LearnVest.com, the leading online financial planning program, today announced the close of a $16.5 million strategic round of funding. This round includes early investor Accel Partners, and new investors: American Express Ventures; Claritas Capital; Ed Mathias, founding member of The Carlyle Group; and Todd Ruppert, Former CEO & President of T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services.

'We believe strongly in the mission of LearnVest Planning to provide accessible financial advice,' said Harshul Sanghi, Managing Partner, American Express Ventures. 'As we seek to expand our portfolio of products across American Express, we believe LearnVest Planning can be an important partner in helping us to bring customers more convenient, affordable and transparent ways to manage their money.'

'We are passionate about making financial planning-dare I say it-an exciting consumer product,' says Alexa von Tobel, Founder and CEO. 'We're eager to use this latest investment to focus on scaling LearnVest Planning's award-winning technology and to provide widespread access to our team of Certified Financial Planners™.'

This funding will be directed toward scaling LearnVest Planning's Action Program, high-quality, fee-based advisory services designed to help clients make real progress on their money. The 7-Step Action Program is a dynamic, technology-enabled service that connects clients with dedicated CFP® practitioners. Core to the Program are expert-assigned Challenges-tasks customized to a client's specific circumstances. LearnVest will continue to invest in consumer-facing tools on the platform, designed to develop improved money habits, as well as invest further in operational infrastructure as the company expands.

With headquarters in New York City, the company has now opened a west coast office in Phoenix, Arizona to scale. This LearnVest Planning office will serve as a hiring and training hub for the company's team of financial planners.
In addition to the investment, LearnVest Planning will break into a new distribution channel through Workplace Solutions, an enterprise solution that will bring financial wellness to the workplace as an employee benefit.

'We fully believe in the power of our Action Program to make America financially healthy. We all have questions about our money and need someone to help guide us in the right direction, with actionable unbiased advice,' says von Tobel. 'That's what LearnVest Planning is providing for people nationwide.'
LearnVest is also pleased to announce the appointment of four advisors who understand the challenges of scaling rapidly: new investors Ed Mathias of Carlyle and Todd Ruppert of T. Rowe Price, who bring years of financial services experience; Susan Lyne, AOL's Brand Group CEO and Vice Chairman of Gilt Groupe; and Ann Sardini, former CFO of Weight Watchers.

About LearnVest, Inc.
LearnVest is an award-winning personal finance platform, which through its subsidiary, LearnVest Planning, provides high-quality, fee-based financial advisory services. LearnVest Planning, a registered investment adviser, is redefining the traditional financial planning market with a dynamic, technology-enabled service-the Action Program. The 7-Step Action Program gives clients nationwide access to unbiased financial advice, straight from Certified Financial Planners™. These financial experts offer dedicated support and custom-tailored Challenges to help clients make real progress on their money. In addition, LearnVest Inc. offers a best-in-class Money Center app and accessible content.

Since launch, LearnVest Inc has raised over $40mm in venture-financing (led by Accel Partners) and been awarded numerous accolades, including one of Time's '50 Best Websites of 2011³ and back-to-back Best of Show awards at FinovateFall 2011 and 2012. LearnVest's Board of Advisors includes: Lee Barba (Former CEO, Investools/thinkorswim), Theresia Gouw (Partner, Accel Partners), and Ann Kaplan (Former Partner, Goldman Sachs). Formal Advisors include Greg Waldorf (Former CEO, eHarmony), Greg Coleman (President, Criteo), and most recently, Susan Lyne (Vice Chairman, Gilt Groupe), Ed Mathias (Founding Member, The Carlyle Group), Todd Ruppert (Former CEO & President, T. Rowe Price) and Ann Sardini (Former CFO, Weight Watchers). For more information about LearnVest, please visit www.LearnVest.com.