SageView Launches Financial Education Platform for Participants

SageView Advisory Group LLC has launched a financial education and engagement platform for participants of its retirement plan sponsor clients, the company announced Thursday.

PersonalSAGE, which stands for Strategic Advice, Guidance and Empowerment, is designed to give participants of any savings level access to a personalized assessment of their financial standing and access to one-on-one sessions with financial coaches, according to the announcement. Participants have access to coaches through a website; virtual and in-person education sessions; and an online technology platform created by SageView and technology partner LifeCents.

The creation of a financial advice platform for participants who often do not meet the minimum threshold for personal financial advisers is in line with a strategy CEO Randy Long laid out for PLANADVISER in a December 2022 interview. Long said at the time the firm was focused on acquiring RIAs with a strong background in holistic financial wellness, serving clients that are not just high-net worth individuals.

PersonalSAGE will be led by Kerry Woods, new vice president of participant education and engagement for the Newport Beach, California-based registered investment advisory and retirement solutions firm. Woods is joining SageView from a position as vice president and consultant relations director at Voya Financial. She is the most recent of many hires since the firm announced a partnership with private-equity firm Aquiline Capital Partners in January 2021.

“I’ve seen firsthand how a lack of financial education can impact generations of families, so this initiative is extremely important to me,” Woods said in a statement. “PersonalSAGE is the next evolution of our offering for participants and provides holistic financial readiness beyond just education. The ability to sit down one-on-one with a financial professional, share your financial goals and struggles, and receive actionable, personalized advice is crucial to improving participants’ financial outcomes.”

SageView has more than $150 billion in retirement plan assets and $4 billion in wealth management through both acquisition and organic growth, according to the firm.