Tag Archives: redblack

Tech Alley Tour with John Connor at Schwab IMPACT® 2018

Posted on November 7, 2018 by in Conferences, Technology

From Schwab IMPACT® 2018, I connected with John Connor, Vice President of Digital Advisor Solutions for Schwab Advisor Services to tour the “Tech Alley” section of The Exchange exhibit hall.

Watch the Tech Alley Tour on Youtube: https://youtu.be/V4oW-JO1nv0

We toured seven of the technology providers exhibiting during IMPACT® 2018, including:

IMPACT® 2018 coverage sponsored by Envestnet | Tamarac. Sign up for a demo at http://www.fppad.com/tamarac

Music: Hysterical by Strength to Last, licensed via Soundstripe: https://soundstripe.grsm.io/billwinterberg

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 22

Posted on February 22, 2013 by in Bits & Bytes

The Mobile Adviser, debuting at FPA Business Solutions 2013, March 7-9, Chicago

The Mobile Adviser, debuting at FPA Business Solutions 2013, March 7-9, Chicago

My latest slide deck is finally complete. It’s titled The Mobile Adviser: Everything financial advisers need to know to be safe, connected, and productive in the Mobile Age.

I’m debuting The Mobile Adviser at FPA Business Solutions 2013 in Chicago on March 7-9, so register for the conference here to be among the first to see it.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

HiddenLevers Launches Portfolio Stress Testing App to Help Advisors Generate Leads from MarketWire.com

[Highlighted in my update from T3 (see: T3 2013: Top technology to put on your radar), HiddenLevers officially announced their lead generation add-on component to portfolio stress testing. Check out http://rca-online.com/ and click the button on the right-hand column to see this in action. I think it’s a great feature.] HiddenLevers, the portfolio stress testing toolkit of choice for RIAs, Private Wealth and Family Offices, launches a lead-gen application to help Advisors promote their portfolio stress testing capabilities.

Which Portfolio Rebalancing Software is Right for You? from WMToday

[Craig Iskowitz, Managing Director and founder of Ezra Group, has been a part of the financial planning technology blogosphere since February 2009, but I only just encountered his content. If you’re not following Craig (@CraigIskowitz on Twitter) or subscribing to his content, consider doing so. Craig also attended T3 last week and provides a great two-part recap of the rebalancing software panel discussion. If you’re in the market for rebalancing software or want to see how yours compares with new entrants in the market, Craig’s coverage is a must read.] This is a summary of panel discussion from the Tools and Technology Today (T3) Conference that took place February 11-13, 2013 in Miami, FL.

Your Tweets Are More Important Than Your Résumé from BusinessInsider.com

[I’m branching out a bit here with an interesting take on the résumé of the future. Here’s a company that isn’t taking traditional résumés for a job opening (granted, they’re hiring a “six-figure senior social media position”), but rather considering social metrics like Klout score, active Twitter followers, and more. If you’re hiring, do you take social influence into account? And what if your top candidate has significant social influence, do you think that’s actually a risk to your organization?] By now, many employers think that who you are online is more revealing of your character than a résumé. Some companies have decided to stop accepting paper résumés altogether.

Portfolio Pathway and Redtail Technology announce integration from PortfolioPathway.com

[Portfolio Pathway is now in my watch list as another web-based portfolio reporting solution. Their straightforward pricing on top of the typical account aggregation, client portal, and custom report features should be attractive to up-and-coming RIAs as well as breakaway brokers looking for a light footprint when they start out on their own. This announcement of a Redtail CRM integration is also a good sign of collaboration with the industry’s leading software providers.] Portfolio Pathway, the web-based portfolio management system, announced today they have completed integration development with Redtail Technology’s innovative web-based Client Relationship Management (CRM) solution. Advisors using Redtail will be able to view all account data from Portfolio Pathway.

RedBlack Integration with Scottrade® Advisor Services from RedBlackSoftware.com

[Increasing integrations is the best way for any financial services technology provider to gain wider adoption. Here, growing rebalancing software provider RedBlack now connects with Scottrade to retrieve account information from the no-minimum-assets-required custodian. According to RedBlack Chief Software Architect Roel Vlemmings, this marks the company’s 22nd integration with a 3rd party provider.] RedBlack Software today announced the successful integration with Scottrade® Advisor Services. Registered Investment Advisors that custody with Scottrade® Advisory Services can now seamlessly import their portfolio data into RedBlack, use the RedBlack platform to rebalance and trade client accounts and households, and submit trades to Scottrade® for execution.

1st Global Announces New Partnership with AppCrown LLC from 1stGlobal.com

[Very interesting! Having lived in Dallas for three years, 1st Global had a good footprint with regional (and national, too) CPAs and wealth management firms seeking technology solutions from an affinity partner. Now, AppCrown’s Salesforce ISV platform (see: Salesforce for financial advisers solicits bipolar reactions; AppCrown attempts to resolve disjointed CRM) will be rolled out to all of 1st Global’s 400 affiliated firms by the end of the year.] 1st Global, a research and consulting partner of select CPA and wealth management firms, and AppCrown LLC announce a strategic partnership to deploy a cloud-based solution that delivers client relationship management, straight-through processing and business cycle management for wealth management clients.

Preview files in Google Drive from GoogleDrive

[You have dozens of choices among cloud file storage services, including Google Drive. Subtle features differentiate the services, and since you’re trying to be as efficient and productive as possible, you shouldn’t waste time trying to preview documents stored in the cloud. In a race to match file preview features present in other services, Google Drive now offers preview for roughly 30 file types.] It may sound obvious, but sometimes the best way to find something is to start looking. Beginning today, Google Drive will let you quickly preview more than 30 file types and quickly flip between files until you find the one you want.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 1

Posted on February 1, 2013 by in Bits & Bytes

With the TD Ameritrade Institutional 2013 National Conference wrapping up today, I got a late start on aggregating the best tech news from around the industry this week.

Nevertheless, you still have Saturday and Sunday to review this week’s stories of interest:

On Guard: Stopping Data Thieves from Financial-Planning.com

[This is a video filmed at the TD Ameritrade conference right after I presented about hacking and spoofing attacks targeted at financial advisers. I cover some of the popular schemes out there and a few clever ways to authenticate the identity of your clients.] Tech consultant Bill Winterberg recommends steps to help protect clients from hacking, phishing and spoofing.

TD Ameritrade adds iRebal to the cloud and offers it for free to affiliated advisers from FPPad.com

[The big tech news out of TD Ameritrade’s conference was the announcement that iRebal will soon be free for advisers who custody with TD Ameritrade, and the software will be delivered over the cloud.] TD Ameritrade’s rebalancing software will soon be available online via the cloud and at no additional cost to affiliated advisers.

RedBlack Software Announces First Third-Party Rebalance Solution and Trading Integration with TD Ameritrade Institutional’s Veo® Platform from PRWeb.com

[Yes, TD will soon offer iRebal for free to advisers, but that doesn’t mean all advisers are going to use it. There are still other rebalancing solutions out there are a variety of price points with different functionality. So here’s a move from RedBlack to get onboard with Veo Open Access and streamline trading for advisers using a multi-custodial rebalancing system.] RedBlack Software, LLC, the largest independent provider of portfolio rebalancing software for the investment management industry, today announced the successful integration with TD Ameritrade Institutional through their Veo® platform.

TD Ameritrade adds iRebal to the cloud and offers it for free to affiliated advisers

Posted on January 31, 2013 by in Software, Technology

TD Ameritrade’s rebalancing software will soon be available online via the cloud and at no additional cost to affiliated advisers.

In a press release today, TD Ameritrade Institutional announced that it will soon offer its proprietary iRebal® portfolio rebalancing software directly through the cloud. Also, advisers who custody assets with the custodian can access the web-based version of iRebal for free.

The new version of iRebal will be integrated with TD Ameritrade Institutional’s Veo® adviser platform (see: TD Ameritrade Institutional’s Veo® Open Access to enhance trading, fee billing, and client on-boarding processes), giving advisers access to powerful rebalancing software once reserved for desktop or server installations.

“With iRebal in Veo, advisers can reduce weeks-long processes down to minutes, putting them in a better position to pursue potential opportunities, react to changing market conditions and ultimately provide more valuable service to their clients,” said Tom Nally, president, TD Ameritrade Institutional, in the press release.

Although I have no official metrics, iRebal seemed to have leveled off in its growth of new users, so this move will no doubt put the software package back on the growth track.

Not only that, but eliminating the cost of the software for advisers who custody with TD Ameritrade Institutional should attract a significant number of the company’s 4,500 RIA custody clients.

Because of its high cost of ownership, rebalancing software has historically been within reach of only the largest RIAs.

Now with no fee, iRebal in the cloud puts significant pressure on vendors such as Tamarac, RedBlack, TRX, BlazePortfolio, and more.

The desktop version of iRebal will still be sold to “well-established” advisers, according to the press release, with pricing of a one-time $10,000 implementation fee and AUM-based pricing starting at $20,000.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for August 24

Posted on August 24, 2012 by in Bits & Bytes

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Advent and RedBlack Join Forces to Offer Rebalancing Solution to Investment Management Professionals from MarketWire.com

[Not one to avoid integrations, Advent is starting to respond to the competitive landscape by supporting connections to third party providers, too. Here’s the latest partnership with portfolio rebalancer RedBlack, solidifying Advent as an end-to-end portfolio management solution when coupled with previously-acquired Black Diamond (see Advent Purchases Black Diamond Performance Reporting for Approximately $73 Million).] Advent Software, Inc., a leading provider of software and services for the global investment management industry, and RedBlack Software, LLC, the largest independent provider of portfolio rebalancing software for the investment management industry, today announce that the two companies have entered into an alliance agreement to improve client use of best of breed solutions and have completed full integration between Advent Portfolio Exchange(R) (APX) and Axys(R) platforms, and RedBlack’s portfolio rebalancing solutions.

Mikogo Releases HTML5 Screen Sharing for Faster Online Meetings from PRWeb.com

[I’m very critical of online meeting software these days, particularly of certain tools that casual Internet users find too cumbersome to use. Mikogo’s been highlighted on FPPad before (see BeamYourScreen Releases Mikogo 4.0 Beta, Adds New Features), and now the company has simplified its application for end users, as they no longer need to download and install a helper application prior to joining a meeting.] A leader in online meeting technology, Mikogo has today announced the release of a major update to its award-winning HTML Viewer with the incorporation of the new HTML5 standard for Internet browsers into the software. The HTML Viewer is a 100% browser-based way for participants to join online meetings and this new release built on HTML5 technology provides users with faster screen sharing,several new features and is multilingual.

With $4 Billion In Assets Under Wraps, FutureAdvisor Raises Another $5 Million From Sequoia Capital from TechCrunch.com

[FPPad readers know of FutureAdvisor and its free 401(k) aggregation tools for consumers (see: FutureAdvisor co-founder Bo Lu at FinovateSpring 2012). Just four months after releasing its tools to the public, the company completed a $5 million Series A round. The stakes continue to raise in this direct-to-investor advice trend.] FutureAdvisor has raised a $5 million Series A round from Sequoia Capital to accelerate its growth, and it’s also rolling out a new tool to help users save on fees in their 401(k) portfolio.

LPL Helps Advisors Use Social Media Compliantly from Financial-Planning.com

[If you’re still on the fence about whether to use social media, broker-dealer LPL has useful guidance in this article from Financial Planning. However, I find the ‘Yes’/’No’ format a little strange. Note that much of the social media compliance for LPL is handled by Erado (see: Six More Designate Erado as Their Social Media Compliance Provider).] Run by a firm called Erado, LPL’s social media compliance service costs $180 a year for its advisors to use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (that’s $60 for each platform). It archives all social media communication for potential review by regulators.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 10

Posted on February 10, 2012 by in Bits & Bytes

Relatively speaking, it’s been a quiet week. It’s my first full week home in Dallas with no traveling or conference appearances, but I’ve had a big backlog of work and writing waiting for me. Much of what I did this week was edit video interviews recorded at last week’s TD Ameritrade Institutional conference. Be sure to check those out using the link below.

First up in this week’s Bits and Bytes is my February column for Morningstar Advisor, Embracing the Cloud. Think you can’t ditch the servers that run all your in-house software? Think again.

Next is coverage from last weeks’ TD Ameritrade Institutional 2012 National Conference:

View my three-part Video Spotlight series, filmed on location at the conference, then review my thoughts on electronic signature options being rolled out to advisers.

TD Ameritrade brings some Florida heat to the RIA winter from RIABiz.com

[Guest columnist Tim Welsh does a good job capturing the major themes at the custodian’s annual conference.] Building on the growing momentum of its RIA custody business, TD impressed the crowd with high-profile keynote speakers, a technology showcase, practice management gurus, elegant parties and a legendary 1970’s-era disco band.

Tech Execs Look to the Future: TD Ameritrade Conference from AdvisorOne.com

[Some of the big players in technology participated in a good panel discussion on how today’s innovations are laying the framework for exciting functionality in the future. A quick read with great quotes from the panelists.] A gathering of executives from up-and-coming, as well as established, technology companies sat with AdvisorOne at the TD Ameritrade conference in Orlando Friday morning for a discussion of the state of advisor technology, integration and where the innovation is likely headed next.

Finally, this week’s stories of interest:

Data Standards Elusive from InvestmentNews.com

[Those seeking background on common data standards and integration need only look to the mobile phone industry to witness a scrambled approach to common standards. There’s iOS, Android, WebOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and on and on. So really, why should the financial services industry be at all interested in developing a common standard? My take: the winner will be the one with the first mover advantage. Today, that nod goes to TD Ameritrade Institutional’s Veo Open Access initiative.] Getting a fragmented industry to agree on a common framework may be impossible.

New version of Laser App hits industry from InvestmentNews.com

[Generating paperwork is one of those seemingly unavoidable consequences of running a financial advisory business. But with more electronic form automation and e-signature acceptance by custodians, paperwork might soon go the way of the dinosaur.] One of the great quests in the advisory industry is the desire for straight through processing of forms, preferably digital forms that make printed paperwork a thing of the past.

 

FPPad Bits and Bytes for November 12

Posted on November 12, 2010 by in Bits & Bytes

We had all-day working sessions with clients from Monday through Wednesday, but that didn’t stop us from collecting this week’s stories of interest:

Eight software vendors give insider accounts of their IMPACT 2010 booth experiences from RIABiz.com

Non-stop booth traffic — including visits from giant RIAs — suggests advisors came to Boston in a code-buying mood

Pershing believes its case for NetX360 as the Apple equivalent for advisors is solid from RIABiz.com

Fifteen months after launching what’s arguably the most ambitious technology platform in the market, Pershing’s NetX360 has lured 96% of the company’s 110,000 users to adopt the new technology.

For Intelligent Integration, X Marks The Spot, this month’s technology column at Morningstar Advisor.

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.