A. Firm Description
Ridgeline Private Wealth (or the “Firm”) is an SEC registered investment adviser. Ridgeline Private Wealth was
founded in August 2019.
The primary Owner and Chief Compliance Officer of Ridgeline Private Wealth is Caleb W. Huftalin. Stephen D.
Hofmann is 10% Owner.
B. Types of Advisory Services
The Firm offers a large variety of services, including portfolio management, investment analysis and financial
planning for individuals and high net worth individuals. The Firm offers these services to clients or potential clients
(“clients”).
Investment Advisory Services: Direct Portfolio Management
Ridgeline Private Wealth specializes in quantitative, fundamental, technical, and economic analysis to determine
what investments are in favor of Ridgeline Private Wealth’s investment models. Ridgeline Private Wealth clients’
current holdings ensure alignment with both short- and long-term goals. The Firm performs ongoing reviews of
investment performance and portfolio exposure to market conditions.
Accordingly, the Firm is authorized to perform various functions without further approval from the client, such as
the determination of securities to be purchased or sold without prior permission from the client for each transaction.
Any and all trades are made in the best interest of the client as part of Ridgeline Private Wealth’s fiduciary duty.
However, risk is inherent to any investing strategy and model. Therefore, Ridgeline Private Wealth does not
guarantee any results or returns.
Prior to engaging Ridgeline Private Wealth to provide any investment advisory services, Ridgeline Private Wealth
requires a written financial service agreement (“FSA”) signed by the client prior to the engagement of any services.
The FSA will outline services to which the client is entitled and fees the client will incur.
Ridgeline Private Wealth is an asset-based fee investment management firm. The firm does not receive commissions
for purchasing or selling stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts, or other commissioned products
for clients. The firm is not affiliated with entities that sell financial products or securities. No commissions in any
form are accepted.
Ridgeline Private Wealth does not act as a custodian of client assets. The client always maintains asset control.
Ridgeline Private Wealth places trades for clients under a limited power of attorney through qualified
custodian/broker.
Consulting Services: Direct Private Placement Investments
When suitable for clients, typically accredited investors only, Ridgeline may occasionally help clients make direct
investments in private placement securities with a goal to identify non-correlated, or lesser correlated assets, to the
broad publicly traded equity markets. These are typically real estate or private debt related, in one or more of the
following structures:
● Real estate-focused private placements
● Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) and1031 exchanges
● Real estate investments such as LPs or LLCs
● Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
● Private Placement Credit Funds
In assisting clients in making these investments, Ridgeline Private Wealth completes the following:
● Due diligence trips and, where applicable, property visits
● Review of quarterly reports furnished by fund manager or sponsor
● Attendance of fund manager or sponsor update calls, webinars, or meetings
● Performance reviews: quarterly, semi-annual, or annual
● Obtaining tax documents and coordinating with CPAs
● Evaluation of applicable liquidity opportunities within the context of, but not limited to, client goals,
objectives, tax situation, need for liquidity, and estate planning
Consulting Services: DSTs & QOFs.
Ridgeline Private Wealth offers clients the opportunity to invest in Funds known as Delaware Statutory Trusts
(DSTs) and Qualified Opportunity Funds (QOFs). Ridgeline Private Wealth will consult with clients with respect to
the individual characteristics of the Fund, the history of the Fund Sponsor, potential growth rates, possible tax
implications, Fund leverage profile, and client financial needs and investment goals. Our firm does not provide
accounting or legal advice, or the legal documents required to create a DST/QOF. Clients are encouraged to work
closely with their attorney and tax professional when considering investing in DSTs and QOFs. Fees for this service
can be located in Item 5: Fees & Compensation.
Ridgeline intends to seek out arrangements with the following potential list of DST & QOF Sponsors, including but
not limited to: Inland Private Capital Corporation, Cantor Fitzgerald, Ares Wealth Management Solutions, Pacific
Oak Capital Markets, and Four Springs Capital Trust.
Pontera
Our firm will also provide service for accounts not directly held in our custody, but where we do have discretion, and
may leverage an Order Management System (Pontera) to implement asset allocation and opportunistic rebalancing
strategies on behalf of the client. Pontera is a clerical service that facilitates orders from Ridgeline Private Wealth to
client accounts not held in our custody, for example, employer sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s. This service
does not facilitate account billing and fees are paid through a separate billing process.
The accounts that will utilize these services will be primarily 401(k) accounts, HSAs, and other assets that Ridgeline
Private Wealth does not have custody of. Our firm will regularly review, rebalance, and implement our strategies
using different tools as necessary.
We regularly review the available investment options in these accounts, monitor them, and rebalance and implement
our strategies in the same way we do other accounts, though using different tools as necessary. The fees charged in
these situations are the same as described in the table under “Fees and Compensation.” Fees are paid separately on
the management of these “held away” assets and clients may be provided an invoice describing the fees. Suitability
documentation will be held with the Plan Custodian and this documentation cannot be altered by Ridgeline Private
Wealth.
Dual Financial Planning and Portfolio Management Services
Ridgeline Private Wealth offers financial planning and portfolio management services as a combined service as
designated by the client. The services provided depend on the nature and complexity of the client’s situation and
could include some or all of the following: financial goal setting, portfolio design and asset allocation, risk tolerance
and capacity analysis, investment management, cash flow and expense planning, debt management and planning,
employee benefits planning, employer stock plan analysis, retirement planning, education planning, risk
management and insurance planning, estate planning and beneficiary, income tax planning, trust planning, small
business planning, and small business retirement plans.
Prior to engaging Ridgeline Private Wealth to provide financial planning and portfolio management services, the
client will be required to enter into a Dual Financial Planning and Portfolio Management Investment Advisory
Agreement with Ridgeline Private Wealth setting forth the terms and conditions of the engagement and describing
the scope of the services to be provided. Ridgeline Private Wealth and the client will work together to determine the
specific suite of services to be provided.
The recommendations provided by Ridgeline Private Wealth are focused solely on the individual needs of the client.
Ridgeline Private Wealth engages in a
client intake process involving communication with prospective clients and
the collection of their financial information to help determine each client’s investment objectives and risk tolerance.
In performing its services, Ridgeline Private Wealth shall not be required to verify any information received from the
client or from the client’s other professionals and is expressly authorized to rely thereon. If requested by the client,
Ridgeline Private Wealth shall recommend the services of other professionals for implementation purposes.
Once the Financial Planning aspect has been discussed and agreed upon by the client, Ridgeline Private Wealth shall
have discretion to implement such plan via discretionary portfolio management.
Ridgeline Private Wealth’s Dual Financial Planning and Portfolio Management Investment Advisory Agreement
shall automatically renew on an annual basis for the purpose of reviewing and updating Ridgeline Private Wealth’s
previous recommendations and/or services, unless otherwise stated by the client.
It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify Ridgeline Private Wealth if there is ever any change in their
financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating, or revising Ridgeline Private
Wealth’s previous recommendations or services.
We will be serving the needs of business clients and real estate owners. Our fees are in line with the value provided.
The services offered vary based on the breadth of scope of client objectives, which can range from Short-term cash
management planning (Emergency / Opportunity Fund); Optimal College Education savings planning; Debt
management and planning; Integrated retirement income planning with investments, including pension decisions and
social security claiming decisions; and Collaboration with client’s professional
advisory team such as CPAs, Attorneys, Insurance Advisors, Business Consultants; Focused tax planning strategies
beyond just tax aware investing and asset location; Insurance review and analysis, including Auto, Homeowners,
Liability, Disability, Life, and Long-term Care insurance.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
Ridgeline Private Wealth provides advisory services to plan sponsors of employer-sponsored retirement plans for
which it has been specifically engaged, in addition to supporting affiliated companies through other non- advisory
services to retirement plans for corporations and other business entities as a 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary. Such advisory
services can include selection and/or de-selection and replacement of individual investment options pursuant to
agreed investment criteria.
In choosing and monitoring investment options for employer-sponsored retirement plans, we look for reliable fund
companies with a consistent track record and steady performance. Once a fund company is identified for possible
selection for a particular retirement plan product, we conduct an in-depth review of the company’s operations, funds,
and personnel before determining if the company’s funds as investment options. Quantitative and qualitative factors,
such as regional exposure, fund management, and asset size/growth, are also evaluated. The fund companies are
monitored on a continuous basis at the firm level. We will assist in the construction of the portfolio by ensuring that
all core asset classes are covered to offer full diversification opportunities. However, the final decision of which
funds to select is up to the plan sponsor and/or consultant.
Sub-Advisors
Ridgeline may enter into sub-advisory agreements (SAAs) for separately managed account(s) with another registered
investment adviser. Such SAAs are normally established to fulfill specific strategy mandates required in our efforts
to meet our client's goals and objectives. We will periodically perform due diligence reviews or review due diligence
reports provided by the sub-advisory firm. We will maintain the executed agreements for these arrangements on file
for review and presentation to our SAA clients upon request.
We may select and recommend one or more sub-advisor managers that we believe are appropriate for the client’s
needs and objectives. In some cases, we do not make individual security selection decisions in the account that is
serviced by the sub-advisor. The sub-advisor will buy and sell securities over time as they manage the account
directly on the client’s behalf. We will monitor the investment account, but not to the same degree as accounts we
directly manage. We will review the sub-advisor’s reports and investment returns and perform periodic due diligence
on the sub-advisor. In other cases, Ridgeline provides the sub-advisor with a target portfolio allocation, and the sub-
advisor will implement the transactions necessary to carry out the portfolio allocation, taking into account the tax
implications of trading/rebalancing a portfolio and minimizing these implications where appropriate.
The method of fee payment to the sub-advisors utilized by Ridgeline will be dependent on Ridgeline’s agreement
with that sub-advisor. For certain sub-advisors, the sub-advisor will be paid by Ridgeline Private Wealth for their
services. Our firm will collect our fee from the client, and we pay the sub- advisor for their services directly. For
other sub-advisors, the sub-advisor shall debit the sub-advisory fee directly from the managed account. In some
cases, the sub-advisor will also debit Ridgeline’s fee as well. The sub-advisor will then remit Ridgeline portion of
the fee to Ridgeline. These arrangements can provide incentive for Ridgeline Private Wealth and its representatives
to utilize a sub- advisor. However, Ridgeline Private Wealth will always put the client’s best interest before our own.
Sub-advisors that Ridgeline Private Wealth may recommend clients to include but are not limited to: 55I LLC,
Betterment, and NovaPoint Capital. Clients of some sub-advisors will be required to sign an investment advisory
agreement with that sub-advisor. For those sub-advisors that do not require the client to sign an investment advisory
agreement, Ridgeline will establish a firm-level sub-advisory agreement. Ridgeline Private Wealth will assist with
the management of the client’s account.
C. Sub-Advisor and Consulting Services Provided by Ridgeline
Ridgeline provides discretionary management and customized investment advisory consulting services to other
investment advisers. When providing these services, Ridgeline is paid a fee that is based upon a percentage of Client
assets that Ridgeline is hired to manage. When acting as Sub-Advisor, the services may be similar to the services
provided to Clients of Ridgeline or they may differ. Sub-Advisor costs are typically different, and may be higher or
lower, than costs charged to Clients of Ridgeline The specific services provided to the third-party adviser are
documented in a written agreement executed with the firm.
D. Services Tailored to Clients' Needs
Services are provided based on a client’s specific needs within the scope of the services provided as discussed above.
A review of the information provided by the client regarding the client’s current financial situation, goals, and risk
tolerances will be performed and advice will be provided that is in line with available information.
E. Wrap Fee Program versus Portfolio Management Program
Ridgeline Private Wealth does not offer a Wrap Fee Program.
F. Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, Adviser has the following assets under management:
Discretionary assets: $107,701,522
Non-discretionary assets: $ 3,905,254
Total: $111,606,776