Firm Information F5 Financial Planning, L.L.C. is an Illinois-based company formed in 2011 and registered as an investment advisor in 2021. Our firm is not a subsidiary of nor do we control another entity. We hold ourselves to a fiduciary standard, which means our firm and its associates will act in the utmost good faith and perform in a manner believed to be in the best interest of our clients. As fiduciaries, we are obligated to put you – our client – first. This disclosure brochure provides information regarding the qualifications, business practices and details of the advisory services and the applicable fees. Principal Owners Curtis L. Stowers, PhD, CFP® President & Financial Advisor (70% Owner) Curt is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. He is a graduate from the University of Illinois where he earned a BS, MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering. Curt’s goal as a financial planner is to ensure that families, corporate executives, and entrepreneurs have a comprehensive financial plan in place to reach their life goals. With 18 years of experience as a corporate executive and having owned a Subway franchise for over a decade, he knows how to provide practical, first-hand perspectives in the financial planning process. Curt is a husband, father of three, an avid outdoorsman, and a follower of Christ. Joshua S. Duncan, MBA, CFP® Partner, Chief Compliance Officer & Financial Advisor (30% Owner) Josh is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. He grew up near Peoria Illinois and attended Eastern Illinois University where he earned a B.S. in computer science. He also holds an MBA from Capella University. Josh’s interest in personal finance took off in 2008 with a focus on long-term investing and personal financial planning. He officially started his vocation in the financial industry in 2013 and quickly grew a successful business. Josh joined the F5 Financial team in October 2018. Josh is based in Venice, FL, along the Gulf Coast. He also maintains an office in McDonough, GA. As a Christ- follower, he spends time deepening his faith and loving on his community. Josh is a husband and a father of three. Advisory Services Offered F5 Financial is a NAPFA approved, fee-only financial planning firm with a focus on serving Corporate Executives, Entrepreneurs, and Families. The firm provides its clients with financial planning and investment advisory services that are specifically tailored to the client’s individual needs and circumstances. The firm utilizes a combination of in-person meetings, telephone, email correspondence, as well as financial planning questionnaires to obtain and clarify a client’s goals and objectives. A client’s specific goals and objectives are used as a basis for the financial planning and investment strategy developed for each client. The primary type of advisory service offered by the firm is comprehensive, fee only financial planning. The firm also provides investment supervisory services (i.e. “asset management”) but only as part of an on-going financial planning relationship. In performing its services, the firm is not required to verify any information received from the client or from the client's other professionals. Each client is advised that it remains his/her responsibility to promptly notify the firm when there are any changes in his/her financial situation and/or financial objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating, or revising previous recommendations and/or services. In the course of developing a client’s investment strategy, clients may impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities. These restrictions must be submitted in writing and signed by the client. The firm will make a best efforts to accommodate the restrictions as practical. If a client requests investment restrictions on their investment strategy, the firm will discuss (with the client) the advantages, disadvantages, and anticipated impact of those restrictions on the client’s investment strategy. The firm provides regular and continuous management and supervision of assets as well as financial planning primarily to families, individuals, businesses and trusts. Assets are managed on a discretionary or non- discretionary basis, as selected on the written asset management agreement. Discretionary Authority Client grants Advisor ongoing and continuous discretionary authority to execute its investment recommendations without the Client's prior approval of each specific transaction. Under this authority, Client shall allow Advisor to purchase and sell securities and instruments in this Account(s), arrange for delivery and payment in connection with the foregoing, select and retain sub-advisors, and act on behalf of the Client in all matters necessary or incidental. Non-Discretionary Authority Advisor will not execute any investment recommendations without Client’s prior approval (verbal or written). Investment Advisor Representatives are restricted to providing services and charging fees based in accordance with the descriptions detailed in this document and the account agreement. However, the exact service and fees charged to a particular Client are dependent upon the Investment Advisor Representatives that are working with the Client. Comprehensive Financial Planning Services The firm works with clients to identify and define their specific financial goals and objectives in order to develop strategies for attaining those goals and objectives. The strategies developed include a focus on any number of the following areas:
• Goal setting and achievement (financial and non-financial goals);
• Investment management and advisory services including asset allocation services, monitoring of investments, and implementation of recommended investment plans;
• Retirement planning and projections including statistical analyses such as Monte Carlo simulations;
• Estate planning, wealth transfer, and family succession strategies;
• Cash flow planning and budgeting;
• Wealth preservation and savings analysis;
• Insurance and risk management reviews, risk assessment analyses, and risk reduction strategies;
• Tax planning and tax reduction strategies;
• College funding and planning for children and grandchildren;
• Employee benefits reviews; and
• Executive compensation and stock options analyses. Investment Advisory Services/Portfolio Management Services Investment advisory services are only provided as part of the comprehensive financial planning services described above. All investment management, monitoring, and planning services are based on an in-depth analysis of each client's financial goals, the time horizon applicable to their objectives and their tolerance for investment risk. The firm coordinates the investment and financial planning advice in an individually tailored, long-term strategy for each client. This advice is updated regularly with clients to ensure that if changes are needed, they are made on a timely basis. All portfolios are reviewed for risk, liquidity, cash flow requirements, and diversification among asset classes and investment styles. Assets under the direct management of the firm are held directly in the client’s name by the independent custodian, Shareholders Service Group (SSG)/ Pershing. The firm does not act as a custodian of client assets. For purposes of the Security and Exchange Commissions (SEC) technical definition of “custody”, the firm may be deemed as having custody because, in some cases, the firm is allowed to deduct its advisory fees directly from its client’s account after having been given express, written consent from the client to do so. Retirement Plan Consulting Services Investment Advisor Representatives assist Clients that are trustees or other fiduciaries to retirement plans (“Plans”) to design a retirement plan but does not serve in an ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) fiduciary capacity. In addition, F5 Financial Planning does not provide Third Party Administration (TPA) services. A TPA is hired by the plan’s trustee. Plan Participant Services F5 Financial Planning does not provide services to plan participants. Retirement Plan Rollovers An employee generally has four (4) options for their retirement plan when they leave an employer: 1. Leave the money in his/her former employer’s plan, if permitted 2. Rollover the assets to his/her new employer’s plan if one is available and permitted 3. Rollover to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), or 4. Cash out the account value, which has significant tax considerations Rollover Educational Services Advisor generally provides educational

services pertaining to retirement plan assets that could potentially be rolled-over to an IRA managed by the firm. Education is based on a particular Client’s financial circumstances. Advisor has an incentive to recommend such a rollover based on the compensation received, which is mitigated by the fiduciary duty to act in a Client’s best interest and acting accordingly. Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages and before making a change we encourage you to speak with your CPA and/or tax attorney. If you are considering rolling over your retirement funds to an IRA for us to manage here are a few points to consider before you do so:
• Determine whether the investment options in your employer's retirement plan address your needs or whether you might want to consider other types of investments.
• Employer retirement plans generally have a more limited investment menu than IRAs.
• Employer retirement plans may have unique investment options not available to the public such as employer securities, or previously closed funds.
• Your current plan may have lower fees than our fees. If a client elects to roll the assets to an IRA that is subject to our management, we will charge you an asset- based fee as set forth in the agreement you executed with our firm. This practice presents a conflict of interest because Investment Advisor Representatives have an incentive to recommend a rollover to you for the purpose of generating fee-based compensation rather than solely based on your needs. You are under no obligation, contractually or otherwise, to complete the rollover. Moreover, if you do complete the rollover, you are under no obligation to have the assets in an IRA managed by our firm. Many employers permit former employees to keep their retirement assets in their company plan. Also, current employees can sometimes move assets out of their company plan before they retire or change jobs. In determining whether to complete the rollover to an IRA, and to the extent the following options are available, you should consider the costs and benefits of each. An employee will typically be investing only in mutual funds, you should understand the cost structure of the share classes, available in your employer's retirement plan and how the costs of those share classes compare with those available in an IRA. Clients should understand the various products and services they might take advantage of at an IRA provider and the potential costs of those products and services.
• Our strategy may have higher risk than the option(s) provided to you in your plan.
• Your current plan may also offer financial advice.
• If you keep your assets titled in a 401k or retirement account, participants could potentially delay their required minimum distribution beyond age 70½.
• A 401(k) may offer more liability protection than a rollover IRA; each state may vary.
• Participants may be able to take out a loan on your 401k, but not from an IRA.
• IRA assets can be accessed any time; however, distributions are subject to ordinary income tax and may also be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty unless they qualify for an exception such as disability, higher education expenses or the purchase of a home.
• If company stock is owned in a plan, participants may be able to liquidate those shares at a lower capital gains tax rate.
• Plans may allow Advisor to be hired as the manager and keep the assets titled in the plan name. Generally, federal law protects assets in qualified plans from creditors. Since 2005, IRA assets have been generally protected from creditors in bankruptcies. However, there can be some exceptions to the general rules so you should consult with an attorney if you are concerned about protecting your retirement plan assets from creditors. It is important to understand the differences between these types of accounts and to decide whether a rollover is the best option. Prior to proceeding, if you have questions contact your Investment Adviser Representative, or call our main number as listed on the cover page of this brochure. Rollover Recommendations When we provide investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual retirement account, we are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and/or the Internal Revenue Code (IRS), as applicable, which are laws governing retirement accounts. The way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests, so we operate under a special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. Under this special rule’s provisions, we must meet a professional standard of care when making investment recommendations (give prudent advice); never put our financial interests ahead of yours when making recommendations (give loyal advice); avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interest, fees, and investments; follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that we give advice that is in your best interest; charge no more than is reasonable for our services; and give you basic information about conflicts of interest. Minimum Investment Amount The firm does not have a minimum asset or household account minimum required to open or maintain an account, but does not provide ongoing services for less than $4,000 per year. We also charge an initial, one- time-only, financial planning fee of $3,000.
• Most clients have in excess of $500,000 in investable assets or have a demonstrated track record of saving aggressively. Wrap Fee Program A wrap fee program includes securities transaction fees together with its investment advisory 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.
• F5 Financial does not sponsor or act as a portfolio manager for a Wrap Fee Program. Client Account Management Prior to engaging Advisor to provide investment advisory services, each Client is required to enter into an investment advisory agreement with that defines the terms, conditions, authority, and responsibilities. Third Party Advisor Services Advisor can establish agreements with a third-party adviser where that Adviser offers various types of directly sponsored programs. All third-party investment advisers to whom Advisor may refer clients will be licensed as investment advisers by their resident state and any applicable jurisdictions or Registered Investment Advisers with the SEC. After gathering information about a client's financial situation and investment objectives. Advisor may assist the client in selecting a particular third-party program. Advisor receives compensation pursuant to its agreements with these third-party advisers for introducing clients to these third-party advisers and for certain ongoing services provided to clients. Fees shared will not exceed with any limit imposed by any federal and/or state regulatory agency. This compensation is disclosed in a separate disclosure document and is typically equal to a percentage of the investment advisory fee charged by that third-party adviser or a fixed fee. The disclosure document provided by Advisor will clearly state the fees payable to Advisor and the impact to the overall fees due to these payments. Since the compensation paid to Advisor can differ depending on the agreement with each third-party adviser. Advisor has an incentive to recommend one third-party advisers over another however the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the client. Clients who are referred to third-party investment advisers will receive full disclosure, including services rendered and fee schedules, at the time of the referral, by delivery of a copy of the relevant third-party adviser's Form ADV 2A as well as the Form ADV 2A for Advisor . In addition, if the investment program recommended to a client is a wrap fee program the client will also receive the wrap fee program brochure provided by the sponsor of the program. Clients will be required to enter in to an advisory agreement and complete other account specific documents with the third-party money manager in order to establish an account. While Advisor will assist in determining an appropriate third-party adviser. Advisor does not participate in the management of account established with a third-party money manager. Assets Under Management The firm is a newly registered investment adviser. Assets under management will be amended at least annually as of December 31st. Assets under Management (02/14/2023) Discretionary $107,176,088 Non-Discretionary $3,242,492 Total $110,418,580