Tag Archives: Mobile

FPPad Bits and Bytes for September 21

I’m attending the final day of the Gemini Orion Advisor Forum 2012 today, so be sure to check the #GOAF12 hashtag on Twitter for the latest event updates.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Is Your Website Mobile? Three Do’s and Don’ts from Financial-Planning.com

[You have looked at your website with a tablet or smartphone recently, right? If not, you need to do it now and see if it’s at all user friendly. Just about 15% of all traffic to FPPad comes from mobile devices (80% of that is all from iPhones and iPads), so it’s more important than ever before to be mobile friendly.] It’s no secret that the rise of mobile devices has created one of the largest shifts in consumer behavior in the last 40 years.

Why Schwab’s new iPhone app doesn’t support trading

Schwab Advisor Center iPhone

Schwab Advisor Services’ first iPhone app lacks functionality offered by the competition, but opportunity remains for the leading custodian to catch up

In last week’s Bits & Bytes, you read about Schwab Advisor Services’ new iPhone app release. RIABiz posted this article shortly after the release with comments and perspective. The gist is Schwab’s 30,000 users across 7,000 firms can use Schwab Advisor Center on an iPhone to check client account balances, transactions, and positions in version 1.0.

Yesterday I spoke with Steve Hirsch, vice president of institutional web services for Charles Schwab, about the company’s decision to offer basic functionality in its first mobile app for financial advisers.

“We conducted extensive client research, asking over 400 [adviser] clients to rank the features and functions they would use most in a mobile phone app,” said Hirsch. “Out of a selection of five features, 66% of them chose access to account balances, transactions, and positions.”

Choices for other functionality selections included access to account alerts and notifications, market news and information, move money capabilities, and trading.

Playing it safe

Schwab’s entry into the mobile app scene is long overdue, as competing custodians have offered mobile apps to advisers for well over a year. Two of them have even developed apps exclusively for iPad that offer features such as streaming market news (see Exclusive look at Veo® Mobile app updates for iPad from TD Ameritrade Institutional’s Jon Patullo) and trading in client accounts (see Fidelity WealthCentral Mobile now available for iPad).

So if you’re Schwab, there are two ways to enter this market.

First, you can survey what the competition is doing, match them on a feature-by-feature basis, and then raise the bar on functionality by developing features nobody else has. Remember Steve Jobs and the three new product launches of “a widescreen iPod, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough Internet communications device?

Or second, you can ask users what they want, pick the top response, and build to that specification (The “we want a faster horse” scenario).

Schwab, with version 1.0, selected the latter.

Dipping a toe in the water

But to Schwab’s credit, they’re far from finished with the rollout of their mobile strategy. It’s just that with version 1.0 of Schwab Advisor Center, Schwab delivered only what advisers said was their number one desired feature.

Where’s the innovation in that strategy?

I challenged Hirsch to get him to divulge a bit more about Schwab’s future in mobile. Clearly, rolling out a basic iPhone app first was an easy win.

“We saw great utility in mobile phone devices as a vehicle for quick access to client accounts,” said Hirsch. “Advisers and consumers carry their phone everywhere 24×7, so we felt it was a great place to start by supporting immediate account access using devices widely held across a large base of users.”

Mobile potential

And on plans for the iPad app, expected by the end of 2012?

“The iPad app will have a different tenet than the iPhone app,” he said. “We’ll optimize what we present, starting with functionality similar to the iPhone app, but expand it well beyond that to take advantage of bigger screen real estate.”

Hirsch acknowledged that the app is anticipated to deliver much more functionality that what is offered today.

“Clearly, client reporting is priority for us, as well adding performance and asset holding features that advisors will use in client meetings and presentations.”

When asked about the ability to use the iPad in the account application process, including e-signature capabilities, Hirsch was guarded.

“These features are in Schwab’s domain, and we see tremendous potential here.” he said.

 

FPPad Bits and Bytes for June 29

While last week was an onslaught of news, this week the flow was reduced to a trickle. Having returned from giving a presentation in San Francisco yesterday, my focus is now on my move to Atlanta in July.

First, be sure to read this month’s Quickview update at Morningstar Advisor, Supercharge Your Conference Calls

Have a great holiday week next week, and now on with this week’s stories of interest:

Schwab Launches Advisor App for the iPhone® from Yahoo! Finance

[Finally, Schwab gets onboard with iOS devices and now has an app for iPhone. But wait: it doesn’t feature trading, it doesn’t have streaming financial news… well, it’s a good version 1.0, but advisers already have more functionality out of the apps from Fidelity (see Fidelity WealthCentral Mobile now available for iPad) and TD Ameritrade Institutional (see Exclusive look at Veo® Mobile app updates for iPad from TD Ameritrade Institutional’s Jon Patullo).] After a successful pilot, Charles Schwab announced today that it will roll out the first version of the new Schwab Advisor Center app for the iPhone. Starting today, independent investment advisors who custody assets with Schwab Advisor Services can download the app to view their clients’ account balances, positions and transactions, allowing them to easily tap into the real-time data they need from Schwab Advisor Center while on the go.

Smarsh Report Reveals Challenges in Oversight of Electronic Communications from Smarsh

[Smarsh knows a lot about compliance and archiving, having a commanding presence in the broker-dealer industry as well as a decent number of independent RIA clients. In this second update to its compliance survey, you can identify the hot topics that concern compliance professionals. Hint: Mobile, social, and website archiving are trouble spots for advisers.]  Smarsh®, the managed service leader in secure, innovative and reliable email archiving and compliance solutions, today released its second annual Electronic Communications Compliance Survey report, revealing the findings of a survey of compliance professionals in the financial services industry.

[VIDEO] Redtail CRM launches new mobile apps and makes them free to advisers

The leading web-based CRM provider overhauls its suite of mobile apps and eliminates its monthly charge for access

UPDATE 07/09/2012: Users can now download Redtail CRM from the Blackberry App World

In an announcement sent to users today, Redtail CRM announced the release of completely new mobile apps for use with iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices. All mobile apps can be downloaded for free and the company has eliminated the monthly access fee it used to charge for use of its mobile apps.

In the spotlight video below, Redtail Technology CEO Brian McLaughlin tells me about how the company developed the new apps in-house, focusing on the security of web streaming but preserving the speed and responsiveness of a native application.

“Redtail first released a mobile application for accessing Redtail CRM in 2009.  Since that initial release and through subsequent versions of Redtail Mobile, we have been fortunate enough to receive invaluable feedback from our subscribers as to what we can do to make the mobile experience of Redtail CRM better,” the company said in its statement.

Redtail’s existing mobile apps generally received lukewarm reviews in the various app stores. Most notably, users expressed dissatisfaction that an additional monthly access fee was charged to enable mobile device access to CRM data.

Today you can download Redtail CRM for iPhone/iPad in the App Store, for Android in the Google Play market, or from the Blackberry App World.

(watch Redtail CRM: Announcing new mobile apps for iOS, Android & Blackberry on YouTube)

My favorite road warrior accessory for advisers on the go

I travel a lot for business, between all the consulting, speaking, and interviewing I do.

I imagine I’m like most of you when it comes to traveling with electronic devices. My road bag holds an 11″ MacBook Air, new iPad, LG mobile phone, and all the power cords that go along.

One of my favorite road warrior accessories simplifies my problem of how to plug all of these devices in. It’s the portable travel outlet sold by The Container Store, and now through June 24, you can buy the outlet for $11.99, 20% off regular retail price.

Here are my favorite ways to use the outlet.

First, when you’re low on battery but can’t find an open outlet at the airport or coffee shop, kindly introduce yourself to another fellow road warrior who plugged in her device to a power outlet. Show her your outlet and ask, “Mind if we share?” I’ve never been turned down, and occasionally I strike up a conversation and get some networking out of the opportunity.

Second, while most hotel rooms have desks to work on, many offer just one power outlet. Others are entirely across the room, or worse, behind the nightstand that requires a complete furniture redesign to access. With the travel outlet, the one accessible outlet now becomes three, and I can plug in my MacBook, iPad, and phone without moving furniture.

I don’t get paid to recommend $12 travel outlets, but I suspect you’ll find this a slick addition to your own road bag!

 

FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 13

Wednesday’s post on client spoofing received tremendous response from readers and subscribers. Many of you shared your own stories of attempted client spoofing that was eventually detected, and several asked about practices that can be employed to increase the recognition of spoofing without overburdening back office staff and clients. I’m working on several follow up posts to break down examples and provide more information and resources advisers can use to be vigilant against spoofing.

And with that, let’s move on to this week’s stories of interest:

First up is this month’s Morningstar Advisor column, Laserfiche Offers Cloud Connectivity. This leading provider of on-premises document management software is now extending its product line to include a service delivered exclusively over the cloud. This makes the program, one that traditionally required large up-front costs, a more cost-effective option for advisers.

Advisers and iPads: Signs of a tipping point? from InvestmentNews.com

[You know all-too well that iPads are the tablet of choice among advisers. I have the following slide shown below in my iPad presentation showing how much traffic FPPad.com gets from the device. I get 53% from iPads, 27% from iPhone, 16% from Android and 4% for everything else. The FPPad adviser audience should be more tech-savvy than the broad InvestmentNews audience, and it shows! Thank you!] Roughly 36% of our mobile visits [to InvestmentNews.com] came from the iPad in March, compared with roughly 35% from the iPhone, which came in as No. 2 for mobile traffic sources.

 

2012 Is on Us: Egnyte Announces Box Buster Buyout Program from MarketWatch.com

[Advisers visit FPPad for information on cloud file storage services like Dropbox, ShareFile, and Box, but one that I haven’t specifically covered (though it’s on my resource radar) is Egnyte. This press release from the company features useful feedback from one Dallas-based RIA, True North Advisors, on how the solution satisfied the firm’s needs for security and easy deployment.] Egnyte, the leading provider of Cloud and HybridCloud File Sharing solutions for Businesses, today announced the Box Buster Buyout program. Aimed at businesses that are paying for Box accounts and found they’ve outgrown their usefulness, the Box Buster program allows paying Box customers to switch to a matching plan on Egnyte, at no cost for the duration of 2012 and free migration.

LogMeIn Prepares To Take On Dropbox & Box With Launch Of Cloud Storage Service Cubby from TechCrunch.com

[Like I said above, cloud file storage services are getting lots of attention from everywhere. Here’s yet another service from the folks at LogMeIn called Cubby to add to your list of potential resources.] LogMeIn, the company known best for its remote access tools, is today launching its own cloud storage service, as an alternative to those from Dropbox or Box, for example.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 6

At last, good content to share with you on financial planning technology from the last week! Here are this week’s stories of interest:

TD Ameritrade makes trading on iPads for RIAs available before mobile devices from RIABiz.com

[You found out Wednesday afternoon that TD Ameritrade Institutional rolled out an update to its Veo® Mobile app for iPad that includes trading, real-time client account access, and live streaming CNBC. In Brooke Southall’s article for RIABiz, he relates some clarity from Jon Patullo on why the company decided to support trading on the popular tablet.] Following the lead of Pershing LLC and Fidelity Investments but ahead of Schwab Advisor Services, TD Ameritrade Institutional is ma king it possible for advisors to place trades for mutual funds, ETFs and equities from chairlifts and hotel lobbies using iPads.

Mobile-Management from Financial Planning

[This is a decent short overview of a few apps with which advisers are finding success with clients. Included are goalgamiPro from Advisor Software (see my intervew on goalgami with ASI’s Neal Ringquist), AdvisorView from Tamarac, and mobile apps by Orion Advisor Services.] New and powerful planning tools lets advisors such as Betty Hedrick slash the time required for both nuts-and-bolts planning, as well as the once time-consuming transactional work of managing wealth.

Also note that AdvisorOne is starting a 10-part series by Actifi’s Spenser Segal on top technology trends for advisers. The first update is just an overview of what’s to come in the future, but it’s worthwhile taking note so you don’t miss subsequent updates in the future.

TD Ameritrade Institutional enchances Veo® Mobile with trading and real-time client account access

Advisers using the Veo®  Mobile app can trade and view client account information in real time

In a press release today, TD Ameritrade Institutional announced several enhancements to mobile apps it provides for the Veo® advisor platform.

Click here to read the press release (at Marketwatch.com)

If you recall my interview with Chris Valleley, Senior Manager of Technology Product Management, he mentioned that the trading interface would be opened up to partners through Veo® Open Access, including the company’s own iRebal rebalancing software provider. Now that same trading capability has been expanded to include mobile apps available to advisers who custody assets with TD Ameritrade Institutional.

In today’s release, Jon Patullo, Managing Director of Technology Product Management commented, “In today’s volatile economic environment, advisors need to be able to stay connected while on the go and have the ability to monitor markets and manage their business anytime, anywhere.”

However, not all advisors are on board with trading via mobile devices as noted in this recent RIABiz article, Why RIAs are shunning mobile apps and why Black Diamond, Orion, Fidelity and others are still placing their chips on an iPad future.

In some circumstances, advisers may find the trading functions too limited to submit bulk trades across all client accounts or to perform sophisticated rebalancing. On the other hand, being able to conduct one-off trades while away from the home office is very convenient, and is becoming a more frequent circumstance with advisers seeking productivity from mobile apps while on the road.

Veo® Mobile is available for download from the iTunes app store.

Video Spotlight: Fidelity Institutional head of technology Ed O’Brien on WealthCentral enhancements and mobile apps

Today’s video spotlight features a discussion with Ed O’Brien, Senior Vice President and head of technology for Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services.

O’Brien starts off with an update of the WealthCentral platform and the latest enhancements added by the company, addresses mobile apps and how advisers have adopted new interactivity, and finishes with e-signature options available for Fidelity’s partners.

(click here to view on YouTube)

FPPad Bits and Bytes for March 23

Sorry for the late delivery, but you’re not missing much this week. Once again, the feeds have been light in terms of financial planning technology news, so you can get an early start to the first weekend of spring!

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Why RIAs are shunning mobile apps and why Black Diamond, Orion, Fidelity and others are still placing their chips on an iPad future from RIABiz.com

[I’m holding my new iPad in my hands as we speak (and no, it’s not that hot), as are many advisers. But in terms of building and supporting custom mobile apps, or using those provided by custodians, advisers are just not on board in large numbers.] Despite the worldwide craze for mobile apps, RIAs are proving resistant to their lure.

2012 TechLeaders Conference: Unusual Format a Hit With Attendees, Vendors from AdvisorOne.com

[I attended this event and hope to have my review up next week. In the meantime, advisers generally don’t have much to fear in terms of technology competition from the majority of broker-dealer firms out there.] A rapid-fire slew of presentations opened the 2012 TechLeaders Broker-Dealer Technology Conference in Dallas on Tuesday. The conference featured 30 technology vendors presenting to broker-dealer executives and IT staffers.

RIA and Broker-Dealer Ameritas to Use Socialware for Compliance from Financial-Planning.com

[Two weeks ago it was Principal Financial Group selecting Actiance social archiving, this week it’s Ameritas and Socialware. Social media archiving companies are really taking advantage of this market and publicizing new relationships rapidly.] The more than 1,300 registered representatives and financial advisors at Ameritas Investment will now be able to breathe easy as they tweet — the RIA and broker-dealer just partnered with Socialware, a provider of social media compliance software.