The Brown, Lisle/Cummings, Inc. (“BLC”) Wrap Program (the "Program") is a
wrap fee program sponsored by BLC. BLC is an investment adviser registered
with the SEC.
BLC is also a FINRA-member broker-dealer registered with the SEC and over
thirty states. BLC’s principal place of business is located in Providence, Rhode
Island. BLC was founded in 1912 and has been registered as an investment
adviser since 2006 and with the SEC as a broker-dealer since 1966.
BLC offers the following advisory services to our clients: Individual Portfolio
Management, Financial Planning, and Financial Consulting. Our Individual
Portfolio Management services are provided under the Program, wherein we are
able to offer participants discretionary or non-discretionary investment
management services, for a single specified annual Program fee, inclusive of
trade execution (excluding mark-ups and mark-downs), custody, reporting,
platform fees, and investment management fees. All prospective Program
participants should read both our Disclosure Brochure and this Wrap Fee
Program Brochure, and ask any corresponding questions that they may have,
prior to participation in the Program.
INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Our firm offers portfolio management services on a fee basis to its advisory
clients. We will provide continuous advice to a client regarding the investment
of client funds based on the client’s individual needs. Through personal
discussions in which a client’s goals and objectives are established, we develop
a client's personal investment strategy and create and manage a portfolio based
on that strategy.
During this data-gathering process, we determine the client’s individual
objectives, time horizons, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs. We may also review
and discuss a client’s prior investment history, as well as family composition and
background.
We manage these advisory accounts on a discretionary and non-discretionary
basis. Account supervision is guided by the client's stated objectives (e.g.,
growth, income, and a balance between growth and income), as well as tax
considerations. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions on investing in
certain securities, types of securities, or industry sectors. Before engaging us
to provide investment advisory services, clients are required to enter into an
Investment Advisory Agreement with us setting forth the terms and conditions
of the engagement (including termination), describing the scope of the
services to be provided, and the fee that is due from the client.
Our investment recommendations are not limited to any specific product or
service offered by a broker-dealer or insurance company and will generally
include advice regarding the following securities: individual stocks, bonds,
options, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). Because some
types of investments, such as options, involve certain additional degrees of risk,
they will only be implemented when consistent with the client's stated
investment objectives, tolerance for risk, liquidity and suitability.
Our portfolio management services are provided exclusively on a wrap fee
basis. Under our wrap fee program, the client receives our portfolio
management services, the execution of securities brokerage transactions,
custody, investment platform fees, and reporting services for a single specified
fee. Participation in a wrap program may cost the client more or less than
purchasing such services separately. When managing a client’s account on a
wrap fee basis, we receive as payment for our services, the balance of the wrap
fee after all other costs incorporated into the wrap fee program have been
deducted. Participation in a wrap program may cost the client more or less than
purchasing such services separately. The terms and conditions of a wrap
program engagement are more fully discussed in our separate Wrap Fee
Program Brochure. Conflict of Interest: Because we pay wrap program
transaction fees and/or commissions to the account custodian/broker-dealer, we
have an economic incentive to minimize the number of trades in client
accounts.
Clients who wish to engage us for portfolio management services must be
willing to accept that these services are only provided on a wrap fee basis. We
do not provide portfolio management on a non-wrap fee basis. For clients who
do not desire a wrap fee arrangement, or for those who do not believe the
amount of trading in their account(s) justifies such a wrap fee, we can be
separately engaged in our capacity as a broker-dealer. If requested, we can
assist the client in determining the appropriate type of engagement by
reviewing the actual and expected amount of account trading activity, at the
outset of the client engagement and/or at any point thereafter. As a result of
these reviews, we can recommend the form of engagement that we believe is in
the client’s best interest, but the ultimate decision will always be left to the
client.
PROGRAM FEES
The annual Program fee is based on the amount of assets under our
management as follows:
Assets Under Management Annual Fee (%)
The first $1,000,000 1.50%
The next $1,000,000 1.25%
Over $2,000,000 1.00%
For example, if a client’s account is valued at $3,000,000, the annual fee would be
calculated as follows: ($1,000,000 x 1.50%) + ($1,000,000 x 1.25%) + ($1,000,000 x
1.00%).
Our fees are assessed quarterly,
in advance, at the beginning of each quarter.
Therefore, clients are charged ¼ of their annual advisory fee every three months.
The fee is based upon the market value of the client's account at the end of the
previous three month period. Fees and/or credits, as applicable, are applied on a
prorated basis for account deposits and withdrawals during the following fee
period. Clients will be invoiced or have their fees debited from the account in
accordance with client authorization.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Advisory Fees in General: Clients should note that similar advisory services may
(or may not) be available from other registered (or unregistered) investment
advisers for similar or lower fees. The fee is not charged on the basis of a share of
capital gains upon or capital appreciation of any portion of the funds of an
advisory client, pursuant to Section 205(a)(1) of the Investment Advisers Act of
1940, as amended (hereinafter the “Act”).
Negotiability of Fees: In certain circumstances, our fees may be negotiable based
on a variety of subjective and objective factors, including but not limited to: the
amount of assets to be managed; account composition; the scope and complexity
of the engagement; the anticipated number of meetings and servicing needs;
related accounts; future earning capacity; anticipated future additional assets;
negotiations with the client; and other factors. In addition, certain legacy clients
may be subject to fee arrangements no longer offered to new clients and not
described in this Disclosure Brochure. All clients are advised to consult their
services agreement with BLC for details on their specific fee arrangement. As a
result of these factors, similarly-situated clients could pay different fees, and the
services to be provided by BLC to any particular client could be available from
other advisers at lower fees.
Termination of the Advisory Relationship: A client agreement may be canceled
at any time, by either party, for any reason upon receipt of written notice. As
disclosed above, certain fees may be paid in advance of services provided. Upon
termination of any account, any prepaid, unearned fees will be promptly
refunded and any unpaid fees will be due and payable. In calculating a client’s
reimbursement of fees for Program accounts, we will pro rate the
reimbursement according to the number of days remaining in the billing period.
Fund Fees: All fees paid to BLC for investment advisory services are separate
and distinct from the fees and expenses charged by mutual funds and/or ETFs to
their shareholders. These fees and expenses are described in each fund's
prospectus. These fees will generally include a management fee, other fund
expenses, and a possible distribution fee (known as a 12b-1 fee). Although BLC
collects 12b-1 fees in connection with investments made advisory accounts, BLC
does receive any compensation on such fees where they are credited back to the
managed account client. If the fund also imposes sales charges, a client may pay
an initial or deferred sales charge.
A client could invest in a mutual fund directly, without our services. In that case,
the client would not receive the services provided by our firm which are
designed, among other things, to assist the client in determining which mutual
fund or funds are most appropriate to each client's financial condition and
objectives. Accordingly, the client should review both the fees charged by the
funds and our fees to fully understand the total amount of fees to be paid by the
client and to thereby evaluate the advisory services being provided.
Additional Fees and Expenses: In addition to BLC's advisory fees, IRA clients are
also responsible for custodial maintenance fees that are assessed by the clearing
broker. Under wrap fee engagements, BLC shall pay all other expenses, such as
brokerage commissions, custody fees, and platform fees. Please refer to Item 12 of
this Brochure for additional information about our brokerage practices.
Participation in the Program may cost more or less than purchasing such services
separately. Also, the Program fee charged by BLC for participation in the Program
may be higher or lower than those charged by other sponsors of comparable wrap
fee programs.
Depending upon the percentage wrap-fee charged, the amount of portfolio activity
in the client's account, and the value of custodial and other services provided, the
wrap fee may or may not exceed the aggregate cost of such services if they were to
be provided separately and/or if we were to negotiate transaction fees and seek
best price and execution of transactions for the client's account. However, our
Individual Portfolio Management services are only offered on a wrap fee basis.
The Program’s wrap fee does not include certain charges and administrative fees,
including, but not limited to, tradeaway fees, transfer taxes, odd lot differentials,
exchange fees, interest charges, American Depository Receipt agency processing
fees, and any charges, taxes or other fees mandated by any federal, state or other
applicable law or otherwise agreed to with regard to client accounts. Such fees and
expenses are in addition to the Program’s wrap fee.
Our related persons who recommend the Program to clients do not receive special
compensation as a result of a client’s participation in the Program.