Set retirement savers free

Custody means holding funds or securities, or having any authority to obtain possession of them in connection with advisory services. According to the SEC and many states, custody is triggered if password access provides the ability to withdraw funds or securities or transfer them to an account not in a plan participant’s name at a qualified custodian.

Like other data aggregators, Pontera does not provide advisors with a plan participant’s password. Our platform also cannot be used to withdraw funds or securities, or transfer them to an account not in the client’s name at a qualified custodian. Pontera is not a custodian, the client funds stay within the client’s 401(k) account.

The financial services industry is increasingly becoming digitized. Americans expect to have the ability to choose where they keep their money, how they move it, and who they share it with.  Financial technology companies have evolved to offer more personalized financial tools compared to traditional financial institutions, and consumers expect minimal financial restrictions. 

Pontera uses “account aggregation” technology to power its services, a technology and process that is ubiquitous in the financial services industry. This technology is crucial in enabling trusted advisors to offer holistic investment strategies and advice to their clients.

Background

Pontera undergoes an annual SOC 2 Type II audit carried out by EY (Ernst & Young), a globally recognized independent auditor, and is certified under ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, and 27018. Pontera follows a Defense in Depth strategy, based on the principle that no single layer of protection is sufficient. Pontera encrypts data and does not sell data to any third-parties. 

Why it matters

We understand that the threat landscape is constantly evolving, so we continuously monitor and review our risk management strategies to ensure they remain effective and aligned with industry best practices. Pontera follows a strict data minimization principle, limiting the storage or processing of customer data by third parties unless absolutely necessary. When integration is required, we enforce strong safeguards—such as access scoping, encryption, masking, monitoring, and audit logging—to minimize exposure.

Background

Financial planning is a data-driven exercise, and the key ingredient is the ability to aggregate financial information from across a person’s holistic financial life. The 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act included Section 1033, which provides consumers the right to access their financial information in a digital form from their financial institutions. For at least 25 years, participants have used tools to aggregate information into a dashboard for financial planning, or otherwise connect their accounts to third-party tools that help them make financial decisions. 

Why it matters

Starting in 2018, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau undertook a Consumer Financial Data Rights rulemaking. A final rule was published in 2024, but banks immediately sued the government, and then took steps to charge consumers for access to their own information. Regulators and policymakers clearly support access to financial data, as an exercise in improving competition and innovation in financial services.

Background

The current DC retirement ecosystem has done a good job in providing education, guidance, online tools, services, and investment vehicles. But, some participants want to receive more active 401(k) support from advisors or other tools that exist outside their plan. 

Why it matters

Consumers have been asking for a seamless and automated way for their advisor to manage their 401(k) assets for some time. Advisors are looking for ways to provide excellent customer service to their longtime customers. Pontera has a solution that meets these needs. Why wouldn't anyone want to offer more choice?

Background

As 401(k)s evolve to include new investment options like annuities, lifetime income, private equity and real estate, plan participants will face more complex asset classes with nuanced risk-return profiles, fees, and liquidity constraints. Education about these investments will be important to mitigate the risk for misunderstanding and misallocating balances. For some participants, having their personal advisor make these decisions for them will be crucial.

Why it matters

Advisors are generally more educated and licensed to understand complex financial products. This makes them uniquely positioned to provide education, risk assessment, and personalized asset allocation. When advisors can evaluate complex in-plan assets alongside clients’ non-plan assets, they can help clients manage their retirement savings and investments as a whole. 

Background

America’s defined contribution system places the responsibility on the individual for funding their own retirement. But historically Americans have struggled to get advice from their trusted financial advisor, because their 401(k) accounts are tied to their employer, and separate from the rest of their finances. 

Why it matters

The median American household with retirement accounts holds almost half their net worth in those accounts. Research shows professionally managed and advice-driven solutions can improve savings behavior and portfolio quality. 

Our company

Pontera is a technology platform that enables financial advisors to provide a more holistic service by managing their clients’ workplace retirement accounts.

Pontera is a technology platform, not an advisor

Pontera does not provide investment advice, analysis, or recommendations. Advisors use Pontera to carry out their own advice for their clients.

Pontera is purpose-built to only view and rebalance

Advisors can only use Pontera to view client account information, and to communicate rebalancing instructions to their clients’ recordkeeper. Advisors cannot withdraw or transfer funds, or change beneficiaries or contributions. 

Pontera is a vendor to the advisor, not the 401(k) plan

Consistent with decades of industry practice, financial advisors use Pontera to provide individualized advice to their clients’ 401(k) assets.

Pontera is consumer-authorized

Pontera requires consumer authorization to facilitate its service for advisors, just like tools millions of Americans use to file taxes, build a budget, apply for a loan, or share information with their advisor. 

Advisors have used client-authorized tools for decades

For at least twenty-five years, advisors have used tools like data aggregators which clients authorize to use their credentials to facilitate a service. 

Advisors never have client credentials and can’t access client accounts

Advisors only interact with Pontera’s platform, ensuring that they never see or access client credentials, and never access client accounts at custodian or recordkeeper websites. 

Advisor activities on Pontera are auditable

Because advisors need to keep records, all advisor activities on Pontera create an auditable, immutable record.

Pontera maintains leading cybersecurity

To keep client information and accounts secure, Pontera maintains industry-leading cybersecurity standards and certifications. Learn more at our Trust Center.