment goals and objectives
of the Client.
LPL FINANCIAL SPONSORED ADVISORY PROGRAMS
SFC may provide advisory services through certain programs sponsored by LPL Financial
Corporation (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer. Below is a brief description
of each LPL advisory program available to SFC. For more information regarding the LPL programs,
including more information on the advisory services and fees that apply, the types of investments
available in the programs and the potential conflicts of interest presented by the programs please
see the LPL Financial Form ADV Part 2A or the applicable program’s Wrap Brochure and the
applicable client agreement.
LPL Advisory Services
Optimum Market Portfolios Program (OMP)
OMP offers clients the ability to participate in a professionally managed asset allocation program
using Optimum Funds Class I shares. Under OMP, client will authorize LPL on a discretionary basis
to purchase and sell Optimum Funds pursuant to investment objectives chosen by the client. SFC
will assist the client in determining the suitability of OMP for the client and assist the client in
setting an appropriate investment objective.
SFC will have discretion to select a mutual fund asset allocation portfolio designed by LPL
consistent with the client’s investment objective. LPL will have discretion to purchase and sell
Optimum Funds pursuant to the portfolio selected for the client. LPL will also have authority to
rebalance the account.
Personal Wealth Portfolios Program (PWP)
PWP offers clients an asset management account using asset allocation model portfolios
designed by LPL. SFC will have discretion for selecting the asset allocation model portfolio based
on client’s investment objective. SFC will also have discretion for selecting third party money
managers (PWP Advisors) or mutual funds within each asset class of the model portfolio. LPL will
act as the overlay portfolio manager on all PWP accounts and will be authorized to purchase and
sell on a discretionary basis mutual funds and equity and fixed income securities.
Model Wealth Portfolios Program (MWP)
MWP offers clients a professionally managed mutual fund asset allocation program. SFC will
obtain the necessary financial data from the client, assist the client in determining the suitability
of the MWP program and assist the client in setting an appropriate investment objective. SFC will
initiate the steps necessary to open an MWP account and have discretion to select a model
portfolio designed by LPL’s Research Department consistent with the client’s stated investment
objective. LPL’s Research Department is responsible for selecting the mutual funds within a
model portfolio and for making changes to the mutual funds selected.
The client will authorize LPL to act on a discretionary basis to purchase and sell mutual funds
(including in certain circumstances exchange traded funds) and to liquidate previously purchased
securities. The client will also authorize LPL to effect rebalancing for MWP accounts.
The MWP program may make available model portfolios designed by strategists other than LPL’s
Research Department. If such models are made available, SFC will have discretion to choose
among the available models designed by LPL and outside strategists.
Strategic Wealth Management (SWM/SWM II)
Strategic Wealth Management (SWM) is a comprehensive, open-architecture, fee-based
investment platform. SFC is responsible for all asset management on either a discretionary or
non-discretionary basis in SWM as authorized by clients. In SWM, in addition to an annual
investment advisory fee based on the value of the portfolio, clients pay nominal transaction
charges. In SWM II, all transaction charges are the responsibility of SFC.
Manager Access Select Program
Manager Access Select provides clients access to the investment advisory services of professional
portfolio management firms for the individual management of client accounts. SFC will assist
client in identifying a third party portfolio manager (Portfolio Manager) from a list of Portfolio
Managers made available by LPL. The Portfolio Manager manages client’s assets on a
discretionary basis. SFC will provide initial and ongoing assistance regarding the Portfolio
Manager selection process.