Lincoln Financial Network’s New Partnership Launches to Support Financial Professionals of Color and Broaden Access to Financial Advice

Lincoln Financial Network’s African American Financial Professionals Network Partners with CHIP Professionals, a Leading Digital Platform, to Match Consumers with Financial Professionals

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lincoln Financial Network (LFN), the retail wealth management affiliate of Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE:LNC), today announced the partnership of its African American Financial Professionals Network (AAFPN) with Changing How Individuals Prosper (CHIP) Professionals. This unique partnership will provide access and opportunity to Black and Latinx financial professionals and consumers by using CHIP’s online platform to easily match consumers with financial professionals who can help support their financial goals.

CHIP is the first business-to-consumer FinTech financial services marketplace designed to connect finance professionals directly with consumers. Its mission is to ensure the visibility and sustainability of financial professionals of color, specifically Black and Latinx financial professionals, by matching them with consumers in need. CHIP ensures a “best fit” for both consumers and financial professionals with its digital-first approach. Consumers fill out a questionnaire that allows CHIP to understand where they are in their financial journey in order to identify the best resources and professionals to meet their needs.

“The partnership between the AAFPN and CHIP delivers on Lincoln’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our network of financial professionals and in the communities they support across the country,” said David Berkowitz, president of LFN. “We look forward to leveraging CHIPS’ innovative digital platform to support new business growth and development for our financial professionals and bring their skills and expertise in comprehensive financial planning to those who need it.”

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Lincoln and the African American Financial Professionals Network to bring even more talented financial professionals to the CHIP platform,” said Dana Wilson, CEO of CHIP. “The AAFPN-CHIP partnership is a powerful combination of experienced financial professionals who have a deep understanding of our clientele and their needs, coupled with CHIP’s leading technology platform. This will open doors for countless Americans to better their financial futures and aligns with our mission to spotlight financial professionals of color.”

“Many African Americans find themselves isolated or without the necessary resources to help them succeed financially,” said Kelby Edwards, chairman of the AAFPN. “We strongly believe that partnerships like the one between the AAFPN and CHIP will help foster greater interaction between Black financial professionals and consumers to help address the issues impacting our communities.”

Launched in 2021, the AAFPN is an initiative that spans all of LFN designed to better support the unique needs of African American financial professionals and clients. The Network’s core objectives center on inspiring African Americans to pursue opportunities in financial services to increase the overall number of Black financial professionals in the industry, supporting new and experienced LFN African American financial professionals in the growth and development of their practice through strategic partnerships and mentoring, and providing financial wellness education to Black communities to help with financial preparedness.

This partnership is a further commitment by Lincoln Financial Group to execute on its ongoing action plan to advance racial equity, and to driving meaningful, measurable change. As the first Corporate Sponsor of CHIP, LFN and the AAFPN have the unique opportunity to further support their network of multicultural advisors and consumers by directly connecting consumers with culturally competent financial professionals who can help them reach their financial goals.

About Lincoln Financial Network

Lincoln Financial Network is the marketing name for the retail sales and financial planning affiliates of Lincoln Financial Group and includes Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. and Lincoln Financial Securities Corp., both members of FINRA and SIPC. Consisting of approximately 14,000 representatives, agents, and full-service financial planners throughout the United States, Lincoln Financial Network professionals can offer financial planning and advisory services, retirement services, life products, annuities, investments, and trust services to affluent individuals, business owners, and families. Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) and its affiliates. Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help people take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, and guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $322 billion in end-of-period account values as of September 30, 2021. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen included on major sustainability indices including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and FTSE4Good. Dedicated to diversity and inclusion, we earned perfect 100 percent scores on the Corporate Equality Index and the Disability Equality Index, and rank among Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sign up for email alerts at http://newsroom.lfg.com.

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