“We can help employees with interactions at one brand that create a single experience throughout their entire financial journey,” said Van de Loo. “The workplace is our largest single source of new clients, and that business is a great asset for us. The first thing we’ve been investing in is bringing more value into the workplace so we can open up more introductions from employees in workplaces to our wealth planners.”

Under Van de Loo’s vision, Everyday Wealth was designed to be a branded content platform that includes not only terrestrial radio but also podcasts and integrated content made available through online channels and through the firm’s workplace business.

Edelman Financial Engines is also making “heavy” investments in digital advertising, said Van de Loo, including affiliate partnerships, search engine marketing efforts and mar-tech.

Value Proposition
“Historically, our value proposition was anchored in the mass affluent space,” said Van de Loo. “We’ve seen slightly more affluent clients with more complex needs coming to us in the last few years, and now 50% of our business is with investors who have more than $1 million invested with us.”

That puts Edelman Financial Engines in an interesting position, as Van de Loo also wants to harness the firm’s workplace retirement business as a source for wealth management clients.

But over time, the firm is moving to add more sophisticated service offerings around estate planning, tax advice and insurance with an eye towards clients with $1 million or more in investible assets.

“We’re also doing interesting things around the workplace to expand our value proposition, including delivering financial wellness services and more pathways for employees to meet our advisors and wealth planners,” said Van de Loo.

Expect changes to be carefully thought-out and measured. Van de Loo was critical of the expansive service offerings of some financial firms, arguing that it’s better to offer clients a simplified experience than a vast menu of options.

Growing Talent
Edelman Financial Engines intends to continue to add leaders, planners and client service resources at an “aggressive clip” over the next year as it continues to grow organically, said Van de Loo.

The best source of talent for Edelman Financial Engines is within, said Van de Loo, who advocates for developing and promoting internally.