Fintech provider Pontera has just announced the latest addition to its web of relationships with wealth firms with an agreement to expand access to its secure, client-permissioned platform for managing 401(k) plans to advisors with Ameritas.
The deal will allow Ameritas Advisory Services, a hybrid RIA and fully owned subsidiary of the insurance and financial services provider, expand its services to clients, integrating 401(k) account management into its holistic financial planning approach.
Under the new arrangement, the investment advisory firm will leverage Pontera’s platform, enabling its financial advisors to securely monitor and handle their clients' held-away assets in 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457(b)s, and other employer-sponsored retirement plans.
That gives Ameritas advisors the ability to analyze, track, and rebalance their clients’ retirement plan holdings, with a compliant and cyber-secure platform blessed with SOC 2 Type II- and ISO 27001 certifications.
“With the addition of the Pontera platform, our financial professionals can provide holistic, personalized investment advice powered by greater visibility into their clients' 401(k)s and other workplace-sponsored plans,” Brandon Mann, president of both Ameritas Investment Co. and Ameritas Advisory Services, said in a statement.
Peter Nolan, vice president of enterprise at Pontera, highlighted the Ameritas partnership as another step forward “to help more retirement savers achieve better outcomes by getting professional guidance on their 401(k)s.
“When financial professionals are equipped with clear insight across all their holdings, including workplace-sponsored accounts, retirement savers may be more confident in their financial future," he said.
Pontera’s deal with Ameritas extends a string of news from the fintech in recent months, including a partnership with RIA Captrust in February and its $60 million capital raise through an Iconiq Growth-led funding round in December.
By listening for what truly matters and where clients want to make a difference, advisors can avoid politics and help build more personal strategies.
JPMorgan and RBC have also welcomed ex-UBS advisors in Texas, while Steward Partners and SpirePoint make new additions in the Sun Belt.
Counsel representing Lisa Cook argued the president's pattern of publicly blasting the Fed calls the foundation for her firing into question.
The two firms violated the Advisers Act and Reg BI by making misleading statements and failing to disclose conflicts to retail and retirement plan investors, according to the regulator.
Elsewhere, two breakaway teams from Morgan Stanley and Merrill unite to form a $2 billion RIA, while a Texas-based independent merges with a Bay Area advisory practice.
Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.
Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.
