Iolite Asset Management is a investment adviser based in Chicago, IL, that holds a 87.6/100 Fidelon TransparencyScore (64th percentile among SEC-registered advisers), with 4 registered advisors. Score based on public SEC and FINRA filings.
Iolite Asset Management
Iolite Asset Management · CRD #338911
A fee-only investment adviser with a clean regulatory record and fiduciary commitment.
Fidelon Fact Sheet
Iolite Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser in Chicago, IL. It has 4 registered advisors. It charges a percentage of the money it manages for you, and it does not report earning commissions. Its services include financial planning, educational seminars and private fund management. Its record shows no customer complaints, regulatory actions or fines.
Peer Context
3,839th of 10,815
SEC-registered advisers
Top 36%
144th of 419
SEC-registered advisers in IL
Top 35%
48th of 133
SEC-registered advisers in Chicago, IL
Top 37%
How This Firm Works
Registration & Standard of Care
Investment Adviser — this firm is a registered investment adviser, held to a fiduciary standard — legally required to act in clients' best interests.
How This Firm Gets Paid
- Charges a percentage of assets under management
- Does not earn commissions on product sales
What you’d pay
Your balance falls in the All accounts band, charged at 0.25%–1.25% on the full amount. The brochure files a range for this band, so the exact rate is set in your agreement.
This fee is negotiable
“The annualized fees for investment portfolio management are negotiable under each specific program and range between 0.25% and 1.25% per annum.”
From their Form ADV Part 2A. Most investors never ask.
Not included above
- • In addition to our advisory fees, clients are also responsible for the fees and expenses charged by custodians and imposed by broker dealers, including, but not limited to, any transaction charges imposed by a broker dealer.
Estimated from the firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure — not a quote. Actual fees are set in your agreement and may differ. Costs charged by others (custodians, fund managers) are not included.
What This Firm Charges
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| All accounts | 0.25%–1.25% |
Billed quarterly, in advance, at the beginning of each calendar quarter
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Specializations
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Key Findings
Strengths
- Fee-only compensation — no commission income reported
- Registered as investment adviser with fiduciary obligation
- No broker-dealer registration — advisory services only
- Clean regulatory record — no disclosures, arbitrations, or fines
- Transparent fee structure — charges advisory fees, no commissions
Things You Should Know
- Its brochure says some of its people can earn insurance commissions, but it does not say you can buy the same products elsewhere, commissions can shape what they recommend, or whether commissions lower your advisory fee. Ask whether you could buy any recommended product through another broker or insurer.Item 5.E
- Its brochure names an affiliated adviser or private fund as a conflict, but it does not explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do, say what the firm is paid for it, or say what it can cost you. Ask whether any fund or adviser recommended to you is owned by or tied to the firm, and what fees that adds.Items 10, 11, 12.B and 14
Conflict Audit
Zero material conflicts identified in regulatory filings.
Source: Form ADV Part 1, Items 6-8; Part 2A, Items 10-14
Regulatory Track Record
0
Disclosures
Clean record — no disclosures found
$0
Total Fines
Clean record — no fines found
Regulatory Events
TransparencyScore Dimensions
Disclosure Record
Customer complaints, arbitrations, and fines. Frequency and recency matter.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 82.6 | Top 10%: 99.5
Filing Quality
How clearly the firm describes services, fees, and investment approach in regulatory filings.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 84.1 | Top 10%: 100
Conflict Disclosure
How openly the firm explains who pays it and what it's paid to sell. The conflict isn't the problem — hiding it is.
48/100
Weak
Avg for investment adviser firms: 54 | Top 10%: 67
Enforcement History
Self-reported legal and disciplinary history from Form ADV Item 11.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 99.7 | Top 10%: 100
Their two-page relationship summary
The SEC requires every SEC-registered investment adviser to hand you this summary, called a Form CRS, and says what it must cover. We checked this firm's against that list. What is a Form CRS?
- Does it include everything the SEC requires?
- Required sections
- 98/100
- Does it explain how the firm's conflicts affect you?
- Conflicts of interest
- 83/100
- Can you tell what you would pay?
- What you pay
What to askAsk what you would pay in a year, in dollars, including fund and trading costs.
- 53/100
- Is it written in plain English?
- Plain language
- 95/100
This firm's Form CRS averages 82 out of 100. It adds 5.56 points once the firm's filings and record score 90 on their own; they score 87.64 today.
What their brochure tells you
The firm must give you this brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, before you sign. We read it against the SEC's own instructions, item by item. Quotes are the firm's own words; page numbers refer to the filed brochure. What is in a brochure?
Can you tell what you'd pay and when?Brochure Fee Clarity100/100
The SEC asks every brochure to spell out the fee schedule, whether fees can be negotiated, how and when you are billed, the other costs you pay, and refunds.
The brochure answers every one of these.
- Can you tell what you'd pay?CoveredItem 5.A
Without a fee schedule you cannot compare this firm with any other.
The annualized fees for investment portfolio management are negotiable under each specific program and range between 0.25% and 1.25% per annum.p. 5
- Does it say whether the fee can be negotiated?CoveredItem 5.A
If fees are negotiable, other clients may be paying less than you for the same service.
The annualized fees for investment portfolio management are negotiable under each specific program and range between 0.25% and 1.25% per annum.p. 5
- Does it say whether the fee comes out of your account or gets billed?CoveredItem 5.B
A fee taken straight from your account is easy to stop noticing.
Fees will be debited directly from the client's account in accordance with the client signed authorization located in the Investment Advisory Agreement.p. 5
- Does it say how often you're charged?CoveredItem 5.B
Monthly, quarterly, in advance or in arrears changes what you owe when you leave.
Our fees are billed quarterly, in advance, at the beginning of each calendar quarter.p. 5
- Does it list the other costs you pay, like fund and custodian fees?CoveredItem 5.C
The advisory fee is rarely the whole bill; fund, trading and custody costs come on top.
In addition to our advisory fees, clients are also responsible for the fees and expenses charged by custodians and imposed by broker dealers, including, but not limited to, any transaction charges imposed by a broker dealer with which an independent investment manager effects transactions for the client's account(s).p. 8
- Does it say how you get money back if you leave mid-period?CoveredItem 5.D
If you pay in advance and leave early, the refund rule decides what you get back.
Upon termination of any account, any prepaid, unearned fees will be promptly refunded.p. 8
Does it explain each conflict of interest and what it could cost you?Brochure Conflict Specificity50/100
The SEC asks the brochure to name each way the firm gets paid besides your fee, what that tempts the firm to do, and what it can cost you.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
If it has an affiliated adviser or private fund, does it explain what that means for you?
An affiliated adviser or private fund
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?CoveredItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
Iolite and RCM Futures & Alternatives are two separate entities related through common ownership of members Robert Schwartz.p. 12
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
What to askAsk what this arrangement gives the firm a reason to recommend, and how often that happens.
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
What to askAsk the advisor to explain this arrangement in plain terms, including who pays whom.
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
What to askAsk how much the firm or its people receive from this arrangement in a typical year.
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
What to askAsk what the firm gains from this arrangement beyond fees.
- Does it say what it can cost you?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
What to askAsk what this arrangement can cost you, in fees, returns or choices you do not get.
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk whether any fund or adviser recommended to you is owned by or tied to the firm, and what fees that adds.
If it has an affiliated adviser or private fund, does it explain what that means for you?
An affiliated adviser or private fund
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?CoveredItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
Iolite is under common control with another SEC registered investment advisor RCM Wealth Advisors.p. 13
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
What to askAsk what this arrangement gives the firm a reason to recommend, and how often that happens.
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
What to askAsk the advisor to explain this arrangement in plain terms, including who pays whom.
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
What to askAsk how much the firm or its people receive from this arrangement in a typical year.
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
What to askAsk what the firm gains from this arrangement beyond fees.
- Does it say what it can cost you?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
What to askAsk what this arrangement can cost you, in fees, returns or choices you do not get.
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk whether any fund or adviser recommended to you is owned by or tied to the firm, and what fees that adds.
If its people can earn insurance commissions, does it explain them?
Insurance commissions
An adviser's own license, not the firm's — scored once under Sales Compensation
Conflicts may include but are not limited to when an IAR is recommending an insurance product for an advisory client, the IAR is again no longer operating in a fiduciary capacity, but as an insurance agent for an affiliated insurance company.p. 5
If its people earn commissions on securities, does it explain them?
Securities commissions
An adviser's own license, not the firm's — scored once under Sales Compensation
Conflicts may include, but are not limited to, that both RCM Asset Management, LLC and Iolite could be collecting commissions and/or fees from a transaction that is recommended by an IAR of Iolite.p. 13
Do they earn commissions on products, and do they say so?Brochure Sales Compensation40/100
When a firm or its people sell products for a commission, the SEC asks the brochure to say so, name the pull, and tell you whether you could buy elsewhere.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
- Does it say that earning commissions is a conflict of interest?CoveredItem 5.E.1
A firm paid to sell a product has a reason to recommend it that has nothing to do with you.
Conflicts may include but are not limited to when an IAR is recommending an insurance product for an advisory client, the IAR is again no longer operating in a fiduciary capacity, but as an insurance agent for an affiliated insurance company.p. 5
- Does it say commissions can shape what they recommend?Not found in the brochureItem 5.E.1
Naming the pull is the first step to controlling it; silence leaves it working on you.
What to askAsk how the firm keeps commissions from steering the advice you get.
- Does it say you can buy the same products elsewhere?Not found in the brochureItem 5.E.2
You may be able to buy the same product for less somewhere else.
What to askAsk whether you could buy any recommended product through another broker or insurer.
- Does it say whether commissions lower your advisory fee?Not found in the brochureItem 5.E.4
If the firm earns a commission and the full advisory fee, you pay twice for one recommendation.
What to askAsk whether any commission the firm earns is credited against your advisory fee.
Do they get free research or services from brokers, and does it affect you?Brochure Soft DollarsNot applicable
Not applicable: the brochure describes no research or services from brokers
A point not found is not a finding against the firm; many points apply only when the firm has that arrangement, and state-registered firms file the same brochure form.
Next Steps
Advisor Roster
4 advisors
| Advisor | CRD | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| George A Tkaczuk | 4704688 | — | — |
| Christopher F Chiu | 6134847 | — | — |
| Timothy M Webb | 4735714 | — | — |
| Michael R Tosaw | 4648927 | — | — |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the TransparencyScore measure?
The TransparencyScore measures how clearly and completely an advisor or firm discloses important information in their regulatory filings — things like fees, conflicts of interest, disciplinary history, and business practices. A higher score means better disclosure quality, not better investment performance.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from public regulatory filings: SEC Form ADV (Parts 1, 2, and 3), FINRA BrokerCheck, and the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database. These are official filings that firms and advisors are legally required to submit.
Does a low score mean they're a bad advisor?
Not necessarily. A low score means the firm's public filings are less transparent — they may use vague language about fees, skip details about conflicts, or have a more complex regulatory history. Some excellent advisors work at firms with poor disclosure practices. The score measures the filing, not the person.
How often is this data updated?
Fidelon refreshes data from SEC and FINRA sources on a regular schedule. Form ADV filings are updated annually by firms (with amendments throughout the year), and BrokerCheck data is updated as events are reported. Scores are recalculated after each data refresh.
Can an advisor or firm improve their score?
Yes. Scores are based on what's in public filings. A firm that rewrites its ADV brochure in clearer language, discloses conflicts more specifically, or resolves outstanding regulatory issues will see its score improve at the next refresh. The incentive structure is intentional.
Data Sources
Scores are generated using Fidelon's published scoring methodology and reflect the quality of public disclosures, not the quality of investment advice. A firm that improves its disclosures will see its score improve. Fidelon does not provide investment advice.
Verify on SEC IAPD
Last scored: · Score version: 3.15 · CRD #338911