Amphora is owned by Eric J. Sobocinski and has been providing investment advisory services since June 2011. Amphora’s investment advisory services are offered as part of a more comprehensive wealth management process. This involves the following steps:
•Discovery: Exploration and identification of a client’s values and goals
•Investment Planning: Preparation of an Investment Policy Statement outlining a client’s current financial situation
•Development of Investment Plan: Selecting a portfolio that will correspond with a client’s specific situation
•Implementation: Providing on-going services for the management of client accounts in accordance with investment and wealth objectives
•Regular Progress Meetings: Contact with clients to determine if financial circumstances or investment and wealth objectives have changed requiring alternative strategy.
Advisory Services Amphora works with clients to determine the client's investment objectives and investor risk profile and will design a written Investment Policy Statement (“IPS”) for each client, which outlines the client’s current situation (income, tax levels, and risk tolerance levels) and then constructs a general plan (“Investment Plan”) to aid in the selection of a portfolio that matches each client’s specific situation.
Amphora uses investment and portfolio allocation software to evaluate alternative portfolio designs. Amphora evaluates the client's existing investments with respect to the client's investment policy statement. Amphora works with new clients to develop a plan to transition from the client's existing portfolio to the portfolio recommended by Amphora. Amphora will then continuously monitor the client's portfolio holdings and the overall asset allocation strategy and hold review meetings with the client regarding the account as necessary.
Amphora primarily recommends portfolios consisting of passively and/or evidenced-based mutual funds and index mutual funds or exchange traded funds (“ETF”), and, where appropriate, individual fixed income securities, and may use model portfolios if the models match the client's investment policy. Amphora will allocate the client's assets among various investments taking into consideration the client’s unique ability, need and willingness to take risk.
Amphora primarily recommends mutual funds offered by Dimensional Fund Advisors (“DFA”), Bridgeway Capital Management, AQR and Vanguard. Mutual Funds or ETFs that follow a passive and/or evidence-based investment philosophy generally have low holdings turnover. Consequently, the fund expenses are generally lower than fees and expenses charged by other types of funds. Client portfolios may also include some individual equity securities (generally part of clients’ investment holdings prior to working with Amphora) and may continue to be held in situations where disposition of these securities would present an overriding tax implication or the client specifically requests they be retained for a personal reason. Amphora manages portfolios on a discretionary and, in very limited circumstances, on a non-discretionary basis. A client may impose any reasonable restrictions on Amphora’s discretionary authority, including restrictions on the types of securities in which Amphora may invest client’s assets and on specific securities, which the client may believe to be appropriate. These situations will be specifically identified in the client’s IPS.
Amphora has retained Buckingham Strategic Partners to act as a sub-advisor for certain client accounts. Buckingham Strategic Partners shall provide various model asset allocation portfolios (each a “Portfolio,” collectively “Portfolios”) for selection by Amphora. Each Portfolio strives to achieve long-term risk and return objectives through diversification among multiple asset classes using investment options available to Buckingham Strategic Partners, which may include, but are not limited to, mutual funds and/or exchange traded funds from Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc., AQR Capital Management, LLC, The Vanguard Group, Inc., Stoneridge Asset Management, LLC or other providers selected by Buckingham Strategic Partners. Each Portfolio is designed to meet a particular investment goal which Amphora has determined is suitable based on the client's circumstances. Once the appropriate Portfolio(s) has been determined, the Portfolio will continuously be managed based on the portfolio’s goal and Buckingham Strategic Partners will have the discretionary authority to manage the Portfolio(s), including periodically rebalancing. However, Adviser, on behalf of its client, will have the opportunity to place reasonable restrictions on the types of investments to be held in the portfolio. Should material life events occur, clients should immediately contact Amphora to determine if changes to an account and the allocation of the assets held in the account are necessary.
Amphora may also recommend fixed income portfolios to clients, which consist of managed accounts of individual bonds. Amphora will request discretionary authority within the Investment Advisory Agreement from clients to manage fixed income portfolios, including the discretion to retain a third-party fixed income manager.
Pursuant to its discretionary authority granted by the client in our Investment Advisory Agreement, Amphora may retain a fixed income securities manager. The fixed income securities manager will be provided with the discretionary authority to invest client assets in fixed income securities consistent with the client’s IPS. The manager will also monitor the account for changes in credit ratings, security call provisions, and tax loss harvesting opportunities (to the extent that the manager is provided with cost basis information). The manager will obtain Amphora’s consent prior to the sale of any client securities.
Amphora generally recommends customized, laddered bond portfolios to clients.
Complete customized, laddered fixed income portfolios generally require a minimum level of assets allocated to fixed income. Low-cost passively managed fixed income mutual funds may be used for smaller allocated amounts.
On an ongoing basis, Amphora will answer clients' inquiries regarding their accounts and review periodically

with clients the performance of their accounts. Amphora will periodically review each client's investment policy, risk profile, and discuss the re-balancing of each client's accounts to the extent appropriate. Amphora will provide to the investment manager any updated client financial information or account restrictions necessary for the investment manager to provide sub-advisory services.
Amphora will also be the named Investment Direction Adviser providing investment advisory services to various trusts. The Investment Direction Adviser serves in a fiduciary capacity to the trust and provides recommendations for investments to the named Trustee of the trust.
For certain clients, in addition to managing the client’s investment portfolio,Amphora may provide wealth management services, which are more holistic services than only investment management and include financial planning or financial consulting, such as retirement planning, charitable gift planning, college planning, estate planning, risk management counsel, assistance in the establishment of and counsel on retirement plans, and assistance with assets outsideAmphora’s direct management, among other things. Amphora refers to thisas “Practice Integrated Wealth Management.” Practice Integrated Wealth Management As a complement to our investment advisory services, Amphora provides advice in the form of financial planning geared toward integrating a client’s professional and personal lives. Amphora may charge an additional fee for these services as outlined in Item 5 below under the “Financial Planning” Section. In general, the financial plan may address any or all of the following areas of concern:
•Personal: Family records, budgeting, personal liability, estate information and financial goals
•Professional: Cash flow expectations, debt structure, transition planning and office space lease vs buy decisions
•Education: 529 plans and general assistance in preparing to meet dependents’ continuing educational needs
•Tax & cash flow: Income tax, spending analysis and planning for past, current and future years
•Death & disability: Cash needs at death, income needs of surviving dependents, estate planning and disability income analysis
•Retirement: Analysis of current strategies and investment plans to help the client achieve his or her retirement goals
•Investments: Analysis of investment alternatives and their effect on a client’s portfolio
•Divorce planning: Assistance with financial issues and decisions that face couples in process of divorce Information gathered includes a client's current financial status, future goals and attitudes toward risk. Should a client choose to implement the recommendations contained in the plan, Amphora suggests the client work closely with his/her attorney, accountant and/or insurance agent. Implementation of financial plan recommendations is entirely at the client's discretion. Financial planning recommendations are of a generic nature and are not limited to any specific product or service offered by a broker dealer or insurance company.
No Legal or Accounting Advice While a principal of Amphora may be a licensed attorney, Amphora does not provide any legal or accounting advice. Clients should seek the counsel of a qualified accountant and/or attorney when necessary.
Amphora also provides advisory services to participant-directed retirement plans through third party administration services, which are online bundled service providers offering an opportunity for plan sponsors to provide their participants with daily account access, valuation, and investment education.
Amphora will analyze the plan's current investment platform and assist in creating an IPS defining the types of investments to be offered and the restrictions that may be imposed. Amphora will recommend investment options to achieve the plan's objectives, provide participant education meetings, and monitor the performance of the plan's investment vehicles.
Amphora will recommend changes in the plan's investment vehicles as may be appropriate from time to time. Amphora generally will review the plan's investment vehicles and investment policy as necessary.
For certain retirement plans, Amphora also works in coordination and support with Buckingham Strategic Partners. Retirement plan clients will engage both Amphora and Buckingham Strategic Partners. Buckingham Strategic Partners will provide to the client additional discretionary investment management services and will exercise discretionary authority to select the plan investments made available to the plans’ participants by selecting and maintaining the plans’ investments according to the goals and investment objectives of the plan.
Amphora will continue to work with plans to monitor plan investments, provide fiduciary plan advice including regular considerations of the goals and objectives of the plan, and provide participant education services to the plan.
Amphora has entered into an agreement with Flourish Digital Assets LLC (“Flourish Digital Assets”) to offer certain eligible clients the opportunity to invest in cryptocurrency basis through Flourish Crypto accounts offered on the Flourish platform. A Flourish Crypto account is a cryptocurrency investment account custodied by Paxos Trust Company, LLC (“Paxos”) through which investors can trade cryptocurrencies and maintain custody of cryptocurrencies and U.S. dollars. Amphora will not manage these assets; therefore, clients that invest through a Flourish Crypto account will manage their own accounts and execute agreements with Flourish Digital Assets and Paxos.
Educational Seminars/Workshops From time to time, Amphora will sponsor educational seminars/workshops to help attendees organize their financial lives in the context of life events such as divorce or loss of a family member. No specifically-tailored financial planning or investment advice is intended to be rendered to attendees, and any attendees that wish to receive such specifically-tailored financial planning or investment advice must separately retain Amphora for such services.
Assets Under Management As of December 31, 2023, Amphora managed $121,376,635 on a discretionary basis and $1,188,549 on a non-discretionary basis.