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Between Sessions with eMoney Advisor at T3 Enterprise 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by in Between Sessions, Conferences

I met with Drew DiMarino, SVP of eMoney Advisor, between sessions at T3 Enterprise 2015 to dive into the details of what he discussed during his general session presentation at the conference.

After speculation about management changes and potential conflicts following Fidelity’s acquisition of eMoney, DiMarino used the opportunity to address the attendees and set the record straight.

“eMoney Advisor will remain an independent company. Period,” said DiMarino.

He added that the eMoney Advisor platform will continue to be accessible to non-Fidelity clients.

As of November 2015, roughly 75% of eMoney users have custodial relationships outside of Fidelity.

Another rumor DiMarino addressed is the sharing of investor information between eMoney and Fidelity.

DiMarino added, “eMoney has privacy laws against Fidelity accessing and using independent advisor data.”

After the sudden departure of eMoney founder Edmund Walters, DiMarino said that the company is currently searching for a successor CEO, and in the meantime is hiring more developers to deliver “a five-year roadmap in two years.”

On the product roadmap, DiMarino previewed a new client experience that he said will be launching in Q1 2016 that offers easy client onboarding and self registration options for investors.

Between Sessions with MoneyGuidePro at T3 Enterprise 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by in Between Sessions, Conferences

I met with Bob Curtis, CEO of PIETech (providers of MoneyGuidePro software), between sessions at T3 Enterprise 2015 to dive into the details of what he discussed during his general session presentation at the conference.

MoneyGuidePro conducted one of the most unconventional presentations at the T3 Enterprise Conference, inspired by sketches from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Curtis, dressed head to toe in medieval regalia, told the audience that the holy grail in financial services is that everyone needs and deserves a quality financial plan. But most people don’t have plans because they aren’t comfortable approaching financial advisors to create one.

“71% of people are scared of talking to a financial advisor,” said Curtis. “How did we do that?”

Instead, Curtis offered, consumers are turning to online resources to create their own plan without the assistance of a professional.

“Do you think anyone is afraid to go online at home & engage with a computer?” asked Curtis.

“It’s easy and fast. It’s not intimidating.”

To rethink the way advice and planning is delivered, Curtis told the audience that employees of financial enterprises should go through their own planning experience to get a better feel for it and rethink parts of the process that are confusing, problematic, or too intrusive.

That is one reason why Curtis announced that a new MoneyGuideClient experience is coming soon, where clients are in the driver’s seat when creating their plan, and not the financial professional.

Between Sessions with Riskalyze at T3 Enterprise 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by in Between Sessions, Conferences

I met with Aaron Klein, CEO of Riskalyze, between sessions at T3 Enterprise 2015 to dive into the details of what he discussed during his general session presentation at the conference.

During his session, Klein identified that 52% of 20-29 year olds do not identify themselves as aggressive investors, which is in stark contrast to the assumption that the majority of younger investors generally have a higher tolerance for investment risk, as they have many more years to recover from short-term volatility. But it is these clients who sell at exactly the wrong time because they are invested too aggressively relative to their personal risk tolerance.

At T3 Enterprise 2015, Klein introduced the The Real-Time Wealth Management Enterprise platform, which can be deployed by financial enterprises in under 75 days. The Real-Time Wealth Management Enterprise™ is a combination of Riskalyze, Autopilot, and Compliance Cloud for large firms & RIAs.

The Real-Time Wealth Management Enterprise platform, according the Klein, allows enterprises to perform real fiduciary reviews for accounts large and small.

Schwab IMPACT 2015: Conference wrap up

Posted on November 13, 2015 by in Conferences

We wrap up our coverage of Schwab IMPACT 2015 from the floor of The Exchange, noting that this is an incremental year in technology updates from Schwab Advisor Services.

Following last year’s major announcement of Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, I left Schwab IMPACT 2015 with the impression that Schwab Advisor Services is busy delivering incremental updates and improvements to the company’s existing solutions.

Thank you to Itegria for sponsoring our coverage from Schwab IMPACT 2015.

 

Schwab IMPACT 2015: 360º video tour of The Exchange

Posted on November 13, 2015 by in Conferences

We enjoyed the 360º video tour of the Schwab Center that we secured permission to film throughout The Exchange at Schwab IMPACT 2015, the massive exhibit hall of vendors and solution providers to the independent RIA community.

Take in all the activity and buzz contained in The Exchange as we walk through barely half of the exhibit hall, pausing to take in some of the technology providers that are partners in the Schwab Advisor Services ecosystem.

Can you find out who threw the toy rocket at me? And can you find the hidden Itegria logos? There are three of them scattered randomly in the video.

This video is best experienced on your mobile device in the YouTube app. You can move your device in any direction to navigate the 360º video.

Schwab IMPACT 2015: Exclusive 360º video tour of the Schwab Center

Posted on November 12, 2015 by in Conferences

In this exclusive 360º video, Brian Shenson, Vice President of Advisor Technology for Schwab Advisor Services, gives us a personal tour of the Schwab Center booth at the center of The Exchange.

This video is best experienced on your mobile device in the YouTube app. You can move your device in any direction to navigate the 360º video. It’s impressive, and something never seen before at a financial services conference!

Schwab IMPACT 2015: Brian Shenson outlines the company’s technology roadmap

Posted on November 12, 2015 by in Conferences

Brian Shenson, Vice President of Advisor Technology for Schwab Advisor Services, met with me at Schwab IMPACT 2015 to update the company’s technology roadmap.

In this interview from the heart of “Schwab Center” in the nucleus of The Exchange exhibit hall, Shenson walks me through the status of Schwab Advisor Mobile Connect, Schwab Advisor Portfolio Connect, and Schwab OpenView MarketSquare™.

Schwab IMPACT 2015: Conference Preview

Posted on November 11, 2015 by in Conferences

Here is a quick conference preview for Schwab IMPACT 2015 to highlight what you can expect from our coverage of one of the industry’s largest events for independent RIAs.

Laser App doubles down on technology training at its first Advisor Con event in Las Vegas

Posted on October 15, 2015 by in Conferences

In its first Advisor Con event, Laser App gathered advisors in Las Vegas and doubled down on providing technology training resources.

As technology adoption continues to be a challenge for many financial advisors, Laser App met the issue head on with a new event dedicated to technology training.

In this three video series from the first-ever Laser App Advisor Con event, you’ll see how the company kicked off its inaugural conference by putting technology vendors front and center to highlight the value they bring to advisory firms.

Advisor Con Day One Kickoff

What you’ll learn in this video: My top three takeaways from the morning sessions, including MoneyGuidePro, Riskalzye, and Silanis.

Advisor Con Day One Provider Presentations

What you’ll learn in this video: Hear the tips technology providers want Advisor Con attendees to take back to their office.

Advisor Con Day Two Training

What you’ll learn in this video: Find out why Laser App dedicated an entire day of the Advisor Con agenda to technology training sessions.

TRX Unplugged: What happens when a tech provider eschews formality and unplugs for the day

Posted on October 5, 2015 by in Conferences

Total Rebalance Expert, or TRX, is widely known for its impeccable portfolio rebalancing and tax management features. After all, TRX was born from Sheryl Rowling’s own need for an extremely precise tool to manage the demands of her RIA and CPA businesses.

But what escapes many advisers is the company’s culture born from the land of eternal summer, aka San Diego.

TRX lacks the institutional swagger of its larger counterparts, including iRebal from TD Ameritrade Institutional and Tamarac Advisor Rebalancing from Envestnet, but focuses on delivering value with its product line, where attention to detail and accuracy down to the penny and fractional share is vital.

So what happens when TRX decides to let its collective hair down and focus on education and value for its customers? You get TRX Unplugged.

Watch the coverage of TRX Unplugged above to gain a sense for how the company supports its advisor relationships and courts prospective firms with its deliberate relaxed attitude and atmosphere.