AN INVESTMENT STRATEGY TAILORED TO YOUR UNIQUE SITUATION

In our experience over the past 37 years, we have found that most of our new clients have been sold a tangle of investment products that may or may not be best-suited to their needs.  We start our process with a review of the performance, risk profile, cost, liquidity, withdrawal penalties, etc. of each security that you currently own.  Our goal is to provide potential clients with the information needed to make well-educated and informed decisions that are in their best interests.

Should you decide to become a Charter Oak client, we will take care of all the paper work and details necessary to get things moving, including establishing new accounts with our third party, independent custodians and assisting in terminating/transferring existing investment accounts, if required.

ACTIVE IN-HOUSE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT … NOT BUY, HOLD & 'PRAY'

Charter Oak utilizes a discretionary strategic asset allocation process to actively manage each client’s account as market conditions change.  Discretion means you have granted us the permission to trade your investment portfolio. We do not adhere to a buy and hold (forever) mentality and are not reluctant to initiate changes within a client's portfolio should the need arise.  We consider ourselves active managers of investment positions held within client accounts.  As your fiduciary, Charter Oak is legally required to act in your best interest.

As mentioned previously, we refer to our proprietary investment programs as Managed Account Programs (MAPs).  Currently we offer six distinct MAPs, focusing in either the stock market, fixed income/bond market, or a combination of both market sectors.  Our specific investment vehicles of choice within any MAP account are a portfolio of no load (no sales charges) or load waived funds and ETFs (electronically traded funds).

When a client establishes a MAP relationship with Charter Oak, we establish an individual brokerage or variable annuity account(s) in the name of the client with a third party independent custodian.  The independent custodian has possession of all client funds, not Charter Oak.  This is the arrangement the majority of Registered Investment Advisors utilize when handling client funds.  Currently, our custodians are Fidelity Investments, Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Co. and Nationwide Insurance.  The third party independent custodian will provide clients with account statements, confirms, prospectus and tax documents, in addition to providing online access to your account(s) 24/7.

Our clients provide us with discretionary trading authority over their accounts.  This means that Charter Oak has your permission to trade your investment account(s) without obtaining your prior approval each time a fund trade is contemplated.  Charter Oak determines what mutual funds to purchase and sell for clients based on 35 years of investing experience and the general investment guidelines established for each individual MAP.

PERFORMANCE REPORTING AND MARKET COMMENTARY

Charter Oak provides a quarterly client letter which reports how each of our proprietary MAPs have performed versus an appropriate benchmark over various time periods.  Our goal is to fill you in on how our programs are doing and, at times, also provide an easy to understand market perspective without the customary spin and hype that is all too often provided by our industry.

Within its quarterly letter, Charter Oak provides beta figures for each MAP.  This helps our clients understand their current exposure to market risk and volatility.

EASY TO UNDERSTAND FEE STRUCTURE

Charter Oak charges an annual advisory fee that is based upon a small fixed percentage of the total assets you have entrusted to our proprietary MAPs.  The only Charter Oak fee charged to your account will be our advisory fee.  We believe that this approach aligns our incentives with your interests.  Should your account balance appreciate in value, so does our revenue stream.  Conversely, should it decline in value, so does our revenue stream.

No trading commissions or mutual fund sales charges (loads) are charged to any client’s account being managed on a discretionary basis.  Nor is there any minimum period of time you must remain a client and no exit penalty is charged by Charter Oak should you wish to close your account.

Each fund that Charter Oak utilizes within its MAPs is offered by the sponsoring fund company via a prospectus.  The prospectus provides detailed information which includes the expenses charged by the fund company itself for the management of its funds.  This additional expense is ultimately borne by each investor and is automatically included within the calculation of a fund's daily share price.  All funds operate in this fashion.

CHARTER OAK’S DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT

For your convenience, please review our full disclosure document (Form ADV). The SEC requires that all Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) provide each potential client with a current copy of this form of disclosure. This document provides detailed information relating to Charter Oak’s advisory business.

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