Retirement accounts for alternative assets

The client runs a US platform for retirement accounts. Retail investors open and fund tax-advantaged accounts there, then trade inside them. It started with alternative assets, and the scope is now expanding to traditional assets.

Retirement money is the most regulated money a consumer has. Traditional and Roth IRAs, SEP, SIMPLE, 401(k), 403(b), 457, TSP, annuities and pensions each carry their own contribution limits, tax treatment and transfer rules. The product had to apply all of them without the investor ever seeing the rulebook.

Before us the business had one client channel, a web portal. We staffed a dedicated team to build the client apps end to end, with domain experts consulting on regulations and requirements. Engagement on the platform went up 10% and new registrations 30%.

One team built both native platforms end to end, iOS and Android, from onboarding and funding through account logic to trading. The web app came from the same team.

The apps are in production for 300,000+ funded accounts, a number growing by 75,000 a year, with $14bn+ under management.