Merit Financial Advisors has struck a deal with Prizm, a digital insurance platform built for the personal-lines market, giving the national RIA's advisors the tools to weave home, auto, umbrella, and other personal coverage recommendations directly into their clients' financial plans.
The move reflects a broader push across the wealth management industry to treat insurance as a core planning discipline rather than an afterthought. For Merit, whose business is built around serving individuals, families, and business owners, the partnership gives advisors a technology-enabled route into a part of their clients' financial picture that has traditionally sat outside their reach.
Prizm positions itself as the first digital platform purpose-built for personal-lines insurance within the advisory ecosystem. Its infrastructure connects carrier relationships, digital intake workflows, and licensed insurance specialists to cut through the friction that typically surrounds policy review and purchase.
Clients working through a Merit advisor can securely share existing policy details, get matched with licensed insurance professionals, and receive coverage recommendations aligned to their risk profile and overall financial situation.
"Insurance is one of the most overlooked components of financial wellness," said Dave Olchowka, CEO and Co-Founder of Prizm. "Merit has built an exceptional advisory business centered around comprehensive planning and client experience, and we're excited to partner with their team to make insurance easier, more transparent, and more integrated into the financial planning process."
From Merit's side, the appeal is extending the scope of what advisors can deliver without adding operational burden. Alex Hansen, chief advisor success officer at Merit Financial, said the firm's advisors are always looking to provide more value, and that Prizm's technology-driven model fits with how Merit approaches comprehensive planning.
"Prizm's modern approach to insurance aligns closely with our commitment to comprehensive planning and helps ensure our clients' insurance coverage keeps pace with their evolving financial lives," Hansen said.
Prizm has been building its footprint across the RIA and advisor technology space. Earlier this year the company launched an integration with Holistiplan, the financial planning software platform, enabling advisors to initiate insurance reviews directly within their planning workflow.
Advisor recruiting climbed to its strongest pace in nearly two years, while CEO Richard Steinmeier said the firm has "cleared the decks" for bigger institutional deals.
The combinations involving Red Oak and AdvisorRankings illustrate how AI is reshaping both wealth firm operations and wealthtech platforms' business models.
New 5-in-1 onboarding tool aims to cut subscription paperwork as advisor demand for private markets accelerates
Connecting unique offerings with a specific client niche is a sure path to advisor satisfaction and success – but it all has to start with an intentional strategy.
The deal marks the independent wealth management firm's first footprint in Alabama, expanding its national RIA acquisition strategy.
Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains
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
