Adviser Product Partnerships

Morningstar Wealth Platform Adds 4 Portfolios

Morningstar Wealth has added portfolios from BlackRock, Clark Capital, Fidelity and T. Rowe Price to its U.S. Wealth Platform.

The move will expand Morningstar’s offerings, providing advisers and their clients with a wider range of curated investments. In addition, the Morningstar Wealth portfolio strategist team will offer unique model pairing options that enable advisers to recommend personalized solutions in a unified managed account.

“This is an important milestone in the strategic evolution of the U.S. Wealth Platform,” said Daniel Needham, Morningstar Wealth’s president, in a statement. “We are supporting advisors with client-friendly insights by curating complementary models via an intuitive platform, so advisors can focus on growing their practice and helping their clients achieve their financial goals.”

OneDigital Chooses Pontera to Help Clients With 401(k)s

OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC announced today that it has partnered with financial technology company Pontera Solutions Inc.

Partnering with Pontera, OneDigital wealth managers will be able to gain insights into each of their client’s retirement accounts to make informed rebalancing decisions while retaining assets in-plan.

“Advisers must be able to present a comprehensive plan that delivers the best solution for their clients,” said Andrew Jefferys, national vice president of wealth management solutions for OneDigital, in a statement. “This is extremely difficult to do without incorporating all of the client’s retirement assets. Partnering with Pontera will provide our advisers with the tools necessary to help their clients achieve their personalized goals and objectives.”

Morgan Stanley at Work, Pave Announce API Integration

Morgan Stanley at Work and Pave, providers of real-time compensation benchmarking and planning solutions, announced the launch of an integration with the Shareworks application programming interface.

The integration will allow Morgan Stanley at Work Private Markets clients to more seamlessly access real-time compensation benchmarking and planning solutions.

“We are thrilled to work with Pave to bring real-time compensation benchmarking and planning to our clients,” said Kevin Swan, head of private market ecosystem for Morgan Stanley at Work, in a statement. “Now more than ever, clients are seeking a one-stop shop for accurate and timely information to drive data-led employee decisions. Within the lens of our focus on arming clients with everything they need in one place, this integration brings an added breadth of data for clients on the Shareworks platform.”

CapIntel, LP Financial Planning Services Announce Partnership

Fintech company CapIntel Inc. and mutual fund dealer LP Financial Planning Services Ltd. have announced a strategic partnership.

LP Financial will leverage CapIntel’s technology to help advisers guide more data-driven conversations and provide better customized proposals for their clients. CapIntel’s platform includes access to educational materials and training resources, as well as tools for managing client relationships.

“We are dedicated to providing advisors with the tools they need to build wealth for clients,” said Curtis Jenkins, LP Financial’s president, in a statement. “CapIntel provides advisors with access to a unique sales enablement tool that seamlessly integrates compliance requirements into the process. The platform simplifies the process, helping create additional capacity while simultaneously elevating the offering for clients.”

Advisor Group Announces Plan Rebrand to a Single Entity

Advisor Group Inc. announced it is moving its multi-brand network to a single, rebranded entity. The firm will unify the eight wealth management firms currently part of the Advisor Group network into one over the next 18 to 24 months.

“Combining our multiple firms under a single brand will allow us to better serve our financial professionals by offering them access to the full breadth of community and expertise our scale provides without the complexities that multiple legal entities can impose,” said Jamie Price, Advisor Group’s president and CEO, in a statement.

Later this year, Advisor Group will announce a new name and brand for the unified firm. The firm has engaged Sullivan & Co., a New York-based branding agency, to help guide the process.

Simplicity Acquires Total Financial and Insurance Services

Simplicity Group Holdings announced the acquisition of Culver City, California-based Total Financial & Insurance Services Inc. 

Total Financial President and CEO Diana Greenberg and her partners, Scott Whitehead and Kimberly Fleming, will continue to drive Total Financial’s business in concert with Simplicity and will join Simplicity Group as partners.

“For more than five decades, Total Financial has set award-winning standards in the industry by focusing on being fully committed to our agents. We have cultivated deep relationships at the top of the industry and leverage our vast carrier network to provide concierge-level service.” Greenberg said in a statement. “Simplicity shares this approach and provides us additional resources to help our agents educate and assist their clients as they plan for their financial future.”

eMoney Advisor Partners with Externship Program for Aspiring Financial Planners

For the fourth consecutive year, eMoney Advisor LLC announced it will serve as the exclusive technology partner of Amplified Planning and Strategic Partners’ The Externship.

Participants will have the opportunity to earn the eMoney Fundamentals Certification to demonstrate their proficiency in eMoney Premier, eMoney’s most robust planning solution. The eight-week program will be held from June 5 through July 28.

“We are passionate about providing the tools needed to support the next generation of financial planners and help them develop their skillset to deliver financial advice,” said Connor Sung, director of practice management at eMoney, in a statement.

The Externship is powered by Amplified Planning and Strategic Partners, the online training program for aspiring financial planning professionals. Additionally, eMoney is offering scholarships to cover the program fee for interested participants. Participants may submit a scholarship application by May 10.