In our last blog, we discussed the complexities of new business prospecting – engaging with new clients, building referrals, and finding opportunities to grow existing portfolios. But once a firm attracts new business, it still has a long road ahead before it can put this new wealth to work. First, it must develop a sound investment strategy that addresses the client’s diverse range of assets, along with providing justification for that strategy.

Because creating this plan requires hundreds of complex calculations and ongoing communication with the client, approaching the task without automation will eventually lead to major problems. It will slow down the process significantly and could even result in missing out on millions of dollars in potential investments. Intelligent wealth management technology streamlines planning, no matter the portfolio composition, and gives advisers the confidence to support their recommendations.

An extra hand goes a long way
Because no two clients have the same goals or assets, financial planning has traditionally been a manual and time-consuming process. Advisers must begin by understanding the full scope of the client’s finances and what success means to them. The client might be starting a college fund, buying a new home, starting a business, or planning for retirement, each requiring a different long-term strategy.

The client might also be exploring investment options beyond traditional stocks and bonds. They could be interested in private equity, commodities, or cryptocurrencies – an investment 1 in 5 American adults own, according to the Motley Fool’s 2025 Cryptocurrency Investor Trends Survey. Most planning tools lack the ability to properly incorporate alternative investments, which limits the completeness and accuracy of the plan.

As more investment firms shift toward centralised planning teams to support growth and consistency, intelligent wealth management technology can act as an additional brain in the room. These solutions use integrated data aggregation and hundreds of automated calculations – reflecting the latest legislation for taxes and more – to streamline the planning process. Advisers regain the mental capacity to focus on more relationship-driven aspects of financial planning, while also guaranteeing efficient plan creation with highly precise results.

Intelligent wealth management technology also provides enhanced expertise across all aspects of financial planning, including the finer details of alternative investments. No matter how the client prefers to diversify their investments, the technology enables every team member to confidently deliver smart, consistent results.

An all-in-one solution
Effective holistic planning requires multiple tools and programs. If the client has a diverse range of investments, it is likely that each lives in a silo with varying levels of security and visibility. Transferring data between external systems and the adviser’s suite of programs is time-consuming and prone to errors.

It is hard to confidently present a plan when its calculations are not transparent, and manual navigation between platforms makes it difficult for clients to follow the adviser’s strategy – a major obstacle when so much money is at risk.

Manual processes also make it difficult for advisers to personalise plans based on each client’s financial position. Planning for mass affluent clients differs significantly from planning for high-net-worth individuals. Mass affluent clients may focus on a specific goal, such as retirement, while high-net-worth clients often require more complex strategies involving tax optimisation and legacy planning. Scaling across these distinct needs becomes challenging when advisers are forced to stitch together solutions from multiple systems.

With intelligent wealth management technology, advisers can roll workflows such as insurance, retirement, business, and legacy planning into a truly comprehensive, all-in-one financial planning solution. Plan outputs are fully auditable down to the last dollar, making it easy for clients to verify both the calculation logic and overall accuracy. Additionally, advisers are better positioned to adapt and scale across all levels of wealth with dynamic program architecture, so whether the client simply wants to retire at 55 or they have millions in investments to pass on to their children, advisers will find the answers within a single solution.

Plan with confidence
In the prospecting stage, advisers must talk the talk – but in the planning and proposal stage, they must walk the walk. Without the right technology to drive comprehensive plan development, it is very difficult to craft a strategy that effectively positions diverse investments.

Intelligent wealth management technology not only simplifies the complex calculations behind planning but also helps advisers defend their recommendations throughout the proposal. If you are ready for a smoother planning and proposal process, reach out to InvestCloud to schedule a demo.

In our next blog, we will take a look at how technology helps advisers once the plan is approved – onboarding the client and constructing their portfolio.

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