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Twas the Night Before Christmas: Adviser Technology Edition

Posted on December 23, 2009 by in General

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the firm,
Not a loss was un-harvested, not even long-term.
Reports were uploaded to portals with care,
Right next to newsletters with good news to share.

The clients were pleased with their tax assessments,
With visions of goals and model investments.
My partner and I, after giving a greeting,
Had just settled in to a new client meeting.

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
Away to my netbook I flew like a flash,
Double-clicked on Google Chrome, fearing a crash.

Read More…

Twas the Night Before Christmas: Adviser Technology Edition

Posted on December 23, 2009 by in General

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the firm,
Not a loss was un-harvested, not even long-term.
Reports were uploaded to portals with care,
Right next to newsletters with good news to share.

The clients were pleased with their tax assessments,
With visions of goals and model investments.
My partner and I, after giving a greeting,
Had just settled in to a new client meeting.

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
Away to my netbook I flew like a flash,
Double-clicked on Google Chrome, fearing a crash.

Read More…

November 2009 CFP® Certification Examination Results Update

Posted on December 21, 2009 by in General

Quite a few searches are being made right now for the results from the November 2009 CFP® Certification Examination.

Remember that CFP Board posts regular status updates to its website to inform examinees of the scoring process. Today, CFP Board released the following update:

Still curious on exactly how long it takes between taking the exam and receiving official certificaton? This post on FPPad, How Long Does it Take to Complete the CFP® Certification Process?, should clear up many questions.

In addition, CFP Board recorded their webinar on July 30, 2009 discussing the post CFP® Exam process and what examinees can expect while waiting for results. I’m including the YouTube video below for your convenience.

Monitoring the FPA Anaheim 2009 Conference Twitter Backchannel

Posted on October 11, 2009 by in General

The FPA Anaheim 2009 conference is underway, and while I am unable to attend this year (something about watching my son while my wife takes the pediatric board exam) I can still glean some good information while monitoring the backchannel on Twitter.

First, most (but not all) tweets from conference attendees contain the hashtag #fpa2009. The hashtag present in the tweet allows Twitter Search to easily find tagged messages and display them all at once.

Since not all attendees are tagging tweets with #fpa2009, I’m providing a list of people that have been posting conference related messages. If I had more time, I’d make an  icon to allow Twitter users to follow these individuals in one click, but I have to change some dirty diapers.

For now, here’s the list (in order of my personal rating of quality/quantity tweets):

Read More…

Weitzman’s Right to Use CFP® Certification Mark Suspended

Posted on September 30, 2009 by in General

Several months ago FPPad chronicled the activities of Matthew Weitzman (Anti-Fraud Measures Your Practice Needs and Follow Up to Fraud Prevention Practices) after the SEC alleged that Mr. Weitzman misappropriated client funds through a series of unauthorized transfers.

Today, CFP Board announced that it issued an Interim Suspension Order to Mr. Weitzman suspending his right to use the CFP® certification marks. The suspension was issued because “Mr. Weitzman failed to respond to CFP Board’s Order to Show Cause within 20 calendar days, as required by CFP Board’s Disciplinary Rules and Procedures,” according to CFP Board.

CFP Board’s will complete further investigation on the claims and likely issue further action, but until then, Mr. Weitzman is no longer able to use the CFP® certification marks in any literature, advertisements, or correspondence.

Flood of Tech Announcements Anticipated at Schwab IMPACT Conference

Posted on September 10, 2009 by in General

Schwab’s IMPACT® 2009 Conference begins Monday next week, and buzz is already being circulated about technology announcements from wealth management vendors.

Case in point, CRM Software pre-announced its upcoming releases of Junxure 8, an updated version of its CRM software, and a new offering called Junxure Mobile, a product that allows advisors on the road to access data in Junxure 8 via laptop, Blackberry, or iPhone.

Also just announced is ExpertPlan’s launch of a new trading platform to advisors who custody assets with Schwab.

I expect the flood of announcements to last throughout the duration of the conference, and there will be too many for FPPad.com to keep up with.

Be sure to watch Schwab’s IMPACT® 2009 website for all the details.

Relocation to Dallas Complete; Setup Underway

Posted on July 15, 2009 by in General

In case you haven’t been following my updates on Twitter, I am now in Dallas, TX after just over 2,000 miles of driving. I left Portland, OR on Saturday morning and arrived in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon.

I’ll be catching up on emails and voicemail messages after being offline for the last 4 days, so please be patient while I get back into my routine of tracking technology trends in the financial adviser marketplace.

Thanks to those who wished me safe travels, and for those of you in the DFW metroplex, I look forward to meeting you in person.

NAPFA Addresses Former Member Accusations in Open Letter

Posted on June 11, 2009 by in General

In an open letter to NAPFA members and friends, Diahann Lassus, National Chair of NAPFA, addresses what the organization of fee-only planners is doing in light of recent accusations brought against several former members.

In the letter, Lassus writes:

Rest assured, NAPFA is not ignoring the accusations made against our former members, and we will continue to do what is right for our members, for our industry, and for the consumers we all serve. This commitment has guided us for more than 26 years and will continue to guide us well into the future.

See the entire letter by clicking here (PDF at NAPFA.org).

Updates to FPPad.com

Posted on May 11, 2009 by in General

I apologize for the delay between posts and the lack of new content. I’m adjusting to life as a new father and just returned from a trip to Dallas where I looked for a new home (and succeeded).

I’ve been keeping up as much as I can in the meantime and usually update on Twitter. Follow my most recent tweets or check out the left hand column on FPPad for my messages.

I’ll be back soon (I swear!) with thoughts on CRM, practice management, and other hot topics.