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Thomson Reuters Unveils Rich Analytics Application

Posted on September 13, 2010 by in Software

Billing itself as “your portal to everything you need,” Thompson Reuters today launched Eikon, an integrated market data, analytics, and research application.

Here are some of the application features I found of interest:

  • Fully customizable desktop where windows can be dragged and dropped to individualize the platform
  • Global search option that “clusters” search results into groups such as equity, bond, and options news.
  • An integrated social networking and messaging platform to communicate in real-time with colleagues, including a publishing application to share your own market insights.

Do you have access to Eikon? I’d love to hear your feedback about the application. Feel free to comment below or send me a message at bill [at] fppad [dot] com.

Another Choice Among Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customizations

Posted on September 7, 2010 by in Software

Keeping up with all the flavors and variants of CRM is a daunting task. One iteration that I don’t have much experience with just yet is Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Tamarac Advisor is built on Microsoft Dynamics, but other than that, choices are limited for advisers interested in leveraging the software giant’s CRM application.

Lauren Carlson, a CRM Market Analyst for Software Advice, brought one more Dynamics customization to my attention. Look for it in her article titled Microsoft Dynamics CRM Industry Solutions: Our 15 Favorites at SoftwareAdvice.com.

If you know of or are using other Dynamics customizations, leave a comment and let me know.

Rebalancing Software Update in Financial Planning Magazine

Posted on July 29, 2010 by in Compliance, Software

Yes, FPPad has been very quiet for the month of July. We’re working hard behind the scenes managing consulting projects for clients, caring for my 16-month-old son, and authoring contributions to trade magazines and journals.

On the authoring front, I want to share a column I wrote for the August issue of Financial Planning magazine. Titled Better Balance, I highlight the trend of increased use of rebalancing software programs, but also address how these programs help with a firm’s fiduciary obligation to treat all clients fairly and equitably.

Click here to read Better Balance at Financial-Planning.com.

I hope you enjoy the column, and feel free to leave feedback in the comments below.

New at Morningstar Advisor: A Simpler Way to Schedule Meetings

Posted on June 10, 2010 by in Software, Technology

My June column for Morningstar Advisor is now available!

This month I tackle the issue of the constant back-and-forth messaging in which advisors often engage to schedule meetings with clients and colleagues. There is a better way!

Click here to read “A Simpler Way to Schedule Meetings” at Morningstar Advisor.

Fiserv Acquires AdviceAmerica, Expands Front-Office Applications

Posted on June 7, 2010 by in Software

Long-time subscribers to FPPad my remember my review of ClientVision CRM from AdviceAmerica of Fremont, Calif. back in February 2009.

Earlier today I received an alert that Fiserv, Inc., a financial services technology solution provider, announced its acquisition of AdviceAmerica and will add the company to its Investment Services unit.

Click here to read the press release from Fiserv.

Overall, I liked ClientVision for its simpler user interface and easy learning curve. After all, ClientVision integrated inside Microsoft Outlook, so if advisors know how to navigate Outlook, they can navigate ClientVision.

The press release didn’t mention ClientVision specifically, but I assume that the CRM will continue to be supported under Fiserv’s management.

Let’s hope that the folks managing ClientVision can throw in that global search feature that I talked about in my review. That combined with the low price point would make a capable entry-level CRM for many advisers.

Concenter Services Purchases Moulton Strategic Partners, XLR8 Overlay to Salesforce

Posted on April 7, 2010 by in Software

I learned today that Concenter Services, LLC, based here in Dallas/Ft. Worth, has purchased the assets of Moulton Strategic Partners, creator of the XLR8 overlay to Salesforce.

Moulton Strategic Partners was one of the first companies to customize Salesforce, the popular SaaS CRM tool, and offer it to advisors under the XLR8 label.

I haven’t yet found a website for Concenter Services, LLC, but its CEO, Mary Ferguson, maintains a profile on LinkedIn. Click here to view it.

Below is the full text of the announcement from Concenter:

Read More…

Efficient Internet Reading: Get More Content, Get Less Junk

Posted on December 12, 2009 by in Efficiency, Software

August 22, 2017 update: Readability is no longer active; perhaps try using Mercury Reader for Chrome.

Thanks to Andrew Tobias for pointing me towards a bookmarklet called Readability (had I kept up on my Lifehacker RSS reading, I would have seen Readability back in March).

I could spend a few paragraphs explaining how to install the bookmarklet and how it makes reading stuff on the Internet easier, but allow me to let the pictures tell the story.

So, out of the two identical articles below, which one do you want to read?

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Harsh Reviews for One Popular Paperless Office Solution

Posted on December 7, 2009 by in Software

I try my best to keep up to date on the popular paperless office solutions on the market, particularly on those that are popular in the independent financial services industry. Every once in a while I run across reviews of solutions that are polar opposites of one another.

Here’s one recent example.

December’s Financial Advisor magazine features a write-up of PaperPort Professional v12.0, reviewed by Joel Bruckenstein. In the review he says:

…its ease of use, low cost and robust features make it an attractive option for smaller advisory firms with limited technology and training budgets.

and…

For the price, PaperPort provides a great deal of functionality.

Sounds fairly promising. For $199, advisers can get an entry-level document management and scanning solution that provides some of the basic functionality needed to implement a paperless office. What’s not to like?

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Dropbox Featured in Forbes; Tools Should “Just Work”

Posted on November 1, 2009 by in Software, Technology

Last week I wrote about how the Dropbox service prevented minor embarrassment when my presentation slides weren’t loaded on the presentation laptop.

I finally got around to reading the October edition of Forbes magazine and saw Lee Gomes’ Digital Tools column.

Click here to read Forget Disruption. Dive Deep Instead on Forbes.com.

The point of the column is how Dropbox programmers worked extremely hard to tackle some very difficult code, yet the result is a simple and elegant program that just works. Once you “get” the concept of Dropbox and start using it, you wonder how you ever lived without it.

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A Real Life Example of Productivity Tips in Action

Posted on October 25, 2009 by in Software, Technology

I just returned from presenting at the SRI in the Rockies 2009 pre-conference event hosted for members of the First Affirmative Financial Network. I presented two breakout sessions for the group, one on using CRM systems to enhance relationship continuity with clients and one on increasing adviser productivity.

One of the tools I recommend in my productivity presentation is a service from Dropbox. Dropbox is a utility that synchronizes all files stored in the Dropbox folder on a computer with any of your other computers where the software is installed. It also has a web interface to browse, view, and download the files stored in the folder. The first 2GB of data stored on Dropbox is free; additional storage is available for a nominal fee.

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