For decades, financial advisors have competed in the same narrow waters. The industry pours billions of dollars into attracting and retaining the top twenty-five percent of households already engaged with financial advice. Seminars, steak dinners, radio shows, social media campaigns, and cold calls all chase the same high-value demographic. That is the red ocean, crowded and bloody with competition.
But look beyond that quarter of the market and you find something striking. The other seventy-five percent of Americans, which accounts for tens of millions of households, have no real access to financial planning. They are unengaged, underserved, and in many cases completely invisible to the traditional advisor model. They know they need financial help; surveys consistently show that more than half of Americans are looking for guidance. Yet the industry has failed to meet them where they are.
This is where a single license of planning software becomes transformational. Used in a new way, it opens the door to that untapped seventy-five percent. It is not about squeezing more revenue out of the already engaged elite. It is about broadening the very definition of who can be served, and how. It is about stepping into the blue ocean.
Most advisors are comfortable providing guidance on 401(k) options, often sitting with executives or HR departments to review fund lineups and compliance. Some advisors go a step further and offer financial planning to select executives. But very few consider the broader employee base as part of their service market.
Think about that gap. Employers are spending heavily on benefits to recruit and retain talent. They provide health insurance, retirement plans, gym memberships, and wellness programs. Yet financial planning, the one benefit that could help employees translate their compensation into long-term stability and loyalty, is absent.
Human Resources software has made managing a 401(k) more streamlined than ever. Enrollment is simple, contributions are automated, and employees can log in at any time to change allocations. But HR software is not planning. It does not teach an employee how their retirement savings integrate with student loans, a mortgage, or caring for aging parents. It does not provide clarity on whether they are on track for their goals, or how small changes now can reshape their financial future.
That gap is where advisors can step in. Offering financial planning as a human resources benefit is a niche, but not one limited by expertise. This is precisely what advisors do best. The only missing piece is technology that allows you to serve a company’s entire workforce in a way that is efficient, scalable, and affordable.
The good news is that you already own the technology, or you can, for the price of a single license of planning software.
Traditional financial plans are static documents. They are long, technical, and often delivered once before being set aside to collect dust. Employees have little interest in filling out reams of forms or sitting through long data-gathering sessions.
Scenario Planning changes that dynamic. Instead of one rigid plan, it gives employees the ability to play, test, and explore. They can model “what if” scenarios—What if I save more? What if I buy a house? What if I retire earlier? The process itself teaches financial literacy, and it creates ownership. Once someone sees how their choices affect their future, curiosity turns into engagement.
With PlanTechHub, employees can self-register and begin that journey on their own terms. There is no pressure, no gatekeeper, and no awkward sales pitch. The degree to which they involve an advisor will differ. Some will experiment quietly, others will reach out with questions, and a portion will ask for in-depth help. But here is the key insight: anyone who uses the system will eventually need help, and when that happens, you will be the first person they call.
Several features make this model not just possible but powerful. The first is the ability to customize capital market assumptions. In practice, this means you can match the plan’s projections to the investment lineup in the company’s 401(k). When employees explore scenarios, the results directly reflect the funds they can actually use with their work retirement plan. It transforms the plan from an abstract concept into a practical roadmap that connects seamlessly with their real options.
The second advantage is branding. Planning software that allows customization of colors and design can be tailored to the company’s identity. When employees log in, the experience feels like an extension of their workplace. This alignment builds trust, reinforces the employer’s role in providing the benefit, and creates a sense of continuity between the company and the plan.
The third is privacy. For many employees, the greatest barrier to creating a financial plan for themselves is the fear that personal details will be visible to colleagues or supervisors. They do not want their employer, or even their peers, knowing the state of their finances. With PlanTechHub, each employee’s plan must have the capability of ensuring privacy, if that is what the Advisor and employer agree to. It is housed securely with the advisor, separate from other employee records. That assurance of confidentiality unlocks adoption.
The fourth is the ability to self-register. Employees do not need to ask HR or set up a meeting with an advisor. They simply click a link, create their account, and begin. That small act of self-direction puts skin in the game. Engagement becomes voluntary rather than mandated, and as a result it is more authentic.
The fifth advantage, and one that is often overlooked, is scalability. A single license can cover an entire company, up to one hundred employees for $1,000. For larger firms, the cost scales linearly at $1,000 per additional hundred employees. That means you can deliver meaningful planning access to hundreds of people at a price point that any employer can justify as a benefits expense.
Finally, there is the advantage of positioning. By offering financial planning as a companywide benefit, you differentiate yourself as an advisor. You are no longer competing with every other advisor chasing the same affluent prospects. You are solving a business problem for employers and a personal problem for employees. You are opening a new market, not fighting for scraps in the old one.
At first glance, some advisors might wonder whether employers would actually pay for a financial planning service for their workforce. The answer is yes, and the reasoning ties directly to business outcomes that HR and leadership already care about.
Employers want engaged, loyal, and financially stable workers, because financial stress is one of the biggest drains on productivity. Studies show that 60% of full-time employees report being stressed about their finances, and more than half of those stressed workers admit they spend three or more hours a week at work dealing with personal financial issues. That translates into real lost productivity and costs for the business. At the same time, financially stressed employees are twice as likely to be looking for another job compared to their less-stressed peers. For companies already facing talent retention challenges, that’s a bottom-line problem.
Providing financial planning as a benefit directly reduces that stress. Research shows that employers who implement financial wellness initiatives often see measurable gains, including a 24.6% reduction in absenteeism in some organizations. No surprise then that 96% of employers believe financial wellness benefits enhance employee satisfaction and retention, and 80% of employees say they would stay with an employer who provides strong financial wellness support. This is not a “nice-to-have”, it is increasingly viewed as a competitive necessity.
For executives, the benefit is equally clear. The CEO and top managers get the same access, but the optics are far more powerful than a perk reserved for the C-suite. Instead, it becomes a universal benefit that touches every employee, from the corner office to the new hire in accounting. That inclusivity makes it far easier for HR to justify the spend and showcase the company as forward-thinking in its benefits package.
And unlike many benefits that require complex rollouts, ongoing management, or heavy HR involvement, this one is turnkey. The advisor provides the link, employees self-register, and the system runs seamlessly. HR gets credit for offering a cutting-edge program, employees receive meaningful support, and the company sees the payoff in engagement, loyalty, and productivity, all without adding new administrative burdens.
One of the hidden truths about workplace financial wellness programs is that most employees never use them. Industry research shows that many financial wellness solutions see less than 20% utilization among eligible employees. This creates a frustrating paradox: companies are investing in benefits they believe will add value, yet the majority of workers never engage.
Part of the disconnect comes from perception. In one survey, 49% of employers said they believe they fully support their employees’ financial wellness, but only 28% of employees agreed. That gap speaks volumes. It is not enough to simply offer a generic financial wellness tool and hope for adoption. Employees want solutions that feel approachable, private, and easy to access.
This is where the right kind of planning software changes the equation. A low-friction experience, branded to match the company environment and designed with privacy at its core, eliminates the barriers that keep most employees from participating. When employees can self-register, explore scenarios on their own terms, and trust that their information remains private, usage rates rise. And when usage rises, the benefit begins to deliver the ROI that both employers and advisors are looking for.
The blue ocean is wide open, but it will not stay empty forever. As more advisors recognize the opportunity, employers will begin to expect this service as part of the benefits conversation. Early movers will have a competitive edge, securing long-term contracts with employers and embedding themselves deeply into company cultures.
Imagine being the advisor who introduced financial planning to an entire workforce. Every employee who uses the system becomes a potential client. Every company that adopts it becomes a recurring revenue stream. And every executive who sees the value becomes an advocate for expanding your role.
PlanTechHub charges just $1,000 per company for up to 100 employees, with an additional $1,000 per 100 employees thereafter. The license can be managed from your PlanTechHub Advisor account, kept completely separate from your traditional client base. That segregation allows you to run both sides of your business cleanly: your existing clients on one side, and your company-sponsored employee base on the other.
The financial services industry has long struggled to engage the majority of Americans. The tools and the expertise exist, but the delivery model has been misaligned. By reimagining a single license of planning software as a companywide HR benefit, advisors can change that.
This approach reaches the unengaged seventy-five percent. It aligns with employer priorities. It empowers employees through Scenario Planning. And it does all of this at a cost structure that makes sense for both the advisor and the company.
The red ocean will always be there, crowded and competitive. But the blue ocean, which is vast, untapped, and waiting belongs to those willing to innovate.
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