The Challenge: Stretching Resources

Copperwynd Financial currently supports its clients with only four employees making it imperative that time is used efficiently. The firm needed software that would maximize their resources by reducing the time spent on backend processes such as data entry and reconciliation.

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When asked in what area they would like to see technology vendors focus the most research and development spending, nearly 75 percent of respondents cited creating integrations between systems. This need outweighed the development of mobile and tablet applications, which garnered 20 percent of the votes, as well as client portals with 6 percent.

To further underscore the push for integration, 34 percent of respondents revealed that technology is the biggest issue for RIA firms today. Staffing and compliance closely followed with 28 percent and 26 percent of participants declaring these as their most significant challenges, respectively. Competition did not rank highly as a concern, with only 13 percent of RIAs and other advisors naming it as a top issue.

“The survey results echo that financial planners absolutely need access to integrated technology that allows the client to be the focus of the business, instead of technology management,” said John Philpott, CEO of IAS. “IAS’s Solution 360° is the only truly integrated wealth management platform on the market that answers this need. We speak to advisors on a daily basis that struggle with moving between disparate systems and redundant data entry. True integration enables advisors to enter data once and reduce the time spent on running reports from each individual system, creating a holistic client view that improves service and increases client-facing time. We feel that technology should be the most important tool for financial advisors, not their greatest challenge.”

Participants were also asked about what their firms were doing to expand business in 2012. Marketing was the top tactic with 67 percent saying they have plans to increase marketing for their firm. 15 percent of respondents said they would explore merger and acquisition activity to grow, while 11 percent plan to become more involved in social media. IAS will host a webinar focused on the topic of firm growth Wed., March 28 at 2 p.m. EST. To register for the event, “Growing Your Practice: Harnessing the Sales Pipeline,” visit http://www.interactiveadvisorysoftware.com/category/webinars/.

About Interactive Advisory Software

Interactive Advisory Software is the developer and distributor of Solution 360˚, a wealth management software application focused on serving the needs of Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and Independent Financial Advisors. The company provides an integrated, web-based software solution that allows advisors to deliver a holistic level of service to their clients from a single database. The single platform solution combines portfolio management, financial planning, customer relationship management (CRM), client portals, rebalancing, and back office/reconciliation services. For more information, visit www.IASsoftware.com or call 877-572-6105.

ATLANTA, Feb. 16, 2012 – Interactive Advisory Software (IAS), a provider of an integrated web-based wealth management platform for independent financial advisors and registered investment advisors (RIAs), has introduced Reports 360°, the new reporting tool within its Solution 360° technology.

SaaS-based Reports 360° provides IAS clients with one reporting function that pulls data and information from the entire Solution 360° platform, including portfolio management, financial planning, customer relationship management (CRM) and rebalancing. Solution 360°’s single database becomes a firm-wide data warehouse that drives the fast, seamless creation of the client-facing reports. Firms will have the ability to customize report format, overall layout and content to fit their specific needs. Common tasks such as hiding, adding and moving columns are available to advisors right from their browser.

“Reports 360° provides our firm with the tools to enhance one of the most forward-facing parts of our business,” said Erik Hacker, CLU, ChFc with Capital Analysts of New England. “There are a large number of reports to choose from with new ones being added all the time. The look and feel of the reports is extremely high quality and clients have commented on how professional everything looks. In addition, having the ability to custom tailor the reports to my exact specifications makes the end product that much better. I look forward to continued additions of new reports and even more presentation options for clients.”

IAS provides clients with a library of report templates, as well as an editing tool. Changes can be made firm wide or based on individual client preferences. Simplified report editing enables firms to have their reports match other company material, providing a unified look and feel across all collateral, thus building the firm’s brand.

“Report’s 360° delivers functionality unavailable elsewhere on the market due to the integrated structure of the IAS platform,” said John Philpott, CEO of IAS. “Advisors no longer need to spend significant time on running reports from each individual system and then compiling the data for client presentation. Reports 360° truly leverages the benefits of IAS’s single database design and consolidated approach to wealth management technology.”

About Interactive Advisory Software
Interactive Advisory Software is the developer and distributor of Solution 360˚, a wealth management software application focused on serving the needs of Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and Independent Financial Advisors. The company provides an integrated, web-based software solution that allows advisors to deliver a holistic level of service to their clients from a single database. The single platform solution combines portfolio management, financial planning, customer relationship management (CRM), client portals, rebalancing, and reconciliation services. For more information, visit www.IASsoftware.com or call 877-572-6105.

Contact
Bevin Rochester
Media Contact for Interactive Advisory Software
212-510-7974

• Receive practical, real-world advice on getting back into the groove
• Learn how to assess your business from a people, process and technology perspective
• Learn how to envision what the future could look like, and how you can craft a plan that can realistically allow you to achieve your objectives

This program focuses on the how and the why of implementing a defined client service model, and includes tools and techniques that you can use immediately to transform your business.

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The Phoenix-based $1.3 billion RIA needed to make technology changes as the company is embarking on offering new
services including wealth management catering to family offices, and a tax division, says chairman Dennis Miller. See: Why Dennis Miller is entrusting his $1.3 billion RIA to an advisor who sold his $2 billion RIA.

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