Founded by its president, managing member and principal owner, James E. Bickley, GWM
provides financial counseling and consulting, investment management and wealth management
services to its clients. At GWM, a keen awareness exists that the firm must limit the services
available so it may provide the focus necessary to address specific areas of need for clients’
financial strategies. It is with this mission in mind that GWM offers advisory services that are
tailored to realize goals for accumulation of wealth and its preservation. Accordingly, the firm
intentionally offers a limited scope of services so it may concentrate directly on the client’s
need rather than a corporate need for expansiveness. Gibraltar was established in March 2003.
Prior to engaging GWM to provide any of the foregoing investment advisory services, the client
is required to enter into one or more written agreements with the firm setting forth the terms
and conditions under which GWM renders its services (collectively the “Agreement”). When a
copy of this Brochure Document and the Brochure Supplement for the client’s investment
adviser representative is not provided to the client at least 48 hours prior to signing the
contract(s), client has five business days from the time at which they receive the Disclosure
Brochure in which to cancel the contract, without penalty.
GWM provides continuous investment advisory services to clients on a discretionary or non‐
discretionary basis and as of December 31, 2023, provided services for clients with a cumulative
total of $150,274,806 in assets under management, of which $123,389,453 were managed on a
non‐discretionary basis and $26,885,353 were managed on a discretionary basis. In addition,
GWM advises on additional assets of $85,177,214 bringing GWM’s total assets under
management/advisement to $235,452,020. When engaged by clients on a discretionary basis,
GWM may, with the authorization of the client, trade any securities or rebalance any client’s
portfolio without the client’s explicit direction and/or consent. GWM may also assist clients in
the selection of an appropriate qualified money manager who will provide discretionary
investment management services to a client. The firm does not have the discretion to hire or fire
these independent managers without client consent. For this reason, assets managed by these
independent asset managers do not meet the regulatory definition of assets under management
by the firm and are, therefore, only included in the total assets under management/advisement
referenced above.
This Disclosure Brochure describes the business of GWM. Certain sections will also describe
the activities of Supervised Persons. Supervised Persons are any of GWM’s officers, partners,
directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or
employees or any other person who provides investment advice on GWM’s behalf and is
subject to GWM’s supervision or control.
Financial Consulting and Investment Consulting Services
GWM may provide its clients with a broad range of comprehensive financial consulting and
investment consulting services. These services include retirement, education, insurance, estate
planning, asset and liability review, investments and tax and cash flow needs of the client.
These services may be provided on a standalone basis or may be provided as part of the firm’s
overall wealth management program (as set forth below). The services generally consist of the
following, but may include other services as requested by the client:
Financial Consulting
• Implementation of the firm’s wealth management system.
• Review of clients’ overall financial situation, including a written report of
recommendations covering cash flow, tax planning, investment planning,
estate planning and risk management.
• Preparation of a written Estate Planning Summary and recommendations.
• Preparation of a written Retirement Planning Report and recommendations.
• Preparation or update to a client’s existing financial plan.
Investment Consulting
• An initial review and assessment of the past results of investment
management services applied to investment portfolios.
• Recommendation of potential investment managers based on refinement of
client’s investment objectives/needs.
• Ongoing monitoring and assessment of third-party adviser’s results relative to
market indices and industry peers.
• Participation in client meetings with third-party investment manager
representatives.
• Preparation of a written Asset Allocation Report and recommendation(s).
• Preparation of a written analysis of clients’ current investment portfolio
and recommendations for change where appropriate.
In performing its services, GWM is not required to verify any information received from the
client or from the client’s other professionals (e.g., attorney, accountant, etc.) and is expressly
authorized to rely on such third-party information. The client retains absolute discretion over
all implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any of GWM’s recommendations.
Clients are advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify GWM if there is ever
any change in their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing,
evaluating, or revising the firm’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Relative Strength Advisory Services
The Relative Strength Advisory Service is a service offered by GWM. All client assets are
held in the client’s name at a custodian of the client’s choosing or in a separate account by
means of an association with a company sponsored plan or account. No assets are held or will
be held by GWM. GWM will provide advice regarding the mutual funds or exchange-traded
funds (ETFs) offered to the individual client through the client’s 401(k) or retirement plan. In
some instances, GWM may provide assistance to the client in developing or refining a menu
of fund or ETF alternatives. The advice and guidance provided by GWM is based upon results
from an individual matrix created and maintained for each client and/or plan. The fund or ETF
choices within the plan are compared to one another and those with the best Relative Strength
measurements, as determined using the point & figure charts, are then provided as investment
recommendations
as determined by the model selected by the client. Each quarter GWM will
communicate to the client the funds or ETFs in which investments are to be made. Depending
on which Fund/ETF Model (3 Fund Model or 3- ETF Model; 4 Fund Model or 4-ETF Model;
or 5 Fund Model or 5-ETF Model) is selected for use by the client, it will be the client’s
responsibility to equally invest in the top 3, 4 or 5 Fund or ETF Model on the recommended
listing. By way of example, with the 3 Fund Model or 3-ETF Model, 34% of the allocation
would be invested in the first fund/ETF choice and 33% invested in the remaining second and
third choices.
All menu options are evaluated not less than quarterly for purposes of providing guidance on
fund or ETF changes and re-balancing. Increased transaction costs may be incurred for mutual
fund and ETF models that are re-balanced more frequently. A more frequent re-balancing
schedule may or may not improve model performance when factoring in the increased cost of
transactions incurred.
Investment Management and Wealth Management Services (Discretionary and
Non- Discretionary)
In addition to earning fees for consulting to personal and retirement investment accounts,
GWM extends additional services to clients who are in need of special supervision of their
financial assets and personal business matters through its offering of wealth management
services. These services may include the financial counseling and consulting services
described above as well as the non-discretionary management of investment portfolios.
To implement a client’s plan and as detailed further in Item 8, GWM may allocate clients’
investment management assets among Independent Managers (defined below). The
Independent Managers may utilize a variety of investments including, but not limited to,
exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), individual stocks, fixed income securities and mutual funds
in accordance with the client’s investment objectives. GWM may also exercise discretionary
authority over a client's account and implement trades for such clients itself through its
relationship with a Financial Institution, as defined below.
GWM tailors its advisory services to the individual needs of clients. The firm consults with
clients initially and on an ongoing basis to determine risk tolerance, time horizon and other
factors that may impact the clients’ investment needs. GWM ensures that clients’ investments
are suitable for their investment needs, goals, objectives, and risk tolerance. GWM is
committed to know their clients and to understand and be aware of changes in circumstances
that may require a realignment of investment parameters and priorities. Although the firm does
not implement a standardized investment policy statement (“IPS”) for clients, it will work
with clients to prepare an IPS or with Independent Managers who may prepare an IPS for the
client, as n e e d e d .
Clients may impose reasonable restrictions or mandates on the management of their account
if, in GWM’s sole discretion, the conditions would not materially impact the performance of
a portfolio strategy or prove overly burdensome to GWM’s management efforts.
Use of Independent Managers
As mentioned above, for clients who require investment management services GWM may
recommend that clients authorize the active discretionary management of their assets by
independent investment managers (“Independent Managers”). The terms and conditions under
which the client engages the Independent Managers are set forth in a separate written
agreement between GWM or the client and the designated Independent Managers. GWM
renders services to the client relative to the non- discretionary recommendation of Independent
Managers. GWM monitors and reviews the account performance and the client’s investment
objectives. GWM receives an annual advisory fee which may be based upon a percentage of
the market value of the assets being managed by the designated Independent Managers.
When recommending an Independent Manager for a client, GWM reviews information about
the Independent Manager such as its disclosure brochure and/or material supplied by the
Independent Manager or independent third parties for a description of the Independent
Manager’s investment strategies, past performance and risk results to the extent available.
Factors that GWM considers in recommending an Independent Manager include the client’s
stated investment objectives, management style, performance, reputation, financial strength,
reporting, pricing, and research. The investment management fees charged by the designated
Independent Managers, together with the fees charged by the corresponding designated
broker-dealer/custodian of the client’s assets, are exclusive of, and in addition to, GWM’s
investment advisory fee set forth above.
In addition to GWM’s written disclosure brochure, the client also receives the written
disclosure brochure of the designated Independent Managers.
Inter-Active Advisory Services
For clients wishing to increase their investment knowledge, Gibraltar offers an interactive
investment service. Inter-Active investing allows for an in-depth and collaborative approach
for clients to gain insight from Gibraltar’s advisors on investment ideas and strategies. Our
professionals work with and support the active investor looking to make independent
investment decisions. The focus is on detailed analyses and explanations of specific strategies
clients may wish to discuss in order to make more informed decisions about their personal
investments. Interactive investing provides customized guidance that is a valuable resource
for our clients seeking a more dynamic relationship with a focus on learning and mentoring as
they make investment decisions.
Sub-Advisory Services
GWM serves in the capacity as a sub-adviser under a sub-advisory agreement with a general
partner and investment manager to a designated amount of a private fund. As such, GWM may
be compensated by a fixed or a percentage management fee and a portion of a performance fee
equal to a percentage of net profits/net gains of the sub-advised assets of the private fund in
accordance with the Fund formation, management and offering documents.