Socialware Archives

FPPad Bits and Bytes for July 19

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

Another day, another rain storm in the Atlanta metro. Need some water? We have plenty!

While most of the country has baked under oppressive heat and humidity, Atlanta’s temperatures didn’t get above 90 degrees in all of 2013 until Wednesday this week! “Hotlanta?”

Summer is half over, so you have roughly six more weeks before the activity in your office picks up again as clients return from vacation. What have you accomplished so far for your technology goals of the year?

Here are this week’s top stories:

Banks that offer money management tools may have advantage over startups and software companies from PRNewswire.com

[I must admit, I am shocked by this research! Banks have an edge over companies like Mint and Personal Capital when it comes to likelihood to take action and trust? Ok, trust I can believe, since a “big” bank with brick and mortar assets has a tangible component to it, while online finance websites have nothing but a virtual storefront. But likelihood to take action? I would have guessed that Mint, Personal Capital, HelloWallet and others would certainly convert many more visitors to use their tools compared with the spartan tools of a big bank. I’m flat out wrong, according to this Change Sciences Group study.] Today leading web researchers Change Sciences Group (www.changesciences.com) released new research showing that banks may have an advantage over startups and software companies like Mint when it comes to providing financial tools which help consumers take control of their finances online.

YCharts: Bloomberg for the rest of us? from InvestmentNews.com

[If you are copying and pasting charts from Yahoo! Finance into your client reports, I think you are making a mistake. Here’s an affordable alternative from YCharts that let’s you scan over 17,000 equities and sort by over 3,000 individual metrics to create the charts of your dreams. At $199/month (plus 20% off if you buy a full year), it’s significantly cheaper than the competition from Bloomberg.] When it comes to getting real-time or near-real-time stock or other equity data there are two ends of the spectrum.

Hear That? It’s Your Financial Adviser Tweeting from the New York Times

[Financial institutions just don’t get it. Canned tweets don’t work. If you’re an adviser, I don’t think your audience really cares that much about random facts on Federal holidays. What I think they (your audience) DO care about is information that helps solve their problems or helps them learn something new they can actually use. And guess what? You can’t provide that level of value with prescreened, canned tweets from Hearsay Social, Socialware, Actiance, or anyone else providing scripted content.] Judging by his Facebook page, it would seem that Jeffrey E. Blum experienced a surge of patriotic inspiration around July 4. Mr. Blum, a financial adviser, posted no fewer than 12 updates with good wishes and trivia about the holiday.

Arbor Point Fills Gap for Independent Advisors from Businesswire.com

[First there was Pinnacle Advisory Solutions, an outsourced investment management program and back office solution provider designed to lighten the management load of the average RIA firm. Now Securities America has partnered with Orion Advisor Services to launch Arbor Point Advisors, an SEC-registered corporate RIA with no allegiance to any one custodian. Much of the software available today allows RIAs to be custodian agnostic, but now advisors can also benefit from regulatory registration and compliance support that I assume will be provided in some fashion by Arbor Point Advisors.] Arbor Point Advisors LLC, a new SEC registered investment advisory firm, intends to fill the gap for advisors seeking the freedom of the independent advisory model and a choice of custodians without the need to form their own registered investment advisory firm.

And if you want to read the best material in financial planning knowledge and information over the weekend, click or tap the button below to head over to Michael Kitces’ Nerd’s Eye View blog and see the latest in Weekend Reading.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for June 15

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

Want to see a very slick website update? Check out the new page for Orion Advisor Services, LLC, just launched yesterday. Tip: There’s an easter egg or two on the site. Can you find them?

Also, don’t miss this month’s Morningstar Advisor column, One Tool With Six-Figure Savings Potential.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Orion Releases Orion Connect On Salesforce.com’s AppExchange, The App Marketplace For The Social Enterprise from Reuters

[I told you about Orion Connect back in April. Here’s the official announcement from the company, which is a strategy I believe will continue to accelerate the prevalence of salesforce.com in most adviser offices.] Orion Advisor Services, LLC, a premier portfolio accounting service provider, today announced that its new Orion Connect application is available on salesforce.com’s AppExchange, the app marketplace for the social enterprise.

Advisor Websites Turns Ten and Launches New Website from AdvisorWebsites.com

[When I interviewed Advisor Websites Co-founder and CEO Bart Wisniowski, I had no idea the company was about to turn ten years old. In recognition of this milestone, the company is offering discounted pricing if you sign up for a new website by the end of June. Strike while the iron is hot, right? (I do not get paid for any of this; I just like the quality of work they deliver for advisers)] Advisor Websites, a leading web-based software used by financial professionals to create and manage compliant websites, turned 10 this week and is pleased to mark this special event with the launch of its newly redesigned website.

Account Aggregation Would Help Financial Advisors Provide Better Advice, Reveals Fiserv Survey from MarketWatch.com

[Clearly you have a lot to gain by embracing account aggregation in your business. You see nearly all of your clients’ investable assets, not just those held at your custodian, and you can increase revenue if you include held-away assets in your billing and service models. Most of you already know that aggregation isn’t widely used, with 3 of 4 surveyed advisers acknowledging they don’t, but I just wish data from Fiserv’s CashEdge Divison was reconciliation-ready out of the box.] Fiserv, Inc., a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced the results of its annual financial advisor survey. The survey revealed that financial advisors currently lack access to the aggregated account data needed to provide them with a complete view of their clients’ finances, which could impact advisors’ ability to provide holistic guidance.

The financial adviser’s quick guide to social media archiving from InvestmentNews

[Need a quick roundup of six providers of social media archiving? Here’s a succinct list. However, Smarsh deserves a mention as they’re #1 among broker-dealers according to a recent survey by Beacon Strategies] Social media is an incredibly fun and effective way to engage with millions of people online. Along with the excitement, however, is the perceived buzz kill—FINRA and SEC compliance standards.

FinovateSpring 2012 highlights for independent financial advisers: Day 1

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Bill Winterberg in Conferences

I’m attending FinovateSpring 2012 today and tomorrow. When I have a chance, I’ll update FPPad with items independent financial advisers will want to add to their radar.

(updated 3:34PM PDT – final update of the day)

Smart Expense™ from Concur simplifies travel expense reporting with TripIt integration from FPPad.com

[Again, here’s another option to facilitate expense report generation, especially if you are an existing TripIt user, Smart Expense from Concur. The disadvantage is there’s a monthly fee for TripIt Pro, but people on Twitter swear by it, so appears worthwhile. SmartExpense from Concur is free.] While you’re traveling, Concur’s mobile travel & expense app helps you stay on the ball. Need to change a flight, book a hotel or rental car, or even hail and pay for a taxi? Concur’s mobile app puts the ability to do all this in the palm of your hand.

(updated 2:41PM PDT)

SaveUp Helps Banks Gamify Consumer Saving from Finovate.com

[Do you have clients that just aren’t meeting their savings goals? Maybe they need to make savings a game. SaveUp takes the basic human desire for positive reward reinforcement by allocating special credits for doing the right things, then those credits can be redeemed for prizes and contest drawings.] First on stage in today’s final session, SaveUp demonstrated how financial institutions can use its platform to instill positive saving habits in members.

(updated 11:34AM PDT)

iQuantifi helps clients optimize and prioritize financial goals in real time from FPPad.com

[Unbeknownst to me prior to today, iQuantifi is an online goal-planning and illustration tool built by Franklin, Tenn.-based financial planner Tom White. Its goal is to “help people identify, prioritize, and achieve their financial goals.” It has a very appealing goals-based interface with an interactive timeline users can use to click and drag goals and see what happens to goal planning in real time. The product is in a private alpha, but you can sign up for their enewsletter to stay informed of product updates. Here’s the Finovate blog entry.]

(updated 11:05AM PDT)

Actiance Helps Financial Institutions and Advisors Track Social Media Activity from Finovate.com

[FPPad readers should be well aware of Actiance and their social media archiving services (among others) for advisers. They presented at FinovateSpring 2012 to gain more exposure in regulated industries. Socialware, Arkovi, Erado, et. al., are you listening?] Wrapping up the first session, Actiance showed how financial institutions can encourage consumer engagement without compromising their brand.

Personal Capital announces iPhone app, Universal Checkbook from tuaw.com

[Personal Capital is known for its free iPad app offered directly to consumers. At FinovateSpring 2012, the company announced the release of an iPhone app and also Universal Checkbook, a way to link a checking account to Personal Capital and use it to send payments to almost anyone. How’s that for integration?] Personal Capital also announced a new feature in the iPhone app that is not part of their iPad app — the Universal Checkbook.

Expensify Trips Aims to Make Travelling Easier from FinovateSpring.com

[Travel a lot to adviser conferences? Expensify might save you tons of time by linking photos of your receipts while traveling with your trip itinerary, generating an expense report in real time.] Expensify showed how its Trips platform makes travelling easier by helping you get a head start on processing travel receipts:

FPPad Bits and Bytes for March 23

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

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.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for November 4

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

Wow, what a packed week at Schwab IMPACT! Still, I took time out of my schedule to assemble this week’s top articles in financial adviser technology (and there are plenty!).

First, if you continue to seek guidance regarding online document storage solutions (like Dropbox, SugarSync, et. al.), read my column in November’s Journal of Financial Planning, Evaluating Online Document Storage.

Then, catch my coverage of IMPACT in these two posts:

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Evolution of Orion from FA-mag.com

[Orion made a series of waves in the technology ocean back in August, which I covered in a series of posts. Here Joel Bruckenstien summarizes how Orion has put some serious pressure on technology providers in the independent adviser market.] Orion Advisor Services LLC is a firm that seemingly flies under the radar of many financial advisors. Orion’s journey from a service bureau start-up to technology innovator has been anything but typical.

Integration Key to Tech Advantage from AdvisorOne.

[You hear this over and over: integrated solutions can offer big time and cost savings. But at least Eric Clarke, president of Orion Advisor Solutions, provides good rules of thumb for advisers seeking new solutions.] Technology is a pervasive part of any industry and one that is constantly changing. One of the keys for advisors to maintain a comprehensive, efficient technology solution is integration.

New Raymond James Social Media Platform Lets Advisors Use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter from AdvisorOne.com

[Erado and Socialware have been the beneficiaries of several broker-dealer engagements as of late, but here comes Actiance making news with its deal with Raymond James.] Raymond James has just implemented a new social media platform from Actiance that will allow the broker-dealer to use social media sites including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter while complying with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) regulations.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for August 19

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

While August may mean a typical slowdown in client activity for advisors, I’ve had one of my busiest week’s yet. I’m working on my second contribution for the Journal of Financial Planning (to be published in November), conducting research for September’s Morningstar Advisor column, creating content for Blueleaf, and creating two new slide decks for presentations coming up in September and October.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Financial Advisors Putting Client Data in “The Clouds” from RegisteredRep.com

[Jude is a good friend and I’m pleased to see this interview about how he runs his new practice almost entirely in the cloud.] When Jude Boudreaux launched his solo practice, Upperline Financial Planning in September, he headed for the clouds. There’s no server, no software upgrades, no technology manager — just him, his MacBook Air and a home office.

Cabinet NG Introduces Industry First Features With CNG-WEB 8 from Marketwire.com

[The battle in document management for financial advisers continues. Cabinet NG steps it up with increased support for web and mobile access to documents stored in its hefty repositories.] Cabinet NG, provider of document management and workflow management software, today announced a new version of CNG-WEB, its browser-based document management interface. This release marks the latest step in the company’s strategy to make documents available to authorized users securely at any time, from anywhere.

Socialware raises $7 million from Statesman.com

[Social media compliance services are getting serious. Many companies are now entering a period of strong growth, including Socialware, which has nearly tripled its staff in less than a year.] Software developer will use funding for research and development, adding staff.

Schwab Intelligent Integration Begins Pilot Phase from Financial Advisor magazine

[Schwab IMPACT is about 2 months away. Will SII’s platform be ready for primetime with all advisers by then?] Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. has completed beta testing of its custom Salesforce integration, and is entering the pilot testing phase.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for June 17

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

Now that summer is here (where it won’t go below 75 degrees here in Dallas for another two months), the typical slowdown is upon us. I’m taking the opportunity to focus on several projects that I put off this spring and build up a library of topics for future blog posts and columns.

So is there something you’re dying to learn about in the financial adviser technology world? Perhaps a vendor tool or web-based productivity plugin? Contact me and let me know. I get my best content from advisers like you.

Now on to this week’s stories of interest:

An adviser dives into video stream from InvestmentNews.com

Davis Janowski had a hard time tracking down advisers using video and screen sharing software with clients and prospects. But when he identified one, he learned of the many ways this technology is helping one adviser grow his business.

What one big RIA has to say about its switch from Advent Axys to Advent Portfolio Exchange from RIABiz.com

How much better is APX over Axys, and it is good enough for a firm to want to stay on Advent’s platform? Read about one firm’s process of evaluating their options and APX conversion experience.

Think your millionaire clients aren’t e-media savvy? Think again from InvestmentNews.com

[Bill’s note: You shouldn’t be surprised by the results in Fidelity’s survey. The question is, what are you doing to deliver service to clients over their preferred media?] According to a Fidelity Investments survey released today, 85% of millionaires use or are willing to use electronic media, such as e-mail, social-media sites and text messaging, compared with only 43% of financial advisers and brokers.

SEI Quick Poll: 1 in 4 Top Financial Advisors Use Electronic Tablets for Client and Prospect Meetings from Marketwire.com

According to a survey of 150 top financial advisors at SEI’s National Strategic Advisor Conference in May, one in four respondents indicated they currently use electronic tablets for client and prospect meetings. Additionally, nearly half (46 percent) of advisors are thinking about using electronic tablets for work.

Securities America Jumps on the Social Media Bandwagon from RegisteredRep.com

[Socialware will be Securities America’s compliance technology solution] During its National Conference in Orlando, Fla., this week, independent broker/dealer Securities America announced its new social media program, which will allow all of its 1,800 reps to access and post content on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter in mid-July, said Leia Farmer, deputy chief compliance officer.

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FPPad Bits and Bytes for June 15

FPPad Bits and Bytes for March 23

FPPad Bits and Bytes for November 4

FPPad Bits and Bytes for August 19

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