Tracing its beginnings to 1982, ZWJ provides clients with investment counseling services consisting
primarily of discretionary asset management through the use of equity, fixed income and balanced
(between equity securities such as stocks and fixed income securities such as municipal, corporate,
government agency, or government bonds) portfolios. Our services and processes are designed to
determine and address each client’s specific investment needs, circumstances, objectives, time
horizon expectations, past investment experience, and risk tolerance. Based upon this information,
we prepare and provide a written investment policy statement for each client.
We also provide financial planning and advisory services, including reporting and performance
measurement on other money managers, as part of our consulting arrangements with certain clients.
We do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice or services.
The Directors of ZWJ are Charles Abney, Casey Flanagan, and Clay Jackson, each of whom is also
a principal owner of the firm. Clay Jackson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Charles
Abney and Casey Flanagan are Senior Vice Presidents, and the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)
is Krista Cosgrove. The CCO is supervised by the Directors of the firm.
The amount of client assets we managed on a discretionary basis as of December 31, 2023 was
$3,136,100,634 and the amount of client assets we managed on a non-discretionary basis as of
December 31, 2023 was $405,045,735 for a total of assets under management of $3,541,146,369.
Wrap-Fee Programs: ZWJ has a wrap fee arrangement with Envestnet which is not affiliated with
ZWJ. In these instances, we provide investment advice under a wrap fee program where the wrap
fee sponsor recommends us to a client, pays our management fees for the client, executes the client’s
trades without commission charges, monitors our performance and acts as a custodian, or provides
some combination of these or other services, all for a single fee.
Under a wrap fee arrangement, client assets are managed by us in the same manner as assets managed
by us for our clients not in a wrap fee arrangement although this would be subject to individual
client investment needs and objectives. In some situations, we have limited or minimal contact with
wrap fee clients, where the brokerage firm or other company maintains the direct and primary client
relationship. Depending upon the amount of the wrap fee the brokerage firm or other company
charges, the number of securities transactions, and the value of custodial or other services provided,
the amount of the wrap fee may or may not be less than the total cost for such services added together
if obtained separately. Such arrangements may not be suitable for all clients based on the client’s
individual financial circumstances and investment goals. More specific information on our wrap fee
arrangements can be found in the brochures provided by the wrap fee program sponsors.
ZWJ does
not act as a sponsor of any wrap fee arrangements.
Mutual Funds Legacy Holdings: Our investment strategies do not involve the active use or
management of mutual funds. However, on occasion clients will transfer mutual fund holdings into
a managed account. Because we do not include mutual funds in our managed strategies, a mutual
fund holding will generally be sold unless the client wishes to avoid a taxable gain or directs us to
hold the position. If it is requested that we hold a mutual fund position, we will not be conducting
an analysis of the most advantageous share class available to you. We will hold the share class
transferred until such time as it is sold or diversified into our managed strategy investments. We do
not receive 12b-1 fees from mutual fund holdings.
ERISA and Retirement Accounts: We are deemed to be a fiduciary to advisory clients that are
employee benefit plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) pursuant to the Employee
Retirement Income and Securities Act (“ERISA”), and regulations under the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 (“the Code”), respectively. As such, we are subject to specific duties and obligations under
ERISA and the Code that include, among other things, restrictions concerning certain forms of
compensation.
We may assist you with retirement accounts and this assistance may present a conflict of interest.
When you leave an employer there are typically four options regarding an existing retirement
account and you may use a combination of these options; 1) if permitted, leave the funds in your
former employer’s plan, 2) if rollovers are permitted and you have a new employer with a plan
available, roll over the funds to your new employer’s plan, 3) change to roll over to an Individual
Retirement Account ("IRA"), or 4) withdraw or cash out your funds from the plan which may have
adverse tax consequences depending on your age. When we recommend that you roll over your
retirement assets into an account to be managed by us, such recommendation creates a conflict
(benefit to us) when we earn an advisory fee on your rolled over funds. You are under no obligation
to roll over retirement assets to an account managed by us.
Private Placements:
ZWJ may also recommend to certain qualified clients an investment in a private fund or offering.
ZWJ will provide initial due diligence on recommended private investment funds and perform
ongoing due diligence and investment monitoring services. ZWJ’s clients are under no obligation
to consider or make an investment in a private investment fund.
Each prospective private fund investor will be required to complete a subscription agreement or
similar application that will confirm the investor’s qualification for investment in the fund and
acknowledge the various risk factors that are associated with such an investment. Please see Item 8
for more information on the risks associated with this type of investment.