Company updates
Building a Better Way to Gather Client Data
When we started talking to wealth advisors about their biggest pain points, we expected to hear about market volatility, attracting new clients, AI search optimization or fee compression—which we certainly did, to varying degrees. However, one frustration emerged far more consistently than we anticipated: "I can't get my clients to give me their information, and when I do, keeping it synchronized across all our back office systems is a nightmare."
At first, this seemed like a people problem, not a technology problem. But the more we dug in, the more we realized that client data gathering isn't failing because clients don't care, it's failing because the process itself is fundamentally broken. Here's what we learned, and why we're building a solution.
The Process Is Overwhelming by Design
Picture this: A client signs up for wealth management services, excited to finally get organized. Within 24 hours, they receive a comprehensive data request—every financial account they've ever opened, tax returns going back three years, insurance policies, estate documents, and a detailed breakdown of monthly spending.
What felt like progress now feels like homework. The client intends to complete it "this weekend," but the weekend comes and goes. The advisor sends gentle reminders. Weeks pass. The relationship stalls before it ever really begins.
Information Exists in Silos
Even motivated clients hit immediate roadblocks. Their 401(k) login stopped working. Estate documents are somewhere in the basement. Last year's tax return is on their accountant's portal behind forgotten credentials. That old brokerage account? They can't remember the firm's name.
Account aggregation breaks when banks update security protocols. Secure portals overwhelm clients with complex interfaces. Document upload systems fail on mobile. And clients working with multiple advisors, financial planners, accountants and estate attorney must navigate different systems for each. We saw an opportunity to meet clients where they already are, making it effortless to share information rather than forcing them to hunt, download, and upload across disconnected platforms.
Data Gathering Is Continuous, Not A Checkpoint
Client data gathering isn't a one-time onboarding task; it's an ongoing challenge that evolves with the client relationship.
Clients change jobs, receive bonuses, inherit money, refinance mortgages, and start businesses. Most don't think to inform their advisor because they don't connect these events to their broader financial plan.
Meanwhile, advisors unknowingly work with outdated information, building recommendations on a financial picture that no longer exist and creating not just suboptimal advice, but potential compliance and suitability issues.
Current tools treat data gathering as a project with a completion date. We're building for the reality that it's a continuous conversation that should happen seamlessly in the background.
Technology Has Created New Problems
The wealth management industry has thrown technology at this problem for years: account aggregation tools, digital onboarding platforms, secure document portals. Yet advisors tell us they now spend more time managing technology than they did with paper processes.
Aggregation connections break when banks update security protocols. Digital forms overwhelm with required fields. Integrations remain clunky. Data syncs inconsistently across platforms, creating version control nightmares. And many clients refuse to share banking credentials with third-party services, regardless of security assurances.
Enter Oblate: technology That simply Works
Information flows naturally through automated conversations with the client. Data update happen securely and automatically when client information changes with minimal effort from the advisor, Oblate handles the heavy lifting. Advisors get complete and current data without playing detective or sending reminder emails. Clients feel supported rather than interrogated. The relationship starts with trust instead of homework.
Wealth advisors shouldn't spend their time chasing information—they should spend it delivering the insight and guidance clients are paying for.
We're still early, learning from advisory firms about what works and what doesn't. If you're tired of the data gathering chase we'd love to hear your story.
The process is broken. We're fixing it.
“Make good new things"
Company updates
Building a Better Way to Gather Client Data
When we started talking to wealth advisors about their biggest pain points, we expected to hear about market volatility, attracting new clients, AI search optimization or fee compression—which we certainly did, to varying degrees. However, one frustration emerged far more consistently than we anticipated: "I can't get my clients to give me their information, and when I do, keeping it synchronized across all our back office systems is a nightmare."
At first, this seemed like a people problem, not a technology problem. But the more we dug in, the more we realized that client data gathering isn't failing because clients don't care, it's failing because the process itself is fundamentally broken. Here's what we learned, and why we're building a solution.
The Process Is Overwhelming by Design
Picture this: A client signs up for wealth management services, excited to finally get organized. Within 24 hours, they receive a comprehensive data request—every financial account they've ever opened, tax returns going back three years, insurance policies, estate documents, and a detailed breakdown of monthly spending.
What felt like progress now feels like homework. The client intends to complete it "this weekend," but the weekend comes and goes. The advisor sends gentle reminders. Weeks pass. The relationship stalls before it ever really begins.
Information Exists in Silos
Even motivated clients hit immediate roadblocks. Their 401(k) login stopped working. Estate documents are somewhere in the basement. Last year's tax return is on their accountant's portal behind forgotten credentials. That old brokerage account? They can't remember the firm's name.
Account aggregation breaks when banks update security protocols. Secure portals overwhelm clients with complex interfaces. Document upload systems fail on mobile. And clients working with multiple advisors, financial planners, accountants and estate attorney must navigate different systems for each. We saw an opportunity to meet clients where they already are, making it effortless to share information rather than forcing them to hunt, download, and upload across disconnected platforms.
Data Gathering Is Continuous, Not A Checkpoint
Client data gathering isn't a one-time onboarding task; it's an ongoing challenge that evolves with the client relationship.
Clients change jobs, receive bonuses, inherit money, refinance mortgages, and start businesses. Most don't think to inform their advisor because they don't connect these events to their broader financial plan.
Meanwhile, advisors unknowingly work with outdated information, building recommendations on a financial picture that no longer exist and creating not just suboptimal advice, but potential compliance and suitability issues.
Current tools treat data gathering as a project with a completion date. We're building for the reality that it's a continuous conversation that should happen seamlessly in the background.
Technology Has Created New Problems
The wealth management industry has thrown technology at this problem for years: account aggregation tools, digital onboarding platforms, secure document portals. Yet advisors tell us they now spend more time managing technology than they did with paper processes.
Aggregation connections break when banks update security protocols. Digital forms overwhelm with required fields. Integrations remain clunky. Data syncs inconsistently across platforms, creating version control nightmares. And many clients refuse to share banking credentials with third-party services, regardless of security assurances.
Enter Oblate: technology That simply Works
Information flows naturally through automated conversations with the client. Data update happen securely and automatically when client information changes with minimal effort from the advisor, Oblate handles the heavy lifting. Advisors get complete and current data without playing detective or sending reminder emails. Clients feel supported rather than interrogated. The relationship starts with trust instead of homework.
Wealth advisors shouldn't spend their time chasing information—they should spend it delivering the insight and guidance clients are paying for.
We're still early, learning from advisory firms about what works and what doesn't. If you're tired of the data gathering chase we'd love to hear your story.
The process is broken. We're fixing it.
“Make good new things"
Company updates
Building a Better Way to Gather Client Data
When we started talking to wealth advisors about their biggest pain points, we expected to hear about market volatility, attracting new clients, AI search optimization or fee compression—which we certainly did, to varying degrees. However, one frustration emerged far more consistently than we anticipated: "I can't get my clients to give me their information, and when I do, keeping it synchronized across all our back office systems is a nightmare."
At first, this seemed like a people problem, not a technology problem. But the more we dug in, the more we realized that client data gathering isn't failing because clients don't care, it's failing because the process itself is fundamentally broken. Here's what we learned, and why we're building a solution.
The Process Is Overwhelming by Design
Picture this: A client signs up for wealth management services, excited to finally get organized. Within 24 hours, they receive a comprehensive data request—every financial account they've ever opened, tax returns going back three years, insurance policies, estate documents, and a detailed breakdown of monthly spending.
What felt like progress now feels like homework. The client intends to complete it "this weekend," but the weekend comes and goes. The advisor sends gentle reminders. Weeks pass. The relationship stalls before it ever really begins.
Information Exists in Silos
Even motivated clients hit immediate roadblocks. Their 401(k) login stopped working. Estate documents are somewhere in the basement. Last year's tax return is on their accountant's portal behind forgotten credentials. That old brokerage account? They can't remember the firm's name.
Account aggregation breaks when banks update security protocols. Secure portals overwhelm clients with complex interfaces. Document upload systems fail on mobile. And clients working with multiple advisors, financial planners, accountants and estate attorney must navigate different systems for each. We saw an opportunity to meet clients where they already are, making it effortless to share information rather than forcing them to hunt, download, and upload across disconnected platforms.
Data Gathering Is Continuous, Not A Checkpoint
Client data gathering isn't a one-time onboarding task; it's an ongoing challenge that evolves with the client relationship.
Clients change jobs, receive bonuses, inherit money, refinance mortgages, and start businesses. Most don't think to inform their advisor because they don't connect these events to their broader financial plan.
Meanwhile, advisors unknowingly work with outdated information, building recommendations on a financial picture that no longer exist and creating not just suboptimal advice, but potential compliance and suitability issues.
Current tools treat data gathering as a project with a completion date. We're building for the reality that it's a continuous conversation that should happen seamlessly in the background.
Technology Has Created New Problems
The wealth management industry has thrown technology at this problem for years: account aggregation tools, digital onboarding platforms, secure document portals. Yet advisors tell us they now spend more time managing technology than they did with paper processes.
Aggregation connections break when banks update security protocols. Digital forms overwhelm with required fields. Integrations remain clunky. Data syncs inconsistently across platforms, creating version control nightmares. And many clients refuse to share banking credentials with third-party services, regardless of security assurances.
Enter Oblate: technology That simply Works
Information flows naturally through automated conversations with the client. Data update happen securely and automatically when client information changes with minimal effort from the advisor, Oblate handles the heavy lifting. Advisors get complete and current data without playing detective or sending reminder emails. Clients feel supported rather than interrogated. The relationship starts with trust instead of homework.
Wealth advisors shouldn't spend their time chasing information—they should spend it delivering the insight and guidance clients are paying for.
We're still early, learning from advisory firms about what works and what doesn't. If you're tired of the data gathering chase we'd love to hear your story.
The process is broken. We're fixing it.
“Make good new things"
Company updates
Building a Better Way to Gather Client Data
When we started talking to wealth advisors about their biggest pain points, we expected to hear about market volatility, attracting new clients, AI search optimization or fee compression—which we certainly did, to varying degrees. However, one frustration emerged far more consistently than we anticipated: "I can't get my clients to give me their information, and when I do, keeping it synchronized across all our back office systems is a nightmare."
At first, this seemed like a people problem, not a technology problem. But the more we dug in, the more we realized that client data gathering isn't failing because clients don't care, it's failing because the process itself is fundamentally broken. Here's what we learned, and why we're building a solution.
The Process Is Overwhelming by Design
Picture this: A client signs up for wealth management services, excited to finally get organized. Within 24 hours, they receive a comprehensive data request—every financial account they've ever opened, tax returns going back three years, insurance policies, estate documents, and a detailed breakdown of monthly spending.
What felt like progress now feels like homework. The client intends to complete it "this weekend," but the weekend comes and goes. The advisor sends gentle reminders. Weeks pass. The relationship stalls before it ever really begins.
Information Exists in Silos
Even motivated clients hit immediate roadblocks. Their 401(k) login stopped working. Estate documents are somewhere in the basement. Last year's tax return is on their accountant's portal behind forgotten credentials. That old brokerage account? They can't remember the firm's name.
Account aggregation breaks when banks update security protocols. Secure portals overwhelm clients with complex interfaces. Document upload systems fail on mobile. And clients working with multiple advisors, financial planners, accountants and estate attorney must navigate different systems for each. We saw an opportunity to meet clients where they already are, making it effortless to share information rather than forcing them to hunt, download, and upload across disconnected platforms.
Data Gathering Is Continuous, Not A Checkpoint
Client data gathering isn't a one-time onboarding task; it's an ongoing challenge that evolves with the client relationship.
Clients change jobs, receive bonuses, inherit money, refinance mortgages, and start businesses. Most don't think to inform their advisor because they don't connect these events to their broader financial plan.
Meanwhile, advisors unknowingly work with outdated information, building recommendations on a financial picture that no longer exist and creating not just suboptimal advice, but potential compliance and suitability issues.
Current tools treat data gathering as a project with a completion date. We're building for the reality that it's a continuous conversation that should happen seamlessly in the background.
Technology Has Created New Problems
The wealth management industry has thrown technology at this problem for years: account aggregation tools, digital onboarding platforms, secure document portals. Yet advisors tell us they now spend more time managing technology than they did with paper processes.
Aggregation connections break when banks update security protocols. Digital forms overwhelm with required fields. Integrations remain clunky. Data syncs inconsistently across platforms, creating version control nightmares. And many clients refuse to share banking credentials with third-party services, regardless of security assurances.
Enter Oblate: technology That simply Works
Information flows naturally through automated conversations with the client. Data update happen securely and automatically when client information changes with minimal effort from the advisor, Oblate handles the heavy lifting. Advisors get complete and current data without playing detective or sending reminder emails. Clients feel supported rather than interrogated. The relationship starts with trust instead of homework.
Wealth advisors shouldn't spend their time chasing information—they should spend it delivering the insight and guidance clients are paying for.
We're still early, learning from advisory firms about what works and what doesn't. If you're tired of the data gathering chase we'd love to hear your story.
The process is broken. We're fixing it.
“Make good new things"
Company updates
Building a Better Way to Gather Client Data
When we started talking to wealth advisors about their biggest pain points, we expected to hear about market volatility, attracting new clients, AI search optimization or fee compression—which we certainly did, to varying degrees. However, one frustration emerged far more consistently than we anticipated: "I can't get my clients to give me their information, and when I do, keeping it synchronized across all our back office systems is a nightmare."
At first, this seemed like a people problem, not a technology problem. But the more we dug in, the more we realized that client data gathering isn't failing because clients don't care, it's failing because the process itself is fundamentally broken. Here's what we learned, and why we're building a solution.
The Process Is Overwhelming by Design
Picture this: A client signs up for wealth management services, excited to finally get organized. Within 24 hours, they receive a comprehensive data request—every financial account they've ever opened, tax returns going back three years, insurance policies, estate documents, and a detailed breakdown of monthly spending.
What felt like progress now feels like homework. The client intends to complete it "this weekend," but the weekend comes and goes. The advisor sends gentle reminders. Weeks pass. The relationship stalls before it ever really begins.
Information Exists in Silos
Even motivated clients hit immediate roadblocks. Their 401(k) login stopped working. Estate documents are somewhere in the basement. Last year's tax return is on their accountant's portal behind forgotten credentials. That old brokerage account? They can't remember the firm's name.
Account aggregation breaks when banks update security protocols. Secure portals overwhelm clients with complex interfaces. Document upload systems fail on mobile. And clients working with multiple advisors, financial planners, accountants and estate attorney must navigate different systems for each. We saw an opportunity to meet clients where they already are, making it effortless to share information rather than forcing them to hunt, download, and upload across disconnected platforms.
Data Gathering Is Continuous, Not A Checkpoint
Client data gathering isn't a one-time onboarding task; it's an ongoing challenge that evolves with the client relationship.
Clients change jobs, receive bonuses, inherit money, refinance mortgages, and start businesses. Most don't think to inform their advisor because they don't connect these events to their broader financial plan.
Meanwhile, advisors unknowingly work with outdated information, building recommendations on a financial picture that no longer exist and creating not just suboptimal advice, but potential compliance and suitability issues.
Current tools treat data gathering as a project with a completion date. We're building for the reality that it's a continuous conversation that should happen seamlessly in the background.
Technology Has Created New Problems
The wealth management industry has thrown technology at this problem for years: account aggregation tools, digital onboarding platforms, secure document portals. Yet advisors tell us they now spend more time managing technology than they did with paper processes.
Aggregation connections break when banks update security protocols. Digital forms overwhelm with required fields. Integrations remain clunky. Data syncs inconsistently across platforms, creating version control nightmares. And many clients refuse to share banking credentials with third-party services, regardless of security assurances.
Enter Oblate: technology That simply Works
Information flows naturally through automated conversations with the client. Data update happen securely and automatically when client information changes with minimal effort from the advisor, Oblate handles the heavy lifting. Advisors get complete and current data without playing detective or sending reminder emails. Clients feel supported rather than interrogated. The relationship starts with trust instead of homework.
Wealth advisors shouldn't spend their time chasing information—they should spend it delivering the insight and guidance clients are paying for.
We're still early, learning from advisory firms about what works and what doesn't. If you're tired of the data gathering chase we'd love to hear your story.
The process is broken. We're fixing it.
“Make good new things"