A Modern Tech Stack Isn’t Just an Option – It’s your Competitive Edge 

The advisory landscape is continuously evolving with intense competition, stricter regulations, and a clientele that’s increasingly digital native. To not only survive but thrive, a best-in-class tech stack is essential. 

It empowers you to: 

• Deliver personalized, data-driven advice. 
• Streamline practice operations for peak efficiency. 
• Deepen client engagement and satisfaction. 
• Ensure compliance and security. 

With these objectives in mind, IAA recommends the following core categories and platforms as essential building blocks for success as an independent advisor and business owner. 

1. Financial Planning: The Core of Your Client’s Journey 

These core tools empower you to build sophisticated, tax-sensitive, and goal-based plans at scale: 

• eMoney Advisor: Comprehensive financial planning tool focused on cash-flow based planning. Appropriate for advisors with more complex financial planning needs. 
• Envestnet MoneyGuide: Comprehensive financial planning tool focused on goal-based planning while keeping the client experience in mind. 
• RightCapital: Easy-to-use, comprehensive financial planning tool with greater focus for the tax-sensitive planner. 

2. Specialized Planning: Elevating Your Service Offering 

Elevate your service by automating niche planning tasks: 

• Wealth.com: Estate planning tool that allows advisors to provide access for clients to create trusts, wills, POAs, and guardianship resources. 
• Holistiplan: Tax-focused financial planning tool that simplified and scales tax planning to provide actionable tax-planning opportunities. 

3. Investment Management: Optimize & Report with Precision 

Optimize portfolios and reporting with advanced analytics and trading capabilities: 

• Black Diamond: Comprehensive tool that provides performance reporting, trading/rebalancing, portfolio management, and client portal & billing 
• LPL Financial: Integrated reporting and enhanced trading tools that offer customizable performance analytics and portfolio management. 
• Betterment: Easy-to-use 401(k) solution built for advisors to provide customizable investment options and an all-in-one platform to service client retirement accounts. 
• Pontera: Retirement planning tool that allows advisors to manage 401(k) and other held-away accounts. 
• Nitrogen: Financial planning and sales enablement resource with a focus on risk tolerance and stress testing client accounts. 

4. Client Engagement: Seamless Interactions, Deeper Relationships 

Tools to streamline data collection, scheduling, and ongoing communication: 

• Precise FP: Suite of data-gathering and client-engagement tools that aim to streamline interactions and reduce manual entry. 
• OnceHub: Automates meeting scheduling with a self-service booking page that enables clients and prospects to choose when to meet. 

5. Marketing & Communications: Build Your Brand, Connect with Confidence 

Build your brand and stay top-of-mind with compliant, targeted outreach: 

• FMeX: Resource library for financial advisors to access a wide range of licensed financial content from reputable publishers.
• LPL Financial: LPL’s Marketing on Demand gives advisors a variety of compliance-approved customizable marketing materials. 
• Constant Contact: Email marketing platform that gives financial advisors access to email templates and contact management tools. 
• Broadridge: Platform offering market insights, customizable websites, compliance-ready content, email campaigns, and analytics. 
• FMG: Website builder and manager that provides access to pre-written articles, blogs, videos, infographics, newsletters, and social media content. 
• Snappy Kraken: Automates email campaigns with pre-designed templates. Their sister company, Advisor Websites, offers compliant, personalized websites. 
• WordPress: WordPress is a great solution for financial advisors wanting to leverage the platform’s flexibility, extensive themes, and plugins. 
• Showit: Showit is a website builder that allows users to create highly customizable and visually appealing websites without requiring any coding. 
• Gainfully: Provides library of articles, videos, and social media posts that are pre-approved by compliance for financial advisor use. 

6. Operations & Security: The Backbone of Your Practice 

Keep your practice running smoothly and securely with robust back-office and communication solutions: 

• WeHandleTech: 4 Advisors: Provides in-house cybersecurity, networking, equipment set-up, and troubleshooting. 
• Zoom: Allows financial advisors to conduct virtual meetings with clients and colleagues. 
• Microsoft Teams: Collaborative communication platform that facilitates client engagement via virtual meetings. 
• MyRepChat: Messaging platform designed for financial advisors to communicate securely and compliantly with clients via SMS. 
• Slack: Offers financial advisors and their staff with a compliant and easy-to-use intraoffice instant messaging. 
• Redtail: CRM tailored specifically for financial advisors. Offers tools to streamline client management, improve communication, and enhance productivity. 
• Wealthbox: CRM specifically designed for financial advisors. Provides tools for managing client information, tracking interactions, and automating workflows. 
• Salesforce: Leading cloud-based CRM that helps advisors manage client relationships, enhance productivity, and deliver personalized advice. Ideal for those seeking a lot of customization. 
• AdvicePay: Used for electronic invoicing and payment processing (ACH or CC) for financial planning services. 
• Box: Cloud-based content management and collaboration platform that provides secure document solutions. 
• Docusign: Facilitates electronic signature and document workflow solutions securely from anywhere, on any device. 
• OneDrive: Document solution that allows users to store, access, share, and collaborate on files from any device. 
• Proofpoint: For Corporate/Hybrid advisors, Proofpoint’s Social Patrol serves as a digital risk protection platform that helps financial advisors manage and mitigate risks associated with social media usage. 
• Erado: For RIA-Only advisors, this platform specializes in providing compliance and archiving solutions for electronic communications such as email, social media, and instant messaging. 

Building Your Blueprint  

No single vendor fits all—but by selecting best-in-class solutions across these six pillars, you’ll: 

• Enhance client experience with personalized, timely advice 
• Operate efficiently, freeing up more time for revenue-generating activities 
• Maintain rock-solid compliance in an increasingly regulated environment 
• Differentiate your practice through seamless digital engagement 

Ready to build your ideal tech stack? Contact Lauren Grames, Director of Advisor Technology, at lgrames@iaaria.com or (704) 243-9789. 

Your vision. Our expertise.