SMArtX beefs up its menu of models

SMArtX Advisory Solutions, a Florida-based fintech operating in the managed accounts space, has expanded its menu of options for investment advisors.

The firm announced that it has added 22 new strategies to its model marketplace, broadening its platform offerings out to include 1,505 strategies from over 300 asset management firms.

Among the new entrants are American Drive Model Portfolios, which offers actively managed ETF portfolios, and Cohen & Steers, known for its fixed income and real estate strategies.

Existing partners Alpha Vee Solutions and Invesco Advisers have also expanded their offerings with new equity, fixed income, and tax-optimization strategies, with Invesco adding just over a dozen new SMA strategies to the table.

Jon Pincus, SMArtX’s chief executive officer, said the expansion speaks to his firm’s ongoing commitment “to expand our manager marketplace with respected firms that cater to the evolving needs of our clients.

“This expansion highlights our best-in-class distribution platform that helps managers accelerate growth and improve access to their strategies,” Pincus said in a statement.

This expansion comes at a time when financial advisors are increasingly relying on model portfolios and SMAs to achieve scale without sacrificing personalization, though at least one report shows tailwinds shifting to favor separately managed accounts.

According to a February report by Escalent Financial Services, only 22 percent of advisors plan to increase their allocations in model portfolios over the next year, a decline from previous years. Instead, many are favoring SMAs to achieve greater customization and better alignment with client expectations.

 “Despite expectations that advisor reliance on model portfolios would grow, we’re seeing a leveling off in adoption,” Meredith Lloyd Rice, vice president at Escalent, said in a statement at the time. “Advisors are reevaluating whether model portfolios offer the performance and sophistication their more affluent clients demand.”

The report further indicated that advisors anticipate significant increases in SMA allocations, particularly among those serving high-net-worth clients. By 2025, these allocations are expected to rise from 23 percent to 31 percent.