ISCA is a wholly owned subsidiary of ISC Group, Incorporated (“ISC Group” or “ISCG”). ISC Group
and ISCA are located at 3500 Oak Lawn Ave, Suite 400 Dallas, TX 75219. ISC Group was
incorporated in 1989 and ISCA. was founded in 1994. ISC Investment Management, LLC (“ISC
Investment Management”) is the majority shareholder of ISC Group. Scott A. Hayes is the
President and CEO of ISC Group and the majority shareholder of ISC Investment Management.
The names ISC Advisors, ISC Group, and ISCA are often used interchangeably in the day-to-day
operations of the Firm. All contracts, correspondence, sales literature and advertising that
require registration under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) are provided
through ISCA.
Services Offered
Financial planning
The Firm provides financial planning services in the areas of retirement planning, financial
planning, personal tax and cash flow planning, estate planning, insurance planning, divorce
planning, college planning, and compensation and benefits planning, among others and such
services are provided based upon a negotiated hourly rate. Once the scope of financial planning
services has been agreed upon, a determination will be made as to the applicable fee to be
charged. The final fee, subject to negotiation, is directly dependent upon the facts and
circumstances of the client's financial situation and the complexity of the financial plan or
service(s) requested. In limited circumstances, the cost/time could potentially exceed the initial
estimate. In such cases, the Firm will notify the Client and will request that the client pay an
additional fee.
The Firm reserves the right to determine whether the financial planning fees will be waived or
offset by advisory fees and/or additional compensation earned in the implementation process.
The scope and complexity of the financial planning services that were provided will determine
the waiver or offset of the fee.
In general, the financial plan will address the following areas of concern:
Personal: family records, budgeting, personal liability, estate information and financial goals.
Tax and Cash Flow: Income tax and spending analysis and planning for the past, current and
future years. We illustrate the impact of various investments on the client’s or clients’ current
income tax and future tax liability.
Death and Disability: Cash needs at death, income needs of surviving dependents, estate
planning and disability income analysis.
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Retirement: Analysis of current strategies and investment plans to help the clients achieve their
retirement objectives.
Investments: Analysis of investment alternatives and their effects on client portfolios.
ISCA gathers required information through personal interviews. Information gathered includes
a client’s current financial status, future goals, attitudes towards risk and other relevant
information. After this information is obtained, ISCA and its advisor representatives (“Advisor”
or “IAR”) make recommendations for the client. Should the client choose to implement the
recommendations contained in the plan, ISCA suggests the client work closely with his/her
attorney, accountant, insurance agent, and/or stockbroker. Implementation of financial plan
recommendations is entirely at the client’s discretion.
Limited Services: Clients can also receive investment advice on a more limited basis. This
includes advice on only isolated areas of concern such as estate planning, retirement planning,
or another specific topic. ISCA also provides specific consultation and administrative services
regarding investment and financial concerns of the client.
Additionally, ISCA provides advice on non-securities matters. Generally, this is in connection
with the rendering of estate planning, insurance, and/or annuity advice. Financial Plan
recommendations are not limited to any specific product or service offered by a broker dealer
or insurance company. All recommendations are of a generic nature.
Pension Consulting Services
As an investment adviser, ISCA also provides pension consulting services to employers that are
contemplating starting, transferring, or amending their employer-sponsored retirement
plan(s). In this capacity, ISCA meets with senior management and key personnel to design and
operate retirement plans and retirement plan documents that meet the employer’s needs and
comply with all applicable rules and regulations.
ISCA will provide the following services: Institutional accounts are typically employer
sponsored qualified retirement plans under section 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), or 457 of the IRS
Code. (1) ISCA provides fiduciary and/or non-fiduciary services to such Plan Clients and such
capacity shall be disclosed in writing to the Plan Client. (2) ISCA will implement the investment
plan after having reviewed the applicable investment options with the client. Investment
options selected include the use of load and no-load mutual funds. In the case of load mutual
funds, ISCA will refund whenever possible. Other products recommended and utilized include
closed-end mutual funds, fixed and variable annuities, insurance GIC products, unit investment
trusts, certificates of deposit, exchange traded funds (“ETF”), individual stocks, bonds,
government securities, and municipal securities. (3) ISCA will conduct periodic due diligence
reviews of the Plan’s reports, investment options and recommendations. (4) ISCA will assist in
monitoring investment options by preparing periodic investment reports that document
investment performance, consistency of fund management and conformation to the guidelines
set forth in the investment policy statement and will make recommendations as necessary to
maintain or remove and replace investment options. (5) ISCA also provides services to
individual plan participants including education, enrollment assistance, and as requested from
time to time, one on one consultations regarding investment recommendations. When
providing individual plan participant consulting services, ISCA will review the plan participant’s
financial situation, goals, and objectives as well as the investment options available in the
retirement plan. ISCA will make such recommendations from the list of available investment
options in the retirement plan account as are deemed appropriate and consistent with the plan
participant’s stated investment objectives and risk tolerance. These services do not constitute
asset management services for the participant’s retirement plan account. The plan participant
will determine whether or not to implement the advice provided. The implementation of any
trades in the participant’s retirement plan account is the participant’s responsibility.
ISCA represents that it is not subject to any disqualification as set forth in Section 411 of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”). In performing fiduciary services for a Plan
Client, it is acting as a fiduciary of such Plan as defined in Section 3(21) under ERISA for
purposes of providing non-discretionary investment advice to the Plan and plan participants.
The services are designed to assist plan sponsors in meeting their management and fiduciary
obligations to participants under ERISA.
In the event that the Firm serves as a fiduciary for a particular Plan Client, the Firm receives
fiduciary fees for those services.
Retirement Accounts – DOL Disclosure
We are fiduciaries within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and/or the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), as applicable, when we
provide investment advice regarding portfolio assets held in an IRA, Roth IRA, Archer Medical
Savings Account, a Plan covered by ERISA, or a plan described in Section 4975(e)(1)(A) of the
Code (collectively referred to collectively sometimes herein as (“Retirement Accounts”).
To ensure that ISCA will adhere to fiduciary norms
and basic standards of fair dealing, we are
required to give advice that is in the "best interest" of the retirement client. The best interest
standard has two chief components, prudence and loyalty. Under the prudence standard, the
advice must meet a professional standard of care and under the loyalty standard, our advice
must be based on the interests of our retirement clients, rather than the potential competing
financial interest of ISCA.
To address the conflicts of interest with respect to our compensation, we are required to act in
your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. To this end, 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.
Managed Accounts Program
The Firm has developed a proprietary managed account program called Pathways (“the
Program”) to assist clients in meeting their investment goals and objectives. The Program seeks
to maximize risk-adjusted returns over the long-run according to each portfolio’s objectives.
The Program is managed by an investment committee at the Firm that meets frequently to
discuss the underlying funds, asset allocation, and forward-looking market and economic
expectations.
The Program is offered through various custodial and brokerage accounts as an actively
managed overlay consisting of either mutual funds or exchange-traded funds and is managed
according to one of five managed model portfolios:
(1)
Conservative Income - focused on preserving capital and attempts to protect investors
with shorter time horizons from losses. The majority of this portfolio is invested in fixed
income securities with a small portion in equities and is the most conservative model
available. Lower potential gains are offset by reduced volatility and investment risk.
The Conservative Income Model is designed for shorter time horizon investors that
tolerate minimal market fluctuation and are less concerned with long-term growth of
capital.
(2)
Income – primarily attempts to avoid short-term loss, but still seeks somewhat higher
returns over the long term
(3)
Balanced – intended to provide returns that are expected to outpace inflation over the
long term to investors who are equally concerned with risk and return
(4)
Growth - designed to provide wealth accumulation to investors with intermediate to
long term time horizons. This portfolio may have higher than average volatility and
potential short-term losses to achieve desired returns.
(5)
Aggressive Growth – designed for investors who have a longer time horizon and to
provide wealth accumulation. Investors may experience volatility and short-term losses
in portfolio value in exchange for the chance to achieve higher returns over the long term.
Model Portfolios are managed according to the general categories of objectives and risk
tolerances defined above and are not tailored to the individual needs of the clients. The Program
is currently offered as a portfolio management option to the Firm’s corporate clients for
utilization in connection with their employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans. The
Program is purely optional. Participants can start or stop this program at any time and can
alternatively select to self-direct their individual retirement plan(s) rather than rely on the
Firm’s Managed Portfolio Program option. The Program is offered through the Firm, its
registered representatives or investment advisory representatives acting in their separate
capacity as IARs of the Firm, based on the Firm’s independent registration as an investment
adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Clients that participate in the program
will receive Part 2A of the Firm’s Form ADV in accordance with SEC regulations. If the disclosure
brochure is not delivered to the Client at least 48 hours prior to entering into the Agreement, the
Client can terminate the Agreement within five business days without penalty. After the five-day
period, either party can terminate the agreement by providing written notice to the other. Upon
termination, any prepaid fees will be prorated to the date of termination and unearned fees will
be returned to the Client.
The fees for the Managed Account Program generally range from 0% to 1.3% depending upon
the Firm’s negotiated arrangement with a Client.
Fee Schedule: For investment advisory services, ISCA will generally charge a fee based upon a
percentage of assets under management. Fees are negotiable and will not exceed a maximum of
one point three percent (1.30%) per year. ISCA will alternatively charge an hourly fee and/or a
flat rate fee. These fees will likewise be negotiated as per the executed client agreement.
Use of Sub-Advisors
ISCA may delegate some of its investment advisory functions over a particular client account or
accounts to another investment adviser (“Sub-Advisor”), at ISCA’s discretion or the Client’s
request. While ISCA will remain your primary investment adviser and continue to render
investment advisory services to the Client relative to the ongoing monitoring, review of account
performance, asset allocation and client investment objectives, the Sub-Advisor will assume day-
to-day investment management of your assets managed by the Sub-Advisor. In such a case, the
Client shall execute the ISCA's Sub-Advisor Disclosure and Acknowledgement Form, which
grants the Sub-Advisor day-to-day responsibility for the active discretionary management of the
assets allocated to the Sub-Advisor for portfolio management.
Prior to delegating advisory functions, ISCA will perform due diligence on the Sub-Advisor, enter
into a sub-advisory contract with the Sub-Advisor, and supervise the services provided by the
Sub-Advisor. ISCA retains authority to engage or terminate Sub-Advisors. ISCA will inform clients
prior to engagement or termination of the Sub-Advisor to which it delegates investment advisory
functions. ISCA’s role will be to monitor the overall financial situation of the client, monitor the
investment approach and performance of the Sub-Advisor, and to assist the client in
understanding the investments in the client’s account. Clients will be provided with each Sub-
Advisors Privacy Policy Notice and Form ADV Part 2A Brochure, which contains important
information regarding the strategies, fees and risks of the Sub-Advisor.
Publications of Periodicals or Newsletters
ISCA publishes free newsletters written by the company or purchased from a third-party.
Newsletters will be distributed on paper or electronically. No specific information about
performance, past or expected, or particular securities will be discussed except for publicly
known facts such as prices and benchmark performance such as the S&P 500 Index and Dow
Jones Industrial Average.
Educational Seminars/Workshops
ISCA Advisors will conduct workshops free of charge and open to the public on various topics
of financial planning and investments. These are general in nature and are not meant to
represent financial or tax advice for a specific person. No specific information about
performance, past or expected, or particular securities will be discussed except for publicly
known facts such as prices and benchmark performance such as the S&P 500 Index and Dow
Jones Industrial Average.
Assets Under Management
Total Assets under management as of 12/31/2023: $1,284,165,122.
Accounts managed on a discretionary basis: $477,728,657.
Accounts managed on a non-discretionary basis: $806,436,465.