Firm Description
Private Advisory Group LLC (“PAG,” “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Firm”) is a Washington limited
liability company founded in November 2013. Our registration as an investment advisor was
effective in January of 2014 and we began actively serving clients in July of 2014.
PAG provides personalized confidential financial planning and investment management to a
variety of clients, including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small
businesses. Advice is provided through consultation with the client and may include
determination of financial goals and objectives, identification of financial problems,
investment management, tax & estate planning, insurance review, education funding,
retirement planning and cash flow management.
We make our advisory services available to clients through individuals associated with the
Firm as investment advisory representatives (“Advisor”). For more information about the
Advisor providing advisory services, please refer to the Brochure Supplement for that
Advisor. The Brochure Supplement is a separate document provided to you along with this
Brochure before or at the time you engage us. If you did not receive a Brochure Supplement,
you should contact the Advisor or PAG’s home office by calling 425-498-2320.
PAG may choose to replace the Advisor assigned to a client relationship and will provide a
new Brochure Supplement at the time of the change.
Principal Owners
Bean Holdings, LLC, a Washington limited liability company, owns approximately 96% of
PAG. Bean Holdings is majority-owned by Douglas R. Bean (CRD No. 4541916), PAG’s Chief
Investment Strategist and an Elected Manager, and S Christopher Bean (CRD No. 4206985),
an Elected Manager. The remaining 4% is jointly owned by family members within MJM
Management, LLC, a Washington limited liability company. Chris and Doug Bean have
managed PAG since its inception.
Types of Advisory Services
INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES
We provide continuous management of client assets based on the individual needs of the
client. Through the Advisor’s discussions with you, we determine your individual goals and
objectives, time horizons, risk tolerances, and liquidity needs. As appropriate, we may also
discuss and review with you prior investment history and intergenerational planning and
wealth transition issues. We strive to develop a general portfolio allocation designed to
match each client’s objectives and risk tolerances. We then manage assets according to that
portfolio allocation, which will change over time as both the client’s own situation and the
broader markets change.
We manage advisory client assets primarily on a discretionary basis, but we may accept non-
discretionary accounts as well. Clients may impose reasonable restrictions on investing in
certain securities, types of securities, or industry sectors.
We generally implement our investment recommendations through PAG-generated
investment models implemented by the Firm’s portfolio managers and overseen by the
Firm’s Investment Management Oversight Committee. Individual advisory representatives
also have latitude to manage portfolios in response to individual client needs and based on
the advisory representative’s investment philosophy.
In addition to investment management services, advisory clients may receive the following
services:
Cash flow management;
Education planning;
Retirement planning;
Insurance review.
Tax return preparation and filing;
Estate planning;
PAG may facilitate estate planning and tax return preparation and filing through qualified
attorneys and tax professionals we recommend and with whom we work closely. Where we
provide referrals to other professionals, the PAG Advisor serves as a single point of contact
for coordination of services.
Our investment recommendations are not limited to any specific product or service and
generally include advice regarding a broad range of securities and investment types.
Because some types of investments involve additional degrees of risk, and may also involve
additional expenses, they will only be employed when consistent with the client's stated
investment objectives, tolerance for risk, liquidity, and suitability.
Initial public offerings (IPOs) are not available through PAG.
We do not currently offer traditional wrap fee programs, in which assets are referred to a
third-party manager or managers and a single management
fee, covering both investment
advice and transaction and execution costs, is assessed to the account.
More information on our fees appears in Item 5, below. More information on fees charged
by independent custodians appears in Item 12.
FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES
PAG usually provides financial planning services to clients as part of its general advisory
services, and in connection with its broader investment management functions. We
occasionally provide financial planning services to clients where PAG designs a financial plan
but is not then responsible for implementation. Financial plans we design may include the
following elements, depending on client needs:
A review of investment accounts, including an asset allocation review and the
provision of repositioning recommendations;
A review of retirement accounts and plans, including recommendations;
Education planning with funding recommendations.
A review of one or more retirement scenarios;
A net worth statement;
A cash flow statement;
Strategic tax planning;
A review of insurance policies and, if necessary, recommendations for changes;
An estate planning review and recommendations; and
We provide detailed investment advice and specific recommendations as part of a financial
plan. If the financial planning services are separate from our discretionary advisory work,
implementation of the recommendations is the client’s sole responsibility. After delivery of
a financial plan, we may schedule future face-to-face meetings as necessary for up to six
months.
OUTSIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
In some instances, and for some clients, we contract with independent professionals at the
Advisor’s discretion. These professionals include, but are not limited to, the CPAs and
attorneys identified in Item 10. When engaged by PAG, these professionals participate as
members of the client’s private advisory group. Services rendered as part of the client’s
private advisory group primarily include estate planning, tax planning, tax preparation, tax
filing services, and healthcare consulting services if necessary. As described more fully in
Item 10, PAG may agree to pay directly for the services of the independent professionals.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR RETIREMENT INVESTORS
When we recommend that you rollover retirement assets or transfer existing retirement
assets (such as a 401(k) or an IRA) to our management, we have a conflict of interest. This is
because we will generally earn additional revenue when we manage more assets. In making
the recommendation, however, we do so only after determining that the recommendation is
in your best interest. Further, in making any recommendation to transfer or rollover
retirement assets, we do so as a “fiduciary,” as that term is defined in ERISA or the Internal
Revenue Code, or both. We also acknowledge we are a fiduciary under ERISA or the Internal
Revenue Code with respect to our ongoing investment advisory recommendations and
discretionary asset management services, as described in the advisory agreement we
execute with you. To the extent we provide non-fiduciary services to you, those will be
described in the advisory agreement.
CONCIERGE SERVICES
PAG may offer concierge services for some clients. These services do not incur any additional
charge and are offered in our sole discretion. Typically, clients who receive these services
have a larger asset base with us to justify the additional cost PAG incurs. Concierge services
include such non-investment advisory activities as assisting with personal travel
arrangements, making reservations, helping with client event planning, and client bill
payment. If PAG has payment authority on behalf of clients, we will have custody over client
assets. If applicable, the Advisory Service Agreement will detail the Concierge Services PAG
has agreed to provide and will identify whether the service creates a custody relationship.
Having custody gives PAG the ability to control client assets, which creates additional risks
for clients. To the extent the Firm has custody, we implement specific controls, including
obtaining a surprise custody exam over the affected assets.
Assets under Management
As of December 31, 2023, PAG had $900,483,416 in assets under management. Of this total,
$899,375,743 is managed on a discretionary basis and $1,107,673 managed on a non-
discretionary basis.