Firm Description
MTAM is an independent investment advisory
firm that provides investment management and
financial planning services. MTAM was acquired
in March 1985 by Jed Bandes, and the firm was
registered with the State of Florida in 2002 as a
Registered Investment Adviser. Please see the
section titled “Types of Advisory Services” below
for more information about our services.
Assets under management of MTAM are held
primarily at Fidelity Brokerage, Schwab, and
Hilltop Securities. While clients often provide us
with discretionary authority to manage their
accounts, the fact that their accounts remain in
their names means clients retain access and
control over their accounts at all times.
Principal Owner
Jed E. Bandes is the President and 100% owner
of MTAM.
Jed E. Bandes is also the sole owner of the
affiliated Broker-Dealer, firm Mutual Trust
Company of America Securities. Please refer to
the rest of this Form ADV and specifically Item 12
regarding specific conflicts of interest related to
the affiliated relationship and how it will affect
you.
Types of Advisory Services
MTAM provides investing services to individuals,
families, and their related entities, trusts and
estates, retirement plans, charitable
organizations, and small businesses. MTAM
provides two types of services, Investment
Advisory & Financial Planning:
Investment Advisory Services:
MTAM provides investment management
services, which entails management of accounts,
the purchase and sale of individual securities,
and the selection and dismissal of sub-advisors,
by the principals of the firm. Investment advisory
services start with the evaluation and
assessment of the client’s financial position and
tolerance for risk. After a review of a client’s
personal data, an investment strategy is
developed, and specific investments are
recommended. The strategy is then implemented
on a discretionary basis. Investment portfolios
and strategies are reviewed periodically. MTAM
may recommend outside money managers.
MTAM will have the discretion to hire and
dismiss sub-advisors.
Financial Planning:
When performing financial planning services,
MTAM works with clients to define financial
objectives and develop strategies for reaching
those objectives. Where appropriate, these
strategies will be implemented over a period of
time. Strategies could include wealth
accumulation, investment planning, retirement
planning, distribution planning, college funding
planning, risk management analysis, income tax
and estate planning implications, cash flow and
debt management, and company benefit plan
optimization. A portion of the fees for such
planning is charged in advance, with the balance
due upon completion. Should recommendations
from such plans include insurance or brokerage
services, representatives earn commissions, if
the representative is securities and/or insurance
licensed. Earning commissions causes a conflict
of interest; we seek to remediate, mitigate, and
disclose all such conflicts of interest.
We have an inherent conflict of interest
whenever we provide Financial Planning services
to a client that also has retained our Investment
Advisory services or our brokerage services, via
our
affiliated broker. It could be in our best
interest not to recommend paying down debt
that would directly reduce the Assets Under
Management that we manage and charge a
percentage fee for, or on products we
recommend and earn a commission for. We
mitigate this conflict by providing an overall plan
suitable and in the best interest of the client.
Whenever we provide Financial Planning
Services, we shall:
1. Document the scope of work in an
agreement.
2. Prepare a questionnaire to understand
the client’s needs.
3. Conduct a reasonable level of due
diligence when referring other
professionals to the Financial planning
client.
4. Disclosure any and all compensation
methods we shall receive.
5. Conduct reasonable due diligence when
recommending or using technologies
when providing professional CFP®
services to a client.
6. Periodically monitor the CFP Board’s
Code of Ethics and Standard of Conduct
Whenever MTAM makes a recommendation for
the Financial Planning client to utilize the
services of a third-party as mentioned above,
MTAM shall:
• Have a reasonable basis for the
recommendation or Engagement based
on the person’s reputation, experience,
and qualifications.
• Disclose to the Client, at the time of the
recommendation or prior to the
Engagement, any arrangement by which
someone who is not the Client will
compensate or provide some other
material economic benefit to the CFP®
professional, the CFP® Professional’s
Firm, or a Related Party for the
recommendation or Engagement; and
• When engaging a person to provide
services for a Client, exercise reasonable
care to protect the Client’s interests.
When selecting or using and recommending
technology MTAM shall document the due-
diligence process which will include:
• Exercising reasonable care and judgment
when selecting, using, or recommending
any software, digital advice tool, or other
technology while providing Professional
Services to a Client.
• Having a reasonable level of
understanding of the assumptions and
outcomes of the technology employed.
• Having a reasonable basis for believing
that the technology produces reliable,
objective, and appropriate outcomes.
The CFP® professionals of MTAM will also
review the complete CFP Board Code of Ethics
and Standards of Conduct and the Practice
Standards to ensure proper implementation
within the firm.
Tailored Relationships
At MTAM, advisory services are tailored to the
individual needs of clients. Client goals and
objectives are clarified in meetings and via
correspondence and are used to determine the
course of action for each individual client. The
goals and objectives for each client are
documented in client files. In some cases, clients
have the ability to impose restrictions on
investing in certain securities or types of
securities.
For additional information on the Fees for the
services described above, please see Item 5 Fees
and Compensation below.
Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, MTAM managed
approximately $241,372,086 in assets under
management for 1915 accounts, all of which are
managed on a discretionary basis.