New offering gives advisors a scalable, tech-forward program with smart investment strategies to effectively support the needs of plan sponsors

NEW YORK, NY, May 27, 2020 – Vestwell, a digital recordkeeper, announced today the launch of ETFVest, a new retirement plan solution that combines 3(38) investment management fiduciary line-up services from LeafHouse Financial with an all-ETF target date portfolio model from Stadion. ETFVest leverages Vestwell’s API-driven tech-forward solution to offer advisors a scalable, cost-effective, managed account solution in the small plan market.

The diverse, multi-manager line-up gives advisors exclusive access to an all ETF custom glide-path leveraging funds from Franklin Templeton, State Street Global Advisors, and Fidelity Investments. These ETF-based model portfolios built by Stadion, with fiduciary investment oversight from LeafHouse Financial, will be delivered through Vestwell’s modernized retirement platform and white-labeled as ETFVest.

“The small plan market is fraught with inefficiencies, so we’re always looking for innovative strategies to more effectively service it in a tech-forward, cost-effective way,” says Ben Thomason, EVP of Revenue at Vestwell. “With no revenue sharing, intra-day trading, low-cost yet highly effective funds, all built into a modern-day solution, we’re excited to bring ETFVest to market alongside some of the industry’s best advisory and asset management complexes.”

Featuring only ETFs with intra-day trading is unique to 401(k)s, but coupling that with funds from three of the industry’s most highly regarded asset managers makes it particularly appealing. In addition to their distinct portfolio construction, which offers the availability of specific beta exposure by factor, asset class, etc., ETFs offer price transparency with no revenue sharing. Additionally, using Vestwell’s intra-day trading capabilities may remove time out of the market as well as implicit trading costs.

“We’re excited to be a part of this innovative, tech-forward workplace retirement solution featuring several of our Franklin LibertySharesETFs, said Kevin Murphy, SVP, Head of Strategic Accounts for Franklin Templeton’s Defined Contribution Division – US. Innovation must be diverse and adaptive, and we feel this solution really checks those boxes with its inclusion of ETFs and transparent pricing delivered through a modernized technology platform.”

“In everything we do, we believe participants come first,” said Todd Kading, President of LeafHouse Financial. “ETFVest is designed to provide participants a low cost, diversified strategy for their retirement plan.”

About Vestwell

Vestwell is the digital recordkeeping platform bringing the 401(k) and 403(b) industry into the modern Fintech era. We have rearchitected the workplace retirement offering from the ground up and built an engine to power the $30T industry. Our customizable, open architecture, and white-labeled platform becomes a natural extension of financial services and payroll partners, while removing traditional friction points plaguing legacy recordkeeping. The result is an easier, more efficient, and all-around better experience for everyone, delivered at a fraction of the cost.

About Leafhouse Financial

LeafHouse Financial is an experienced, national discretionary investment manager and consultant for all types of retirement plans. LeafHouse acts in both a 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary capacity for a multitude of private and public retirement plans that range from start-up to large institutions across the U.S. LeafHouse developed proprietary technology that is designed to prudently select, evaluate, and monitor investments that are solely in the best interests of plan participants and their beneficiaries. LeafHouse is a registered investment advisor. Registration does not imply a certain level of skills or training. More information about the firm, including its investment strategies and objectives, can be found in our ADV Part 2, which is available, without charge, upon request. Our Form ADV contains information regarding LeafHouse’s business practices and the backgrounds of our key personnel.