Florian Financial Group LLC is a SEC-registered investment adviser with its principal place
of business located in New York. Florian Financial Group LLC and its predecessor,
Financial Planning Solutions, began conducting business in 1997. Robert Michael Florian is
the firm's sole principal shareholder.
Florian Financial Group LLC offers the following advisory services to our clients:
INVESTMENT SUPERVISORY SERVICES ("ISS")
INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
When providing individual portfolio management to clients, we take a comprehensive
approach to determining an appropriate investment strategy that best fits the client's needs.
We create an investment plan that supports the client's particular financial situation only
after we fully understand the client's tolerance for risk, investment-income needs,
investment time horizon, tax circumstances, and overall financial goals.
We are also able to tailor our investment advice since we prepare focused financial plans
for most clients receiving our portfolio management services. The suitability of each client's
strategy is re-evaluated periodically and as a client’s personal and financial situation
changes.
We work with each client to develop an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) – a tool that
helps to establish reasonable expectations, objectives and guidelines in the investment of
client assets. An IPS also encourages communication between our firm and the client and
documents the agreed upon investment strategy.
Our goal is to add value over the long term by utilizing independent research and
investment strategies created by companies with strong historical track records (15 plus
years). We recognize each client's situation is unique, including their financial goals, risk
tolerance, investment time horizon, income needs and tax circumstances. Therefore, we
have designed a number of different investment strategies which take these factors into
consideration. Our various investment strategies (see Item 8) are based on asset allocation
and risk managed investing principles.
We generally have discretionary authority in managing client accounts. Discretionary
authority allows our firm to determine the specific securities, and the amount of securities, to
be purchased or sold for your account without your approval prior to each transaction. Our
investment decisions should align with the stated objectives and investment strategy
indicated in the Investment Policy Statement. Because we take discretion when managing
accounts, clients engaging us will be asked to execute a Limited Power of Attorney
(granting us the discretionary authority over the client accounts) through an Investment
Management Agreement that outlines the responsibilities of both the client and Florian
Financial Group, LLC. This Limited Power of Attorney does not grant our firm the authority
to make any withdrawals or transfers in or out of a client account beyond the deduction of
fees. Such other transfers will only be made at the specific direction of the client.
Generally, the investments we use in client portfolios include no-load stock mutual funds,
no-load income funds, and exchange-traded funds (also known as ETFs). As appropriate,
portfolios may also include common stocks, corporate debt securities, money market funds,
certificates of deposit, municipal securities and United States governmental securities.
Our investment recommendations are not limited to any specific product or service offered
by a broker-dealer or insurance company.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
We provide financial planning services. Financial planning may include a comprehensive or
modular evaluation of a client’s current and future financial state by using currently known
variables to predict future cash flows, asset values and withdrawal plans. Through the
financial planning process, all questions, information and analysis are considered as they
impact and are impacted by the entire financial and life situation of the client. Clients
purchasing this service receive a written report which provides the client with a detailed
financial plan designed to assist the client in achieving his or her financial goals and
objectives.
In general, the financial plan can address any or all of the following areas:
• RETIREMENT: We analyze current strategies and develop retirement projections using
various assumptions to help the client make decisions about their retirement goals.
• INVESTMENTS: We analyze strategies used for current investment accounts and make
recommendations based on the particular needs, objectives, and risk profile of the
client.
• INSURANCE: We review existing policies to ensure proper coverage for life, disability,
long-term care and property and casualty based on the objectives expressed by the
client.
• EDUCATION: We review existing plans and make recommendations to help the client
achieve his or her education goals.
• ESTATE: We assist the client and the client's other advisors in assessing and
developing
long-term strategies, including as appropriate, living trusts, wills, powers of
attorney, and estate and asset protection plans.
We gather required information through in-depth personal interviews. Information gathered
includes the client's current financial status, future goals and attitudes towards risk. We
carefully review documents supplied by the client and prepare a written report. Should a
client choose to implement the recommendations contained in the plan, we suggest the
client work closely with his/her attorney, accountant, insurance agent, and/or other
professionals as appropriate. However, as disclosed at Item 10 of this Brochure, Robert M.
Florian, Managing Member of Florian Financial Group LLC, is separately licensed as an
insurance agent with various insurance companies. Should a client separately engage Mr.
Florian for the implementation of financial planning recommendations involving insurance
needs, certain conflicts of interest arise. Clients are under no obligation to use Mr. Florian in
his separate capacity as an insurance agent to implement any recommendations. Clients
should refer to Item 10 of this Brochure for additional details.
Similarly, we provide guidance so that clients may implement our investment
recommendation on their own. In cases where clients seek an investment adviser, we
typically recommend our firm. Implementation of financial plan recommendations is entirely
at the client's discretion. Financial Planning recommendations are not limited to any specific
product or service offered by a particular broker-dealer or insurance company.
We also provide general non-securities advice on topics on a more limited basis. This may
include advice on any of the areas listed above. Typically, the financial plan is presented to
the client within six months of the contract date, provided that all information needed to
prepare the financial plan has been promptly provided.
RETIREMENT PLAN ADVISORY SERVICES
We also provide several advisory services separately or in combination. While the primary
clients for these services will be pension, profit sharing and 401(k) plans, we will also offer
these services, where appropriate, to individuals and trusts, estates and charitable
organizations. Retirement Plan Advisory Services are comprised of four distinct services.
Clients may choose to use any or all of these services.
Investment Policy Statement Preparation (hereinafter referred to as ''IPS''):
We will meet with the client (in person or over the telephone) to determine the client's
investment needs and goals. We will then prepare a written IPS stating those needs and
goals and encompassing a policy under which these goals are to be achieved. The IPS will
also list the criteria for selection of investment vehicles and the procedures and timing
interval for monitoring of investment performance.
Selection of Investment Vehicles:
We will review various investments, consisting exclusively of mutual funds and/or
exchange-traded funds (both index and managed) to determine which of these 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 Investment Policy Statement.
Monitoring of Investment Performance:
Client investments will be monitored continuously based on the procedures and timing
intervals delineated in the Investment Policy Statement. Although we will not be involved in
any way in the purchase or sale of these investments, we will supervise the client's portfolio
and will make recommendations to the client as market factors and the client's needs
dictate.
ERISA Retirement Plan Advice
We provide investment advice to sponsors of ERISA retirement plans, as well as education
and enrollment services to eligible participants of the plans. At the plan level, we assist the
responsible plan fiduciary in analysis, selection, and monitoring of investment options made
available to plan participants. We may also assist the responsible plan fiduciary in the
selection of a product sponsor’s program or third-party platform.
Employee Communications:
For Retirement Plan Advisory Services clients wherein there are individual accounts with
participants exercising control over assets in their own account (''self-directed plans''), we
also provide educational support and investment workshops designed for the Plan
participants. 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 workshops will NOT provide Plan participants with individualized, tailored
investment advice or individualized, tailored asset allocation recommendations unless we
are separately engaged to provide such services.
AMOUNT OF MANAGED ASSETS
As of 12/31/2023, we were actively managing $149,578,434 of clients' assets on a
discretionary basis.