Smart Financial Group, LLC

Smart Financial Group primarily works with pooled vehicles and institutional arrangements by providing financial planning and consulting and by selecting and referring third-party investment managers to implement investment programs. The firm also acts as a liaison to those managers—handling paperwork, delivering disclosures, and reviewing custodial statements on behalf of clients.

Rather than managing client assets directly, Smart Financial Group evaluates potential third‑party managers (including verification of registration or applicable exemptions under Pennsylvania law), recommends appropriate managers, and conducts ongoing monitoring of performance and investment style on a quarterly basis. Financial planning is offered on a fixed‑fee basis, while accounts placed with third‑party managers are billed under the managers’ percentage‑of‑AUM schedules, with Smart Financial Group receiving an agreed portion of those advisory fees.

What is distinctive for this firm is its combination of adviser‑selection and referral activity with an active insurance practice—the managing member spends a significant portion of time as a licensed insurance agent and receives commissions on insurance sales—alongside receipt of economic benefits from a TPM partner (Gradient Investments) tied to production thresholds such as marketing support and technology. The brochure also discloses that the firm itself does not maintain client assets or charge its own percentage‑of‑AUM fees, relying instead on third‑party managers for discretionary asset management.