CD Valet launches advisor marketplace for CD investors

CD Valet has launched a Financial Advisor Marketplace that delivers advisor photos and career summaries to certificate-of-deposit shoppers who indicate they want financial advice. Advisors pay $500 a month for access to those leads.

An affiliate of Seattle Bank, CD Valet says its site attracts about 150,000 to 200,000 visitors monthly and lists roughly 40,000 CD options. The company estimates the average CD transaction on the platform ranges from $50,000 to $100,000 and that many users report holding $1 million to $5 million in investable assets.

The marketplace targets what CD Valet calls “savvy savers”—visitors who comparison-shop for higher-yielding CDs. When a shopper signals interest in advice, the platform shares advisor profiles and career summaries so the shopper can contact advisors directly. CD Valet has spoken with a couple dozen advisors and plans a test rollout.

John Blizzard, founder and CEO, said a subscriber survey and user behavior showed many CD shoppers want help beyond short-term deposits. “They have a lot of interest in going beyond CDs and doing some other things,” he said. “They really need the handholding that an advisor can bring.”

CD Valet uses BrokerCheck disclosures and online reviews to screen prospective advisor partners.

The launch comes as custodians raise the bar for direct referrals and other firms expand client-matching services. Schwab will require $5 million in investable assets for its referral network starting in January. Firms including TradePMR, Betterment and Pershing have added client-matching or referral services, and Vanguard’s acquisition of Altruist has prompted discussion about a possible referral offering.

Research firm Cerulli Associates reported that net asset gains for registered investment advisors rose from 10% to 11% between 2019 and 2024, but that growth falls to roughly 3% to 4% when market appreciation is removed. Cerulli also found about half of firms actively ask clients for referrals or seek referrals from other professionals.

Joe Anthony, CEO of PR firm Gregory, noted smaller advisory firms may struggle to absorb recurring referral fees while larger firms can test multiple channels. “It’s a lot easier when you have the scale and ability to overcome margin compression to get involved in two or three of these different lanes and see which works best,” Anthony noted.

Advisors evaluating the marketplace will weigh the $500 monthly fee against expected conversion rates and lifetime client value, while custodians continue to tighten criteria for direct referrals. CD Valet’s marketplace offers another channel for advisors seeking deposit-focused prospects.