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YEAR-END LETTER 2024

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This year, we are proud to say that we experienced one of our best years of growth. The hard work and dedication of our team to the evolution of our firm is clear, all while still maintaining our commitment to providing our clients with a best-in-class service experience. Our ability to grow not only ensures our team members can continue to build thriving careers, but it also allows us to help more people, furthering our mission to empower better investors.

At Morton, we never rest on our laurels—it is baked into our DNA to strive for innovation and leadership in our industry. In that vein, this year we also launched our own fund, 83 Investment Group Income Fund, a development years in the making, in an effort to expand access for our clients to the private lending space.

As always, we are excited to share with you everything we’ve been working on over the past year and how we have impacted each other, our clients, the industry, and our community.

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Morton Team

Our 3rd annual Investor Symposium in October was the largest event in our firm’s history. We had over 300 attendees and our entire team was on hand to provide engaging content and to enhance the attendee experience from the moment they checked in to the lively cocktail hour that closed out the event on the beautiful grounds of the Westlake Village Inn.

For the sixth year in a row, we were named one of the “Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors” by InvestmentNews1.

We held our 5th annual Morton Core Values Awards, highlighting team members who exemplify each of our six core values:

Excellence: Mike Rudow, Wealth Advisor

Empathy: Kristin Dillon, Client Relationship Specialist

Empowerment: Stacey McKinnon, COO and CMO

Ethical: Menachem Striks, CCO

Enjoyment: Arlene Vaughan, Office Manager

Engagement: Austin Overholt, Wealth Advisor

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We hosted bowling and pickleball team events to foster bonding.

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We welcomed two new babies to the Morton family this year, Everly (Kevin Klein) and Eliana (Menachem Striks).

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Team members furthered their education, passing challenging exams:

Certified Financial PlannerTM (CFP®) EXAM: Nick Valaika, Kevin Klein, Kristin Dillon, Jon Wingent, and Nicolas Castano

SERIES 65 EXAM: Nicolas Castano and Morgan Jul

Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA) EXAM: Thao Truong

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Over 98 career path meetings occurred across the firm. Congratulations to our team members who advanced along their career paths this year!

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ADVISORY:

Chris Galeski, Director of Growth and Advice

Beau Wirick, Advisor Development Manager

Austin Overholt, Wealth Advisor

Thao Truong, Wealth Advisor

Amber McBride, Financial Planning Advisor

Ed Garcia, Training and Development Manager

Brittany Yudkowsky, Learning and Education Manager

Ian Rennick, Financial Planning Associate

Nick Valaika, Client Experience Manager

Kristin Dillon, Client Relationship Specialist

Karla Gonzalez, Client Relationship Specialist

Morgan Jul, Client Coordinator

Kevin Klein, Client Coordinator

Alexandria West, Client Coordinator

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CLIENT & INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

Luis Hernandez, Client Operations Manager

Nadya Mets, Vice President of Research

Krystal Tavale, Private Investments Operations Specialist

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Our leaders put on over 12 team retreats to enhance communication and growth on individual teams.

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We added 7 new team members:

‍CLIENT OPERATIONS: Amber Parrish, Luis Hernandez, Leslie Owsley, Daniel Rodriguez, Michael Grosslight, Morgan Jul

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BUSINESS STRATEGY & MARKETING: Sarah Boughton, Executive Assistant

We added over 90 new client households to the Morton community in 2024 (which translates to over 600 new account applications processed by our client operations team!). We now manage over 1,200 client households and $2.9B in assets under management (AUM as of 12/31/2024).

1 InvestmentNews Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors (2024): This rating was created and tabulated by Investment News. It was awarded in February 2024 based on data submitted by Morton in November 2023. Eligibility requirements include being a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA), being in business for a minimum of one year, and having a minimum of 15 full-time employees. No compensation was paid by Morton to InvestmentNews in exchange for this award. For more information on the methodology used in this ranking, click here.

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Investment Research, Financial Planning, and Wealth & Legacy Planning

Our investment research team screened over 265 new investment opportunities. Out of those opportunities, we incorporated 4 new strategies into our new Fund.

Our investment operations team processed over 600 subscription documents to help our clients gain access to private investment strategies.

Planners reviewed and completed over 95 financial plans and estate deliverables.

Wealth Planner Brian Standing completed over 100 wealth and legacy planning meetings with clients, often meeting with them more than once to ensure their legacy plans truly reflect their wishes.

We held 45 education sessions for our team members around retirement and estate planning, insurance, investment education, tax planning, and communication training.

We introduced our Master Class series this year, putting on four concurrent classes on tax planning, advanced estate planning, retirement planning, and social media for our internal team members. Over two months, we conducted six sessions, going in-depth on these topics with lively discussion and engagement throughout.

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Morton in the Industry

RECOGNITION

Morton was ranked within the top 200 RIAs in Financial Advisor Magazine’s 2024 Annual RIA Ranking, which includes a total of over 400 firms that are ranked based on their year-end AUM2.

Morton was one of the Best RIAs to Work For according to Best Companies Group3

Our advisors continued to be recognized for the incredible work that they do.

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Joe Seetoo:

LABJ: Inside the Valley for 200 Most Influential for Finance and Insurance4

Exit Planning Institute’s Thought Leader of the Year Award

Los Angeles Business Journal’s Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers 2024

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Jeff Sarti: LABJ: Inside the Valley for 200 Most Influential for Finance and Insurance

Stacey McKinnon: ThinkAdvisor 2024 Luminaries Nominee for Next-Gen Rising Stars Award

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Jeff Sarti, CEO:

Featured in the Forbes Money article

Featured in LABJ: Inside the Valley

Speaking opportunities:

Bob Veres’ Insider’s Forum panel, “How Do You Fund Major Initiatives or Acquisitions?”

The Grant Williams Podcast

The Best of Investing talk show with Edward Brown

RIA+ podcast with Mark Bruno of Emigrant Partners, “From Good to Great: Lessons in RIA Leadership”

Real Assets Adviser Hot Minute interview with Ed O’Farrell

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Stacey McKinnon, COO & CMO:

RIA+ podcast with Mark Bruno of Emigrant Partners, “From Good to Great: Lessons in RIA Leadership”

FPA NextGen Gathering cohort leader

Dimensional Women’s Summit

Featured in LABJ: Inside the Valley

Emigrant Partners Leadership Summit

RIA Edge West panel, “From Transition to Transformation: How G2 Leaders Are Re-Shaping Businesses and Brands”

The Custom Made Podcast with Kelly Helfman, “Decoding Leadership: Strategies for Women on the Rise”

Financial Advisor magazine, “Women Are Changing the Face of Advisory Firms”

G2 Leadership Program coach

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Chris Galeski, Wealth Advisor and Partner:

Bob Veres’ Insider’s Forum panel, “Best Practices for Creating Engaging Client Experiences”

Pin High podcast with Mikey Taylor

Quoted in a Financial Advisor magazine article, “Advisors Say Fulfilling ESG, Faith-Based Investing Goals Remains a Challenge”

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Meghan Pinchuk, CIO:

ALTSLA 2024, conference hosted by CFA Society Los Angeles, CAIA, CalALTS and Markets Group

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Joe Seetoo:

Exit Is Now podcast with Exit Planning Institute’s Scott Snider

2024 Exit Planning Summit panelist

Los Angeles State of Business Readiness event, hosted by the Los Angeles Business Journal, San Fernando Valley Business Journal, and the Exit Planning Institute

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Jon Wingent:

Echelon Radio Podcast with Brian Hemsworth

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Patrice Bening:

LABJ: Inside the Valley’s Women’s Leadership Symposium & Awards as a speaker and as a Woman to Watch nominee, “Guiding Lights: The Power of Mentorship and Building a Network”

The Custom Made Podcast with Kelly Helfman, “Investing Made Simple: A Beginner’s Guide”

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Thao Truong:

Women & Allies Fireside Chat by Charles Schwab at the Future Proof Festival

How She Got Her Start, an Echelon Radio podcast, with Jerri Hemsworth

Referenced in a Financial Planning article, “The end of the end? Most Americans only 'partially' retire, study shows”

Articles featured on the Echelon Business Development site, “Building a Strong Future for Your Growing Family” and “Tax-Smart Financial Planning for New Parents”

Referenced in a Business Insider article, “I was raised to believe I should be generous at all costs, but I want to meet my own needs too”

Referenced in a Morningstar interview with Phuong Luong, CFP®, “During AAPI Month, Financial Advice for a Poorly Understood Group”

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OUR VOICE

We celebrated our 100th episode of THE FINANCIAL COMMUTE podcast, hosted by Wealth Advisor and partner Chris Galeski, an exciting milestone! We also released over 50 episodes this year.

We released 24 advisor articles.

Released three Better Investor market update videos with CIO Meghan Pinchuk and CEO Jeff Sarti.

We released 16 episodes of Couchside Conversations, a Modearntm video series, featuring such topics as the financial side of parenthood, how to understand your money mindset, and how to communicate better with your partner about money and values.

We continued to expand the content we provide on our own website and social media channels (YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram), sharing over 337 posts over the course of the year and adding 340 followers to our LinkedIn channel.

Morton Advisors made over 400 posts on social media for the year, sharing their knowledge and passion for helping others.

Wealth Advisor and UK expat Jon Wingent launched his Pub Speak series on social media, which is inspired by the role of pubs in the UK, where people gather to share ideas, stories, and sometimes even business insights. Pub Speak aims to bring together fellow expats over a pint, offering a casual setting to discuss business, investment ideas, and personal journeys, much like conversations traditionally heard “down at the pub.”

2 Financial Advisor Magazine Top RIAs (2024): This ranking was created and tabulated by Financial Advisor Magazine (”FA”) and released in July 2024. It is a ranking based on assets under management of independent RIA firms that file their own ADV with the SEC. FA’s RIA ranking orders firms from largest to smallest, based on AUM reported by firms that voluntarily complete and submit FA’s survey. No compensation was paid by Morton to FA in exchange for this inclusion in the rankings. To explore the complete list, click here.

3 Financial Planning- Best RIAs to Work For (2024): This ranking was created and tabulated by Best Companies Group and released in December 2024. Eligible RIAs were required to meet specific criteria, including SEC registration, a minimum of 10 U.S.-based employees, and at least one year in operation. Firms were assessed through an in-depth survey of employees, focusing on key factors such as culture, leadership, pay, benefits, and career opportunities, alongside an analysis of workplace policies, practices, and demographics. Morton did not pay a fee to be considered for this list. For more about this ranking and methodology, please click here.

4 Inside the Valley- Most Influential: Finance & Insurance (2024): This ranking was created and tabulated by Los Angeles Business Journal. It was released in April 2024 based upon data provided in 2023. The selected professionals were drawn from nomination materials submitted to the Los Angeles Business Journal. Those selected for inclusion were reviewed by the editorial department. The professionals were chosen based on a demonstration of impact made on the profession and on the Los Angeles community. Neither Morton nor its employees paid a fee to be considered for this award. 

5 Exit Planning Institute Thought Leader of the Year (2024): This ranking was created by The Exit Planning Institute. It was awarded in April 2024 based on nomination materials submitted in 2023. The selected professionals were drawn from nomination materials submitted to the Exit Planning Institute. Neither Morton nor its employees paid a fee to be considered for this award. 

6 LABJ Leaders of Influence: Wealth Managers (2024): This ranking was created and tabulated by Los Angeles Business Journal. It was released in March 2024 based upon data provided in 2023. The selected professionals were drawn from nomination materials submitted to the Los Angeles Business Journal. Those selected for inclusion were reviewed by the editorial department. The professionals were chosen based on a demonstration of impact made on the profession and on the Los Angeles community. Neither Morton nor its employees paid a fee to be considered for this award. For more about this ranking and methodology, please click here.

7 Inside the Valley- Most Influential: Finance & Insurance (2024): Refer to Footnote 4 for information regarding this ranking and methodology.

8 ThinkAdvisor Luminaries (2024): 2024 ThinkAdvisor Luminary award finalists named in September 2024 based on data provided for 2023. Firms and individuals may nominate themselves by submitting an online application.  ThinkAdvisor editors review all submissions and present a list of finalist nominees to a judging panel.  Neither Morton nor its employees paid a fee to be considered for this award. 

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Morton in the Community

This year, we furthered our charitable partnership with James Storehouse and chose Raising Hope as another charity on which to focus our support.

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James Storehouse – From cribs to college, James Storehouse supports children in foster care, youth aging out of foster care, and their caregiving families.

Money Mindset – Our team members provided financial education for young adults who have aged out of foster care to help set them up for financial stability.

Beautiful YOU – An event for young women to help them prepare for their prom with dresses, hair and makeup styling, as well as offering professional guidance on building a resume and developing interview skills. We also collected dresses to donate to this event as well as professional business attire.

Back to School Bash – Our team handed out school supplies and other essentials to over 1,000 students as they prepared to go back to school.

Toy Drive – We gathered toys for children of all ages in foster care so they can experience the joy of receiving a gift.

American Girl Dream Day – For those in foster care, ages 3-12, to have a special day where they felt cherished and worthy of something special. Each girl got to pick out an American Girl doll, have a three-course meal, and take home extra fun goodies.

Volunteer Fridays – We went to their nonprofit center to help sort and organize clothes, toys, school supplies, and other essential items that those in foster care need.

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Raising Hope – An organization that empowers teens and young adults experiencing foster care through mentoring, life skills, housing navigation, transportation, and financial support.

Life Skill Course – We supported and even lead some of the life skills courses, where we discussed goal setting, financial education, healthy relationships, and making wise food choices.

Gala – We sponsored and attended their annual fundraising gala.

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We became an RIA Impact Partner with the Foundation for Financial Planning, an organization dedicated to providing pro bono financial planning for those in need. Our advisors with their CFP® credentials provided support to multiple people this year, including veterans and women in need.

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We also actively pursued opportunities to help with other nonprofits as well, including:

3rd Decade, which offers free, personalized financial guidance and education to young adults.

Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that provides housing for those in need so the whole community can thrive.

Playhouse Build – Our team members built and painted playhouses for the kids of active-duty military and veterans as part of Habitat LA’s program.

The Family Rescue Center served those in need with food, clothing, medical assistance, and vocational training scholarships.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we passed out items needed to make a Thanksgiving meal.

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Our growth in 2024 was not only due to the hard work and dedication of our team, but also to our valued clients, who generously told others of what it means to be part of the Morton family. We are truly grateful for and honored by the trust you continually place in us and the support you show us. We are lucky to be in a business that values relationships, and we are looking forward to another year of deepening our relationships with our clients.

Have a happy and healthy new year.

Your Morton Team

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Disclosures:

Third-party rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client nor are they representative of any one client’s evaluation.

Past performance may not be indicative of future results. AUM and client data as of 12/31/2024. These materials include may include data or other content provided by third parties. Although the information contained herein is from sources deemed to be reliable, Morton makes no representation as to the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of such information and has accepted the information without further verification.

A copy of Morton’s current written disclosure brochure which discusses, among other things, the firm’s business practices, services and fees, is available through the SEC’s website at: www.adviserinfo.sec.gov