Whether launching a new ETF, mutual fund, SMA, or annuity, your success hinges not on how many RIAs you contact—but which ones. Most firms aren’t actively looking for new products. But a strategic few are, and they’re reallocating right now. These high-intent RIAs are the difference between slow adoption and immediate traction. They’re managing inflows, adding new strategies, and making decisions quickly, especially when the right opportunity lands at the right time. Identifying them, though, is no easy task. Traditional data providers show you who exists. FINTRX shows you who’s moving and why they’re worth your attention. Below, we break down how top distribution teams use FINTRX to identify high-intent RIAs with speed, accuracy, and intelligence and turn targeting into allocations.
Most distribution teams blanket the market with outreach, hoping someone bites. But here’s the truth: only a fraction of RIAs are actively evaluating new funds right now. If you're launching a new ETF, mutual fund, or SMA, especially into a crowded category, you can’t afford to waste time on passive firms.
You need a smarter way to find the advisors who:
• Already bought in your category
• Can access your product via their custodian
• Are actively reallocating portfolios
• Can be reached through your network
You’ve probably seen it before: two RIAs with the same AUM, same client base, and same custodian. One ignores your email. The other books a meeting.
The difference? Intent.
High-intent RIAs send clear, data-backed signals that they’re actively evaluating new ideas:
• They’re adding new products (confirmed through recent holdings data)
• Their AUM is growing, or they’re hiring aggressively
• They’ve updated their ADV, changed custodians, or reorganized their team
• Their portfolio themes are shifting toward ESG, income, alternatives, and more
They’re not just able to allocate, they’re ready to. And FINTRX is built to capture that readiness in real time. While other platforms tell you who exists, FINTRX shows you who’s moving and why it matters.
Let’s say you’re bringing a dividend-growth ETF to market. What’s the worst move you can make? Pitching it to an RIA that only runs passive large-cap models through a TAMP. FINTRX eliminates this waste by letting you search your way, naturally.
Example Prompt: Ask FINTRX AI Search: “Show me RIAs with $500M–$2B AUM who hold dividend-focused ETFs and use Schwab as a custodian.”
Seconds later, you’ve got a list of advisors who are philosophically aligned, product-accessible, and AUM-appropriate. No manual filters. No Excel exports. No guesswork. Just natural language queries that map to verified holdings, strategy tags, custodian access, and more.
You might have the perfect product. But if an RIA can’t buy it from its custodian? You’re out before you begin.
This is why FINTRX lets you filter by custodial relationships, from Schwab and Fidelity to Pershing, LPL, and beyond.
Let’s say your ETF is approved on Fidelity. You start with the 2,500+ RIAs custodied there. Every firm you talk to can access your product day one, no extra paperwork, no delays, no operational blockers.
FINTRX takes it a step further. With AI Analyst, you can even surface firms that just switched custodians, an often-overlooked signal of openness to change.
RIAs get hit with product pitches constantly. The difference between “delete” and “let’s talk” usually isn’t your fund—it's the credibility of the connection.
That’s where FINTRX's Relationship Path steps in. Powered by AI and fueled by the industry's most expansive private wealth dataset, Relationship Path scans you and your team's universe (past employers, alumni networks, board affiliations, nonprofit involvement, shared certifications) to uncover the warmest paths into any RIA, broker-dealer, and more.
Maybe you discover your colleague sits on the same CFA Society committee as the CIO you’re targeting. Or that your MD used to work at the same firm as their head of research. These insights transform a cold email into a warm, context-rich introduction.
Suddenly, you’re not reaching out into the void; you’re showing up with reciprocity, relevance, and a real relationship point. FINTRX doesn’t just tell you who to contact. It tells you how to get in efficiently, intelligently, and with dramatically higher odds of engagement.
Once you’ve locked onto high-intent firms, it’s time to reach out, but generic copy won’t cut it. The good news? FINTRX makes personalization scalable.
Every RIA/BD profile gives you:
• Portfolio-level holdings data
• Style focus (income, ESG, alternatives, etc.)
• Key decision-makers (and how to reach them)
• Recent behavioral changes (hires, AUM swings, platform shifts)
• Even personal interests, where available
Instead of: “We’re launching a new ETF and would love to connect…”
You write: “I noticed [Firm Name] recently added [Competitor ETF] and has a clear tilt toward income strategies. Our new fund offers similar exposure with enhanced yield efficiency; Walk through this.”
And if you’re targeting multiple firms? Use FINTRX's Bulk AI Actions to instantly generate these insights across your list, no manual research required.
Intent doesn’t last forever. Timing is everything and FINTRX keeps you ahead of the curve when things shift.
With SmartView & Alerts (part of FINTRX’s real-time monitoring ecosystem), you’ll know the moment key changes happen across your RIA targets:
• AUM surges or declines
• New advisors join the team
• Funds are added or removed from portfolios
• Firms change custodians
Imagine getting notified the moment your top prospect adds a competitor’s fund—now you’ve got both context and urgency to act. Or seeing that a former contact just joined a new firm, your reengagement window just opened.
You’re no longer reacting. You’re anticipating, adapting, and reaching out when intent is at its peak.
You can’t win on reach alone. The most successful fund launches don’t target the most advisors; they target the right ones. That means:
✅ Philosophical alignment
✅ Custodial access
✅ Real buying signals
✅ Warm relationships
✅ Timely, contextual outreach
And that’s what FINTRX delivers. A platform built for speed, insight, and action in the RIA channel, powered by AI, backed by data, and made for people who can’t afford to guess.