Wealthtender Launches Industry's First Financial Advisor Review Platform Designed to be Fully Compliant with New SEC Marketing Rule

HOUSTON, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After 60 years of regulatory prohibition, financial advisors now have a powerful new tool to grow their business thanks to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the launch of Certified Advisor Reviews™ from Wealthtender.

Beginning today, the SEC Investment Adviser Marketing rule¹ offers financial advisors the opportunity to modernize their marketing activities by requesting and promoting client reviews online.

However, reviews published on conventional platforms like Google and Yelp do not meet SEC requirements for promotion and lack important information necessary for consumers to judge their accuracy and merits.

Certified Advisor Reviews™ from Wealthtender are designed to comply with the new SEC rule and provide the transparency consumers deserve when their life savings could be at stake. For example, consumers will know if:

• Compensation in any form was provided for a review
• Conflicts of interest may have influenced a review
• A review was written by a client or other acquaintance of the advisor

To earn the Certified Advisor Review™ mark, a review must display this information clearly and prominently, along with supplemental disclosures provided by financial advisors to meet federal and/or state regulatory requirements. Financial advisors on Wealthtender who remain in good standing are authorized to display the Certified Advisor Reviews™ badge on their website, email signature and social media accounts. 

"Financial advisors embracing online reviews will lead the industry in attracting new clients throughout the historic transfer of wealth from Baby Boomers to Millennials over the next decade," said Brian Thorp, Founder and CEO of Wealthtender. "And financial advisors who collect and display Certified Advisor Reviews™ demonstrate their commitment to putting consumers' interests first, whether or not they become a client."

Wealthtender also streamlines the process of converting reviews from sites like Google or Yelp into Certified Advisor Reviews™ with clients' permission. Since financial advisors cannot promote Google or Yelp reviews, converting reviews into Certified Advisor Reviews™ unlocks their full potential to attract future clients.

"While popular review sites can help businesses rank higher in search results, financial advisors face heightened scrutiny from regulators and risk unintended consequences not commonly known," said Thorp. "For example, Yelp penalizes businesses that proactively ask for reviews and Google's algorithms sometimes remove legitimate reviews which can't be reinstated."

Wealthtender developed Certified Advisor Reviews™ under the guidance of Leila Shaver, founder of My RIA Lawyer and Shaver Law Group, LLC. With experience as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and serving hundreds of financial advisors, Shaver's ongoing counsel ensures Wealthtender can help advisors confidently and compliantly grow their business with Wealthtender's modern marketing platform.

Certified Advisor Reviews™ are the newest feature available to financial advisors who join Wealthtender's digital marketing platform to attract their ideal clients. Advisors can turn the reviews feature on or off at any time. Additional benefits for advisors joining Wealthtender include:

• Increased recognition for their areas of specialization and professional credentials
• Improved search engine optimization (SEO) to get seen by more prospective clients
• Referral opportunities from hundreds of financial professionals and educators on Wealthtender
• Visibility from thousands of consumers visiting wealthtender.com each month

"Wealthtender offers a high value, lower cost complement to the marketing solutions advisors value most and replaces legacy platforms no longer delivering results," said Thorp. "We're excited to partner with forward-thinking wealth management firms and established leaders in the advisor marketing space to best meet the needs of advisors ready to grow their business."

To learn more about Certified Advisor Reviews™ and Wealthtender's digital marketing platform for financial advisors, please visit https://wealthtender.com/certified-advisor-reviews.

About Wealthtender

Wealthtender believes everyone deserves help with money matters from someone they can trust, no matter their income or stage of life. Wealthtender publishes articles, guides, directories and reviews to educate consumers on a wide range of personal finance topics and the value of hiring a financial advisor or coach best suited for their individual needs. By bringing together thousands of consumers who visit wealthtender.com each month with leading financial professionals and educators, Wealthtender is helping people enjoy life more with less money stress.

Media Contact:
Brian Thorp
Founder and CEO
Wealthtender
(512) 856-5406
[email protected]

¹ Final Rule: Investment Adviser Marketing (Source: https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/2020/ia-5653.pdf)

SOURCE Wealthtender, Inc.