ClientWorks: 10 Years of Connected Advisor Technology

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Built to Simplify
• BranchNet to ClientWorks
• LPL Latitude
• Looking Ahead

For a decade, ClientWorks has been the workstation where LPL advisors run their day-to-day — opening accounts, moving money, trading, planning, and servicing client relationships. What began as an effort to bring those tasks together in one place has grown into the operational hub of LPL Latitude, the unified financial advisor platform that connects the data, security, and intelligence behind modern advice.

As ClientWorks marks its tenth anniversary, it's worth looking at how the platform got here, what it does for advisors today, and where it's headed next.

Built to Simplify Complexity

Ten years ago, advisor businesses looked different. Clients expected more personalized advice, regulatory demands were growing, and the software meant to help often added work instead of removing it. Advisors juggled disconnected systems — one for account opening, another for trading, a third for reporting — and spent too much time switching between them.

ClientWorks started from a straightforward premise: Technology should remove complexity, not create it. By pulling critical functions into a single experience, the platform let advisors stop navigating systems and start spending that time with clients.

The platform's development has always been guided by advisor feedback. As businesses grew more sophisticated, ClientWorks expanded to keep pace by adding capabilities, deepening integrations, and refining workflows, all while holding onto the simplicity that made it useful in the first place.

The result is an experience that lets advisors:

• Move through their day on integrated workflows instead of disconnected tools.
• Cut down on manual, repetitive tasks.
• Offer clients a smoother, more consistent experience.
• Grow without building and maintaining their own technology stack.
• Tap into a broad network of integrated third-party solutions while keeping flexibility and choice.

Instead of managing a patchwork of systems, advisors work within one experience designed to fit together, so they can focus on serving clients and growing their businesses.

From BranchNet to ClientWorks

ClientWorks didn't appear out of nowhere. Its roots go back to the late 1990s, when LPL introduced BranchNet — its first fully integrated online workstation, which let advisors handle routine branch activities online. For years, BranchNet did the job.

But as the industry shifted toward holistic planning and advisors took on broader, more complex client relationships, LPL saw the need for something more modern.

In 2015, LPL began piloting ClientWorks. By the following year, every legacy BranchNet user had moved over. That migration was a turning point — the moment LPL's connected advisor experience took the shape it still holds today, even as the capabilities behind it have grown enormously.

That launch was met with widespread recognition, and that recognition has persisted. Over the past decade, ClientWorks and its integrated features have earned three Wealthies Awards from WealthManagement.com, four BISA Technology Innovation Awards, recognition from Financial Advisor magazine as the most used broker-dealer technology platform, and a Datos Insights Digital Wealth Management Impact Award for AI customer engagement.

LPL Latitude: The Broader Connection

Think of Latitude as the broader technology strategy — the umbrella that connects data, cybersecurity, workflows, digital experiences, and AI across LPL. ClientWorks is the daily workspace where those pieces come together for the advisor sitting at their desk.

Through LPL Latitude, ClientWorks gives advisors access to:

• Connected data that turns raw information into actionable insight.
• Integrated workflows that improve productivity and efficiency.
• Enterprise-grade cybersecurity and resilient infrastructure.
• Modern experiences for both advisors and their clients.
• Emerging AI capabilities, including Cyan AI, LPL's AI assistant built into advisor workflows. Cyan helps with tasks like summarizing information and surfacing next steps. 

By threading these capabilities through one experience, LPL Latitude builds a stronger foundation for growth, and ClientWorks is one of the main ways advisors feel that foundation in their everyday work.

Looking Ahead

A decade in, ClientWorks sits at the center of LPL's technology strategy — and it's not standing still. The platform is backed by significant ongoing investment, including more than 200 planned enhancements across 2025 and 2026, more than 50 third-party integrations, and a steady stream of advancements aimed at helping advisors work more efficiently.

These investments reflect a consistent commitment: giving advisors wealth management technology that simplifies operations, strengthens client relationships, and positions their businesses for long-term success.

Ten years ago, ClientWorks was a bold step forward in advisor technology. Today, it's one of the primary ways advisors experience LPL's ongoing innovation — connecting the data, workflows, security, digital experiences, and AI they need to operate efficiently, grow with confidence, and deliver exceptional client service.

The technology has changed dramatically over the last decade. The commitment behind it hasn't: helping advisors thrive through a unified experience built to support their success today and in the years to come.