FocusPoint RIA Outsourcing Services

Advisors can outsource any and all of the following to FocusPoint:

Back Office: Daily Administrative and Account-Related Activities

Explore Our Back/Middle Office Services
  • Provide Advisor with relationship manager dedicated to Advisor’s firm
  • Establish new accounts in system
  • Handle uploads/downloads, data maintenance, and account reconciliation
  • Review accounts at agreed upon intervals to ensure they’re invested according to investment model
  • Aid Advisor with proper documentation for establishing an account
  • Set up and maintain RMDs and other distributions
  • Communicate with custodian about requests received (transfer outs, restriction notices, etc.)
  • Follow up on activities that require attention
  • Serve as liaison between custodian and Advisor, creating one central point of contact to handle all quality control and assigned tasks
  • Facilitate with custodian to deliver funds requested to end client via chosen method
  • Provide updates as needed so Advisor can be aware of status
  • Ensure new paperwork and assets are received and executed by custodian
  • Follow up and follow through with transfer requests to ensure assets are received/delivered
  • Coordinate with custodian to resolve any outstanding issues, trying to limit Advisor having to go back to end client as much as possible
  • Use provided technology to work with Advisor to automate certain internal workflows where applicable
  • Inform Advisor of any requests received by custodian

Trading Activities

Explore Our Back/Middle Office Services
  • Trade models of Advisor’s choice
  • As assets arrive into new and existing accounts, confirm with Advisor that it is alright to trade to the appropriate investment model
  • As cash arrives into new and existing accounts, wait until cash is over the model weighting, then invest into chosen investment models
  • As investment model changes are made, ensure those trades are executed
  • Liquidate assets proportionately according to investment model to free up cash for redemptions, fees, or systematic withdrawal requests
  • Execute stock/bond/annuity trades as necessary or as requested by Advisor
  • Review/rebalance at agreed upon timeframes, using Advisor’s criteria to ensure accounts are invested according to investment model
  • If assisting Advisor with creation of new investment models, help Advisor to move accounts into those models
  • Work with Advisor to create a strategy to handle tax sensitive accounts
  • When possible, trade around investments with potential short-term redemption fees

Complete Reporting and Billing Services

Explore Our Back/Middle Office Services
  • Utilizing Advisor’s billing structure, provide quarterly billing calculation, billing statement generation, deduction from client accounts, and payment to Advisor’s account
  • Deliver preliminary billing report to Advisor for review and accuracy prior to fees being pulled
  • Provide final billing statement to Advisor for delivery to clients if Advisor so chooses
  • Provide householded client billing statements on set scheduled basis
  • Provide basic reporting (realized gain/loss reports, estimated 1099 dividend information) for taxable accounts
  • Offer custom reporting for individual client needs (1099, unrealized gain/loss, etc.)
  • Maintain cost basis tracking for incoming securities in taxable accounts
  • Work with Advisor to develop customized client deliverable reports as requested

Investment Management and Activities (for models of Advisor’s Choice)

Explore Our Investment Management Services
  • Help with the creation of an initial recommendation/strategy for assets as needed
  • Provide recommendations for special asset strategies as needed
  • Generate client-ready, quarterly customizable Advisor communications on broad market topics for use with clients as Advisor sees fit
  • Regular account review
  • Regular review/re-balancing (based on Advisor’s criteria to ensure accounts are invested according to their investment model)
  • Provide weekly Advisor market missive communications via email
  • Provide access to communication with a full-time CFA research team and investment committee as needed
  • Generate periodic commentary on market action and/or timely topics

Investment Management and Activities (for Advisor using FocusPoint Models)

Explore Our Investment Management Services
  • Execute periodic investment reviews
  • Provide ongoing investment monitoring, due diligence/evaluation, and portfolio rebalancing
  • Provide weekly index and investment performance
  • Regularly measure model performance and value added

Technology/Software

Explore Our Technology Services
  • Provide access to and training on a comprehensive, fully integrated, Web-based virtual office
    • CRM (data conversion as applicable)
    • Portfolio reporting software
    • Online document storage
    • Client portal (accessible via Advisor’s website)
    • Risk profiling software
    • Account aggregation software
    • E-signature/Docusign solution
  • Assist Advisor with performance file history data conversion (maybe an additional fee)
  • Host Advisor’s email (optional)
  • Offsite server hosting/maintenance
  • Provide ongoing technology/software training and any upgrades/enhancements
  • Provide/maintain a virtual office platform which includes nightly and weekly client backup

Compliance Support

Explore Our Compliance Services
  • Assist with any applicable documents associated with audits
  • Serve as a resource to Advisor’s RIA firm for general compliance-related guidance and information
  • Offer most RIA compliance-related activities through trusted offsite legal firm (additional service/fee)

Practice Development

Explore Our Practice Development Services
  • Offer initial discovery and consultation process with highly experienced team members
  • Design a customized business analysis
  • Provide assistance with Advisor’s investment process
  • Offer access to customizable client communications and/or presentation materials

Advisor Transitions

Explore Our Advisor Transition Services
  • Customize a client transition plan and timeline for Advisor
  • Complete all paperwork relevant to Advisor’s transition
  • As part of Advisor onboarding process, create individual client folders and post scanned documents into proper client accounts
  • Work with custodian(s) on asset review, analysis, and approval as needed
  • Set up new accounts and transfer cost basis as applicable
  • Trade on new accounts and set them to the investment model Advisor has chosen
  • Help with data movement from Advisor’s current CRM to new
  • Assist with materials for client meetings and communication materials related to Advisor’s transition
  • Offer assistance (possibly involving a third party/additional cost) regarding migration of performance file history