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Chicago, IL – Halo Investing has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021, and among the top honorees in the Finance category.
Halo has built the first connected marketplace for protective investing where financial advisors and investors can choose the right product for their portfolio objectives.
It’s no revelation that today’s investing environment is difficult. Interest rates have been perpetually low, market volatility is ever-present, and equities are near all-time highs.
Halo believes in transparent, democratized access to structured notes and other protective investing solutions – all made possible with technology.
The market for these types of protective investments is ripe. 92% of Americans want to invest more or would like to keep investing the same amount, according to Morning Consult’s 2020 Retail Investor Report. Yet, Kiplinger’s/Alliance for Lifetime Income survey shows that 90% of respondents say it’s important to protect their retirement savings from volatility.
This is a disconnect between what investments are broadly available today, and what investors want to achieve.
There are equities that experience the full volatility of market movements and come with company-specific risks.
There are bonds that return a level of relatively modest income with such low interest rates.
Alternative investments can find unique opportunities but often with high minimums and illiquid vehicles.
“Our mission has always been to provide access to impactful investment opportunities previously unavailable to many investors. It’s an honor to be recognized for that work.” says Biju Kulathakal, co-founder and CEO of Halo. “We are excited to be included on Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.”
The Most Innovative Company list honors the businesses that have not only found a way to be resilient in the past year, but also turned those challenges into impact-making processes. These companies did more than survive, they thrived—making an impact on their industries and culture as a whole. This year’s list features 463 businesses from 29 countries.
Today, Halo is focused on becoming a comprehensive, easy-to-use platform. The growth in talented team members has only been matched by the energy Halo has taken to expand globally.
“The good thing about technology – it’s available to everyone, it’s faster and more efficient, and it offers flexibility and personalization in real-time,” says Halo co-founder and President, Jason Barsema. “There is still an unfilled need for many to stay invested in the markets with a proactive, longer-term approach. Halo hopes to be that solution.”
Until recently, issuing these protective investment products was inefficient and time intensive for banks. Creating the terms and issuing the structured note took days and there wasn’t much transparency and little say by investors on what was a good level of return.
Add to that embedded fees and little competition between issuers to lower fees or increase returns, it isn’t surprising there was little adoption other than the ultra-wealthy or institutional investors.
Halo’s platform now includes annuities, where financial advisors have access to the largest annuity providers on one centralized marketplace. We’ve also built new tools to help better manage structured note portfolios, unmatched by other offerings in the market.
Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy.
“In a year of unprecedented challenges, the companies on this list exhibit fearlessness, ingenuity, and creativity in the face of crisis,” said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky, who oversaw the issue with Senior Editor Amy Farley.
Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2021) is now available online and on newsstands beginning March 16, 2021.
#FCMostInnovative
Halo Investing is the first multi-issuer technology platform for protective investment solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Zurich, Dubai, and Singapore, Halo was co-founded by Biju Kulathakal and Jason Barsema in 2015 with a mission to provide access to impactful investment opportunities previously unavailable to most investors. Through the Halo platform, advisors and investors can easily access structured notes, market-linked CDs, buffered ETFs, and annuities as well as a suite of tools to analyze, customize, execute, and manage the most suitable protective investment product for their portfolios. For more information, visit www.haloinvesting.com
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
