A. Firm Information
626 Financial, LLC (“626 Financial” or the “Advisor”) is a registered investment advisor with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Advisor is organized as a Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) under the
laws of the State of Michigan. 626 Financial was founded in October 2010 and became a registered investment
advisor in January 2021. 626 Financial is owned and operated by Thomas W. Anderton (Managing Director and
Chief Compliance Officer) and Brant Shrimplin (Managing Director). This Disclosure Brochure provides
information regarding the qualifications, business practices, and the advisory services provided by 626 Financial.
B. Advisory Services Offered
626 Financial offers wealth management services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates,
businesses, and retirement plans (each referred to as a “Client”).
The Advisor serves as a fiduciary to Clients, as defined under the applicable laws and regulations. As a fiduciary,
the Advisor upholds a duty of loyalty, fairness, and good faith toward each Client and seeks to mitigate potential
conflicts of interest. 626 Financials’ fiduciary commitment is further described in the Advisor’s Code of Ethics. For
more information regarding the Code of Ethics, please see Item 11 – Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in
Client Transactions and Personal Trading.
Investment Management Services
626 Financial provides customized wealth management services for its Clients. This is achieved through
continuous personal Client contact and interaction while providing discretionary investment management, financial
planning, and related advisory services. 626 Financial works closely with each Client to identify their investment
goals and objectives as well as risk tolerance and financial situation in order to create a portfolio strategy. 626
Financial will then construct an investment portfolio consisting of exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), diversified
mutual funds, individual stocks, and/or individual bonds to achieve the Client’s investment goals. The Advisor may
also utilize options, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), and alternative investments (including limited
partnerships), as appropriate, to meet the needs of the Client. The Advisor may retain certain types of investments
based on a Client’s legacy investments based on portfolio fit and/or tax considerations.
626 Financial’s investment strategies are primarily long-term focused, but the Advisor may buy, sell, or re-allocate
positions that have been held for less than one year to meet the objectives of the Client or due to market
conditions. 626 Financial will construct, implement and monitor the portfolio to ensure it meets the goals,
objectives, circumstances, and risk tolerance agreed to by the Client. Each Client will have the opportunity to
place reasonable restrictions on the types of investments to be held in their respective portfolio, subject to
acceptance by the Advisor.
626 Financial evaluates and selects investments for inclusion in Client portfolios only after applying its internal
due diligence process. 626 Financial may recommend, on occasion, redistributing investment allocations to
diversify the portfolio. 626 Financial may recommend specific positions to increase sector or asset class
weightings. The Advisor may recommend employing cash positions as a possible hedge against market
movement. 626 Financial may recommend selling positions for reasons that include but are not limited to
harvesting capital gains or losses, business or sector risk exposure to a specific security or class of securities,
overvaluation or overweighting of the position[s] in the portfolio, changes in risk tolerance of the Client, generating
cash to meet Client needs, or any risk deemed unacceptable for the Client’s risk tolerance.
Use of Independent Managers - 626 Financial may recommend to Clients that all or a portion of their investment
portfolio be implemented by utilizing one or more unaffiliated money managers or investment platforms
(collectively “Independent Managers”). Independent Managers may be sourced directly or accessed through an
investment management platform. The Client will be required to enter into a separate agreement with the
Independent Manager[s]. 626 Financial serves as the Client’s primary advisor and relationship manager. However,
the Independent Manager[s] will assume discretionary authority for the day-to-day investment management of
those assets placed in their control. 626 Financial will assist and advise the Client in establishing investment
objectives for their account[s], the selection of the Independent Manager[s], and defining any restrictions on the
account[s]. 626 Financial will continue to provide oversight of the Client’s account[s] and ongoing monitoring of
the activities of these Independent Managers. The Independent Manager[s] will implement the selected
investment strategies based on their investment mandates. The Client may be able to impose reasonable
investment restrictions on these accounts, subject to the acceptance of these third parties. The Client, prior to
entering into an agreement with an Independent Manager, will be provided with the Form ADV Part 2A (or a
brochure that makes the appropriate disclosures) of those parties. 626 Financial does not receive any
compensation from these Independent Managers or Investment Platforms, other than 626 Financial’s investment
advisory fee as described in Item 5 below.
626 Financial may also provide advisory services through certain programs sponsored by LPL Financial LLC
(“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer. Below is a brief description of each LPL
advisory program presently used by 626 Financial. For more information regarding the LPL programs, including
more information on the advisory services and fees that apply, the types of investments available in the programs
and the onflicts of interest presented by the programs please see the program account packet (which includes the
account agreement and LPL Form ADV program brochure) and the Form ADV, Part 2A of LPL or the applicable
program.
Manager Access Select Program (MAS) – Manager Access Select provides clients access to the
investment advisory services of professional portfolio management firms for the individual management
of Client accounts. The Advisor will assist the Client in identifying a third-party portfolio manager (Portfolio
Manager) from a list of Portfolio Managers made available by LPL Financial. The Portfolio Manager
manages Client’s assets on a discretionary basis. The Advisor will provide initial and ongoing assistance
regarding the Portfolio Manager selection process. A minimum account value of $100,000 is required for
Manager Access Select, however, in certain instances, the minimum account size may be lower or higher.
At no time will 626 Financial accept or maintain custody of a Client’s funds or securities, except for the limited
authority as outlined in Item 15 – Custody. All Client assets will be managed within the designated account[s] at
the Custodian, pursuant to the terms of the advisory
agreement. Please see Item 12 – Brokerage Practices.
Retirement Accounts – When the Advisor provides investment advice to Clients regarding ERISA retirement
accounts or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), the Advisor is a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) and/or the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”), as applicable,
which are laws governing retirement accounts. When deemed to be in the Client’s best interest, the Advisor will
provide investment advice to the Client regarding a distribution from an ERISA retirement account or to roll over
the assets to an IRA or recommend a similar transaction, including rollovers from one ERISA-sponsored Plan to
another, one IRA to another IRA, or from one type of account to another account (e.g., commission-based account
to fee-based account). Such a recommendation creates a conflict of interest if the Advisor earns a new (or
increases its current) advisory fee as a result of the transaction. No client is under any obligation to roll over a
retirement account to an account managed by the Advisor.
Financial Planning Services
626 Financial will typically provide a variety of financial planning and consulting services to Clients as part of an
overall wealth management engagement. Services are offered in several areas of a Client’s financial situation,
depending on their goals and objectives. Generally, such financial planning services involve preparing a formal
financial plan or rendering a specific financial consultation based on the Client’s financial goals and objectives.
This planning or consulting may encompass one or more areas of need, including but not limited to investment
planning, retirement planning, personal savings, education savings, insurance needs, and other areas of a Client’s
financial situation.
A financial plan developed for, or financial consultation rendered to the Client will usually include general
recommendations for a course of activity or specific actions to be taken by the Client. For example,
recommendations may be made that the Client start or revise their investment programs, commence or alter
retirement savings, and establish education savings and/or charitable giving programs.
626 Financial may also refer Clients to an accountant, attorney, or other specialists as appropriate for their unique
situation. For certain financial planning engagements, the Advisor will provide a written summary of the Client’s
financial situation, observations, and recommendations. For consulting or ad-hoc engagements, the Advisor may
not provide a written summary. Plans or consultations are typically completed within six (6) months of the contract
date, assuming all information and documents requested are provided promptly.
Financial planning and consulting recommendations pose a conflict between the interests of the Advisor and the
interests of the Client. For example, the Advisor has an incentive to recommend that Clients engage the Advisor
for investment management services or to increase the level of investment assets with the Advisor, as it would
increase the amount of advisory fees paid to the Advisor. Clients are not obligated to implement any
recommendations made by the Advisor or maintain an ongoing relationship with the Advisor. If the Client elects
to act on any of the recommendations made by the Advisor, the Client is under no obligation to implement the
transaction through the Advisor.
Retirement Plan Advisory Services
626 Financial provides retirement plan advisory services on behalf of company retirement plans (each a “Plan”)
and the company (the “Plan Sponsor”). The Advisor’s retirement plan advisory services are designed to assist the
Plan Sponsor in meeting its fiduciary obligations to the Plan and its Plan Participants. Each engagement is
customized to the needs of the Plan and Plan Sponsor. Services generally include:
• Vendor Analysis
• Plan Participant Enrollment and Education
• Investment Policy Statement (“IPS”) Design and Monitoring
• Investment Oversight Services (ERISA 3(21))
• Performance Reporting
• Ongoing Investment Recommendations and Assistance
• ERISA 404(c) Assistance
• Benchmarking Services
These services are provided by 626 Financial serving in the capacity of a fiduciary under the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). In accordance with ERISA Section 408(b)(2), the Plan
Sponsor is provided with a written description of 626 Financial’s fiduciary status, the specific services to be
rendered, and all direct and indirect compensation the Advisor reasonably expects under the engagement.
C. Client Account Management
Prior to engaging 626 Financial to provide wealth management services, each Client is required to enter into one
or more agreements with the Advisor that defines the terms, conditions, authority, and responsibilities of the
Advisor and the Client. These services may include:
• Establishing an Investment Strategy – 626 Financial, in connection with the Client, develops a strategy
that seeks to achieve the Client’s goals and objectives.
• Asset Allocation – 626 Financial will develop a strategic asset allocation targeted to meet the investment
objectives, time horizon, financial situation, and tolerance of risk for each Client.
• Portfolio Construction – 626 Financial will develop a portfolio for the Client that is intended to meet the
stated goals and objectives of the Client.
• Investment Management and Supervision – 626 Financial will provide investment management and
ongoing oversight of the Client’s investment portfolio.
D. Wrap Fee Programs
626 Financial includes, in addition to securities transaction fees, custody fees, and commission fees (herein
“Covered Costs”) together with investment advisory fees. Including these fees into a single, asset-based fee is
considered a “Wrap Fee Program.” 626 Financial customizes its investment management services for Clients.
The Advisor sponsors the 626 Financial Wrap Fee Program solely as a supplement disclosure regarding the
combination of fees. Depending on the level of trading required for the Client’s account[s] in a particular year, the
Client may pay more or less in total fees than if the Client paid its own transaction fees. Please see Appendix 1 –
Wrap Fee Program Brochure, which is always included as a supplement with this Disclosure Brochure.
626 Financial is the program sponsor and portfolio manager of accounts within LPL Financial’s SWM II platform.
The MAS Programs offered by LPL Financial are third-party wrap fee programs. A complete description of these
programs and related fees, charges, when due and termination procedures are described in the respective
managers disclosure brochures, which you receive at or prior to the time a third-party managed account is
established.
E. Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, the Advisor manages $287,205,847 in Client assets, $285,817,513 of which are
managed on a discretionary basis and $1,388,334 on a non-discretionary basis. Clients may request more current
information at any time by contacting the Advisor.