Description of Firm
Meridian Wealth Advisors, LLC (“MWA” 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 Texas. The Advisor has been providing investment
advisory services since April 2016. MWA is owned directly or indirectly by Joshua Leigh Galatzan
(Managing Partner, Managing Member, Chief Compliance Officer), Kerwin ("Kirk") R. Price (Managing
Partner, Member), Meagan K. Moll (Managing Partner, Member), and Brian Noonan (Managing
Partner).
The following paragraphs describe the Advisor’s services and fees. Refer to the description of each
investment advisory service listed below for information on how MWA tailors advisory services to your
individual needs.
Wealth Management and Investment Advisory Services
MWA offers comprehensive Wealth Management and Investment Advisory Services designed to help
Clients manage their financial situation. Such services generally include the following:
• Portfolio Management Services
• Financial Planning Services
• Asset Allocation Services
• Financial Consulting Services
• Pension Consulting
l Portfolio Management Services
MWA offers discretionary portfolio management services. The Advisor’s investment advice is tailored
to meet Client needs and investment objectives. MWA offers advice on equity securities, corporate
debt securities (other than commercial paper), certificates of deposit, municipal securities and mutual
fund shares, private fund investments, options and exchange traded funds ("ETFs").
Additionally, MWA may advise Clients on various types of investments based on the Client’s stated
goals and objectives. MWA may also provide advice on any type of investment held in your portfolio at
the inception of the advisory relationship. If Clients participate in MWA’s discretionary portfolio
management services, MWA requires Client to grant MWA discretionary authority to manage your
account. Discretionary authorization will allow MWA to determine the specific securities, and the
amount of securities, to be purchased or sold for your account without your approval prior to each
transaction. Discretionary authority is typically granted by the investment advisory agreement you sign
with the Advisor and the appropriate trading authorization forms. 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.
MWA may also offer non-discretionary portfolio management services. If Clients enter into non-
discretionary arrangements with the Advisor, MWA must obtain Client approval prior to executing any
transactions on behalf of your account. Clients have an unrestricted right to decline to implement any
advice provided by the Advisor on a non-discretionary basis. Non-discretionary portfolio management
services involve managing certain investment products that are not maintained at the Client's primary
custodian, such as variable life insurance and annuity contracts and assets held in employer
sponsored retirement plans and qualified tuition plans (i.e., 529 plans). In these situations, MWA
directs or recommends the allocation of Client assets among the various investment options available
with the product. These assets are generally maintained at the underwriting insurance company or the
Custodian designated by the product’s provider.
As part of MWA’s portfolio management services, in addition to other types of investments (see
disclosures below in this section), MWA may invest your assets according to one or more
model portfolios developed by MWA. These models are designed for investors with varying degrees of
risk tolerance ranging from a more aggressive investment strategy to a more conservative investment
approach. Clients whose assets are invested in model portfolios may not set restrictions on the specific
holdings or allocations within the model, nor the types of securities that can be purchased in the
model.
Non-Purpose Loans- The Advisor may introduce certain Clients to non-purpose lines of credit made
available through the Custodian. In such instances, the Client’s assets in their account[s] at the
Custodian will be utilized as collateral for a non-purpose line of credit. The recommendation of a
Lending Program presents a conflict of interest as the Advisor will continue to receive investment
advisory fees for managing the collateralized assets in the Client’s account[s]. Clients are not obligated
to engage the Advisor for the Lending Program. For additional information related to the risks involved
non-purpose loans and lines of credit, please see Item 8 - Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies
and Risk of Loss.
Selection of Other Advisors – If it’s in the best interest of the Client, MWA will also recommend the
services of a third party money manager ("TPMM") to manage all, or a portion of, your investment
portfolio. After gathering information about a Client’s financial situation and objectives, MWA may
recommend that Clients engage a specific TPMM or investment program. Factors that the Advisor
takes into consideration when making recommendation(s) include, but are not limited to, the following:
the TPMM's performance, methods of analysis, fees, the Client’s financial needs, investment goals,
risk tolerance, and investment objectives. MWA will monitor the TPMM(s)' performance to ensure its
management and investment style remains aligned with your investment goals and objectives.
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.
l Financial Planning Services
MWA offers financial planning services which typically involve providing a variety of advisory services
to Clients regarding the management of their financial resources based upon an analysis of the Client’s
individual needs. These services can range from broad-based financial planning to consultative or
single subject planning. Clients that
retain MWA for financial planning services, will meet with Clients to
gather information about your financial circumstances and objectives. MWA may also use financial
planning software to determine a Client’s current financial position and to define and quantify your
long-term goals and objectives. Once those long-term objectives (both financial and non-financial) are
determined, MWA will develop shorter-term, targeted objectives. MWA reviews and analyzes the
information Clients provide to MWA and the data derived from the financial planning software, MWA
will deliver a written plan, designed to help achieve the Client’s stated financial goals and objectives.
Financial plans are based on a Client’s financial situation at the time MWA develops the plan, and on
the financial information provided to MWA. Clients are asked to promptly notify MWA if the financial
situation, goals, objectives, or needs change.
Clients are under no obligation to act on MWA’s financial planning recommendations. Should a Client
choose to act on any recommendation, the Client is not obligated to implement the financial plan
through any of MWA’s other investment advisory services. Moreover, Clients may act on MWA’s
recommendations by placing securities transactions with any brokerage firm.
l Asset Allocation Services
MWA offers asset allocation services that are tailored to meet Client needs and investment objectives.
Asset allocation services involve the gathering of information about the Client’s financial situation and
objectives, and assisting Clients in determining investment goals, objectives, risk tolerance, and
retirement plan time horizon. MWA will initially provide you with recommendations as to how to allocate
your investments among categories of assets. MWA will then review your account on a periodic basis.
Where appropriate, MWA will provide you with recommendations to change your asset allocation in an
effort to remain consistent with the Client’s stated financial objectives. Clients are free at all times to
accept or reject any of MWA’s investment recommendations. Clients are solely responsible for
implementing the recommendations. Unless Clients separately retain the services of MWA, MWA will
not execute any transactions or changes in asset allocation on a Client's behalf.
l Financial Consulting Services
MWA offer financial consulting services that primarily involve advising Clients on specific financial-
related topics. The topics addressed may include, but are not limited to, risk assessment/management,
investment planning, financial organization, or financial decision making/negotiation. Clients are under
no obligation to act on MWA’s financial consulting recommendations. Should a Client choose to act on
any recommendation, the Client is not obligated to implement the financial plan through any of MWA’s
other investment advisory services. Moreover, Clients may act on MWA’s recommendations by placing
securities transactions with any brokerage firm.
Providing Financial Planning or Financial Consulting Services 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.
l Pension Consulting Services
MWA offers pension consulting services, on either a non-discretionary (ERISA 3(21)) basis, or a
discretionary (ERISA 3(38)) to employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries based upon the needs of
the plan and the services requested by the plan sponsor or named fiduciary. In general, these services
may include an existing plan review and analysis, plan-level advice regarding fund selection and
investment options, investment management services, investment policy statement (“IPS”) design and
monitoring, performance reporting, benchmarking services, investment performance monitoring, and/or
ongoing consulting. These pension consulting services will generally be non-discretionary and advisory
in nature. The ultimate decision to act on behalf of the plan shall remain with the plan sponsor or other
named fiduciary.
The Advisor may also assist with participant enrollment meetings and provide investment-related
educational seminars to plan participants on such topics as:
• Diversification
• Asset allocation
• Risk tolerance
• Time horizon
Our educational seminars may include other investment-related topics specific to the particular plan.
MWA may also provide additional types of pension consulting services to plans on an individually
negotiated basis. All services, whether discussed above or customized for the plan based upon
requirements from the plan fiduciaries (which may include additional plan-level or participant-level
services) shall be detailed in a written agreement and be consistent with the parameters set forth in the
plan documents. These services are provided by MWA 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 MWA’s fiduciary status,
the specific services to be rendered and all direct and indirect compensation the Advisor reasonably
expects under the engagement.
In performing these services, MWA is not required to verify any information received from the Client or
from the Client’s other professionals (e.g., attorneys, accountants, etc.,) and is expressly authorized to
rely on such information.
At no time will MWA accept or maintain custody of a Client’s funds or securities, except for the limited
authority as outlined in Item 15 – Custody. All Client assets will be managed within the designated
account[s] at the Custodian, pursuant to the terms of the advisory agreement. Please see Item 12 –
Brokerage Practices.
l Private Placement Consulting Services
MWA offers private placement consulting services to qualified Clients. Private placement consulting
services involve introductions to private investment opportunities that MWA will regularly supervise and
recommend transactions on a non-discretionary basis. All recommendations made by MWA are based
upon an analysis of each Client’s current situation, goals, and objective. Clients have an unrestricted
right to decline any private placement consulting advice provided by the Advisor on a non-discretionary
basis.
Wrap Fee Programs
MWA does not manage or place Client assets into a wrap fee program. Wealth Management and
Investment Advisory services are provided directly by MWA.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, MWA manages $1,223,913,676 in Client assets, $1,211,035,028 of which
are managed on a discretionary basis and $12,878,648 on a non-discretionary basis. MWA also
oversees $23,380,478 in assets under advisement. Clients may request more current information at
any time by contacting the Advisor.