National Holdings Corporation Selects CAIS to Expand Alternative Investment Access and Education

Press Release

March 5, 2020

Access to premier products and learning opportunities further empowers National’s financial professionals to best serve their clients.

CAIS, the leading financial technology platform connecting financial advisors with alternative investments, today announced a new strategic partnership with National Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: NHLD). National Holdings Corporation, or National, is a leading full-service independent brokerage, investment banking, trading, and asset management firm with over 1000 financial professionals and $16 billion in client assets under management.

Through the CAIS platform, National’s financial professionals will gain access to private equity, hedge funds, real estate, and private credit strategies. The CAIS platform offers a range of benefits, including third-party due diligence from Mercer, a simplified web-based subscription process, and integration with all major custodians and reporting platforms, including Fidelity, National’s custodian of choice. National’s financial professionals will further benefit from access to CAIS IQ, a personalized learning system for mastering alternative investments.

“We were attracted to CAIS because they provide access to a menu of high-quality alternative investments, and because of their commitment to independent due diligence and their strategic integration with Fidelity,” said Michael Mullen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National Holdings Corporation. “After evaluating competing platforms, CAIS’s unparalleled commitment to education made partnering with them a top priority. The CAIS IQ learning platform gives our advisors a powerful competitive advantage. It’s a game-changer.”

CAIS IQ is a learning platform powered by artificial intelligence and learning science that helps financial advisors learn faster, remember longer, and master alternative investments. The platform features courses created in collaboration with Mercer and fund managers to help advisors master key information about asset classes, product providers, and specific funds and products. Both the Investment and Wealth Institute (IWI) and the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board offer Continuing Education credits through CAIS IQ.

“Our business is built on empowering financial advisors. From strategic partnerships with custodians to top-tier product access, streamlined experience, and education, we have their best interests in mind,” said Matt Brown, CEO, and founder of CAIS. “Our relationship with National is another example of bringing this end-to-end solution to advisors who understand the value of allocating to alternative investments in their client portfolios.”

Through their strategic integration with Fidelity, CAIS provides Fidelity’s custodial clients with access to a robust menu of alternative investment funds and strategies. Fidelity custodial clients, like National, benefit from the elimination of annual custody-related fees for all fund orders executed through CAIS and held at Fidelity.

“CAIS is thrilled to be part of National’s mission to bring the best investment solutions to its representatives and their clients,” said Brad Walker, Head of Products and Distribution, CAIS. “We see National’s recent growth and acquisition success as a clear testament to its bright future. As it has grown, National has made strong investments in platform expansion and cutting-edge technology such as CAIS, and we celebrate that commitment.”

As demand by advisors for alternatives investments continues to rise, the CAIS platform is unlocking power of alternative investments and continuing to capitalize on market demand.

To learn more, please visit www.caisgroup.com

About National Holdings Corporation

National Holdings Corporation (NHLD) is a full-service investment banking and asset management firm that, through its affiliates, provides a range of services, including independent retail brokerage and advisory services, investment banking, institutional sales and trading, equity research, financial planning, market making, tax preparation, insurance, to corporations, institutions, high net-worth and retail investors. With over 1000 advisors, registered reps, traders, sales associates and corporate staff, National Holdings operates through various subsidiaries including National Securities Corporation, National Asset Management, Inc., National Insurance Corporation, National Tax and Financial Services Inc. (formerly Gilman Ciocia, Inc.), GC Capital Corporation and the Winslow, Evans & Crocker entities. Formed as a holding company in 1999, National Holdings’ largest subsidiary National Securities Corporation has been in business since 1947. National Holdings is headquartered in New York and Florida.

About CAIS

CAIS is the pioneer in democratizing access to and education about alternative investments and structured notes for independent advisors, asset managers, and bank issuers, empowering them to engage and transact on a massive scale. We believe that the combination of industry-leading technology and human interaction throughout the pre-trade, trade, and post-trade experience delivers superior operational efficiency and a world-class client experience.

 CAIS provides advisors with access to a broad selection of alternative investment strategies, including hedge funds, private equity, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, and structured notes, allowing them to capitalize on opportunities and withstand ever-changing markets.

CAIS streamlines the end-to-end transaction process through digital subscriptions and powers integrated reporting through leading US custodians and reporting providers, making investing in alternatives simpler.  CAIS also enables advisors to centralize all their alts and notes on one platform, whether they were purchased on or off the CAIS platform, through CAIS Solutions, and helps advisors create custom fund vehicles around ideas they source.

Founded in 2009, CAIS, a fintech leader, supports over 32,000 advisors who oversee more than $4 trillion in network assets. Since its inception, CAIS has facilitated over $30 billion in transaction volume. CAIS has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, and London. For more information about CAIS, please visit www.caisgroup.com.   

Securities offered through CAIS Capital LLC, member FINRA, SIPC.  