MGWM is a SEC-registered investment adviser with its principal place of business located in Minnesota.
MGWM has been in business since November 2008.
Bennett E. Marks is the firm's principal shareholder (i.e., individuals and/or entities controlling 25% or
more of MGWM).
MGWM provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to high-net-worth
families and individuals. We provide investment consulting services to private foundations, endowments,
non-profit boards, and corporate retirement plans. (collectively, “clients” and each, a “client”) Reference
to “client” or “clients” in this Disclosure Brochure are to one or more clients of MGWM and not clients of
any other investment adviser.
The focus of our investment management services are the six investment strategies which are described
in Item 8. All strategies are actively managed and consist of securities with daily liquidity.
Prior to engaging MGWM to provide any of the foregoing investment advisory services, the client is
required to enter into one or more written agreements with MGWM setting forth the terms and
conditions under which MGWM renders its services (collectively, the “Agreement”).
This Disclosure Brochure describes the business of MGWM. Certain sections will also describe the
activities of Supervised Persons. Supervised Persons are any of MGWM’s officers, partners, directors (or
other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employees, or any other
person who provides investment advice on MGWM’s behalf and is subject to MGWM’s supervision or
control.
Financial Planning and Consulting Services
MGWM offers its clients a broad range of comprehensive financial planning and consulting services, which
include non-investment-related matters. These services include business planning, investments,
insurance, retirement, education, estate planning, and tax and cash flow needs of the client. In addition,
the firm also provides financial consulting services to private foundations regarding long-term strategic
planning, the development of investment policy statements and providing consolidated performance
reporting for institutional clients working with multiple custodians and managers. These services may be
included as part of MGWM’s wealth management services, described below.
In performing its services, MGWM is not 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. MGWM may recommend the services of itself and/or other professionals to
implement its recommendations. Clients are advised that a conflict of interest exists if MGWM
recommends its own services. The client is under no obligation to act upon any of the recommendations
made by MGWM under a financial planning or consulting engagement or to engage the services of any
such recommended professional, including MGWM itself. The client retains absolute discretion over all
such implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any of MGWM’s recommendations. Clients
are advised that it remains their responsibility to promptly notify MGWM if there is ever any change in
their financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing, evaluating, or revising
MGWM’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Investment Management and Wealth Management Services
Clients can engage MGWM to manage all or a portion of their assets on a discretionary or non-
discretionary basis. When managing all or a portion of a client’s assets on a discretionary basis, MGWM
will manage the assets directly or will engage the advisory services of a subadviser to manage all or a
portion of a client’s assets. In addition, MGWM may provide clients with wealth management services
which include a broad range of comprehensive financial planning and consulting services as well as
discretionary and/or non-discretionary management of investment portfolios.
MGWM primarily allocates clients’ investment management assets among open-end and closed-end
mutual funds, ETFs, individual debt and equity securities and American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”), as
well as publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) and Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”),
and, in limited cases, Independent Managers (as defined below). MGWM also provides advice about any
type of investment held in clients' portfolios at the outset of establishing a relationship with the firm.
MGWM tailors its advisory services to the individual needs of clients. MGWM consults with clients initially
to develop an investment strategy based on the clients’ risk tolerance and other factors. On a case by case
basis, as necessary, MGWM works with clients to develop an investment policy statement. MGWM
ensures that clients’ investments are suitable for their investment needs, goals, objectives and risk
tolerance.
MGWM also may render non-discretionary investment management services to clients relative to variable
life/annuity products that they own, their individual employer-sponsored retirement plans, and/or 529
plans or other products that are not held by the client’s primary custodian. In so doing, MGWM either
directs or recommends the allocation of client assets among the various investment
options that are
available with the product. Client assets are maintained at the specific insurance company or custodian
designated by the product.
Clients are advised to promptly notify MGWM if there are changes in their financial situation or
investment objectives or if they wish to impose any reasonable restrictions upon MGWM’s management
services. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions or mandates on the management of their account
(e.g., require that a portion of their assets be invested in socially responsible funds) if, in MGWM’s sole
discretion, the conditions will not materially impact the performance of a portfolio strategy or prove
overly burdensome to its management efforts.
Use of Independent Managers
As mentioned above, MGWM recommends that certain clients authorize the active discretionary
management of a portion of their assets by and/or among certain independent investment managers
(“Independent Managers”), based upon the stated investment objectives of the client. The terms and
conditions under which the client engages the Independent Managers are set forth in a separate written
agreement between MGWM or the client and the designated Independent Managers. MGWM renders
services to the client relative to the discretionary and/or non-discretionary selection or recommendation
of Independent Managers. MGWM also monitors and reviews the account performance and the client’s
investment objectives. MGWM receives an annual advisory fee which is based upon a percentage of the
market value of the assets being managed by the designated Independent Managers.
When recommending or selecting an Independent Manager for a client, MGWM reviews information
about the Independent Manager such as its disclosure brochure and/or material supplied by the
Independent Manager or independent third parties for a description of the Independent Manager’s
investment strategies, past performance and risk results to the extent available. Factors that MGWM
considers in recommending an Independent Manager include the client’s stated investment objectives,
management style, performance, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing, and research. The
investment management fees charged by the designated Independent Managers, together with the fees
charged by the corresponding designated broker-dealer/custodian of the client’s assets, may be exclusive
of, and in addition to, MGWM’s investment advisory fee set forth above. As discussed above, the client
may incur additional fees than those charged by MGWM, the designated Independent Managers, and
corresponding broker-dealer and custodian.
In addition to MGWM’s written disclosure brochure, the client also receives the written disclosure
brochure of the designated Independent Managers. Certain Independent Managers may impose more
restrictive account requirements and varying billing practices than MGWM. In such instances, MGWM
may alter its corresponding account requirements and/or billing practices to accommodate those of the
Independent Managers.
Subadvisory Relationship
On March 24, 2017, MGWM entered into a Subadvisory Agreement with Running Oak Capital LLC (“ROCL”)
an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, independent of MGWM.
Through this contractual relationship, ROCL provides investment subadvisory services for the Marks
Group Core Equity Portfolio strategy (“MGCEP”). The MGCEP will be managed in the same manner as
ROCL’s Efficient Growth Equity Strategy (“REGS”). ROCL will continue to provide advisory services to its
existing clients as well as procure new clients.
MGWM will provide its clients whose assets are advised according to its MGCEP with a copy of ROCL’s
disclosure brochure (i.e., Form ADV Parts 2A and 2B) and Privacy Notice at least 48 hours prior to ROCL
managing such account. Annually, MGWM will provide a copy of ROCL’s Privacy Notice and will offer or
provide a copy of material updates to ROCL’s disclosure brochure to clients whose investment portfolios
are managed pursuant to MGCEP.
MGWM is responsible for oversight of ROCL’s advisory activities conducted on behalf of MGWM’s clients
pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement. MGWM will be available to answer questions clients may have
regarding any portion of their accounts managed by ROCL and will generally act as the communication
conduit between clients and ROCL. Though the terms of the Subadvisory Agreement set forth specific
details regarding the engagement and termination of ROCL as a sub-adviser, MGWM has ultimate
authority to hire and fire ROCL.
Sponsor of Wrap Program
MGWM is the sponsor of the Marks Group Wealth Management Wrap Program (the “Program”), a wrap
fee program. For clients who participate in the Program, MGWM provides its investment management
services and arranges for brokerage transactions under a single annualized fee. Participants in the
Program may pay a higher aggregate fee than if investment management and brokerage services are
purchased separately. A complete description of the Program’s terms and conditions (including fees) are
contained in the Program’s wrap fee brochure.
Amount of Managed Assets
As of February 8, 2024, MGWM managed $1,480,177,123 of clients' assets on a discretionary basis plus
$208,816,402 of clients' assets on a non-discretionary basis.