Joining the ranks of financial services firms boosting support amid the COVID-19 outbreak, fintech provider Orion Advisor Solutions is offering advisors free access to its planning platform and is easing adoption of its cloud-based technologies.
The firm announced on Tuesday that Orion Advisor Tech will offer free self-guided access to its Orion Planning platform from April 1 through July 1.
Kyle Hiatt, chief revenue officer of Orion Advisor Solutions, said in a press statement that crises like the COVID-19 outbreak underscore the importance of in-depth financial planning and the tools and technologies that support advisors.
With that in mind, Orion also announced the launch of its just-developed “Business as Usual” program to help financial advisors who haven't been able to access cloud-based technology and are struggling to remain effective while working from home. Through the program, firms relying on limited technology will be able to access Orion’s cloud-based suite of advisor tools to help them sustain their operations.
Through Business as Usual, firms that sign contracts within the next two weeks will receive priority onboarding to Orion’s solutions, free access through July 1 and deferred payment through Oct. 30. Orion is also offering five free hours of business product support for firms transitioning from installed technology to its cloud to help with quarter-end audits, running reports and generating bills.
“We’re in uncharted waters,” Hiatt said. "When we looked around, we saw firms with no remote capabilities and two grim choices: risk their employees’ health by asking them to complete operational tasks from the office, or shut down completely during the pandemic.”
In addition, Orion announced it is offering advisors client communication campaign materials addressing market volatility during the crisis and illustrating the value of financial planning in market downturns. It is also launching Orion Communities, a new model marketplace featuring investment strategies from more than 40 managers.