Tag Archives: united capital

Marcus by Goldman Sachs acquires Clarity Money: Flash briefing for April 16, 2018

Here are the links to today’s top stories.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs® Announces Acquisition of Clarity Money from Businesswire.com

United Capital Makes FinLife Platform Compatible with Other CRMs from Wealthmanagement.com

NorthStar Financial Agrees to Acquire FTJ FundChoice from Businesswire.com

Orion Advisor Services is one of my consulting clients. See my full disclosures at fppad.com/disclaimer

Welcome to the FPPad fintech briefing, I’m back from spring break, so here are the top fintech stories you need to know today

Marcus by Goldman Sachs® Acquires Clarity Money

Goldman Sachs, one of the largest investment banks in the world, is becoming a bigger player in the personal financial management space as it just completed its acquisition of a budgeting app called Clarity Money. First reported by Bloomberg back in February, the acquisition rolls in Clarity Money’s one million users into Goldman Sachs’ direct to consumer financial services brand that goes by the name Marcus, which currently offers no-fee fixed rate personal loans and high-yield savings accounts to consumers.

Terms of the the deal were not disclosed, but Clarity Money reportedly raised $14.5 million dollars in two rounds from its investors since 2016 according to data from Crunchbase.

United Capital Financial Advisors Introduces FinLife CX

United Capital Financial Advisors, the nationwide $20 billion dollar rollup firm, announced an update to its FinLife technology platform called FinLife CX that will allow financial advisers to use the proprietary platform without having to migrate from the CRM software they already use. Introduced in mid-2016, the FinLife platform heavily leverages Salesforce and the Heroku cloud development platform, so advisers traditionally had to convert their existing CRM data to Salesforce in the first few months of adopting the FinLife platform. With the introduction of FinLife CX, United Capital hopes to reach a wider segment of advisers interested in the the firm’s consolidated portfolio reporting, client portal, and advisor dashboard tools.

Orion Advisor Services Parent Company Acquires FTJ FundChoice

And finally, Orion Advisor Services is in the news once again as its parent company, NorthStar Financial, announced the acquisition of FTJ FundChoice, a turnkey asset management firm with approximately $10 billion in assets under administration. The deal will allow Orion to complement its technology platform with a mature asset management provider under a single contract and service agreement. For more information on the acquisition, I connected with Orion Advisor Services CEO Eric Clarke:

Thank you Bill. At NorthStar and especially at Orion, we’re excited to announce the acquisition of a decade-long client partner of ours, FTJ FundChoice. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Dean Cook and his team to bring FTJ’s managed account capabilities to our Orion advisors and enterprise-level prospects.

Orion Advisor Services is one of my consulting clients, so visit fppad.com/disclaimer for my full conflict of interest disclosure, and visit fppad.com/flashbriefing to get the links to all of today’s top stories.

I’m Bill Winterberg, and those are your fintech headlines for today from FPPad.com. Check back in with me later for more fintech news.

 

FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 29, 2016

On today’s broadcast, Redtail is the beneficiary of two announcements, MoneyGuidePro releases G4, and see the latest audio and video solutions to enhance your online content

So get ready, FPPad Bits and Bytes begins now!

(WatchFPPad Bits and Bytes on YouTube)

Today’s episode is brought to you by Kaleido, introducing their new flexible marketing services that turn your marketing plan into action.

kaleido 620

Learn how Kaleido can help you implement the marketing projects you’ve been putting off by visiting fppad.com/kaleido.

Here are the links to this week’s top stories:

Morningstar and Redtail Technology Announce Expanded Agreement, Adding Redtail’s Robust CRM Functionality to Morningstar Office for Financial Advisors from PRNewswire, and

Zapier integration with Redtail CRM is now available from Redtail Technology

[This week’s top story is a two-for-one about Redtail Technology, as the CRM provider was first mentioned by Morningstar as the company is further expanding its integration with the popular CRM for advisors. Two years ago, Redtail users started accessing Morningstar research and analytics directly in the CRM, and with the latest integration, users of both solutions can transfer data between the two systems, reducing the amount of manual data entry as well as synchronizing client and account data viewed in Redtail CRM.

The second story from Redtail is the announcement of a new integration with Zapier, a popular web automation application. The connection with Zapier means that Redtail users can use triggers in Redtail, such as a new activity or a new contact in the CRM, to create an action in another program, which includes over 500 popular services like Slack, Google Docs, MailChimp and many more.

Other providers, including Wealthbox CRM, have been hinting at soon-to-be-released integrations with Zapier and others for several months now.
So if you’ve been frustrated with the lack of direct integrations within your CRM, you’ll soon be able to build your own custom trigger and action workflows using apps like Zapier.] Redtail CRM is now available publicly in Zapier’s App Directory in beta version.

PIEtech, Inc. Releases 4th Generation of MoneyGuidePro – Helping Firms Deliver Higher Quality Plans in a Scalable Manner from PRWeb

[Next up is news from MoneyGuidePro, as the financial planning software provider officially released the fourth generation of its software, aptly named G4. Advisors will definitely notice an updated look and feel to the user interface, but G4 largely retains many of the core features present in the prior version, G3, such as the Play Zone, Social Security Maximization, and the What Are You Afraid Of? modules.

One of the more significant changes is the addition of five pre-built workflows called “conversations” which are used to streamline the creation of an initial financial plan. Advisors can complete the conversation data entry alone or together with clients in a meeting, or decide to grant clients access to an online portal where they enter data completely on their own.

The pre-built workflows limit the amount of data needed to create a plan so that the entire process isn’t overly tedious. With a preliminary plan created, advisors can then drill down into more specific areas of the plan.] PIEtech’s vision, “Everyone needs and deserves a quality financial plan,” has never been truer – for both advisors and clients. Today, PIEtech released the fourth generation of MoneyGuidePro® to help financial advisors develop and deliver quality financial plans on an unprecedented scale.

Watch the G4 video tutorial on the MoneyGuidePro website.

FPPad Coverage from the 2016 NAB Show on YouTube

[And finally, I want to wrap up this week’s broadcast with a heads up about the videos Steve and I made at the NAB Show last week. We featured the top video, audio, and technology gadgets, as well as whatever that thing is, from over 1,800 exhibitors that you can use to start making your own online content. You’ll learn about 360º cameras, wireless microphones, lighting, production resources and more that are all affordable and easy for you to use.]

Here are stories that didn’t make this week’s broadcast:

Quovo and Vanare Partner to Help Financial Firms Provide Better Client Experience from PRNewswire

Advisors striving to improve the client experience by providing offerings tailored to their entire financial picture can now seamlessly aggregate their client’s data into a fully customized online wealth management platform.

Data Points Releases Its Behavioral Finance Assessment Platform from PRWeb

Data Points announced today the release of its Predicting Wealth™ platform, which provides the financial services industry a scientific way to identify clients with the highest potential for building wealth across all market segments. The platform delivers analytics on the financial behaviors of clients and predictive assessments to drive financial success.

United Capital Announces FinLife Partners: a White Label of Firm’s Integrated Advice, Investment Management, Technology and Coaching for Advisers from BusinessWire

Today, United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC (“United Capital”), a Financial Life Management firm, announces the launch of FinLife Partners, a turnkey advice and planning platform that allows independent advisers access to the firm’s proprietary Financial Life Management system, including adviser-branded client experience tools, digital workflow technology and personalized on-demand coaching.

SEC Warns More Cyber Enforcement Actions Coming from Nasdaq.com

The SEC has a long to-do list, but ensuring that advisors and other registrants are protecting clients’ sensitive information from cyber threats is right at the top, and more enforcement actions are expected.

PayPal leads $30 million round in Acorns investing app from TechCrunch

Acorns, the investing app, is announcing a $30 million strategic investment from PayPal, with participation from the Rakuten FinTech Fund. This brings the team’s total funding to $62 million.

Katch is shutting down May 4th from Katch

After 12 months of building the best way to save and discover mobile live streams, it is with great disappointment that we must announce that Katch will be shutting down.

Docupace Announces Independence from RCS Capital (RCAP) from BusinessWire

Docupace Technologies LLC, financial services’ premier digital compliance and cyber security company, announced today that it will pursue growth independently of investment from RCS Capital Corporation

 

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 29, 2016

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 29, 2016

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 19

On today’s broadcast, Riskalyze announces its new Check-Ins feature, eMoney Advisor shows off its new client experience, Fidelity offers a preview of its new Wealthscape™ platform, and TD Ameritrade Institutional tells me when you can expect Veo One.

So get ready, FPPad Bits and Bytes begins now!

(Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes on YouTube)

Today’s episode is brought to you by eMoney Advisor, providers of a leading ADVISOR-CENTRIC wealth-planning portal.

eMoney Advisor

eMoney just introduced an enhanced client experience, incorporating many of the features investors find most compelling about digital advice platforms – like automation, intuitive design, ease-of-use, and more, helping you deliver an unmatched client experience. For more information on eMoney’s brand new client portal, visit fppad.com/emoneyadvisor

Riskalyze Introduces ‘Check-Ins’, Automated Behavioral Coaching Tools for Advisors from Riskalyze

[Last week I attended the T3 conference in Ft. Lauderdale, and I made three vlogs that you should watch, so let me give you the rundown of what I think were the best stories from the event.

Leading off is Riskalyze, as CEO Aaron Klein introduced a feature called Check-ins, which allows you to gauge your client’s sentiment of the markets with a pretty unobtrusive email. Clients answer two simple questions in a few seconds which helps you quickly identify those who have growing concerns about their financial future. Here’s Aaron Klein on availability and pricing:

Klein: Check-Ins are going to arrive in May, and we haven’t set pricing for them yet, but I can tell you it’s going to be a free upgrade for all of our existing customers.] Riskalyze, the company that has equipped thousands of advisors with the Risk Number™, today announced powerful new tools that revolutionize the ability of advisors to put the markets in context for their clients during client reviews, support client psychology between those reviews, and deliver consistent behavioral coaching that promotes long-term investing.

eMoney Launches Enhanced Client Experience from eMoney Advisor

[Another top update comes from eMoney, as Drew DiMarino took the stage to show off the updated client experience, giving a preview of the new look, showing how goals are tracked in the platform, and highlighted client collaboration features that help clients remember what tasks they should complete to meet their goals. The update is coming in March, and here’s Drew DiMarino on what you can expect:

DiMarino: The new client experience is much more personal in nature, the client can actually add images of their family, set goals with those images tied to those goals, a much more customizable experience for the end client.] At the T3 Advisor conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida today, eMoney Advisor (“eMoney”), a leading provider of wealth-planning technology for financial professionals, will unveil its enhanced client experience.

Fidelity Reveals Plans For Multi-Custodial Advisor Technology Hub from WealthManagement.com

[And finishing my rundown is Fidelity, as the custodian revealed plans to offer Wealthscape™, Fidelity’s Total Advisor Platform that combines portfolio management, rebalancing, proposals, and fee billing with the features and functionality of the eMoney wealth portal. I caught up with Tom McCarthy, senior vice president for product development at Fidelity for a few more details.

McCarthy: So we’ve taken a hard look at the marketplace, talking to our clients, and looking at a lot of research, so Fidelity’s response to help them grow their business is the Fidelity Total Advisor Platform. The primary pieces of that are a deep integration with our new acquisition of eMoney, bringing planning to action, as well as a full suite of integrated portfolio tools wrapped in very advanced workflows.

The platform is expected to roll out at the end of 2016 with Fidelity-only data, and support for multi-custodial data is anticipated sometime in 2017.] In the escalating battle for control of the technology hub used by registered investment advisors, Fidelity Investments has a new weapon that may turn the tides.

TD Ameritrade Tells RIAs to Get Ahead of Emerging Technology, Pricing and Talent Challenges from BusinessWire.com

[Now the week before T3 I went to the TD Ameritrade Institutional National LINC conference, and I made more videos you should watch, but the biggest takeaway for me was clarification on when to expect the rollout of the Veo One dashboard.

I sat down with Chris Valleley to better understand the timeline when Veo One will be released.

[Winterberg]: So I need to be more clear that it’s not one release date, it’s all official, and it’s all done, but it’s rather graduated and it’s going to be progressive.
[Valleley]: That’s right, it won’t be a big bang rollout, it will be an iterative approach, and we’ll find the advisors with the right integrations at the right time and then onboard them into Veo One.

So, fair enough, you’re going to have to be patient for the release of Veo One, just like you’re going to need to wait and see how Fidelity’s Wealthscape evolves, too.

Fortunately, Veo Open Access now supports over 100 integrated solution providers, which means that you have options you can buy and implement today without waiting to see what the custodians promise to offer in the future.] Veo One, TD Ameritrade Institutional’s next-generation advisor technology platform, will give advisors access to all of the CRM, financial planning, portfolio management and other systems they use from one desktop.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have quite a bit of laundry to do from our trips, so for FPPad.com, I’m Bill Winterberg, see you next time!

Here are the video playlists we published from TD Ameritrade Institutional National LINC and T3:

2016 TD Ameritrade Institutional National LINC

2016 T3 Advisor

Here are stories that didn’t make this week’s broadcast:

United Capital Acquires FlexScore To Boost Financial Planning from WealthManagement.com

United Capital, the Newport Beach, Calif.-based firm, is acquiring FlexScore, a consumer-facing financial planning tool that aggregates users financial data to generate a credit-score-like number of a person’s financial health.

 

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 19, 2016

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 19, 2016

FPPad Bits and Bytes for October 24

On today’s broadcast, Microsoft discloses a zero-day vulnerability that affects nearly all Windows operating systems. See what you need to do right now to protect your systems from attack. inStream inks a partnership with BAM Advisor Services. Learn why this could be a big deal for the startup wealth management software provider. And, cyber attacks scare even the most security-conscious advisors. Find out about a new assessment service that can help defend your business from online attacks.

So get ready, FPPad Bits and Bytes begins now.

(Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes on YouTube)

Today’s episode is brought to you by ITEGRIA, providers of complete outsourced technology support, security, infrastructure and IT solutions exclusively for RIAs.

itegria - providing a 360-degree, comprehensive approach to financial advisor IT needs

In their new book titled Red Flags, you’ll learn how to protect your firm from cyber-attacks, disasters, and IT compliance risks. Learn more about the Red Flags book by visiting fppad.com/itegria.

Before I get to the links to this week’s top stories, first answer this live poll:

Now on to this week’s top stories:

What you need to know about new zero day that hits most supported Windows versions from PCWorld.com, and

(Install) Microsoft security advisory: Vulnerability in Microsoft OLE could allow remote code execution: October 21, 2014 from Microsoft TechNet

[This week’s top story involves the hot topic of cybersecurity, as Microsoft disclosed a scary vulnerability in nearly every version of Windows on the market. So if you’re watching on a Windows machine, you need to pay attention. Mac users, you can go top off your Halloween candy.

Ok, so the vulnerability allows attackers to exploit Microsoft’s Object Linking and Embedding technology, better known as OLE, by sending you a Microsoft Office file with malicious code inside. If you open document, the attacker can gain access to your account’s rights and permissions and can remotely execute code on your computer. The potential for damage isn’t that great if your account has limited permissions, but if your account has administrative rights, then really bad things can happen. Pretty scary, huh? (scream)

So here’s what you need to do right now: first, remind everyone in your business once again never to open suspicious Microsoft Office documents, especially PowerPoint files, that are attached to dubious emails.

Then, to patch this vulnerability, head over to fppad.com/145 to find the link to Microsoft’s Security Advisory that contains the instructions on how to get the update. Now would also be a good time to make sure you’re current on all of your Windows updates.] Microsoft issued a security advisory this week with details of a zero day vulnerability that affects every supported version of the Windows operating system with the exception of Windows Server 2003.

Buckingham Asset Management & BAM Advisor Services announces selection of inStream wealth management technology platform from Yahoo Finance

[Ok Mac users, you can come back now, because next up is a story from Buckingham Asset Management and BAM Advisor Services, as the joint companies announced the selection of inStream as its wealth management platform for their 370 affiliated advisors.

You have to go way back my episodes in January for news on inStream, when the company announced that it would switch from a free plan to one that costs roughly $2,400 a year to use. But under the new strategic partnership, advisors who are part of the BAM Alliance will have full access to the inStream platform for no additional cost.

This is a big deal for inStream, as Buckingham Asset Management and BAM Advisor Services collectively manage or administer over $23 billion in assets, making them one of the largest RIAs in the country. So you might want to raise inStream a little bit higher on your radar, as I expect you will be hearing more from the company regarding new partnerships and financial planning functionality.] Buckingham Asset Management/BAM Advisor Services, one of the country’s largest independent wealth management enterprises, has chosen the inStream planning-centric wealth management software platform to serve the more than 370 advisors representing the more than 140 client firms in its network.

Investment Technology Partners Begins Offering Cybersecurity Assessments to Independent RIAs from PRWeb

[And finally, cybersecurity raises its ugly head once again to finish this week’s episode, but this time the news comes from Investment Technology Partners, a cloud IT provider to RIAs. Earlier this week, ITP announced it is now offering IT infrastructure assessments to RIAs to identify ways you can proactively build up your defenses against online attacks.

ITP’s assessment consists of a pre-visit questionnaire, an onsite inspection, and a post-visit follow-up, all in an effort to help you update your policies and procedures to address cybersecurity risks. Back in episode 129, I told you about the SEC’s new cybersecurity initiative and potential for increased enforcement around this area, so if you’ve been sitting on your hands since then, let this serve as another reminder that you now have a variety of providers you can engage to navigate you through this challenging landscape. In addition to ITP, popular cybersecurity audit providers include Itegria, Envision RIA, External IT, True North Networks, Right Size Solutions, and more.] Investment Technology Partners, an outsourced cloud IT provider focused in the Independent Registered Investment Advisory marketplace has begun conducting IT infrastructure assessments for RIA firms who have engaged them be sure their firms can positively respond to the an SEC audit looking into cybersecurity policies.

Here are the stories that didn’t make this week’s broadcast:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/td-ameritrade-offers-robo-technology-to-advisers-1414013725 from WSJ.com

TD Ameritrade Offers Robo Technology to Advisers from WSJ.com

TD Ameritrade AMTD +0.39% is making robo technology available to the 4,000 independent registered investment advisers who use its custody and trade clearing services. The technology is coming from a fledgling San Francisco firm, Upside Financial LLC, and is in the final stages of being added on to the Omaha, Neb.-based brokerage firm’s systems that are used by independent advisers to manage client money.

United Capital Picks Up $320M California RIA from WealthManagement.com

A strategic partnership between United Capital and the founders of financial planning tool FlexScore led  United Capital acquiring a Modesto-based firm with $320 million in assets.

Inbox from GMail: The inbox that works for you

Built on everything we learned from Gmail, Inbox is a fresh start that goes beyond email to help you get back to what matters. 

Junxure Enhances Its Cloud CRM from ThinkAdvisor

Junxure has released an enhancement to Junxure Cloud, the first major upgrade to the cloud-based CRM program used by RIA firms and broker-dealer reps since its launch this summer.

Encryption: What Advisors Need to Know from Financial Planning

Encrypt sensitive information, planners are routinely warned by security experts. Many states even require it. But there’s also confusion out there among advisors about the nuts and bolts of encryption.

Erado Announces Expanded Partnership with Investacorp from Digital Journal

Erado, an innovator in electronic communication compliance, announced today that it has expanded its partnership with Investacorp, Inc., to include Erado’s email archiving and all-encompassing social media compliance platform.

 

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for October 24, 2014

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for October 24, 2014