A. Advisory Services Offered
Asset Management Services
We emphasize continuous and regular account supervision. As part of our asset management
service, we generally create a portfolio consisting of securities and strategies described in Item 8
of this brochure. Each portfolio will be initially designed to meet a particular investment goal,
which we determine to be suitable to the client’s circumstances. Once the appropriate portfolio
has been determined, we review the portfolio no less frequently than annually and if necessary,
rebalance the portfolio based upon the client’s individual needs, stated goals, and objectives.
Clients have the right to provide us with any reasonable investment restrictions that should be
imposed on the management of their portfolio, and should promptly notify us in writing of any
changes in such restrictions or in the client's personal financial circumstances, investment
objectives, goals, and tolerance for risk. We will remind clients of their obligation to inform us of
any such changes or any restrictions that should be imposed on the management of their
account. We will also contact clients at least annually to determine whether there have been any
changes in personal financial circumstances, investment objectives, and tolerance for risk.
Third-Party Money Managers
As part of our investment advisory services, we may recommend, through certain platform
providers with whom Sequoia Wealth has engaged, a third-party money manager to manage all
or a portion of the client's investment portfolio. Factors we take into consideration when making
our recommendation include, but are not limited to, the money manager's performance,
investment strategies, methods of analysis, advisory fees and other fees, assets under
management, and the client's financial objectives and risk tolerance. We would generally retain
authority to hire/fire the third-party money manager, and we regularly monitor the performance
of the money manager to ensure its management and investment style remain aligned with the
client's objectives and risk tolerance. Each third-party money manager maintains a separate
disclosure document that will be provided directly to the client by Sequoia Wealth.
Third-Party Strategists
As part of our investment advisory services, we may recommend third-party strategists offered
through certain platform providers with whom Sequoia Wealth has engaged. Such strategists
effectively provide recommendations to Sequoia Wealth for certain models the strategists
manage. For strategist arrangements, upon receipt of the updated model information, we will
implement the model and associated changes for applicable clients. Factors we take into
consideration when making our recommendation include, but are not limited to, the strategist's
performance, investment strategies, methods of analysis, advisory fees and other fees, and the
client's financial objectives and risk tolerance. We would generally retain authority to hire/fire
the strategist, and we regularly monitor the performance of the strategist to ensure its
management and investment style remain aligned with the client's objectives and risk tolerance.
LPL Financial–Sponsored Advisory Programs
Our firm may provide advisory services through certain programs sponsored by LPL Financial
(“LPL”), a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer. Below is a brief description of each
LPL advisory program available to our firm. For more information regarding the LPL programs,
including more information on the advisory services and fees that apply, the types of
investments available in the programs, and the potential conflicts of interest presented by the
programs, please see the LPL Financial Form ADV Part 2 or the applicable program’s Appendix 1
(wrap fee program brochure) and the applicable client agreement. Please note that Sequoia
Wealth’s use of the LPL Sponsored Advisory Programs creates certain conflicts of interest which
you should be aware of. LPL makes available mutual funds in its programs which are categorized
as either full-participating funds, in which no transaction fee is assessed, and non-participating
funds, in which a transaction fee is assessed. As such, Sequoia Wealth has an economic incentive
to invest advisory assets in LPL full participating funds within the wrap fee program to avoid the
cost and enhance the profitability of the wrap fee arrangement.
Optimum Market Portfolios Program (“OMP”)
OMP offers clients the ability to participate in a professionally managed asset allocation
program using Optimum Funds Class I shares. Under OMP, client will authorize LPL on a
discretionary basis to purchase and sell Optimum Funds pursuant to investment objectives
chosen by the client. Advisor will assist the client in determining the suitability of OMP for the
client and assist the client in setting an appropriate investment objective. Advisor will have
discretion to select a mutual fund asset allocation portfolio designed by LPL consistent with
the client’s investment objective. LPL will have discretion to purchase and sell Optimum Funds
pursuant to the portfolio selected for the client. LPL will also have authority to rebalance the
account.
Personal Wealth Portfolios Program (“PWP”)
PWP offers clients an asset management account using asset allocation model portfolios
designed by LPL. Advisor will have discretion for selecting the asset allocation model portfolio
based on client’s investment objective. Advisor will also have discretion for selecting third-
party money managers (PWP Advisors) or mutual funds within each asset class of the model
portfolio. LPL will act as the overlay portfolio manager on all PWP accounts and will be
authorized to purchase and sell on a discretionary basis mutual funds and equity and fixed
income securities.
Model Wealth Portfolios Program (“MWP”)
MWP offers clients a professionally managed mutual fund asset allocation program. We will
obtain the necessary financial data from the client, assist the client in determining the
suitability of the MWP program, and assist the client in setting an appropriate investment
objective. Advisor will initiate the steps necessary to open an MWP account and have
discretion to select a model portfolio designed by LPL’s Research Department consistent with
the client’s stated investment objective. LPL’s Research Department is responsible for selecting
the mutual funds within a model portfolio and for making changes to the mutual funds
selected.
The client will authorize LPL to act on a discretionary basis to purchase and sell mutual funds
(including in certain circumstances exchange-traded funds) and to liquidate previously
purchased securities. The client will also authorize LPL to effect rebalancing for MWP accounts.
The MWP program makes available model portfolios designed by strategists other than LPL’s
Research Department. Advisor will have discretion to choose among the available models
designed by LPL and outside strategists.
Manager Access Select Program (“MAS”)
MAS provides clients access to the investment advisory services of professional portfolio
management firms for the individual management of client accounts. Advisor will assist client
in identifying a third-party portfolio manager portfolio manager from a list of portfolio
managers made available by LPL. The portfolio manager manages client’s assets on a
discretionary basis. Advisor will provide initial and ongoing assistance regarding the portfolio
manager selection process.
Guided Wealth Portfolios Program (“GWP”)
GWP is a centrally managed, algorithm-based investment program which is made available to
users and clients through a web-based, interactive account management portal. Investment
recommendations to buy and sell exchange-traded funds and open-end mutual funds are
generated through proprietary, automated, computer algorithms (collectively, the “Algorithm”)
of FutureAdvisor, Inc. (“FutureAdvisor”), based upon model portfolios constructed by LPL
Financial and selected for the account. Communications concerning GWP are intended to
occur primarily through electronic means, although we will be available to discuss investment
strategies, objectives, or the account in general in person or over the phone.
A preview of the Program (the “Educational Tool”) is provided for a period of up to 45 days to
help users determine whether they would like to become advisory clients and receive ongoing
financial advice from LPL Financial, FutureAdvisor, and our firm by enrolling in the advisory
service (the “Managed Service”). The Educational Tool and Managed Service are described in
more detail in the GWP Program Brochure. Users of the Educational Tool are not considered to
be advisory clients of LPL Financial, FutureAdvisor, or our firm; do not enter into an advisory
agreement with LPL Financial, FutureAdvisor, or our firm; do not receive ongoing investment
advice or supervisions of their assets; and do not receive any trading services.
Fees and Compensation
Fee Schedule
We offer our services to our clients for an annual maximum advisory fee of 2.50%. The ultimate
fee we charge will be based on the scope and complexity of the engagement and will be listed
under Schedule A of the client agreement. Fees will be automatically deducted from your
managed account. Adjustments are made for deposits and withdrawals in client accounts.
Please be advised that non-wrap program fees (those where the client pays trading costs in
addition to the advisory fee) should, all things being equal, have the same overall net cost to the
client as a comparable investment account in a wrap fee program. For example, if a client has a
$100,000 investment account and utilizes a non-wrap program for an advisory fee of 2.25% and
pays $250 in additional trading costs, a comparable arrangement on a wrap fee program basis
(where the advisory fees include both the trading costs and advisory fee) would be 2.5%. In this
way, the client understands the concept of fee parity when comparing wrap vs. non-wrap fee
programs. In other words, if you are comparing a non-wrap program at 2.5% to a wrap free
program at 2.5%, it would always be in your best interest to use the wrap fee in this example.
The size of the portfolio or the frequency of trading may influence the use of a non-wrap
program versus a wrap fee program, which are factors you should consider in selecting a
particular investment program type. As a result, it is important to understand that the firm has
an economic incentive to trade infrequently within a wrap fee program, because frequent
trading lowers the firm’s profitability. Of course, it is your decision to utilize the specific fee
arrangement and this disclosure is to help you understand the relationship between the cost
components of non-wrap fee programs versus wrap fee programs and the related conflicts of
interest.
The trading cost component of the above-mentioned advisory fees are estimated to range from
$50 to $250 per account per year.
Per the discretionary investment advisory agreement, clients agree to pay in advance a fee
charged to the Account(s) on the last day of each quarter which is based on the market value of
the assets in the Account(s) on the last day of that quarter. If Sequoia Wealth serves for less than
the whole of any quarterly period, compensation will be calculated on a pro-rata basis for the
period of the quarter for which we have served as an adviser. We may modify the fee at any time
upon 30 days’ written notice to the client. In the event the client has an ERISA-governed plan,
fee modifications must be approved in writing by the client.
These fees include charges for all transaction costs such as commissions on purchase and sales
of stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds and
options, and mutual fund transactions fees. Except
as otherwise provided below, client will incur no charges other than the adviser’s fee pursuant to
the above fee schedule in connection with the maintenance of and activity in client’s account.
The wrap fee does not include annual account fees or other administrative fees, such as wire
fees, charged by manager or brokerage firm; fees for securities transactions executed away from
the custodian; certain odd-lot differentials, transfer taxes, transaction fees mandated by the
Securities Act of 1934, postage and handling fees, and charges imposed by law with regard to
transactions in the client’s account; and advisory fees, expenses or sales charges (loads) of
mutual funds (including money market funds), closed-end investment companies or other
managed investments, if any, held in client’s account. The wrap fee also does not cover certain
costs associated with securities transactions in the over-the-counter market, such as fixed
income securities where manager must approach a dealer or market maker to purchase or sell a
security. Such costs include the dealer’s mark-up, mark-down or spread and odd-lot differentials
or transfer taxes imposed by law.
B. Disclosure of Cost Difference if Services Purchased Separately
Our wrap fee and non-wrap fee accounts are managed on an individualized basis according to
the client’s investment objectives, financial goals, risk tolerance, etc. The only difference is that
the Sequoia Wealth wrap program is offered where clients pay one all-inclusive fee. A portion of
such fee is paid to Sequoia Wealth for its investment management services.
Depending on a number of factors, such as the number, size and nature of the securities
transactions in an advisory account, the overall fees and charges borne by the client over time
could be more or less than what these fees and charges would be if the same services were
provided on a separate basis. Bundled fees generally provide an economic incentive for the
advisory firm to select investments and strategies that minimize trading costs. Frequent trading
in an account where transaction fees are included as part of the overall advisory fee to the client
drive trading costs higher and reduce the overall fee revenue to the advisor. As a result, higher
trading costs in a bundled fee account have a negative impact on the advisory firm’s
profitability.
C. Additional Client Fees and Terms of Payment
Client Payment of Fees
For our asset management services, we generally require fees to be prepaid on a quarterly basis.
Clients will be required to authorize the direct debit of fees from their accounts. Exceptions may
be granted subject to our firm’s consent for clients to be billed directly for our fees. For directly
debited fees, the custodian’s periodic statements will show each fee deduction from the
account. Clients may withdraw this authorization for direct billing of these fees at any time by
notifying us or their custodian in writing.
We will deduct advisory fees directly from the client’s account provided that (i) the client
provides written authorization to the qualified custodian, and (ii) the qualified custodian sends
the client a statement, at least quarterly, indicating all amounts disbursed from the account. The
client is responsible for verifying the accuracy of the fee calculation, as the client’s custodian will
not verify the calculation.
A client investment advisory agreement may be terminated by either party for any reason upon
receipt of written notice. Upon termination, any unearned, prepaid fees will be promptly
refunded.
Additional Fees
All fees paid for investment advisory services are separate and distinct from the fees and
expenses charged by exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, separate account managers, broker-
dealers, and custodians retained by clients. Such fees and expenses are described in each
exchange-traded fund and mutual fund’s prospectus, each separate account manager’s Form
ADV and Brochure and Brochure Supplement or similar disclosure statement, and by any
broker-dealer or custodian retained by the client. Clients are advised to read these materials
carefully before investing. If a mutual fund also imposes sales charges, a client may pay an initial
or deferred sales charge as further described in the mutual fund’s prospectus. A client using
Sequoia Wealth may be precluded from using certain mutual funds or separate account
managers because they may not be offered by the client's custodian.
Please refer to the Brokerage Practices section (Items 9.B.2 and 9.B.3) for additional information
regarding the firm’s brokerage practices.
D. Compensation for Recommending the Wrap Fee Program
We do not recommend or offer the wrap program services of other providers. Our investment
advisory representatives receive a portion of the advisory fee that you pay us, either directly as a
percentage of your overall fee or as their salary from our firm. In cases where our investment
advisory representatives are paid a percentage of your overall advisory fee, this may create an
incentive to recommend that you participate in a wrap fee program rather than a non-wrap fee
program (where you would pay for trade execution costs) or brokerage account where
commissions are charged. This is because, in some cases, we may stand to earn more
compensation from advisory fees paid to us through a wrap fee program arrangement if your
account is not actively traded. In order to mitigate this conflict of interest, our firm’s investment
adviser representatives will only recommend the wrap fee program to clients who will benefit
from a bundled fee option.
E. External Compensation for the Sale of Securities to Clients
Sequoia Wealth’s advisory professionals are compensated primarily through a percentage of
advisory fees charged to clients. Sequoia Wealth advisory professionals may be paid sales,
service or administrative fees for the sale of mutual funds or other investment products. Sequoia
Wealth advisory professionals may receive commission-based compensation for the sale of
insurance products. In addition, Sequoia Wealth advisory professionals, in their capacity as LPL
Financial registered representatives, may receive commission-based compensation for the sale
of securities. Sequoia Wealth advisory professionals are prohibited from earning an advisory fee
on the securities value transferred from an advisory client’s LPL Financial brokerage account
unless commissions earned on such securities transactions occurred at least a 12–18 months
prior to the transfer. Please see Item 10.C. for detailed information and conflicts of interest.
F. Important Disclosure – Custodian Investment Programs
Please be advised that certain of the firm’s investment adviser representatives are registered
with a broker-dealer and/or the firm is a broker-dealer or affiliated with a broker-dealer. Under
these arrangements, we can access certain investment programs offered through the broker-
dealer that offer certain compensation and fee structures that create conflicts of interest of
which clients need to be aware. As such, the investment adviser representative and/or the firm
may have an economic incentive to recommend the purchase of 12b-1 or revenue share class
mutual funds offered through the broker-dealer platform rather than from the investment
adviser platform. Please note the following:
Limitation on Mutual Fund Universe for Custodian Investment Programs: Please note that as a
matter of policy we prohibit the receipt of revenue share fees from any mutual funds utilized for
our advisory clients’ portfolios. There are certain programs in which we participate where a
client’s investment options may be limited in certain of these programs to those mutual funds
and/or mutual fund share classes that pay 12b-1 fees and other revenue sharing fee payments,
and the client should be aware that the firm is not selecting from among all mutual funds
available in the marketplace when recommending mutual funds to the client.
Conflict Between Revenue Share Class (12b-1) and Non-Revenue Share Class Mutual Funds:
Revenue share class/12b-1 fees are deducted from the net asset value of the mutual fund and
generally, all things being equal, cause the fund to earn lower rates of return than those mutual
funds that do not pay revenue sharing fees. The client is under no obligation to utilize such
programs or mutual funds. Although many factors will influence the type of fund to be used, the
client should discuss with their investment adviser representative whether a share class from a
comparable mutual fund with a more favorable return to investors is available that does not
include the payment of any 12b-1 or revenue sharing fees given the client’s individual needs
and priorities and anticipated transaction costs. In addition, the receipt of such fees can create
conflicts of interest in instances (i) where our adviser representative is also licensed as a
registered representative of a broker-dealer and receives a portion of 12b-1 and or revenue
sharing fees as compensation – such compensation creates an incentive for the investment
adviser representative to use programs which utilize funds that pay such additional
compensation; and (ii) where the custodian receives the entirety of the 12b-1 and/or revenue
sharing fees and takes the receipt of such fees into consideration in terms of benefits it may
elect to provide to the firm, even though such benefits may or may not benefit some or all
of the firm clients.
Additional Disclosure Concerning Wrap Programs: To the extent that we either sponsor or
recommend wrap fee programs, please be advised that certain wrap fee programs may (i) allow
our investment adviser representatives to select mutual fund classes that either have no
transaction fee costs associated with them but include embedded 12b-1 fees that lower the
investor’s return (“sometimes referred to as “A-Shares,” depending on the mutual fund issuer),
or (ii) allow the use of mutual fund classes that have transaction fees associated with them but
do not carry embedded 12b-1 fees (sometimes referred to as “I-Shares,” depending on the
mutual fund sponsor). Wrap fee programs offer investment services and related transaction
services for one all-inclusive fee (except as may be described in the applicable wrap fee program
brochure). The trading costs are typically absorbed by the firm and/or the investment
representative. If a client’s account holds A-Shares within a wrap fee program, the firm and/or its
investment adviser representative avoids paying the transaction fees charged by other mutual
fund classes, which in effect decreases the firm’s costs and increases its revenues from the
account. Effectively, the cost is transferred to the client from the firm in the form of a lower rate
of return on the specific mutual fund. This creates an incentive for the firm or investment adviser
representative to utilize such funds as opposed to those funds that may be equally appropriate
for a client but do not carry the additional cost of 12b-1 fees. As a policy matter, the firm does
not allow funds that impose 12b-1 or revenue sharing fees on the client’s investment within its
wrap fee programs. Clients should understand and discuss with their investment adviser
representative the types of mutual fund share classes available in the wrap fee program and the
basis for using one share class over another in accordance with their individual circumstances
and priorities.
G. Client Assets Under Management
As of December 31, 2023, our firm managed $199,779,941 on a discretionary basis and
$257,408,422 on a non-discretionary basis for a total of $457,188,363 in assets under
management.
Item 5: Account Requirements and Types of Clients