TD Bank Group today announced a commercial licensing agreement with The Hydrogen Technology Corporation (Hydrogen), a recognized leader in the design of financial technology platforms.
Under the terms of the agreement, TD will use Hydrogen's technology to offer clients who invest with TD a complete, end-to-end digital investing experience.
The initial phase of the design will integrate Hydrogen's Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) into the WebBroker platform, creating a unique offering for TD Direct Investing clients to build their own financial plans and portfolios, while allowing them to track progress against personal financial goals.
The agreement makes TD the first Canadian bank to offer clients the ability to independently create financial plans and investment portfolios, all seamlessly integrated via an online brokerage account.
"This is the first of several significant building blocks that will deliver a fully integrated, digital investing experience for TD clients," says Tony Ierullo, VP, Wealth Digital Innovation, TD Bank Group. "While our initial focus is on improving the self-directed investor experience, our ultimate goal is to bring best-in-class digital investing solutions to all TD clients, at every stage of their financial journey."
Upon completion of the first phase of the rollout, TD Direct Investing clients will be able to build their own financial plans, design and implement customized investment portfolios, and receive ongoing updates related to the health status of meeting their financial goals using live analytics.
Also planned for subsequent phases is the creation of a direct access digital advisor, and several new capabilities for TD retail banking customers. This will eventually culminate in a fully integrated, digital investing solution for TD clients, whether they prefer to invest using a self-serve approach, or an advice-led one.
"Almost every industry has been disrupted due to the pervasiveness of technology and shifting customer preferences, and the Wealth industry is no exception," said Michael Kane, President and CEO, Hydrogen. "To address this, Hydrogen has built an interconnected global platform designed to provide access to some of the best financial infrastructure and products currently on the market. Our agreement with TD is testament to the power of embedding innovative digital solutions into established investment services."
As adoption of the platform increases among TD clients, artificial intelligence features – including parts of Hydrogen's Web 3.0 offering – are planned for integration into both existing and future applications.