Global Atlantic Joins Envestnet Insurance Exchange
The first insurance group to join will offer fixed annuities to RIAs through the Envestnet platform.
Pieces are falling into place for the new Envestnet Insurance Exchange, which announced that Global Atlantic Financial Group will be its first carrier to offer annuities on its new platform to be live later this year.
The insurance exchange is being developed with the goal of allowing RIAs to provide holistic advice to their clients. “[It] not only streamlines advisors’ wealth management practice, it makes it easier for them to guide clients toward financial goals,” said Envestnet President Bill Crager, in a statement.
The exchange, announced in April, will integrate insurance solutions into its platform that will allow advisors to “seamlessly” access various types of annuities as well as provide other solutions for tax deferral, death benefits, guaranteed income, principal protection and estate planning.
Global Atlantic will start by offering fixed-rate and fixed indexed annuities.
“This capability will make it easier for advisors to demonstrate the valuable role annuities can play for their clients,” said Paula Nelson, president of retirement at Global Atlantic, in a statement.
Global Atlantic is the first of several carriers planned to sign on to the EIE, which will be managed by Fiduciary Exchange LLC, a firm that specializes in integrating advisory and insurance “ecosystems.” The exchange will be available through the Envestnet platform later this year.
One hitch is only RIAs that are licensed in insurance would be able to introduce these products to their clients. However, Envestnet will be setting up a “Guidance Desk” that will provide consulting and fiduciary services to allow those non-licensed RIAs to use the Insurance Exchange, the company said.
— Check out Highlights From the 2018 Asset Manager of the Year Awards on ThinkAdvisor.