Important Disclosures

The information contained on this website represents Empirical Wealth Management’s (‘EWM’, ‘Empirical’, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’, or ‘the firm’) opinions and should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice, and is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned herein.  Past performance is no guarantee of future results. A complete list of EWM’s holdings over the preceding twelve months is available upon request. You should not assume that recommendations made in the future will be profitable or equal the performance of the securities referenced herein or those recommended in the past by EWM.

While we have gathered the information presented herein from sources we believe to be reliable, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented, and the information presented should not be relied upon as such. Any opinions expressed herein are our opinions and are current only as of the date of distribution and are subject to change without notice. We disclaim any obligation to provide revised opinions in the event of changed circumstances.

Neither Empirical or its officers and employees or its affiliates or any of their officers or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from any use of this material or its contents. Empirical disclaims any responsibility for information, services, or products found on websites linked hereto.

Empirical is registered as an investment adviser with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). Registration with the SEC does not in any way constitute an endorsement by the SEC of an investment adviser’s skill or expertise. Further, registration does not imply or guarantee that a registered adviser has achieved a certain level of skill, competency, sophistication, expertise or training in providing advisory services to its clients.

Our lead advice approach recommends investments as presented in this material. Although we will recommend diversified investment strategies, please remember that all investments, including mutual funds, involve some risk, including possible loss of the money you invest. Be aware that fluctuations in the financial markets and other factors may cause declines in the value of your account(s). There’s no guarantee that any particular asset allocation or mix of funds will meet your investment objectives or provide you with a given level of income. We make investment recommendations using historical information. There’s no guarantee that an investment strategy based on historical information will meet your investment objectives, provide you with a given level of income, or protect against loss, particularly when future market conditions are drastically different from the information used to create your strategy. Diversification doesn’t ensure a profit or protect against a loss. There’s no assurance that you’ll achieve positive investment results by using our service. We can’t guarantee the future performance of your investments.

Any tax statements contained herein were not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding U.S. federal, state or local tax penalties. Please consult your own independent advisor as to any tax, accounting or legal statements made herein.

Empirical investment advisory programs may require a minimum asset level and, depending on your specific investment objectives and financial position, may not be suitable for you.

For additional information about our services, see our Disclosure Brochure (Form ADV Part 2A) and Customer Relationship Summary (Form CRS) brochure at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/152622, as well as the Brochure Supplement (Form ADV Part 2B) and Investment Advisory Agreement your financial professional provides. You can reach us by email at compliance@empirical.net or by phone 800-923-4307 to request up-to-date information and a copy of our Form ADV Relationship Summary.

Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services or publications should not be construed as a guarantee that a client or prospective client will experience a specific level of performance or results. Generally, ratings, rankings and recognition are based on information prepared and submitted by Empirical. Unless otherwise noted no fee was paid for consideration of any ranking or award. Empirical does not believe there is any conflicts of interests involved in its participation in the ratings and ranking and there is no business relationship between Empirical and the rankings/publications listed below.

Forbes America’s Top RIA Firms (2023):

The Forbes ranking of America’s Top RIA Firms, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria mostly gained through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. The algorithm weighs varying factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience, and a measure of best practices. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and risk tolerances, and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings.

Empirical did not pay to participate in the ranking. Empirical does pay a licensing fee for use of this ranking.

Financial Advisor (FA) Magazine ranked as one of the top Registered Investment Advisors (2023):

The annual FA RIA survey is a ranking based on assets under management at year end of independent Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firms that file their own ADV with the SEC. Firms must have at least $500 million in assets under management as of December 31, 2022. There were 521 firms evaluated in the survey.

Empirical did not pay a fee to appear on the published list. Empirical does pay a licensing fee for use of this ranking.

Barron’s Advisor Top 100 Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Firms (2023):

The annual Barron’s ranking of independent advisory companies is based on assets under management, technology spending, staff diversity, succession planning. Advisors who wish to be ranked fill out a 102-question survey about their practice. Barron’s verifies the data of the advisory firms with regulatory databases and applies a ranking formula to generate a ranking. The formula features three major categories of calculations: (1) Assets (2) Revenue and (3) Qualify of Practice.

Empirical did not pay to participate in the ranking. Empirical does pay a licensing fee for use of this ranking.

Wealthmanagement.com RIA Edge 100 List (2023):

The RIA Edge 100 list was developed by the Wealth Management IQ team in partnership with Discovery Data. WMIQ and Discovery Data analyzed the ADV of all SEC-registered investment advisors, looking at AUM growth, ratio of employees to clients, ratio of advisors to clients, percentage of advisors with CFP certification, and average client account size. Qualifying firms were limited to those that provide financial planning services, have high-net-worth individuals as more than half of their client base and manage at least $250 million in assets of June 30, 2022.

The methodology and weighting were intended to provide a clear picture of firm growth as it relates to client service. RIA Edge 100 firms are those with the most impressive growth rates combined with the best client ratios and most CFP certifications.

Empirical did not pay to participate in the ranking. Empirical does not pay a licensing fee for use of this ranking.

Empirical Insurance LLC (“Empirical Insurance”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Empirical, offers insurance-planning services specifically designed to address the life, disability, and long-term care insurance needs of our clients. Empirical Insurance can review current coverage in the context of a client’s financial plan, discuss risks insurance could help cover, and guide clients through the process of obtaining coverage. Empirical Insurance has access to many different insurance carriers, which allows them to compare the financial strengths, costs, and product benefits of these firms.

Empirical has employees who are affiliated with Empirical Insurance. These affiliated employees (listed below) are appointed with various unaffiliated, third-party insurance companies. You are never obligated or required to purchase insurance products through these affiliated employees in their capacity as insurance producers. This does create a material conflict of interest in that it provides an incentive for these affiliated employees to recommend insurance products based on compensation received rather than on a client’s needs. As supervised persons of Empirical, these affiliated employees are bound by the fiduciary standards set forth in the firm’s code of ethics to place the needs of each client above their own personal financial gain.

Empirical Insurance is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Affiliated Employees

Brian Kelca

Brian Kelca is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Tassie Medlin

Tassie Medlin is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Chance Leiseth

Chance Leiseth is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Dustin Rue

Dustin Rue is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Cristina Campbell

Cristina Campbell is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Chun Kau Charles Cheung

Chun Kau Charles Cheung is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Samuel Platcow

Samuel Platcow is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Yisha Wang

Yisha Wang is licensed to sell insurance in the following states:

Secure Legacy Law Group, P.C. is a separate, independent entity Secure Legacy. Secure Legacy’s personnel are bound by the firm’s code of ethics which requires that, as fiduciaries, all supervised persons place the best interests of their clients above their own personal interests. If we recommend you use the services of Secure Legacy, you are never obligated or required to use their services. There are other law firms that provide legal services similar to those provided by Secure Legacy and may provide such services for less expensive rates.

All investments involve risk, including, but not limited to loss of principal, loss of income and delays payments.

The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amounts originally invested, and can be affected by changes in interest rates, in exchange rates, general market conditions, political, social and economic developments and other variable factors. If a strategy expects to hold a concentrated portfolio of a limited number of securities, it should be noted that a decline in the value of these investments would cause the portfolio’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than that of a less concentrated portfolio.

Equity Security Risks
All equity securities are subject to possible loss of principal and may fluctuate in response to specific situations for each company, industry, market conditions and general economic environment.

Dividend producing company risk: Companies paying dividends can reduce or cut payouts at any time. Strategies that invest a large percentage of assets in only one industry sector (or in only a few sectors) are more vulnerable to price fluctuation than portfolios that diversify among a broad range of sectors.

Value investing risks: When investing in value securities, the market may not necessarily have the same value assessment as the manager, and, therefore, the performance of the securities may decline. Value investing involves the risk that the market may not recognize that securities are undervalued and they may not appreciate as anticipated.  Not all companies whose stocks are considered to be value stocks are able to turn their business around or successfully employ corrective strategies which would result in stock prices that do not rise as initially expected. Value investing does not guarantee a profit or eliminate risk

Growth company risk: Investing in a company with higher relative growth does not guarantee a profit or eliminate risk. The stocks of these companies can have relatively high valuations. Because of these high valuations, an investment in a growth stock can be more risky than an investment in a company with more modest growth expectations.

Small company risk: Securities of small firms are often less liquid than those of large companies. As a result, small company stocks may fluctuate relatively more in price.

International risk: International investments are subject to special risks including currency fluctuations, social, economic and political uncertainties, which could increased volatility. These risks are magnified in emerging markets.

Emerging markets risk: Numerous emerging countries have experienced serious, and potentially continuing, economic and political problems. Stock markets in many emerging countries are relatively small, expensive, and risky. Foreigners are often limited in their ability to invest in, and withdraw assets from, these markets. Additional restrictions may be imposed under other conditions.

Foreign securities and currencies risk: Foreign securities prices may decline or fluctuate because of: (a) economic or political actions of foreign governments, and/or (b) less regulated or liquid securities markets. Investors holding these securities are also exposed to foreign currency risk (the possibility that foreign currency will fluctuate in value against the US dollar).

Fixed Income Security Risk: Fixed-income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation and reinvestment risks; and possible loss of principal.
As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities falls. Bonds rated below investment grade may have speculative characteristics and present significant risks beyond those of other securities, including greater credit risk and price volatility in the secondary market. Investors should be careful to consider these risks alongside their individual circumstances, objectives and risk tolerance before investing in high-yield bonds.

Commodity and currency risk:  Commodity and currency investments contain heightened risk that include market, political, regulatory, and natural conditions and may not be suitable for all investors. Unless otherwise noted the “$” (dollar sign) represents U.S. Dollars.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)
The Certified Financial Planner™, CFP® and federally registered CFP (with flame design) marks (collectively, the “CFP® marks”) are professional certification marks granted in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”).

The CFP® certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold CFP® certification. It is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients.

CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST® (CFA charter)
The Chartered Financial Analyst®, CFA charter is a professional certification mark granted in the United States by the CFA Institute. There is a vast CFA professional network of more than 135,000 charter holders worldwide. The CFA® charter is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation requires financial analysts to hold CFA® certification. CFA Program candidates report dedicating in excess of 300 hours of study per level. Completing the entire Program is a significant challenge that takes most candidates between two and five years.

ENROLLED AGENT (EA)
An enrolled agent is a person who has earned the privilege of representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service by either passing a three-part comprehensive IRS Special Enrollment Examination covering individual and business tax returns, or through experience as a former IRS employee. Applicants must pass a tax compliance check to ensure that they have filed all necessary tax returns and there are no outstanding tax liabilities. Enrolled agent status is the highest credential the IRS awards. Individuals who obtain this elite status must adhere to ethical standards and complete 72 hours of continuing education courses every three years, obtaining a minimum of 16 hours per year (2 of which must be on ethics) Enrolled agents, like attorneys and certified public accountants (CPAs), have unlimited practice rights. This means they are unrestricted as to which taxpayers they can represent, what types of tax matters they can handle, and which IRS offices they can represent clients before.

CHARTERED ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT ANALYST (CAIA)
The CAIA Charter is currently offered and recognized by the issuing organization, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA Association). The CAIA Charter is earned by (1) successfully completing the CAIA program (passing both Level I and Level II exams) and (2) becoming a member of the CAIA Association. Membership is the final requirement for individuals who wish to use the CAIA designation. Continuing Education Requirements: Complete self-evaluation tool every three years.

Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®)
The CPWA designation signifies that an individual has met initial and on-going experience, ethics, education, and examination requirements for the job of private wealth advisor, which is centered on management topics and strategies for high-net-worth clients. Prerequisites for the CPWA designation are: a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or one of the following designations or licenses: CIMA®, CIMC®, RMA®, CFA®, CFP®, ChFC® CPA; acceptable ethical background/compliance history as decided in an admissions peer review process governed by the Ethics Board and five years of professional client-centered experience in financial services or a related industry. CPWA designees must complete a six-month pre-class educational component and an executive education program through an IWI-approved registered education program. CPWA designees are required to adhere to IWI’s Code of Professional Responsibility and Guidance Document, Disciplinary Rules and Procedures, and Rules and Guidelines for Use of the Marks. CPWA designees must report 40 hours of continuing education credits, including two ethics and one tax/regulations hours, every two years to maintain the certification. The designation is administered through I Investments and Wealth Institute.