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Products December 2, 2014
Fidelity Teams With LearnVest for Adviser Program
LearnVest content and financial wellness support are now available for many advisers working with Fidelity Institutional, along with expanded options for digitizing client support and advice.
Reported by PLANADVISER staff
Fidelity Institutional is the division of Fidelity Investments that provides clearing, custody and investment management products to registered investment advisers (RIAs) and retirement recordkeepers. The firm announced a new collaboration with LearnVest aimed at helping advisers explore options to digitize their practices.
Fidelity says it will be increasingly important for advisers to begin integrating digital strategies as more investors become comfortable transacting online and demanding simplicity in their finances. Michael Durbin, president of Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services, adds that many advisers are already seeking out efficient and scalable digital solutions to help the next generation of clients get engaged in improving their own financial outcomes.
“LearnVest‘s focus on making financial services broadly accessible and effective in helping people live the lives they want aligns with Fidelity’s mission and with the values of the nearly 10,000 advisory firms we serve,” Durbin says.
The relationship with LearnVest will help advisers offer clients access to an educational financial wellness microsite, populated by LearnVest’s original content, as well as preferred pricing to LearnVest’s technology-enabled financial planning programs.
The collaboration will be particularly useful for advisers consulting on workplace retirement plans, Fidelity says. The program adds to Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services’ previous collaboration with Betterment Institutional, through which RIAs can offer a client-facing digital platform.
Fidelity notes that, for advisers, digitizing a practice is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Advisers should consider reviewing their franchise front-to-back to ensure that it makes sense for them. Important questions include: Can the brand support this? What are the implications for the current engagement model and scope of services provided? Does the firm have the support talent in place?
Fidelity released a related white paper and social media post on new advice models and what digitization means for traditional advisers.