Our company maintains a contingency plan to continue operation in the event of a site specific emergency, or a local, or regional man-made, or natural catastrophe.

In the event our office becomes unusable, we have established alternative sites to continue operations. All telephone calls, email, U.S. mail, and overnight packages will be forwarded to that site.

As a client of Painter Smith & Gorian, we recognize you may need access to your account to sell a position or request a check before we can re-establish telephone or other communication services with you. During this time, our clearing firm, First Clearing, LLC, will assist you with sell or liquidation orders and provide check disbursements, as required. If you cannot contact our firm by any means, please call First Clearing, LLC for assistance at 877-496-3223.

First Clearing is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”), a nonprofit, congressionally chartered, membership corporation created in 1970. SIPC protects clients against the custodial risk of a member brokerage firm becoming insolvent by replacing missing securities and cash up to $500,000, including up to $100,000 in cash, per client, in accordance with SIPC rules. (Note that SIPC coverage is not the same as nor is it a substitute for FDIC deposit insurance; securities purchased through First Clearing are not FDIC insured.) For more information about SIPC, please visit www.sipc.org.

Above and beyond SIPC coverage, First Clearing maintains additional insurance coverage, currently through the Customer Asset Protection Company. Effective January 1, the additional insurance coverage will be provided through London Underwriters (led by Lloyd’s of London Syndicate) (“Lloyd’s”). For clients who have received the full SIPC payout limit, First Clearing’s policy with Lloyd’s provides additional coverage above the SIPC limits for any missing securities and cash in client brokerage accounts up to a firm aggregate limit of $1 billion (including up to $1.9 million for cash per client). In other words, the aggregate amount of all client losses covered under this policy are subject to a limit of $1 billion, with each client covered up to $1.9 million for cash.

Since its beginnings in the 17th century, Lloyd’s of London has been a world leader in insurance markets, providing its services to businesses in a broad range of sectors. Currently, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings have rated Lloyd’s credit as “A+ (Strong) Stable Outlook,” and A.M. Best has rated Lloyd’s a credit rating of “A (Excellent) Stable Outlook.” For more information about Lloyd’s of London, please visit www.lloyds.com.

Please note that coverage provided by SIPC and Lloyd’s does not protect against loss of market value of securities. All coverage is subject to the specific policy terms and conditions.