A. Meridian Investment Advisors, Inc.
Meridian Investment Advisors, Inc. was incorporated in Indiana on March 8, 1994, and
established its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Securities and Exchange Commission
issued its order granting registration pursuant to section 203 of the Investment Advisors Act of
1940 on May 19, 1994. Our SEC File Number is 801-46376 and our CRD Number is 107593.
Meridian Investment Advisors is solely owned by Michael Robert Burley.
Meridian Investment Advisors is locally owned and provides independent comprehensive asset
management to individuals including high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit sharing
plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. In
addition to asset management, we may offer financial planning and pension consulting services
to all of the above client groups.
It is our belief that the best interest of investors is served by seeking advice from financial
advisors who are independent and who offer advice without consideration of which company
product is being sold to meet a financial objective. Our compensation is unrelated to the sale of
any specific proprietary product, which means that we can more closely align with our clients’
interests and objectives. Meridian Investment Advisors offers its services on a fee basis, which
may include hourly and/or fixed fees as well as fees based upon assets under management.
Alternatively, certain advisory affiliates may offer security brokerage services under a
commission arrangement, which may be used to offset fees.
B. Advisory Services Offered
For its discretionary asset management services, Meridian Investment Advisors receives a limited
power of attorney to effect securities transactions on behalf of its clients that include securities
and strategies described in Item 8 of this brochure. In addition, Meridian Investment Advisors
will remind clients of their obligation to inform Meridian Investment Advisors of any
modifications or restrictions that should be imposed on the management of their accounts.
Meridian Investment Advisors will also contact clients at least annually to determine whether
there have been any changes in a client's personal financial circumstances, investment
objectives, and tolerance for risk.
Meridian Investment Advisors offers the following advisory services:
▪ Individual Portfolio Management
▪ Pension Consulting Services
▪ Financial Planning
B.1. Individual Portfolio Management
Meridian Investment Advisors feels that each investor’s needs are unique and that investments
must be appropriate to satisfy those needs. Once we understand a client’s needs and objectives,
we can develop an investment strategy. Our investment philosophy is predicated on the synergy
of four critical components: Asset Allocation, Portfolio Structure, Specialist Management, and
Portfolio Management. While each is important, a successful investment program is constructed
by integrating all four components. Our investment process relies on strict attention to keeping
risk in line with specific benchmarks at the portfolio, strategy, and manager levels.
We intend to primarily allocate client investment management assets, on a discretionary and/or
non-discretionary basis, among independent managers. Our investment recommendations are
not limited to any specific product or service offered by a broker-dealer or insurance company
and will generally include advice regarding securities and strategies as described in Item 8 of
this brochure. Because some types of investments involve certain additional degrees of risk, they
will only be recommended when consistent with the client's stated investment objectives,
tolerance for risk, liquidity, and suitability.
Meridian Investment Advisors will only implement investment management recommendations
after the client has arranged for and furnished all information and authorization regarding
accounts with appropriate financial institutions.
B.2. Pension Consulting Services
Clients may also engage Meridian Investment Advisors to provide pension consulting services to
pension and profit sharing plans, 401(k) plans, individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable
organizations. Our pension consulting services may include the following services:
▪ Preparation of an investment policy statement (IPS)
▪ Selection of investment vehicles
▪ Monitoring of investment performance
▪ Employee communications and educational support
Clients may choose to use any or all of these services.
B.2.a. Investment Policy Statement Preparation (“IPS”)
We must meet with the client in-person before an appropriate investment program can be
established. Careful consideration will be given to the client’s specific objectives, constraints,
and policies. Objectives are goals that are generally defined in terms of return requirements
and risk tolerance. Constraints are limitations on the portfolio management process within
which the advisor must operate to achieve the objectives. These constraints include liquidity,
time horizon, taxes, legal or
regulatory matters, and unique needs and preferences. The
combining of objectives and constraints leads to the development of a set of investment
policies.
The IPS is an invaluable strategic planning tool for intelligent investment management. As a
working document, the statement includes portfolio objectives, asset allocation parameters,
investment guidelines, and a due diligence process for selecting and monitoring investment
managers. The statement should be updated each year to reflect current capital market
assumptions.
B.2.b. Selection of Investment Vehicles
Meridian Investment Advisors assists plan sponsors in constructing appropriate asset
allocation models. We will then review various mutual funds (both index and managed) to
determine which investments are appropriate to implement the client’s IPS. The number of
investments to be recommended will be determined by the client, based on the IPS.
B.2.c. Monitoring of Investment Performance
Our manager review process covers the following areas: people, process, portfolio, and
performance. We judge a management company on a combination of key factors:
Qualitative Quantitative
Personnel & administration Performance against peer group
Investment philosophy Performance against benchmarks
Decision-making procedure Transactions
Economic and securities research Portfolio characteristics
We monitor client investments continually, based on the procedures and timing intervals
delineated in the IPS.
B.2.d. Employee Communications
For pension, profit sharing, and 401(k) plan clients with individual plan participants exercising
control over assets in their own account (“self-directed plans”), we may also provide semi-
annual educational support and investment meetings designed for the plan participants, if
requested by the plan sponsor. The nature of the topics to be covered will be determined by
us and the client under the guidelines established in ERISA Section 404(c). The educational
support and investment meetings could provide plan participants with individualized, tailored
investment advice or individualized, tailored asset allocation recommendations.
B.3. Financial Planning
Meridian Investment Advisors’ financial planning services address any or all of the following
areas:
▪ Personal concerns, including family records, budgeting, personal liability, estate
information, and financial goals
▪ Tax and cash flow issues, such as an income tax and spending analysis for the past,
current, and future, including an illustration of the various investments on a client’s
current and future tax liability
▪ Death and disability needs, including cash needs upon death, the income needs of
surviving dependents, and estate planning and disability income analysis
▪ Retirement planning, including an analysis of current strategies and investment plans to
help the client achieve his or her retirement goals
▪ Review of investments, including investment alternatives and their potential effect on a
client’s portfolio
We also provide general non-securities advice on topics that may include tax and budgetary
planning, estate planning, and business planning.
In performing services, Meridian Investment Advisors shall not be 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 information. We may recommend
our own services, the services of advisory affiliates in their individual capacities as registered
representatives of a broker-dealer, and/or other professionals to implement its
recommendations. Please be advised that a conflict of interest exists if Meridian Investment
Advisors recommends its own services.
Clients are under no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations made by Meridian
Investment Advisors under a financial planning engagement and/or engage the services of any
such recommended professional, including Meridian Investment Advisors itself. Clients retain
absolute discretion over all such implementation decisions and are free to accept or reject any
of Meridian Investment Advisor’s recommendations. Moreover, clients are advised that it
remains their responsibility to promptly notify Meridian Investment Advisors if there is ever any
change in financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating,
or revising previous recommendations and/or services.
C. Client-Tailored Services and Client-Imposed Restrictions
Each client’s account will be managed on the basis of the client’s financial situation and
investment objectives, and in accordance with any reasonable restrictions imposed by the client
on the management of the account.
D. Wrap Fee Programs
Meridian Investment Advisors does not participate in wrap fee programs. (Wrap fee programs
offer services for one all-inclusive fee.)
E. Client Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2022, Meridian Investment Advisors managed $394,362,093 of discretionary
assets and $97,253,700 of non-discretionary assets.