Offering Advice & Services to Traders | Investors | Funds
What is an Accredited Investor?
Customer Testimonial Hannah and her team were knowledgeable, professional, and a pleasure to work with; having access to their expert help is indispensable in forming an incubator fund or hedge fund entity at a very reasonable cost and time frame. D. Rxxxn December 21, 2011
SEC Adopts Net Worth Standard for Accredited Investors Under Dodd-Frank Act On December 21, 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amended its rules to exclude the value of a person’s home from net worth calculations used to determine whether an individual may invest in private hedge funds. The changes were made to conform the SEC’s definition of an “accredited investor” to the requirements of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
SEC rules permit certain private and limited offerings to be made without registration, and without requiring specified disclosures, if sales are made only to "accredited investors." One way individuals may qualify as accredited investors is by having a net worth, alone or together with their spouse, of at least $1 million. The Dodd-Frank Act requires that the value of a person’s primary residence be excluded from the net worth calculation used to determine the person’s accredited investor status.
Under the amended net worth calculation, indebtedness secured by the person’s primary residence, up to the estimated fair market value of the primary residence, is not treated as a liability, unless the borrowing occurs in the 60 days preceding investment in the hedge fund and is not in connection with the acquisition of the primary residence. In such cases, the debt secured by the primary residence must be treated as a liability in the net worth calculation.
This is intended to prevent manipulation of the net worth standard, by eliminating the ability of individuals to artificially inflate net worth under the new definition by borrowing against home equity shortly before participating in an exempt securities offering. In addition, any indebtedness secured by a person’s primary residence in excess of the property’s estimated fair market value is treated as a liability under the new definition.
The amended net worth standard will take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Beginning in 2014, and every four years thereafter, the Dodd-Frank Act requires the Commission to review the “accredited investor” definition in its entirety and to engage in further rulemaking to the extent it deems appropriate.
Customer Testimonial I had a tremendous experience with Hannah and the Capital Management Group. They were timely, courteous, and extremely knowledgeable; and, if Hannah was busy, Michelle made quick work to resolve my problems. I will invariably use CMSG in the future for all my hedge fund needs! I can't thank Hannah enough for making my dream of a hedge fund come to fruition. William B Hoagland, Trend Discovery Capital Management. July 06, 2011
What is an Accredited Investor? Accredited investor is defined in the Securities Act of 1933 as any person who comes within any of the categories described below. The language below is taken from a standard Subscription Agreement used in hedge fund offering documents.
1. Any bank as defined in section 3(a)(2) of the [Securities] Act, or any savings and loan association or other institution as defined in section 3(a)(5)(A) of the Act whether acting in its individual or fiduciary capacity; any broker or dealer registered pursuant to section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; any insurance company as defined in section 2(a)(13) of the Act; any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or a business development company as defined in section 2(a)(48) of that Act; any Small Business Investment Company licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under section 301(c) or (d) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958; any plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000; any employee benefit plan within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 if the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary, as defined in section 3(21) of such act, which is either a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company, or registered investment adviser, or if the employee benefit plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or, if a self-directed plan, with investment decisions made solely by persons that are accredited investors;
2. Any private business development company as defined in section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940;
3. Any organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000;
4. Any director, executive officer, or general partner of the issuer of the securities being offered or sold, or any director, executive officer, or general partner of a general partner of that issuer;
5. Any natural person whose individual net worth, or joint net worth with that person’s spouse, at the time of his purchase exceeds $1,000,000;
6. Any natural person who had an individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with that person’s spouse in excess of $300,000 in each of those years and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year;
7. Any trust, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, whose purchase is directed by a sophisticated person as described in Rule 506(b)(2)(ii) and
8. Any entity in which all of the equity owners are accredited investors.
Customer Testimonial It was indeed a pleasure working with you and your team at Capital Management Services Group to set up our investment management firm and its associated hedge fund. As someone with deep analytical and trading expertise who is unfamiliar with the complex regulatory environment surrounding hedge funds, I greatly appreciate the advice and clarity you brought to the process of establishing the firm. Your breadth of expertise was invaluable in navigating the plethora of choices to be made and more importantly, it was reflected in your ability to make the necessary filings and obtain approvals from all the regulatory agencies. I am also impressed that your estimate for how long the entire process would take was remarkably accurate. As a new business entity, it was a benefit to our firm that you were able to provide your knowledgeable and comprehensive services at extremely reasonable terms. I would not hesitate to recommend your firm to others seeking to launch or expand investment advisory businesses and hedge funds. Best regards, Dr. Sid Valluri Managing Director Odessa Capital Management LLC Sent December 01, 2008
All investors in a 3(c)(7) hedge fund must be qualified purchasers. The qualified purchaser category presents a higher bar than either the accredited investor or qualified client categories. Generally only ultra high net worth individuals and institutional investors are qualified clients. A qualified purchaser is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 as:
i. any natural person (including any person who holds a joint, community property, or other similar shared ownership interest in an issuer that is excepted under section 3(c)(7) with that person’s qualified purchaser spouse) who owns not less than $ 5,000,000 in investments, as defined below;
ii. any company that owns not less than $ 5,000,000 in investments and that is owned directly or indirectly by or for 2 or more natural persons who are related as siblings or spouse (including former spouses), or direct lineal descendants by birth or adoption, spouses of such persons, the estates of such persons, or foundations, charitable organizations, or trusts established by or for the benefit of such persons;
iii. any trust that is not covered by clause (ii) and that was not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, as to which the trustee or other person authorized to make decisions with respect to the trust, and each settlor or other person who has contributed assets to the trust, is a person described in clause (i), (ii), or (iv); or
iv. any person, acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified purchasers, who in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis, not less than $ 25,000,000 in investments.
v. any qualified institutional buyer as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, acting for its own account, the account of another qualified institutional buyer, or the account of a qualified purchaser, provided that (i) a dealer described in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of Rule 144A shall own and invest on a discretionary basis at least $25,000,000 in securities of issuers that are not affiliated persons of the dealer; and (ii) a plan referred to in paragraph (a)(1)(D) or (a)(1)(E) of Rule 144A, or a trust fund referred to in paragraph (a)(1)(F) of Rule 144A that holds the assets of such a plan, will not be deemed to be acting for its own account if investment decisions with respect to the plan are made by the beneficiaries of the plan, except with respect to investment decisions made solely by the fiduciary, trustee or sponsor of such plan;
vi. any company that, but for the exceptions provided for in Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) under the ICA, would be an investment company (hereafter in this paragraph referred to as an “excepted investment company”), provided that all beneficial owners of its outstanding securities (other than short-term paper), determined in accordance with Section 3(c)(1)(A) thereunder, that acquired such securities on or before April 30, 1996 (hereafter in this paragraph referred to as “pre-amendment beneficial owners”), and all pre-amendment beneficial owners of the outstanding securities (other than short-term paper) or any excepted investment company that, directly or indirectly, owns any outstanding securities of such excepted investment company, have consented to its treatment as a qualified purchaser.
vii. any natural person who is deemed to be a “knowledgeable employee” of the [fund], as such term is defined in Rule 3c-5(4) of the ICA; or
viii. any person (“Transferee”) who acquires Interests from a person (“Transferor”) that is (or was) a qualified purchaser other than the [fund], provided that the Transferee is: (i) the estate of the Transferor; (ii) a person who acquires the Interests as a gift or bequest pursuant to an agreement relating to a legal separation or divorce; or (iii) a company established by the Transferor exclusively for the benefit of (or owned exclusively by) the Transferor and the persons specified in this paragraph.
ix. any company, if each beneficial owner of the company’s securities is a qualified purchaser.
For the purpsoes of above, the term Investments means:
(1) securities (as defined by section 2(a)(1)of the Securities Act of 1933), other than securities of an issuer that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the prospective qualified purchaser that owns such securities, unless the issuer of such securities is: (i) an investment vehicle; (ii) a public company; or (iii) a company with shareholders’ equity of not less than $50 million (determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) as reflected on the company’s most recent financial statements, provided that such financial statements present the information as of a date within 16 months preceding the date on which the prospective qualified purchaser acquires the securities of a Section 3(c)(7) Company;
(2) real estate held for investment purposes;
(3) commodity interests held for investment purposes;
(4) physical commodities held for investment purposes;
(5) to the extent not securities, financial contracts (as such term is defined in section 3(c)(2)(B)(ii) of the ICA entered into for investment purposes;
(6) in the case of a prospective qualified purchaser that is a Section 3(c)(7) Company, a company that would be an investment company but for the exclusion provided by section 3(c)(1) of the ICA, or a commodity pool, any amounts payable to such prospective qualified purchaser pursuant to a firm agreement or similar binding commitment pursuant to which a person has agreed to acquire an interest in, or make capital contributions to, the prospective qualified purchaser upon the demand of the prospective qualified purchaser; and
(7) cash and cash equivalents (including foreign currencies) held for investment purposes. For purposes of this section, cash and cash equivalents include: (i) bank deposits, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances and similar bank instruments held for investment purposes; and (ii) the net cash surrender value of an insurance policy.
Customer Testimonial I wanted to thank you and your staff for the professional and timely services that you provided in setting up a CTA business. As an individual trader for almost 20 years I have a full grasp of markets but had very little knowledge in setting up a trading business for clients. Everyone at your firm was extremely friendlyand helpful in giving me guidance in this new startup. Your prices were fair and while I looked at different firms to handle the process yours was head and shoulders above the rest. Thanks so much, Sxxx Sxxxr Managing Partner Sxxxxx Capital Management LLC. June 18, 2010.
Hedge Fund Startup Process and Procedures You should know how the hedge fund startup process works. We provide an initial consultation, create a detailed business plan, provide state and SEC filings, draft your offering documents, handle compliance issues, prepare your policies and procedures manual (if needed), advise on your operating structure, offer Chief Compliance Officer training, and a marketing plan for your business. Call (307) 213-4732 for a consultation to discuss your needs. In this consultation, you will speak toHannah Terhune, a veteran hedge fund and tax attorney.
Customer Testimonial Hannah Terhune and her associates have provided legal advice and services to me for over a year. She provided initial guidance to help determine the kind of fund most suitable for my goals, created the legal documents that are the framework for my hedge-fund, and assisted with ADV submissions to register my company as an Investment Advisor. I continue to rely on her for ongoing compliance issues in this complex and dynamic industry. I found Ms Terhune and her associates to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful in a very responsive way, with friendly and professional manners. Overall a very good experience. Highly recommended. Marty Cawthon ChipChat Technology Group
Why Hire Us? We advise individuals on hedge fund startups worldwide. We are experts on investment adviser law, hedge fund law and forex and managed futures fund law. We handle state investment adviser registrations, SEC investment adviser registrations, U.S. hedge fund formations, foreign hedge fund formations, forex fund startups, managed futures fund startups, commodity pool formations, NFA registrations, international hedge fund formations, and investment manager registrations in many countries.
More Reasons to Hire Us When you engage us for hedge fund you get a unique combination of securities, tax, and international experience, focused on the trader niche. We have established a leadership position with traders. We are one destination for all your very special hedge fund and trader tax needs. We think we have the best set of offering documents based on the current and ever changing federal, state and offshore securities, commodities, and tax laws. We aim and deliver quick turnaround times, because we understand that our customers want to begin their money management business as soon as possible. We conceive, structure, and deploy the best tax saving strategies into your hedge fund vehicle (for the benefit of the manager and their investors) and your management company. Investors value tax-savings strategies and we utilize all our special knowledge and ideas in this area. Our customers value our one-stop relationship. We will help you start your business and continue to assist you. Our tax services division handles accounting, software, and tax compliance, including all tax matters (tax planning and tax returns). Only one thing counts with us and that's our customer relationships!
CapitalManagementServicesGroup.com is recognized by discriminating fund managers and traders as being the foremost tax and legal authority in the business. Attorney Hannah Terhune's education and experience are unsurpassed in the area of hedge funds creation and management platforms, and the complex body of tax laws related thereto. Ms. Terhune's exensive knowledge and experience have made her an indispensable resource for serious fund management and trading professionals. Ms. Terhune's articles on the subjects have appeared in over 100 publications worldwide. Chances are, if you have read about the above matters, Ms. Terhune has written about them. Give us the opportunity to use that knowledge and experience for you. CMSG provides the best services and support needed for hedge fund projects and associated activities in one convenient place, saving you time and energy. No need to coordinate work between different firms; we handle the entire process from start to finish. We offer hedge fund and money management accounting, tax services, tax preparation, consulting, entity and retirement plan formation services. Our professionals provide the highest quality services at competitive rates. But don't take our word for it, give us a call and let us prove what we can do for you. Read our Customer Testimonials and learn more About Us.
Personal Consultations and Fees You get answers to your specific questions by speaking directly to Hannah Terhune, an experienced hedge fund attorney. Ms. Terhune's hard-earned knowledge and experience can be put to work to save you unnecessary steps and costly wasted effort. The consult is an invaluable opportunity to speak to Hannah one-on-one, and learn how to achieve more in less time. As a result, you can anticipate that the return on your investment will far outweigh the costs associated with our unsurpassed services. Of course, fees are a necessary part of the consultation. Ms. Terhune's credentials reflect an invaluable resource that combines a well-informed professional practitioner with sound ethical judgment that cannot be over-estimated. The expertise required to recommend best solutions and provide sound advice should never be taken lightly. We are confident that when you are finished with your consultation, you will be impressed and more informed about your business plans than ever before. Call (307) 213-4732 or Click Here to Request Services.
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