Frequently Asked Questions

Crystal offers a streamlined digital subscription experience. Advisors can subscribe to multiple portfolios, for multiple clients, regardless of the number of underlying funds — all with a single subscription document. You can track your workflow, manage approvals, and rebalance throughout the lifecycle of the investments directly from the platform.

Crystal integrates directly with the major custodial platforms used by independent advisory firms: Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, LPL Financial, StoneX, Pershing, and Axos Advisor Services. Beyond custody, Crystal's consolidated administration handles the full operational layer of multi-fund portfolios, capital calls, distributions, reporting, and document management, so neither you nor your clients need to manage that complexity directly.

Crystal’s only fee is a transparent management fee. No placement fees and no compensation from platform managers. There is no separate platform subscription or licensing fee charged to the advisor.

Crystal does not receive placement fees or revenue-sharing arrangements from the fund managers on our platform. This transparent model is central to our value proposition. Managers are selected based on merit and fit within the portfolio construction framework — not because they pay for shelf space.

Crystal provides access to 50+ of the most well-known fund exposures in the industry, spanning hedge funds, private equity, private credit, real estate, and other alternative strategies.

Lockup periods and liquidity terms vary by fund type and strategy. Hedge fund strategies typically offer periodic liquidity (quarterly or annually), while private equity and private credit investments follow a drawdown structure with longer holding periods. Crystal's platform provides full transparency into the liquidity profile of each fund.

Thematic portfolios are pre-constructed diversified alternatives portfolios built around specific investment objectives or themes. Think of them as a starting framework — you can adopt one as-is or use it as a foundation to customize allocations, add or remove funds, and adjust weightings for individual clients.

Yes. The platform includes rebalancing tools that allow advisors to monitor portfolio drift and adjust allocations throughout the investment lifecycle. You can track portfolio composition in real time on your dashboard and initiate rebalancing directly through the platform.

Crystal's portal includes private markets benchmark analytics, consolidated dashboards, and real-time portfolio monitoring. Advisors can show clients how their alternatives sleeve compares against institutional benchmarks, track performance across funds, and generate reporting.

Crystal manages the operational complexity of capital calls and distributions on your behalf. Advisors receive timely notifications and can track all activity through the platform's humanized account activity feed and workflow dashboard.

Tax reporting, including K-1 distribution, is handled through Crystal's administrative infrastructure. We work to ensure K-1s are consolidated and delivered efficiently, reducing the complexity for both advisors and their clients' tax preparers. Investors receive one K-1 per portfolio, regardless of the number of underlying funds.

Yes. Once an advisory agreement is in place, client-facing materials including educational content and portfolio proposals can be private-labeled with your firm's branding. This lets you deliver institutional-quality alternatives content that looks and feels like it came directly from your practice.

Absolutely. Education is a core part of Crystal's value proposition. Our dedicated Investor Relations team provides hands-on support and training for advisors.

Crystal provides advisors with educational resources, client-ready materials, and research to support these conversations. Our IR team can walk you through frameworks for positioning alternatives within a diversified portfolio.