A. IFC Personal Money Managers, Inc. (the “Registrant”) is a corporation formed under the
laws of the State of New York on February 2, 1982. The Registrant has been registered as
an investment adviser since April 1, 2003. The Registrant is primarily owned by Gary
Schatsky.
B. As discussed below, the Registrant offers to its clients (individuals, high net worth
individuals, trusts, estates and charitable organizations, etc.) investment advisory services
and financial planning and consulting services.
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
The client can engage the Registrant to provide non-discretionary investment advisory
services on an hourly or fixed-fee basis. Registrant’s annual investment advisory fee shall
include investment advisory services, and, to the extent specifically requested by the client,
general 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 the Registrant), the Registrant may determine to charge for such additional services
pursuant to a stand-alone Financial Planning and Consulting relationship.
The Registrant provides investment advisory services specific to the needs of each client.
Before providing investment advisory services, an investment adviser representative will
ascertain each client’s investment objectives. Then, the Registrant will allocate and/or
recommend that the client allocate investment assets consistent with the designated
investment objectives. The Registrant generally allocates or recommends that clients
allocate investment assets among: exchange-listed securities, mutual fund shares, corporate
debt, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), US government securities, and certificates of
deposit on a non-discretionary basis in accordance with the client’s designated investment
objective(s). Once allocated, the Registrant provides ongoing monitoring and review of
account performance, asset allocation and client investment objectives.
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES (STAND-ALONE)
To the extent requested by a client, the Registrant may also provide financial planning
and/or consulting services (including investment and non-investment related matters,
including estate planning, insurance planning, etc.) either in combination with ongoing
investment advisory services or on a stand-alone separate fee basis.
If requested by the client, Registrant may recommend the services of other professionals
for implementation purposes including Registrant’s principal, Gary Schatsky and/or
representatives, in their separate individual licensed capacities as attorneys (See disclosure
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 the Registrant. 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: It remains the client’s responsibility to promptly
notify the Registrant if there is ever any change in his/her/its financial situation or
investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising Registrant’s
previous recommendations and/or services.
TAX PREPARATION SERVICES
To the extent requested by the client, the Registrant and/or Registrant’s representatives, in
their separate and individual capacities, may determine to provide tax preparation services
on a stand-alone separate fee basis. Registrant’s tax preparation fees are generally between
$250 and $650 per hour on an hourly basis. The Registrant, in its sole discretion, may adjust
its tax preparation services fee or offer such services gratis to clients.
MISCELLANEOUS
Limitations of Financial Planning and Non-Investment Consulting/Implementation
Services. As indicated above, to the extent requested by the client, Registrant may provide
financial planning and related consulting services regarding non-investment related
matters, such as estate planning, tax planning, insurance, etc. Registrant does not serve as
a law firm or accounting firm, and no portion of its services should be construed as legal
or accounting services. Accordingly, Registrant does not prepare estate planning
documents. To the extent requested by a client, Registrant may recommend the services of
other professionals for certain non-investment implementation purposes (i.e. attorneys,
accountants, insurance agents, etc.), including representatives of Registrant in their
separate individual capacities as licensed attorneys, as discussed in Item 10.C 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 Registrant and/or its representatives. Please
Note: If the client engages any professional (i.e. attorney, accountant, insurance agent,
etc.), recommended or otherwise, and a dispute arises thereafter relative to such
engagement, the client agrees to seek recourse exclusively from the engaged professional.
At all times, the engaged licensed professional(s) (i.e. attorney, accountant, insurance
agent, etc.), and not Registrant, shall be responsible for the quality and competency of the
services provided. Please Also Note-Conflict of Interest. The recommendation by the
Registrant or its representative, that a client of the Registrant retain an affiliated attorney
to provide legal services of any kind presents a material conflict of interest, as the receipt
of legal fees may provide an incentive to recommend the affiliated attorney to provide legal
services, rather than on a particular client’s need. No client is under any obligation to retain
Registrant’s affiliated attorney to provide legal services. Clients are reminded that they
may obtain legal services through other, non-affiliated attorneys. The Registrant’s Chief
Compliance Officer, Gary Schatsky, remains available to address any questions that
a client or prospective may have regarding the above conflicts of interest.
Fee Differentials. As discussed in more detail at Item 5 below, we shall generally price
our advisory services based upon various objective and subjective factors. As a result, our
clients could pay diverse fees based upon the market value of their assets, the complexity
of the engagement, the level and scope of the overall investment advisory services to be
rendered, negotiations, and other factors. As a result, similarly situated clients could pay
diverse fees, and the services to be provided by Registrant to any particular client could be
available from other advisers at lower fees. All clients and prospective clients should be
guided accordingly. ANY QUESTIONS: Registrant’s Chief Compliance Officer, Gary
Schatsky, remains available to address any questions regarding Fee Differentials.
Retirement Rollovers-Potential for Conflict of Interest: A client or prospective client
leaving an employer typically has four options regarding an existing retirement plan (and
may engage in a combination of these options): (i) leave the money in the former
employer’s plan, if permitted, (ii) roll over the assets to the new employer’s plan, if one is
available and rollovers are permitted, (iii) roll over to an Individual Retirement Account
(“IRA”), or (iv) cash out the account value (which could, depending upon the client’s age,
result in adverse tax consequences). If the Registrant recommends that a client roll over
their retirement plan assets into an account to be managed by the Registrant, such a
recommendation creates a conflict of interest if the Registrant will earn a new (or increase
its current) advisory fee as a result of the rollover. No client is under any obligation to roll
over retirement plan assets to an account managed by Registrant whether it is from an
employer’s plan or an existing IRA. If Registrant
provides a recommendation as to whether
a client should engage in a rollover or not (whether it is from an employer’s plan or an
existing IRA), Registrant is acting as 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 Registrant’s Chief
Compliance Officer, Gary Schatsky, remains available to address any questions that
a client or prospective client may have regarding the conflict of interest presented by
such a rollover recommendation.
Portfolio Activity. Registrant has a fiduciary duty to provide services consistent with the
client’s best interest. As part of its investment advisory services, Registrant will review
client portfolios to determine if any changes are necessary based upon various factors,
including, but not limited to, investment performance, market conditions, mutual fund
manager tenure, style drift, and/or a change in the client’s investment objective. Based upon
these factors, there may be extended periods of time when Registrant determines that
changes to a client’s portfolio are neither necessary nor prudent. Clients nonetheless remain
subject to the fees described in Item 5 below during periods of account inactivity. Of
course, as indicated below, there can be no assurance that investment decisions made by
Registrant will be profitable or equal any specific performance level(s).
Margin Accounts: Risks/Conflict of Interest. Registrant does not recommend the use of
margin for investment purposes. A margin account is a brokerage account that allows
investors to borrow money to buy securities. By using borrowed funds, the customer is
employing leverage that will magnify both account gains and losses. The broker charges
the investor interest for the right to borrow money and uses the securities as collateral.
Should a client determine to use margin, Registrant does not include the additional market
value of the margined assets when computing its advisory fee. The use of margin can cause
significant adverse financial consequences in the event of a market correction ANY
QUESTIONS: Our Chief Compliance Officer, remains available to address any questions
that a client or prospective client may have regarding the use of margin.
Use of Mutual Funds and ETFs. Most mutual funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”)
are available directly to the public. Thus, a prospective client can obtain many of the funds
that may be utilized by Registrant independent of engaging Registrant as an investment
advisor. However, if a prospective client determines to do so, he/she will not receive
Registrant’s initial and ongoing investment advisory services. Please Note: In addition to
Registrant’s investment advisory fee described below, and transaction and/or custodial fees
discussed below, clients will also incur, relative to all mutual fund and exchange traded
fund purchases, charges imposed at the fund level (e.g. management fees and other fund
expenses).
Custodian Charges – Additional Fees. As discussed below at Item 12, when requested to
recommend a broker-dealer/custodian for client accounts, Registrant generally
recommends that Charles Schwab & Co, Inc. (“Schwab”) serve as the broker-
dealer/custodian for client investment management assets. Broker-dealers such as Schwab
charge transaction fees for effecting certain securities transactions for the client’s account
(i.e., including transaction fees for certain mutual funds, and mark-ups and mark-downs
charged for fixed income transactions, etc.). The types of securities for which transaction
fees, commissions, and/or other type fees (as well as the amount of those fees) shall differ
depending upon the broker- dealer/custodian. While certain custodians, including Schwab,
generally (with potential exceptions) do not currently charge fees on individual equity
transactions (including ETFs), others do. Please Note: there can be no assurance that
Schwab will not change their transaction fee pricing in the future. Please Also Note:
Schwab may also assess fees to clients who elect to receive trade confirmations and account
statements by regular mail rather than electronically. The fees charged by Schwab, or any
broker- dealer/custodian directed by the client, are in addition to Registrant’s advisory fee
referenced in Item 5 below. ANY QUESTIONS: Registrant’s Chief Compliance Officer,
Gary Schatsky, remains available to address any questions that a client or prospective client
may have regarding the above.
Cybersecurity Risk. The information technology systems and networks that Registrant
and its third-party service providers use to provide services to Registrant’s clients employ
various controls, which are designed to prevent cybersecurity incidents stemming from
intentional or unintentional actions that could cause significant interruptions in Registrant’s
operations and result in the unauthorized acquisition or use of clients’ confidential or non-
public personal information. Clients and Registrant are nonetheless subject to the risk of
cybersecurity incidents that could ultimately cause them to incur losses, including for
example: financial losses, cost and reputational damage to respond to regulatory
obligations, other costs associated with corrective measures, and loss from damage or
interruption to systems. Although Registrant has established its procedures to reduce the
risk of cybersecurity incidents, there is no guarantee that these efforts will always be
successful, especially considering that Registrant does not directly control the
cybersecurity measures and policies employed by third-party service providers. Clients
could incur similar adverse consequences resulting from cybersecurity incidents that more
directly affect issuers of securities in which those clients invest, broker-dealers, qualified
custodians, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial
market operators, or other financial institutions.
Non-Discretionary Service Limitations. Clients that determine to engage Registrant on a
non-discretionary investment advisory basis must be willing to accept that Registrant
cannot effect any account transactions without obtaining prior consent to such
transaction(s) from the client. Thus, in the event that Registrant would like to make a
transaction for a client’s account (including in the event of an individual holding or general
market correction), and the client is unavailable, the Registrant will be unable to effect the
account transaction(s) without first obtaining the client’s consent.
Client Obligations. In performing its services, Registrant shall not be required to verify
any information received from the client or from the client’s other designated professionals,
and is expressly authorized to rely thereon. Moreover, each client is advised that it remains
their responsibility to promptly notify Registrant if there is ever any change in their
financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of
reviewing/evaluating/revising Registrant’s previous recommendations and/or services.
Disclosure Statement. A copy of the Registrant’s written Brochure as set forth on Part 2A
of Form ADV, and our Form ADV Part 3 (Relationship Summary), shall be provided to
each client before, or contemporaneously with, the execution of the Investment Advisory
Agreement or Financial Planning and Consulting Agreement.
C. The Registrant shall provide investment advisory services specific to the needs of each
client. Before providing investment advisory services, an investment adviser representative
will ascertain each client’s financial needs. Thereafter, the Registrant shall recommend that
the client allocate investment assets consistent with the client’s identified needs. The client
may, at any time, impose reasonable restrictions, in writing, on the Registrant’s services.
D. The Registrant does not participate in a wrap fee program.
E. As of December 31, 2023, the Registrant had approximately $395,211,304 in assets under
management on a non-discretionary basis.