Product & Service Launches

Vestmark Offers Capital Group Model Portfolios

Vestmark Inc., a wealth management software and services provider, announced a partnership with Capital Group Companies Inc., an active asset manager. Registered investment advisers will be able to access a customizable platform of Capital Group model portfolios through their preferred custodian.

Capital Group’s suite of exchange-traded fund, mutual fund and separately managed account model solutions will now be available with Vestmark’s tax-overlay, implementation and trading services.

Vestmark supports six of the industry’s 10 largest managed account platforms, totaling more than 4.5 million accounts and $1.9 trillion in assets.

Vanguard Launches 2 Fixed-Income Model Portfolios

Vanguard launched two dynamic asset allocation fixed-income model portfolios.

The Vanguard Fixed Income – Risk Diversification Tax-Aware Model was designed for advisers whose clients seek risk diversification for a total portfolio with a focus on after-tax returns. The model provides exposure to high-quality credit and municipal bonds and will change allocations on a semi-annual basis.

Vanguard Fixed Income – Income Focused Model was designed for higher yields by maintaining higher allocations to credit, emerging markets and below-investment-grade bonds. The model provides exposures to global investment-grade and high-yield bonds and will change allocations on a quarterly basis.

Vanguard previously introduced fixed-income models in April and July. As of August 31, Vanguard’s fixed-income group managed $2.7 trillion in assets.

Envestnet Launches Manager Models From Franklin Templeton, BlackRock

Envestnet launched managed model portfolios featuring interval funds on its WealthTech platform, through its Strategist Unified Managed Account and Fund Strategist programs.

Franklin Templeton Multi-Manager High-Net-Worth Portfolios have five risk-based options ranging from “conservative” to “aggressive.” Each portfolio has a 10% allocation to alternatives.

BlackRock Multi-Asset Income With Private Markets Models are fund strategist portfolios with $25,000 minimums. The models blend public and private credit, covered call strategies and dividend-focused equities across three risk-based allocations: 40/60, 60/40 and 80/20. Key features of these models include flexible liquidity, access to private markets and simplified tax reporting.

Additional models from Fidelity Investments and State Street will be launched by Envestnet next year, according to the announcement.

Envestnet has $7 trillion in platform assets.

Cetera Introduces Private Wealth Portfolios for High-Net-Worth Clients

Cetera launched Cetera Private Wealth Portfolios, a suite of six customizable investment portfolios designed by Cetera Investment Management and offered to Cetera-affiliated advisers exclusively through the Envestnet Private Wealth platform. The portfolios are designed for affluent and high-net-worth households.

Cetera Investment Management offers financial professionals a full-service platform that includes product and market research and analysis, portfolio and asset allocation strategy design and investment recommendations.

Four of the six strategic model portfolios aim to generate long-term capital gains, one generates current income and another has low-turnover strategy. The models’ underlying security selections include separately managed accounts, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and bond portfolios.

Cetera Private Wealth Portfolios is available exclusively within the Unified Program of Cetera’s My Advice Architect platform, which had $154 billion in assets under management as of September 30. As of June 30, Cetera firms managed approximately $590 billion in assets under administration and $263 billion in assets under management.

iPipeline Launches AI-Powered ‘CHARLi’ Foundation

iPipeline, a digital solutions provider for the life insurance and financial services industry, launched CHARLi, an artificial intelligence foundation powering iPipeline solutions that enables life and annuities carriers and distributors to optimize workflows for speed, accuracy and personalization. CHARLi is integrated into iPipeline’s full suite of digital workflow solutions.

CHARLi will enable life and annuities carriers and distributors to automate and optimize product launch processes, product distribution and client experience strategies. It will also offer operational insights throughout the entire sales process, according to the announcement.

Additional features will be introduced over the next few months, including:

• Speed Score, designed to help carriers analyze and optimize sales across products and market segments;
• SmartSell, which will provide real-time, on-screen underwriting outcomes to streamline sales; and
• Conversational Analytics, which will enable carriers and distributors to quickly interrogate data and extract actionable insights.