Editor’s note: This story has been revised to clarify the descriptions of Advisors Excel and its partnership with Catchlight.
Advisors Excel, which provides marketing services to more than 500 independent advisors, announced Thursday that it would start including Catchlight in its offering. AE Wealth Management, Advisors Excel's affiliated registered investment advisor with $18.5 billion in assets under management, will also make the tool available to its advisors.
Catchlight gathers from 2,000 data points on business leads to create a unique profile that highlights specific characteristics such as estimated assets, age, income ranges, financial interests and hobbies. The technology also uses predictive analytics score the prospect’s likelihood of becoming a client.
This helps advisors prioritize which leads to chase while suggest conversation topics to give outreach a more personal touch, said Matt Neuman, chief strategy officer of Advisors Excel.
“When most prospects’ inboxes are already stuffed full of generic pitches from advisors around the nation, we stand out by showing we understand who we’re talking to and our unique value proposition to support them,” Neuman said in a statement. “Catchlight’s technology lets us accelerate and scale our ability to learn about our leads, understand their financial goals, and speak directly to those needs in a way we could never have imagined even a few years ago.”
The partnership with Advisors Excel is big win for Catchlight, which began in the Fidelity Labs fintech incubator and made its official debut at the 2022 Technology Tools for Today conference, known as T3. The company has since built integrations with big-name advisor fintechs like Wealthbox CRM and FMG Suite, but partnering with Advisors Excel will expose the technology to a significant user base of advisors.
"This is a real validation for us that our vision on organic growth is on target," said Catchlight co-founder Yelena Melamed
IRAs now hold nearly twice the assets of 401(k) plans — and most of that money didn't arrive through annual contributions.
A new survey finds that many women prioritize financial security but continue to leave savings in accounts that may not keep pace with inflation.
Roundhill, Bitwise and GraniteShares funds remain on hold while the agency weighs how novel ETFs should be regulated.
"Shares of alternative assets managers have lagged this year as investors grow wary of private-credit exposure."
The fintech platform is touting a new AI-free Planning Observations feature, which draws on IRS tax records to uncover opportunities for advisors.
Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income
Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.