Advisors using Orion Advisor Services should expect to see several new improvements in the coming months, as new integrations and products from this year’s FUSE coding event are made available on the platform.
Besides the Charles Schwab and Orion API-based Digital Account Open tool, there are more than half a dozen vendors and custodians announcing new features that are utilizing Orion’s architecture. Here are some of the highlights:
BlackRock: One of the more impressive integrations. BlackRock showcased the ability to link its Aladdin investment management technology to Orion via the two platforms’ APIs. BlackRock Advisor Center, which can be used to stress test and generate tax insights, uses Aladdin to compare portfolios and up until now, was only available on BlackRock’s website. The integration of the two tools also means model changes made in Advisor Center can be imported back into Orion.
InterGen Data: Winner of “Best Newcomer” and one of the flashier integrations. Advisors using Amazon’s Alexa for voice transcription and the InterGen Data platform can receive new notes on clients that could be ideal opportunities for client interaction. InterGen Data provides financial data for predicted costs, from long-term care to the price of buying a house, tailored to an individual’s geography and other demographic data. After interacting with Alexa and providing InterGen with demographic data, transferred via the voicebot, running a client through possible future scenarios like the cost of raising a child or buying a house, the client notes from the interaction are sent to and stored in Orion. The advisor gains context for future conversations with clients and the client can also immediately schedule or call their advisor after receiving insights from InterGen.
Example of what a typical advisor firm's Orion page might look like with a SaleMove chat and co-browsing session initiated.
SaleMove: The “People’s Choice” winner. A feature already available behind the scenes at Orion is now available for advisors’ own use with their clients. Advisors who interacted with Orion headquarters via a digitally initiated process (the Chat Now button on the corner of the screen) may already be familiar with videochats or screenshares with Orion’s staff, technology that was built by third-party enterprise communications vendor SaleMove. Those same features will soon be available for end-client use from within an advisory firm’s Orion client portal. Clients making a call to the advisor with a question can now be helped by the advisor with a co-browsing feature, where the advisor can see, in real-time, what the client is engaging with on the portal and if the client needs help finding a certain feature. Clients can also interact via text messages with advisors and engage in one- or two-way video conversations.
Junxure: One of Orion’s long-standing integration partners. Junxure’s cloud service has enhanced data syncing. An automated data feed will be in pilot by the end of the month with select advisors, enabling overnight data syncing between Junxure and Orion. The demonstration highlighted the syncing of contact information.
Redtail: The popular CRM firm pulled off a couple of interesting things. In addition to demonstrating a proof-of-concept Slack integration for Orion at the FUSE event (which won the event’s “Hackathon” award), Redtail announced a bidirectional sync that shares information between Redtail and Orion. The demo showcased a sync of client contact information; Redtail noted that forms can now be synced from Redtail to Orion to Laser App (the automated form library that fills out forms), which can then be passed to the client.
Riskalyze: The risk analysis firm. Riskalyze showcased more robust reporting around underlying assets in a client’s portfolio, accessible in Orion. Advisors using the tool would see Riskalyze scores across a household, account and into underlying assets, as well as the client’s questionnaire score and the proposed portfolio, making comparisons and granularity easier for clients and advisors.
MoneyGuidePro: Winner of the “Judges Pick” award. The financial planning software company integrated a not-so-flashy but hugely helpful feature into Orion. Clients on the Portal, logging in to see their plans, will see data refreshed with the push of a button. Data is pushed and pulled between Orion and MoneyGuidePro, so that advisors and clients can review current and recommended planning scenarios.
Other integrations showcased to advisors came from AdvisoryWorld, Everplans, Wealth Access, CLS Investments and TD Ameritrade. For the uninitiated, the FUSE event takes place as part of Orion’s annual Ascent conference; the firm begins the process of selecting disruptive ideas for advisor tech integrations submitted prior to the event. The 10 ideas selected were coded on September 6 at the conference and then presented the day after, Friday, September 7, in the “Tech’s Got Talent” competition.
