Item 5 – Fees and Compensation
A copy of ABL, Inc.’s Form ADV Parts 2A, Part 2B Disclosure Brochure and Form CRS are
provided to clients before or upon execution of an Investment Advisory Agreement. The
Investment Advisory Agreement may be terminated by the client within five business days of
Agreement execution, without incurring any advisory fees.
Fee Disclosure
ABL, Inc.’s Advisory Fee payment is dependent upon the type of advisory services performed
as described below.
ABL Portfolio/Wealth Management
How fees are charged by ABL, Inc. is established in a client’s written agreement with the Firm.
Fees are based on a percentage of the total market value of assets in the investment account
at the start of each three-month period. The fee is non-negotiable for accounts with less than
$2,500,000 in assets under management. The current fee schedule is broken down as follows:
Portfolio Value* Annual Fee
$1,000,000 - 1,499,999 1.0%
$1,500,000 - 1,999,999 0.9%
$2,000,000 - 2,499,999 0.8%
$2,500,000 - or greater Negotiable
* Accounts under $1,000,000 and greater than $750,000 are charged 1.2%, under
$750,000 yet greater than or equal to $500,000 are charged 1.5%, and accounts
under $500,000 are accepted on a case-by-case basis with an annual fee of 2%. Fees
for guaranteed accounts and cash management type services are negotiable, and
generally one-tenth those of the above schedule. Family accounts may be aggregated
to reach thresholds at the discretion of ABL, Inc.
The Investment Advisory Agreement may be canceled at any time, by either party, with written
notice. Fees are billed every three months in advance. If a client elects to margin their
account(s), billing will be based on gross assets managed including any debt. Margin loan
balances do not reduce the billable account value. The total net value of your account is the
gross value of your assets (including any accrued income) less your margin loan balance. The
total gross value of your assets, and therefore the billable account value, will exceed the total
net value of your account if you have a margin loan balance. By calculating our fee based on
gross total asset value, we have a conflict of interest if we recommend purchases on margin
because such purchases can increase our compensation. We seek to address conflicts such
as this through disclosure and our suitability process. In the event the investment advisory
agreement is terminated, a pro-rated refund of unearned fees paid will be sent to the client.
ABL, Inc. will either invoice the client directly for management fees or payment will be made by
the qualified custodian holding the client’s funds and securities provided the client provides
written authorization permitting the fees to be paid directly from their account. ABL, Inc. will not
have access to client funds for payment of fees without the clients consent in writing. Further,
the qualified custodian agrees to deliver a quarterly account statement directly to the client
showing all disbursements from the account. The client is encouraged to review their account
statements for accuracy. ABL, Inc. will receive a duplicate copy of the statement that was
delivered to the client. (See Item 15 for more information).
SOUND Investing Services
SOUND Investing participants with assets between $500,000-$2,000,000 are assessed an
annual percentage fee of 0.50%, billed quarterly in advance, based on total assets. The
annual fee for accounts over $2M is negotiable. Accounts under $500,000 are billed at 0.65%
annually with a $250 minimum per quarter. A prorated refund will be issued for any fees paid
in advance upon written request. A one-time $200 initiation fee may also be charged for
SOUND Investing accounts at the discretion of ABL, Inc. Clients seeking access to trading
platforms along with our guidance are charged $250 per quarter for 1-2 accounts and $500
per quarter for up to 5 accounts (negotiable thereafter). Other potential services that are
available through SOUND Investing for an additional fixed fee include a consolidated
brokerage statement for numerous related accounts (i.e., IRA, personal, Joint, Trust, etc.),
select no-load fund purchases, no fee IRA and low-cost retirement plan establishment.
Retirement Plan Consultation Services
Much of this work is done as an independent consultant at the rate of $275 an hour for work
done by Alan Lancz, $115 an hour for work done by our Research Associates, and
administration/data entry at $58 an hour. Payments are due monthly in arrears.
Financial Planning Services
The preparation of a financial plan is a one-time service with a $500 cost for Retirement
Income Planning or $2400 for a full Comprehensive Financial Plan and does not involve an
ongoing relationship between the firm and a client. One half payment will be made upon client
completion of data with the balance due within 30 days of completion of the plan. Financial
planning can also be completed on an hourly basis with the same terms and hourly structure as
the retirement plan compensation.
While clients are under no obligation to purchase any additional services or products through
ABL Inc. or an affiliate, if clients do purchase products or services from the firm or an affiliate,
this may result in the payment of additional compensation to the firm and/or its affiliates. Such
compensation might take the form of commissions and other payment streams tied to the sale
of securities or insurance products, or it might take the form of investment advisory fees. As a
result of such additional compensation being paid for the sale of products or services to
implement the financial plan, a conflict of interest may arise.
Consulting Services – Corporate
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