February 1st, 2012
Archway is focused on two upcoming Registered Investment Advisor conferences this month, T3: The Conference and the Inaugural SSG Conference.
Technology Tools for Today is a monthly newsletter that provides practice management recommendations and highlights the latest in technology to help advisors achieve dramatic improvements in profitability and lifestyle. T3: The Conference, Technology Tools for Today’s annualforum, will bring together financial advisors to discuss practice management and technology issues in-depth. If you are interested in learning more about portfolio management software, mark your calendar, T3 has a number of companies displaying their technology. This year’s T3 conference is set to take place in Dallas, Texas on Feb. 16-18, 2012.
Shareholders Service Group (SSG) provides dedicated services to the RIA industry, such as building and managing brokerage and custodial platforms. The Inaugural SSG Conference will bring together RIA’s from across the country to learn about growth strategies for their businesses. RIAs will discuss national compliance standards, Investment Policy Statements and investment management software. The SSG Conference will take place in San Diego, California on Feb. 29 – March 2, 2012.
If you are an RIA, add these conferences to your schedule to learn more about your industry and meet other professionals.
If you are attending either of these conferences, stop by Archway’s booth and say hello! The Sales team will be happy to answer questions about the company and discuss ATWeb’s portfolio reporting capabilities.
January 17th, 2012
Celent, a research and consulting firm focused on the application of information technology in the global financial services industry, recently released ‘Wealth Management IT Spending,’ a report based on a survey of priorities and spending among wealth managers.
The report, a compilation of feedback from nearly 50 family offices, prime brokerages, banks and investment advisors throughout North and South America; explores wealth management initiatives including technology spending, future technology priorities and overall strategy.
Key findings from the report include:
• Firms are increasing their technology spending due to client demands for more transparency.
• The most common used technology is a combination of third party solutions and in-house platforms.
• In 2012, wealth managers are likely to add CRM, client reporting tools and client-facing tools.
Firms considering family office technology, investment management software or portfolio accounting software should download the report today.
To view the full report, click here.
January 5th, 2012
Archway is honored to receive recognition in the December 2011 IntegriData Newsletter. IntegriData, a full-service consulting group dedicated to helping investment managers improve operational efficiencies, controls and capabilities through the use of technology, releases a monthly newsletter designed to help investment managers and operations staff navigate the hedge fund accounting software and partnership accounting software field.
In the “Partnership Accounting Systems: Evaluating the Landscape” section of the newsletter, IntegriData mentions Archway as a newer entrant into the partnership accounting software arena for Private Equity funds and Hedge Funds. Along with several other companies, Archway receives praise for its “solid reputation” and ability to now “effectively compete with the existing market leaders.”
Also found in the newsletter are IntegriData insights on the partnership accounting software available based on their research and demonstrations from key players. Integridata promises to set up demonstrations with the new vendors in the market to increase their knowledge.
To view the complete newsletter, click here.
December 20th, 2011
The Self-Regulatory Organization for Independent Investment Advisers (Sroiia) recently launched a map that helps registered investment advisors learn about the necessary requirements for registering in each of the 50 states.
What was once a complicated and arduous process, advisors spent hours searching through each state’s legal requirements to figure out how to register, has now been simplified. Registered investment advisors click on the state they wish to register in on Sroiia’s map, and read the requirements for registration.
Also featured on the map are, 1)links to the state’s registration forms, 2) a step by step process on how to file a registration and, 3) the cost of filling a registration.
To check out Sroiia’s interactive map, click here.
December 6th, 2011
Archway is pleased to announce that it is now approved as a registered sponsor on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Developed in 1990, the National Registry of CPE Sponsors is a program offered by the National Associate of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) to recognize CPE programs sponsors who provide continuing professional education (CPE) programs in accordance with nationally recognized standards.
As part of this partnership, Archway can offer CPE credits to Certified Public Accountants upon completion of their ATWeb implementation process. During the ATWeb implementation process, experienced professionals on Archway’s staff work in the client’s office to coach them on a wide variety of topics such as use of the General Ledger, Accounts Payable and how ATWeb handles Portfolio Accounting. Clients receive the technical knowledge on how to use ATWeb, as well as a refresher course on some basics of accounting from the implementation team.
Archway is excited about its commitment to offer high quality CPE programs to clients. In the future, Archway hopes to offer CPE programs across the country. Taught by our knowledgeable Professional Services and Finance & Operations teams, these classes will be available to anyone working within the financial industry.
November 23rd, 2011
In the spirit of Thanksgiving weekend, we present the ‘Top 10 ATWeb Reports.’ ATWeb offers 170+ reports to the Archway community, the ones listed below are the most popular.
Here are the top 10 generated reports in ATWeb:
1. Balance Sheet: A snapshot of the assets, liabilities and equity of an entity.
2. Open Positions: Breaks down holdings by portfolio and includes information such as original basis, tax basis and market value.
3. General Ledger: A breakout of general ledger accounts with information about the journal entries booked to each account.
4. Period Balance: Equity balance information which includes beginning balance, period profit, fees and the ending balance for each investor in the entity.
5. Portfolio Profit Comparison: An income statement of portfolios that helps compare one strategy, manager or account with another.
6. Portfolio Appraisal: A listing of open positions and pricing within an account, including the percent of a portfolio the security makes up along with a cross portfolio summary.
7. Standard Statement: An investor level income statement along with capital balance information broken out by accounting period.
8. General Ledger (Alternate Presentation): A breakout of the general ledger accounts plus the contra account number and name.
9. Entity Ownership: Details of who owns the entity with account balances and appropriate ownership percentages.
10. Income Statement: The net income number along with the breakout of the revenue and expenses.
We’re thankful for passionate clients and users who help us develop reports. View our Robust Accounting web page to learn more about ATWeb’s reporting capabilities.
November 15th, 2011
Although the market has begun to recover from the US sub-prime mortgage market meltdown, hedge fund allocators and investors still face a high-risk environment with a long road to recovery ahead.
Simon Gray, Managing Editor of Hedgeweek is hosting a webinar on Thursday Nov. 17 which will review hedge fund allocation challenges in turbulent times. Sponsored by PerTrac, the webinar will address issues such as:
- Do established measures of risk still provide meaningful information? What alternatives are there?
- Can alternative strategies consistently outperform traditional long-only investment?
- Is it time to rethink standard geographical allocation criteria?
- Are information and analysis tools used by allocators and investors up to the job? Is it time to rethink the whole investment decision-making process?
The webinar will be conveniently held at 10 a.m. GMT and 10 a.m. EST on Nov. 17. To register for the webinar, click on the time you would like to attend.
November 2nd, 2011
An increasing number of hedge fund managers now utilize outsourcing to increase productivity in today’s economy. To help navigate the outsourcing landscape, Pershing and Eze Castle co-authored a 24-page guidebook to help hedge fund managers choose an outsourced technology solution.
To keep up with a changing economy, hedge funds managers seek the benefits of hedge fund software technology so they can focus on money management. Outsourcing helps them reap the technology benefits without the frustration and commitment of learning the software and administering it.
The free download, “A Guide to Technology Outsourcing for Hedge Funds,” serves as a roadmap for hedge fund managers who want to understand the various options that exist in outsourcing, and addresses key questions, such as:
- How can a fund build a secure foundation for outsourcing?
- What are the advantages of alternatives such as cloud computing, hosted environments and colocation?
- Which pricing models make the most sense, based on a fund’s size and strategy?
To download the guidebook and learn more about hedge fund technology outsourcing, click here.
October 20th, 2011
Whitebox Advisors’ new research curation portal, Whitebox Selected Research is requesting papers published in 2011 that have made a significant contribution to the art and science of investment. Aiming to illuminate valuable research, Whitebox, a Minneapolis based Hedge Fund, is offering $25,000 to the winning submission.
The first annual ‘Whitebox Selected Research Awards’ is seeking “to promote the most profitable and productive allocation of capital and to bring greater recognition to scholars, investment professionals, journalists, and commentators whose work advances that end.”
Research papers will be judged on criteria set forth by Whitebox. In addition to the grand prize, top papers will be republished and other prizes may be given out for up to 12 finalists and honorable mentions.
View the contest details here and enter your paper to advance the Hedge Fund community’s understanding of investments through educational materials. The deadline to enter is January 15, 2012 and winners will be announced no later than April 15, 2012.
October 6th, 2011
HedgeFundsReview.com is conducting its first ever service provider rankings list. The rankings will cover a wide variety of service providers important to the hedge fund industry including; technology platforms, prime brokers, fund administrations, consultants, legal professionals and more. Hedge fund and fund of funds managers are invited to participate in the survey by ranking their personal experiences with various services providers.
Results of this survey will provide great insight into the services that directly support the hedge fund industry. Hedge funds will be able use the survey results when choosing service providers to pick the best providers that will support their businesses’.
Survey results will be made available to subscribers in a special report to be published in November of this year. Service providers at the top of the rankings will be recognized at a reception in London in December.
Take the 10-minute survey by clicking here. Share your input on the service providers essential to your organization before the October 28, 2011 deadline.
September 29th, 2011
Post-trade technology is a great tool to confirm and report trades for investors and brokers, but what happens when the complexity of trades exceeds the technologies’ capabilities? Failed trades, lost business and an inability to ensure regulatory compliance are just a few of the problems that could occur.
According to an article posted by Hedgeweek.com earlier this week, the technology at the core of such post-trade technology was designed for a simpler trading environment than the one that we currently live in due to new regulations and the growth of asset classes.
Adaptations to post-trade technology systems are one way firms are coping with outdated systems. But such hodgepodge systems will not last long. To address this growing issue, the London Stock Exchange published a white paper to examine what modern post-trade systems should have. This white paper is a must read if you are a broker or investor that wants to anticipate software developments. Click here to download the Post Trade Technology: Reactive or Progressive? white paper.
September 21st, 2011
Archway recently traveled around the country to meet with our current and prospective client base. On Sept. 14 we visited Chicago to host a cocktail event at Phoenix Lounge and on Sept. 15 traveled to Minneapolis to host another cocktail event at Seven.
To deepen our understanding of the family office space, we hosted an intimate dinner in Newport Beach on Sept. 18 at Javier’s Cantina during the 12th Annual Family Office Wealth Conference.
These events help shape the future of Archway because they allow us to socialize with our industry peers and understand their needs without the pressures associated with business interactions. The meaningful conversations that grow from these dinners and events ultimately help us better serve our clients, by learning what is critical to their day to day operations and how our software and services can meet those demands.
September 8th, 2011
BarclayHedge and TrimTabs Investment Research recently released a study showing bearish sentiment on U.S. Equities is on the rise among hedge fund managers. Sentiment on one widely regarded benchmark, the S&P 500, soared to 42% in August, the highest reading in a year and a 15% jump from July’s figures. At the same time, bullish sentiment sank to its smallest reading in four months to 27%.
Hedge fund managers also remain pessimistic on long-date Treasuries according to the study. But Leon Mirochnik, CFA and Associate Portfolio Manager at TrimTabs disputes this sentiment, stating, “Demand at recent Treasury auctions was robust, Treasury mutual funds and ETFs continue to pull in cash, and fixed income hedge funds boast one of the heaviest year-to-date inflows of all hedge fund strategies.”
This study paints a clear picture; managers are sour on the economy. Roughly 56% think the economy is already in recession or will soon slip into recession. This mentality has led many hedge fund managers to stray from risk sectors and head for those they are more upbeat on even though consumer discretionary, a part of the risk sector, has increased 20.7% in the past year. This figure places consumer discretionary as the second-best performing sector.
To read more on hedge fund managers’ sentiment on the economy, read the full article on HedgeWeek.com here.
August 31st, 2011
A critical component for Registered Investment Advisor’s (RIA’s) to consider when growing their business is utilizing current clients. RIA’s agree that client referrals are critical to a firm’s growth according to an SEI Quick Poll released Monday Aug. 29, but half of those polled say they’ve only asked “a small percentage” of clients for referrals. Taylor Ranker of The Ranker-Hanshaw Group in Harrisburg, PA comments on this disconnect, stating “Every good advisor knows they should be utilizing existing clients to generate referrals. The only question is how.” In order to bridge this knowledge gap, SEI Advisor Network created a whitepaper titled Turbo-charging Client Referrals. This white paper outlines four key ways for advisors to generate referrals and introductions, including:
- Engage your Clients
- Leverage Technology
To read more in-depth about these tips and to see the rest of the list for growing your business through client referrals, check out the article on AdvisorOne.com by clicking here.
August 22nd, 2011
RIABiz.com recently posted an interesting article on how Registered Investment Advisors (RIA) can participate in social media and stay compliant with SEC, FINRA and existing company social networking policies.
Social media is a prospecting tool embraced by many within the financial services industry, including RIA’s. To increase revenue, financial advisors within the large wirehouses and independent RIA’s are learning how to successfully leverage social media and engage with the community at large. Social media enables them to do that in a variety of ways.
Maria Marsala, author of the article “Top 10 tips for the ’social’ financial professional when creating your LinkedIn profile” encourages advisors to focus’ on social media giant LinkedIn. She outlines 10 tips on how to take part in social media and comply with the numerous regulations that RIA’s face.
Key takeaways for RIA’s include:
-Join “Groups” so that referrals and prospects may find you during their Internet travels
-Approach your compliance department with “How can I…?” rather than “Can I…?”
-Create a search-friendly profile from a list of keywords.
To read the complete article of tips and tricks to navigate your way through LinkedIn and benefit from its 100 million members, click here.
August 10th, 2011
Archway’s sales team recently met with the West Coast division head of a major custodian to discuss technology within the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) space. Archway’s mission is to provide the best software solution for the capital markets; therefore meetings like this one are of the utmost importance and for good reason. One, we gather feedback on our approach to developing technology, Two, we hear firsthand from well-connected individuals what the needs of the market are and lastly we strengthen our relationships with custodians We listen to the needs of those we serve and by doing so we effectively deliver solutions to address their technology concerns.
The meeting revealed some interesting data points on technology within the RIA space. Some of the major concerns that RIAs expressed centered on portfolio management software’s ability to; a) provide transparency into underlying holdings b) calculate performance of the portfolio in multiple ways and c) not break the RIA’s technology budget.
Software, a critical component of the RIA business, continues to be one of the most talked about topics in the ever growing RIA space. As these discussions transpire, Archway will listen for ways to improve our software and service offerings and adjust them accordingly.
August 3rd, 2011
InvestmentNews, an RIA focused weekly newspaper with both an online and print presence, recently released their inaugural RIA Technology Study. This study is designed to assist RIA firms in assessing their technology approach, usage, spend and overall satisfaction across core business functions.
The study features several sections, including:
-How technology can help support growth
-Factors to consider when investing in technology
-Benefits of outsourced solutions vs. managing functions in-house
-Integration and what it really means for an advisory firm
-Over 30 charts, business and peer profiles by size of firm and type of firm
You can view the Executive Summary or purchase the report by clicking here. The Technology Study is a great tool to help you and your firm decide what kind of technology is appropriate given your needs, current software and existing applications.
July 25th, 2011
The Archway Marketing Team attended the Opal Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum last week in beautiful Newport Rhode Island to make new contacts in the family office space and learn more about the industry we serve. The conference was a huge success for us, we met new professionals within the family office space and spent time with current clients.
Some highlights of the event included a keynote speech during lunch titled “What’s Next for the American Economy?” led by Harvard University professor of Economics, George F. Baker, an amazing dinner party hosted by Fidelity Family Office Services and Archway’s raffle of a Kindle 3G for attendees who stopped by our booth!
Archway is prepared for our next industry function, the 12th Annual Family Office Wealth Conference in Laguna Beach, California scheduled for September 18-20. Archway is prepared to host a dinner in partnership with Fidelity Family Offices Services, on Sunday evening; we hope to see you there.
July 15th, 2011
Archway is excited to be heading to Newport, Rhode Island to participate at the Opal Financial Group’s annual Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum! The conference begins on Monday July 18 and will last through Wednesday July 20. The conference is designed for high net worth individuals and family offices in North America to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with investing in emerging markets, alternative investments, distressed real estate, direct energy, and numerous other asset types.
Some exciting events will be happening at the event such as the 5th Annual America’s Cup Regatta, in which attendees will have the opportunity to work with a professional sailing charter crew while competing against industry peers.
Also in the works for Archway are back to back cocktail events in Chicago and Minneapolis, Wednesday September 14 and Thursday 15 in partnership with Fidelity Family Office Services.These events are designed for industry professionals to mingle and network with existing and new contacts while sipping a few cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere.
June 18th, 2011
Today Archway releases ATWeb v4.3.4, which includes enhancements to the enterprise, entity, and report levels within the ATWeb software platform.
At the enterprise-level, there are enhancements to the Asset Allocation Dashboards, Accounts Payable, Data Extraction Application Programming Interface (API), and Investor Login Pie Chart. Within the entity-level portion of the software, new upgrades are available in the Accounts Payable Distribution, Accounts Receivable Recurring Invoice and Open and Close Dates. Report level updates include a Payment Register (Bill to Entity), Statement of Assets by Account Class and Trust Balances (Alternate Presentation) report.
Other improvements in ATWeb v4.3.4 include new integrations with Fidelity International, Northern Trust and enhanced integrations with SunGard. In addition to the new integrations, search parameter upgrades are now in ATWeb v4.3.4 to allow for an increase in search efficiencies.