Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Forta has 16 pending FINRA claims that arise from
the sale to clients of alternative investments (REITs, Business Development Loan Funds, and Oil and Gas securities). These income generating
investments did not do as well as the stock markets, and the performance has lagged the market. While the exposure on these cases would
not be material, the costs of defense for legal fees may be substantial. Company is evaluating the impact upon operations of the expenses.
In December 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus,
referred to as COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, COVID-19 has spread to other countries, including
the United States. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Further, the President of the
United States declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency. States in which we operate declared states of emergency related to
the spread of COVID-19 and issued executive orders directing individuals to stay at their place of residence for an indefinite period
of time.
The financial markets demonstrated significant
volatility in reaction to the virus outbreak. There has been considerable strain on companies in many sectors of the economy. Investors
suffered significant decreases in the value of their investment portfolios, and the economy has significantly shut down. It is unclear
when the economy will start up again, and the lingering effects are not known. During periods of high volatility and uncertainty many
investors choose to stop ongoing investment activity and sit on the sidelines until the markets become more stable.
The Company’s revenues are adversely affected
when investors reduce their investment activities. In addition, part of Company’s revenues is based upon the value of assets under
management. If the investment portfolios of clients decrease in value, the fees charged for investment advice also decreases.
The Company could be affected by lack of access
to its offices, although that seems to have had little short-term impact as employees have succeeded in maintaining productivity while
working remotely. The long-term effects, however, may present significant issues.
Any significant shutdown of the economy for a
sustained period will affect the Company’s revenue which could lead to losses.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None
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Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
None
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