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FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 21

Posted on January 21, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

Our review of Laserfiche Empower 2011 is still in its draft stages while we’ve been preparing content for the upcoming T3 Conference in February. It’s been another busy week behind the scenes at FPPad, but we’ve selected a few top stories of interest from the past week:

CashEdge Survey Reveals Opportunities Exist for Advisors to Generate New Fee Income Using Aggregation Technology at Yahoo! News

AllData Advisor’s sophisticated aggregation technology offers opportunity to increase fees charged for advice on held-away assets (Bill says, “Yes, but FPPad readers know this already!”)

iPipeline Acquires GaleForce Solutions and Leading CRM Suite at DestinationCRM.com

iPipeline, a provider of on-demand software that supports marketing, selling, and processing solutions for the nation’s top insurance companies, has acquired Vancouver-based GaleForce Solutions, a provider of advanced CRM with client management, productivity, compliance and security tools, and industry-specific integrations to broker-dealers, banks, wealth management advisors, insurance agents, and other financial services professionals.

Will the Real Financial Planners Please Stand Up at Financial-Planning.com

We call this the “financial planning profession,” right? So here’s a topic for discussion: how is it that many people calling themselves a financial planner don’t actually do financial planning work for their clients?

NAPFA Targets Young Fee-­Only Planners With Genesis Networking Group

Posted on January 20, 2011 by in Professional Development

It seems that the average age of financial planners in the industry moves in lock-step with the welcoming of a new year. Add one to the calendar year, add one to the average age.

Like the NexGen community of the Financial Planning Association, a new networking group introduced today by NAPFA aims to reduce the consistent increase in average age by supporting young financial planners. The new group, called NAPFA Genesis, and is focused on the growth and advancement of students, associates and planners under the age of 33.

“We are hopeful the creation of NAPFA Genesis will help younger planners in the industry learn what they have to do to be successful while making Fee-­Only financial planning stronger in the future,” said David Grant, CFP®, founder and volunteer leader of NAPFA Genesis. “Those providing financial planning services are getting older so there is a need to develop a strong presence of competent Fee-­Only professionals to help drive the industry forward. NAPFA Genesis will be a resource that has the potential to develop a future generation of Fee-­Only planners.”

For more about NAPFA Genesis, click here to read their press release (opens PDF in a new window).

NAPFA Genesis has a Twitter profile called @NAPFAGenesis. Below is their first official tweet (embedded by the Twitter Blackbird Pie plugin for WordPress)

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/NAPFAGenesis/status/27893383158566913″]

Ramping Up for the 2011 T3 Conference

Posted on January 18, 2011 by in Practice Management

My speaking engagements for 2011 are quickly approaching with the first event being the  2011 Technology Tools for Today, or T3 Conference produced by Joel P. Bruckenstein and David J. Drucker. See the other engagements I have confirmed on my Speaking page.

I’m involved in two sessions during the conference and I hope you’ll join me for both. First I’ll be part of a panel discussion addressing how financial advisers are using the Apple iPad in their practices.

iPad Panel

Diane MacPhee, CFP®, Business Coach and owner of DMAC Consulting Services, LLC will moderate the panel. I’ll share in the discussion with Sandra E. Goodstein of Goodstein and Associates, LLC, and Russell Dunkin of McKinley Carter Wealth Services.

If you’re on the fence about buying an iPad to use in your practice, or you want to know if you should wait until “iPad 2” comes out, you need to attend this session.

Transformative Technology

My second presentation is a joint effort with Jo Day of Trumpet, Inc. The two of us plan to deliver a resource-rich session on transformative technologies you can add to your practice and how doing so will make clients and colleagues speak highly of you and your firm.

If you haven’t done so already, register today so you do not miss out on this opportunity to learn how new technology can help you streamline your  business and provide excellent service to your clients.

And one last housekeeping item: The “official” unofficial Twitter hashtag for the 2011 T3 Conference is #T32011. See you on the back channel!

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 14

Posted on January 14, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

We were on the road for the first half of this week attending Laserfiche Empower 2011 in Los Angeles. While we took extensive notes over the 2 1/2 day event, we haven’t had the time to review and summarize them for posting (or post anything else for that matter!).

So check back in a week or two for our thoughts on Laserfiche’s potential to increase its presence in financial services.

Meanwhile, here are this week’s stories of interest:

Fidelity, Schwab and TD Ameritrade prep for arms race in mobile technology for advisors from RIABiz

In the next few months, Fidelity Investments and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. will launch mobile apps for advisors that deliver functionality from their respective technology platforms, WealthCentral and Veo, according to the companies.

Advisor Tested: iPad proves ideal for advisors on-the-go; the surprise is the effect on clients from RIABiz

Tech Enables Convenient Client Connections, my January column at Morningstar Advisor

Growing advisory firms need easy tools they can use to collaborate with busy clients in real time when an in-person meeting is not possible or practical. Here are four screen-sharing tools that advisors should consider adding to their technology toolkit to enhance client service.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 7

Posted on January 7, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

2011 is off to a roaring start, and this week’s Bits and Bytes captures that fact.

Included are two stories on Orion Advisor Services’ new mobile app for advisors and their clients, two stories on TD AMERITRADE Institutional’s API for their Veo technology platform, and one article on a web-based tool to facilitate new Form ADV Part 2 regulatory filings.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Orion Advisor Services Launches App For Mobile Platforms from FPPad.com

In a continuation of 2010’s trend towards mobile device adoption, Orion Advisor Services, LLC of Omaha, Neb. announced today that it released applications for the Android and Apple iOS platforms.

and How Orion Advisor Services became a mobile device pioneer and how competitors plan to react from RIABiz.com

Eric Clarke of Orion Advisor Services is  making accessibility by mobile means a big strategic priority with the development of an Orion app for Droids, iPads and the like.

A Game Changer from Financial Advisor Magazine

TD Ameritrade becomes the first major custodian to open its database so it can integrate with virtually any software firm supporting RIAs.

TD Ameritrade Institutional reporting progress on its open API initiative from InvestmentNews.com

Third-party vendors are anxious to integrate with Veo, TD Ameritrade Institutional’s trading and account management platform and be able to securely exchange data.

ADV Help from Financial Advisor Magazine

This new Web-based platform helps RIAs easily update their regulatory reports.

MarketeRIA® Offers Advisors Social Media and Web Marketing Solution

Posted on January 6, 2011 by in Compliance, Practice Management

TripleStop, LLC, a marketing agency servicing the financial advisor industry, recently released a social media and web marketing solution called MarketeRIA®.

MarketeRIA came across my radar due to their partnership with Arkovi, a social media backup and archive provider previously mentioned on FPPad. Within the MarketeRIA platform, advisors using social media to build their online presence can comply with regulatory requirements using the built-in service from Arkovi.

The easiest way to learn more about marketeRIA is to watch their sub 2-minute video on YouTube, embedded below for your convenience.

So who is TripleStop? Here’s their summary listed on their website:

We’re a marketing agency that excels at helping businesses drive their reputations, relationships, and revenues online. Our industry focus is financial/wealth advisory and investment management, where we have years of client-side experience.

Orion Advisor Services Launches App For Mobile Platforms

Posted on January 3, 2011 by in Technology

In a continuation of 2010’s trend towards mobile device adoption, Orion Advisor Services, LLC of Omaha, Neb. announced today that it released applications for the Android and Apple iOS platforms.

Click here to view the press release on PRNewswire.

Both advisers and their clients can download the app to their mobile device of choice, and Orion creates a custom label for the app to match the branding of their advisory firm. That ‘s a nice touch, especially for clients who may not be aware (or care) that their adviser’s portfolio reporting services are completed using Orion.

Check FPPad.com for more info on Orion’s app in the near future as we get our hands on it and test it on the iPad.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 31

Posted on December 31, 2010 by in Bits & Bytes

This is it, the final Bits and Bytes post of 2010. Bits and Bytes has drawn consistent traffic week after week, so we will continue our efforts to publish what we think are the best tech-related stories for financial advisers from around the web.

Here are this week’s stories of interest, and have a Happy New Year:

Custodians taking closer look at adviser compliance from InvestmentNews.com

Custodial firms have been raising the compliance bar for registered investment advisers, in some cases making it tougher for them to find a home.

Why B-Ds Should Embrace Social Media Now from Financial-Planning.com

Social media is the elephant in the room even if broker-dealer firms refuse to acknowledge its presence. Worse, continuing to do so could cost these firms their top talent as advisors migrate to platforms that help them be more productive.

Small Companies Look to Cloud for Savings in 2011 from WSJ.com

A growing number of small-business owners are expected to try cloud computing services next year, hoping to trim costs and stay up and running if disaster strikes.

Rock Point Advisors Leverages Advent’s Moxy(R) as a Standalone Solution from TradingMarkets.com

Advent Software, Inc., a leading provider of software and services for the global investment management industry, today announced that investment management firm, Rock Point Advisors, is enjoying the benefits of Moxy(R) as a standalone solution. Rock Point is one of the first advisory firms to use Moxy(R) in conjunction with PortfolioCenter(R), Schwab Performance Technologies’ portfolio management solution.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 24

Posted on December 24, 2010 by in Bits & Bytes

Merry Christmas from FPPad! Sit down with your favorite browser (might I recommend Google Chrome?) and hot chocolate to take in this week’s Bits and Bytes.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

SEC’s New Form ADV Requirements: Fidelity Offers Guidance from AdvisorOne.com

Fidelity Investments is scheduling a series of webinars and regional workshops in 2011 to help its registered investment advisor clients who are worried about complying with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s latest regulatory changes.

How Will Mobile Technology Impact Advisors? from AdvisorTV.com

In this 5-minute video, Les Satlow of Cabot Money Management says advisors are embracing mobile technology. Tools including “cloud-like applications,” social media and iPads are helping them get closer to clients and build new business.

Neesha Hathi: Leader of Schwab tech project under pressure from InvestmentNews.com

While she always appears unruffled in public, Neesha Hathi is under pressure to bring Charles Schwab Advisor Services’ multi-million dollar effort, now formally called Schwab Intelligent Integration, to fruition and boost the firm’s chances to remain the top dog among custodians serving the growing registered investment adviser sector.

iPad’s Next Life: Sales, Information & Action Tool from Financial-Planning.com

Tony Mayo thinks the iPad is a “game-changer.” He’s the chief technology officer of Dreyfus Corporation, manager of more than $400 billion in mutual funds and separately managed accounts. And he’s in the process of giving iPads to every one of Dreyfus’ 70 salespeople, across three divisions.

NetX360 Mobile for iPad from Apple iTunes

In today’s marketplace, it is critical that you stay connected. NetX360™ for the iPhone enables you to conduct critical business operations while you’re on the move—wherever you are. It will also help you stay on top of the latest market developments and updates, and provide access to essential activities that support your business.

Happy Holidays from FPPad

Posted on December 23, 2010 by in General