Upper Left Wealth Management, LLC
Upper Left Wealth Management, LLC (“ULWM” and or “the firm”) is a registered investment
advisor based in Tampa, Florida. The firm was formed in 2017 as a Limited Liability Company (LLC)
under the laws of the state of Illinois. ULWM is an investment advisory business that offers clients
financial planning and portfolio management services for its clients (“Clients”). ULWM is owned
by Randy Kurtz. Anthony Wall is a Director at ULWM.
As used in the brochure, the words “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to ULWM, and the words “you”,
“your”, “their”, “her”, and “client” refer to you either as a client or prospective client of our firm.
Advisory Services Offered
ULWM is a registered investment advisor specializing in low-cost, tax-efficient passive and index
portfolio management. Our core financial advisory services include financial planning, portfolio
design, periodic reviews, rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, estate planning and ongoing financial
advisory support and portfolio supervision.
Our investment strategy is based on many decades of academic research that demonstrates the
long-term drivers of expected portfolio performance and the benefits of diversification.
Advisory accounts will primarily be held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”). The client must
designate ULWM as its Investment Advisor on their accounts. The client’s qualified Custodian will
maintain actual custody of all client funds and securities.
As a Fiduciary, we place our clients’ interests above our own. If conflicts of interest arise, as they
occasionally do in any financial business, we follow established policies to ensure our clients’ best
interests are our top priority. Throughout this brochure we will note circumstances under which
conflicts of interest occur.
Investment Management Strategies
ULWM offers a discretionary portfolio management services based on Modern Portfolio Theory
(MPT), and we only offer three portfolios. Our first portfolio is called Conservative Portfolio, and
it is intended for short term and conservative holdings and needs. Our second portfolio is called
Core Portfolio, and it is our interpretation of the tangency portfolio. Our third portfolio is called
Aggressive Portfolio, and it is our attempt to garner a higher rate of return for a given unit of risk.
Based upon an investor’s unique needs, liquidity needs, time horizon, goals, risk tolerances and
asset size, we allocate their assets among the three portfolios.
When creating portfolios, we believe in a following a rigorous process, rather than just guessing.
We believe in allocating amongst countries using factors such as size, valuation, volatility and
correlation.
Financial Planning Services
ULWM offers financial planning services to all clients. Financial planning includes cash flow
forecasting, Monte Carlo
simulation analysis, IRA withdrawal strategies, social security planning,
legacy planning, tax management and forecasting and much more. Financial planning is offered
to clients at no additional charge.
Management and Implementation of 401(K) Plans
ULWM manages and implements 401(K) plans for a variety of small and medium sized businesses.
Fees for 401K plans will be negotiated in partnership with outside, non-associated firms for
recordkeeping and third-party administration services. Generally, the all-in fees for 401(K) plans
which Upper Left Wealth Management helps to establish or improve will be 1.00% annually or less
and Upper Left Wealth's fee will be a portion of this total fee, not in addition to it.
Types of Clients:
ULWM’s qualified plan services are geared toward small and medium sized businesses with 401(K)
retirement plans. ULWM works with service partners including Vanguard Retirement Plan Access
and plan sponsors to develop appropriate 401(K) options. 401(K) accounts are custodied with
Vanguard and Paychex.
Investment Discretion:
ULWM does NOT have investment discretion on 401(K) accounts. ULWM does recommend the
investment options available for 401(K) plans, which includes the default investment option.
Our Mission
ULWM is built on the cornerstones of client trust and a strategy that aims to deliver long-term
financial results. Our mission is to deliver unbiased analysis and advice, low-cost investment
strategies tailored to personal goals, and excellent service. We place a high value on transparency
and objectivity and operate according to fiduciary principles in our clients’ best interests. We do
not sell products or receive commissions of any kind. We seek long-term relationships as we help
clients achieve their financial goals.
Client-Tailored Services and Client-Imposed Restrictions
ULWM tailors its financial advisor service to the individual needs of each Client. Accounts for
Clients (“Client Accounts” or “Accounts”) are opened and maintained according to the Agreement
which describes the discretionary authority that Clients grant to ULWM to manage the client’s
account(s). To tailor our financial advisor services to each client, ULWM asks each prospective
client a series of questions concerning their needs, liquidity needs, time horizon, goals, risk
tolerances and asset size. While we do not allow clients to impose investment restrictions, we do
tailor the allocation of the three strategies to each client.
Wrap Fee Programs
The firm does not participate in wrap fee programs. (Wrap fee programs offer services for one all-
inclusive fee.)
Client Assets Under Management
As disclosed in ULWM’s Form ADV Part 1, ULWM manages approximately $101,593,295 of
discretionary assets and $430,643 of non-discretionary assets as of 12/31/2022.