We have heard your feedback around missing eSignatures on vendor supplemental forms, and the frustration that it has caused to go back to your clients for additional signatures. We’ve listened, and are excited to announce new functionality within the Docupace system to put more control around eSignatures into your hands.
Effective immediately, before sending an item for eSignature, you will have an opportunity to choose a comprehensive review of the forms, adjust existing tags, and add signer tags as needed. This new process is quick and easy, allowing you to be sure all signatures will be captured the first time you send a packet to your client. If you are certain no adjustments are needed for your documents, you will still have the ability to continue with the normal eSign process and not open this new functionality.
The guide to help walk you through the new tagging process can be found here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to ESI at 800-344-7437 option 1, option 4, or email DocupaceSupport@esiblog
Unprecedented economic and social changes have led to significant stress for both clients and advisors. MoneyGuide is prepared and taking the necessary steps to ensure continuity in the services and support advisors receive.
It’s important to remember that financial planning helps make market fluctuations less scary and helps clients focus on the long-term picture. Now, more than ever, is the time for them to stick to their financial plan.
All you need is a computer and an internet connection to use MoneyGuide to stay connected with your clients. In MoneyGuide’s new “Virtual Planning Guide,” they’ve shared tips for virtual meetings and powerful MoneyGuide features to help facilitate client conversations, keep them on track and feeling confident in their financial future.
Writing a physical check has become obsolete for most business. Why not make it obsolete for yours? ESI is proud to announce the addition of AdvicePay to our Platform. With AdvicePay you can collect your financial planning fees via credit card at a time that is convenient for your clients. There’s no need to remind clients to bring their checkbook to your next meeting or follow up with them asking to mail you a check.
You can quickly create an invoice for your planning fee that is sent via email to your client. Your clients simply click on the “View Invoice & Pay” button to enter their credit card info and in less than two minutes you have collected your planning fee.
Using AdvicePay’s intuitive dashboard you’ll be able to keep track of outstanding invoices, see what invoices are coming due soon and which ones are past due to help you manage your business.
All planning fees are sent directly to ESI where we will process the payment and match it up with the planning agreement. AdvicePay is an optional service that you can choose to add to your platform at a cost of $50 a month for the software license and a 3.5% credit card processing fee that will be taken directly from each payment.
To see if AdvicePay is the right fit for your business please join Rich Whalen from ESI and Cassie Jackson from AdvicePay for a demo of this exciting new addition to the ESI Technology Platform on Thursday December 16th at 4pm EST. Click here to register!
November 1, 2021 Deadline Report Retention Update in My View Portal
On November 1st Broadridge will be modifying the retention time on the reports available within My View Portal. These reports include, but are not limited to, Rep Commission Statements, Trail Detail, and Sales Blotters. We will be shifting to a three-year retention, removing the history of these reports beyond that time period, which will free up space within the system and help alleviate latency issues that come along with increased storage amounts.
We are communicating in advance of this change so that you may download any historical reports you’d like to save for your records.
If you have any questions on this retention update, please reach out to ESI Commissions at 800-344-7437.
November 1st – 19h, 2021 – Collection Period – Accounts that have instructions on file to pay the annual maintenance fee via journal, EFT or IBP may have the fee deducted.
November 15, 2021 – Maintenance Fee Waiver Request Deadline – Representatives must submit the Maintenance Fee Waiver Request Form by November 15th to absorb fees for their clients.
November 22, 2021 – Collection Day – Unpaid fees are posted to customer accounts. Accounts with insufficient cash will result in a cash debit balance.
November 22, 2021 Deadline 2021 Premiere Select Retirement Accounts: Annual Maintenance Fee Cycle National Financial Services will be charging Premiere Select Retirement accounts the annual $40.00 retirement maintenance fee on November 22nd, 2021. Review all the details here.
January 5th, 2021 through January 31st, 2021 – Liquidation/Write Offs – Accounts with eligible securities will be liquidated to cover uncollected fees or written off and charged to the advisor on record (if less than $25).
Available 24/7, Fidelity Portfolio Quick Check instantly gives you tailored, actionable portfolio analysis and insights—simply and seamlessly. This online, self-serve tool offers you a clearer picture of what your clients own and where new opportunities may lie. Available at no additional cost, Fidelity Portfolio Quick Check allows for portfolio analysis of held or outside accounts. The data in the analysis can help to:
Think holistically across the client’s portfolio
Consider the role different asset classes will play going forward
Discuss the suitable balance of risk and opportunity
Please click on any of the links below for more information.
Please Note: You must include your securities disclosure by attaching an approved business card or other approved material when providing output to a customer. No other personalization (agency name, contact information) of the output is allowed.
Available 24/7, Fidelity Portfolio Quick Check instantly gives you tailored, actionable portfolio analysis and insights—simply and seamlessly. This online, self-serve tool offers you a clearer picture of what your clients own and where new opportunities may lie. Available at no additional cost, Fidelity Portfolio Quick Check allows for portfolio analysis of held or outside accounts. The data in the analysis can help to:
Think holistically across the client’s portfolio
Consider the role different asset classes will play going forward
Discuss the suitable balance of risk and opportunity
Please click on any of the links below for more information.
Coming Soon: NFS Quarterly Surcharge for Physical Confirmation and Statements Brokerage clients need to sign up for electronic delivery before September 15th! Click here for details.
Updated Alternative Mutual Fund List The approved and restricted alternative mutual funds, as well as the watch lists have been updated. Click here for details.
Expansion of Docusign Eligibility To combat the new methods of identity-based fraud being utilized by fraudsters, protect your customer accounts, and increase the efficiency of processing money movement requests, the firm is expanding DocuSign eligibility within Docupace. Click here for details.
Last week’s ESI Leadership call provided updates, announcements and reminders of new resources that can help save you time and build your business. Click here for a recap.
Offering a More Convenient Payment Solutions for Fee-Based Clients AdvicePay is a solution for fee-based advisors that allows clients to pay for financial plans using their credit card. This solution is currently being tested and run through our due diligence process. We expect to be able to provide a rollout date within the next couple of months. We will start with accepting credit card payments for a single plan that you deliver. The addition of AdvicePay to our platform allows us to expand this rollout to include an ongoing monthly fee payment option shortly after the initial launch.
Docupace Start: Moving from Instructional to Intuitive Docupace Start is a guided account opening experience with an intuitive design that adapts to the specific account you are opening. Only the questions that pertain to the business you’re submitting are displayed. In short, you fill out fields instead of forms.
These enhancements are live and available to everyone. You will see three new selections available within Starting Point to launch the new guided experience. The guided experience is also available when using the integration between the Illuminations website and Docupace.
The first forms to be converted to this new format are listed below. Converting all forms will take time and will be completed in a phased approach.
Forms to be converted in Phase 1 – note that all other forms will continue to follow the current process:
Client Profile
Entity Profile
Source of Funds
Brokerage Account Application
Premiere Select IRA Application
A quick reference guide and video are available as additional resources to help in learning this new process.
NOTE: The existing New Account tile will remain available while users learn and convert over to the new widget experience. This tile will also continue to be used for NFS 529’s and SIMPLE IRA’s as those two applications are not part of phase one.
If you have any questions on the new guided account opening experience, please reach out to ESI at 800-344-7437 or email DocupaceSupport@nationallife.com
Cyber Security Improvements with Entreda Unify As outlined in a previous communication, National Life and Equity Services, Inc has made the decision to implement a new data security software tool called Entreda Unify. This is a required installation for all representatives.
This new solution is integrated with the agent portal, but we want to assure you that it is still business as usual. When you login for the first time you will be prompted to install Entreda onto your computer. As soon as the installation has started you will be able to continue into the portal and continue working.
Installing Entreda Unify is simple. As ESI Advisor, Scott Maitland, noted when asked about his installation experience, “It took 30 seconds. It was super easy.”
Later in Q3 or early Q4 we will remove the option to bypass the Entreda install. At that time, you will have 14 days to install Entreda or you will be at risk of losing access to the NL portal until you complete the installation process.
If you have been delaying the installation of Entreda, we urge you to install it as quickly as possible. Below are screenshot instructions of how to install Entreda. For questions, please contact:
Entreda’s National Life Support Hotline: (650) 440-6693
Entreda Unify Installation Instructions 1. Login to the Agent Portal
2. You will see a message that informs you that the Entreda Unify agent is not installed. To install the agent, click the Install button in the “Installation Instructions” section. This will download the installer.
If during the install process you have any questions, or the install file doesn’t work for some reason you can connect Entreda directly at 650-440-6693 or via email nationallife@entreda.com.
3. Open/run the Entreda Unify installer and follow the prompts to complete the install.
4. Return to your browser and click the CLICK HERE button to be routed to the Agent Portal.
