Cetera Financial Group is the first client for fintech firm Broadridge Financial Solutions' new Wealth InFocus next-gen wealth communications solution, the companies said in a joint announcement on Thursday.
The new, "investor-centric" approach to wealth communications developed by Broadridge provides a better digital experience, according to 78% of Cetera's surveyed pilot clients, while 88% of respondents said they would like to receive a Wealth InFocus digital communication on an ongoing basis, the firms said.
Wealth InFocus, which was built upon the cloud and an application programming interface-driven infrastructure, consolidates, aggregates and presents the most important information advisors need across various account and regulatory communications, including statements, proxies and prospectuses, they noted.
Wealth InFocus replaces traditional static communications, creating a new "holistic experience" that the companies said "makes it easier for investors to consume and better understand account details while providing advisors with new opportunities to reinforce their value and communicate directly with their clients."
Morgan Stanley at Work Debuts Retirement Portal
Morgan Stanley at Work announced the rollout of its new Corporate Retirement Portal on Wednesday.
The technology solution was designed to offer Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Plan advisors a "one-stop shop, consolidated view" of workplace retirement plans and participant data through the WealthDesk platform, according to the company.
Plan advisors have traditionally used third-party tools and resources to manage their clients' retirement plan assets held away at recordkeepers, Morgan Stanley at Work noted. The new Corporate Retirement Portal, however, enables them to have access to a comprehensive view of their clients' retirement plan accounts, inclusive of the services provided to held-away retirement plans and plan sponsors, the company said.
Advisors can now "work seamlessly with plan sponsors and provide participants targeted financial education through Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's Next Best Action, an engagement tool that powers scalable customized content delivery," Morgan Stanley at Work said.
The portal is compliant with the recent Department of Labor cybersecurity guidance for plan sponsors, service providers and plan participants, ensuring the company's clients' data gets transferred securely and the right safeguards are in place to protect their information, the company said.
Holistiplan Teams With Kitces.com
Holistiplan announced a new partnership with Kitces.com on Wednesday. As part of their pact, Kitces.com will provide advanced educational content on tax planning through integration into Holistiplan's tax planning software for paying Holistiplan users, they said.
All Holistiplan users will also receive an exclusive offer to access the Kitces.com updated-for-2022 tax course, "How to Find Planning Opportunities When Reviewing a Client's Tax Return."
The partnership also coincides with a recent expansion of Kitces.com, which last year rolled out its new Kitces Courses on Reviewing Tax Returns and Optimizing Social Security for Couples.
This summer, Kitces rolled out a 2022 update to its tax planning course, How to Find Planning Opportunities When Reviewing a Client's Tax Return, which the companies said "forms the centerpiece of its partnership with Holistiplan."
An increasing number of advisors are looking to further extend their knowledge in providing deeper advice in the domain of tax planning, the companies said.
Snappy Kraken Intros Two-Way Syncing Data Integration
Marketing technology firm Snappy Kraken announced Thursday it initiated two-way data synchronization from customer relationship management providers Redtail Technology, Salesforce and Wealthbox.
Advisors can now save significant "time and hassle by offering one accurate source of information at their fingertips" through its technology, the firm said.
