Orion Champions Effort to Connect 10,000 Advisors to Families Facing Financial Hardships

Wealthtech leader pledges support to the Foundation for Financial Planning’s ProBonoPlannerMatch.org initiative and offers free planning technology to advisors

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orion Advisor Solutions, the premier provider of transformative wealthtech solutions for fiduciary advisors, announced today expanded financial support of the Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP) and its mission to bring free, quality financial advice and planning to people in need. Orion is the presenting sponsor for FFP’s digital volunteer matching platform, ProBonoPlannerMatch.org, which aims to connect 10,000 CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM professionals to pro bono service opportunities, bringing free financial advice and planning to underserved individuals and families, including low-income workers, seniors, cancer patients, military and veterans, and many others.

A strong advocate for pro bono service, Orion is a long-time supporter of FFP, the nation’s leading nonprofit charity devoted to expanding access to pro bono financial planning, with Orion Founder and CEO Eric Clarke serving as a member of FFP’s board of trustees and Corporate Advisory Council.

“In 2021, during a time of extraordinary need, Orion began offering our Orion Planning financial planning tool free of charge to all advisors serving pro bono clients, regardless of whether they used our wealthtech platform,” said Clarke. “We’ve seen tremendous response and usage of Orion Planning, which creates immediate value and an engaging client experience that makes it ideally suited for pro bono work. We’re honored to support ProBonoPlannerMatch.org and Orion will continue to do everything we can to help financial planners transform the financial lives of pro bono clients.”

FFP CEO Jon Dauphiné adds, “With this expanded commitment, Orion has gone even further in helping support FFP’s pro bono mission, and together we look forward to reaching our ambitious goal of registering 10,000 advisor volunteers to ProBonoPlannerMatch.org. Orion is playing a significant role in providing access to pro bono financial planning tech solutions that can drive more scale and impact, which is critical to reaching underserved individuals and families during a time when many Americans have an unprecedented need for financial guidance. FFP has seen an overwhelming response from financial advisors who want to help in the wake of the pandemic and its economic fallout, and we are proud to offer them a platform through which they can find opportunities to offer pro bono service, right from their desks.”

By expanding access to these tools for pro bono clients, Orion eliminates barriers of access to volunteer service at a time when millions are facing a looming recession, rising inflation and increased financial stress. According to the Pew Research Center, one in four U.S parents say they’ve struggled to afford food or housing in the past year.¹ And the American Psychological Association’s latest Stress in America survey found that 72 percent of Americans reported feeling stressed about money at least some time in the prior month. More than half (57 percent) who indicated money was a source of stress said that having enough money to pay for things in the present – like food or rent/mortgage – is their main source of stress regarding money, while 43 percent stress about the long-term and saving enough money for things in the future. ²

With Orion Planning a part of its core technology offering, Orion waives data aggregation costs for pro bono clients of advisors already using its technology. Advisors who do not currently use Orion’s platform can access Orion Planning and data aggregation services at no cost when used for the benefit of pro bono clients.

By waiving data aggregation fees for pro bono clients, Orion makes it easy for advisors to connect outside accounts, such as credit cards, bank accounts and 401(k)s to Orion Planning. With a complete picture of account balances and transactions, advisors can get right to work building a financial plan that can help improve outcomes for pro bono clients on day one.

With Orion Planning, advisors can address the top-of-mind needs of pro bono clients:

• Budgeting and Cash Management - Insights into regular expenses and spending habits allow advisors to help clients regain control of their finances.
• Debt Management - Tools to quickly build payment strategies for credit card debt, student loans and other major obligations.
• Stability and Financial Goals - Orion Planning helps clients plan toward major financial goals, like home purchases or automobiles they can afford.
• Clear, Actionable Next Steps - An easy-to-understand summary of next actions gives clients direction and momentum to stay engaged with their financial plans.

To learn more about how advisors can use Orion Planning to guide pro bono clients to better outcomes, register for our on-demand webinar Giving Back: Free Orion Planning for Pro Bono Clients. CFP® professionals can visit ProBonoPlannerMatch.org/volunteers to become a volunteer, search volunteer opportunities, and be matched with a pro bono program serving individuals and families in need.

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About Orion Advisor Solutions

Orion is a premier provider of the tech-enabled fiduciary process that transforms the advisor-client relationship by enabling financial advisors to Prospect, Plan, Invest, and Achieve within a single, connected, technology-driven experience. Combined, our brand entities, Orion Advisor Tech, Orion Portfolio Solutions, Brinker Capital Investments, Redtail Technology, and TownSquare Capital create a complete offering that empowers firms to attract new clients seamlessly, connect goals more meaningfully to investment strategies and outcomes, and ultimately track progress toward each investor’s unique definition of financial success. With the addition of Redtail and TownSquare, the combined platform services $3 trillion in assets under administration and $56 billion of wealth management platform assets (as of Sept. 30, 2022). Supporting over 5 million technology accounts and thousands of independent advisory firms, Orion is the platform of choice for all growth-focused advisory firms looking to strengthen their client relationships, gain a competitive edge in a crowded marketplace, and build strong, profitable businesses. Learn more at orion.com.

About the Foundation for Financial Planning

Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP) is the nation’s leading charity dedicated to advancing pro bono financial planning for at-risk populations, including active military members and wounded veterans, people with cancer and other serious medical diagnoses, seniors and family caregivers, low-income individuals and their families, domestic violence survivors and many more. Over its more than 25 years, FFP has provided $9 million in grants to national and community-based pro bono programs; worked with partners to activate more than 24,000 financial planners to volunteer their time and talents; reached over 600,000 people in crisis or need; and acted as a leader and catalyst to foster a rich tradition of pro bono service across the financial planning profession. Visit FFPProBono.org to learn more.

¹Pew Research Center, Survey of U.S Parents, October 2022
²American Psychological Association’s Stress in America™ Survey, October 2022