Alight Financial Solutions

What Alight Financial Solutions does

Alight Financial Solutions LLC is a privately held, U.S. broker/dealer registered with FINRA and SIPC, organized as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alight Solutions LLC (a global HR outsourcing and consulting firm founded in 1940 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois). Its principal offering is the Self-Directed Brokerage Account (SDBA), which sits inside Alight-sponsored Qualified Retirement Plans and lets participants move money out of their core 401(k) into a brokerage with access to thousands of investments, No-Transaction-Fee funds, and commission-based trading. The platform is web-based, integrated with Pershing LLC for clearing and custody (Pershing is itself a BNY Mellon subsidiary), and layers in third-party investment research from Morningstar, S&P, and Thomson. Account holders access online confirmations and statements, a 24/7 automated phone system, and staffed Investment Specialist support Monday–Friday 9am–7pm EST. Operations are U.S.-only, with mail and overnight correspondence handled out of Charlotte, NC.

The product surface extends beyond the SDBA to a set of retail account types — Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Spousal, Guardian, and Inherited (Traditional and Roth) IRAs, plus Individual, Joint, and UGMA/UTMA Custodial accounts — and to a cash-management feature called Liquid Insured Deposits H (LIDH), an FDIC-insured deposit product available inside the SDBA. Revenue is generated entirely through transaction-based brokerage commissions and account fees, with pricing published in retail and IRA commission and fee schedules (most recently refreshed October 2024) and a separate plan-specific fee schedule accessible inside the customer portal. Distribution is B2B2C: Alight Solutions' employer and plan-sponsor clients are the de facto channel, with plan participants as end users. There is no mobile app, no public API, no social media presence, and no disclosed third-party plan-sponsor distribution channel beyond the parent ecosystem.

The company's strategic posture is that of a captive, compliant service provider rather than an independent retail brokerage. There are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or geographic expansions in the input; the most recent observable actions are product and disclosure updates — the LIDH banking product (terms effective 2026-03-16) and a refreshed Customer Relationship Summary dated 2026-01-14 — consistent with steady-state operation inside the parent's retirement plan administration franchise.

Name

Alight Financial Solutions

Legal name

Alight Financial Solutions LLC

Website

https://alightfinancialsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Alight Financial Solutions is a U.S. FINRA/SIPC-registered broker/dealer and subsidiary of Alight Solutions LLC that provides Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts inside Alight-sponsored retirement plans, plus a range of IRAs, personal accounts, and an FDIC-insured cash product, clearing through Pershing LLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Plan Brokerage

NAICS

Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory (FSAEABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory (FSAEABAD)

Keywords

• Retirement plan brokerage
• Self-directed brokerage accounts
• IRA account services
• Broker-dealer services
• Retirement investment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Commissions and Fees: The company earns revenue through commissions and fees on securities transactions, with publicly available Commission and Fee Schedules for retail and IRA accounts. The company also offers No Transaction Fee (NTF) funds and charges fees according to specific fee schedules based on account type.
2. Broker/Dealer Services for Retirement Plans: As a broker/dealer, the company primarily provides services to retirement plans, generating revenue through transaction fees, account maintenance fees, and other brokerage-related charges associated with Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Alight Financial Solutions is a FINRA/SIPC member broker/dealer that primarily provides Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts (SDBA) within Alight-sponsored Qualified Retirement Plans, allowing participants to invest in thousands of securities using research from Morningstar, S&P, and Thomson. The company also offers multiple IRA account types (Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Spousal, Guardian, Inherited) and personal brokerage accounts (Individual, Joint, Custodial) directly to individual investors.

Product overview

Alight Financial Solutions provides a comprehensive brokerage and retirement services platform. The core offering includes Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts (SDBA) within employer-sponsored Qualified Retirement Plans, supplemented by multiple IRA account types (Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Spousal, Guardian, Inherited Traditional, Inherited Roth), personal accounts (Individual, Joint, Custodial), and Liquid Insured Deposits H (LIDH) banking products. The platform integrates research from Morningstar, S&P, and Thomson for investment analysis, provides online account management with confirmations and statements, and offers investor education through FINRA and SEC partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self-Directed Brokerage Account (SDBA) A brokerage account offering within Alight-sponsored Qualified Retirement Plans that lets participants transfer funds from a core 401(k) into a self-directed account with access to thousands of investments, No Transaction Fee (NTF) Funds, and commission-based trading. Research is provided via Morningstar, S&P, and Thomson.
• Traditional IRA Traditional IRA brokerage account established to build tax-deferred savings, taxed upon distribution. Contributions may be tax deductible or eligible for a tax credit.
• Roth IRA Roth IRA brokerage account where contributions are not tax deductible and qualified disbursements, including earnings, are free from federal taxes. Contributions may be eligible for a tax credit.
• Rollover IRA IRA established to transfer money from an employer-sponsored plan, maintaining tax-deferred status. Participants are taxed on savings when funds are distributed.
• Spousal IRA IRA established for a non-working spouse, funded by the working spouse.
• Guardian IRA Account established to allow working minors to save for retirement before age 18, with a legal guardian until the minor reaches majority. Also applicable to handicapped individuals.
• Inherited IRA Traditional Account established by a beneficiary of a Traditional, Rollover, Roth, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA to receive inherited Traditional assets, keeping them tax-deferred until distributed per IRS regulations.
• Inherited IRA Roth Account established by a beneficiary of a Traditional, Rollover, Roth, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA to receive inherited Roth assets, maintaining tax-deferred status until distributed.
• Individual Account An individual brokerage account established by one person with sole ownership of the account.
• Joint Account A brokerage account established by two people sharing responsibility, available as joint tenants with rights of survivorship (JTWROS) or tenants in common.
• Custodial Account A custodial account established by a custodian on behalf of a minor under UGMA/UTMA, where the custodian directs investments until the minor reaches majority.
• Liquid Insured Deposits H (LIDH) FDIC-insured deposit account available within Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts where transferred funds are held and available the next business day for investment.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Pershing LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationPershing LLC serves as the clearing broker and custodian for Alight Financial Solutions. Pershing is a member of FINRA, NYSE, and SIPC, and is a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. All securities transactions are cleared through Pershing, and customer assets are held in custody by Pershing.
• MorningstarsupportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch provider supplying investment analysis and research data for the platform. Morningstar is a respected independent investment research firm providing data on thousands of investment options available through the brokerage.
• S&P GlobalsupportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch provider supplying investment analysis and research data for the platform. S&P provides investment research and market intelligence for the brokerage's research tools.
• Thomson ReuterssupportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch provider supplying investment analysis and market data for the platform. Thomson provides additional investment research and market intelligence for the brokerage's research tools.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Betterment: Betterment offers self-directed and robo-advisory IRAs with a modern digital UX and a mobile-first experience, increasingly competing for the same retirement savers that Alight Financial Solutions targets, particularly in rollover IRAs.
• Ascensus: Ascensus provides retirement plan services and brokerage infrastructure, including SDBA windows, for recordkeepers and plan sponsors. As a specialized retirement-services vendor it competes in adjacent channels and could partner with or replace Alight Financial Solutions as a brokerage provider.

Direct peers

• E*TRADE (Morgan Stanley): E*TRADE provides self-directed brokerage within retirement plans and a full IRA account lineup, addressing the same target persona of self-directed retirement savers with comparable trading and research capabilities.
• Fidelity Brokerage Services: Fidelity provides a Self-Directed Brokerage option within retirement plans along with the full suite of Traditional, Roth, and Rollover IRAs, mirroring Alight Financial Solutions' core offering and competing for the same plan-sponsor and participant relationships.
• Empower Retirement: Empower is a retirement-plan-focused brokerage and recordkeeper offering self-directed brokerage windows inside employer plans, with a comparable distribution strategy of bundling recordkeeping and brokerage for plan sponsors.
• Charles Schwab SDBA: Charles Schwab operates one of the largest SDBA offerings inside employer-sponsored retirement plans, competing head-to-head with Alight Financial Solutions for plan participant wallet share and offering the same self-directed investment menu plus retirement account types.
• TD Ameritrade (Charles Schwab) Retirement SDBA: TD Ameritrade's retirement SDBA offering (now under Schwab) directly competes for self-directed trading windows inside 401(k) plans, providing a similar experience of expanded investment menus and trading tools to plan participants.
• Vanguard Brokerage Services: Vanguard offers SDBA services inside employer-sponsored plans plus a comprehensive IRA lineup, competing for the same self-directed retirement participants with an investment menu and low-cost fund family that overlaps Alight Financial Solutions' value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Principal Financial Group: Principal is a large retirement recordkeeper and broker with SDBA capabilities embedded in its plan-sponsor offerings, serving as a broad incumbent that often competes against Alight's distribution model through direct plan-sponsor relationships.
• Merrill Lynch Self-Directed Investing: Merrill's self-directed investing offering, often paired with its workplace retirement plans, competes for plan participant brokerage relationships and IRA balances within the same employer-sponsored plan ecosystem as Alight Financial Solutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alight Financial Solutions