Tag Archives: David Drucker

T3 2014: Joel Bruckenstein and David Drucker kick off the 9th annual adviser tech conference

Posted on February 11, 2014 by in Conferences

T3 2014 conference

T3 2014 is the place to be and be seen for all things financial adviser technology

T3 2014 Draws Over 600 Attendees

Joel Bruckenstein and David Drucker are no strangers to the technology trends in financial services over the last decade. Their premier conference, Technology Tools for Today, or T3, is in its ninth year, and in that time the duo have been on the front lines of pushing the envelope of technology.

If you’re not attending the event this year, you can still get you day started with the Day 1 conference intro video I created to kick off the event.

And no, you can’t wear a tie to T3! Or at least you shouldn’t. Rumor has it Bruckenstein is walking around with a pair of freshly sharpened scissors!

New Companies Aplenty

Bruckenstein and Drucker announced that this year’s event drew over 600 registered attendees and a record number of new companies launching new products or services built for financial advisers.

Joel Bruckenstein at T3 2014

Joel Bruckenstein welcomes over 600 attendees to T3 2014

A quick tour of the exhibit hall reveals that several of these new companies include Gotham Tech Labs and its Wealthbox CRM platform, Quovo and its portfolio aggregation and analytics platform, and RetireUp and its quick retirement plan illustration tool.

As time allows, check back here at FPPad.com for updates and buzz on some of the best sessions and discussions in and around the show floor.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for November 8

Posted on November 8, 2013 by in Bits & Bytes

On this week’s broadcast, get up to speed on all the developments from the T3 Enterprise Conference, find out which portfolio rebalancing company just acquired a portfolio management software provider, and another CRM with a long history with advisors gets a fresh start in the cloud.

So get ready, FPPad Bits and Bytes begins now!

(Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes on YouTube)

This week’s episode of Bits and Bytes is brought to you by Mimic Technologies, providers of complete outsourced technology support, security, infrastructure and IT solutions exclusively for RIAs.

Mimic Technologies

To learn how you can keep your data safe from attackers, download a free copy of their white paper on social engineering attacks by visiting fppad.com/mimic.

Here are this week’s top stories:

Joel Bruckenstein convenes a wholesale version of T3 for IBD execs who choose software for thousands of reps from RIABiz.com, Trying to harness the power of big data for advisers from InvestmentNews.com, Live from T3: Deploying Tech at the B/D Level and Day Two at T3: A Lack of Data Standards from WealthManagement.com.

[First up this week is a recap of the first-ever T3 Enterprise Conference for broker-dealers and financial enterprises. T3 Enterprise is modeled after the T3 Conference for financial advisors, now in its 9th year, and in full disclosure, I co-produced T3 Enterprise along with Joel Bruckenstein and David Drucker.

If you weren’t able to attend or follow the conference hashtag on Twitter, here’s what you need to know:

Redtail, the leading provider of cloud-based CRM to advisors, unveiled a new platform called Redtail Data Cloud. Redtail Data Cloud aims to tackle the challenge of making sense of “big data” present in disparate or poorly integrated technology solutions, and generate valuable, meaningful insight that was generally only possible after pouring over custom spreadsheets for hours upon hours.

Redtail Data Cloud collects over 500 unique data points across its CRM, email, and document imaging products, and also collects data via integrations with Riskalyze, Advisor Websites, Advisor Deck, ActiFi, and MoneyGuidePro. Look for the platform to debut for both advisors and broker-dealers this January.

Also, two companies exited stealth mode at the conference by introducing new promising products.

The first is CleverDome, is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based startup born from the back-office of United Planners Financial Services. Their two new solutions, SOAR, or Source of Accurate Record, and miVu, or Media Integrated View Unification, are best described as document management tools that are invisible to the user, so if that doesn’t make you at least a little curious about what they do, I don’t know what will.

And second to emerge is Gotham Tech Labs, led by John Rourke, who introduced two new stand-alone products, WealthBox CRM and WealthBase. WealthBox CRM is intended to be a simple CRM with a streamlined interface, but with powerful social and collaborative workflows. WealthBase is an inbound marketing network intended to connect financial advisors with consumers seeking feedback and engagement on their financial needs.] Joel Bruckenstein and his co-producers, David Drucker and Bill Winterberg, made it a two-day event geared toward broker-dealers and large RIAs looking to enhance their advisors’ productivity and simplify the many day-to-day processes of providing advice.

Total Rebalance Expert Acquires PowerAdvisor from Cornerstone Revolutions from PRNewswire.com

[The next story is news hot off the presses from Total Rebalance Expert, the San Diego-based portfolio rebalancing software provider. In a press release issued just today, TRX announced that it acquired the PowerAdvisor portfolio management software solution from Portland, Oregon-based Cornerstone Revolutions. PowerAdvisor will be rebranded as TPX, or Total Portfolio Expert, and TRX will continue to support over 100 firms that use portfolio management software every day in their business.

Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed, but this deal will likely offer advisors with a tightly integrated portfolio management and rebalancing software package, a single resource for customer service and back office support, and a very capable solution offered at a very compelling price point.] Total Rebalance Expert (TRX) today announced the acquisition of PowerAdvisor’s portfolio management software suite from Cornerstone Revolutions. The combination of TRX’s industry leading portfolio rebalancing platform with PowerAdvisor’s portfolio management system will create a complete and integrated portfolio management solution.

Tech Review: ProTracker Cloud CRM Software from Financial-Planning.com

 [And finally, this week’s broadcast wraps up with an update on ProTracker software, providers of desktop-based CRM to advisors for over 16 years. In his technology column for Financial Planning magazine, Joel Bruckenstein reviewed ProTracker Cloud, the latest CRM to introduce a cloud-based solution, which is built on top of the SugarCRM platform. This is similar to the concept of overlays from XLR8 and AppCrown, which both customize the out-of-the-box Salesforce platform and tailor it for the wealth management environment.

Warren Mackensen, president of ProTracker Software and also an active fee-only financial planner, certainly has the experience of knowing what it takes to run a successful advisory business, so I’m optimistic that he’ll be able to introduce SugarCRM, which hasn’t yet gained much traction among advisors, as a viable contender among cloud-based CRMs.] A well-established product for independent advisors is moving to a platform that will provide increased flexibility and may attract new categories of users.

 News that didn’t make the broadcast:

Dell sells its majority stake in Smarsh to investment fund Toba Capital from Businessweek

[This in an informative review of Smarsh’s odd ownership by Dell, as a result of its purchase of Quest several years ago. Dell was a silent owner for roughly a year, making strategy moves challenging, according to the article. Now that the uncertainty seems all but gone for now, Smarsh is making strides to expand its growth among several industries, including archiving for financial services. They even opened a new office in the Atlanta metro area, about a half hour drive from FPPad world headquarters!] Dell has quietly unloaded its majority stake in digital archivist Smarsh, ending a prolonged period of uncertainty for one of Portland’s fast-growing tech companies.

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for November 8, 2103

FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 5

Posted on April 5, 2013 by in Bits & Bytes

This week, a registered rep's YouTube video on annuities lands him in hot water.

This week, a registered rep’s YouTube video on annuities lands him in hot water.

My lesson learned from this week: Completely block out a few days each month in my calendar for rescheduling events. Things don’t always go according to “plan,” so it’s a lot easier when I have a few unscheduled days available in the future rather than try and compress existing commitments to squeeze in a rescheduled event.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

YouTube Annuities Videos Lead To Fine And Suspension from Forbes.com

[So a registered rep for First Heartland Capital, Inc., Ralph William Hicks Jr., created and posted videos to YouTube about equity index annuity (“EIAs”) seminars. FINRA alleged that Hicks’ marketing materials, including the YouTube videos, “presented oversimplified claims which omitted material information, or failed to provide a sound basis for evaluating the facts.” So what’s your lesson in all of this? If you’re going to market on YouTube (or any online site), you’d be better off avoiding specific details about products, including annuity guarantees and risks, and rather address general financial planning principles or opportunities NOT linked with particular products. But if you do mention products, you probably ought to provide a conspicuous link to disclosure material at a minimum.] While registered with First Heartland during approximately 2009 through 2011, the AWC alleges that Hicks disseminated to some 200 to 1,000 members of the public: advertising and sales literature to the public in YouTube videos; invitations to seminars and workshops; and letters concerning, among other things, bonus incentives.

Book Review: Technology Tools for Today’s High-Margin Practice from the Journal of Financial Planning

[Bruce Colin, CFP® provides an honest, unbiased review of the new edition of Technology Tools for Today’s High-Margin Practice, updated by Joel Bruckenstein and David Drucker featuring multiple contributions from a variety of authors (of which I am one). Read Colin’s review for the best chapters of the book and why this edition is “required reading” for advisers. You can buy a copy using this affiliate link or just search for it on Amazon.] Required Reading for Tech-Savvy Planners: Latest Drucker-Bruckenstein book disappoints in some areas, but still worth the investment.

Technology blueprint for a typical RIA firm from InvestmentNews.com

[Nexus Strategy founder Tim Welsh makes a (first?) guest appearance at InvestmentNews to cover the programs and applications most used by financial advisers. Data for this article was obtained from the 2013 InvestmentNews Technology Study. But one opportunity for improvement: avoid burying the lead.] The overwhelming success of the independent-adviser segment is transforming the financial services industry. With over $2 trillion in assets, independent registered investment advisers continue to be the fastest-growing segment and as a result are attracting investments by technology firms to penetrate this growing marketplace.

Biggest Tech Trends Now from Financial-Planning.com

[In this recap of February’s Technology Tools for Today conference, Joel Bruckenstein covers the biggest trends observed: data security for financial advisers, protecting mobile devices, ramped-up custodian technology, touchscreen interfaces, and Windows 8.] The interest in security among independent advisors seemed to have ratcheted up. Perhaps it’s because major custodians have acted to heighten advisor awareness of attacks, or it could be increased media coverage of Chinese hackers targeting U.S. websites – but either way, it was one of the key questions for attendees at February’s Technology Tools for Today conference.

Salentica Releases Laser App Integration to Enable Advisors to Reduce Time Spent On Form Filling from PRWeb.com

[Streamlined form filling is almost a required technology for the progressive advisory firm. Laser App is the 800-pound gorilla in form-filling software, so it’s imperative that other technology vendors integrate with them in some way. Here’s the latest CRM integration from Salentica, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM overlay provider for financial services. They’re still tiny with respect to their user base among advisers, but supporting integrations such as this will help boost its adoption in the marketplace.] Salentica Inc., a market leader in providing innovative Client Relationship Management (CRM) and Client Reporting technology solutions for the wealth management industry, announced today the general availability of its integration with Laser App within its CRM software.

T3 2013: Conference review in pictures

Posted on February 14, 2013 by in Conferences

Enjoy a short slideshow of about two-dozen photos captured on site at T3 2013 in Miami, FL.

Note: Picasa uses Flash, so iOS users touch here: https://picasaweb.google.com/109199896143956110609/T32013?authuser=0&feat=directlink

 

T3 2013: Top technology to put on your radar

Posted on February 12, 2013 by in Conferences

t3 2013 conferenceAt over 600 attendees, T3 2013 packs downtown Miami with the best in adviser technology

This year’s Technology Tools for Today conference (T3) packed over 600 attendees in the Hilton Miami Downtown hotel, including roughly 300 financial advisers according to conference co-founder David Drucker.

A conference like this is covered by all the major media outlets, so you can check out coverage from InvestmentNews, Financial Planning, WealthMangement, and more.

I’m taking a short break (and giving my feet a rest!) to share some of the most intriguing vendors with which I’ve had the chance to connect with today. In addition to updates on FPPad and elsewhere, be sure to follow #T32013 on Twitter.

HiddenLevers

Raj Udeshi, head of business development for HiddenLevers

Raj Udeshi, head of business development for HiddenLevers

 

No longer T3 newbies, HiddenLevers is back again this year with a novel feature that I feel significantly improves the lead generation process for advisers.

The new feature is a portfolio stress test call to action advisers can embed in their website. When prospects land on an adviser’s page, they see a button that offers a free portfolio stress test to see what happens as a result of a specific macro event.

Prospects get a very useful illustration provided by HiddenLevers, and advisers get lead contact information (including basic portfolio details) volunteered by the prospect to use for follow up contact.

Find more information at https://www.hiddenlevers.com/.

CloudRIA

Cloud RIA Ryan Terwedo

CloudRIA founder & CEO Ryan Terwedo

A company launching out of stealth mode is cloudRIA, founded roughly 5 years ago by Ryan Terwedo. Terwedo brings experience running back office operations for a variety of financial services firms in the Seattle, WA area, and is now leveraging his expertise into the RIA market.

cloudRIA’s tag line is the “RIA OS,” with the premise of being the operating system, or the glue, if you will, of major advisor software tools. Partners today include Redtail CRM, MoneyGuidePro, TD Ameritrade Institutional, and many more soon to come.

I see a lot of potential with cloudRIA, but this market is going to be tough. After spending 15 minutes with Terwedo, I think he’s fearless enough to take on the challenge.

For more information, visit http://cloudria.com/

kwanti

kwanti, a new player in portfolio analytics

kwanti, a new player in portfolio analytics

kwanti is portfolio analytics software that imports client portfolio holdings and offers quick reports to a variety of benchmarks and metrics. The company recently secured a connection with TD Ameritrade Institutional Veo® Open Access, so advisers with client accounts at the third-largest (by assets) custodian can easily import holdings for analysis.

As kwanti matures and adds more portfolio connections, look for it to offer intelligent analytics at a very attractive price point. Pricing starts around $50 per user per month.

For more information, visit http://kwanti.com/

Download Technology Tools for Today’s High-Margin Practice for your Kindle today

Posted on January 15, 2013 by in Technology

All-new edition of the financial adviser’s practice management book now available for Kindle delivery

Ten years ago, two practice management consultants to financial advisers teamed up to write the book on tools to run a high-margin practice, Virtual Office Tools for a High Margin Practice.

Drucker Bruckenstein

David J. Drucker and Joel P. Bruckenstein partnered to deliver timeless practice management recommendations to financial advisers

Today, David Drucker and Joel Bruckenstein are household names among advisers.

What started as a side hobby has grown into a robust suite of practice management newsletters and technology conferences, now branded under the Technology Tools for Today moniker.

So in early 2012, Drucker and Bruckenstein approached me to contribute to an all-new edition of the aging Virtual Office Tools book and update it with information and resources on current technology and tools.

Now the new edition is available for download to your Kindle device and app. It’s titled Technology Tools for Today’s High-Margin Practice: How Client-Centered Financial Advisors Can Cut Paperwork, Overhead, and Wasted Hours (Bloomberg Financial), and my contribution appears in Chapter 8, Client Portals and Collaboration.

Order the book below. I hope you enjoy it (especially Chapter 8!), and I welcome your comments and feedback that you can leave below (or contact me privately).

(Note: Amazon.com affiliate links, I earn a small commission if you decide to buy after clicking)

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 7

Posted on December 7, 2012 by in Bits & Bytes

Remember to watch today’s FPPad On Air broadcast at 4:15 pm ET with Blane Warrene.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Meet the wealth management firm of the future from Reuters.com

[Technology Tools for Today’s High-Margin Practice is being released in early 2013 as the 10th anniversary of their original book, Virtual Office Tools for a High Margin Practice, nears. It was a privilege to be asked to contribute to the new edition, as I submitted a chapter on collaboration tools financial advisers can use in their business. Pre-order the book on Amazon to lock in the pre-order price.] When David Drucker and Joel Bruckenstein wrote a book about technology innovations for advisers in 2002, many readers were skeptical of their recommendations to use email and create a website.

Junxure Cloud – The Clear Choice for Advisors from Junxure.com

[I will be honest: I think Junxure faces an uphill climb when it releases Junxure Cloud next year. The desktop version has so much in its interface, between notes, tasks, assets, documents, action sequences, etc. that I can’t help but be skeptical how it will translate to a web-based user interface. Junxure provided a sneak preview earlier this year (see: A sneak peek of Junxure Cloud), so take a look and decide for yourself. But give credit to Greg Friedman, the points in this article are valid; there are no overlays like there are in Salesforce, and support is handled internally and not farmed out to a third party. Will those benefits be enough to overcome the daunting interface?] Junxure attended Charles Schwab’s IMPACT® 2012 event, where we announced the spring 2013 release target for Junxure Cloud, our new web-based CRM solution. Attendees were treated to a preview demo, including how Junxure Cloud could help manage workflow, track a firm’s efficiency, and capture client documents and financial data through a wide range of integrations.

Why You Should Consider Online Meetings With Clients from RIACentral.com

[Again and again I counsel advisers that they need to be comfortable using online meeting tools like Skype, FaceTime from Apple, and Google+ Hangouts. Giving your clients options to meet with you remotely, when it is convenient for them, goes a long way in solidifying your working relationship. Here’s a good summary article from RIACentral about four key benefits of meeting online.] Meeting clients online may seem like technological overkill. After all, it’s much easier to just pick up the phone and chat, right? But, in reality, online meetings solve a myriad of practical everyday problems for you.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for November 16

Posted on November 16, 2012 by in Bits & Bytes

Remember, today at 4:15pm Eastern, 1:15pm Pacific I’ll be hosting FPPad On Air with Steven Ryder of True North Networks to discuss disaster recovery and business continuity in the wake of superstorm Sandy. Check Twitter or Google+ for the link this afternoon.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

David Drucker and Joel Bruckenstein Announce Preliminary Agenda for “T3” 2013 Conference in Miami from PRNewswire.com

[One of the industry’s top conferences on technology is approaching quickly. Save the dates of February 11-13 and soak up the Miami sunshine while you absorb technology and practice management ideas. Note that the book Technology Tools for a High-Margin Practice will be published with all new information, including a chapter I wrote on the top collaboration technologies. Do not miss this conference!] David Drucker and Joel Bruckenstein, producers of the 8th Annual “T3” Technology Tools for Today™ Conference to be held at the Hilton Miami Downtown from February 11-13, 2013, today announced the preliminary T3 2013 conference agenda and initial details of their new book, Technology Tools for a High-Margin Practice, due out February 6, 2013.

H.D. Vest Chooses Advent’s Black Diamond Platform from Marketwire.com

[H.D. Vest, once part of Wells Fargo & Company and now owned by Parthenon Capital Partners, is equipping its 4,800 affiliates with access to on-demand custom performance reporting via Black Diamond. Clearly this is how wealth management and financial planning services will be delivered in the future; online, mobile, and customized. AND if you were a private equity company looking to increase the value of the H.D. Vest purchase, don’t you think streamline portfolio reporting and management is a decent way to do it?]  Advent Software, Inc., a leading provider of software and services for the global investment management industry, recently announced that H.D. Vest Financial Services® (H.D. Vest) has transitioned its performance reporting to Advent’s Black Diamond platform to enhance their Advisors’ ability to communicate portfolio performance during client meetings.

Envestnet | Tamarac(TM) Brings Tamarac University Online from MarketWatch.com

[Today you can learn how to cut an onion online. So why not learn how to rebalance client portfolios at the same time? If you’re an Envestnet | Tamarac user, you’re in luck, as much of their training content (a.k.a. Tamarac University) is now online and available on demand.] Envestnet | Tamarac(TM), a division of Envestnet, Inc., a leading provider of integrated web-based portfolio and client management software for independent advisors and wealth managers, has announced an expansion of its popular Tamarac University program to include an online option for RIAs covering its entire curriculum.

Envestnet Announces Integration With Junxure CRM Software via PRNewswire.com

[In the second release this week, Envestnet will combine “portfolio management with client recordkeeping and workflow management” inside the soon-to-be-released Junxure Cloud. What’s odd to me is that Junxure Cloud likely will have some type of workflow or task management component, yet the Envestnet integration adds in workflow management of its own. Which one will should advisers use?] Envestnet, Inc., a leading provider of technology-enabled wealth management solutions for investment advisors, has announced that it has agreed to integrate with Junxure Cloud, the upcoming web-based client-relations management (CRM) program for financial advisors. The integration is expected to be included with the initial release of Junxure Cloud, expected in the first quarter of 2013.

Advisor Software, Inc. Signs Agreement With Redtail Technology To Integrate goalgamiPro Quick Planning Solution With Redtail CRM from MarketWatch.com

[If you’re going to create a quick plan for a client, the last thing you want to do is perform double entry of a client’s name, address, etc. In this announcement, Redtail will soon partner with Advisor Software allowing users to pass client information to Advisor Software’s goalgamiPro (see: Yes, you can create financial plans in eight minutes).] Advisor Software, Inc., a provider of wealth management solutions for the financial advisor market, has finalized an agreement with Redtail Technology, Inc., a provider of client management solutions for financial professionals, to provide access to ASI’s unique quick planning tools. The strategic partnership will integrate ASI’s direct-to-advisor product goalgamiPro with Redtail’s Client Relationship Management (“CRM”) suite.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 1

Posted on April 1, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

We delivered our presentation materials to the FPA Retreat 2011 task force this week and are taking today off to attend the FPA DFW Ballpark event and satisfy the CFP® certification ethics CE requirement.

Without further ado, here are this week’s stories of interest:

T3 Technology Conference Reports Record Attendance at 2011 Event, Announces Dates and Location for T3 2012 from PRNewswire.com

David Drucker and Joel Bruckenstein, producers of the T3 Technology Tools for Today™ newsletter and annual conference, today released additional statistics and comments about the sixth annual T3 conference, held at the Grand Hyatt Weston in Florida February 16–19th, 2011. In addition, the conference organizers have now announced the dates and location for T3 2012.

Technology helps advisers tap insight on global scale from InvestmentNews.com

A new web-based charting platform called HiddenLevers helps investors and advisers understand the potential portfolio impact of macroeconomic changes.

And read a portion of an interview AdvisorWebsites.com conducted with Bill on financial adviser technology: Bill Winterberg Talks Technology: Part 1

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!