TAM is a financial planning and investment management firm in business since 2004.
We are registered as an investment advisor with the SEC. Our firm offers a variety of advisory
and financial planning services including, but not limited to, retirement, education and estate
planning, small business retirement plan development and other small business strategic
services, and supervisory investment management services.
The information contained in this brochure describes our investment advisory services,
practices, and fees in further detail. Please refer to the description of each investment
advisory service we offer below for information on how we tailor our services to the needs
of our clients. As used throughout this firm brochure, the words “we,” “our,” “firm,” “TAM,”
“TAM Financial,” and “us” refer to TAM Financial Advisors, and the words “you,” “your,” and
“client” refer to you as either a client or prospective client of our firm.
TAM is wholly owned by Michael L. Marvin, CFP®, its sole principal and President. Mr.
Marvin was born in 1962 in the State of Washington. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the
University of Washington, awarded in 1985; a Master's Degree from The Johns Hopkins
University, awarded in 1998; and an Executive Financial Planning certification from
Georgetown University, awarded in 2003. In addition to being President of TAM since 2004,
Michael was President of The Business Council for Sustainable Energy from 1996-2004,
served as the Director of Governmental and Legislative Affairs for the American Wind Energy
Association from 1990-1996, and served two Members of Congress as Legislative Director
and Chief of Staff. More information regarding Michael’s business background and that of
other investment advisor representatives of our firm is available in our Form ADV Part 2B
brochure supplement (“brochure supplement”). A copy of the brochure supplement for the
individual advisor(s) you work with at TAM will be provided to you prior to or at the time
you engage our firm for services.
All employees of our firm who perform investment advisory functions are required to have
an undergraduate degree, to have passed the Series 65 (or equivalent) examination, and
either have or be working toward a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) or Chartered
Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation.
TAM is a fee-only advisory firm. TAM agrees to restrict its compensation solely and
exclusively to the professional fees it receives directly from its clients for its advisory
services. Whenever TAM recommends that a client purchase a specific security, insurance or
financial product, or utilize the services of a specific custodian, TAM and its employees will
not accept any sales commissions, prizes, vacations, trips, gifts or meals valued in excess of
$100 from those specific vendors, custodians, or service providers.
A description of each of our services is as follows:
Investment Management Services.
Our investment management services are tailored to each individual client’s investment goals
and needs. The needs considered include age, risk tolerance, health, employment status,
financial goals, and current cash flow requirements, among others. TAM Financial does not
have a template batch of portfolios, nor does it employ a “cookie cutter” approach. In
consultation with the client, TAM develops an individualized Investment Policy Statement
for each client that outlines the manner in which a client’s assets are to be invested. Clients
are free to impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities, and
that issue is addressed in each client’s Investment Policy Statement. We will then manage
your portfolio and assets on an ongoing basis in accordance with the Investment Policy
Statement. Your unique Investment Policy Statement will be formally reviewed periodically,
but no less than annually by our firm, in consultation with the client.
Financial Planning Services - Personal Retirement Plans and Personal Financial Plans.
We also offer personal retirement plans and personal financial plans.
These planning services
may, at our discretion, be included within our investment management services and may be
made available separately to clients, either on a one-time or annual basis.
A personal retirement plan usually includes, but is not necessarily limited to: quantification
of goals and objectives; confirmation of planning assumptions; detailing client assets,
liabilities, savings contributions, and net worth; estimating retirement expenses and income;
completing various scenarios that allow client flexibility with respect to tax rates, inflation,
investment return, retirement age, age at death, and more; and conducting Monte Carlo
analyses on most likely retirement scenarios. It may also include reviewing existing
investments for appropriateness given time horizon and risk profile.
A personal financial plan includes all of the elements of a personal retirement plan as well as:
a review of education costs and savings options; an analysis of asset and family protection
with a review of life, disability, liability, home, and long-term care insurance (review of any
existing policies and/or recommend policies, if needed); an examination of debt and
liabilities; a review of stock options (if any); a review of estate planning documents, including
will, durable power of attorney for health care, advance medical directive, various trusts as
needed; and an examination of other unique circumstances deemed important to the client.
Pension Consulting Services.
We offer pension consulting services 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, investment policy
statement formulation and adherence review/monitoring, asset allocation advice, non-
discretionary investment management services (as described above), investment
performance/expense monitoring and benchmarking studies, on-going consulting,
compliance, vendor selection and interviewing assistance, and other related communication
and education services. Upon request, we will assist the plan sponsor in providing
meaningful information, education, and seminars regarding the retirement plan and general
investment concepts to plan participants.
NOTE: Certain clients/plans we may provide services to are regulated under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). We will provide pension consulting
services to the plan sponsor and/or fiduciaries as described above for the fees set forth in
Item 5 of this brochure. The consulting services we provide are advisory in nature. In
providing services to any plan and its underlying participants, our status is that of an
investment adviser registered with the SEC. We are not subject to any disqualifications under
Section 411 of ERISA. In performing fiduciary services, we are acting as a fiduciary of the
Plan as defined in Section 3(21) under ERISA, only. In all cases, our status as a fiduciary under
ERISA is clearly disclosed in a written advisory agreement. If there is any discrepancy
between the disclosures in this paragraph and the advisory agreement, the advisory
agreement shall govern.
We generally offer advice on investments in equity securities (stocks), corporate debt
securities (bonds), commercial paper, municipal securities, investment company securities
(e.g., mutual funds, variable annuities, variable life insurance, etc.), options, United States
government securities, and exchange traded funds (ETFs). We may also offer the client
investment advice regarding (i) any legacy assets that pre-exist the client’s engagement of
our firm and (ii) other types of securities or non-securities based assets as may be
specifically requested by the client.
We do not participate in or sponsor any wrap fee program(s).
As of December 31, 2023, TAM managed approximately $155,804,009 of client assets on a
discretionary basis and $9,701,980 of client assets on a non-discretionary basis.