Tag Archives: Bits & Bytes

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 25

Posted on February 25, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

This has been a very productive week at FPPad headquarters as a result of  many new connections we established while attending the T3 Conference. T3 dominated our news feeds, and as such, dominates this week’s Bits and Bytes.

Here are some of the best reviews we’ve come across for T3:

Eavesdropping on the T3 conference by four bloggers with four missions as attendees at RIABiz.com

Conferences go by in a blur with so many vendors and attendees to meet and debrief. It takes a small army to cover them — even a smaller event like T3. Fortunately, RIABiz had many boots on the ground.

And a collection of blog entries from T3:

We have more notes from T3 that we’re assembling for a full column to be featured on Morningstar Advisor in March. Look for it on Thursday the 10th.

Lastly, here is this week’s blog post from Bill at Morningstar Advisor, Two Approaches to Technology Integration.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 18

Posted on February 18, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

We’re attending the T3 Conference as you read this (follow the Twitter backchannel under #T32011), but through the magic of the Internet we’re able to post our week in review of all things tech in financial planning.

This week’s stories of interest start out with the recent request by the SEC to review advisers’ use of social media:

SEC Wants To Follow You On Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube… at Forbes.com

(Bill’s comment: Reporter Halah Touryalai raises the fair point that the SEC might have better issues to tackle than to babysit advisers’ social media profiles. But such is the consequence of the regulatory enviroment to which advisers are subject. All it takes are a few tweets from fraudulent advisers to ruin it for everyone. Can you imagine “RT @bernardmadoff: Just one week left to enroll in our 8% monthly guarantee fund. Accredited investors only please!“)

File this one under: “There Are Better Things The SEC Can Be Doing.” Financial advisors’ online activity on social media websites is being scrutinized by the SEC, according to a compliance consulting firm and a report in Investment News.

FINRA to Look at Social Media–Again at Financial Advisor Magazine

The issue of how to deal with social media isn’t going away for regulators of the securities industry.

CRM systems for the big guys from InvestmentNews.com

For larger advisory firms, choosing the right CRM system is like selecting the right marriage partner.

TradeWarrior and AssetBook Announce Integration Partnership at Marketwire.com

TradeWarrior and AssetBook are pleased to announce an integration between their software programs. The integration partnership between the two companies will provide AssetBook users access to TradeWarrior’s powerful rebalancing and trading capabilities. This integration marks the first 3rd party rebalancing integration available to AssetBook users.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 11

Posted on February 11, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

We’re taking today off (psst: it’s Bill’s birthday!), but before we go, here are this week’s stories of interest in financial planning technology:

Navigating the CRM labyrinth from InvesetmentNews.com

It’s obvious from my recent conversations with advisers that customer relationship management software still causes plenty of confusion.

Socialware Secures $3 Million in Funding at Marketwire.com

Socialware, the leader in social media compliance and engagement, today announced that it has secured $3 million in additional funding from existing investors, including FLOODGATE, G-51 Capital and Silverton Partners.

Fidelity® Unveils New Technology Strategy to Meet Rapidly Evolving Needs of Advisors and Investors at Fidelity.com

National Financial®, a Fidelity Investments® company and the nation’s 2nd largest provider of clearing services to broker-dealers1, today unveiled a comprehensive new technology strategy that will focus on making significantly larger investments in key areas its broker-dealer clients have indicated would best support their overall growth and efficiency objectives.

And Bill’s column Hop on the Mobile Bandwagon at MorningstarAdvisor.com

Orion’s MobileAdvisor provides another reason to embrace mobile computing.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for February 4

Posted on February 4, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

The mega-storm that blew across the Central and Eastern United States glazed the streets of Dallas with ice, so we’ve been juggling our schedule this week with primary care responsibilities for our two-year-old son.

We’ve postponed four days of work, but we still made the time to monitor the industry’s best tech-related stories for your education. Without further ado, here they are:

Silent Partner at Financial-Planning.com

(Bill’s note: If this testimony isn’t enough to make advisers want to run out and sign on to Tamarac Advisor X, I don’t know what is.) As breakaway RIAs, we also knew that our business would not survive on investment acumen and our new independent business model alone. We knew that our operations could make-or break-our dreams.

Third-party vendors vouch for TD Ameritrade’s API at first general session at RIABiz.com

Three third party vendors sat on a panel at the first general session of TD Ameritrade’s 2011 national conference at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego and explained why they’re buying into the custodians’ approach to creating a big ecosystem of technology in the RIA business. The company is making its data readily available to all legitimate comers.

The Lab at Financial-Planning.com

As custodians battle for the hearts and minds of advisors in the years ahead, Fidelity possesses a weapon that no other firm can currently match: The Fidelity Center for Applied Technology, known as FCAT.

Tamarac is a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner at TamaracInc.com

Tamarac Inc., a leading provider of integrated portfolio management software and services, today announced being awarded Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status with competencies in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and hosting for its Advisor CRM offering.

BlazePortfolio announces release of Atom Align 1.3™ at BlazePortfolio.com

BlazePortfolio today announced the public release of Atom Align 1.3™, the web-based portfolio rebalancing and trading solution for investment professionals

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 28

Posted on January 28, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

Again, we’re busy behind the scenes working with new clients, preparing new presentations for upcoming conferences, and writing new content for columns and articles. Blog posts are sporadic, but we still reserve the best tech related stories for Friday’s Bits and Bytes update.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

New Portfolio Management Software For Advisors; AdvisorEdge Looks Good from advisors4advisors.com

AdvisorEdge is a new portfolio management software (PMS) app that is being launched as a result of a patnership between Mike Kelly of Back Office Support Service, and Matt Abar of FinFolio.

Making sense of document storage confusion from InvestmentNews.com

A good document storage system can offer convenience by allowing advisers and clients to share documents securely over the Internet, no matter where they are.

Take Digital Notes, Discreetly from MorningstarAdvisor.com

When attending conferences, advisors may find the process of using a laptop to take notes too obtrusive. Here’s one alternative that makes the process much more inconspicuous.

How a big Atlanta RIA kept sledding with technology after snow paralyzed the city from RIABiz.com

While most Atlantans spent the week ensconced at home, Balentine employees continued with business as usual with the help of laptops, iPads, iPhones, and NetX360.

One Year Later: Revisiting FINRA’s Social Media Usage Guidelines from CMSWire.com

A year ago FINRA, the regulator that oversees brokers and other financial advisors, released guidelines for social media usage. Since then, financial advisors have carefully tip-toed into the social media landscape, thanks to financial networking sites like LinkedFA.com and Smarsh.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 21

Posted on January 21, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

Our review of Laserfiche Empower 2011 is still in its draft stages while we’ve been preparing content for the upcoming T3 Conference in February. It’s been another busy week behind the scenes at FPPad, but we’ve selected a few top stories of interest from the past week:

CashEdge Survey Reveals Opportunities Exist for Advisors to Generate New Fee Income Using Aggregation Technology at Yahoo! News

AllData Advisor’s sophisticated aggregation technology offers opportunity to increase fees charged for advice on held-away assets (Bill says, “Yes, but FPPad readers know this already!”)

iPipeline Acquires GaleForce Solutions and Leading CRM Suite at DestinationCRM.com

iPipeline, a provider of on-demand software that supports marketing, selling, and processing solutions for the nation’s top insurance companies, has acquired Vancouver-based GaleForce Solutions, a provider of advanced CRM with client management, productivity, compliance and security tools, and industry-specific integrations to broker-dealers, banks, wealth management advisors, insurance agents, and other financial services professionals.

Will the Real Financial Planners Please Stand Up at Financial-Planning.com

We call this the “financial planning profession,” right? So here’s a topic for discussion: how is it that many people calling themselves a financial planner don’t actually do financial planning work for their clients?

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 7

Posted on January 7, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

2011 is off to a roaring start, and this week’s Bits and Bytes captures that fact.

Included are two stories on Orion Advisor Services’ new mobile app for advisors and their clients, two stories on TD AMERITRADE Institutional’s API for their Veo technology platform, and one article on a web-based tool to facilitate new Form ADV Part 2 regulatory filings.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Orion Advisor Services Launches App For Mobile Platforms from FPPad.com

In a continuation of 2010’s trend towards mobile device adoption, Orion Advisor Services, LLC of Omaha, Neb. announced today that it released applications for the Android and Apple iOS platforms.

and How Orion Advisor Services became a mobile device pioneer and how competitors plan to react from RIABiz.com

Eric Clarke of Orion Advisor Services is  making accessibility by mobile means a big strategic priority with the development of an Orion app for Droids, iPads and the like.

A Game Changer from Financial Advisor Magazine

TD Ameritrade becomes the first major custodian to open its database so it can integrate with virtually any software firm supporting RIAs.

TD Ameritrade Institutional reporting progress on its open API initiative from InvestmentNews.com

Third-party vendors are anxious to integrate with Veo, TD Ameritrade Institutional’s trading and account management platform and be able to securely exchange data.

ADV Help from Financial Advisor Magazine

This new Web-based platform helps RIAs easily update their regulatory reports.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 31

Posted on December 31, 2010 by in Bits & Bytes

This is it, the final Bits and Bytes post of 2010. Bits and Bytes has drawn consistent traffic week after week, so we will continue our efforts to publish what we think are the best tech-related stories for financial advisers from around the web.

Here are this week’s stories of interest, and have a Happy New Year:

Custodians taking closer look at adviser compliance from InvestmentNews.com

Custodial firms have been raising the compliance bar for registered investment advisers, in some cases making it tougher for them to find a home.

Why B-Ds Should Embrace Social Media Now from Financial-Planning.com

Social media is the elephant in the room even if broker-dealer firms refuse to acknowledge its presence. Worse, continuing to do so could cost these firms their top talent as advisors migrate to platforms that help them be more productive.

Small Companies Look to Cloud for Savings in 2011 from WSJ.com

A growing number of small-business owners are expected to try cloud computing services next year, hoping to trim costs and stay up and running if disaster strikes.

Rock Point Advisors Leverages Advent’s Moxy(R) as a Standalone Solution from TradingMarkets.com

Advent Software, Inc., a leading provider of software and services for the global investment management industry, today announced that investment management firm, Rock Point Advisors, is enjoying the benefits of Moxy(R) as a standalone solution. Rock Point is one of the first advisory firms to use Moxy(R) in conjunction with PortfolioCenter(R), Schwab Performance Technologies’ portfolio management solution.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 24

Posted on December 24, 2010 by in Bits & Bytes

Merry Christmas from FPPad! Sit down with your favorite browser (might I recommend Google Chrome?) and hot chocolate to take in this week’s Bits and Bytes.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

SEC’s New Form ADV Requirements: Fidelity Offers Guidance from AdvisorOne.com

Fidelity Investments is scheduling a series of webinars and regional workshops in 2011 to help its registered investment advisor clients who are worried about complying with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s latest regulatory changes.

How Will Mobile Technology Impact Advisors? from AdvisorTV.com

In this 5-minute video, Les Satlow of Cabot Money Management says advisors are embracing mobile technology. Tools including “cloud-like applications,” social media and iPads are helping them get closer to clients and build new business.

Neesha Hathi: Leader of Schwab tech project under pressure from InvestmentNews.com

While she always appears unruffled in public, Neesha Hathi is under pressure to bring Charles Schwab Advisor Services’ multi-million dollar effort, now formally called Schwab Intelligent Integration, to fruition and boost the firm’s chances to remain the top dog among custodians serving the growing registered investment adviser sector.

iPad’s Next Life: Sales, Information & Action Tool from Financial-Planning.com

Tony Mayo thinks the iPad is a “game-changer.” He’s the chief technology officer of Dreyfus Corporation, manager of more than $400 billion in mutual funds and separately managed accounts. And he’s in the process of giving iPads to every one of Dreyfus’ 70 salespeople, across three divisions.

NetX360 Mobile for iPad from Apple iTunes

In today’s marketplace, it is critical that you stay connected. NetX360™ for the iPhone enables you to conduct critical business operations while you’re on the move—wherever you are. It will also help you stay on top of the latest market developments and updates, and provide access to essential activities that support your business.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 17

Posted on December 17, 2010 by in Bits & Bytes

FPPad headquarters has temporarily relocated to the mid-Atlantic area for the holidays. Our official consulting work for 2010 is complete, and we look forward to serving new and existing clients in 2011.

We are also happy to provide insight directly on this blog and to our subscribers. Yes, individual posts have been a bit more sporadic, but we continue to aggregate the best in technology-related articles from around the web each week in Bits and Bytes.

With new laws taking effect January 1, 2011, cost basis reporting requirements dominate this week’s update. Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Fidelity® Provides In-Depth Analysis Of Finalized IRS Cost-Basis Reporting Requirements at Fidelity.com

Fidelity Investments®, a leading provider of trading, custody and brokerage services to registered investment advisors and broker-dealers, today announced that it has introduced a new report designed to help its clients understand differences between the proposed cost-basis reporting requirements and those recently finalized by the Internal Revenue Service.

Charles Schwab Advisor Services Cost Basis Legislation Resources at Schwabadvisorcenter.com

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 included new tax reporting requirements that will dramatically change the way investors and financial advisors think about cost basis. The first phase of the legislation goes into effect on January 1, 2011, and may create significant workflow changes for your firm.

Social media shapes new investment strategy at USATODAY.com

You’ll let a friend walk your dog, drive your car or watch your teenager. Would you let them — or someone you don’t even know — invest your money?