In Conclusion
Financial services technology continues to evolve, and advisors must stay current in order to remain competitive. A large portion of the advisor community relies heavily on leading broker-dealer firms for technology leadership, applications and support. It seems clear that the many broker-dealers are investing heavily in technology to support their advisors. This bodes well for the future of the industry.
VIEWS FROM THE EXPERTS
Darren Tedesco
Commonwealth Financial Network
Managing Principal, Innovation and Strategy
The Integrated Technology Preferred By The Industry’s Most Productive Advisors
Since opening our doors in 1979, two key values have consistently set Commonwealth apart: quality and community. It’s the unique synergy between the two that drives the industry-leading technology we deliver to independent advisors like you.
An Integrated Experience
The best technology adds value for the people who use it every day. That’s why we built our Client360°® total client management system from the ground up and continue to
enhance it in collaboration with our advisors.
As the pinnacle of software integration in our industry, it incorporates portfolio, trade, contact, document and wealth management into a single platform that’s so intuitive and flexible, it feels tailor-made for your business.
There’s no need to toggle between windows or applications, and because it’s cross-browser, cross-device compatible,
you can expect that same integrated experience from your desktop, tablet or phone.
We believe a great partner invests in technology that works for you and your clients—without nickel and diming you. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, which is why we provide all the benefits you depend on most to scale your business for a flat, nominal monthly charge—and another reason why our advisors almost universally choose our platform over open architecture.
A Community That Stands Behind You
We want to ensure that you’re getting the most out of the technology you rely on daily, which is why our in-house experts include dedicated certified usability analysts and a help desk team that’s available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST, and Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, to provide live, remote support.
Most Productive In The Industry
It comes down to this: our total technology integration is a key element of the overall broker/dealer experience that helps make Commonwealth advisors the most productive in the independent channel.*
For more information, please visit http://www.commonwealth.com/joinus/technology.aspx
*Highest gross revenue per advisor as reported in Financial Advisor’s 2015 Independent Broker-Dealer Ranking.
Gabriel Cooper
Advisors Assistant
Director of Business Development
What Is The Key Challenge Facing Fintech Companies?
The key challenge facing FinTech companies is learning to properly leverage the Internet, instead of merely building a web app. That distinction between “Internet” and “web” sounds esoteric, but it has a profound effect on the way software is built and how it serves users.
Truly successful technology detaches the service it provides from the specific software used to access that service. Think Facebook, Evernote or Microsoft’s Office 365, where work may be started on one device and finished on another, seamlessly spanning web, desktop and mobile applications. A modern product can’t be just a web app or just a native app, it has to provide business with capability greater than just the sum of an app’s features. The trend is toward Internet services, not just web apps.
That trend is now playing out in our space. In the past, every maker of desktop software was under pressure to build a web application. Today, every FinTech web application is being pressured to build a native app for every popular device, including traditional form factors. Users want the best of both worlds, the availability and simplicity of web apps coupled with the device integration and usability of native apps.
The future of FinTech belongs to firms that can navigate this challenge. For some it means relearning bits of old-school software development, but for us it means sticking to our long- term plan. Advisors Assistant went online the “right way” in the first place, without sacrificing quality or compromising our future for short-term gain. Our clients didn’t have to deal with huge interface changes and sudden loss of backwards compatibility. Our AAMobile web-app provides an alternate interface and our private cloud hosting puts the resulting
service on the Internet.
Advisors Assistant is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this new paradigm.
For more information, please visit www.advisorsassistant.com