GMFG offers a variety of advisory services, which include financial planning, consulting, and investment
management services. Prior to GMFG rendering any of the foregoing advisory services, clients are required
to enter into one or more written agreements with GMFG setting forth the relevant terms and conditions of
the advisory relationship (the “Advisory Agreement”).
GMFG filed for registration as an investment adviser in December 2022 and is owned by James Ronn,
Donald Phillips, and Robert Phillips. As of December 31, 2023, GMFG had $424,484,981 assets under
management. $347,916,422 of these assets were managed on a discretionary basis and $76,568,559 were
managed on a non-discretionary basis.
While this brochure generally describes the business of GMFG, certain sections also discuss the activities
of its Supervised Persons, which refer to the Firm’s officers, partners, directors (or other persons occupying
a similar status or performing similar functions), employees or other persons who provide investment advice
on GMFG’s behalf and are subject to the Firm’s supervision or control.
Financial Planning and Consulting Services
GMFG offers clients a broad range of financial planning and consulting services, which include any or all
of the following functions:
• Business Planning
• Cash Flow Forecasting
• Trust and Estate Planning
• Financial Reporting
• Investment Consulting
• Insurance Planning
• Retirement Planning
• Risk Management
• Charitable Giving
• Distribution Planning
• Tax Planning
• Education Planning
• Benefit Planning
• Executive Benefit Strategies
While each of these services is available on a stand-alone basis, certain of them can also be rendered in
conjunction with investment portfolio management as part of a comprehensive wealth management
engagement (described in more detail below).
In performing these services, GMFG is not required to verify any information received from the client or
from the client’s other professionals (e.g., attorneys, accountants, etc.,) and is expressly authorized to rely
on such information. GMFG recommends certain clients engage the Firm for additional related services,
its Supervised Persons in their individual capacities as insurance agents and/or other professionals to
implement its recommendations. Clients are advised that a conflict of interest exists for the Firm to
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recommend that clients engage GMFG or its affiliates to provide (or continue to provide) additional services
for compensation, including investment management services. Clients retain absolute discretion over all
decisions regarding implementation and are under no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations
made by GMFG under a financial planning or consulting engagement. Clients are advised that it remains
their responsibility to promptly notify the Firm of any change in their financial situation or investment
objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating or revising GMFG’s recommendations and/or services.
Wealth Management Services
GMFG provides clients with wealth management services which include a broad range of financial planning
and consulting services as well as discretionary and/or non-discretionary management of investment
portfolios.
GMFG primarily allocates client assets among various mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”),
individual debt and equity securities, alternative investments and independent investment managers
(“Independent Managers”) in accordance with their stated investment objectives.
Where appropriate, the Firm also provides advice about any type of legacy position or other investment
held in client portfolios, but clients should not assume that these assets are being continuously monitored
or otherwise advised on by the Firm unless specifically agreed upon. Clients can engage GMFG to manage
and/or advise on certain investment products that are not maintained at their primary custodian, such as
variable life insurance and annuity contracts and assets held in employer sponsored retirement plans and
qualified tuition plans (i.e., 529 plans). In these situations, GMFG directs or recommends the allocation of
client assets among the various investment options available with the product. These assets are generally
maintained at the underwriting insurance company or the custodian designated by the product’s
provider.
GMFG tailors its advisory services to meet the needs of its individual clients and seeks to ensure, on a
continuous basis, that client portfolios are managed in a manner consistent with those needs and objectives.
GMFG consults with clients on an initial and ongoing basis to assess their specific risk tolerance, time
horizon, liquidity constraints and other related factors relevant to the management of their portfolios.
Clients are advised to promptly notify GMFG if there are changes in their financial situation or if they wish
to place any limitations on the management of their portfolios. Clients can impose reasonable restrictions
or mandates on the management of their accounts if GMFG determines, in its sole discretion, the conditions
would not materially impact the performance of a management strategy or prove overly burdensome to the
Firm’s management efforts.
Consulting Services Through Mutual Securities, Inc.
The Firm can provide advice to clients regarding their variable annuities and/or insurance policies through
a relationship with Mutual Securities. Mutual Securities engages the Firm to advise the client on the
investment of the subaccounts amongst the various options available. The services are provided to Mutual
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Securities for customers (“Brokerage Customers”) who provide written consent requesting to receive the
Firm’s consulting services. The Firm only provides these services to clients that have signed an Advisory
Agreement with the Firm and have consented to such with Mutual Securities.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
GMFG provides various consulting services to qualified employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries. This
suite of institutional services is designed to assist plan sponsors in structuring, managing and optimizing
their corporate retirement plans. Each engagement is individually negotiated and customized, and includes
any or all of the following services:
• Plan Design and Strategy
• Plan Review and Evaluation
• Executive Planning & Benefits
• Investment Selection
• Plan Fee and Cost Analysis
• Plan Committee Consultation
• Fiduciary and Compliance
• Participant Education
As disclosed in the Advisory Agreement, certain of the foregoing services are provided by GMFG as a
fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). In
accordance with ERISA Section 408(b)(2), each plan sponsor is provided with a written description of
GMFG’s fiduciary status, the specific services to be rendered and all direct and indirect compensation the
Firm reasonably expects under the engagement.
Use of Independent Managers
As mentioned above, GMFG can select certain Independent Managers to actively manage a portion of its
clients’ assets. The specific terms and conditions under which a client engages an Independent Manager
are set forth in a separate written agreement with the designated Independent Manager. That agreement
can be between the Firm and the Independent Manager (often called a subadvisor) or the client and the
Independent Manager (sometimes called a separate account manager). In addition to this brochure, clients
will typically also receive the written disclosure documents of the respective Independent Managers
engaged to manage their assets.
GMFG evaluates a variety of information about Independent Managers, which includes the Independent
Managers’ public disclosure documents, materials supplied by the Independent Managers themselves and
other third-party analyses it believes are reputable. To the extent possible, the Firm seeks to assess the
Independent Managers’ investment strategies, past performance and risk results in relation to its clients’
individual portfolio allocations and risk exposure. GMFG also takes into consideration each Independent
Manager’s management style, returns, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing and research
capabilities, among other factors.
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GMFG continues to provide services relative to the discretionary or non-discretionary selection of the
Independent Managers. On an ongoing basis, the Firm monitors the performance of those accounts being
managed by Independent Managers. GMFG seeks to ensure the Independent Managers’ strategies and
target allocations remain aligned with its clients’ investment objectives and overall best interests.