Best Practices – Uses of Technology - David McGruer presented the Advocis Best Practices in Technology module, which has been designed to guide advisors in their use of technology for compliance, business productivity and business continuity purposes.  This presentation set the stage for the more in-depth sessions that followed.

Secure document management for financial advisors – Bergen Wilde & Dan Roy – Dan Roy of M5 Digital and Bergen Wilde of MaxxVault.  Drawing from the Advocis Best Practices Manual, this presentation examined some of the latest hardware and software processes available to help financial advisors create, store and access secure client documentation with an eye to better regulatory compliance, more efficient business practices and a better client experience.

Social Media and the Financial Advisor – Dean Emerick, Ottawa Social Media Marketing. In just a few years the phenomenon of social media has exploded into our lives and is changing the way people connect with each other and experience a variety of media.  Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and others provide an unparalleled opportunity to connect with existing and suitable prospective clients.  Regulations will no doubt adapt to the new media, so advisors must be careful to remain within marketing and communications compliance guidelines.  Our expert explained the state of the art in social media and how to use it in an effective and compliant fashion.

Safe Computing for Financial Advisors – Larry Keating, No Panic Computing.  The Advocis Best Practices Manual refers to the importance of complying with the Privacy Act, maintaining the security of client information and also having a disaster recovery plan.  This session examined aspects of your practice that likely have weaknesses and explain how to strengthen them using strong passwords, biometrics, Windows settings, encryption, firewalls, anti-malware and backups.   If you have all these in place you might want to write up your privacy and security process to demonstrate to clients how their information is protected.

Systems Integration for the High Tech Financial Advisor’s World – Ray Snoei, DundeeWealth.  Many of us are technologically challenged and we look to our head office, dealer or MGA to use their size not only to run things efficiently behind the scenes but to integrate advisors into their technologies.  In the last two years DundeeWealth has been working on the construction of what you might call Advisor 2.0, with a series of tools to leverage the innovations of the last decade into everyday business practices.  From compliance to investing, from planning to marketing and communications, this presentation gave an idea of what is now possible when a company embraces technology.

Real-world Tech Tips from Financial Advisors – Two financial advisors explained how they have taken the principles expressed in the technology section of the Advocis Best Practices Manual and ideas from all of the above presentations to create functioning versions of a high tech, more compliant and more efficient financial advisory practice.  Technology in my business – David McGruer and Rudy Asseer’s is here.