LPL Financial Launches 17 New Model Portfolios
LPL Research, an independent investment and market strategy team within broker/dealer LPL Financial, has launched 17 new model portfolios as part of what it is calling its Building Block Model Portfolios suite.
The firm’s model portfolio platform now features 70 variants and recently surpassed $100 billion in AUM.
In a blog post, Garrett Fish, head of model portfolio management, outlined what LPL is aiming to achieve with its building block model portfolios.
“Rather than delivering broad exposure across many asset classes in a single package, each building block targets a single asset class or a specific outcome—and each is a purpose-built, professionally managed strategy that can stand on its own,” Fish wrote.
The new products span equities, fixed income and alternatives, and include separately managed accounts and strategies built with ETFs and mutual funds. The models can be used individually or combined into a unified managed account.
“Grounded in our research and asset allocation expertise, these modular solutions are designed to help build more personalized portfolios and adapt investment strategies to reflect evolving client needs,” LPL Chief Investment Officer Marc Zabicki said in a statement.
According to recent research from Broadridge Financial Solutions, model portfolios accounted for roughly a third of all assets held by retail intermediary channels in the first quarter of 2026. Broadridge projected that model portfolio AUM will reach $18.6 trillion by 2030. That aligns with forecasts from other firms, including Cerulli Associates and Morningstar.
In the most recent Wealth Management Invest podcast, Karl Desmond, senior client portfolio manager at Invesco, discussed how financial advisors are using pre-built and custom model portfolios, including how they can maintain input on asset allocation, manager selection and existing holdings while delegating more of the portfolio construction process.
In the blog post, Fish added that the decision to use single-asset building blocks was driven by advisors’ demand for customization, flexibility and scale.
“Client portfolios have grown more complex—blending active and passive strategies, multiple managers, and a sharper focus on tax efficiency,” Fish wrote. “In that world, advisors need components they can assemble deliberately, not one-size-fits-all products they have to work around.”
Other recent model portfolio news has included Morningstar Wealth announcing it is working with Apollo, Franklin Templeton and J.P. Morgan Asset Management to launch a suite of public/private model portfolios; American Beacon Advisors and consulting firm Mercer Investments launching the Mercer & American Model portfolios combining thematic investing strategies, dynamic asset allocation and income-focused solutions; and Bitwise launching model portfolios focused on crypto ETFs. In addition, there is sentiment that UMAs and models will be key to continued alts adoption in the wealth space.
