Nelson Financial – At A Glance

• Founded: 2012
• Entity: Independent RIA
• AUM: $17 million
• Accounts: 100 households
• Staff: Lead advisor + 2 admin staff
• Services: Comprehensive financial planning and investment management
• Custodian: TD Ameritrade
• Performance Reporting and Billing: Panoramix

Nelson Financial Management, based in Bellevue, WA, is a thriving advisory practice that serves as “financial advocates” for their clients. As a full-service financial firm committed to helping people pursue their financial goals, Nelson Financial offers access to a wide range of financial products and services to individuals and businesses.

Founded by Arlyn Nelson, CFP®, Nelson Financial was formed when Nelson left a large independent broker dealer to form his independent firm. As a result, Nelson was faced with the task of recreating the back-office technology needed to manage a growing client base. “The trial and testing included some of the most popular software available, including four nationally known products, such as client management, CRM, reporting and more,” Nelson noted.

However, this process of trying to piecemeal the different components together became problematic. Nelson came across many challenges that are common for advisors looking to deploy the latest technologies. “The learning curve was extremely difficult and the interconnection between products was nonexistent or very unpredictable,” Nelson said. “One of the biggest challenges was that when service was needed, we soon became used to responses two to five days later.”

As a result, Nelson began a quest to find a better solution, beginning with his custodian, TD Ameritrade. “While attending a TD Ameritrade advisor conference, I stopped by the Panoramix booth and viewed a demonstration. Everything seemed to click: CRM, Reporting, Billing, Portal, Integration with TD Ameritrade, Microsoft Outlook and Riskalyze, all in one package that was less than half the cost of my other pieces of software.”

This combination of integration, features, functionality and pricing was very compelling to Nelson. “What sealed the deal for me was that the learning curve was very smooth as I no longer had to take valuable time to teach my staff. Additionally, their service is impeccable, making getting up and running quickly a smooth process.”

Going forward, Nelson is considering bringing in a younger advisor or merging with another firm to ensure the continuity of his practice. Key to these strategies is having a technology focus that can easily transition. “I am confident that any new partnership will be able to quickly learn the Panoramix solution, making this investment in technology one of the smartest things I have deployed.”

To learn more about Nelson Financial, log onto www.nelsonfinancialmanagement.com.