Sunburst Financial Group (“SFG”) is an independent investment adviser specializing in multiple areas
of planning including retirement, investment, tax, estate and insurance. The Firm concentrates its
efforts on financial planning-based investment management. Sunburst Financial Group offers a
variety of advisory services, including financial planning, consulting, and investment management
services. Prior to Sunburst Financial Group rendering any of the foregoing advisory services, clients
are required to enter into one or more written agreements with Sunburst Financial Group setting forth
the relevant terms and conditions of the advisory relationship (the “Advisory Agreement”).
Sunburst Financial Group is a Limited Liability Company domiciled in Alabama. Our firm first filed for
registration as an investment adviser in April 2016 and is owned principally by Randy Martin. We
actively manage $531,884,351 on a discretionary basis and $46,548,182 on a non-discretionary basis
for a total of $578,432,533 in Asset Under Management as of December 2023.
While this brochure generally describes the business of Sunburst Financial Group, certain sections
also discuss the activities of its Supervised Persons, which refer to the Firm’s officers, partners,
directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), employees or
any other person who provides investment advice on Sunburst Financial Group’s behalf and is subject
to the Firm’s supervision and control.
Financial Planning and Consulting Services
The foundation of Sunburst Financial Group stands on the belief that financial planning is the process
of meeting life goals through proper management of clients’ assets, liabilities, and cash flow. This
process provides direction and meaning as Sunburst Financial Group assists clients with making
decisions that will affect their financial future. The Firm continually monitors the tax and economic
environment to determine both the short- and long-term effects on each client’s investment choices,
and to adapt the financial plan to stay on track toward achieving the client’s goals.
Sunburst Financial Group offers clients a broad range of financial planning and consulting services,
which may include any or all of the following functions:
Budgeting Investment Consulting
Charitable Giving Retirement Planning
Distribution Planning Tax Planning
Business Planning Trust and Estate Planning
Insurance Planning Risk Management
Education Funding
In performing these services, Sunburst Financial Group 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. Sunburst Financial Group may recommend
clients engage the Firm for additional related services, its Supervised Persons in their individual
capacities as insurance agents or other professionals to implement its recommendations. Clients are
advised that a conflict of interest exists if clients engage Sunburst Financial Group or its affiliates to
provide additional services for compensation. Clients retain absolute discretion over all decisions
regarding implementation and are under no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations made
by Sunburst Financial Group under a financial planning or consulting engagement. Clients are advised
that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify the Firm of any change in their financial
situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating, or revising Sunburst
Financial Group’s recommendations and/or services.
Investment Management Services
Sunburst Financial Group provides Portfolio Management services to you, typically through various
risk-based model portfolios, which range from Conservative to Aggressive Growth. Our models are
determined collaboratively with third party consultants not affiliated with Sunburst Financial Group.
The research and collaboration provided informs decisions made by our Investment Committee to
construct and monitor models that will provide exposure to primary asset classes. The investments
chosen for the models are screened with an emphasis on yield
(income) and/or growth
characteristics. A portion of the investments within some of the models can contain market hedges
(typically via options) to help offset downside risk in the markets. The models will typically consist
of Exchange Traded Funds (“ETF’s”), Individual Stocks and Fixed Income Instruments, Mutual Funds,
Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs”), and/or Options. Investments in these models will be
monitored, reallocated and/or replaced periodically. It should be noted that these third party
consultants may recommend investments in proprietary products offered by their firm. This creates
a conflict of interest, however the ultimate discretionary authority resides with our firm, and we will
always adhere to our fiduciary duty to place client interests ahead of our own.
In some circumstances, your portfolio may be managed by your Advisory Representative (“Advisor”).
In most circumstances, your portfolio will be managed pursuant to models constructed in
collaboration with our third party consultants, but your Advisor may choose to alter the positions in
the model in order to better match your personal financial circumstances more closely.
We monitor the third-party Investment Consultant and the management of your portfolio on an
ongoing basis. Additional information about any of the third-party advisory services, including a
complete description of the programs, services, fees, payment structure and termination features, is
available via the applicable third-party manager’s disclosure brochures.
Where appropriate, the Firm may also provide advice about any type of legacy position or other
investment held in client portfolios. Clients may engage Sunburst Financial Group to manage and/or
provide advice on certain investment products that are not maintained at their 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, Sunburst Financial
Group 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.
Sunburst Financial Group tailors its advisory services to meet the needs of its individual clients and
seeks to ensure, on a continuous basis, that client portfolios are managed in a manner consistent with
those needs and objectives. Sunburst Financial Group consults with clients on an initial and ongoing
basis to assess their specific risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity constraints and other related
factors relevant to the management of their portfolios. Clients are advised to promptly notify
Sunburst Financial Group if there are changes in their financial situation or if they wish to place any
limitations on the management of their portfolios. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions or
mandates on the management of their accounts if Sunburst Financial Group determines, in its sole
discretion, the conditions would not materially impact the performance of a management strategy or
prove overly burdensome to the Firm’s management efforts.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
Sunburst Financial Group provides various consulting services to qualified employee benefit plans and
their fiduciaries. This suite of institutional services is designed to assist plan sponsors in structuring,
managing, and optimizing their corporate retirement plans. Each engagement is individually
negotiated and customized, and may include any or all of the following services:
As disclosed in the Advisory Agreement, certain of the foregoing services are provided by Sunburst
Financial Group as a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended (“ERISA”). In accordance with ERISA Section 408(b)(2), each plan sponsor is provided
with a written description of Sunburst Financial Group’s fiduciary status, the specific services to be
rendered and all direct and indirect compensation the Firm reasonably expects under the
engagement.