While there is much to look forward to heading into the event, we are most excited for the 'Wealth/Stack Showcase' demo series that will take place on Monday, Sept. 9.
The Wealth/Stack Showcase will feature ten cutting-edge fintech firms exhibiting promising technology we think our advisor community will love.
Wealth/Stack is committed to bringing together the world's most forward-thinking advisors with the most exciting fintech companies. With that, we’re pleased to announce the 2019 Wealth/Stack Showcase participants:
1. Naviplan by Advicent
Incorporation date: 2011.
Category: Software.
Why we were selected:
NaviPlan has taken the idea of financial planning to an entirely new level. Offering truly customized solutions for every firm’s planning strategy, NaviPlan enables advisors to help their clients take control of their financial future.
What we’re solving:
Customization is key, as we know that no two clients are exactly alike. To help guide them, you need tools that allow you to build tailored solutions for your clients’ specific needs and goals. NaviPlan offers custom product configuration based on the workflow of your practice, and has unmatched support through professional guidance videos, reference guides, and functional documents to further engage with the latest in financial planning technology.
Why we’re different:
As an advisor, your main focus is on delivering quality financial advice to your clients and growing your firm, not worrying about whether your planning technology is up to the task. Leveraging the most precise calculation engine in the financial planning market, NaviPlan empowers advisors to work with even the most complex client scenarios. Additionally, features such as the NaviPlan client portal, APIs, and presentation module enable firms to deliver their advice for an exceptional client experience.
2. Altruist
Incorporation date: 2018.
Category: Software.
Why we were selected:
The perception—true or not—is that Wall Street only looks out for Wall Street. Over the past decade, there has been a push for more transparency; but that doesn’t mean things are equal. Altruist is on a mission to make investing fair for everyone, allowing real people to earn more while paying less.
What we’re solving:
We're eliminating the need for multiple pieces of software and are dramatically reducing the cost of doing business as an advisor so clients can get more out of their money. Altruist is also making the process seamless and user-friendly, so you can feel good about your financial advice (and money).
Why we’re different:
Altruist is a tech company with a brilliant team working relentlessly to revolutionize financial services. Our software incorporates modern design and engineering principles to create a beautiful user experience unseen anywhere else in the industry. Most importantly, we care deeply about our clients, our team and the millions of people we plan to help.
3. Astrocyte Research
Incorporation date: 2014.
Category: Software.
Why we were selected:
Portformer is an online financial research app that helps advisors save money for their clients by discovering lower-cost, higher quality and more capital-efficient investments. Upgrade your investment process, build trust with your clients and grow your business with Portformer.
What we’re solving:
Today advisors have to prove to clients just how important they are. Portformer from Astrocyte Research uses machine learning to search millions of strategies and quantify if a fund is “earning its fees.” Advisors can quickly discover better investments, create more cost-efficient and diverse portfolios, and demonstrate the difference to their clients.
Why we’re different:
Most fintech solutions for advisors focus on building model portfolios—the recipe rather than the ingredients. But it takes more than just a good recipe to make a great dish. You need the very best ingredients too. Portformer finds those ingredients.
By comparing each fund to thousands of peers using machine learning, Portformer discovers the highest quality, lowest-cost investments. For any fund, view 10 top alternatives and visualize the differences between them with powerful, intuitive graphics. Unlike many ratings services, our analytics are strongly opinionated and actionable. Find investments that precisely fit your needs and quantify the savings to your clients with Portformer.
4. Function4
Incorporation date: 2017.
Category: Lead Generation / Practice Management.
Why we were selected:
The competition for prospects’ eyeballs has never been more difficult. With the ability to create, curate and distribute content, just about anyone can now be an influencer. But are you really creating meaningful connections? That’s where Function4 comes in. With the ability to create bespoke events and reach centers of influence, Function4 is the one-stop event planning tool to help advisors build and manage their own events.
What we’re solving:
Advisors’ days are already jam-packed with client meetings, reviewing investments and the basic day-to-day practice management. Who really has the time, energy—and more importantly, the expertise—to pull off an event that’ll attract the right prospects, and grow your pipeline? Additionally, networking with Center of Influence (COIs) is key, and Function4's easy-to-navigate event listing helps advisors choose where to spend their valuable networking time. Function4 is your true partner for connecting with the right clients.
Why we’re different:
We "carried the bag," and our team has experience as advisors, marketers, wholesalers and in national accounts (e.g., home office). We speak the FA's language, and designed this platform specifically for them. We understand the day-to-day struggle of growing a business. It’s this insight that helps shape how we build and structure our solutions for advisors.
5. Halo Investing
Incorporation date: 2015.
Category: Financial Technology Investment Platform.
Why we were selected:
Often referred to as defined outcome investing, the structured note marketplace has historically lacked the tools to allow advisors to purchase notes in a fast, efficient manner. Halo’s technology has made it possible to reduce costs, increase transparency, and remove the operational headaches historically associated with purchasing structured notes. This solution helps advisors implement structured notes to reduce risk and enhance income within client portfolios.
What we’re solving:
Halo is focused on growing awareness of the platform and the structured note marketplace within the RIA channel. Leading RIA networks continue to find value in adding the platform as a white label technology solution for advisors. Furthermore, we work with all major custodians to deliver operational efficiencies that assist in the trading of structured notes.
Why we’re different:
Halo is the only independent platform for structured notes in the U.S. Our competition is backed by banks to ensure continuity of the current business model. Halo was built to fundamentally change the way the structured note marketplace operates. Our blind, competitive auction process and post-trade life cycle management capabilities ensure best pricing and ease of tracking/managing your structured note investments. Halo doesn’t work for sell-side issuers of structured notes. This gives us the credibility and competitive advantage with independent RIAs that act as fiduciaries for their clients.
6. Harness Wealth
Incorporation date: 2018.
Category: Lead Generation/Marketplace.
Why we were selected:
Building a team of the right financial advisors, accountants and trust and estate attorneys to help manage your financial future is a challenging task. Harness Wealth is changing that. Its digital platform helps smart people identify key actions to optimize their financial returns, tax efficiency and family estate plan, and connect with the right advisors to execute on those opportunities.
What we are solving:
Across wealth levels, financial decision making is getting increasingly complex, and many individuals lack confidence in their existing financial plan. Additionally, a top area of concern for advisors is attracting next-gen clients and meeting their technological needs. Harness Wealth solves both.
Why we are different:
Harness Wealth is distinctive because of the quality of its advisors, the sophistication of its technology and its holistic/multivertical approach. Harness Wealth conducts an extensive due diligence process to vet the advisors on its platform, which has resulted in an unparalleled network of best-in-class advisors. Moreover, its proprietary technology both surfaces relevant insights for customers, and pairs customers with the right advisor to meet their unique needs covering financial, tax and trust and estate needs.
7. Helios Integrated Planning
Incorporation date: 2019.
Category: Software.
Why we were selected:
The idea of integrating estate planning tools into the financial planning process hasn’t been something many advisors have considered. Resources were previously limited to two extremes: do it yourself (Legal Zoom), or send the client to an estate planning attorney, where the advisor loses control of the relationship. Helios has found a middle ground with software that supports the marriage of the estate plan with the client’s financial plan.
What we’re solving:
Integration is the key for the next-gen advisor and their approach to estate planning. We provide a solution for advisors who don’t want to see their clients spend thousands of dollars on attorneys, but also are not comfortable having their clients do their own estate plans. An advisor-based approach can increase access to estate planning for clients who need basic estate planning solutions but don’t want to sacrifice quality.
Why we’re different:
Never before has estate planning been presented to a financial advisor's tech stack! We’re excited to pioneer the digital integration between a financial plan and an estate plan. Our tool enables financial advisors to deepen client relationships, expand margins and grow revenues without leaving their desks!
8. Koyfin
Incorporation date: 2016.
Category: Software.
Why we were selected:
Building a diversified portfolio is one thing, but understanding what’s driving your returns is an entirely different challenge. But that’s now a thing of the past: Koyfin has put the tools and data at your fingertips to help analyze everything from stocks, ETFs, macro trends, and to create watch lists and build portfolios.
What we’re solving:
Koyfin is here to bring transparency to your portfolio, allowing advisors to make more informed decisions. With millions of options available to investors, understanding them all is impossible. Koyfin aims to give you easy-to-understand charts, real-life insights and the data needed to be a knowledgeable investor.
Why we’re different:
Koyfin is an analytics platform that provides users with market insights through tools focused on dashboards, graphs and other data visualizations. Our tools are intuitive and easy to use right out of the box. The platform is free for a limited time, so go to our website, create an account and find out why 10,000+ users love our product.
9. Tulip
Incorporation date: 2019.
Category: Behavorial Finance.
Why we were selected:
A 2017 financial planning survey found that behavioral finance tech was the fintech that advisors thought would be most important in the future. Tulip aims to take the lessons of behavioral finance out of the ivory tower and put them on advisors’ desktops where they can drive improved client outcomes.
What we’re solving:
A holistic approach to behavior change includes 3 elements: education, the right environment and ongoing encouragement. Through a gamified assessment of client behavior, Tulip provides advisors with a deep understanding of a client’s behavior and educates clients relative to both their own behavioral tendencies and about markets more broadly. This knowledge allows for the construction of the right environment via a portfolio that accounts for risk tolerance, capacity and composure. Finally, Tulip provides advisors with real-time nudges to improve client decision making, allowing for ongoing encouragement. By intervening at all 3 levels, Tulip becomes an indispensable tool for keeping clients planted.
Why we’re different:
We’re offering a one-stop solution to "behavioralize" every part of an advisor's work, from the assessment of risk and behavioral tendencies, to the delivery of ongoing advice and coaching. This will allow advisors to determine who’s panicking in real time, and aid in the selection of the securities that ultimately comprise your clients’ portfolios.
10. YCharts
Incorporation date: 2010.
Categories: Data Analytics, Investment Research, Client Communications.
Why we were selected:
With the goal to democratize investment research, YCharts believes that it shouldn’t require a Ph.D. for advisors to make smarter, data-driven investment decisions to help their clients meet and exceed their investing goals.
What we’re solving:
YCharts combines comprehensive data with powerful tools and outstanding customer support to enable advisors to develop and visually communicate unique insights, make smarter investment decisions, and save significant time to thereby increase time spent on clients and prospects.
Why we’re different:
YCharts gives advisors the time and tools needed to justify their fees and grow their AUM. YCharts saves its users an average of 3.6 hours per week, measurably improves investment returns, and improves prospect and client communications. Modernizing in the traditionally terminal-based financial research space, YCharts’ web-based platform with tools including model portfolios, fundamental charts and stock/fund screeners set the platform apart as a unique offering. By pairing each client with a dedicated support representative, YCharts’ best-of-breed customer service enables the company to stand apart from competitors with no call queues or unanswered emails.
