Without technology, it is difficult to recall when financial planning and portfolio management were practised. To create suitable investment and retirement plans for clients, independent advisers, registered agents, and accountants have grown to rely on sophisticated financial software.
The advent of digital technology has drastically changed financial services, but it has also provided advisers with an invaluable tool to offer clients next-level client experiences.
Innovations in the digital, social, and mobile worlds have changed customer expectations, and it is now commonplace for clients to want promptness, clarity, and personalized guidance. Clients in the finance industry now anticipate being able to contact their advisors whenever they want.
Today, individuals who effectively use digital have the chance to develop lasting, precious client relationships. The key here is for financial advisors to communicate with clients using various potent digital tools.
Individualized guidance
An advisor can gain confidence by getting to know their client well enough to provide individualized advice. In the environment of financial services today, this is a tremendous asset. Advisers must be ready to connect with their clients whenever and however they choose, using a variety of digital platforms to develop that relationship.
Digital technologies should simplify for financial advisors to connect with clients who might not use conventional channels like the phone or in-person conversations. In addition, by beginning with various media, the adviser has the chance to build up a client base with dependable touchpoints that can eventually lead to business prospects.
Security
Digital collaboration improves the customer experience, but if it is not practised securely, it can cause issues. In addition, the strength of a company’s digital security processes typically determines a client’s level of trust in the current data protection environment. Therefore, while integrating new digital functionalities, security must come first.
Clients should look for products hosting remote interactions in a secure setting. Unsurprisingly, the client and the advisor must provide verification and login information. The best way to build these safe settings is to integrate all lines of communication into a single digital platform, eliminating the necessity for repetitive (and time-consuming) identity identification.
NOTE:
Financial advisors have access to a wealth of resources. Hence this kind of service has become essential. Reasonable solutions like Advisor Engine or Junxure demonstrated that a platform might offer everything a financial adviser needs to meet their client’s financial goals. It has all features required:
ADVISOR ENGINE OFFERS THE FOLLOWING FEATURES:
You can digitally enrol customers with the help of e-signatures and the opening of digital accounts. In addition, funds are connected to ACH and ACATS to make it easier to transfer money between brokerage accounts.
Real-time customer access to portfolio performance is made possible by the client portal. They can effectively communicate with financial experts and exchange securely signed documents. They can also link their bank and credit card accounts for a clearer view of their portfolios.
Powerful investment capabilities offered by the platform include risk management, compliance, and functions that track and rebalance the client’s investment portfolio.
JUNCTURE COMPLETE ADVISOR ENGINE WITH FEATURES SUCH AS:
Centralized data that gathers crucial customer demographic and financial data in one location gives the financial advisor a 360-degree perspective.
Automation of the workflow – oversee it to ensure that duties are communicated and carried out.
Reporting – produces appealing reports for clients and helpful reports for internal use.
Enjoy customized search criteria in addition to basic and advanced search features.
Integrate leading technology providers’ financial data to gather client information accurately.
Even while the two systems complement one another by giving financial advisors all the resources they need, they also function flawlessly on their own.
TOP DIGITAL TOOLS USED BY FINANCIAL ADVISORS
Onboarding software for clients
Customer onboarding should be simple because it’s frequently the first high-touch client engagement with an advisor. A digital onboarding solution for various functions is essential to delivering clients’ end-to-end experiences. Financial advisors can provide an easy, quick service for simple tasks like creating a personal or small business account up to and including onboarding trusts and intricate arrangements. Regardless of the client’s circumstance, a simple initial onboarding will guarantee that they will continue to be receptive to new goods and services in the future.
Online tool for scheduling
Setting up appointments between clients and financial advisors is automated through an online scheduler. The top online schedulers will also make the lead-up to a meeting more convenient for clients, increasing efficiency by saving time and scheduling appointments. In addition, firms should pursue digital tools for financial advisers that can compare multiple calendars to determine the next open meeting. These tools should also, of course, have a reminder feature that warns customers of impending appointments.
Online meetings
Going beyond catch-all systems like Zoom or Skype is necessary for true client-centricity. For example, financial advisors are expected to provide a variety of functions for online meetings so that clients can speak whatever they like at any given time.
This might be done using a co-browsing tool for group projects, an integrated video platform with access to pertinent documentation, or an add-on enabling e-signatures to complete deals during meetings. These meetings must occur in secure, compliant settings, depending on the situation’s requirements. Again, an integrated digital platform makes it the easiest to achieve this requirement.
Messaging apps
Sometimes, a question calls for a less hands-on exchange than a video conference can offer. Asynchronous messaging makes it simple and convenient for clients to communicate with their financial advisors in the circumstances like this. Of course, a real-time meeting can be called if it’s essential, but advisers should use the messaging feature to quickly and directly answer simple questions.
It is feasible to offer a messaging experience similar to the functionality of well-known platforms like WhatsApp with an integrated digital platform. These provide accessible communication and interaction between advisers and clients in a secure digital setting and store conversation history for rapid compliance access.
KEY LESSONS:
Customer relationship management systems, portfolio management tools, trading/rebalancing solutions, and investment analytics are just a few of the software products that financial advisers frequently employ.
Financial planning tools, which combine economic methods into one package, are software that financial planners utilize frequently.
MoneyGuidePro was the most widely used financial planning tool in 2021.
With its more straightforward Plus edition or more capable Pro edition, eMoney had two of the top five most popular financial planning tools last year.
Other rivals and well-known financial planning tools are Right Capital and Orion.
BOTTOM LINE
A financial planning software product is most suited for your clientele, whether you’re a novice just getting started or an expert wishing to upgrade to a complex, competent analytic solution. So first, consider what needs to be undertaken to best meet your client’s investment needs, then look into a solution (perhaps one of the more well-liked ones on this list) to help you better manage your client’s assets.