This Disclosure document is being offered to you by Fortis Group Advisors, LLC (“Fortis” or “Firm”)
about the investment advisory services we provide. It discloses information about our services and
the way those services are made available to you, the client.
We are an investment management firm located in Westwood, New Jersey. We specialize in
investment advisory services for individuals, high-net-worth individuals, employee-sponsored
retirement plans, institutions, charitable organizations, trusts, and estates. Our Firm became a
registered investment adviser in January 2018. Fortis Group Advisors, LLC is a limited liability
company formed in Delaware owned by Christopher Kenneally, Eva Rullo-Naphor, and Michael
Koch.
We are committed to helping clients build, manage, and preserve their wealth and to provide
assistance that helps clients achieve their stated financial goals. We will offer an initial
complimentary meeting at our discretion; however, investment advisory services are initiated only
after you and Fortis execute an Investment Management Agreement.
INVESTMENT AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION SERVICES
We manage advisory accounts on a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. For discretionary
accounts, once we have determined a profile and investment plan with a client, we will execute
the day-to-day transactions without seeking prior client consent. Account supervision is guided by
the written profile and investment plan of the client. We may accept accounts with certain
restrictions if circumstances warrant. We primarily allocate client assets among mutual funds, cash,
equities, bonds, ETFs, US Government Treasuries, REITS, and alternative investments per their
stated investment objectives. These are considered asset allocation categories for the client’s
investment strategy.
During personal discussions with clients, we determine the client’s objectives, time horizons, risk
tolerance, and liquidity needs. As appropriate, we also review a client’s prior investment history,
family composition, and background. We develop a client’s personal profile and investment plan
based on the client's needs. We then create and manage the client’s investments based on that
policy and plan.
The client’s obligated to notify us immediately if circumstances have changed regarding their goals.
Once we have determined the types of investments to be included in your portfolio and allocated
them, we will provide ongoing investment review and management services. This approach
requires us to review your portfolio periodically.
With our discretionary relationship, we will make changes to the portfolio, as we deem
appropriate, to meet your financial objectives. We trade these portfolios based on the
combination of our market views and your objectives, using our investment process. We tailor
our advisory services to meet the needs of our clients and seek to ensure that your portfolio is
managed in a manner consistent with those needs and objectives. You will have the ability to leave
ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 5 of 32 Fortis Group Advisors, LLC
standing instructions with us to refrain from investing in particular industries or invest in limited
amounts of securities.
If a non-discretionary relationship is in place, calls will be placed presenting the recommendation
made and only upon your authorization will any action be taken on your behalf.
In all cases, you have a direct and beneficial interest in your securities, rather than an undivided
interest in a pool of securities. We do have limited authority to direct the Custodian to deduct our
investment advisory fees from your accounts, but only with the appropriate written authorization
from you.
You are advised and are expected to understand that our past performance is not a guarantee of
future results. Certain market and economic risks exist that adversely affect an account’s
performance. This could result in capital losses in your account.
NITROGEN (FORMERLY RISKALYZE)
To further fine-tune our understanding of a client’s risk tolerance, our Firm utilizes Nitrogen, a
third-party vendor tool, to assist in identifying the client’s risk tolerance.
Nitrogen technology assists financial planners in two critical tasks: (1) measuring the risk
preferences of investors and (2) applying these preference measurements to portfolio
selection. Nitrogen summarizes an investor’s mean-variance risk aversion on a 99-point scale. In
connection with this output, the N tool “quantifies” the client’s indicated investment risk tolerance
through the illustration of expected return (plus/minus) and investment volatility (investment
variance), which uses past data to calculate expected variance.
LEGACY MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Our Firm may advise a Client about legacy positions or other investments in Client portfolios.
Clients can limit or restrict our trading in these positions
ERISA SECTION 3(21) INVESTMENT ADVISOR AND 3(38) INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
SERVICE
For employer-sponsored retirement plans with participant-directed investments, Fortis may
provide its advisory services as an investment advisor as defined under Section 3(21) and as an
investment manager as defined under Section 3(38) of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”).
When serving as an ERISA 3(21) investment advisor, the plan sponsor and Fortis share fiduciary
responsibility. The plan sponsor retains ultimate decision-making authority for the investments
and may accept or reject the recommendations in accordance with the terms of a separate ERISA
3(21) Investment Advisor Agreement between Fortis and the plan sponsor. Fortis provides the
following services to the plan sponsor:
• Screen investments and make recommendations.
• Monitor the investments and suggests replacement investments when appropriate.
• Provide a quarterly monitoring report.
• Assist the plan sponsor in developing an Investment Policy Statement (“IPS”).
ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 6 of 32 Fortis Group Advisors, LLC
Fortis will prepare an IPS for the plan. The purpose of the IPS is to provide guidelines for making
investment-related decisions in a prudent manner. It outlines the underlying philosophies and
processes for the selection, evaluation, monitoring, and, if necessary, replacement of the
investment options offered by the plan. Fortis will perform on-going monitoring of the investment
options within the plan. The ongoing monitoring of investments is a regular and disciplined
process. Monitoring confirms that the criteria remain satisfied and that an investment option
continues to be appropriate. The process of monitoring investment performance relative to
specified guidelines will be consistently applied.
Fortis will make available to participants, either through the provider’s recordkeeping platform, a
stand-alone form, or a third-party website, a risk tolerance questionnaire. The questionnaire’s sole
purpose is to provide participants with general assistance in order to identify their risk tolerance
and investment objectives and, based on this information, help determine which investment is
most aligned with their risk tolerance/investment objectives.
DISCLOSURE REGARDING ROLLOVER RECOMMENDATIONS
A client or prospect leaving an employer typically has four options regarding an existing retirement
plan (and may engage in a combination of these options): (i) leave the money in the former
employer’s plan, if permitted, (ii) roll over the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is available
and rollovers are permitted, (iii) rollover to an Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”), or (iv) cash
out the account value (which could, depending upon the client’s age, result in adverse tax
consequences). Our Firm may recommend an investor roll over plan assets to an IRA for which our
Firm provides investment advisory services. As a result, our Firm and its representatives may earn
an asset-based fee. In contrast, a recommendation that a client or prospective client leave their
plan assets with their previous employer or roll over the assets to a plan sponsored by a new
employer will generally result in no compensation to our Firm. Our Firm therefore has an economic
incentive to encourage a client to roll plan assets into an IRA that our Firm will manage, which
presents a conflict of interest. To mitigate the conflict of interest, there are various factors that our
Firm will consider before recommending a rollover, including but not limited to: (i) the investment
options available in the plan versus the investment options available in an IRA, (ii) fees and
expenses in the plan versus the fees and expenses in an IRA, (iii) the services and responsiveness
of the plan’s investment professionals versus those of our Firm, (iv) protection of assets from
creditors and legal judgments, (v) required minimum distributions and age considerations, and (vi)
employer stock tax consequences, if any. All rollover recommendations are also reviewed by our
Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer in a best effort to determine that the recommendation to a client
was reasonable or that the client has determined to make the rollover after being provided ample
information about their options. No client is under any obligation to roll over plan assets to an IRA
advised by our Firm or to engage our Firm to monitor and/or advise on the account while
maintained with the client's employer. Our Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer remains available to
address any questions that a client or prospective client has regarding this disclosure.
We are fiduciaries under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and when we provide investment
advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual retirement account, we are also
fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and/or
the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. We have
ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 7 of 32 Fortis Group Advisors, LLC
to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. At the same time, the way we
make money creates some conflicts with your interests.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Through the Financial Planning process, the Fortis team strives to engage our clients in
conversations around the family’s goals, objectives, priorities, vision, and legacy – both for the near
term as well as for future generations. With the unique goals and circumstances of each family in
mind, the Fortis team will offer wealth planning ideas and strategies to address the client’s holistic
financial picture, including estate, income tax, charitable, cash flow, wealth transfer and family
legacy objectives. Fortis does not provide tax or legal advice. We will work with your independent
tax/legal advisor (CPA, Estate Attorney, Insurance broker, etc.) to help create a plan tailored to your
specific needs. Such services include various reports on specific goals and objectives or general
investment and/or planning recommendations, guidance to outside assets and periodic updates.
Our specific services in preparing your plan include:
• Review and clarification of your financial goals.
• Assessment of your overall financial position including cash flow, balance sheet,
investment strategy, risk management and estate planning.
• Creation of a unique plan for each goal you have, including personal and business real
estate, education, retirement or financial independence, charitable giving, estate
planning,
business succession and other personal goals.
• Development of a goal-oriented investment plan, with input from various advisors to our
clients around tax suggestions, asset allocation, expenses, risk and liquidity factors for each
goal. This includes IRA and qualified plans, taxable and trust accounts that require special
attention.
• Design of a risk management plan including risk tolerance, risk avoidance, mitigation and
transfer, including liquidity as well as various insurance and possible company benefits.
• Crafting and implementation of, in conjunction with your estate and/or corporate
attorneys as tax advisor, an estate plan to provide for you and/or your heirs in the event
of an incapacity or death.
A written evaluation of each client's initial situation or Financial Plan is provided to the client. An
annual review will be provided by the Adviser, if indicated by the Client and Advisor per the
Financial Planning Agreement. More frequent reviews occur but are not necessarily communicated
to the client unless immediate changes are recommended.
Where appropriate, we provide advice about any type of legacy position held in client portfolios.
Typically, these are assets that are ineligible to be custodied at our primary custodian. Clients will
engage us to advise on certain investment products that are not maintained at their primary
custodian, such as variable life insurance, annuity contracts and assets held in employer sponsored
retirement plans and qualified tuition plans (i.e., 529 plans). If these accounts can be held at a
custodian and no advisory fee is charged to the account, the account will pay ticket charges.
ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 8 of 32 Fortis Group Advisors, LLC
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Provided by Advyzon
We have contracted with Advyzon to utilize its technology platforms to support data
reconciliation, performance reporting, fee calculation and billing, research, Client database
maintenance, quarterly performance evaluations, payable reports, website
administration, trading platforms, and other functions related to the administrative tasks
of managing Client accounts. Due to this arrangement, Advyzon will have access to Client
accounts, but Advyzon will not serve as an investment advisor to our Clients. Coordinated
Financial Services and Advyzon are non-affiliated companies. Advyzon charges our Firm an
annual fee for each account administered by Advyzon. Please note that the fee charged to
the Client will not increase due to the annual fee Coordinated Financial Services pays to
Advyzon; the annual fee is paid from the portion of the management fee retained by
Coordinated Financial Services.
Provided by Panoramix
We have contracted with Panoramix to utilize its technology platforms to support data
reconciliation, performance reporting, fee calculation and billing, research, client database
maintenance, quarterly performance evaluations, payable reports, web site
administration, trading platforms, and other functions related to the administrative tasks
of managing client accounts. Due to this arrangement, Panoramix will have access to client
accounts, but Panoramix will not serve as an investment advisor to our clients. Fortis and
Panoramix are non-affiliated companies. Our Firm is charged an annual fee for each
account administered by Panoramix. Please note that the fee charged to the client will not
increase due to the annual fee Fortis pays to Panoramix, the annual fee is paid from the
portion of the management fee retained by Fortis.
SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENTS
Fortis may utilize independent third-party investment advisers to aid us in the implementation of
investment strategies for your portfolio. In certain circumstances, we may allocate a portion of a
portfolio to an independent third-party investment adviser (“independent manager”) for separate
account management based upon your individual circumstances and objectives, including, but not
limited to, your account size and tax circumstances. Upon the recognition of such situations, in
coordination with you, we will hire an independent manager for the management of those
securities.
Fortis evaluates a variety of information about independent managers, which may include the
independent managers’ public disclosure documents, materials supplied by the independent
managers themselves and other third-party analyses it believes are reputable. To the extent
possible, we seek to assess the independent managers’ investment strategies, past performance
and risk results in relation to its clients’ individual portfolio allocations and risk exposure. Fortis also
takes into consideration each independent manager’s management style, returns, reputation,
financial strength, reporting, pricing and research capabilities, among other factors.
Fortis continues to provide services relative to the discretionary or non-discretionary selection of
the independent managers. On an ongoing basis, we monitor the performance of those accounts
being managed by independent managers. Fortis seeks to ensure the independent managers’
ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 9 of 32 Fortis Group Advisors, LLC
strategies and target allocations remain aligned with its clients’ investment objectives and overall
best interests.
THIRD PARTY MANAGERS
Fortis may provide investment advice and recommendations based on the investment strategies
of Third-Party Managers (“Managers” or “TPM”). Selected Managers are evaluated by Fortis for
client use. (See more about Third Party Managers in Item 8 below).
Our services include assisting you in identifying your investment objectives and matching personal
and financial data with a select list of Managers. The intent of this service is to have a selected list
of high quality and recognizable third-party investment management firms from which you select
one or more Managers to handle the day-to-day management of your account(s). Managers
selected for your investments need to meet several quantitative and qualitative criteria established
by Fortis. Among the criteria that may be considered are the Manager’s experience and regulatory
record, assets under management, performance record, client retention, the level of client services
provided, investment style, buy and sell disciplines, capitalization level, and the general investment
process. Information collected by our firm regarding Managers is believed to be reliable and
accurate, but Fortis does not necessarily independently review or verify it on all occasions.
Following recommendations by our Investment Adviser Representatives (“IAR”), you will have final
authority to select a Manager. The IAR will assist you in completing appropriate documents. Fortis’
IARs assist clients with identifying their risk tolerance and investment objectives. IARs will
recommend TPMs in relation to the client’s stated investment objectives and risk tolerance. A client
may select a recommended TPM based upon the client’s needs. Clients will enter a Third-Party
Advisory Program Agreement directly with Fortis.
You are advised and should understand that:
• A Manager’s past performance is no guarantee of future results;
• There is a certain market and/or interest rate risk which may adversely affect any
Manager’s objectives and strategies, and could cause a loss in a Client's account(s); and
• Client risk parameters or comparative index selections provided to Fortis are guidelines
only and there is no guarantee that they will be met or not be exceeded.
Fortis IARs shall be available to answer questions the client may have regarding their account and
act as the communication conduit between the client and the Manager. Managers may take
discretionary authority to determine the securities to be purchased and sold for the client. Neither
Fortis nor its associated persons will have any trading authority with respect to clients’ managed
account with the TPM(s).
All accounts are managed by the selected Manager and Fortis does not have any discretionary
trading authority with respect to such accounts. All performance reporting will be the responsibility
of the respective Manager. Such performance reports will be provided directly to you and Fortis.
Fortis does not audit or verify that these results are calculated on a uniform or consistent basis as
provided by a manager directly to Fortis or through the consulting service utilized by the Manager.
Fortis has entered into agreements with various independent Managers. Under these agreements,
Fortis offers client’s various types of programs sponsored by these Managers. All third-party
ADV Part 2A – Firm Brochure Page 10 of 32 Fortis Group Advisors, LLC
Managers to whom Fortis will refer clients will be licensed as registered investment advisors by
their resident state and any applicable jurisdictions or registered investment advisors with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Third-party managed programs generally have account minimum requirements that will vary from
investment advisor to investment advisor. Account minimums are generally higher on fixed income
accounts than equity-based accounts. A complete description of the Manager’s services, fee
schedules and account minimums will be disclosed in the Manager’s Form ADV or similar Disclosure
Brochure which will be provided to clients at the time an agreement for services is executed and
account is established.
CONSULTING SERVICES
We also provide clients investment advice on a more-limited basis on one-or-more isolated areas
of concern such as variable sub-account management, estate planning, real estate, retirement
planning, or any other specific topic. Additionally, we provide advice on non-securities matters
about the rendering of estate planning, insurance, real estate, and/or annuity advice or any other
business advisory / consulting services for equity or debt investments in privately held businesses.
In these cases, you will be required to select your own investment managers, custodian and/or
insurance companies for the implementation of consulting recommendations. If your needs
include brokerage and/or other financial services, we will recommend the use of one of several
investment managers, brokers, banks, custodians, insurance companies or other financial
professionals ("Firms"). You must independently evaluate these Firms before opening an account
or transacting business and have the right to effect business through any firm you choose. You
have the right to choose whether to follow the consulting advice that we provide.
WRAP FEE PROGRAM
We are the sponsor and manager of the Fortis Group Advisors Wrap Program (the “Program”), a
wrap fee program (i.e., an arrangement where brokerage commissions and transaction costs are
absorbed by the Firm). The fee covers transaction costs or commissions resulting from the
management of your accounts, however, most investments trade without transaction fees today,
so our payment of these and other incidental custodial related expenses should not be considered
a significant factor in determining the relative value of our wrap program. Participants in the
Program may pay a higher aggregate fee than if brokerage services are purchased separately.
Additional information about the Program is available in Fortis Group Advisors’ Wrap Brochure,
which appears as Part 2A Appendix 1 of the Firm’s Form ADV.
REGULATORY ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT
As of September 7, 2023, we have $724,144,046 in discretionary assets under management,
$40,896,740 in non-discretionary assets under management.