Technology for Financial Planners

Nearly half of my clients are nowhere near beautiful Akron, Ohio.  They are scattered across the country and found me online.  Because I run a virtual practice, technology is critical to what I do when it comes to working with clients.  I’ve recently had a few people ask me about what technology I use.  So, let’s dive into some of my favorite pieces of technology that may be beneficial to you too.

First, is my GoToMeeting software.  I’ve had this for over three years and it is how I run my virtual meetings. GoToMeeting is great not only because you can do meetings online, but you can record them.  Well, at least if you pay for a subscription like I do.  This software is perfect for clients who are not local but I also use it when sitting down face-to-face.  It is so much better than sitting around a small screen to review documents.

ShareFile is another great program which I’ve been using since late 2016.  This is how I securely share documents with clients.  They can load up statements with less worry about things like financial statements being lost in the mail.  I also put lots of documents there, such as copies of financial plans.   It is terrific because you set a folder for each client and the only ones with access are them and you.

Calendly confused the life out of me when I first started using it back when I opened in February 2016.  Basically, it is a way for people to schedule meetings with me via my website.   It confused me because I would go to bed, wake up, and see a meeting had been scheduled.  Kind of freaky.  But also very convenient.  The big issue is to make sure my calendar is blocked off so someone doesn’t schedule during a time I wasn’t available.

Docusign might be my favorite program, even though it is one of the oldest I have been using dating back to my launch.  This is how I have clients sign documents.  It is so much simpler than sending documents through the mail.  The only issue is there are security questions a signer has to answer to verify their identity.  Sometimes it is tough to remember every car you have ever owned.

Blueleaf, WealthGuard and Wealthbox are all programs that fall into my world as a financial planner.  All three of these programs have been in my mix since late 2016.  Wealthbox is a CRM (client relationship management) program.  Blueleaf and WealthGuard are account aggregation and monitoring programs I use for my clients.  Even my clients who hate these types of programs like these two.  I have a few others, but those are financial planning and tax-analysis software programs you wouldn’t need for any reason.

Maybe you can use some of these technology resources in your lives, whether they are work or personal.   It’s all about using technology to make our lives easier.  And, it helps me maintain my low fee while working with clients across the country.