A. Introduction
CFO4Life Group, LLC (“CFO4Life” or “the Firm”) is an SEC registered investment
adviser.
CFO4Life’s registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or
training.
The oral and written communications we provide to you, including this Brochure, is
information that you should use in your decision to hire us or continue a professional relationship
with us. This Brochure provides information about our qualifications and business practices.
B. Ownership
CFO4Life is part of the Focus Financial Partners, LLC (“Focus LLC”) partnership.
Specifically, CFO4Life is a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Focus LLC. Ferdinand FFP
Acquisition, LLC is the sole managing member of Focus LLC. Ultimate governance of Focus LLC
is conducted through the board of directors at Ferdinand FFP Ultimate Holdings, LP. Focus LLC
is majority-owned, indirectly and collectively, by investment vehicles affiliated with Clayton,
Dubilier & Rice, LLC (“CD&R”). Investment vehicles affiliated with Stone Point Capital LLC
(“Stone Point”) are indirect owners of Focus LLC. Because CFO4Life is an indirect, wholly-owned
subsidiary of Focus LLC, CD&R and Stone Point investment vehicles are indirect owners of
CFO4Life.
Focus LLC also owns other registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, pension
consultants, insurance firms, business managers and other firms (the “Focus Partners”), most of
which provide wealth management, benefit consulting and investment consulting services to
individuals, families, employers, and institutions. Some Focus Partners also manage or advise
limited partnerships, private funds, or investment companies as disclosed on their respective
Form ADVs.
CFO4Life is managed by Levi McMellian and Brian Chastain (“CFO4Life Principals”),
pursuant to a management agreement between MGMT4Life LLC and CFO4Life. The CFO4Life
Principals serve as leaders and officers of CFO4Life and are responsible for the management,
supervision and oversight of CFO4Life.
While this Brochure generally describes the business of CFO4Life, certain sections also
discuss the activities of its personnel, including its officers, partners, directors, employees (or
other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) or any other person who
provides investment advice on behalf of CFO4Life and is subject to the Firm’s supervision or
control (each, a “Supervised Person”).
C. Financial Planning and Advisory Services
CFO4Life offers the following services:
1. Comprehensive Financial Planning and Investment Management Services to
affluent individuals and business executives;
2. Advisory Services to Retirement Plans;
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3. Corporate Services – Investment Education and Financial Wellness: and
4. Cash Management Solutions.
A description of each service is provided below.
Comprehensive Financial Planning Services
CFO4Life offers personal comprehensive financial planning services to set forth goals,
objectives and implementation strategies for the client over the long-term. Depending upon
individual client requirements, the comprehensive financial plan will include recommendations
for retirement planning, educational planning, estate planning, cash flow planning, tax planning
and insurance needs and analysis. CFO4Life prepares and provides the financial planning client
with a written comprehensive financial plan and performs quarterly, semi-annual or annual
reviews of the plan with the client, dependent on the client’s needs in accordance with the financial
planning agreement. Clients should notify us promptly anytime there is a change in their financial
situation, goals, objectives, or needs and/or if there is any change to the financial information
initially provided to us.
Clients are under no obligation to implement any of the recommendations provided in
their written financial plan. However, should a client decide to proceed with the implementation
of the investment recommendations then the client can either have CFO4Life implement those
recommendations or utilize the services of any investment adviser or broker-dealer of their choice.
CFO4Life cannot provide any guarantees or promises that a client’s financial goals and
objectives will be met.
Investment Management Services
CFO4Life offers investment management services on a discretionary basis. All investment
advice provided is customized to each client’s investment objectives and financial needs. The
information provided by the client, together with any other information relating to the client’s
overall financial circumstances, will be used by CFO4Life to determine the appropriate portfolio
asset allocation and investment strategy for the client. Financial planning services also are
provided, depending on the needs of the client.
The securities utilized by CFO4Life for investment in client accounts mainly consist of
registered mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs), but we will also invest in equity
securities, corporate bonds, REITS and variable annuities, among others, if we determine such
investments fit within a client’s objectives and are in the best interest of our clients. Please refer
to Item 8 for detailed information on our method of analysis and the risks involved with these
types of securities.
Wrap Programs
When appropriate, CFO4Life will allocate certain client assets to third-party separate
account managers. For example, Aperio Group may be used as a direct indexing solution or the
Fidelity Managed Account Xchange may be used for actively managed separate accounts. Under
these circumstances, clients will be assessed an all-in-one “wrap fee” for custody, brokerage,
investment management and performance reporting services, rather than individual trading and
other costs. CFO4Life will provide clients a copy of program brochures prior to or concurrently
with any asset allocations through these platforms.
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Advisory Services to Retirement Plans
CFO4Life offers discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services to 401k Plans,
which include, depending on the needs of the 401k Plan client, recommending, or for
discretionary clients selecting, investment options
for plans to offer to participants, ongoing
monitoring of a plan’s investment options, assisting plan fiduciaries in creating and/or updating
the plan’s written investment policy statements, working with plan service providers, and
providing general investment education to plan participants.
Education for plan participants covers information regarding: financial planning; risk
management; types of investments; estate planning; and taxes. These education services are
provided in the form of written materials and seminars.
Corporate Services – Investment Education and Financial Wellness
CFO4Life offers services to corporations that include investment education for corporate
executives, economic updates for corporate investment committees and/or benefits coordinators,
and financial wellness for corporate executives. Education for executives covers topics such as:
financial planning; risk management; types of investments; estate planning; and taxes. These
education services are provided in the form of written materials and seminars.
Economic updates are generally provided during face-to-face meetings covering items such
as the state of the economy, forecasts for growth, inflation, interest rates and other key economic
factors, and analysis of current levels of the stock market, recent news and other current hot
topics.
Financial Wellness is a benefit that corporations can provide to their employees through
CFO4Life wherein CFO4Life will meet with the employees to discuss overall objectives, needs and
goals, and provide a written analysis and financial planning recommendations to the employees.
Employees are under no obligation to implement any recommendations provided. However,
should an employee decide to proceed with the implementation of the recommendations, then the
employee has the option of entering into a separate engagement with CFO4Life and can either
have CFO4Life implement the recommendations, or the employee can utilize the services of
another investment adviser or broker-dealer of their choice.
Cash Management Solutions
We offer clients the option of obtaining cash management solutions from unaffiliated
third-party financial institutions through Flourish Financial LLC (“Flourish”). Please see Items
5 and 10 for a fuller discussion of these services and other important information.
D. Important Information Relating to CFO4Life’s Services
Information Received From Clients
CFO4Life will not assume any responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided
by the client. We are not obligated to verify any information received from the client or other
professionals (e.g., attorney, accountant, etc.) designated by client, and CFO4Life is expressly
authorized by the client to rely on such information provided. Under all circumstances, clients are
responsible for promptly notifying CFO4Life in writing of any material changes to the client’s
financial situation, investment objectives, time horizon, or risk tolerance. In the event that a client
notifies CFO4Life of changes in the client’s financial circumstances or investment objectives, we
will review such changes and recommend any necessary revisions to the client’s portfolio.
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Client Agreements and Disclosures
Prior to engaging CFO4Life to provide services, the client will be required to enter into one
or more written agreements with us setting forth the terms and conditions under which the Firm
shall render its services (collectively, the “Agreement”). In accordance with Rule 204-3 under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“Advisers Act”), CFO4Life will provide this
Brochure and one or more brochure supplements (Form ADV Part 2B) to each client prior to or
contemporaneously with the execution of the Agreement.
As a fiduciary, we have duties of care and of loyalty to you and are subject to obligations
imposed on us by the federal and state securities laws. As a result, you have certain rights that you
cannot waive or limit by contract. Nothing in our agreement with you should be interpreted as a
limitation of our obligations under the federal and state securities laws or as a waiver of any
unwaivable rights you possess.
Neither CFO4Life nor the client may assign the written agreement without the consent of
the other party. Transactions that do not result in a change of actual control or management of
CFO4Life shall not be considered an assignment.
Fiduciary Status for Retirement Plan Accounts
CFO4Life is a fiduciary under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,
as amended (“ERISA”) with respect to investment management services and investment advice
provided to ERISA plan clients, including ERISA plan participants. CFO4Life is also a fiduciary
under the Internal Revenue Code (the “IRC”) with respect to investment management services
and investment advice provided to ERISA plans, ERISA plan participants, individual retirement
accounts and individual retirement account owners (collectively “Retirement Account Clients”).
As such, CFO4Life is subject to specific duties and obligations under ERISA and the IRC, that
include, among other things, prohibited transaction rules which are intended to prohibit
fiduciaries from acting on conflicts of interest. When a fiduciary gives advice in which it has a
conflict of interest, the fiduciary must either avoid or eliminate the conflict or rely upon a
prohibited transaction exemption (a “PTE”).
E. Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023 the following represents the amount of client assets under
management by CFO4Life on a discretionary and non-discretionary basis.
Type of Account Assets Under Management (AUM)
Discretionary $1,837,382,132
Non-Discretionary $33,824,199
Total $1,871,206,331
As outlined in Item 10 below, certain IARs of CFO4Life are also registered representatives
(RRs) with Ausdal Financial Partners (“Ausdal”), a registered broker-dealer and member of
FINRA. Ausdal and CFO4Life are not affiliated companies. These RRs have client brokerage
accounts that total $321,075,681 in assets as of December 31, 2o23. The brokerage assets are not
managed by CFO4Life and are not included in the AUM amount listed above. Total advisory and
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brokerage assets as of December 31, 2023 are $2,192,282,012.