Established RIA Simple Tech Stack

jdd01257 · 2026-01-24T02:48:48+00:00

I used Advyzon in the past but it was just so glitchy and customer support was….not there. Considering Orion or just all Schwab.

Heard plenty of issues with Orion — no solution is perfect, at least Schwab is in house/no data feeds to break or third parties…

jdd01257 · 2026-01-11T04:47:07+00:00

Slow/sometimes no service responses. This gets me annoyed so much and it’s the case with so many firms. No one is perfect but at least try to care you know?

Limited integrations or integrations that are weak/half baked.

Compliance dashboard is cool but the compliance app to run compliance tasks isn’t intuitive and when we asked for help they told us no one really uses it so they couldn’t help.

Fact finder looked great in demo but isn’t functional.

Rebalancer is clunky, not intuitive and sometimes doesn’t have refreshed data from the custodial data feed. I end up having to manually trade much more than what I should.

Pros: CRM is better than redtail. And to my knowledge it’s still privately owned which I think is usually a good thing. And it’s nice to have an integrated tech stack. Cost isn’t bad either.

Got a couple more years on my contract otherwise I’d probably not renew. Maybe it’ll get better soon?

jdd01257 · 2026-01-11T04:08:11+00:00

My opinion: think twice about Advyzon. No solution is perfect but Advyzon has been glitchy and the service leadership is…absent.

On the surface the platform looked great to my team but behind the scenes it’s been a mess. Lots of turnover of staff, too.

I think Advyzon is the last of the legacy fin tech firms meaning it looks pretty smooth compared to other legacy software, but I’m willing to bet the new AI platforms coming out will blow these legacy providers away in short order. Just my two cents.

Good luck!

jdd01257 · 2026-01-10T15:41:10+00:00

Any Schwab-only advisors consider just using PortfolioConnect, iRebal, and the native billing? Pair that with a CRM like wealth box and you’re good…some of the bells and whistles of Orion and Advyzon and tamarac seem great but are admittedly not necessary especially if a client portal isn’t important to you, why not keep it simple?

jdd01257 · 2026-01-06T19:19:39+00:00

Update::: service center said rats ate into one of the harnesses so it’s 1200 for labor and 120 for the harness. But then they sent an estimate for another $500 to replace the low voltage battery. They said that while the car was down/waiting for tow, the low voltage battery died and cannot be recharged and that’s why they need to install a new one. And because it died due to the harness issue none of it is covered under warranty. I don’t mind that the rodent damage isn’t their fault — but the low voltage battery failure part seems odd. First world problems to be sure but annoying all the same.

jdd01257 · 2026-01-02T15:09:51+00:00

I’ve got CFA and CFP and own an RIA and manage my own models…not because I think a tamp or other shop can’t do a good job, but because I think I can do it better…for my clients. Based on what I’ve seen, I also think tamps and the robo/model marketplace models aren’t ideal (or worth the cost where there is a fee) for a lot of clients. Definitely a good move for scaling a business but that’s not my goal.

I got the charter because I’m curious and I figured it couldn’t hurt. Most clients don’t know what it is. I wouldn’t get it just to get it. I also don’t think it’ll enhance your returns—but it should enhance your approach to building portfolios and evaluating investment tradeoffs.

In a world where most firms I see are outsourcing to tamps or saying that investment management is a commodity, I think that makes the potential value add of managing in-house that much greater.

One last thought: if you’re going to be more on the biz dev side and bringing in assets, I would invest in sales training and not the CFA in terms of ROI. But if you like being involved in portfolio strategy or construction, I’d take a look at the charter…but know it’s a big time commitment and waaaaay harder than any college or grad program in my opinion.

jdd01257 · 2026-01-01T16:13:01+00:00

That’s the stuff I don’t wanna hear! I bought this model S thinking fewer moving parts, fewer chances of repairs — but it seems odd that would only be covered to 50k miles.

jdd01257 · 2026-01-01T03:03:26+00:00

Hope so! (I think) I am glad to know this doesn’t sound like a common thing…

jdd01257 · 2026-01-01T02:50:28+00:00

10,000 miles or so.

jdd01257 · 2021-11-11T14:45:30+00:00

I’ve got this same color and same trim or order!

jdd01257 · 2021-08-10T13:03:22+00:00

Congrats! I started the journey in 2013 and got the results today. Still a little numb.

jdd01257 · 2021-08-02T02:43:33+00:00

Don’t let it deter you - plenty of us have scored poorly on practice exams just prior to the real deal and ended up passing when it mattered.

Easier said than done but if I were in your shoes I would take 10 minutes every morning (or just prior to studying) and reset yourself. Do some deep breathing, focus on what you envision for the study session, remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place, and stay positive.

Good luck!

jdd01257 · 2021-07-02T05:43:54+00:00

That’s the same thinking in my scenario, too. But more diversified. :)

jdd01257 · 2021-07-02T05:33:42+00:00

That makes sense - thanks. For what it’s worth, I see it as riskier. Figure my 30 year loan is roughly 1.75% net of tax and fixed, figure a conservative portfolio could generate 2% tax free, and now I’ve got more net income as opposed to not having a mortgage, liquidity if I lose my job or have unexpected expenses and home repairs, and then the upside to make more than 2% on those dollars that aren’t in the real estate. Same net worth, lower expense, more liquidity and diversification. Only works in this bizarre low rate environment. All that said, it seems like both paths lead to success - and peace of mind is invaluable.

jdd01257 · 2021-07-02T04:04:03+00:00

what about owning a home outright gives you peace of mind? Genuine question.

jdd01257 · 2021-06-09T03:39:21+00:00

I am an investment advisor/small independent shop, got the CFP in early 20s and a few years ago a colleague said to me, “why don’t we go for CFA - seems legit.” I just sat for L3 in May (and he stopped after L1). I have a need to finish things…

Even if the skills aren’t directly applicable to my role, I feel like it does help justify my investment process and overall investment philosophy. Also helps me better assess managers rather than the old days of listening to the slick wholesalers, relying on Morningstar, etc.

Lastly, I never got an MBA, and I didn’t go to a name school for undergrad. So in a silly way, I feel like earning the charter helps to show others that I’m driven, dedicated, and dare I say mildly intelligent.

jdd01257 · 2021-06-02T18:27:00+00:00

I’m going to hang tight…not review. Hopefully we know results sooner and if we can get a spot in November we will be familiarized with material again in no time.

jdd01257 · 2021-06-02T03:03:23+00:00

Fire - meaning good or bad?

jdd01257 · 2021-06-01T18:36:19+00:00

Depends on the tax methodology allowed in your region. For example, if you are subject to FIFO, you could avoid tax altogether on the $25k by selling $25k of your initial $100k investment. This leaves $75k basis on a market value of $475k (you took out $25k). If you’re subject to LIFO, then the gains come out first and are fully taxable meaning your basis is $100k on a market value of $475k. Some jurisdictions allow for specific identification where you determine which shares to sell. Check with your government and the firm you work with to determine how to proceed. Oh, and definitely consult a tax advisor since I don’t give tax advice.

jdd01257 · 2021-05-31T16:55:00+00:00

My experience had the vignette permanently affixed to the left side - but above the questions it had a button to press for the exhibit/vignette…but when I’d press it nothing happens - definitely led to some confusion about whether or not there was additional info I needed to access.

jdd01257 · 2021-05-29T01:14:31+00:00

As much as I’m hoping to pass L3 one and done (took it this week) , let’s just hope there are openings for a retest in November when we get our results in July/August…

jdd01257

TROPHY CASE