Tag Archives: Technology Tools for Today

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

 

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 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.

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!

Tweets and Blogs from T3 (Tech Tools for Today Conference)

Posted on February 26, 2009 by in Practice Management

The Technology Tools for Today Conference (T3) kicks off today at the Dallas InterContinental Hotel in Addison, TX.  Due to scheduling conflicts, I’m not able to attend, but I will be able to stay on top of the action at the conference through blogs and people I follow on Twitter.

Here are some useful links to keep up to date on T3 events.

Blogs

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