The move comes amid continued industry debate over where the target client “sweet spot” is, and as research increasingly points to where new or developing pools of wealth can be found.

“We’re seeing an interesting dichotomy among firms: some are finding success by expanding their client base to include emerging affluent investors, while others are staying focused on the traditional high net worth target client profile,” said David Canter, executive vice president of practice management and consulting at Fidelity Clearing and Custody, a division of Fidelity.

“This offering may help address the client segmentation needs of many RIAs who want to ‘stick to their knitting’ and focus on their core clients, while still providing an advice option to those emerging and mass affluent investors who are seeking it out,” Canter said.

According to Fidelity’s latest Millionaire Outlook study, emerging affluent investors – classified as investors between the age of 21 and 49 and with investable assets of $50,000-$250,000 – are well positioned to attain millionaire status. However, more recent research by the firm shows that over three-quarters of financial advisors are still aiming their client acquisition strategy squarely at investors above the age of 49, or those with at least $1 million in investable assets.

Meanwhile, PriceMetrix said in a report last month that advisors of all ages tend to target older clients because this is where the largest concentration of wealth can be found - but that they may be doing so at their own peril .

The idea that client segmentation strategies can help determine which types of client promise the most potential to grow a business over time is certainly not new. But the issue has gained ground as firms intensify their focus on finding innovative ways of optimizing internal resource allocation, as well as facilitating a more efficient commercial distribution of wealth management products and services, and, ultimately, boosting client satisfaction .

“We chose to offer this program because we’ve heard from many RIAs that they haven’t been able to figure out how to scale and serve this segment profitably,” said Marty Bicknell, chief executive of Mariner Holdings, parent company of FirstPoint.

Canter added that, according to Fidelity benchmarking data, the majority of high-performing firms have a target client profile - driven primarily by investable assets - and that they rarely stray from that profile.

“We’ve also found that to be high-performing, a firm needs to continually re-evaluate its existing business model to stay competitive," he said.

By teaming up with FirstPoint Financial, Fidelity's RIA clients can also possibly enter into a solicitation arrangement through which FirstPoint will serve individuals that may not fit their current acquisition strategy or account minimums.