Summit sharpens HNW focus with souped-up alts platform

Summit Financial is looking to help advisors woo and retain high-net-worth clients by stepping up its alternatives game.

The leading RIA announced that it's rolling out an enhanced alts platform, complete with an integrated suite of alternative investment solutions, as financial advisors and affluent investors increasingly look beyond the public markets.

With a new open-architecture platform for private markets, which combines the tailored services of a smaller firm with the extensive offerings typical of larger institutions, the firm said it is arming advisors with a range of alternative investment options.

The program spearheaded by co-CIO Noreen Brown aims to enrich client portfolios by potentially increasing returns and reducing risks from market volatility, giving its elite advisors a sharper competitive edge.

“At Summit, we pride ourselves on a client-first approach,” Summit CEO Stan Gregor said in a statement. “This initiative, supported by partnerships with firms such as Opto Investments and Arch, aims to give our advisors the tools they need to construct more dynamic and resilient portfolios.”

Aside from access to private equity, private credit, real estate, and venture capital opportunities, Summit highlighted its ability to directly offer certain investments to clients, including institutional share classes with lower minimums and fees.

The firm said it’s also lowering the typical hurdles of inconsistent data and reporting linked with private investments, as its collaboration with Arch ensures efficient and standardized operations.

“Our integrated platform serves as a central hub, giving advisors and their clients on demand access to their K-1s, reporting data, capital calls, distributions and other documents,” said Ryan Eisenman, co-founder and CEO of Arch. “It also provides actionable insights, including AI summaries of manager commentary … [enabling advisors and their staff] to dedicate more time to what they do best: creating value for their clients."

Beyond its alts and fintech partnerships, Summit has put together a roster of investment professionals to assist advisors in crafting portfolios that align with each client’s specific risk tolerance and liquidity needs.

Bolstering that effort, the firm is organizing a team of its most seasoned advisors to share successful strategies for asset allocation.

“As advisors, we are not just tasked with understanding the nuances of various asset classes but also in communicating them effectively to clients across multiple generations,” said Summit wealth advisor Joe Spada.

“By embracing the full value of the Summit private markets offering, advisors stand to deepen existing relationships, retain multi-generational clients and grow their businesses,” he said.