Corporate Roundup: LPL Financial Sees Greener Grass with Anna Kendrick in Ad Campaign
LPL Financial Sees Greener Grass with Anna Kendrick in Ad Campaign
LPL Financial LLC this week launched a national multimedia campaign featuring actor Anna Kendrick, in an effort to break through the consumer market.
The marketing campaign, launched this month across several media channels and in accordance with the 107th PGA Championship, centers around the question, “What if You Could?” Its aim is to ask viewers about their goals and inspire consumers to achieve them.
In a television commercial promoting the insurance brand, Kendrick is seen lugging a massive patch of lawn across a city, asking viewers, “What if you could have the greener grass on your side?” The question signifies the “greener grass,” or enhanced service, investors receive when working with an LPL Financial professional.
“What If You Could? is such a powerful question that provokes endless possibilities for everyone,” said Kendrick. “Just imagine the potential when the greener grass is always on your side. LPL is in a position to make this happen. It’s really cool to partner with the company that is helping people see all that their future can hold.”
“Based on advisor feedback, we’re introducing LPL Financial to the consumer market for the first time, establishing a connection with the people who rely on LPL advisors and affiliated institutions to help them reach their goals,” added Rich Steinmeier, LPL financial chief executive officer. “Through this investment, we’re ready for our brand to be as powerful as the services we provide.”
As reported by AdAge, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto served as the commercial’s director of photography. Prieto is an Academy Award nominee who has worked on films
The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Brokeback Mountain.”
Formed in 1989, LPL today now services and custodies approximately $1.8 trillion in assets for seven million Americans.
Savi Launches AI-Powered Student Loan Assistance Feature
Savi has released its Savi AI Assistant tool for student loan borrowers to receive personalized and instant repayment options.
The new feature will now be available to union members as part of a partnership with Union Plus, a nonprofit organization founded by the AFL-CIO in 1986 to provide voluntary benefit programs to union members and their families. With the introduction of Savi AI Assistant, both organizations aim to help millions of borrowers navigate the student loan system and find immediate relief.
Savi’s AI feature, which leverages the latest OpenAI LLM model, will help borrowers find and apply for new repayment and forgiveness plans, in an effort to eliminate the traditional paperwork process. The company’s new AI feature is trained by over three million borrower interactions to provide users with precise information and savings calculations.
“At Savi, our mission has always been to tackle one of the biggest burdens more than 46 million Americans face — student debt. By helping borrowers navigate the complexities of student loans through accessible tools and ongoing support, we have found nearly $5 billion in higher education savings,” said Tobin Van Ostern, co-founder of Savi. “With recent changes at the Department of Education, borrowers need assistance now more than ever. With our new AI features, we are one step closer to delivering personalized support to all borrowers. We couldn’t be more excited for this launch and to offer our services to millions of borrowers through our partnership with Union Plus.”
Union Plus participants, including spouses, children, grandchildren, financial dependents, and parents, can access Savi’s new AI features, platform, and ongoing support at no cost. Savi and Union Plus project to help members save an average of $38,980 in student loan debt by enrolling them into repayment plans. “Excessive student debt can have a lasting impact on retirement savings, buying power, personal milestones, and so much more. With this new benefit, we look forward to further helping union members achieve financial freedom,” said Mitch Stevens, president of Union Plus.
Savi’s platform and features are available to union members through a dedicated portal or by logging into their Union Plus account. Union members can also attend Savi’s monthly live seminars and Q&A sessions, which feature student loan experts from Savi who provide the latest information on federal student loan repayment plans, forgiveness options, and student loan policy updates.
Savi plans to expand its AI offerings to all its partners by the end of the year.
Avantax Acquires WealthCare Financial
AvantaxInc., a community within Cetera centered on tax-focused financial planning and wealth management, has acquired the assets of WealthCare Financial Group LLC, an Indianapolis-based tax and financial planning firm whose representatives have affiliated with Avantax since 2019.
Founded in 1997 by Jeffrey Watson, WealthCare Financial had approximately $180 million in total assets under administration (AUA) as of February 28, 2025. Watson founded the firm in response to demand from his clients for independent, tax-smart financial planning. Through the acquisition, two WealthCare Financial staff members joined Avantax Planning Partners, the W-2 model of Avantax, as employees of the financial planning team and the operations team supporting financial planning consultants on client-related matters; they continue operating from their Indianapolis office.
Watson said that after evaluating succession options he decided to stay with Avantax because it was the most seamless option for his clients and employees.
“Serving clients is the most important and rewarding aspect of this business, and it quickly became clear that expanding our relationship with Avantax would help ensure the best experience for our clients,” Watson said. “In addition, our team members have bright career paths ahead as Avantax employees, and this new relationship chapter expands the services we provide clients while leveraging Avantax’s tools, technologies and resources.”
Avantax Wealth Management President Andy Watts noted the significance of Watson engaging Avantax in formal succession planning, stating, “Our Corporate Development team had an initial discussion with Jeff about the future of WealthCare Financial, and the dialogue grew from there. The discussions confirmed that keeping the practice within the Avantax Community was important to Jeff, his team and his clients. We are pleased to have helped Jeff realize the value of his business through this transaction with Avantax, and we look forward to serving his clients for years to come.”
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