Trailhead Planners, LLC (“Adviser”) is a registered investment adviser with Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”). Adviser has been providing investment advice since October 2016. Adviser
provides investment management, financial planning, tax planning, tax preparation, and consulting
services to a wide variety of clients. Adviser is owned by Courtney Ranstrom, William Mulvahill, and
Morgan Ranstrom. Adviser does not control any other firm. The advisory services of Adviser are
described below in detail.
We are a fee‐only, independent firm. This means that we agree to restrict our compensation solely and
exclusively to the professional fees we receive directly from our Clients. We do not accept any sales
commissions, referral fees, or other forms of compensation from any third parties. We also do not
have any relationship with any brokerage, insurance, or mutual fund company.
In addition, we hold ourselves to a fiduciary standard, which means Trailhead Planners, LLC, and its
associates act in the utmost good faith in what we believe is in the best interest of our Clients. As
fiduciary investment advisors, we are legally required to put our Clients first.
Comprehensive Financial Planning Services
The primary service provided by Trailhead Planners is ongoing, comprehensive financial planning,
which we call Guided Wealth Management. This service involves working one‐on‐one with a Trailhead
Financial Planner (“Planner”) over an extended period of time to develop and implement the Client’s
plan.
Trailhead attempts to break down financial planning into manageable pieces to encourage Clients to
follow through with recommendations and steadily progress toward their financial goals. Clients will
typically address four to six key topics during the initial year, depending on their individual situation,
and generally two to four scheduled meetings during future years. Meetings are typically in‐person but
may be conducted by telephone or through other secure remote meeting technology, depending on
Client availability and preference. In addition to scheduled meetings, face‐to‐face, e‐mail, and/or phone
consultations are included at no additional charge. As the relationship matures, meetings are generally
less frequent, and topics are often combined. The focus of meetings also shifts as initial tasks are
completed and changes occur in Clients’ lives.
In general, the financial planning process will address any or all of the following areas of concern. The
Client and Planner will work together to select the specific areas to cover. These areas may include,
but are not limited to, the following:
Financial Goals: We will help Clients identify financial goals and develop a plan to reach them.
We will identify what you plan to accomplish, what resources you will need to make it happen,
how much time you will need to reach the goal, and how much you should budget for your
goal.
Tax Planning Strategies: Advice may include ways to minimize current and future income taxes
as a part of your overall financial planning picture. For example, we may make
recommendations on which type of accounts or specific investments should be owned based
in part on their “tax efficiency,” with consideration that there is always a possibility of future
changes to federal, state, or local tax laws and rates that may impact your situation.
Investment Analysis: This may involve developing an asset allocation strategy to meet Clients’
financial goals and risk tolerance, providing information on investment vehicles and strategies,
reviewing employee stock options, as well as assisting you in establishing your own investment
account at a selected broker/dealer or custodian. The strategies and types of investments we
may recommend are further discussed in Item 8 of this brochure.
Cash Flow and Debt Management: We will conduct a review of your income and expenses to
determine your current surplus or deficit along with advice on prioritizing how any surplus
should be used or how to reduce expenses if they exceed your income. Advice may also be
provided on which debts to pay off first based on factors such as the interest rate of the debt
and any income tax ramifications. We may also recommend what we believe to be an
appropriate cash reserve that should be considered for emergencies and other financial goals,
along with a review of accounts (such as money market funds) for such reserves, plus
strategies to save desired amounts.
Risk Management: A risk management review includes an analysis of your exposure to major
risks that could have a significant adverse impact on your financial picture, such as premature
death, disability, property and casualty losses, or the need for long‐term care planning. Advice
may be provided on ways to minimize such risks and about weighing the costs of purchasing
insurance versus the benefits of doing so and, likewise, the potential cost of not purchasing
insurance (“self‐insuring”).
Insurance: Review of existing policies to ensure proper coverage for life, health, disability,
long‐term care, liability, home, and automobile.
Employee Benefits Optimization: We will provide review and analysis as to whether you, as an
employee, are taking the maximum advantage possible of your employee benefits. If you are
a business owner, we will consider and/or recommend the various benefit programs that can
be structured to meet both business and personal retirement goals.
Estate Planning: This usually includes an analysis of your exposure to estate taxes and your
current estate plan, which may include whether you have a will, powers of attorney, trusts,
and other related documents. Our advice also typically includes ways for you to minimize or
avoid future estate taxes by implementing appropriate estate planning strategies such as the
use of applicable trusts. We always recommend that you consult with a qualified attorney
when you initiate, update, or complete estate planning activities. We may provide you with
contact information for attorneys who specialize in estate planning when you wish to hire an
attorney for such purposes. From time‐to‐time, we will participate in meetings or phone calls
between you and your attorney with your approval or request.
College Savings: Includes projecting the amount that will be needed to achieve college or
other post‐secondary education funding goals, along with advice on ways for you to save the
desired amount. Recommendations as to savings strategies are included, and, if needed, we
will review your financial picture as it relates to eligibility for financial aid or the best way to
contribute to grandchildren (if appropriate).
Retirement Planning: Our retirement planning services typically include projections of your
likelihood of achieving your financial goals, typically focusing on financial independence as the
primary objective. For situations where projections show less than the desired results, we may
make recommendations, including those that may impact the original projections by adjusting
certain variables (e.g., working longer, saving more, spending less, taking more risk with
investments).
If you are near retirement or already retired, advice may be given on appropriate distribution
strategies to minimize the likelihood of running out of money or having to adversely alter
spending during your retirement years.
Business Planning: We provide consulting services for Clients who currently operate their own
business, are considering starting a business, or are planning for an exit from their current
business. Under this type of engagement, we work with you to assess your current situation,
identify your objectives, and develop a plan aimed at achieving your goals.
Tax Preparation: Comprehensive Financial Planning services may include the preparation of
the individual annual tax return by either Trailhead or an outside service provider.
The Adviser or outside service provider shall compute the amount of tax or refund due on the
basis of the information furnished by the Client for all individual federal, state, and local income
taxes.
The Adviser or outside service provider shall prepare the forms and schedules necessary to
properly report the Client’s personal income, adjustments, expenditures, deductions,
exemptions, and other information required for individual returns.
The planner may also, as requested, recommend changes to the client’s investment portfolio or plan,
either in writing or verbally. Changes in the client’s financial condition, personal circumstances, goals,
or general economic conditions may trigger changes in the plan. To the extent material changes have
occurred to a client’s circumstances or goals or to the extent a client requests a new project, the
client
will be asked to sign a new Services Agreement. The client may initiate contact with the client’s Planner
as often as needed and the Planner will schedule conferences as needed, usually no less than annually.
Clients decide which investment recommendations to accept and implement. Clients are also free to
select any brokerage, insurance, or other product provider to purchase (or sell) the investments,
insurance, or other products discussed with planner.
All planning is based on information provided by the client. It is the client’s responsibility to be certain
Adviser has current and accurate information to enable Adviser to prepare the initial plan, and it is the
client’s responsibility to inform the Adviser of material changes affecting the investments and planning
strategies implemented so the Planner has them for future reference.
Project Based Financial Planning
In addition to ongoing comprehensive financial planning, we provide project‐based financial planning
services, which we call Three Steps to Embark. Project‐based financial planning services are paid for
on a fixed fee basis. The services are narrower in scope and usually focus on some but not all of the
topics listed above. The service includes various Client consultations as well as written and/or oral
recommendations resulting from such consultations.
Project‐based financial planning services do not constitute a comprehensive financial planning
engagement and we do not provide ongoing financial or investment advice or implementation
assistance following completion of the project. If a Client wishes to upgrade to an ongoing,
comprehensive financial planning relationship, they may sometimes receive credit toward the
ongoing, comprehensive financial planning fees for some amounts paid under project‐based financial
planning agreements for the past six months.
ESG Investment Review
Advisor offers a one‐time engagement to review a Client’s current investments, discuss the Client’s
desire to utilize investments screened for ESG (environmental, social, & governance) factors, and
present a plan for the Client to rebalance their investments.
This one‐time engagement does not constitute a comprehensive financial planning engagement and we
do not provide ongoing financial or investment advice or implementation assistance following
completion of the project. The Client is responsible for implementing any investment suggestions and
making trades at the custodian of their choosing.
Retirement Plan Consulting Services
Adviser makes available consulting services to retirement plan sponsors. Adviser may enter into
agreements with employers that provide qualified retirement plans (“Plan”) with various advisory
services. Adviser typically provides the following services:
assist Client with setting up the plan directly with a brokerage firm ("Custodian") and the use
of a third party 401(k) plan administrator;
advise Client about mutual funds and other investment alternatives that are consistent with
the investment categories allowable under the Plan;
meet with representatives of Client, at intervals mutually acceptable to Client and Adviser, to
discuss the Plan's investment performance and investment selections;
monitor investments in the Plan’s accounts with account custodians (each, an "Account”) and
recommend investment selections;
conduct enrollment/informational/educational group meetings with Plan Participants at initial
installation of the Plan, and periodically thereafter as mutually agreed between Client and
Adviser regarding:
(i) general investment concepts;
(ii) investment performance of selected investments; and
(iii) investment strategies appropriate to various investor profiles and objectives; and
provide individual investment counseling and advice (which may include, without limitation,
specific investment recommendations) in one‐on‐one meetings with Plan Participants and
beneficiaries requesting such advice in the scope and at the times mutually agreed between
Client and Adviser. When providing these services to Participants, the following shall be
included:
(i) General education about investment options;
(ii) Determine a participant's investment objective;
(iii) Review a participant's other investments, assets, and liabilities to the extent disclosed;
(iv) Plan investment recommendations consistent with participant's objective; and
(v) Instruction on how to place investment orders.
All advice provided by Adviser and its Representatives is based upon the reliability of the information
provided to Adviser by the Plan and its participants. It is the client’s responsibility to be certain Adviser
has current and accurate information, and it is the client’s responsibility to inform the Representative
of material changes affecting the investments and planning strategies implemented so the
Representative has them for future reference.
Discretionary Investment Management Services
Adviser provides clients with portfolio management and reporting services by means of its
Discretionary Management Services program. Clients receive investment analyses, investment
recommendations, quarterly statements reflecting holdings and transactions, and ongoing account
monitoring services by Adviser Representatives allowed to provide the services. Securities managed
by the firm's Representatives may include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuity sub‐funds, exchange
traded funds, private placements, and convertible securities. Adviser will exercise discretionary trading
authority while providing services. This means that Adviser Representatives will have authority to
purchase and sell securities of their choice in the amounts and at the times they believe it is suitable for
a client’s account to do so. Adviser may also recommend the use of third‐party investment managers
to manage all, or a portion of the investments within the client's portfolio. Such managers will also
have limited discretionary trading authority to place orders.
The initial investment and asset allocation recommendations are based on the financial information
gathered from each client including net worth, risk tolerance, financial goals and objectives,
investment restrictions requested by the client, and overall financial conditions. Clients are free to
impose reasonable restrictions on the types of investments for their account. Based on this
information, the client is provided with initial investment recommendations designed to provide an
appropriate asset mix consistent with the client’s objectives. The client’s portfolio and its performance
are monitored by the client’s Representative in light of the client’s stated goals and objectives. The
frequency of these reviews and transactions made for a client’s account are determined by the
Representative but are at least quarterly. Adviser Representatives typically meet with the client on an
as‐needed or as‐requested basis to discuss the portfolio and other aspects of the service. Clients are
free to contact their Representative at any time if they have questions about their accounts.
Additional details regarding the Adviser’s model portfolios can be found in Item 8.
Securities are not held by Adviser. Instead, all securities managed by Adviser are held at a qualified
custodian ("Custodian") through which transactions are placed.
Adviser does not assure or guarantee the results of its Discretionary Management Services; thus,
losses can occur from following Adviser’s advice pertaining to any investment or investment approach,
including using conservative investment strategies.
As of December 31, 2023, Trailhead Planners manages $119,439,094 in discretionary assets and no non‐
discretionary assets, and we provide investment advice to clients on additional assets that we do not
directly manage. We do not participate in wrap fee programs.
Additional Information
We offer the same suite of services to all our Clients. However, the financial planning process, and
related recommendations and implementation, is customized for each Client’s current situation. We
discuss in detail with the Client critically important information such as the Client’s risk tolerance, time
horizon, personal values, and projected future needs, to formulate an investment policy. This policy
guides us in objectively and suitably managing the Client’s account. We meet with Clients as needed
to review portfolio performance, discuss current issues, and re‐assess goals and plans. Clients may
impose restrictions on investing in certain securities or types of securities. We consider such
restrictions when preparing the investment strategy.