Disclosure

Conflicts of interest

A conflict of interest exists between the interests of Tandem Private Wealth and the interests of our clients. You are under no obligation to act on our recommendations, and if you choose to act on them, you are under no obligation to transact through us.

Christopher Lazaro conducts four other businesses that pay him commissions, fees, or other compensation. Each creates a financial incentive that can conflict with the fiduciary duty he owes you. We publish them here in full rather than leaving them to the Brochure alone.

Insurance agent

Informed Choice Insurance LLC (December 2024 – present)

Mr. Lazaro is licensed to sell insurance products and receives commissions on products purchased through him in that capacity. A conflict of interest exists because commission compensation conflicts with the fiduciary duty owed to advisory clients.

Your protection: Clients are under no obligation to implement insurance recommendations through Tandem Private Wealth, and may use the insurance agency and agent of their choice.

Real estate broker

Real Broker LLC (January 2024 – present)

Mr. Lazaro assists clients with the purchase, sale, and leasing of residential and commercial property, earning real estate commissions, transaction fees, and referral revenue. This creates a financial incentive to recommend that advisory clients liquidate investment portfolios to purchase real estate, or invest in real estate assets on which he would earn a commission.

Your protection: Clients are under no obligation to use Mr. Lazaro’s real estate services and are free to work with any broker they choose.

Mortgage loan officer

U.S. Finance Group, LLC (May 2022 – present)

Mr. Lazaro helps individuals and businesses secure financing and receives compensation, origination fees, and volume bonuses from lending institutions. This creates an incentive to recommend that clients take out mortgages, refinance existing debt, or draw on home equity to fund advisory accounts or purchase other products.

Your protection: Clients retain full autonomy and are encouraged to shop for mortgage financing from alternative lenders.

Seller of travel

Registered and licensed seller of travel

Mr. Lazaro offers vacation planning, transportation booking, and leisure travel packages, earning commissions, service fees, and incentives directly from travel vendors, cruise lines, and wholesalers.

Your protection: Clients are never required to book travel through Mr. Lazaro and maintain absolute freedom to use alternative providers.

Other compensation and practices

• Soft dollars. We receive soft dollar benefits: certain custodians make products and services available to us — trade execution software, investment research, pricing information, market data, recordkeeping, publications, and conferences — in return for effecting transactions through them, pursuant to Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
• Best execution. We seek best execution but do not necessarily obtain the lowest possible commission rate. You may pay higher commissions through platforms we approve than through platforms we have not approved.
• Directed brokerage. You may select any broker-dealer you choose. If you direct brokerage, we may be unable to achieve the most favorable execution, and you may pay higher commissions or receive less favorable prices.
• Aggregated trading. Affiliated accounts may trade in the same securities as client accounts on an aggregated basis. In such cases, affiliated and client accounts generally share execution costs equally, and partially filled orders are allocated pro rata.
• IRA rollovers. When we recommend rolling over employer-sponsored plan assets or a self-managed IRA, a conflict exists because a rollover can generate fee-based compensation for us. We will present your options, including leaving assets in the employer plan, rolling to a new employer plan, or cashing out, and will advise you that a rollover may result in additional fees and expenses.
• Third-party managers. We have no current arrangements with third-party money managers. If we enter one, we would receive compensation based on the services they provide to our clients; any such arrangement would be formalized and disclosed.
• No referral fees. We do not pay referral fees to third-party solicitors, and we do not receive client referrals from broker-dealers.

Our obligation

All material conflicts of interest under California Code of Regulations Section 260.238(k) that could reasonably be expected to impair the rendering of unbiased and objective advice are disclosed. Mr. Lazaro operates under a fiduciary duty requiring him to place the financial interests of advisory clients ahead of his own, and to disclose material conflicts upfront. You are never required to execute real estate transactions, obtain mortgages, buy insurance, or book travel through Mr. Lazaro, and you retain absolute freedom to use alternative providers.