Comments for at8group

Comment on Looking into the Crystal Ball by Stephen W Roach

Stephen W Roach — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:33:00 +0000

You have read the crystal ball extremey well. Collective wisdom would state that the key proposition has to be fully “integrated”.
Ideally this should encompass all the main aspects of retail client servicing.
To include:- Client Profiling – Advanced Financial Planning & Administration.
Client Profile analysis & reporting.
Unfettered open market research and analysis.
Common trading platform for transacting business.
Client portfolio reporting and administration.
Back office ongoing administration.
An inteegrated system should further accommodate the next generation of development to allow clients access 24/7 together with the oppoortunity to self transact where and when appropriate.
Having educated the adviser – educating the consumer now has to be a fundamental aspect..

Comment on AT8 to form nucleus of IRESS Wealth Management in UK by Eileen Murphy

Eileen Murphy — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:53:00 +0000

Many congratulations Mark and wishing you and the team all the success in the world.

Comment on Technology – help or hindrance? by Rob Stevenson

Rob Stevenson — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Interesting blog, good to hear a scenario from the clients perspective’.

With so many software systems predicated on product solutions, is there a system that can aggregate all client data (hard and soft facts), while reinforcing the core objectives of financial planning?

You always get questions or statements on Factfinds like ‘how much do you have to invest this time’ or ‘do you have a shortfall in these areas’ it’s all very old model – identify gap, fill gap, get paid, job done. I’m not suggesting that you want all soft facts gathered electronically, as I’m in the camp that believe there’s a skill to that and it’s got to be a conversation, but maybe if financial planners could gather hard facts only, without reference to either products or soft facts, that might help (ie accept that it’s a 2 part job).

Until a credible solution exists there will probably always be a justifiable reluctance for financial planners/their clients to use back office systems’ data gathering capabilities.

Or an I missing something abundantly obvious. If so, what is it?

Comment on Eating your own dog food by Mark Loosmore

Mark Loosmore — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Great feedback

I am interested in whether people think that in a client servicing world the dymanics will change. Data will be held on the client that can prepopulate factfinds and factfinds can then be presented to clients in advance to make changes. Will this change the willingness to use electronic fact finds as it becomes more of a view and discuss process rather than a data collection excercise and is ideally suited to devices such as an iPad?

Comment on Eating your own dog food by Martin Bamford

Martin Bamford — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:11:00 +0000

Interesting blog. This ‘straight through’ argument does often depend on the volume of activity completed by the adviser/firm. For big business with a transactional model, I can see the advantages of not having to re-key lots of data. As the principal of a firm which is focused on a relatively small number of clients (<600), offering a bespoke service to individuals (within the framework of a robust process), I am always less concerned about the need to re-key.

One day I would love to see an iPad app that can accurately convert handwritten input and automatically update our back office (Avelo), but I suspect we are at least 24-36 months away from this yet. Until then, sitting in front of a client and tapping away details into a keyboard is a real rapport killer.

Comment on Eating your own dog food by Phil Young

Phil Young — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:52:00 +0000

I suspect that it 95% of advice, but given the number of times technology has failed us, and it has, it really has, should we be that surprised. Many advisers in large businesses like this and DSFs might have administrators who rekey the data and a completely separate marketing dept who use the data without the knowledge of the adviser. Equally small IFA firms don’t always have the expertise inhouse to use the data even if they had it. The problem seems to be getting advisers to tangibly see the return on the extra investment of effort.

Comment on Eating your own dog food by Phil Young

Phil Young — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:52:00 +0000

Comment on Eating your own dog food by Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:23:00 +0000

I’m sure this isn’t as atypical as one might hope. But I have yet to see the system for FactFinding which doesn’t truly get in the way. Nothing has yet been delivered that has the immediacy of pen and paper, and yet the ability to be transferred into a back office system on return to the office. I have experimented with InfoPath forms and tablet PCs in the past, and every solution has been more frustrating than liberating. I am about to start putting some forms onto my iPad via Noteshelf which can be written on with a stylus and converted to PDFs, but this is still just digital writing and not anything like a straight through process – the back office system would still have to be populated manually.

I do think that the iPad will change things, but not just yet. If I could build an app that could send data direct to Intelliflo, I’d be a happy man…

Comment on A tweet from the heart by Phil Young

Phil Young — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:40:00 +0000

And it was you who got me started on it Mark!!!

Comment on A tweet from the heart by Richard Allum

Richard Allum — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:08:00 +0000

Having sat at the table with you I totally agree, Twitter is a great connecting tool and the IFP Conference a great place to meet people you already “know” but have never met.