Online tools central to client engagement: myprosperity

Advisers are increasingly required to adopt online tools that allow them to better engage with clients and deliver more tailored advice, says myprosperity.

Speaking to AdviserInnovation, myprosperity chief information officer Stephen Jackel said advisers need solutions that provide them with up-to-date data on their clients' financial situation.

Mr Jackel said approximately one advice firm is adopting myprosperity - an online financial tool - per day since the tool went live six months ago.

According to Mr Jackel, the reason why the solution has had a considerable take-up is that it enables advisers to engage with their clients and provide better, data-backed advice.

The tool highlights the individual needs of a client and regularly asks questions in regards to their financial situation and progress.

"There are a lot of places where those requests come through to the adviser and actually start conversations," Mr Jackel said.

"It helps their clients be engaged and obviously actually generate a bit of extra revenue and business in the process," he added.

Mr Jackel emphasised that online financial tools don't replace advisers, but complement them.

"We're not trying to replace [advisers] or change the way that advice is necessarily constructed. It's more about having better clarity on what's happening with [a client] so that a better decision can be made."

Mr Jackel argued that clients are demanding access to their financial data online, and if this is not provided by an advisers, clients will look elsewhere.

"Advisers have a small market window to make sure that they are at the centre of that and that their brand is at the centre of that."