New Integration Enables Tamarac Advisors to Meet Client Demand for Credit Advice

Research shows that 84% of clients expect their advisor to provide loan and credit management advice. Despite that expectation, only 4% of clients report they receive lending advice from their advisor.¹

That gap between the advice clients expect to receive and what they actually receive presents a huge opportunity to advisors… if they have the right tools and resources in place to meet demand.

Advisors need resources to meet demand for credit advice

There are typically four reasons why advisors fail to provide the credit advice and lending solutions their clients are looking for.

Awareness

While clients may expect you to provide credit advice, they’re used to turning to banks and other traditional lenders. Lending is often left out of financial planning discussions and not presented as an alternative solution (versus liquidating assets) for meeting funding needs. Think of where you last applied for a car loan or mortgage.

Choice

You may feel that you have limited product offerings in finding the best-fit financing solutions for clients, as compared with traditional lenders. Rather than risk frustration or embarrassment, some advisors just skip the discussion all together.

Fear

As an advisor, you want your clients to have a positive experience that compliments the trust built in relationships over the years. Being declined for credit, receiving an uncompetitive loan rate, or having a negative service experience does not create the confidence that can help support long-lived, valued client relationships. Fear of a negative client experience leads to some advisors avoiding lending all together.

Uncertainty

In looking at third party providers, there is a wide range of service levels across lenders. As an advisor there is a lot of uncertainty around each lender’s processes, including their quality of service and reliant communication on approval status. That uncertainty often makes it easier to avoid the right-hand side of the balance sheet altogether, despite the unmet client opportunities available.

Even advisors who understand the value of providing credit advice – gaining a deeper understanding of your clients’ total financial picture, additional investment and insurance opportunities, etc. – may avoid leaning into lending for the four reasons above. Fortunately these concerns can be addressed with the appropriate resource, like the Envestnet Credit Exchange powered by Advisor Credit Exchange’s digital loan platform (ACx).

How the Tamarac, Credit Exchange integration can help

By addressing each of the four concerns above, the Envestnet Credit Exchange empowers Tamarac users to deliver advice-driven financing to help clients manage both sides of the balance sheet by gaining instant access to a broad range of pre-selected loan options from a highly select group of lending partners.

What does that mean? The Advisor Credit Exchange provides:

• A curated choice of lenders in each loan category, chosen both for product options and for their ability to provide a high-quality client experience
• Pre-selected loans for underwriting and pricing/terms, which the advisor may access prior to speaking with the client, ensuring the client only sees what you want them to see and has a positive experience working with you
• A streamlined digital process that is backed by a team of subject-matter experts available to answer your questions, helping you provide professional, knowledgeable lending advice back to your clients

If you’ve used Tamarac for years, but never offered lending options to your clients, this integration may provide a great way to get started. If you’ve offered credit advice in the past, then the Tamarac Credit Exchange integration provides a new way to up your game.

Making credit a part of your practice

Adding lending into your everyday practice management allows you to respond to your clients’ needs proactively and efficiently – helping to build your business and deepen your client relationships. To learn more about how Envestnet equips financial advisors with credit solutions alongside planning, investing, and protection tools, visit https://www.envestnet.com/wealth-solutions.

Sources:

1. “Market Insights 2022,” Spectrem Group, https://spectrem.com/Content_Product/market-insights-2022.aspx

The information, analysis, and opinions expressed herein are for general and educational purposes only. Nothing contained herein is intended to constitute legal, tax, accounting, securities, or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type. The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein reflect our judgment as of the date of writing and are subject to change at any time without notice. An individual’s situation may vary; therefore, the information provided above should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice. Reliance upon any information is at the individual’s sole discretion.

Advisor Credit Exchange, LLC (“ACx”) provides access to lending solutions for advisors’ clients via the Envestnet Platform through Envestnet Asset Management’s affiliate, Envestnet Financial Technologies. Envestnet, Inc. has a financial interest and occupies board of director positions in ACx. Neither ACx nor Envestnet offers any loan products or makes any lending decisions. The funding and administration of all loans is undertaken by separate and unaffiliated financial institutions. This material should not be construed as a recommendation or endorsement of any particular product, service, bank or firm.

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