Alto’s Got a Bold New Look (But Our Mission Remains Unchanged)

Now more than ever, the future of retirement is in question for millions of Americans. Social Security faces the threat of insolvency. The 60/40 portfolio investors have relied on for so many years is beginning to falter. And the cost of living continues to skyrocket.

With so much uncertainty, it’s clear that the old ways of planning for retirement may not cut it in the future. 

Achieving long-term financial sustainability requires a bold, new approach and a fresh perspective.

It’s Time to Rethink Investing for Retirement

Seeking new ways to invest for the future is what first led Alto founder and CEO Eric Satz to ask, “Can I do that with my retirement funds?”

However, it wasn’t until he made his first self-directed IRA investment that he discovered just how big the problem was. Not only was the process unnecessarily complicated. Worse, it denied millions of Americans the opportunity to better invest for their futures.

So he set out to fix it.

Alto is on a mission to make alternative assets accessible for all. Because true portfolio diversification shouldn’t be a tool available only to the wealthy.

It was with this mission in mind that we decided it was time for a powerful, new visual and brand identity. One that embodies the optimism that a better future is within reach.

Say Hello to the New Alto

For too long, saving for retirement has been viewed as, well, boring and impersonal. You set a desired retirement date and risk appetite, contributed funds, and your plan did the rest. 

Generally, this meant a portfolio consisting of the same stocks and bonds found in countless other retirement portfolios. But as Eric Satz is fond of saying, “Another mutual fund doesn’t get you more diversification. It just gets you another mutual fund.”

Read more: Why Is It Important to Diversify Your Portfolio?

Alto is for the investor who wants more. More opportunities. More diversification. More control. 

The Logo

Redesigned completely, Alto’s new logo, with its asymmetrical “A,” and contrasting well-defined angles and soft curves, represents a profound shift in mindset: From taking a passive approach to investing for your future to an active one in which you’re in the driver’s seat. 

With Alto, you get to choose how you invest your money and in what—whether that’s in startups, crypto, real estate, fine art, or a menu of other alternative assets. 

Historically unavailable to Main Street Americans, these investments vary significantly in how much or how little they’re correlated with public markets, giving them the potential to increase risk-adjusted returns.

Who knows, you might even invest in the next big thing.

Read more: How to Invest in Startups Using Your IRA

The Color Palette

Replacing the purples and blues of our old brand are inviting shades of green, telegraphing both an air of approachability while exuding confidence. By choosing Alto, you’re saying, “I am in control of my future.”

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Accenting these new primary colors are a variety of vibrant colors with names like tangerine, sunset, rose, and sky. 

Equal parts energetic and sophisticated, the spectrum of colors reflects both our growing roster of alternative investment options and optimism for the future.

The Imagery

Previously, we relied on illustrations to showcase our offerings. With our rebrand, we’ve opted for a more aspirational feel. One that juxtaposes old and new, evoking a sense of adventure. Retirement, after all, may very well look different in 20 years.

In fact, earlier this year, Alto conducted research to better understand the mindsets of different age groups toward retirement. By and large, we found younger generations hope to retire earlier.

Whether early retirement is achievable—and whatever “retirement” even means in the future—one thing is certain: The idea of retirement as a “time to wind down” is shifting. 

In response to these evolving perceptions, we’ve chosen imagery that reflects not only a desire to make the most of life, but also reinforces the idea that the decisions we make today can have a profound effect on our tomorrow.

Closer to home, the decision to focus on “human” imagery represents Alto’s approach toward you, the investor. Planning for your future can be intimidating. Which is why we pride ourselves on offering an in-house client experience team, who can help you navigate each step of your experience on the Alto platform. When you call or email Alto for help, you can take comfort knowing that the person helping you not only cares, but believes strongly in our mission.

The Language

Of course, a brand is more than looks. As part of our new brand, we’ve been deliberate about employing language that is empowering and hopeful. We’re also doubling down on our mission to drive equality through education, as you’ll see more in the coming months.

By taking a more active role in investing for your retirement, a better future is within reach. We’re here to help you achieve it.

The Website

Making alternative investing accessible doesn’t stop with enabling investments in a variety of opportunities.

To this aim, our new website was designed with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 Level AA in mind. 

Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative, the WCAG is an international standard for developing websites to accommodate people with disabilities, and includes measures such as ensuring sufficient contrast levels and making text visible for screen readers. 

We made these changes because we believe that everyone should have the opportunity and ability to take control of their financial futures.

Making Alternatives Accessible for All

From the start, Alto’s mission has been to make investing for retirement more equitable by expanding access to opportunities once available only to the ultra-wealthy.

Alto currently offers two options to invest for your future tax-advantaged:

• Alto IRA gives you the opportunity to invest in a wide variety of alternative assets like private equity, venture capital, and real estate.
• Alto CryptoIRA lets you buy and sell up to 200+ cryptocurrencies through integration with Coinbase, the largest publicly traded exchange in the US.

Open an Alto account today and discover a world of investment opportunities previously off-limits to most Americans.