Chain-of-Secrets Foundations & Masters Conference
Affiliated Advisors
Dear Attendees,
We are looking forward to seeing you at this year’s Chain-of-Secrets conference in Grand Rapids. We have a fantastic few days lined up as we move forward into a new era of USA Financial.
From guest speakers to breakout groups and important updates on new initiatives from the team at USA Financial, we’re confident you’ll find this year’s event to be educational and inspiring.
As a reminder, Wednesday’s optional session (for advisors) will be held at our main office in Ada, MI (6020 E. Fulton St.). Transportation will be provided to/from Embassy Suites.
Scroll below to find a general outline of the week’s activities.
Please take a moment to complete the breakout session registration HERE no later than September 10, 2024.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding travel, lodging, or other event-related items, please contact Kasidee Bigham at kbigham@usafinancial.com or 888-444-0125 x 431.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Mark R. Mersman
Chief Marketing Officer
USA Financial
P.S. At the bottom of this page, you’ll find information about our event sponsors and speakers. We’re thankful for their participation in the event; we encourage you to visit with them and learn more about what they do to serve the financial advice world.
Tuesday, September 17th
Arrivals throughout the day
Evening at your leisure
Wednesday, September 18th
Arrivals throughout the day
Breakfast on your own (for those staying at the Embassy, please enjoy the complimentary breakfast at the hotel)
Chain-of-Secrets Foundations (optional)
7:30 AM - Bus shuttle pick-up from Embassy Suites to USA Financial
8:00 AM - Chain-of-Secrets Foundations Session Begins (optional)
12:00 PM - Lunch
12:45 PM - Chain-of-Secrets Foundations Session Resumes
4:25 PM - Chain-of-Secrets Foundations Session Concludes
4:30 PM - Shuttle departs USA Financial to Embassy Suites
5:30 PM - Welcome Reception at Big E's (attached to Embassy Suites)
8:30 PM - Welcome Reception Concludes
Thursday, September 19th
Breakfast at Embassy Suites
Chain-of-Secrets Advisor Conference
8:30 AM - Welcome
Mike Walters | CEO | USA Financial
Brent Enders | President | USA Financial
8:45 AM - Keynote Presentation: Getting to Know AmeriLife
Mike Vietri | Chief Distribution Officer | AmeriLife
9:45 AM - Sponsor Minute
Mark Mersman | Chief Marketing Officer | USA Financial
Kevin Roskam | Senior Advisory Business Consultant | USA Financial
10:00 AM - Break
10:15 AM - Breakout Session 1 (see descriptions below)
11:00 AM - Break
11:15 AM - Breakout Session 2 (see descriptions below)
12:00 PM - Lunch
12:45 PM - Keynote Presentation: The Private Markets Opportunity
Michael Bell | CEO | Meketa Capital
Steve McCourt | CEO | Meketa Investment Group
2:00 PM - Break
2:15 PM - Breakout Session 3 (see descriptions below)
3:00 PM - Break
3:15 PM - Keynote Presentation: Saving Financial Professionals Time by Integrating AI
Craig Kirkpatrick | Co-Founder | Optimal AdvisorAI
4:45 PM - Day 1 Concludes
5:30 PM - Shuttle Departs Embassy Suites to Third Nature Brewing
6:00 PM - Evening Reception at Third Nature Brewing
9:00 PM - Evening Reception Concludes
Friday, September 20th
Breakfast at Embassy Suites
Chain-of-Secrets Advisor Conference
8:30 AM - What's Next at USA Financial
9:30 AM - Break
9:45 AM - Breakout Session 4 (see descriptions below)
10:30 AM - Break
10:45 AM - Split Sessions
Advisors Session - Main Ballroom
Key Support Community - Breakout Room
Session 1 | Thursday, September 19 | 10:15 - 11:00 AM
Option A
Managing Expectations: When do you fire a manager?
Speaker: Josh Kneller, SVP | Atlas Capital
Description: While history never repeats, it does tend to rhyme. Every investment model or strategy will have losing trades. There can never be a guarantee of success. This is a business without certainty. Coping with uncertainty requires flexibility, not panic. Remember “The market is like a train sitting on the tracks. You can see the direction it’s heading but you cannot dictate the time of departure. Those investors who put the market on a timetable not only become frustrated but end up making foolish moves. Instead, get on the train, sit back and enjoy the scenery”.
Option B
Get to Know Sherman Portfolios
Speakers: Adam Weisner, President/CEO & Tom Bateman, Chief Marketing Officer | Sherman Portfolios
Description: As one of the research partners of USA Financial Formulas, Sherman Portfolios is behind one of the most popular strategies on the platform. Find out why so many advisors have leveraged the research-backed approach to investment management w/ exit strategies.
Option C
The POWER of Flexible Plan Investments: A Time-Tested Tactical Model Manager on USA Financial Exchange
Speaker: Christopher Noechel, Regional Business Consultant & Research Liaison | Flexible Plan Investments
Description: Flexible Plan Investments harnesses decades of expertise to deliver dynamic, tactical investment strategies that adapt to market conditions, ensuring robust performance and risk management. As a trusted partner on the USA Financial Exchange, we empower investors with innovative, time-tested models designed to achieve financial goals with confidence and precision. BONUS FACTS what happens after the feds first rate cut, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months later- in Secular Bull market? Come listen to Chris use history as a guide.
Option D
Future-Proofing Client Engagement with FutureVault
Speakers: Daniel Kenny, CEO – Kristian Borghesan, CMO – Simon Tipler, Head of Product | FutureVault
Description: Kristian Borghesan (FutureVault) and Dan Garrett (Advisor Digital powered by SRG Financial Advisors) will explain how a uniquely client-centric digital vault (FutureVault) is not just a secure document exchange and repository solution but is a critical component in the modern technology stack playing a significant role in everyday client engagement processes and workflow, creating a 360-service model. FutureVault's solution accelerates client onboarding, facilitates document management and data compliance, and improves security, enabling your firm to enhance and scale its service model to become the most trusted partner in your client's lives. And FutureVault's recently launched AI capabilities bring you and your clients even more insights and time-saving opportunities. We look forward to showing how FutureVault and Advisor Digital can future-proof your firm.
Session 2 | Thursday, September 19 | 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Option A
Ocean Park Asset Management: Defined Process. Differentiated Outcomes.
Speaker: Jeff Johnson, Regional Sales Director & Tiana Brenneise, Director of National Accounts | Ocean Park Asset Management
Description: In 2022, stocks and bonds, typically uncorrelated, had their worst year in generations, highlighting the need for new solutions when the two asset classes are correlated. The correlation trend continued into 2023. Ocean Park’s presentation, “Defined Process. Differentiated Outcomes,” aims to demonstrate the need for an ability to pivot quickly from “fully invested” to “all-cash exposure” using a disciplined risk-management process when there are no uptrends in target investment opportunity sets. Participants may find our perspective refreshing. They’ll be hearing from an asset manager who believes that a manager’s process must be implemented consistently – not in reaction to market news. At Ocean Park, we do not buy and sell on tips and hunches, nor do we make investment decisions on a case-by-case basis. A consistent investment process, rooted in disciplined risk management, is our hallmark.
Option B
Tactical Strategies for an Economic Slowdown
Speaker: Jeff Thompson, CEO | Donoghue Forlines
Description: Jeff Thompson, CEO and Portfolio Manager of Donoghue Forlines, will be reviewing two tactical strategies to consider for an economic slowdown and possible recession heading into 2025. He will be reviewing the Donoghue Forlines Momentum strategy as well as the Donoghue Forlines Income Portfolio.
Option C
Eliminate Data Entry with PreciseFP
Speaker: Kevin Johannesen, VP & John Kotsiantos, Director – Business Development | PreciseFP
Description: Virtual Data Gathering & Digital Client Onboarding Platform, PreciseFP makes manual data entry a thing of the past. Automate client data collection with automatic email reminders to clients until forms are completed. Learn how this tool Integrates with CRMs and Financial Planning Tools.
Option D
Future Zeros: Trade Secrets to Grow & Monetize your Advisory Practice w/ Min Risk & Max Value
Speaker: Mike Walters, CEO | USA Financial
Description: A session for financial advisors, Mike will lead a discussion about shortening the learning curve to maximize the value of your practice and create future zeros for yourself. Get insights into how to craft your exit strategy and/or explore growth through acquisition as you look to maximize the enterprise value of your business.
Session 3 | Thursday, September 19 | 2:15 - 3:00 PM
Option A
Preparing for the Next Bear Market
Speaker: Adam Quiring, | Q3 Asset Management
Description: Learn how Q3's award winning Bull Cipher strategy embraces volatility to offer consistent returns through both bull & bear markets alike. With a track record extending back almost 9 years, the unique approach is focused on mitigating downside risk while providing compelling risk-adjusted returns. We're going to explain exactly how the algorithm works.
Option B
Get to Know Sherman Portfolios
Speaker: Adam Weisner, President/CEO & Tom Bateman, Chief Marketing Officer | Sherman Portfolios
Description: As one of the research partners of USA Financial Formulas, Sherman Portfolios is behind one of the most popular strategies on the platform. Find out why so many advisors have leveraged the research-backed approach to investment management w/ exit strategies.
Option C
Building Better Retirements
Speaker: Kevin Dawe, Sales Director | The Annexus Group
Description: Learn how the Annexus Group’s lineup of solutions helps advisors to engineer better retirement outcomes.
Option D
Introducing Advisor Digital (powered by SRG Financial)
Speaker: Dan Garrett, Director of Strategy & Technology | Advisor Digital/SRG Financial
Description: To better serve current clients, attract and retain next-gen clients, advisors, and staff, create meaningful multi-generational client engagement, and improve front and back-office operations, SRG Financial Advisors developed a future-ready best-of-breed cloud application stack centered around Redtail CRM. This integrated stack includes PreciseFP, GReminders, and FutureVault, incorporates AI, integrates with the USA Financial tech stack, and facilitates Advisor Protocol systems and processes. Prompted by many of you asking, "How can my firm have that?" SRG Financial Advisors launched Advisor Digital to provide cost-effective implementation and managed services so you can benefit from our solution stack without needing your own tech staff. We look forward to explaining how at Advisor Digital, "We Focus on Your Tech so You can Focus on Your Clients."
Session 4 | Friday, September 20 | 9:45 - 10:30 AM
Option A
Managing Expectations: When do you fire a manager?
Speaker: Josh Kneller, SVP | Atlas Capital
Description: While history never repeats, it does tend to rhyme. Every investment model or strategy will have losing trades. There can never be a guarantee of success. This is a business without certainty. Coping with uncertainty requires flexibility, not panic. Remember “The market is like a train sitting on the tracks. You can see the direction it’s heading but you cannot dictate the time of departure. Those investors who put the market on a timetable not only become frustrated but end up making foolish moves. Instead, get on the train, sit back and enjoy the scenery”.
Option B
Tactical Strategies for an Economic Slowdown
Speaker: Jeff Thompson, CEO | Donoghue Forlines
Description: Jeff Thompson, CEO and Portfolio Manager of Donoghue Forlines, will be reviewing two tactical strategies to consider for an economic slowdown and possible recession heading into 2025. He will be reviewing the Donoghue Forlines Momentum strategy as well as the Donoghue Forlines Income Portfolio.
Option C
Leveraging Testimonials in a Compliant Manner
Speakers: Mark Mersman, Kim Weber, Dawn Thomason, Mitch Schultz | USA Financial
Description: Are you leveraging testimonials inside of your practice to build credibility with clients and prospects? Join members from the USA Financial marketing and compliance teams for a discussion on how to effectively leverage this marketing opportunity in a compliant way.
Option D
Future-Proofing Client Engagement with FutureVault
Speakers: Daniel Kenny, CEO – Kristian Borghesan, CMO – Simon Tipler, Head of Product | FutureVault
Description: Kristian Borghesan (FutureVault) and Dan Garrett (Advisor Digital powered by SRG Financial Advisors) will explain how a uniquely client-centric digital vault (FutureVault) is not just a secure document exchange and repository solution but is a critical component in the modern technology stack playing a significant role in everyday client engagement processes and workflow, creating a 360-service model. FutureVault's solution accelerates client onboarding, facilitates document management and data compliance, and improves security, enabling your firm to enhance and scale its service model to become the most trusted partner in your client's lives. And FutureVault's recently launched AI capabilities bring you and your clients even more insights and time-saving opportunities. We look forward to showing how FutureVault and Advisor Digital can future-proof your firm.
Book your Breakout Sessions today.
Event Locations, Travel, & Lodging Arrangements
A hotel block has been secured for USA Financial at the Embassy Suites.