BlackRock Sells Direct-to-Consumer Robo-Advisory Business to Ritholtz

BlackRock is selling FutureAdvisor’s direct-to-consumer advice and investment business after acquiring the firm in 2015 as a business-to-business platform for advisers.


BlackRock Inc. is shedding the direct-to-consumer business of its FutureAdvisor division in a sale to Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC, a registered investment adviser and retirement planning firm with $2.7 billion in assets, according to the companies.

Ritholtz will take over FutureAdvisor’s direct-to-consumer robo-business, continuing to provide advisers with technology-enabled advice and investing capabilities, the company said in a statement. The firm, which also offers retirement investments for employers and employees, did not disclose terms of the deal. 

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“Ritholtz expects that FutureAdvisor clients will seamlessly transition to Ritholtz, where they’ll receive access to dedicated goals-based financial planning and cutting-edge technology,” a company statement said. “Ritholtz advisors and support staff are looking forward to helping them achieve success in all aspects of their financial lives.”

BlackRock acquired FutureAdvisor in 2015 with a business-to-business focus to meet demand for “digital wealth management” for financial advisers serving high-net-worth clients. In 2016, FutureAdvisor partnered with U.S. Bank Wealth Management to offer automated investing and advice to individual investors using U.S. Bancorp Investments.

“We are proud of having served FutureAdvisor clients over the last eight years and are confident that Ritholtz, a national, multi-billion-dollar wealth management firm, has the ability to meet the demands of clients seeking digital solutions for their investing needs,” BlackRock wrote in a statement. “BlackRock will continue to serve wealth management firms with our Aladdin Wealth technology offerings.”

The direct-to-consumer robo-advisory model has come under pressure due to tight fees on relatively smaller accounts, with robo-advisory Blooom shutting down late last year. Morgan Stanley bought up the firm’s technology and brought on some of its top leaders, the New York-based firm said at the time.

 

2023 PLANADVISER Adviser Choice Awards

PLANADVISER announces winners of its annual Adviser Choice Awards, to be handed out at the 2023 PLANADVISER Industry Leader Awards on May 10, 2023, in New York City.

The PLANADVISER Adviser Choice Awards recognize retirement plan specialist advisers’ favorite investment and recordkeeping providers.

The awards are given to those investment and recordkeeping providers that achieved the three highest scores in two or more of the product and/or service categories for which data was gathered in the most recent PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser Survey. At the 2023 PLANADVISER Industry Leader Awards ceremony, in New York City, 11 firms will be honored for their high-ranking performance in the 2022 survey, as follows:


Recordkeeping

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ADP Retirement Services

Ascensus

Capital Group, home of American Funds

Empower

Fidelity Investments

John Hancock

Principal Financial Group

T. Rowe Price

Vanguard

Voya Financial 



Investments


Capital Group, home of American Funds

Fidelity Investments

J.P. Morgan Asset Management

John Hancock Investment Management

Vanguard


For PLANADVISER Industry Leader Awards sponsorship information, please contact Rob Reif. For general information, contact Carol Popkins.


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