Key Takeaways
- • CAIS, a leading alternative investment platform for independent financial advisors, announced that Mariner Wealth Advisors, a privately held advisory firm with over $60 billion in assets under advisement, selected it to provide a customized platform solution for the firm's growing advisor network.
- • The platform gives Mariner advisors access to a curated menu of alternative products spanning private equity, private real estate, private credit, venture capital, and hedge funds, along with digitized pre-trade, trade, and post-trade processing.
- • CAIS will help Mariner launch proprietary and multi-manager funds and allow the firm to add its own sourced third-party funds for centralized monitoring, transacting, and reporting.
- • Mariner advisors will also gain access to CAIS IQ, an education platform, as 69% of financial professionals cite a lack of educational resources as a barrier to private markets investing, per the release.
Summary
CAIS announced on September 8, 2022 that Mariner Wealth Advisors has selected its platform to provide a customized alternative investment solution for the firm's rapidly expanding network of advisors. Mariner, which was founded in 2006 with $300 million in assets under advisement and now advises on over $60 billion as of June 30, 2022, is privately held. According to the release, Mariner President and CEO Marty Bicknell said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to empowering the independent wealth management community and would give the firm's advisors and their clients a competitive advantage as alternative investments gain prominence.
The CAIS platform will offer access to a broad menu of alternative investment funds and products, along with educational resources, end-to-end digitized transaction processing, and third-party reporting integrations. The collaboration integrates CAIS's technology into Mariner's existing wealthtech ecosystem to create a customized pre-trade, trade, and post-trade experience. Advisors will be able to access diversified alternatives across asset classes and qualification levels, including private equity, private real estate, private credit, venture capital, and hedge funds.
CAIS will also assist Mariner in launching proprietary and multi-manager funds, and the firm can add third-party funds it sources to the platform. CAIS Founder and CEO Matt Brown said the partnership ensures advisors have the tools to meet client demand for alternatives while improving operational efficiency. The release cites CAIS's focus on serving RIAs and IBDs.
Mariner's wealth teams will also use CAIS IQ, an education platform that the company says helps advisors learn faster and retain information longer. Home office professionals can monitor advisors' progress across foundational, asset-class, and fund-specific courses, some of which carry CE credits. The announcement notes that Bicknell is speaking at CAIS's inaugural Alternative Investment Summit, a three-day event scheduled for October 17-19, 2022 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
According to CAIS's company description, the firm was founded in 2009, serves more than 6,600 advisor firms and teams overseeing over $2.5 trillion in network assets, and has facilitated over $18 billion in transaction volume. All funds on the platform undergo independent due diligence and ongoing monitoring by Mercer. The release is a company announcement and the figures are self-reported by CAIS and Mariner.
The CAIS platform will offer access to a broad menu of alternative investment funds and products, along with educational resources, end-to-end digitized transaction processing, and third-party reporting integrations. The collaboration integrates CAIS's technology into Mariner's existing wealthtech ecosystem to create a customized pre-trade, trade, and post-trade experience. Advisors will be able to access diversified alternatives across asset classes and qualification levels, including private equity, private real estate, private credit, venture capital, and hedge funds.
CAIS will also assist Mariner in launching proprietary and multi-manager funds, and the firm can add third-party funds it sources to the platform. CAIS Founder and CEO Matt Brown said the partnership ensures advisors have the tools to meet client demand for alternatives while improving operational efficiency. The release cites CAIS's focus on serving RIAs and IBDs.
Mariner's wealth teams will also use CAIS IQ, an education platform that the company says helps advisors learn faster and retain information longer. Home office professionals can monitor advisors' progress across foundational, asset-class, and fund-specific courses, some of which carry CE credits. The announcement notes that Bicknell is speaking at CAIS's inaugural Alternative Investment Summit, a three-day event scheduled for October 17-19, 2022 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
According to CAIS's company description, the firm was founded in 2009, serves more than 6,600 advisor firms and teams overseeing over $2.5 trillion in network assets, and has facilitated over $18 billion in transaction volume. All funds on the platform undergo independent due diligence and ongoing monitoring by Mercer. The release is a company announcement and the figures are self-reported by CAIS and Mariner.
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