3 Questions with Burt White | Finding More Advisor Time

Making time for clients

"I believe that time truly is the universal currency. Everything is paid in time," said Burt White, LPL Financial Managing Director, Investor and Investment Solutions, Chief Investment Officer.

In an interview with InvestmentNews, White drew a straight line between the changing world of 2020 and adding value through digital experiences. "I think advisors need to step up and stop and reflect on what is the highest and best use of my time — where do you bring in unique value to your clients?"

According to White, Financial advisors need to be proactive in searching out new and existing technologies to communicate with and provide digital access to clients.

“It all starts with the need of every single advisor to think about overhauling their own digital experience for their clients,” White said. “You’ve got to meet clients where they are and when they want to meet. You’ve got to change how you communicate.”

White said LPL has been working on a new product to help advisors who, with the move from brokerage to advisory, now need to find additional time to schedule the required annual visits with clients.

He said LPL Financial’s new Meeting Manager tool — rolling out by the end of the year — will help advisors streamline scheduling and preparing the annual client meeting requirement.

“Meeting Manager really is this one-of-a-kind tool that’s really about customizing the way advisors facilitate, manage, and even run their client meetings,” White said. “It’s just one example of how we're making it easier and easier to spend less time preparing for meetings and more time with what's really important, and that's that face-to-face connecting.”

White cites other LPL Financial technology solutions that meet the needs of a changing work environment. LPL’s integrated advisor platform, ClientWorks, reduces time spent on routine tasks and works with third-party plugins like WealthFront and Redtail. LPL’s Account View, a device-agnostic client access platform that gives clients transparent insight into each account from one central location.