A. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth (“Ashton Thomas”) is a limited liability company formed on March
10, 2010 in the State of Arizona. Ashton Thomas became registered as an Investment Adviser Firm
in June 2010. Ashton Thomas is owned by Ashton Thomas Management LLC.
B. As discussed below, Ashton Thomas offers to its clients (individuals, business entities, trusts,
estates and charitable organizations, etc.) investment advisory services on a wrap-fee or non-wrap
fee basis, and, to the extent specifically requested by a client, financial planning and related
consulting services.
AMPLIFY PLATFORM
Ashton Thomas sponsors the Amplify Platform through which investment adviser firms and
investment professionals may engage Ashton Thomas to provide back-office operational support
services and/or gain access to and select from independent third-party managers available through
the Amplify Platform.
Upon executing the Platform Agreement, the investment adviser firm or investment professional
shall be considered a Platform Member. Platform Members may choose to receive certain back-
office services, such as administrative, trading, and reporting services, and/or to select independent
third-party managers to manage underlying client assets on a sub-advisory basis. Platform Members
may choose to allocate all or a portion of their underlying client’s assets among the different
independent investment managers available through the Amplify Platform on a discretionary basis.
Platform Members shall have a direct contractual relationship with each of their underlying clients
and obtain, through such agreements, the authority to engage Ashton Thomas for services rendered
through the Platform. Ashton Thomas engages unaffiliated investment advisers to service Platform
Members as sub-advisers. Sub-advisers available through the Amplify Platform will perform
discretionary investment management services and shall manage, invest and reinvest the Platform
Member’s underlying client assets designated by the Platform Member. As such, a selected
manager(s) shall be authorized, without prior consultation with the Platform Member or the
underlying client, to buy, sell trade or allocate the underlying client’s assets in accordance with the
underlying client’s investment objectives and to deliver instructions in furtherance this
responsibility to the underlying client’s broker-dealer and or custodian.
Platform Members retain responsibility for the underlying client relationship, including the initial
and ongoing suitability determination. Platform Members shall also retain the responsibility for
implementing client investment recommendations in accordance with the Platform Member’s
fiduciary duty to the underlying client. Platform Members are responsible for obtaining and
furnishing information pertaining to sub-advisor selection and underlying client account guidelines
along with any reasonable account restrictions.
Please note: Ashton Thomas’ investment adviser representatives are required to utilize the back-
office support services available through the Amplify Platform. Therefore, Ashton Thomas clients
may incur fees in addition to the fee associated with the advisory services provided to the client.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
The client can determine to engage Ashton Thomas to provide discretionary investment advisory
services on a wrap or non-wrap fee basis. (See discussion below). If a client determines to engage
Ashton Thomas on a wrap fee basis, the client will pay a single fee for bundled services (i.e.
investment advisory, brokerage, custody). The services included in a wrap fee agreement will
depend upon each client’s particular need. If the client engages Ashton Thomas on a non-wrap fee
basis, the client will select individual services on an unbundled basis, paying for each service
separately (i.e. investment advisory, trade execution, custody).
Ashton Thomas annual investment advisory fee shall include investment advisory services, and
may also include, to the extent specifically requested by the client, financial planning and
consulting services. In the event that the client requires extraordinary planning and/or consultation
services, Ashton Thomas may be contracted to perform the agreed upon consultations for a fee,
the dollar amount of which shall be set forth in a separate written agreement with the client (See
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE) in the next
section).
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE)
To the extent requested by a client, Ashton Thomas may determine to provide financial planning
and/or consulting services (including investment and non-investment related matters, including
estate planning, insurance planning, etc.) on a stand-alone separate fee basis. Ashton Thomas’
planning and consulting fees are negotiable, but generally range from $150 to $1,000 on an hourly
rate basis, depending upon the level and scope of the service(s) required and the professional(s)
rendering the service(s). Prior to engaging Ashton Thomas to provide planning or consulting
services, clients are generally required to enter into a Financial Planning and Consulting
Agreement with Ashton Thomas setting forth the terms and conditions of the engagement
(including termination), describing the scope of the services to be provided, and the portion of the
fee that is due from the client prior to Ashton Thomas commencing services. If requested by the
client, Ashton Thomas may recommend the services of other professionals for implementation
purposes, including certain of Ashton Thomas’ representatives in their individual capacities as
registered representatives and/or as licensed insurance agents. (See disclosure at Item 10C below).
The client is under no obligation to engage the services of any such recommended professional.
The client retains absolute discretion over all such implementation decisions and is free to accept
or reject any recommendation from Ashton Thomas. The advisory relationship ends when the
planning that has been contracted has occurred and the fee has been paid by the client. In order to
continue the relationship and implement any or all of the financial planning recommendations, it is
necessary to enter into a continuing investment management agreement. Please Note: If the client
engages any such recommended professional, and a dispute arises thereafter relative to such
engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from and against the engaged
professional and not Ashton Thomas. Clients are also reminded that they have certain rights under
state and federal laws and nothing contained above shall be deemed a waiver of those rights. Please
Also Note: Each client is advised that it remains the client’s responsibility to promptly notify
Ashton Thomas if there is ever any change in client’s financial situation or investment objectives
for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising Ashton Thomas’ previous recommendations
and/or services.
NON-WRAP FEE BASIS
The client can agree to have Ashton Thomas Private Wealth, LLC provide discretionary and/or
non-discretionary investment advisory services on a fee basis. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth,
LLC’s annual investment advisory fee is based upon a percentage (%) of the market value of the
assets placed under Ashton Thomas’ management along with the unbundled separate services (i.e.
trade execution and custodial charges).
ASHTON THOMAS WRAP PROGRAM
Ashton Thomas provides investment management services on a wrap fee basis in accordance with
Ashton Thomas’ investment management wrap fee program (the “Program”). The services offered
under, and the corresponding terms and conditions pertaining to, the Program are discussed in the
Wrap Fee Program Brochure a copy of which is presented to all prospective Program participants.
Under the Program, Ashton Thomas is able to offer participants discretionary investment
management services, for a specified annual Program fee, inclusive of trade execution, custody and
reporting fees.
All prospective Program participants should read both Ashton Thomas’ Brochure and the Wrap
Fee Program Brochure, and ask any corresponding questions that they may have, prior to
participation in the Program. Clients may select either Fidelity Investments (“Fidelity”), Charles
Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”), Pershing Advisor Solutions, LLC (“Pershing”), Goldman Sachs
& Co. LLC (“Goldman”) and other qualified custodians as approved by Ashton Thomas to serve
as the custodian for their Program accounts. Please Note: Clients who select Fidelity, Schwab,
Pershing, and/or Goldman as their custodian for their Program account shall not be responsible for
commission expenses but shall be responsible for transaction costs.
Ashton Thomas' annual investment advisory fee shall include investment advisory services, and, to
the extent specifically requested by the client, financial planning and consulting services. In the
event that the client requires extraordinary planning and/or consultation services (to be determined
in the sole discretion of Ashton Thomas), Ashton Thomas may determine to charge for such
additional services, the dollar amount of which shall be set forth in a separate written notice to the
client.
Please Note: As indicated in the Wrap Fee Program Brochure, participation in the Program may
cost more or less than purchasing such services separately. As also indicated in the Wrap Fee
Program Brochure, the Program fee charged by Ashton Thomas for participation in the Program
may be higher or lower than those charged by other sponsors of comparable wrap fee programs.
Because Program transaction fees and/or commissions are being paid by Ashton Thomas to the
account custodian/broker-dealer, Ashton Thomas could have an economic incentive to minimize
the number of trades in the client's account. Ashton Thomas’ Chief Compliance Officer remains
available to address any questions that a client or prospective client may have regarding the
corresponding conflict of interest a wrap fee arrangement may create.
Please Note: Ashton Thomas may determine to utilize Independent Manager(s) in conjunction
with its Wrap Fee Program. The fees for such managers and their services are in addition to the
fees described below, however, the total advisory fee for an account utilizing these managers shall
not exceed 2.99% per annum.
RETIREMENT PLAN SERVICES
Ashton Thomas provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting services to employer-
sponsored qualified retirement savings plans (“Retirement Plans”), their sponsors (“Plan
Sponsors”) and participants (“Participants”).
Ashton Thomas offers consulting and advisory services for Retirement Plans that are designed to
assist Plan Sponsors in meeting their fiduciary obligations (“Retirement Plan Services”). Ashton
Thomas provides ERISA investment fiduciary services and when providing ERISA investment
fiduciary services, Ashton Thomas will perform those services to the plan as a fiduciary under
ERISA Sections 3(21)(A)(ii) or 3(38)(B)(i) and will act in good faith and with the degree of
diligence, care and skill that a prudent person rendering similar service would exercise under
similar circumstances.
Ashton Thomas offers the following Fiduciary Retirement Plan Services: Ashton Thomas creates,
in consultation with the Plan Sponsor, an Investment Policy Statement (“IPS”) that establishes the
investment policies and objectives for the Plan, and that sets forth the asset classes and investment
categories to be offered under the Plan, as well as the criteria and standards for selecting and
monitoring the investments. On a quarterly basis, we apply the retention protocols in reviewing the
performance of plan assets relative to peers and benchmark indices, recommending changes as
needed.
When we provide investment advice to you regarding your retirement plan account or individual
retirement account, we are a fiduciary within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act and/or the Internal Revenue Code, as applicable which are laws governing
retirement accounts. The way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests, so we
operate under a special rule that requires us to act in your best interest and not put our interest
ahead of yours.
Under this special rule’s provisions, we must:
• Meet a professional standard of care when making investment recommendations (give
prudent advice);
• Never put our financial interests ahead of yours when making recommendations (give
loyal advice);
• Avoid misleading statements about conflicts of interest, fees, and investments;
• Follow policies and procedures designed to ensure that we give advice that is in your best
interest;
• Charge no more than is reasonable for our services; and
• Give you basic information about conflicts of interest.
MISCELLANEOUS
Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation Services. If requested by the client, Ashton
Thomas may provide consulting services regarding non-investment related matters, such as estate
planning, tax planning, insurance, etc. Neither Ashton Thomas, nor any of its representatives,
serves as an attorney or accountant and no portion of Ashton Thomas’ services should be
construed as same. To the extent requested by a client, Ashton Thomas may recommend the
services of other professionals for certain non-investment implementation purposes (i.e. attorneys,
accountants, insurance, etc.), including representatives of Ashton Thomas in their separate
registered/licensed capacities as discussed. The client is under no obligation to engage the services
of any such recommended professional. The client retains absolute discretion over all such
implementation decisions and is free to accept or reject any recommendation from Ashton Thomas.
Please Note: If the client engages any such recommended professional, and a dispute arises
thereafter relative to such engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from and
against the engaged professional. Please Also Note: Each client is advised that it remains the
client’s responsibility to promptly notify Ashton Thomas if there is ever any change in client’s
financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising
Ashton Thomas’ previous recommendations and/or services.
Fee Differentials. As indicated in Item 5 below, Ashton Thomas shall price its services based upon
various objective and subjective factors. As a result, Ashton Thomas’ clients could pay diverse fees
based upon the market value of their assets, the complexity of the engagement, geographic
differences, and the level and scope of the overall financial planning and/or consulting services to
be rendered. The services to be provided by Ashton Thomas to any particular client could be
available from other advisers at lower fees. All clients and prospective clients should be guided
accordingly.
Sub-Account Management Services. Ashton Thomas may be engaged to manage your variable
annuity or variable life contract by selecting, monitoring and exchanging, as appropriate, sub-
accounts available from the insurance company issuing the variable annuity or variable life contract.
Please Note: Ashton Thomas’s ability to select or modify your variable annuity or variable life
contract shall be limited by the selections made available by the insurance company that issued
your variable annuity or variable life contract.
Please Also Note. You will be responsible for notifying your investment adviser representative of
any updates regarding your financial situation, risk tolerance or investment objective and whether
you wish to impose or modify existing investment restrictions; however, your investment adviser
representative will contact you at least annually to discuss any changes or updates regarding your
financial situation, risk tolerance or investment objectives.
In the event that your investment adviser representative sold you the variable annuity and/or
variable life contract in his separate capacity as a registered representative of a broker- dealer, and
your investment adviser representative received commission and/or trail compensation for this
transaction, Ashton Thomas will not charge a fee to manage these assets. This sales compensation
is separate from and in addition to any investment advisory fee charged by Ashton Thomas.
Alternative Investments. Ashton Thomas may provide investment advice regarding unaffiliated
alternative investments. Ashton Thomas’ role relative to the alternative investments shall be limited
to its initial and ongoing due diligence and investment monitoring. If a client determines to become
an alternative investment investor, the amount of assets invested may be included as part of “assets
under management” for purposes of Ashton Thomas calculating its investment advisory fee.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
If requested, the client can engage certain of Ashton Thomas’ representatives, in their individual
capacities as broker-dealer registered representatives to implement investments on a commission
basis in
alternative investments. Ashton Thomas is not a broker-dealer and any such engagement
would be outside the client’s relationship with Ashton Thomas and at the volition of the client.
To address these material conflicts of interest:
1. Ashton Thomas does not recommend that clients allocate investment assets in any
alternative investments in which Ashton Thomas and/or its related persons also have
a financial interest;
2. Ashton Thomas does not have, nor will it exercise, any discretionary authority to place
any client assets in any alternative investments in which Ashton Thomas and/or its
related persons also have a financial interest;
3. Ashton Thomas reminds its clients in Form ADV where appropriate, and before they
consider allocating investment assets that they are under absolutely no obligation to
consider or make an investment in alternative investments;
4. Before a client allocates investment assets in any alternative investment in which
Ashton Thomas and/or its related persons also have a financial interest, clients are
required to sign an alternative investment acknowledgment form, which identifies the
particular alternative investment and/or alternative investment company at issue and
the conflicts associated with the sale of that particular investment; and
5. Ashton Thomas’ Chief Compliance Officer remains available to address any questions
that a client or prospective client may have regarding the above material conflicts of
interest.
Please Note: The above 1-5 apply to Ashton Thomas in its capacity as a registered investment
adviser. It does not exclude its representatives from offering such alternative investments in their
separate individual capacities as registered representatives. Regardless, such offer presents a
material conflict of interest.
Please Note: Alternative investments generally involve various risk factors, including, but not
limited to, potential for complete loss of principal, liquidity constraints and lack of transparency, a
complete discussion of which is set forth in each alternative investment’s offering documents,
which will be provided to each client for review and consideration. Unlike liquid investments that
a client may maintain, alternative investments do not provide daily liquidity or pricing. Each
prospective client investor will be required to complete a Subscription Agreement, pursuant to
which the client shall establish that he/she is qualified for investment in the alternative investment,
and acknowledges and accepts the various risk factors that are associated with such an investment.
Please Also Note: Valuation. The value(s) for all alternative investments owned by the client shall
reflect the most recent valuation provided by the investment sponsor or custodian. If no subsequent
valuation post purchase is provided by the investment sponsor or custodian, then the valuation shall
reflect initial purchase price. If the valuation reflects the initial purchase price (and/or a value as of
a previous date), then the current value(s) (to the extent ascertainable) could be significantly more
or less than original purchase price. If, in the rare instance that Ashton Thomas believes that it
should undertake an analysis of the value provided, Ashton Thomas will base such analysis on its
knowledge of the security and current market conditions, and, to the
extent available/applicable, compare the value to similarly situated publicly traded companies. If
Ashton Thomas receives information it deems material to the value of the alternative investment,
it shall take reasonable measures to confirm such information with the investment sponsor and
contact the client to communicate such information.
Variable Product Model Design and Maintenance:
Ashton Thomas Investment Advisor representatives may, upon request and in exchange for an
Advisory Fee, provide investment “model” portfolio design and maintenance services to
independent insurance professionals whose clients hold variable life and annuity products.
In providing this service, the universe of available variable sub-accounts within the selected
Variable product will be evaluated to select the best available sub-account in most of the
Morningstar Categories offered. Once each Category’s sub-accounts are identified as the best
available among the options, the Advisor will construct four strategically allocated “model”
portfolios along a risk spectrum (“Conservative”, “Moderate”, “Moderately-Aggressive”, and
“Aggressive”) using these sub-accounts, with increasing levels of equity exposure as the models’
“risk” is increased.
Once constructed, the Advisor will deliver cover sheets identifying each model’s objective, its
allocation by percentage allocation and sub-account, and a Morningstar Snapshot Report on the
portfolio in the aggregate. On a quarterly basis, the Advisor will update the Morningstar Snapshot
Report with more recent investment performance data. The Advisor will also provide the insurance
professional with a Risk Profile Questionnaire for their use with their retail clients. It’s understood
that the Advisory service is provided to the independent insurance professional, and not to the end
investor. The ATPW Advisory Associate bears no responsibility for the models’ usage with any
end investor, nor do they attest to the suitability of any model for any particular individual end
investor.
IRA Rollover Considerations
As an investment advisor we are and have acted as a fiduciary in our relationships with our clients.
We follow the fiduciary standard required by the provisions of the Investment Advisor’s Act of
1940. A recommendation to take a distribution from a plan or to transfer (or withdraw from) an
IRA are fiduciary acts. As such, the recommendation must be prudent and in the best interest of the
participant or IRA owner. Providing education regarding distribution options is an important
consideration for selecting among those options. The following is a discussion of those options and
consideration.
As part of our investment advisory services to you, we may recommend that you withdraw the
assets from your employer's retirement plan and roll the assets over to an individual retirement
account ("IRA") that we will manage on your behalf. If you elect to roll the assets to an IRA that is
subject to our management, we will charge you an asset-based fee as set forth in the agreement you
executed with our firm. This practice presents a conflict of interest because persons providing
investment advice on our behalf have an incentive to recommend a rollover to you for the purpose
of generating fee-based compensation rather than solely based on your needs. You are under no
obligation, contractually or otherwise, to complete the rollover. Moreover, if you do complete the
rollover, you are under no obligation to have the assets in an IRA managed by our firm.
Many employers permit former employees to keep their retirement assets in their company plan.
Also, current employees can sometimes move assets out of their company plan before they retire
or change jobs. In determining whether to complete the rollover to an IRA, and to the extent the
following options are available, you should consider the costs and benefits of:
An employee will typically have four options:
1. Leaving the funds in your employer's (former employer's) plan.
2. Moving the funds to a new employer’s retirement plan.
3. Cashing out and taking a taxable distribution from the plan.
4. Rolling the funds into an IRA rollover account.
Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages and before making a change we
encourage you to speak with your CPA and/or tax attorney.
If you are considering rolling over your retirement funds to an IRA for us to manage here are a
few points to consider before you do so:
1. Determine whether the investment options in your employer's retirement plan
address your needs or whether you might want to consider other types of investments.
a. Employer retirement plans generally have a more limited investment menu than
IRAs.
b. Employer retirement plans may have unique investment options not available to
the public such as employer securities, or previously closed funds.
2. Your current plan may have lower fees than our fees.
a. If you are interested in investing only in mutual funds, you should understand the
cost structure of the share classes available in your employer's retirement plan and how the
costs of those share classes compare with those available in an IRA.
b. You should understand the various products and services you might take
advantage of at an IRA provider and the potential costs of those products and services.
3. Our strategy may have higher risk than the option(s) provided to you in your
plan.
4. Your current plan may also offer financial advice.
5. If you keep your assets titled in a 401k or retirement account, you could
potentially delay your required minimum distribution beyond age 70.5.
6. Your 401k may offer more liability protection than a rollover IRA; each state may
vary.
a. Generally, federal law protects assets in qualified plans from creditors. Since 2005,
IRA assets have been generally protected from creditors in bankruptcies. However, there
can be some exceptions to the general rules so you should consult with an attorney if you
are concerned about protecting your retirement plan assets from creditors.
7. You may be able to take out a loan on your 401k, but not from an IRA.
8. IRA assets can be accessed any time; however, distributions are subject to ordinary
income tax and may also be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty unless they qualify
for an exception such as disability, higher education expenses or the purchase of a home.
9. If you own company stock in your plan, you may be able to liquidate those shares
at a lower capital gains tax rate.
10. Your plan may allow you to hire us as the manager and keep the assets titled in the
plan name.
It is important that you understand the differences between these types of accounts and to decide
whether a rollover is best for you. Prior to proceeding, if you have questions contact your
investment adviser representative, or call our main number as listed on the cover page of this
Disclosure Brochure.
Use of Mutual Funds: Most mutual funds are available directly to the public. Thus, a prospective
client can obtain many of the mutual funds that may be recommended and/or utilized by Ashton
Thomas independent of engaging Ashton Thomas as an investment advisor. However, if a
prospective client determines to do so, he/she will not receive Ashton Thomas’ initial and ongoing
investment advisory services.
Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Assets: For clients who want exposure to
cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ashton Thomas will consider investment in corresponding
exchange traded securities, or an allocation to separate account managers and/or private funds
that provide cryptocurrency exposure. Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that can be used to buy
goods and services and use an online ledger with strong cryptography (i.e., a method of protecting
information and communications through the use of codes) to secure online transactions. Unlike
conventional currencies issued by a monetary authority, cryptocurrencies are generally not
controlled or regulated, and their price is determined by the supply and demand of their market.
Cryptocurrency is currently considered to be a speculative investment. The speculative nature of
cryptocurrencies notwithstanding, the Registrant may (but is not obligated to) utilize crypto
exposure in one or more of its asset allocation strategies for diversification purposes. Please Note:
Investment in cryptocurrencies is subject to the potential for liquidity constraints, extreme price
volatility and complete loss of principal.
Notice to Opt Out: Clients can notify the Registrant, in writing, to exclude cryptocurrency
exposure from their accounts. Absent the Registrant’s receipt of such written notice from the
client, the Registrant may (but is not obligated to) utilize cryptocurrency as part of its asset
allocation strategies for client accounts.
Independent Managers. Ashton Thomas may allocate (and/or recommend that the client allocate)
a portion of a client’s investment assets among unaffiliated independent investment managers in
accordance with the client’s designated investment objective(s). In such situations, the Independent
Manager[s] shall have day-to-day responsibility for the active discretionary management of the
allocated assets. Ashton Thomas shall continue to render investment advisory services to the client
relative to the ongoing monitoring and review of account performance, asset allocation and client
investment objectives. Factors which Ashton Thomas shall consider in recommending Independent
Manager[s] include the client’s designated investment objective(s), management style,
performance, reputation, financial strength, reporting, pricing, and research.
Certain Independent Manager[s] may offer their services as a Unified Managed Account (UMA)
platform or as a Separately Managed Account (SMA) platform, or both.
Within an UMA platform environment, the Independent Manager makes available a menu of
investment models and strategies maintained by Third-Party Money Managers (TPMMs). The
TPMMs maintain model portfolios and provide allocation and trade instructions/signals to the
Independent Manager of the UMA platform. The Independent Manager then implements the
allocation or trade instruction/signal within the client’s UMA platform accounts for those clients
subscribed to such TPMM’s model portfolios. At no time does a TPMM on the UMA platform
have any advisory relationship with the client or have control or discretion of client assets. Trade
discretion lies with the Independent Manager, whose authority is derived from the advisory
agreement in place between the client and Ashton Thomas. In addition, the Independent Manager
has the authority to substitute any security recommended by TPMM for a security which the
Independent Manager has determined is more suitable for the model and/or the individual client
account.
Within an SMA platform environment, the Independent Manager makes available a menu of
Portfolio Managers offered through separate accounts and managed by the Portfolio Manager.
Portfolio Managers do have authority and discretion of the assets in the separately managed
accounts and effect trades in such accounts in accordance with the intended objectives of their
stated investment strategy. Trade discretion lies with the Portfolio Manager, whose authority is
derived from the advisory agreement in place between the client and Ashton Thomas.
The Independent Manager[s] may offer a platform which includes both UMA and SMA services.
Independent Manager[s] may provide other back-office and administrative services for Ashton
Thomas. Independent Manager[s] firm disclosure brochure will be made available to you, at no
charge, upon request. You may opt for Ashton Thomas to receive any Independent Manager[s]
firm disclosure brochure on your behalf, if you so choose.
Client Obligations. In performing its services, Ashton Thomas shall not be required to verify any
information received from the client or from the client’s other professionals and is expressly
authorized to rely thereon. Moreover, each client is advised that it remains his/her/its responsibility
to promptly notify Ashton Thomas if there is ever any change in his/her/its financial situation or
investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising Ashton Thomas’ previous
recommendations and/or services.
C. Ashton Thomas shall provide investment advisory services specific to the needs of each client.
Prior to providing investment advisory services, an investment adviser representative will ascertain
each client’s investment objective(s). Thereafter, Ashton Thomas shall allocate and/or recommend
that the client allocate investment assets consistent with the designated investment objective(s).
The client may, at any time, impose reasonable restrictions, in writing, on Ashton Thomas’ services.
D. As stated above, if the client determines to engage Ashton Thomas on a non-wrap fee basis the
client will select individual services on an unbundled basis, paying for each service separately (i.e.,
investment advisory, trade execution, custody). If a client determines to engage Ashton Thomas on
a wrap fee basis the client will pay a single fee for bundled services (i.e., investment advisory,
brokerage, custody) (See Item 4.B). The services included in a wrap fee agreement will depend
upon each client’s particular need. Please Note: When managing a client’s account on a wrap fee
basis, Ashton Thomas, after its payment of all other costs included in the wrap fee (transaction fees,
custodial charges, etc.), shall retain the balance of the wrap fee as compensation for its services.
Accordingly, Ashton Thomas has a conflict of interest because it has an economic incentive to
minimize the number of transactions/total costs in the client's account in order to maximize its
compensation.
E. As of December 31, 2023, Ashton Thomas had $2,886,769,095 in assets under management on a
discretionary basis and $4,815,780 in assets under management on a non-discretionary basis.