Client Case Study · Municipal Bond Distribution

How MainLine West Leverages FINTRX toTarget High-Fit RIAs & Scale Municipal Bond Distribution

MainLine WestMunicipal Bond Distribution

Overview

MainLine West is an independent investment firm specializing exclusively in municipal bond strategies, managing approximately $1.8B in assets across separately managed accounts and private tax-advantaged opportunity funds. The firm focuses on generating consistent, tax-efficient income through investment-grade municipal securities, supported by long-standing relationships with over 25 regional and national underwriters and direct access to primary offerings. Through its integrated structure combining an RIA with an in-house broker-dealer, MainLine West eliminates intermediary costs while providing differentiated access to municipal opportunities. This model supports competitive fee structures, greater transparency, and highly customized portfolio construction tailored to high-net-worth and institutional investors.

**Craig DiRuzzo**Head of Distribution, MainLine West Municipal Securities

Before FINTRX

Challenges before FINTRX

Before FINTRX, the team faced a set of connected research, targeting, and workflow constraints.

Limited Visibility Into Actual Municipal Bond Exposure

Existing tools did not show whether an advisor had real exposure to municipals, making it difficult to prioritize firms already aligned with the strategy versus those requiring a full education cycle.

Difficulty Narrowing the RIA Universe to Qualified Targets

The team needed to filter thousands of RIAs down to a much smaller group that not only used municipals, but also served the right client base and had the capacity to allocate.

Limited Ability to Filter for Specific Product Alignment

Because a portion of the offering is structured through private funds, identifying RIAs already allocating to similar vehicles required additional effort.

Time Spent Validating Decision Makers and Firm Structure

Determining who was responsible for manager selection or product research often required additional research outside of the core system.

Need to Focus Outreach on Quality Over Volume

With a targeted distribution strategy, the priority was not reaching more advisors; it was identifying those most likely to engage based on allocation behavior, client profile, and platform usage.

The Decision

Why They Chose FINTRX

MainLine West turned to FINTRX to identify RIAs already allocating to municipal bonds and prioritize outreach accordingly. With visibility into real portfolio data, the team can quickly validate allocation behavior and focus efforts where there is clear alignment. The platform’s ease of use made it possible to start building and acting on targeted lists immediately, while ongoing support from the FINTRX team ensures questions are answered quickly and searches can be refined in real time.

With FINTRX

With FINTRX: Results & Impact

Verified Impact 01

Ability to Identify Advisors Already Allocating to Municipals

FINTRX’s 13F data allows for quick confirmation of whether an advisor has exposure to municipal bonds, enabling outreach to focus on firms with an existing understanding of the asset class.

Verified Impact 02

Improved Alignment With Product Fit & Client Profile

By layering filters such as AUM, geography, average client size, custodians like Schwab or Fidelity, platform usage like Envestnet, and private fund exposure, outreach can be focused on RIAs aligned with the firm’s investment approach.

Verified Impact 03

Reduced Time Spent on Upfront Research & Validation

Firm structure, investment approach, and key contact data are accessible in one place, minimizing the need to cross-reference external sources before outreach. As Craig DiRuzzo, Head of Distribution, noted, “The approach has been the same, it's just that FINTRX provides better tools to achieve what we're trying to achieve.”

Verified Impact 04

More Targeted Outreach By Geography & Travel

When meeting with partners or prospects in the field, RIAs in a specific region can be quickly identified and prioritized based on relevant criteria, ensuring time on the ground is spent with the right firms.

Verified Impact 05

Improved Meeting Prep with Firm Intelligence & AI

Ahead of conversations, firm-level data and AI Analyst’s “Prep me for a meeting” prompt provides clear insight into how an advisor allocates and who is responsible for decision-making, enabling more tailored and informed discussions.