A. Description of the Advisory Firm
Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers, Ltd. (hereinafter “WMWML”) is a Limited Liability
Company organized in the State of Ohio. The firm was formed in June 2014, became
licensed as an investment adviser in March 2017, and the principal owners are
Christopher G. Vanderzyden and John-Mark Young.
B. Types of Advisory Services
Portfolio Management Services
WMWML offers ongoing portfolio management services based on the individual goals,
objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance of each client. WMWML creates an Investment
Policy Statement for each client, which outlines the client’s current situation (income, tax
levels, and risk tolerance levels) and then constructs a plan to aid in the selection of a
portfolio that matches each client's specific situation. Portfolio management services
include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Investment strategy • Personal investment policy
• Asset allocation • Asset selection
• Risk tolerance • Regular portfolio monitoring
WMWML evaluates the current investments of each client with respect to their risk
tolerance levels and time horizon. WMWML will request discretionary authority from
clients in order to select securities and execute transactions without permission from the
client prior to each transaction. Risk tolerance levels are documented in the Investment
Policy Statement, which is given to each client.
WMWML seeks to provide that investment decisions are made in accordance with the
fiduciary duties owed to its accounts and without consideration of WMWML’s economic,
investment, or other financial interests. To meet its fiduciary obligations, WMWML
attempts to avoid, among other things, investment or trading practices that systematically
advantage or disadvantage certain client portfolios, and accordingly, WMWML’s policy
is to seek fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities/transactions among
its clients to avoid favoring one client over another over time. It is WMWML’s policy to
allocate investment opportunities and transactions it identifies as being appropriate and
prudent among its clients on a fair and equitable basis over time.
WMWML has a relationship with Jackson National Life. For existing portfolio
management clients of WMWML, clients will allow WMWML access to manage their
accounts. If the client already has a Jackson annuity, WMWML could either manage the
current annuity via the client authorization form if that contract is already fulfilling their
needs. However, if it is not, or if the client is in a contract with another carrier that is not
fulfilling their needs, WMWML could do a transfer into a new policy. Jackson National
Life is a digital experience supported by a fully licensed concierge team to help facilitate
documentation and submission. Jackson’s dedicated teams help identify the right annuity
based on each clients’ needs, provides a fully licensed concierge team that handles the
application, suitability, and review. Jackson will directly deduct fees from the client’s fee-
based contracts and disburse the fee to WMWML based on the agreed upon fee between
WMWML and the client.
Selection of Other Advisers
WMWML may specifically direct clients to Betterment. Before selecting other advisers for
clients, WMWML will verify that all recommended advisers are properly licensed, notice
filed, or exempt in the states where WMWML is recommending the adviser to clients.
Pension Consulting Services
WMWML offers ongoing consulting services to pension or other employee benefit plans
(including but not limited to 401(k) plans). Pension consulting may include, but is not
limited to:
o identifying investment objectives and restrictions
o allocating plan assets to various objectives
o selecting money managers to manage plan assets in ways designed to achieve
objectives
o recommending or selecting different investment options from which plan
participants can choose
o monitoring performance of money managers and mutual funds and making
recommendations for changes
o selecting other service providers, such as custodians, administrators, and broker-
dealers
o creating a written pension consulting plan
These services are based on the goals, objectives, demographics, time horizon, and/or risk
tolerance of the plan and its participants.
Financial Planning
Financial plans and financial planning may include but are not limited to: investment
planning; insurance review; tax concerns; retirement planning; education planning; and
debt/credit planning; estate planning; employment planning. Estate planning or
establishing an estate and leaving a legacy, legal documents through EncorEstate.
WMWML utilizes Delegated Planning, LLC to provide outsourced financial planning
support. The service provided include but are not limited to:
o Review of source documents provided
o Entry into financial planning software program
o Analysis of the client’s current situation
o Recommendations and strategies to improve the outcome of the client's objectives
o Preparation of deliverables as requested
o Consulting on workflow and process management surrounding the financial
planning process
Delegated Planning LLC does not provide investment advice or communicate with
WMWML clients directly.
Financial Coaching
WMWML Financial Coaching Services are provided by a Certified Ramsey Solutions
Master Financial Coach and services include helping clients achieve their money-saving
goals, debt solutions, budgeting, bill pay, and money management solutions,
or for
business clients, a Financial Coach will host a nine-week course of Financial Peace
University. Each paid attendee will receive the Ramsey + membership (year-long
subscription) and a weekly discussion meeting for 9 weeks with the Financial Coach at a
scheduled time through a virtual meeting platform.
Estate Planning
We offer Estate Planning services to assist with general information as it applies to
gathering information needed to create a plan, review, or update an existing plan.
Depending on the client needs and desires for estate planning, document review,
preparation, or updates we will engage with EncorEstate, a third-party scrivener service.
The fees associated with estate planning-related services are separate and in addition to
your ongoing financial planning or advisory fees and are disclosed in Item 5.
Collegiate Funding Solutions
WMWML provides education and college planning services through a third-party
platform. The platform allows WMWML to provide strategies for saving for and reducing
the cost of college. The platform offers school specific college planning, funding and cost
saving strategies that are customized to the clients’ finances and college funding
timeframe.
Participant Account Management (Discretionary)
WMWML uses a third-party platform to facilitate management of held-away assets such
as defined contribution plan participant accounts, with discretion. The platform allows
WMWML to avoid being considered to have custody of Client funds since WMWML does
not have direct access to Client log-in credentials to affect trades. WMWML is not
affiliated with the platform in any way and receives no compensation from them for using
their platform. A link will be provided to the Client allowing them to connect an
account(s) to the platform. Once Client account(s) is connected to the platform, WMWML
will review the current account allocations. When deemed necessary, WMWML will
rebalance the account considering client investment goals and risk tolerance, and any
change in allocations will consider current economic and market trends. The goal is to
improve account performance over time, minimize loss during difficult markets, and
manage internal fees that harm account performance. Client account(s) will be reviewed
at least quarterly and allocation changes will be made as deemed necessary.
Services Limited to Specific Types of Investments
WMWML generally limits its investment advice to mutual funds, fixed income securities,
insurance products including annuities, equities, and ETFs (including ETFs in the gold
and precious metal sectors). WMWML may use other securities as well to help diversify
a portfolio when applicable.
C. Client Tailored Services and Client Imposed Restrictions
WMWML will tailor a program for each client. This will include an interview session to
get to know the client’s specific needs and requirements as well as a plan that will be
executed by WMWML on behalf of the client. WMWML may use model allocations
together with a specific set of recommendations for each client based on their restrictions,
needs, and targets. Clients may impose restrictions in investing in certain securities or
types of securities in accordance with their values or beliefs. However, if the restrictions
prevent WMWML from properly servicing the client account, or if the restrictions would
require WMWML to deviate from its standard suite of services, WMWML reserves the
right to end the relationship.
D. Wrap Fee Programs
A wrap fee program is an investment program where the investor pays one stated fee that
includes management fees, transaction costs, and certain other administrative fees.
WMWML recommends Betterment, LLC, which in turn manages a wrap fee program.
WMWML’s direct portfolio management is not performed under a wrap-fee program.
Clients shall pay a wrap fee to Betterment for Betterment and Betterment Securities
services. WMWML will inform the client of such fee and such fee will be documented and
communicated via the Website (www.betterment.com) and the client agreement.
Betterment shall recommend an investment plan to the Client via the Interface that is
based on Betterment’s investment methodology regarding asset allocation strategies,
ongoing portfolio management, and certain information and preferences provided by
WMWML and/or Client (the “IPS”), information about which may be found on the
Website. For the avoidance of doubt, Betterment is solely responsible for providing the
Sub-Advisory Services in connection with the Account, independent of any other services
WMWML may have agreed to provide Client. Betterment is not contracting to provide
any other investment advisory services to WMWML or Clients outside of the Client’s
Accounts. Further, Betterment will have no responsibility or liability for WMWML’s
recommendation of Betterment’s Services, nor will Betterment have any obligation to
supervise or monitor the investment advisory or other services provided by WMWML to
its clients. Betterment has an implemented fee structure that could result in the reduction
of the overall wrap fee as WMWML continues to use the custodian for investment
management purposes. WMWML's fee is unaffected by the custodian lowering fees.
E. Assets Under Management
WMWML has the following assets under management:
Discretionary Amounts: Non-discretionary Amounts: Date Calculated:
$432,120,327 $80,908,591 December 2023