Advisor Resources

Advisor Spotlight: Eric Rodriguez, WealthBuilders Nov 16, 2022 9:19:40 AM For this Advisor Spotlight, we welcome Eric Rodriguez, CFP® and the Founder of WealthBuilders, LLC to chat about taking a more life-centered approach to financial planning. Non-paid client of Betterment. Views may not be representative, see more reviews at the App Store and Google Play Store. Advisor: Eric Rodriguez Firm: WealthBuilders, LLC Bio: Eric is a Certified Financial Planner® and the Founder of WealthBuilders, LLC, an independent, virtual RIA based out of San Diego, CA. Eric is the author of R.E.T.I.R.E. On Your Terms: 6 Steps To Build Wealth and Co-Host of The Avocado Toast Podcast. He started his career as a registered rep for a broker-dealer that was heavily focused on product sales. That firm left him with a bad impression of the financial industry, so he switched careers to strategic B2B sales where he thrived. About eight years later, Eric was introduced to real financial planning when he started working at LearnVest. He was inspired to launch his own firm, WealthBuilders LLC, in 2017. Firm Bio: WealthBuilders is an independent fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm. WealthBuilders specializes in working with progressive early to mid-career professionals and business owners who are passionate about aligning their wealth with their values. Why did you decide to become an advisor? My parents didn’t talk about money growing up. They argued about it. I wanted to change that for us. I wanted to normalize talking about money and building wealth, and I wanted to make it a positive experience. This is what inspired me to become a CFP®. What are some questions that you wish more clients would ask? How do you measure success with your clients? Why? What do you think is the biggest mistake people make with their money? Not having a customized wealth plan that aligns their key values with their money. Having a wealth plan that includes a vision for your ideal future, key values, the unexpected, and goals to achieve can have a profound impact on your financial success. What does your firm's current tech stack look like? How has technology impacted your work? I run a solo practice —having a solid tech stack is essential to running my business successfully, especially with back office responsibilities. Having a partner like Betterment helps me streamline client onboarding and ongoing investment support so I can focus on other aspects of my business. My firm's tech stack includes Betterment for Advisors as my custodian; G-Suite for all business functions; Asset-Map for initial client conversations; eMoney for complicated financial plans; Riskalyze for risk tolerance; Holistiplan for tax planning; AdvicePay for retainer client fees; Calendly for prospect/client bookings; Wealthbox as my CRM; Mailchimp for client communication and newsletters; Quickbooks for accounting; Canva for marketing and one page plan creation; Loom for custom client videos; and Adobe Acrobat for contract management and editing. How have the recent trends toward remote and hybrid work impacted your relationship with clients? I work with a lot of clients in tech and most have always been hybrid. Prior to the pandemic I was meeting with my clients virtually about 70% of the time. Now it's 100% virtual. It saves us both valuable time and money. What do you think is the biggest opportunity for advisors today? Automating their portfolio management and back office and focusing more time on truly helping clients align their resources with their life goals. Evidence shows that a more life-centered approach to financial planning can help clients make better decisions and improve financial wellbeing and life satisfaction. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? I'd love to give my family and close friends enough money to fund some of their dreams. Give to non-profit organizations focused on closing the racial wealth gap and climate change. Take our immediate and extended family on a big annual trip and pay for everyone. Hire a full time helper like Jeffrey from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air! Invest the rest wisely. If you could only give one piece of financial advice, what would it be? Prioritize your immediate goals and take action. For example, if a down payment is at the top of your goal list, then open an investment account and aggressively start saving.

Introducing the RIA Tech Suite Oct 13, 2022 12:00:00 AM The RIA Tech Suite brings together complementary technology platforms to help automate critical back-office tasks for advisors. The RIA Tech Suite brings together complementary technology platforms to help automate critical back-office tasks for advisors. Along with RIA in a Box®, RightCapital, and Wealthbox, Betterment for Advisors is excited to introduce the RIA Tech Suite: a set of services and tools that advisors can use to help automate and streamline back-office tasks.  Why should firms utilize the RIA Tech Suite? Together, these intuitive and complementary tech tools can streamline everyday practice management, giving you more time to acquire new business and to provide a better experience for your current clients. Additionally, the RIA Tech Suite includes discounted pricing for firms that adopt two or more of the services—a discount that could save the average RIA firm up to $3,200 in their first year.1 Here are the tools available on the RIA Tech Suite: Betterment for Advisors - A leading digital-first wealth management platform that leverages smart-tax technology. RIA in a Box® - Compliance, cybersecurity, and operational software for investment advisors. RightCapital - Wealth planning software that makes planning easier and more powerful for advisors and their clients. Wealthbox - A leading CRM software application that helps advisors manage their clients and collaborate with their team. The RIA Tech Suite can foster growth for tech-centric firms that are focused on efficient client service and expanding their books of business.  “Our goal at Betterment for Advisors is to empower advisors to grow their businesses and build deeper client relationships,” writes Jon Mauney, General Manager of Betterment for Advisors. “The four companies that are part of the RIA Tech Suite all share this objective with a common approach to their services: providing beautifully designed, easy-to-use, and powerful tools for advisors and their clients.” The RIA Tech Suite is now available to all registered investment advisors. You can learn more and sign up for this offering by visiting https://riatechsuite.com.     Betterment for Advisors is a member of the coalition known as RIA Tech Suite alongside three other platforms: RIA in a Box, RightCapital, and Wealthbox. The four companies are offering advisors who become new clients of two or more members of RIA Tech Suite, discounts on services provided by such participating companies. Betterment and aforementioned firms are not under common ownership or otherwise related entities, and no compensation has been exchanged between the members of RIA Tech Suite for the purposes of entering into this coalition. Terms subject to change. This offering is for investment professionals only and is not intended for use by private investors.  ¹ 3200 USD is an estimate of the maximum amount saved on the annual cost for combined subscription fees across all four services noted in this article. Calculation assumes the average of weighted monthly rates offered across all four services plus their onboarding fees, which are subject to change at each service providers’ discretion, and then applies a 15% discount from each. The discount rate of 15% per company is activated upon engagement of a minimum of two companies. Actual dollar amount saved may vary; Betterment makes no guarantee of the specific dollar amount your firm could save.

More Billing Flexibility For Advisors Sep 29, 2022 12:00:00 AM As part of our mission to make it easy for advisors to manage their practices, we offer a variety of billing plans to provide advisors more flexibility for charging clients. Our three Billing Plans allow advisors to set fee structures that fit the needs of both their advisory firm and their clients. Under each plan, advisory fees will accrue daily and be assessed on a monthly or quarterly basis as set by the firm. Advisors who have admin privileges can create new Billing Plans and set the default Plan for their firm, which will be used for new households moving forward. Any advisor can choose from the list of available Billing Plans—which are created by admin advisors—and assign any Plan to their clients. Below, we’ll outline how each Billing Plan works and give examples of how fees might look for households of varying asset ownership levels. Asset-Based Billing Fixed Fee Billing Tiered Billing Note that regardless of which Billing Plan is chosen, each advised client pays a percentage fee directly to Betterment for portfolio management. The fees represented in each Billing Plan below are additional fees (on top of Betterment's wrap fee) that are collected by Betterment on behalf of the advisor and sent to each advisory firm on a monthly or quarterly basis. Asset-Based Billing In the past, the only billing option for advisors was to charge basis points (bps) on a client’s assets, regardless of account balance. We’ll still be offering this asset-based billing option, however, it must now be applied to a total household rather than separately across a household’s legal accounts. As a reminder, legal accounts include individual taxable, joint taxable, trusts, and each type of IRA. A household consists of all legal accounts owned by one person, as well as all the accounts owned by anyone that person shares a joint account or trust with. Households can also be created by explicitly associating two or more people. Example of Asset-Based Billing Plan at 50 bps   Balance Annual Fee Approx. Quarterly Fee Household 1 $50,000 $250 $62.50 Household 2 $500,000 $2,500 $625 Household 3 $3,000,000 $15,000 $3,750   Fixed Fee Billing Advisors can set a fixed annual fee for their services, and apply it to households regardless of balance. The most important thing to know about this plan is that a household’s balance must be above the fixed fee amount in order for fees to accrue. For example, if the fixed fee is $5,000, a balance of $4,999 would not accrue fees. Because fees accrue daily, if a household’s balance is below the set fixed fee amount at the close of market on any given day, no fee will accrue on that day. Since fees are assessed on a monthly or quarterly basis, the annual fee set by the firm will be prorated across each billing period. Tiered Billing Tiered billing allows for ranges to be set for both asset-based fees and fixed fees. The tiers work similar to tax brackets, in that only the assets held within each tier’s range are charged with that tier’s rate. Below is an example of what an asset-based tiered structure might look like. Example Tiered Billing Structure: Asset-Based Asset Range Rate $0 to $100,000 100 bps $100,001 to $500,000 75 bps Over $500,001 50 bps Households under the above tiered billing structure would be charged as follows:   Balance Annual Fee Approx. Quarterly Fee Household 1 $50,000 $500 $125 Household 2 $225,000 $1,937.50 $484 Household 3 $2,600,000 $14,500 $3,625 Setting A Minimum Fee Advisors can utilize the tiered structure to set a minimum fee by setting a fixed fee for the lowest asset tier, and then applying an asset-based fee for the higher subsequent tiers. Just like under the fixed fee plan, a household’s assets must be higher than the lowest fixed fee rate in order for fees to start accruing. Example Tiered Billing Structure: Fixed Fee + Asset-Based Asset Range Rate $0 to $100,000 $1,000 per year $100,001 to $500,000 75 bps Over $500,001 50 bps If you have any questions about how Billing Plans work, head to our FAQs to find answers to the most commonly asked questions. If you still need help, our Advisor Support Associates can help you find the right billing solution that works for your firm. 

6 Questions to Consider As You Evaluate Advisor Technology Platforms Sep 27, 2022 10:07:00 AM Use these six questions to help zero in on the best investment management technology for your needs—today and tomorrow. Considering adopting new technology designed to improve efficiency and enhance the client experience? Choosing the right tech for your advisory firm can be a matter of pure luck if you're not clear about what you're looking for. 1. Does this platform have the features that address my specific needs? Before you begin evaluating different technology solutions, identify the specific capabilities you need, then prioritize them based on which have potential for the greatest impact on your business. Some of the technology options available may include features you haven't identified as must-haves, but could contribute to overall efficiency improvements. Don't dismiss them offhand. It's important to involve staff members in this part of the process. Survey potential users and other stakeholders to find out their pain points so you can understand which current features they want to maintain, and where they feel gaps exist. 2. Does this platform address tomorrow's needs? Don't stop when you believe you have a solution that satisfies today's needs; look ahead to what you might need in the future. Your goal should be to adopt a platform that will serve you well today and in the years to come. The advisory industry and client needs are constantly evolving, and your technology should constantly adapt and align with the shifting landscape. 3. What technology solutions are my peers using? Another way to benchmark the technology solutions you may be considering is to check in with your financial advisor colleagues. Whether that's through informal conversations with peers during a conference, checking reviews in industry publications, or a forum question posed to an advisors-onlygroup you're involved in, you'll undoubtedly get some firsthand insights that can help inform your technology selection process. 4. How long before we're up and running? Depending on the scope and functionality of the technology being implemented, it may be a few weeks before you can fully rely on it to function as intended. Many, though, take just days. While your choice of platform should be primarily about its ability to deliver long-term value to you and your clients, finding one that starts improving productivity quickly can minimize distractions and optimize staff productivity. 5. How does the platform handle account opening and transitions? Account opening and transitions can be a definite pain point given the myriad of forms and potential systems required. When evaluating a tech solution, you'll want to understand how it might, or might not, ease this process. Will it make onboarding new clients more seamless and paperless though automated workflows? Or will multiple, time-consuming manual entries still be required? 6. How easy is the tool to use? Consider not only how intuitive and painless the technology in question is for you and your staff, but also for your clients. One study shows that 62% of millennials are getting their advice online or from social media. It's no secret that this generation, poised to inherit $68 trillion from the baby boomer generation, prefers more streamlined and intuitive user experiences. To better engage and reach clients in this younger set, you'll want to prioritize technologies that present an accessible interface and are enjoyable to use. Technology is an investment that can have significant impact on your business growth and how you serve your clients. Choose wisely, keeping in mind that you and your staff aren't the only ones who will benefit from it. Your clients' needs and experiences with your technology are equally important, and they should be top of mind as you evaluate your options.   To learn more about Betterment for Advisors, get in touch with a member of our team.

Betterment answers your tax season questions—from 401(k)s to HSAs Sep 27, 2022 12:00:00 AM A timely Q&A about tax management on the Betterment platform. It’s tax time! Read on as Eric Bronnenkant, Betterment’s Head of Tax, and Nick Holeman, Betterment’s Head of Financial Planning, discuss common tax queries. Which combination of retirement accounts will likely provide this particular client the most beneficial tax savings over their lifetime?  Nick: The words of this sentence were chosen very carefully because it's likely going to be that one retirement account alone is not enough to fully optimize things. It's going to be a combination, and it's going to depend on this particular client’s situation. We're not focused solely on minimizing taxes today. We want to try to minimize and control taxes over the client's lifetime to try and save them the most cumulative amount of taxes. And as we'll get into, that might not be the type of account that's going to give them the largest tax break today. So, we're going to dive in, but this is the underlying theme or question. The reason why this is so complicated is because there are so many factors and inputs to this decision—kind of this patchwork of special retirement accounts that Congress and the IRS have created over decades. This is why the question is so complicated for us advisors. It's also why it's so confusing for clients. And it's why there's so much bad advice out there. A lot of the clients that I work with have their own CPAs, and I can't tell you how many times I've had to correct them.  A lot of CPAs are experts in tax, but they're not experts in looking 20-30 years down the road when it comes to retirement planning. So today, we want to focus on some of the more common scenarios and questions.  Traditional IRA vs. Roth IRA? Eric: While this can also potentially be looked at in the Traditional 401(k) versus the Roth 401(k), there are some nuanced differences there, too.  For today, we're going to look at the Traditional IRA versus Roth IRA because this is something that typically the client has the most amount of control over in making their own decisions about what account type to choose. And there's a lot of uncertainty; as Nick pointed out, there's also a lot of information. Some of it's good, and some of it could use improvement.  So, thinking about someone who's 25, single, earning $50K: Should they be in the Traditional IRA or the Roth IRA? What’s better for them?  Eric: Nobody really knows the answer to that question today. You really only know the answer to that question after a whole lifetime. What are your initial thoughts, Nick? What jumps out at you when you look at this type of scenario? Nick: Yeah, I like that we're starting with the basics and we're going to build onto the more complex topics. This is one instance where I tend to agree with the standard advice I hear from other CFP® professionals: When you're younger, you're likely able to expect your income to grow. So paying taxes now is going to be better than paying taxes later. In general, without knowing too much about this client situation, I would probably recommend Roth if I had to give an answer. For someone who's age 40, married, and has earnings of $250K: What type of IRA do you think they might want to consider? Nick: This is where we start to get borderline on some of those tax rules. I don't know all of their adjustments or other things that might lower their modified AGI, but here we're probably going to be phased out of a Roth, so we might not have a choice. We would go with a Traditional IRA. Maybe that's when we start getting into the more advanced topics, like a backdoor Roth IRA. But yeah, probably Traditional. Eric: Right. Regardless of how much money you make, you can always contribute to a Traditional IRA. You just may not get a tax deduction for it if you're covered by a retirement plan at work and you make too much money. So the Roth income limit, you get phased out at about $208,000 for last year; $214,000 this year. It would be tough, even for married couples maxing out their 401(k),to potentially help them get below those thresholds. Tough to meet those MAGI limits. But you definitely brought up a great point as far as the backdoor Roth. So for people who make too much money to contribute to the Roth directly, they can contribute to the Traditional and then do the conversion over to Roth. Fun fact: the Roth conversion income limitation was eliminated permanently in 2010, and as of right now, there is nothing on the horizon that is going to change that. Obviously laws can always change, but it is not scheduled to return at this point. Nick: Backdoor Roths are super powerful potential strategies for high income earners. We talk about them a lot with our clients at Betterment. They're a little more complex, so they're not usually part of the baseline retirement plan that we're building up, but if they have a tax professional involved who’s keeping track of the Form 8606 so they're not getting double-taxed, then a backdoor Roth can be a super powerful strategy. Do contributions to a Traditional 401(k) help me qualify for a Traditional IRA deduction or a Roth IRA contribution? Eric: So let's say you have a married couple where one spouse is earning $214,000, and one spouse put in the $20,500 into their 401(k), now that $20,500 would put them below the Roth income limit. Then they'd go from a situation where they weren't able to make any Roth contribution directly to being able to make the full $6,000 or $7,000 Roth contribution directly. So a contribution to a Traditional 401(k) may help you qualify for other benefits, like a deduction on a Traditional or making direct contributions to a Roth or even other things, like child tax credits and any other AGI sensitive items. Do tax-free withdrawals from a Roth IRA impact social security benefits and Medicare premiums in retirement? Nick: Roth IRAs don't impact social security benefits. They don't impact Medicare premiums. Those are two big potential ways to optimize retirement down the road. It's not just looking at tax brackets, either. I know oftentimes when Eric and I will chat, we’re like, ‘Oh, it's current bracket versus future bracket, and you can kind of decide which one is best.’ And that's true, but that's a little bit too simplified. We know tax brackets fluctuate, and there are other things aside from taxation, as well: social security, Medicare premiums, things like that. So big shout out to Roths if they make sense for each client, but just a reminder not to only focus on tax brackets. Can I withdraw contributions from a Roth IRA without tax/penalties? Eric: The power of the Roth is that you're able to withdraw your regular contributions at any time — tax and penalty free — regardless of your age. Some people use it as an emergency fund; that is a possibility. If you can afford to have a Roth and an emergency fund, that's even better. Let's say you need to use your Roth as an emergency fund: it is potentially a tax-efficient way to withdraw those regular contributions tax and penalty free regardless of your age. I do want to point out that if you wanted to withdraw the earnings, which would come out second, those are subject to tax and penalty if you're under age 59-and-a-half. 401(k) vs. IRA? Eric: The first thing you should think about in this type of scenario is: Can I contribute to both my IRA and my 401(k)? I'm not sure where this rumor got started, but it's definitely been flying around the internet for a long time that if you contribute to a 401(k), you can't contribute to an IRA, which is not true. You can contribute to both. Now, what could potentially be impacted is that if you contribute to a 401(k), you may not get a deduction for your Traditional IRA contribution. So is there an interrelationship of the two? Yes. But it's not that you won't be able to make the Traditional IRA contribution, you just may not get a deduction for it. What are some other reasons why you might want to prioritize a 401(k) versus an IRA? Nick: I'll go with one of the less common ones to make this interesting. Behavioral benefits, right? A 401(k) contribution is going to come directly out of your paycheck before it even hits your account. At Betterment, we're big fans of automation. Out of sight out of mind. If it's so easy to spend your money, we want to try to make it just as easy to save your money. So 401(k)s or auto-deposits into an IRA, vice versa. Those are some great benefits that you can do with their 401(k).  Can I access 401(k) funds 10% penalty-free at age 55? Eric: Not everyone wants to work until age 59-and-a-half. Retiring early is on a lot of people's minds, and most people are pretty familiar with the fact that if you want to access 401(k) funds before 59-and-a-half, you have to pay a 10% penalty. IRA 10% penalty exceptions versus 401(k), 10% penalty exceptions are not symmetric. Some are the same, but some are not the same.  Nick: 401(k)s are great for age 55 early withdrawals. That's a big win, right? We're talking to more and more clients who are, I don’t know if 55 necessarily counts as FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early), but we're talking to more and more clients who are getting really into that.  Can I borrow against an IRA? Nick: We don't love seeing that, but there's a little more flexibility with borrowing against the 401(k). Eric: Actually, a fun fact about the 55-or-later rule is that you don't even have to be 55, as long as you separate from service in the year you turn 55 or later. So you could potentially turn 55 on Christmas day and leave your job on January 1st of that year, and you still qualify for that 10% penalty exception. One thing you shouldn't do if you want to keep that exception is roll those funds over to an IRA, because you'll lose that 10% penalty exception, even though you're allowed to rollover. Nick: You want to make sure you've got enough funds to be able to bridge the gap between 55 and 59-and-a-half. So you might do a partial rollover, for example. Eric, I don't know what your thoughts are on that, but make sure you're not leaving them hanging out to dry in that little window there. Eric: Yeah. I mean, is the 401(k) penalty-free provision useful? Absolutely. Is it the best thing? Not necessarily. If, let's say, you don't like your 401(k) investment options, you could roll it over to your IRA and then do substantially equal periodic payments for five years, which is longer than 59-and-a-half, so that's more restrictive. If you were willing to give up some control on your payment timing, you still might find the IRA option more attractive.  I want to use a retirement plan to partially fund a new home purchase. Should I use my IRA or 401(k) first? Eric: There are a few different ways to fund that. Obviously if people have enough extra money in their non-retirement accounts, that's typically the first place they're looking to fund that first-time home purchase, but not everyone has a 20% down payment available in cash. People are always looking at other alternatives for funds, and that would include a 401(k) and an IRA. What are your thoughts on the 401(k) versus IRA in this scenario, Nick? Nick: My real thoughts would be neither. Typically if a client's asking me this question, it means that they either didn't plan or they're kind of feeling pressured out of a situation or going beyond their budget. So I know that's being a little judgmental, but typically I discourage both. Your IRA has that $10,000 first time-home exemption, 401(k), you may be able to take out a loan and the provisions are a little bit more flexible if that loan is for home purchase. Depending on the situation, I would probably go to my IRA because it has that smaller limit; it would prohibit them from dipping too much into their 401(k). But there are definitely pros and cons to each. Eric: Right. So you can do the Roth IRA. And now, obviously this is if you need the money, because Roth IRAs are such a powerful retirement savings tool, and the longer you hold the money in there, the better. But let's say you need the money: You could withdraw all of your regular contributions, first tax and penalty free. And then if you've had the account open for at least five years, you can withdraw up to $10,000 of earnings tax and penalty free, too. That can count as a qualified distribution. So an IRA may be useful, but some people have most of their money set aside in their 401(k). And that's where a loan with generous repayment terms, where you're able to push that out over a long period of time, may be attractive. Nick: True. Maybe this is me, but the whole benefit of Roth IRAs is tax-free growth. So if you're not getting a lot of tax-free growth, you're missing out on some of the benefits. It only makes sense to be invested aggressively if you're looking at a long-term time horizon. If you're planning on using a Roth IRA to buy a house next year, you shouldn't have had that money invested super aggressively anyways, which means you're probably looking at cash or more conservative investments, which means you're missing out on the single biggest benefit of Roth IRAs in general, which is tax-free growth. So again, I just don't understand why I see so many people talking about using your Roth IRA for this home purchase exemption or for your emergency fund. I don't understand it, unless it's an absolute emergency; not something I typically recommend. Eric: That's fair. When you're thinking about whether you should be buying a home in the first place, you do want to think about: ‘How is this going to impact my retirement, especially if I'm going to use some or all of my retirement funds?’ to fund that home purchase. HSA vs. 401(k)? Eric: I love HSAs, and I know Nick loves HSAs. You can put money in pre-tax, and it's pre-federal tax, pre-social security, pre-Medicare, pre-most state taxes, except for mine in New Jersey — and California. In general, it's pre-tax across the board and it grows tax deferred, and then the withdrawals come out tax-free in retirement or for qualified medical expenses. There are lower limits for the HSA than for the 401(k) and different rules about what you use the funds for along the way. You actually might be able to save more money in taxes on an HSA contribution than a Traditional 401(k), because the Traditional 401(k) doesn't save you on any social security or Medicare taxes. Those you're always contributing to after those taxes have been applied.  I want to maximize retirement savings. Can I use the HSA as a retirement savings vehicle and a medical savings vehicle? Nick: I've seen a lot of advisors get into some sticky situations when recommending using HSAs for retirement. They're not right for everyone. The two biggest rookie mistakes that I see are getting too excited and recommending an HSA without remembering that you need to pair an HSA with a high deductible healthcare plan. If the high deductible plan doesn't make sense for the client in the first place, then the HSA probably doesn't make sense. And the second is if you're going to be using your HSA for retirement, you're probably looking at investing it in more aggressive investments, which means they're going to be a lot more volatile. Whenever I recommend a client use an HSA for retirement, I pretty much tell them we're not going to do this until we have a fully funded emergency fund as well, separate from the HSA, because Murphy's law, worst-case scenario. If we're going to have your HSA be aggressive, I want to make sure that the client also has a separate, lower risk emergency fund just in case something happens. Eric: All great points. I do want to clarify: In New Jersey HSAs are not pre-tax; in Pennsylvania, 401(k)s are not pre-tax, but you do get the HSA deduction in Pennsylvania and you do get the 401(k) contribution in New Jersey. So you always want to look at state laws. They may not drive your decision, but they may be a factor in your ultimate decision. Nick: That's why I always caveat: Make sure to bring in your CPA if you have a client, and make sure that you're all working together. They might know something that you don't, that’s state-specific to your rules or something like that. I want to live a tax-free lifestyle in retirement. Is the trifecta to use an HSA with a Roth IRA and Roth 401(k)? Eric: I love talking about the tax-free lifestyle. How can you get to that point? Well, there are ways. Let's say you max out your Roth 401(k), $20,500, you're not getting any break upfront, but then all the earnings come out tax-free in retirement. Roth IRA for another 6,000 there, no tax break upfront, all the earnings are tax-free in retirement. And then the HSA, you're getting a tax break upfront and even if you're not using it for medical expenses, once you're over 65, then you'll pay taxes. You can also use what's called the shoe box rule, where if you keep track of all of your unreimbursed medical expenses since you opened your HSA, you can use that as an account to withdraw from based on all of those previous expenses. If you accumulated $50,000 worth of expenses since your HSA was opened, you'd still be able to withdraw $50,000 in retirement even though in that year, you may have had no medical expenses at all, because you're able to use that kind of look-back process. Nick: That's personally what I do. I'm looking forward to that. I don't have an actual shoe box, but I've got a spreadsheet — and it's a beautiful spreadsheet. So I'm excited for that. Eric: There are also a number of apps out there where you can save your receipts, whether it comes by email, you can just put that in the app, or you can take a picture if you're at the doctor's office. There are plenty of ways to track these receipts and expenses over time in an efficient way. SEP vs. Solo 401(k)? Eric: There are a lot of self-employed people out there, and they’re always asking, ‘Should I do the SEP or the Solo 401(k)?’ The answer, as with most tax questions, is it depends. It depends on if your goal is to maximize your savings, if your goal is to minimize regulatory filings, there are a variety of factors to consider. Your SEP contribution, you can do 20% of your net earnings from self-employment, up to $61,000. But that's still only 20%. There's no employee contribution — it's all employer contributions. Whereas the Solo 401(k) allows for employee contributions as well as employer contributions and generally still has the same overall limit as the SEP, except for people who are age 50 or older.  Let's say we had someone who's a self-employed, 50-year-old who has a business profit of $100,000. SEP or Solo 401(k)? Eric: That person can do just $20,000 into the SEP, but if they did the Solo 401(k), they'd be able to do the $20,000 employer contribution plus the $27,000 employee contribution because that's the $20,500 standard contribution, plus the $6,500 for being 50 or older. Obviously that would take up a significant portion of their $100,000, but at the end of the day, if they have extra money in savings elsewhere that they could use to help maximize their retirement savings, that's something they may want to consider. I prefer to minimize the possibility of regulatory filings. Should I make contributions to a SEP or Solo 401(k)? Nick: Oftentimes when I'm speaking with a small business owner, they might not be able to save that much. Last year, a lot of the entrepreneurs I was talking to had a little bit of a rough year, to say the least. And if you're looking at starting a retirement plan for your self-employed business, SEPs, you might not be able to contribute quite as much. Sometimes, for a lot of people starting out their business, that's not an issue. They wish contribution limits were something they had to worry about, but they're trying to get their business up and running. They’re also just trying to find time in the day to do everything. So for the SEP, if you're not even bumping up against the contribution limits and it requires less regulatory filing, and it's just a little bit easier, it's something to consider. You might be able to contribute more with a Solo 401(k), but on the SEP side, there are some other advantages as well. Eric: Why do people love the SEP? The SEP has no filings with the Department of Labor. As a Solo 401(k), there is a Form 5500 filing once the assets get over $250,000, whereas regardless of how much money is in the SEP, there are no Form 5500 filings. And while I don't think the Form 5500 is particularly burdensome, most people I know would prefer to file fewer forms with the government. I definitely appreciate the avoidance of filing any additional paperwork, even if it's not that burdensome. I want to make Roth type contributions. Should I make contributions to a SEP or a Solo 401K? Nick: I don't think so. Eric: No, there is no Roth SEP. Now what you could do is convert your SEP contribution into a Roth, because there aren't income limits on doing conversions. But if you want to make a regular Roth-type contribution, then it would have to be an employee contribution to a Solo 401(k) subject to the $20,500 or $27,000 annual limits. There are pros and cons on both sides here, and it's very client-specific on whether they prefer the SEP or the Solo 401(k). Which retirement plan should I make contributions to in order to make tax/penalty-free withdrawals before retirement? Nick: There's a few options. The easiest is just a plain old taxable brokerage account. There's no contribution limits, there's no age requirements, there's no early withdrawal penalties. They're a little bit easier to plan for; again, you might be missing out on some of the tax benefits, but that's one. HSAs are one as well; it doesn't have an age limit, as long as you've got qualified medical expenses. Roth IRAs, you can withdraw your contributions penalty free and tax free at any time. So there's lots of choices. Eric: Getting back to what we were discussing before, the 55-or-later exception is a powerful tool to access funds pre-59-and-a half without a 10% penalty and avoiding the substantially equal periodic payment option. Being able to withdraw those raw Roth contributions at any time is good too, but the closer that you get to 59-and-a-half, you also want to be particularly cautious. Let's say if you have a Roth IRA and you withdraw earnings before you're 59-and-a-half, those are typically subject to a regular income tax and a 10% penalty. So, whereas if you had made the five years plus 59-and-a-half, you would have gotten that tax free. The difference could potentially be if you're the day before 59-and-a-half. Then it's possible though that you would have to pay taxes and penalty on earnings, whereas once you make it to 59-and-a-half, and you've had the account open for five years, then you get it tax free. It's a very binary type of thing, and you always want to be cautious about where you are relative to that line in the sand. Can Roth conversions be part of an early retirement strategy? Eric: Early retirement is not for everyone. Some people are able to afford it. Some people try to fit their life into an early retirement strategy, and for some people, that works better than others. One thing you already mentioned was some of the five-year rules. If you do a Roth conversion of pre-tax money before you're 59-and-a-half and you want to withdraw those funds in the future before you're 59-and-a-half, there is a five-year holding period for each conversion to avoid the 10% penalty. This rule is designed to prevent people from converting and withdrawing immediately to avoid the 10% penalty. You can still do a conversion at age 45, age 46, age 47, age 48, let's say a rolling conversion strategy, which then you'll be able to access those converted amounts five years later, tax and penalty free. Again, those earnings would have to stay in the Roth until 59-and-a-half to avoid any tax or penalty. Nick: Good points. One thing I found practical to keep in my toolkit so to speak is to get familiar with the IRS website. That sounds like that's a terrifying task, but Google is your friend. “IRS gov Roth IRA,” for example, the first hit is likely going to be the contribution limits for that particular year. So if you forget, it's just something that’s good to be familiar with. Not everyone has an Eric that they can just Slack on demand. I'd say bookmark them, familiarize yourself with them. The IRS has some pretty good pages on Roth IRA, contribution limits, Traditional IRA deductibility limits. So if you can't remember them or keep track with them every year, just get used to Googling. Betterment is not a tax advisor, and all information is solely intended to be educational in nature. Please consult a qualified tax professional. Any links provided to other websites are offered as a matter of convenience and are not intended to imply that Betterment or its authors endorse, sponsor, promote, and/or are affiliated with the owners of or participants in those sites, or endorses any information contained on those sites, unless expressly stated otherwise. 

FAQ: Agreement Automation Process Sep 27, 2022 12:00:00 AM The Betterment for Advisors Client Agreement Automation function will make onboarding your new clients fast, easy, and completely paperless. Will my firm need to update our ADV and/or Customer Agreement to reflect the incorporation of Betterment for Advisors into my practice? Yes, you will need to update your Form ADV Part 2A and most likely your Customer Agreement to reflect the incorporation of Betterment for Advisors into your practice, including (among other things) how your firm uses Betterment’s sub-advisory and brokerage services, and Betterment’s fees. Since each situation is unique, please consult with your attorney or compliance officer. Can Betterment for Advisors automate the signing of my agreement with my client? Yes, you can provide PDF versions of your client agreement, Form ADV Part 2, and privacy policy to include as part of the electronic signup process a client undergoes with Betterment. We also provide reporting in your dashboard about which versions your clients have agreed to, and when. You can read more about our agreement automation feature, including legal disclosures, here. What relationship does the client have with Betterment? Betterment acts as the sub-advisor to your client. You still remain the primary advisor to your client. When your client goes through the new account opening process, they will sign an agreement with Betterment directly as the sub-advisor, and, if you wish, an agreement with your firm directly as the primary advisor. Describe the process your product uses to convert information provided by the client into a risk profile in the interview process. The platform automatically recommends investment goals and associated recommended allocations for each such goal for new accounts established on the platform using the client’s age, information provided by the client during account creation regarding a particular financial goal, and the type of legal account. Am I able to see an archive of electronically executed client agreements? If so, what does this look like? If you enable the agreement automation feature to deliver a paperless account opening process for your clients, an archive of the date/time stamp and the version of the agreement that each client electronically signed is housed on the “Agreements” tab of the advisor dashboard. To learn more about our agreement automation feature, please see here.

Getting started with Betterment for Advisors Sep 26, 2022 12:00:00 AM This guide is for investment professionals only. It is not intended for use by private investors. Your use of this website is governed by our Terms & Conditions. Welcome to Betterment for Advisors. Our solution aims to save you time so you can serve more clients, more efficiently, with technology designed to streamline investment management. This guide walks you through the basic steps to get started and contains various resources to help you take advantage of all of the great features available on the platform Part 1: Advisor signup Uploading documents Agreement Automation Feature: If you decide to use this feature, your clients will experience a paperless account opening process. To take advantage of the feature, you will need to provide us with your Form ADV Part 2, Client Agreement, and Privacy Policy (if available). You would upload these documents in the “Agreements” tab of the advisor dashboard so that when the client goes through the signup flow, they will be able to view these documents and electronically sign them. You can learn more about our agreement automation feature, including important disclosure information, here. If you decide to use the Agreement Automation feature, we will display the date and time stamp, as well as the version of the agreement that your client electronically executed on the “Agreements” tab of the advisor dashboard. Those at your firm with “Compliance” access enabled will be able to access the electronic agreements of the firm’s clients through the Compliance page, under “Agreements”. If your agreements change, you can upload them to your firm’s account under the ‘Agreements’ tab so that they can be used for new clients going forward. Please note that Betterment will not automatically send the new terms for your existing clients to agree to; you must send any updated documentation to existing clients outside of the Betterment for Advisors platform. Logos You upload your firm’s logo in the “Settings” tab of the advisor dashboard and this will be used to brand the Client and Advisor Platform, as well as email communications to clients. Please upload a 400 x 100 PNG file and include a knocked out (white version) if available.  Anyone with admin access can always update the logos by navigating to the Settings page and using the “Edit” button on the logos section. The default Betterment logo will be used until the firm’s logo is uploaded. Security You can view our security procedures here. Part 2: Fees and billing Betterment for Advisors combines a fixed monthly advisor fee with a platform fee based on your firm’s total AUM with us. The schedule is as follows: Fixed Fee:  $150 per funded advisor per month PLUS a tiered wrap fee: Asset Range Wrap Fee $0-$2MM 20bps $2-$10MM 18bps $10-$30MM 16bps $30-$100MM 14bps $100MM+ 12bps   NOTE: All of your Betterment assets will be charged the rate based on the tier your firm falls into. When a threshold is met, the wrap fee for your entire client base drops down to the reduced rate. We’ll assess your firm’s assets quarterly and make updates to the overall wrap fee based on where the firm falls at the end of each quarter. You have the ability to set a default advisory fee for your firm and then make adjustments to this fee for each client within your firm. Betterment provides you with the ability to charge an AUM-based fee, a flat fee, or a combined structure-based on tiers. For more information, please visit here. Clients are billed on a monthly or quarterly basis, and both your advisory fee and Betterment’s platform fee are taken directly out of the client’s Betterment account. Once the total fee has been taken out of the client’s account, we assess the amount of your firm’s fee and then initiate an ACH transfer to the firm’s bank account on file. To update the bank account on file, an admin of the firm may navigate to Settings > Fees > Edit. Fee calculation methodology Betterment accrues fees for the period beginning one day before the end of the prior month or quarter and ending two days prior to the end of the current month or quarter. Fees are calculated pursuant to this formula: [sum of the following for each day in the preceding month/quarter: (the balance in a client’s account at the end of the day) * (advisory fee applicable on that day)]. Fees will be realized by selling a portion of the client’s holdings on the last business day of the month or quarter to cover the accrued fee amount. This amount will then be deducted from the client’s account three business days after the transaction date, following the settlement of the resulting trade(s). Fees are billed in arrears and an ACH payment is sent to the advisory firm 2-3 weeks after the end of the month or quarter.   Part 3: Client signup and reviewing your clients’ accounts Onboarding a Client The onboarding process is housed in the “Clients” tab within your advisor dashboard. Pre-populated Form: Select “Complete on your client’s behalf.” This will allow you to select the account type, portfolio strategy, and optionally pre-populate some of your client’s personal information. Once you complete the steps, your client will receive a secure link to access the new account workflow via email. They’ll have the chance to correct any pre-filled information and provide missing information during this process. Please note that this link will only be live for 14 days after the time it is sent for security reasons. Blank Form: Select “Share a link with my client.” You will find a unique token link, and you can either copy and paste to a site of your choosing or use the interface to send an email directly. If you send the email using our site, your client will receive a secure link to access the blank new account workflow (live for 14 days for security reasons) via email. If the client does not receive the email, it can be resent to the client by going to the “Clients” tab and resending the invite link. Joint and Trust Account Setup Process: If you would like to set up a Joint account or a Trust account for your clients, one of the clients will need to have an individual account first. Once the client has signed up for an individual account, you can initiate the opening of a joint or trust account on their behalf afterwards. Joint Account Setup Process: If you’d like to open a joint account on behalf of your clients, at least one of the two clients involved must have a personal account before creating the joint account. The personal account does not need to be funded, nor does it need to be linked to a bank account. For detailed steps on getting the account open, please visit here. Trust Account Setup Process: Advisors are able to add a trust account for any existing client with just a few clicks. If you’d like to open a trust account for a prospect, you’ll first need to invite them to open an Individual Taxable or any of the three available IRA accounts. Once the client opens the account they’ll appear in the Clients tab of your Advisor Dashboard. Then follow the steps detailed here to complete the process. Reviewing your Clients’ Accounts From the Clients page, you will be able to view an overview of your clients’ accounts by clicking a specific client’s name. Once you have clicked on the specific client, you will be able to see an overview of their account(s). On this page, you can also take actions on a client’s behalf (such as initiating withdrawals or deposits and updating allocations), or log in as the client to see their view of the dashboard. If you go to the Settings tab, you will also be able to edit the firm billing plan assigned to the client’s household. This page will also provide you with a bit more detail on each client’s goal(s), their specific allocation(s) and investment returns. Part 4: Client funding Clients can fund their accounts in four different ways: (1) linking an active checking or savings account, (2) wiring cash, (3) rolling over an existing IRA account, 401(k) account or other similar plans, and (4) transferring in eligible securities and cash from existing accounts using the ACATS system. Linking an active checking/savings account This process must be initiated by the client. The client needs to login to their Betterment account and navigate to Settings > Funding accounts. They will then be guided to select a bank from our pre-populated list of common providers or by searching for their institution .If they select one of the listed providers, they will be prompted to enter their online banking username and password. If the client does not feel comfortable linking their account electronically or does not have an account with one of the providers listed, they may select the manual option and enter in the routing and account number for their bank account. Wiring cash Wire transfer instructions can be generated by the advisor and the client from the “Transfers” tab in the client portal. After you select the account, the instructions will be generated. The client will be able to do the same and have them emailed to themselves. Our support team can provide your firm with wiring instructions if you are unable to generate them or are having any issues. Rolling over and IRA account, 401(k), or other similar plan This process can be initiated by either the advisor or the client. We use the Direct Transfer method, which has no negative tax consequences. Advisors can generate paper rollover instructions by going to the client page in their advisor dashboard and clicking “Start a transfer.” Once generated, the rollover instructions will be emailed to the client with the advisor copied. The client can generate instructions by logging in to their account, and once logged on they will click on the “Transfer or Rollover” button and then “Rollover to Betterment.”.  They will be prompted for the type of account, the name of the provider for the account, the account number, and the approximate balance in the account. Finally, they will electronically agree to our IRA terms. IRA: If the client’s account is not able to be transferred electronically, Betterment will generate an IRA transfer form that will be emailed to the client, which they can also access from their account’s Activity tab. This form will need to be signed by the client and then sent to the institution they are rolling over from. 401(k) and other retirement plan types: Once a client has agreed to the terms, they will be emailed specific instructions on how the rollover check needs to be made out, as well as where the check needs to be sent. Once they receive these instructions they will need to reach out to their provider and provide them with these instructions. ACATS Transfers Betterment supports ACATS transfers of many ETFs and mutual funds, select single stocks, and all USD cash positions. We’ve created an automated account transfer flow, which will ask you a series of questions on behalf of your client and ultimately determine if the account is eligible for an automated transfer. It’s possible that some of your client’s holdings are not currently allowed to be moved via ACATS. When prompted to add your client’s specific tickers, if any search returns a “No match” or you receive a notice that says the ticker is not supported, unfortunately, you’ll only be able to submit a PARTIAL TRANSFER REQUEST on behalf of your client for the supported tickers. Any requests submitted for a full transfer will be rejected. For any holdings that we cannot move via ACATS, you can direct your client to liquidate and then transfer the cash proceeds to Betterment. Any related tax implications should be discussed prior to making this recommendation to your client. Part 5: Dashboard basics: Understanding your advisor dashboard  Summary Page This page provides a summary view of the advisor’s clients and their activities. It also includes a search field to access specific households. Weekly Net Deposits: This visual provides an overview of net inflows transacted into client’ accounts per week over the last 8 weeks. These values include withdrawals, deposits & transfers in, auto-deposits, and rollovers. Hover over each week’s bar to view a breakdown of amounts for each of the categories listed. Total Balance: This visual provides a historic view of the advisor’s book value over the last several months and is reflective of the previous market day’s close. Clients Tab This page is where you can invite clients and track all existing clients. The “Invite Client” button on the right-hand side of this page will allow you to invite the client with a pre-populated or blank form. There is also a unique link on this page which you can send to clients to establish an account. Any person who uses this link to set-up an account will automatically be associated with your firm so you can manage the account. You will also collect an advisory fee for this account. Impersonation Feature: When you select a client’s name from the list, you will see a “Login” button to the right hand side, which will allow you to log in as the client. This is great for a remote service model or to help easily answer questions over the phone. Billing Feature: On the “Settings” tab within each household’s overview page, you will find an Edit button next to where the client’s fees are listed, which will allow you to apply a different billing plan made available by your firm’s administrator(s). The assigned billing plan will apply to all investment goals within the household. Portfolio Strategy Adjustment Feature: A similar Edit button will be available next to the client’s designated “Portfolio Strategy” where you are able to adjust the portfolio strategy assigned to each goal as well as the asset allocation (stocks/bonds). Agreements Page This page will display each client you have onboarded via the agreement automation feature. It will also allow you to view the version of the agreement your client electronically signed. If you upload updated documentation, please note that Betterment does not re-send these to existing clients. You will have to send the updated documentation to clients outside of the Betterment for Advisors environment. Support Tab This will provide you with contact information for our Betterment for Advisors support team for both you and your clients. Part 6: Resources  We have a great FAQ section with more information and basic questions.

Introducing Target Income Portfolios from BlackRock Sep 26, 2022 12:00:00 AM Partnering with BlackRock, you and your clients can access an income portfolio strategy that aims to deliver cash income while preserving capital. To help you better serve your clients with a preference for a relatively low risk investment strategy, Betterment for Advisors offers a Target Income portfolio strategy sourced from BlackRock. If you’re familiar with BlackRock’s income bond ETFs, you know that the Target Income portfolio strategy is a diversified 100% bond basket that seeks to provide a steady stream of cash income while minimizing potential loss of capital or stock market volatility. In offering the BlackRock Target Income portfolios, we provide four target income levels to choose from, each with different expected levels of yield generation. This portfolio strategy is available to Betterment’s retail customers in addition to Betterment for Advisors’ clients. An income portfolio strategy is part of Betterment’s objective for offering customers’ greater personalization to meet their needs and preferences. In order for some investors to use this new income portfolio strategy successfully, they may need guidance from an advisor who understands their situation, and in many cases, we expect the firms on the Betterment for Advisors platform to play that role. We are firm in our belief that offering personalized portfolio strategies like this one is a way to grow your business. Keep reading to explore two scenarios where we see this portfolio being potentially useful for your clients. Generating Retirement Income As advisors know well, many retirees value stable income and principal preservation during the later stages of their lives. They also tend to hold most of their wealth in tax-advantaged accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s. The Target Income portfolio strategy is one way to meet retirees’ preferences.  It’s important to note that any income-focused strategy will be inherently less tax-efficient than a strategy that balances income and growth because bond interest is taxed at a higher rate than long-term capital gains. Relatively Low Risk Investment Alternative In addition to the retirement use case, we believe the Target Income portfolio strategy could also be useful for clients who show considerable anxiety about the stock market. If your client strongly prefers not to invest in stocks, the Target Income portfolio strategy can be an effective, personalized approach. It’s one way to make sure their money doesn’t sit idly in cash without taking on more risk than they are comfortable with. It’s worth noting that your clients will pay a higher expense ratio on the Target Income portfolio funds compared to funds invested in the Betterment Core portfolio. The Betterment Core portfolio strategy, which contains a mix of stocks and bonds, has asset-weighted expense ratios of only 0.05% - 0.13%, depending on the portfolio’s allocation. The BlackRock Target Income portfolio strategy, while still relatively lower cost, has slightly higher asset-weighted expense ratios of 0.13% - 0.24%, depending on the portfolio’s target income level. Different Income Targets to Meet Clients’ Needs As with the other portfolio strategies available to Betterment for Advisors, the Target Income  portfolio strategy can adjust to your clients’ risk tolerance. The Target Income portfolio strategy includes four different income levels to choose from, each with different targeted levels of expected yield. This strategy is actively managed, so the exact allocations of the underlying bonds are subject to change approximately once per quarter (and up to 6 times per year depending on market volatility). With each rebalance, we allocate to the asset classes that are designed to help your clients maximize their income return while limiting overall volatility. The Target income portfolio increases projected income by taking on more risk in two main ways: Investing in longer-term bonds: Long-term bonds are more sensitive to changes in interest rates, and thus carry more risk. To compensate for this risk, long-term bonds generally pay more interest.  Investing in lower-quality bonds: When you lend money from less-established companies, the chances of the company defaulting and not paying you back are higher. To compensate for this risk, low quality bonds generally pay more interest. Higher yield target portfolios may have larger exposure to lower-quality bonds.  Whether you have a retiree who wants to focus on income rather than growth or a nervous investor who would feel better with bonds rather than stocks, we hope this portfolio offering will help every advisor further personalize their services and offer investors more added value. You can explore the Target Income portfolio strategy by BlackRock alongside the other portfolio strategies within your advisor dashboard.

Advisor Guide to Betterment Transfers Sep 26, 2022 12:00:00 AM     Table of Contents Transferring Qualified Accounts Direct IRA Transfers 401(k) and Employer-Sponsored Plan Rollovers Indirect IRA Transfers Inherited IRA Transfers Transferring Taxable Accounts Taxable ACATS Transfers Non-ACATS ACH Bank Deposits Get Support   Transferring Qualified Accounts To get started, you’ll first need to ensure your client has opened the appropriate receiving Betterment IRA. If they have not done so already, you can log into your advisor dashboard, select the specific client’s “Overview” page, and then click “Add Account.” From there, you’ll be guided through the automated account opening flow. Once your client has approved the opening of the new account, you’ll be able to move forward with the actual direct IRA transfer request by clicking “Start a Transfer” from your advisor dashboard. At the end of the flow, your client will be emailed further instructions. As their advisor, you will be copied on this email to retain oversight and provide any needed guidance. Not every retirement account is eligible to be moved using the same transfer method. Our rollover flow is designed to analyze and select the most appropriate option available, given the specific account information provided by you and your client. Important note: The questions we prompt you to answer within the automated transfer flow will be used to pre-fill your client’s actual transfer request form. It’s critical that you enter accurate and up to date information on behalf of your client. Generally, when a transfer request fails or is rejected by a contra-firm, it's due to incomplete or mismatching information provided. Having a recent client statement on hand is a good best practice. We suggest confirming the following pieces of information before you get started: Client’s current account type: Legal account type and brokerage status. Client’s current account number Client’s current clearing broker: Enter the clearing broker’s name in the “Current Provider” field when prompted. Direct IRA Transfers At a high level, the possible direct IRA transfer options at Betterment are: Full or partial ACATS transfer of supported investments plus any cash. Generally, this takes 5-6 business days to complete. When adding your client’s specific tickers, if any search returns a “No match” or you receive a notice that says the ticker is not supported, you’ll only be able to submit a PARTIAL TRANSFER REQUEST on behalf of your client. Any requests submitted for a full transfer will be rejected. Supported investments will be moved in-kind to Betterment. Once received, we will liquidate any investments to cash and reinvest all the proceeds into their IRA portfolio here. Electronic fax of the client’s direct IRA transfer form to their contra firm. Generally, this takes 7-10 business days to complete. There is no physical paperwork required. Client will consent to the transfer by e-signing the transfer form and then the fax will be automatically sent by Betterment. IRA proceeds will be sent to Betterment via a mailed check and automatically reinvested into your client’s IRA portfolio here. Pre-filled direct IRA transfer form and instructions, which must be printed, signed, and mailed to the contra firm by the client. Generally, this takes 14-21 business days to complete. The client must take action from their side for the transfer to complete. In some cases, the contra firm may also require a notary or a medallion signature guarantee. IRA proceeds will be sent to Betterment via a mailed check and automatically reinvested into your client’s IRA portfolio here. If your client is attempting to transfer an inherited IRA, refer to our Inherited IRA FAQ. 401(k) and Employer-Sponsored Plan Rollovers Moving retirement money from an employer-sponsored account—such as a 401(k) or 403(b)—into an IRA is usually not an option via ACATS. We still attempt to automate this rollover process as much as possible. We generally do not need any paperwork from you or the client. You can simply get started by clicking “Transfer or Rollover” from your client’s Overview page. The rollover flow will guide you through a series of questions and then we’ll email your client a full set of personalized instructions for how to proceed. The instructions will lay out the exact next steps to take and will contain the information your client needs to complete their rollover. This includes their unique Betterment IRA account number, how their provider should make their rollover check payable, and where they can mail the rollover check. Many providers will accept employer-sponsored rollover requests from a client verbally, effectively avoiding any paperwork requirements from their side. We encourage advisors to call the current provider—with the client on the line—to verbally request any high-value rollovers. It’s worth noting that some providers may still require your client to fill out special rollover paperwork. If so, there’s no way around that. If any additional paperwork is required, please send all requests to support@bettermentforadvisors.com. Lastly, we will notify you and your client via email as soon as their rollover funds are invested into their IRA and everything is complete. Click here to get started. Indirect IRA Transfers In some cases, an indirect IRA transfer or rollover may be the only option available to your client. The good news is that this can prevent delays due to contra-firm requirements. Any cash proceeds from an early distribution out of your client’s qualified account, which meets the requirements related to indirect rollovers, can be re-deposited into Betterment by instructing your client to make a cash ACH deposit from their linked bank account into their Betterment IRA. If your client has not already done so, they can use these instructions to link their primary bank account. When your client is ready to make their deposit, please be sure they complete the following: Direct your client to log into their account and select “Deposit” from their Home page. The client will be prompted to choose which account to make their deposit into. If they have more than one IRA open, please be sure your client knows which one to choose specifically. Once the IRA has been selected, they will be asked to select a deposit type. Please be sure your client chooses “Indirect IRA Rollover.” Inherited IRA Transfers If your client is attempting to transfer an inherited IRA, refer to our Inherited IRA FAQ. Please copy your client and email support@bettermentforadvisors.com with the following information: Name of current provider. Type of IRA (Traditional or Roth). The IRA account number at the current provider. Indicate “full” or partial transfer. Provide the exact dollar amount to transfer if partial. Name of original IRA account holder. Since we will need to open a new legal account type, please have the client review our Customer Agreement and send us the statement, “I agree to the terms and conditions of the Customer Agreement, and I give Betterment permission to open an inherited IRA account on my behalf.” Your email will be directed to one of our rollover specialists, who will set up the inherited account at Betterment and guide you and your client through the next steps. Transferring Taxable Accounts Taxable ACATS Transfers When possible, Betterment recommends using the ACATS method to move taxable brokerage accounts to Betterment. Generally, an ACATS transfer is faster and more convenient than other types of transfers. Betterment supports ACATS transfers of nearly all ETFs, many mutual funds, some single stocks, and cash positions. We’ve created an automated taxable account transfer flow, which will ask you a series of questions on behalf of your client and ultimately determine if the account is eligible for an automated transfer. It’s possible that some of your client’s holdings are not currently allowed to be moved via ACATS. When prompted to add your client’s specific tickers, if any search returns a “No match” or you receive a notice that says the ticker is not supported, unfortunately, you’ll only be able to submit a PARTIAL TRANSFER REQUEST on behalf of your client, for the supported tickers. Any requests submitted for a full transfer will be rejected. For any holdings that we cannot move via ACATS, you can direct your client to liquidate and then transfer the cash proceeds to Betterment. Any related tax implications should be discussed prior to making this recommendation to your client. Click here to get started.  Important note: The questions we prompt you to answer within the automated transfer flow will be used to pre-fill your client’s actual transfer request form. It’s critical that you enter accurate and up to date information on behalf of your client. Generally, when a transfer request fails or is rejected by a contra-firm, it’s due to user error.  Having a recent client statement on hand is a good best practice. We suggest confirming the following pieces of information before getting started: Client’s current account type: Legal account type and brokerage status. Client’s current account number Client’s current clearing broker: Enter the clearing broker’s name in the “Current Provider” field when prompted. Please email support@bettermentforadvisors.com for any questions regarding your client’s taxable account requirements or ACATS eligibility. Non-ACATS ACH Bank Deposits Your client can initiate a cash deposit into a taxable Betterment account at any time, as long as they have successfully linked their bank account. For any taxable money they wish to move to Betterment that cannot be moved via ACATS, you can instruct your client to liquidate to cash and then move the cash proceeds to their linked bank account for funding. Any related tax implications should be discussed prior to making this recommendation to your client. To initiate the ACH deposit, instruct your client to click “Deposit” from their Home page. Note: We only allow electronic transfers from your client’s checking account via the ACH network and do not accept personal checks. For transfers greater than $300,000, wire instructions may be generated. There is no fee from Betterment for wires, but please have your client check with their bank for any fees they may be charged. To access a client’s specific wire instructions, log in as the client, select “Transfers”, then “Wire Transfers”, and follow the prompts. Get Support As always, our support team is available to assist with any questions related to moving your client’s assets. Please email support@bettermentforadvisors.com and copy your relationship manager. For more immediate assistance, call 888-646-2581.

Questions about Using Dimensional Funds through Betterment for Advisors Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Advisors using Dimensional Funds through Betterment can create their own models from scratch or select from a range of pre-built models What is the process for becoming approved for access to Dimensional Funds on the Betterment for Advisors platform? Generally, you will go through an introductory and educational meeting with Dimensional Fund Advisors, after which you should be approved to access Dimensional Funds on our platform. This process can be accomplished in as few as 2 to 3 days. Please email connect@bettermentforadvisors.com to kick-off the approval process. If I am an advisor with access to Dimensional Funds, can I also access them on Betterment for Advisors? Yes, if you are already an advisor with access to Dimensional Funds, you will also be able to access them on the Betterment for Advisors platform. Please contact us at support@bettermentforadvisors.com and we will enable access upon verification from Dimensional Funds. If I already use Betterment for Advisors and have been approved by Dimensional, how long will it take me to get access to create and use Dimensional portfolios once I've made the request? Once you’ve notified us via a message to support, we’ll update your Dimensional Funds status in the Betterment for Advisors platform within 2-3 business days. You’ll receive a confirmation email from us at that time. If I'm new to Betterment for Advisors, how long will it take me to get access to Dimensional Funds once I've completed the process? We typically review new firms on the platform within 5 business days. Please notify us during this time that you are approved to sell Dimensional Funds by sending a message to support@bettermentforadvisors.com. This will allow us to provide access to the Betterment for Advisors platform + Dimensional Funds as soon as your firm’s application is approved. Will there be model portfolio templates available for me to use? We have several templates available for administrators to use as a starting point. Each Dimensional Funds template portfolio corresponds to a specific allocation between equities and bonds and is intended to be broadly diversified. You can use these templates as a starting point. The colleague(s) who have administrator access to Betterment for Advisors will be able to create custom model portfolios using Dimensional Funds. This allows for adjustment of the funds included in the portfolio and their weights. How do I create my own portfolio once approved? Once your firm is approved for access to Dimensional Funds via Betterment for Advisors, your firm's admin person will be able to create model portfolios with Dimensional Funds. It’s easy to create and brand your own custom portfolios from scratch. Firm admins can create client portfolios directly from their Advisor Dashboard through 3 easy steps: Select the “Portfolios” tab on the left Choose the tab labeled “Dimensional Portfolios” Select “Create Portfolio” If additional members of your team need administrative access to the platform, simply have your firm’s primary contact notify us at support@bettermentforadvisors.com. Contact us if you want to become approved with Dimensional Fund Advisors or learn more about Dimensional Funds on the Betterment platform. If you click the link above, Betterment may share your firm name with Dimensional in order to determine firm eligibility to use Dimensional Funds.

FAQ: Integration Partners Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Betterment has integrations set up with several third-party platforms across financial planning, CRM, and performance reporting tools. Do you integrate with portfolio management systems? Yes, we currently integrate with Orion, BlackDiamond, Advyzon, and Addepar. Our integrations with portfolio management systems are at the firm level and include detailed account information for all clients across the firm, such as tax lots and cost basis. Do you integrate with any CRMs? Yes, firms using Redtail or Wealthbox CRM software can see Betterment client account information within the CRM interface once you enable the integration. To enable Redtail integration, please email support@bettermentforadvisors.com with your Redtail username. Once you receive confirmation that the integration is enabled via email, you will be able to see client account information and balances in Redtail. This can take several days. To enable Wealthbox, first login to Wealthbox. Visit the Applications area, select Betterment for Advisors, choose Enable and click “Request Betterment integration”. Once you receive confirmation that the integration is enabled via email, you will be able to see client account information, balances, recent transactions and tax lots in Wealthbox’s Betterment tab. This can take several days. Do you integrate with any financial planning tools? Yes, we currently integrate with RightCapital, eMoney Advisor, and MoneyGuidePro. Our integration with RightCapital is at the firm level and at the client-level for eMoney and MoneyGuidePro. Client-level integrations require your clients to link their Betterment accounts using their username and password. Our planning integrations do not include tax lots and cost basis data. Can my firm access our raw data feed? Yes, in addition to publishing your firm’s data to our integration partners, we can also provide your firm with the raw files via SFTP. If you would like to receive the raw files please contact us at support@bettermentforadvisors.com. How long does it take to enable my data feed? It can take up to 4-5 business days. How do I get my data into my portfolio management system? If your firm uses a system we integrate with, please email support@bettermentforadvisors.com and let us know if you’d like integration enabled. Once the integration is enabled we will email you to confirm. Please note it can take several days for the integration to be completed after your request. How do clients automatically import their tax information into tax preparation software? Betterment has connected with TurboTax, H&R Block, and TaxACT tax preparation software to allow automatic import of your tax information. You or your clients will need to search for “Betterment” in order to import their tax information, and can refer to this FAQ for client-facing guidance. Please refer to each provider’s documentation about the steps necessary to import data. Important: If clients have multiple accounts, e.g. personal account and a trust, they will not be able to use TaxACT’s automatic import tool. However, clients can download and import their tax statement CSV, found on the Activity page of their accounts, directly into TaxACT. Please note that while Betterment has provided the tax information in the format specified by the tax preparation software providers, we do not manage the software itself. If you or your clients are experiencing issues with the tax import software of one of these providers, we encourage you or your clients to contact the providers directly. My clients’ tax preparation software has a limit on the number of transactions it supports. How can I use it to report all transactions? Certain versions of tax preparation software have a limit on the number of transaction lines they support for automatic upload. If clients encounter this scenario and are unable to automatically import tax forms, the IRS allows clients to report the summary information on their electronic tax return and send a paper copy of their statement with Form 8453 to the IRS after the tax return has been accepted. For more information, see www.irs.gov/uac/About-Form-8453. Please note that Betterment is not a tax advisor and the information provided should not be construed as tax advice but should be used for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified tax professional or the IRS to determine the rules that apply to your individual tax situation.

FAQ: Advisor Dashboard & Reporting Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Frequently asked questions about the Advisor Dashboard and Reporting Does each advisor have their own dashboard? Yes, each advisor within your firm has their own account and dashboard that provides access to manage their clients’ accounts. Each client that signs up for an account is linked to one advisor within your firm. Can advisors share a household or client with other advisors? Yes, an advisor can assign secondary advisors to any of their households that contain one or many accounts. Secondary advisors have full access to those households, and can be removed at any time from a household’s sharing settings. Here are the steps you'll need to follow when adding a fellow advisor to one of your households: Log onto the Advisor Dashboard On the left, click "Clients" Select the client or household name from the list Select the "Settings" tab On the right, choose "+ Add Secondary Advisor" and enter the first or last name of the advisor you'd like to add. Click the name in the dropdown to complete. The page will load and if successful you'll see a banner with this description "Successfully added (name of advisor) as a secondary advisor to (name of client/household)". What actions can I take on behalf of my client? Advisors can securely co-browse into the client experience to manage individual client accounts. As the advisor, you can take the following actions on behalf of your clients: Add taxable goals Add joint taxable goals Access information on account balances and returns Create ad hoc deposits or withdrawals Schedule or turn off automatic deposits or withdrawals View portfolio details View portfolio performance Adjust allocations Adjust portfolio strategy Access account activity, statements, and tax forms Complete a Traditional IRA to Roth IRA conversion Currently, advisors are able to invite their existing clients to open new legal accounts from within the advisor dashboard by selecting the client's name and clicking "Add account". These accounts include new IRAs, trusts, and joint accounts. Can I add a new IRA or taxable goal for a joint account on behalf of my clients?   Yes, we have instructions for opening joint accounts. Follow the same steps for new IRA accounts except on #4. Here you'll need to select the IRA type desired for this client.   Can I add a trust account on behalf of my client? Advisors are able to add a trust account for any existing client with just a few clicks. If you’d like to open a trust account for a prospect you’ll first need to invite them to open an Individual Taxable or any of the three available IRA accounts. Once the client opens the account they’ll appear in the Clients tab of your Advisor Dashboard. Follow the steps below to invite them to open a trust account. Select the client's name from Clients Click Add Account Select the radio dial next to “ Trust” for the Account type screen and continue Confirm that this is a US domestic trust and continue The site will give you a chance to provide the trust name, information and documents. This is optional. If you do not provide either the client will have a chance to do so. Enter the account details, define the account purpose, choose the Portfolio Strategy and continue Set the portfolio allocation and continue Confirm the new account details and click send agreements when ready Be sure to review the Trust document requirements and advise the client to submit the correct items. The account will not be approved until these are provided and successfully reviewed. Note: The trust will not be visible in your advisor dashboard until your client consents to the agreements. Once required information and documents have been submitted, trust approval can take up to five business days to complete. You and the client will be notified of the review's outcome via email. Please let us know if you'd like any named trustees added to the account. How do I set a portfolio strategy for my client? For a new client: To define the initial account type and portfolio strategy please choose Invite Client > Complete on client's behalf Select the account type and purpose and continue Select your preferred portfolio strategy from the dropdown then set the target allocation Confirm your client’s details and send. For an existing, funded client on the platform: On the Client page of the advisor dashboard, click into the household (or client) in which you would like to make a portfolio strategy change. Scroll down to the goal on which you'd like to change the portfolio strategy and click the Edit button that corresponds to the portfolio as shown in the image below Select the portfolio strategy and the asset allocation. You can also view a tax impact preview of the change before implementing here. Confirm the portfolio strategy change. The system will automatically execute trades in a tax minimizing manner to reach the new target allocation. Am I able to access information related to my clients’ accounts on the platform? Yes, you are able to access information related to your clients’ accounts— including holdings, balances, and performance information—via the advisor dashboard. How do I remove a client's accounts from my firm? Please follow the steps below to remove the client from your firm's client list: Log onto the advisor dashboard Select the client from the Clients list Click Settings and scroll down to "Household Actions" Click "Remove this household" and complete the confirmation modal by checking the box and clicking "Remove Household" Reporting How do you calculate returns? We use a standard time-weighted return to calculate percentage returns for each goal on the Summary page, and to display returns over time on the Performance page. This return can be thought of as the amount one dollar would have changed if it was invested at the same time as a first deposit. The time-weighted return is unaffected by deposits to and withdrawals from an account, and allows for easy assessment of clients’ investments, and a fair comparison with other investments. Is performance data generated on the platform? Yes, performance reporting is embedded on the client interface. Performance reporting for all client portfolios on the platform is available and the user can select the period of time in question. Additionally, daily performance is also included. Advisors are able to view performance data for all client accounts through the impersonation feature on the advisor dashboard. How are statements sent to my clients? Can I access these statements as well? If so, how? Statements are automatically loaded to your clients’ portals. We also send your clients an email once their statements are ready. You can access your clients’ statements via the impersonation feature on the advisor dashboard. On the “Summary” page, select the “Log in” button next to the client that you want to view statements for. Once logged in as the client, select the “Documents” tab. A full archive of your client’s statements is available on the “Statements” sub-tab. Does Betterment for Advisors generate the tax forms for my clients’ accounts? Yes, tax forms for your clients are automatically imported to their client portals. We will also notify your clients via email when these are ready. Where do clients find tax forms if they have multiple accounts, e.g. a personal account and a trust account? Tax forms are available on the Documents page for each account a client holds on the “Taxes” sub-tab. If clients have multiple accounts, they will need to visit the Documents page for each separate account in order to download their respective tax forms. Where can I find my clients’ 5498 tax forms? When will they be available? Your clients will receive a 5498 form if they had an IRA with a non-zero balance in the tax year that just concluded. This form reports all of the IRA contributions for the previous tax year, including rollovers. The information on the 5498 form will also be reported to the IRS. The 5498 tax form can be found on the Taxes page within the Advisor Dashboard. Select your client's name then click "Taxes". You may also access it via the Documents page in the client portal. Generally this form will be made available each May for the prior year, after the April 15 tax filing deadline. When will clients' tax forms be available? Your clients’ 1099 tax forms are automatically imported to their client portals in mid-February, in both CSV and PDF formats. We will notify them via email when these are ready. The forms are not available prior to February due to the 30-day window related to certain TLH+ requirements, which carry through the end of January. Additionally, we need final confirmations on distributions from fund providers regarding their dividend payout classifications. Betterment strives to provide tax forms well in advance of the deadline when possible. Are the monthly statements co-branded with my firm’s brand? Yes, monthly statements are co-branded with your firm’s brand. What information appears on my clients’ statements? Holdings, balances, and transactions related to your clients’ accounts appear on your clients’ statements. Does Betterment for Advisors generate the statements for my client’s accounts? Yes, statements are automatically loaded to your clients’ portals. We also send your clients an email once their statements are ready.

Common Questions about Billing Your Clients Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Get answers to your key questions about billing clients. What billing options are available to my firm? The Betterment for Advisors platform includes a “Billing” page visible to the admin(s) of your firm. This page offers three billing options: Asset-Based Billing, Fixed Fee Billing, Tiered Billing. Learn more about each in our article. How often are my clients billed? Firm admins can select whether to bill clients on a monthly or a quarterly basis.  Any changes made will take effect at the start of the next quarter, though a pending change can be cancelled or modified up until that date.  All advisors of the firm will be sent a reminder that their firm’s billing frequency is about to change about one week before it goes into effect. How often does Betterment pay me the fees collected on my behalf? Betterment will remit payment to your firm on the same frequency that we collect from your clients, per your discretion.  If your firm has elected to bill clients monthly, Betterment will send payment in the first two weeks of each month.  If your firm has elected to bill clients quarterly, Betterment will send payment in the first two weeks of each quarter.  Firm admins must supply bank account information in Firm settings to receive payments. How are billing plans created? Any admin(s) of your firm will be able to create a new billing plan by following the steps below: Log onto the advisor dashboard Click Client Billing, located in the menu on the left In the top right, select “Create a billing plan” Enter a unique name for the new billing plan and select the billing plan type. (See below for specific billing plan types) How are billing plans applied? The advisor of a household will be able to do this by following the steps below: Log onto the advisor dashboard  Click Clients, located in the menu on the left Search for and click the name of the household whose pricing should be updated Select Settings and click the “Edit” button corresponding to “Household Billing Plan” Choose one plan from the list displayed and click Update Plan If a different pricing plan is needed, contact an admin of the firm so they may create it How is the default billing plan of the firm updated? Any admin(s) of your firm will be able to update the default billing plan of the firm by following the steps below: Log onto the advisor dashboard  Click Billing, located in the menu on the left The current default billing plan will be at the top of the list, click Edit to make changes If needed, modify the name for the plan and select the billing plan type. (See below for specific billing plan types) How to create or edit Tiered Billing Plans: Once on the “Tiered billing plan” page, use the “Firm fee” column and click on “Asset based” or “Fixed” to switch between the two. Enter the number of basis points (bps) or dollars that should be charged for the first tier of invested assets. If more than one tier is needed, click “+ Add tier” then enter the high range value for the previous tier. Repeat these steps for each tier needed. If this is not a new billing plan, the next page will display the households that will be impacted. Scroll to the bottom to click “Update billing plan.” How to create or edit Fixed Billing Plans: Once on the “Fixed Billing Plan” page, use the “Firm fee” field to type in the dollar value you’d like this plan to assess on client accounts annually. No need to type in a dollar sign, only enter the digits and a decimal if you will be charging in cents as well. If this is not a new billing plan, the next page will display the households that will be impacted. Scroll to the bottom to click “Update billing plan.” How to create or edit Asset Based Billing Plans: Once on the “Edit Asset Based Billing Plan” page, use the “Spread bps” field to type in the number of basis points you’d like charged by this billing plan. For example, for a fee of %0.50 type in 50. When satisfied with the new spread, click Save changes. If this is not a new billing plan, the next page will display the households that will be impacted. Scroll to the bottom to click “Update billing plan.” How to change the Billing Plan for groups of clients: The Client Billing page, accessible  to admins of your firm, will display one row per existing billing plan. The row includes an “Assigned to” column. This displays the numbers of clients on this billing plan. To adjust the billing plan applicable to this group of clients the admin of your firm will be able to follow the steps below: Click Edit to make changes If needed, modify the name for the plan and select the billing plan type then click continue. How do I update a client's fees? To edit the fee for any existing clients advisors will need to follow the steps below: Log onto the Advisor Dashboard Select "Clients", on the left side of the window Locate the client and click their name Select "Settings" Locate and click the "Edit" button corresponding to the Fee column Select the billing plan you'd like to apply then click "Update plan" The new billing plan will appear under "Household Billing Plan" Please keep in mind, if a new billing plan needs to be created, the admin(s) of the firm will need to create the plan before you are able to apply it to any clients' household. How do I get paid for the client accounts that I manage on the platform? Betterment for Advisors operates a fee-only platform. Firm admins may create multiple billing plans using Asset Based Billing, Fixed Billing, or Tiered Billing. The billing plan applied to a client's household will, by default, include Betterment's platform fee. Aggregate fees are billed automatically by Betterment from the client’s account quarterly or monthly in arrears, and Betterment subsequently remits the advisor’s fee to the Firm bank account on file. Can I set custom level fees for individual households? Yes, you may utilize Billing Plans to set custom fees for a client's household. If any of the available Billing Plans do not fit your needs, an admin of your firm may create a new customized billing plan that is either Asset Based, Fixed, or Tiered. How are the fees calculated? We accrue fees beginning one day before the end of the prior quarter or month and the accrual of fees ends two days prior to the end of the current quarter or month. The fee is calculated pursuant to the formula [sum of the following for each day in the preceding billing period: (the balance in a client’s account at the end of the day) * (advisory fee applicable on that day)] and will be deducted from the account three days after the transaction date, following the settlement of the trade(s) made to fund the fee. Fees are billed in arrears and the advisor’s portion of the fee is sent to the advisory firm shortly after the end of the quarter or month via ACH. Are fee tiers supported? Yes, we do support fee tiers. Anyone with admin level access to the advisor dashboard may create new billing plan types, including Tiered Billing. Once the plan is created you may apply it at the household level. How are fees reported to my clients? Your clients see the total fee (platform fee + billing plan applied to the household) in their client portal on the “Activity” page and on their monthly statements. You are responsible for providing the fee breakdown between the Betterment platform fee and your advisory firm fee to your clients, though we do make this information viewable within the client’s portal under their “Settings” tab. Are there any trading or transacting costs associated with the Betterment for Advisors platform? No, there are no trading or transaction costs associated with the Betterment for Advisors platform.

Key Questions about Getting Started as an Advisor Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Explore our rundown of the most common questions asked by advisors who are new to Betterment. What are the requirements for partnering with Betterment for Advisors? In order to partner with Betterment for Advisors, you must be affiliated with a registered investment advisor. What does a partnership with Betterment for Advisors entail? Betterment for Advisors typically partners with registered investment advisors through a shared fiduciary oversight model. Betterment LLC, a registered investment advisor, acts as a sub-advisor to each advisor’s client accounts, and contracts separately with each advisor and each underlying client. How do I get started and how long does it take to implement the platform in my practice? The sign-up process for Betterment for Advisors is entirely digital and typically takes a few business days to implement. So long as your firm is registered with the SEC or with a state and has a CRD number, please follow this link to get started. Once we receive your application, we will process it in approximately five to seven business days. Please note that the due diligence process may take longer for newly established firms. Once your firm has been activated on the platform, we will send you a welcome package and you can begin managing accounts on the platform. What is Betterment for Advisors? Betterment for Advisors is a solution for advisors and clients alike, designed to streamline the investment process and accelerate an advisor’s ability to serve its clientele via an innovative digital wealth management platform. Betterment for Advisors gives firms the tools they need to help take care of front- and back-office operations. By providing advisors with automated workflows and innovative technology, Betterment for Advisors allows firms to spend more time in front of their clients, so that they can win new business and strengthen existing relationships.

FAQ: Security & Privacy Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Learn more about Betterment's security and privacy policies. How does Betterment’s data aggregation functionality relate to the SEC’s custody rule? Advisers may have access to clients’ financial account login and password information for various reasons, including to rebalance the holdings in those accounts, to pay bills for the client, or to facilitate the aggregation of financial information from multiple accounts. Betterment for Advisors provides the ability for advisers to aggregate client financial accounts on the Betterment platform by entering client login and password information via the impersonation function. Advisers, however, should be aware that possessing client login and password information can, under certain circumstances, be deemed to trigger custody over the assets in those accounts. One way a registered investment adviser could be deemed to have custody of a client’s assets is when the adviser has any authority to obtain possession of those assets. An adviser may decide that it is appropriate to have custody over client assets, but doing so gives rise to additional SEC oversight, including a requirement for an annual surprise audit by an independent accountant at the adviser’s expense. Advisers wishing to help avoid triggering inadvertent custody by using impersonation to aggregate client accounts might wish to consider asking clients to sign written instructions limiting the adviser’s authority to make withdrawals from the accounts before the client provides the adviser with login and password information. There may be other ways to avoid triggering inadvertent custody as well. *Note: No information above is, or should be considered, legal advice. If you believe you need legal advice on the subject above, please consult a lawyer. Can my client add a 'trusted contact' for their account? Your client may want to designate a close friend, family member, or other party 18 years or older who we can contact in the unlikely scenario that we suspect your client is a victim of financial exploitation. If your client chooses to designate a trusted contact, they authorize Betterment Securities to contact the individual to disclose information about their account to address possible financial exploitation, to confirm the specifics of their contact information, health status, or identity of any legal guardian, executor, trustee or holder of a power of attorney, or as otherwise permitted by FINRA Rules 2165 & 4512. Your clients can add this information by selecting the "Settings" tab on the lower left of their client portal. Once on this page, they will be able to scroll down to the bottom of the Trusted Contacts section and input the information. Betterment Securities, as a FINRA registered broker-dealer, is required to provide customers this opportunity. How do you maintain security and privacy? We use industry-standard encryption, store all of our data on servers in secure off-site facilities, and implement systematic processes and procedures for securing and storing data. And because we value your trust, we will protect the privacy of information and will never rent or sell your data or your client’s data with any third party for any purpose without your client’s permission. You can find our privacy policy and security procedures here.

Client Agreement Automation Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Everything you need to know about this great feature. Scroll down to learn more and read our legal disclosures. The Betterment for Advisors Client Agreement Automation function will make onboarding your new clients fast, easy, and completely paperless. By permitting your clients to execute your firm’s advisory agreement as part of the white-labeled Betterment for Advisors signup experience, you automate a manual process, giving you more time to focus on your business while providing your clients with a better experience. How to Get Started To get started, have a firm admin navigate to the Agreements page to upload the following documents: a PDF of the advisory agreement between your firm and your clients, signed by an authorized party at your firm a PDF of your firm’s Form ADV Part 2A a PDF of the advisor’s relevant Form ADV Part 2B, if applicable (see below) a PDF of your firm’s Form CRS a PDF of your firm’s privacy policy Note that an executed advisory agreement is required to use the Client Agreement Automation function, but the Form ADV Part 2A, Form CRS, and Privacy Policy are all optional. Any advisor may upload their ADV Part 2B, independent of the presence of firm-level documents. About the Client Agreement Automation Function The Client Agreement Automation function gives you the option to have your clients electronically execute your firm’s advisory agreement as part of the white-labeled onboarding experience. It also will permit you to provide your Form ADV Part 2A, Form CRS, and privacy policy to your clients at the time of onboarding. Additionally, each advisor on the platform may supply their Form ADV Part 2B if they choose to do so.  This will be presented to their clients at the time of onboarding alongside the other documents that may be supplied at the firm level. Provision of the Form ADV Part 2B is optional, and can be implemented even if your firm does not supply any of the other agreements or disclosures. Use of the Client Agreement Automation function is optional. If you choose not to use the function or to provide only a subset of your firm documents, you will need to separately execute your agreements between your firm and your clients and deliver firm disclosures in a manner determined by you outside of the Betterment for Advisors platform. The Client Agreement Automation function is only intended to assist firms in presenting agreements and disclosures associated with account openings. Subsequent updates to these documents are not re-delivered to existing clients; the firm must make their own arrangements to deliver any such updates. Contact us with questions at support@bettermentforadvisors.com. How It Works Overview: The Client Agreement Automation allows your firm to provide a form advisor agreement, Form ADV Part 2A, Form ADV Part 2B, Form CRS and privacy policy to Betterment, which Betterment will then host. As part of the Betterment for Advisors client signup, Betterment will electronically deliver these documents to your clients and permit your clients to click a checkbox indicating their consent to your firm’s form advisory agreement. You have the option of providing only a subset of the documents listed above, though you must provide an advisory agreement to use this function. Only those documents which you upload to your firm dashboard will be provided to clients. Signup: As part of the Betterment for Advisors electronic signup process, your clients are presented with agreements between them and Betterment, and acknowledge receipt of Betterment’s disclosure documents. If you elect to use the Client Agreement Automation function, your clients are also presented with your firm’s advisory agreement and any disclosure documents you have uploaded as of the date each client signs up. This allows the client to execute and/or acknowledge these documents all at once, rather than separately. Your client electronically consents to the terms of these agreements by checking a checkbox and clicking a button to agree to create their account.  Please note that Betterment does not collect traditional handwritten signatures for either your agreement or the Betterment for Advisors agreements. Instead, consent is indicated via mouse click or other electronic method of input, and the date and time of such consent is recorded and stored. Records: In the advisor dashboard, under the “Agreements” tab, each advisor can view which of their clients executed the firm’s agreement electronically, the date and time at which they executed the agreement, and a digital copy of the version they executed (along with the versions of the firm’s Form ADV Part 2A, Form CRS and privacy policy, and the advisor’s Form ADV Part 2B, provided these documents were uploaded at the time the client was onboarded).   This table is your record that your client executed your agreement electronically. Note that you can view and download the agreement by clicking the “Agreements Package” button on the right of the table. Copies of Form ADV Part 2B will appear alongside the agreements package if one was present at time of signup. A similar page is provided to Compliance users in the Compliance page in the Betterment for Advisors platform, allowing those with the Compliance permissions to view all of the firm’s clients and their agreements. Important Considerations for Your Firm Please review these items carefully before deciding whether or not to use the Client Agreement Automation function. One of each type of document per firm: The Client Agreement Automation function only supports one of each type of document per firm at a time, meaning one advisory agreement, one Form ADV Part 2A, one Form CRS, and one privacy policy at a time. You may change that agreement by having a firm admin upload a new copy of the agreement via the Agreements section of the Betterment for Advisors web portal. Once a new form of agreement is uploaded, this new form will be presented to all new clients who sign up in the future, but it will not be presented or distributed to existing clients. Form ADV Part 2B: Each individual advisor on the platform may upload their own ADV Part 2B if they choose or if their firm directs them to do so. If a Form ADV Part 2B is present when a client signs up, a record of the acknowledgement of receipt of the Form ADV Part 2B and a copy thereof will be presented on the Agreements page as well as in the Compliance view, alongside firm-level agreements (if supplied). Form CRS: When present, the Firm’s Form CRS will be shown as the first disclosure alongside the other documents and disclosures during client onboarding that are a part of the Agreements Automation Service. In addition to client onboarding, the Firm’s Form CRS is presented to clients when adding additional services. Additional services when the Firm’s Form CRS will be presented include when the client opens a new type of account, on the client consent form when the advisor initiates the opening of a new type of account, when a rollover is initiated by a client, on the client consent form when the advisor initiates a rollover, on quarterly statement notifications, and when a user logs in for the first time since the Firm has uploaded or updated their Form CRS. Examples of opening a new type of account include, when a client with a taxable investing account opens an individual retirement account or when a client with an individual retirement account opens a joint account. Fee changes: When considering whether to use the Client Agreement Automation function, you should take into account that advisors have the ability to change the fees they charge specific clients in the advisor dashboard (subject to available Billing Plans, which can only be created by firm admins.) Before using the function, you should determine how, if at all, this impacts the structure of your agreements. Always on: If you decide to use the Client Agreement Automation function, it will be turned on for all of the clients that you bring to Betterment for Advisors. This means that all clients you bring to Betterment for Advisors will have to execute the agreement you provided to Betterment as part of the signup process. Multiple signatories: Currently, the Client Agreement Automation function does not support accounts with multiple signatories, such as trusts with multiple trustees and joint accounts. Agreement amendments: While agreements can be updated and will go live for future client onboarding, we do not support amendments to your agreements with existing clients on our system. If you would like to amend your agreement with some of your clients, you will need to do so yourself, using whatever non-Betterment mechanism and recordkeeping system you deem appropriate. Form ADV Part 2A, Form CRS and privacy disclosure updates: While Form ADV Part 2A and Form CRS can be updated and will go live for subsequent client onboarding, we will not send any updates to your Form ADV Part 2A, Form CRS, or privacy disclosures to your existing clients. You are responsible for complying with SEC rules governing when and how to deliver any required disclosures and amendments to these documents to your clients.

FAQ: Custom Portfolios for Advisors Sep 23, 2022 12:00:00 AM Build your own custom model portfolios of ETF funds while leveraging all of Betterment’s sophisticated portfolio management features. What are custom model portfolios? The Betterment for Advisors platform allows advisors to customize portfolios of almost any ETFs, while maintaining access to Betterment’s suite of automated features including: automated rebalancing tax-loss harvesting asset location / tax coordinated portfolios tax-optimized sales for withdrawals glide path rebalancing and more How do I create custom model portfolios for my clients? To get started, log into your dashboard and navigate to Portfolios > Create a portfolio > Custom portfolio. Follow the prompts in the module to create securities groups, determine risk levels for your portfolio, and more. How is this program different from Flexible Portfolios? Previous functionality allowed advisors to customize portfolios using ETFs that are part of the Betterment Core Portfolio Strategy. Now, advisors can use almost any ETF (as long as there is sufficient liquidity and trading volume). Also, custom model portfolios are now eligible for tax-efficient automated features like Tax Loss Harvesting (TLH+) and Tax Coordinated Portfolios (TCP). What are the program requirements? There are no asset minimums or additional fees required to build custom portfolios. I have more questions - who can I talk to and where can I learn more? Please fill out this form, and our team will follow up with you. Security Selection: What securities are supported? Only ETFs are supported at this time. Mutual funds, single stocks, and other securities are not available. What ETFs are supported? Almost all ETFs are supported, as long as there is sufficient liquidity and trading volume. How many different asset allocations can be included in one portfolio? For each custom portfolio, firms can define anywhere from 1 to 25 asset allocations. Betterment Automated Features: What is Tax Loss Harvesting (TLH+)? How does this feature work with custom model portfolios? Tax loss harvesting is the practice of selling a security that has experienced a loss—and then buying a similar asset to replace it. The switch does two things: it allows the investor to realize, or “harvest”, a valuable loss while keeping the portfolio balanced at the desired allocation. Capital losses can lower your clients’ tax bill by offsetting gains and reducing ordinary taxable income up to $3000 per year. The custom model portfolios program allows firms to designate a primary, secondary, and IRA secondary ETF ticker for each asset class to be used for TLH+. Tax Loss Harvesting+ may not be suitable for all investors. For more information, please see our full disclosure here. How does Tax Coordination work? Tax Coordination is designed for investors who are saving for retirement in more than one type of account, including taxable accounts, traditional IRAs, or Roth IRAs generally with the same time horizon. Once you set it up, Betterment will look across all of the accounts grouped under retirement and automatically reorganize which assets are held in which accounts. Of these three types of accounts, each are taxed differently: (1) taxable accounts, (2) traditional IRAs or 401(k)s, and (3) Roth IRAs or 401(k)s. With Tax-Coordination, the assets are then arranged (unequally) across all coordinated accounts to maximize the after-tax performance of the overall portfolio. We do this in a way that keeps the overall allocation the same while boosting after-tax returns. We've outlined the potential benefits of Tax Coordination and some reasons you may not want to use it here. For more information on our estimates and Tax Coordination generally, see full disclosure here. How does Betterment rebalance client portfolios? How does automated rebalancing work? More information about Betterment's automated rebalancing feature is available here. What capital market assumptions are used for balance and spending power projections? Firms can input their own capital market assumptions, or Betterment's team can provide assumptions.

How to Be a Successful Financial Advisor: 8 Tips Aug 17, 2022 11:58:36 AM Success doesn't happen overnight, but following these tips can help speed up the process (and avoid key pitfalls). Finding success in any profession is one of life's great joys. Yet, it can be hard to identify the necessary milestones in your own journey that add up to the definition of success. As we'll discuss in this article, "success" is the outcome of a million little decisions and actions over time. As an advisor, you can attest to the reality that most clients have financial baggage. If you were advising me, you'd see pretty quickly that my career in personal finance is a strong reaction to growing up without money. We all have something driving us and, for me, it’s a crippling fear of living without financial stability. Luckily, our past experience can be used for good if we acknowledge the role it plays in our decision-making. For me, that fear created an unwillingness to do the wrong thing once the right thing becomes obvious, which led me to co-founding and scaling a fee-only RIA before ultimately selling to a larger firm. Today, I bring that experience to Betterment for Advisors, where I consult with our clients about the ways that they can use our tools to make them more successful as they build and grow their practices. If there is one lesson that I would impart to a financial advisor who is asking themselves how to become more successful at what they do, the simplest and most succinct advice I can give is to have vision. In other words, the best place to start is with an articulated vision of your ideal future—from there, you can work backwards to identify your next step in that journey. But that can be easier said than done! So, let's consider a few ways to chip away at getting there with 8 day-to-day tips that'll set you down the right path. But first – what does it mean to be a successful financial advisor? When you ask yourself What does a successful financial advisor look like?, there might be a few categories that come to mind. We all know that financial advice is about merging qualitative with the quantitative and that's true when finding success, too! First, we consider marking success for an advisor by the science—AUM, the number of clients you serve, or even the size of your staff. But in reality, all of these are extrinsic motivators. Meaning, they are markers of success to others looking in. The other side of success, and perhaps the more important side, is more intrinsically motivated—because success only means something if you feel successful yourself. And often, as advisors, we find this in the relationships we build with our clients. To be a successful financial advisor, I believe a few key traits are required. Five traits of a successful financial advisor Be accountable The first trait of a successful financial advisor is accountability. In order to be a successful financial advisor, you have to be accountable to your clients and therefore, hold yourself accountable for their success. Anyone can make suggestions to a friend about what to do with their money, or anyone can read a Reddit thread about trends in personal finance. But the difference for a client working with a financial advisor is that they have a partner with whom they can entrust their financial futures and know they have their best interest at heart. Seek empathy The second most important trait is empathy. Advisors are often present for the most momentous times in a client's life—marriage, having a child, buying a house, caring for an ill or elderly family member, losing a loved one. So, practicing empathy and really meeting clients where they're at emotionally can mark the difference between a good and a great financial advisor. Advisors are people, too. Make a practice of sharing personal anecdotes and mistakes you've made in the past with your clients. This will give them permission to relax and trust you more quickly. Stay curious Curiosity is also key. Often, getting at a client's financial goals can be tough. Asking a simple question like What are your goals? can lead to simple answers, but when you dig in, every person's vision for their future or financial fears has a ton of nuance. Separately, staying curious when exploring new investment vehicles is also crucial. When, for example, Crypto became a newsworthy asset class, the curious advisor is more poised to look into and learn about the asset’s complexities in order to give the best advice to their clients. Be intentional A successful financial advisor is also intentional with their time and energy. Not only can you have various clients vying for your time and attention, but your personal life can also take a back seat when you build such strong and deeply personal relationships with your clients. Remember that burnout helps no one! To be in it for the long haul, advisors need to learn how to best dedicate their time to specific clients, tasks, and, ultimately, aspects of their lives. Teach! Finally, the best advisors are also teachers. Learning about the ins and outs of their money movements often brings clients comfort and ultimately establishes trust. Similarly, in order to scale a successful practice, a strong advisor needs to also impart their practices and philosophies onto their employees. The better an advisor can constantly be teaching (and learning!), the more successful they will be. I'm all of these things – what's next? So, you nailed the art of being a great advisor and you've found some success, but now you've got a firm that you are trying to scale and grow. Next up, let me share 8 tips for building a successful practice. Tips for building a successful practice Automate more processes to save time If you want to optimize the hours in your day, automate! Tolls on the road to success are paid with time, but there's never been a better time to build an efficient financial planning practice. With the right tools, data collection and analysis, portfolio management, and even scheduling can all be completely automated at a minimal cost. Anything that doesn't need to be done by a human should be done with technology. Craft a scheduling system that you can stick to Take being intentional with your time to the next level. Live and die by your calendar. Seriously. This is the most precious tool you have in your toolbelt. Make a habit of looking at your calendar every morning and filling every empty time slot with something intentional. Schedule time to read, schedule time to eat lunch, schedule time to write blogs or social media posts – and then actually do it. Don't waste the time you have or fall victim to distraction as a result of no direction. Avoid the temptation to hire help too early I've seen too many advisors (myself included!) find success early and hire too quickly because they believe their time is too valuable for mundane tasks. Well, it is, but hiring someone shouldn't be your first instinct because… technology! Spend some valuable time researching technology solutions that cost less than a full-time person and increase efficiencies before hiring help. Your time is certainly worth money, but make sure that you are truly out of time before you buy more. Plus, hiring, onboarding, and training can often take up more of your time for at least six months before that investment pays off. As you hire, make sure you have enough time to make that person successful and, if you don't, see how technology might be able to help instead. Embrace rejection Timing is everything. "No" often has nothing to do with you and everything to do with that prospect's individual circumstances or past experiences. The key isn't just about getting "yesses," but getting a "yes" or "no" from every prospect as quickly as possible. And you will hear "no" more than "yes"—that's just the nature of our business. But nothing is worse than ambivalence or inaction. Don’t focus on the decision the prospect makes, but rather your ability to bring them to a resolution. Remember that you are an expert Even if you're just getting started in your career, recognize that the prospect or client is seeking your counsel because they know less about financial planning than you do. Let that empower you, because you just might be the most important voice in their financial life. Look to industry leaders and peers you admire for advice Once you know what success looks like for you, find people who are already there and kindly ask for some of their time. The best thing you can do is learn from those who have the things you want. In addition, schedule time to read and avoid the temptation to use that time for other things. This is an area where social media can be a great networking tool. While Twitter, for instance, can certainly be a black hole of distractions, there are an exceptional number of amazing business leaders sharing information on the platform every day. Avoid decision paralysis when you can As advisors, it's our nature to analyze every decision. But when it comes to building a business, you'll find that the formula is actually "ready, fire, aim." Today is about action—you'll have plenty of time to refine your practice tomorrow. Think of your practice as a "daily driver" Identify your ideal client's needs, and structure your tech stack, client service model and fee structure, in such a way that it gets you from point A to point B with that ideal client as quickly and efficiently as possible. Do not waste time building solutions for the 10% of clients who do not fit your focus. Now, go out there and go get 'em! Unfortunately, there is no repeatable recipe for success. Not only does success look different for everyone, but getting there is an undeniable combination of hard work, good timing, and a little bit of luck. What you can do is focus on the things you can control—your actions and commitment to the process.

"What Do You Do?": Compelling Value Propositions for Financial Advisors Aug 4, 2022 1:04:31 PM As your advisory practice grows, you will find yourself having more and more conversations about what it is you do. These conversations are key to growing your network, your client base, and ultimately your business, so it’s important that you can describe your practice clearly, confidently, and concisely. If you can articulate the value you bring to the table, and if you can do so in a way that differentiates you from your competition, these conversations become much easier. Plus, it makes your marketing efforts more effective, from designing your business cards to writing your website copy. In this guide, we will look at examples of how to articulate your value proposition as a financial advisor (answering the question, “What do you do?”), as well as how to form your unique selling proposition (answering the question, “Why should I work with you, specifically?”). Value propositions for financial advisors A value proposition is a simple statement of what you provide to your clients. Most companies have a generic value proposition built into their business category. For example: Grocery stores provide value to consumers by giving them a single place to buy different types of packaged goods in consumer quantities. (Otherwise, people would have to create relationships with dairies, produce providers, and large CPG brands themselves.) Dentists provide value to patients by cleaning and inspecting mouths in ways that consumers wouldn’t otherwise have the means, equipment, and expertise to do. Law offices provide value to clients by renting out their knowledge of law and policy, saving clients the time and effort of learning to practice law (and avoiding the costs of accidentally handling things illegally). Likewise, in the financial advice space, the value you provide to your clients comes from several generic sources. These sources fall into two major buckets: financial value and extra-financial value. Financial value vs. extra-financial value Financial value is the most straightforward benefit you provide. It simply refers to the ROI that your clients realize through working with you. This includes generating returns, avoiding losses, managing and optimizing deposit limits, etc. Extra-financial value is more expansive. This refers to all the “extra” benefits that someone enjoys besides the ROI—it’s what some financial advisors have begun to refer to as ROL, or “return on life.” This includes value sources such as: Planning: objectively envisioning what your clients can accomplish. Your clients can be inspired to change their investing, spending, and saving habits simply because you helped them set a vision and make a plan to realize it. This can create feelings of confidence and security that could be difficult to come by otherwise. Organization: helping your clients know if they’re on track. By organizing your clients’ financial lives, you give them the assurance that at any point in time, they can quickly check in to see if they’re on track to meet their goals. You also make it much easier for them to access information they need for tax reporting, estate planning, and other wealth management activities. Accountability: keeping your clients on track. Just like a personal trainer holds their clients accountable for reaching their fitness goals, you’re the voice that reminds and encourages your clients to work toward their financial goals. Expertise: educating and counseling your clients. You’re the financial expert, so your clients don’t need to stay abreast of the stock market, monetary policy, fiscal policy, inflation, and the like if they don’t want to. Instead, you keep them informed on what they need to know, and you’re available to educate them on what they want to know. Almost every financial advisory practice will provide value through a blend of what we’ve listed above. However, that blend will vary from advisor to advisor. Some advisors will be stronger at building tailored plans, while others will focus more on client education. So while all advisors more or less provide value from the same sources, individual value propositions will vary from practice to practice. How to write your value proposition Writing a value proposition should be a simple process. The statement doesn’t need to be fancy, and it can be as long or brief as you want. But some criteria separate a useful value proposition from a useless one: It should be easy for your audience to understand. Unless your target market is the extremely financially literate, you should avoid technical in-speak. It should be easy for you to remember. Although you can use your value proposition for multiple marketing purposes (more on that later), your value proposition will help you most if it can simply answer the question, “What do you do?” As an RIA, you don’t want to come up with a new answer to that question every time someone asks it. Your value proposition should be your immediate, go-to response. It should sound natural. Don’t treat your value proposition like a composition assignment. Use words that you would use in a regular conversation. Instead of “I optimize and organize my clients’ portfolios so as to maximize return on investment and realize their financial goals,” you might try, “I help people set financial goals, get their finances in order, and keep them on track for reaching their goals.” It should be verifiable. If someone asks you if you have examples or if they ask how your offerings work, you should be able to naturally bring up real-life scenarios that explain or illustrate the value you provide. Example value propositions for financial advisors Your value proposition needs to communicate the benefit you provide to your clients and how you provide that value. Here are some example value propositions: “I help people get their financial lives in order: I manage their investments so that their money is working toward their long-term goals without them needing to worry about it.” “I’m like a counselor, but I focus on people’s finances. I keep my clients educated on how the market works and help them make objective decisions with their money.” “I keep people on track with their financial goals: my clients and I work together to set expectations and milestones, and I help them keep their eye on the long-term.” Ways to use your value proposition As we’ve discussed, your value proposition can be helpful primarily when describing what you do in conversations—especially in the early years of your practice. However, your value proposition will come in handy when: Creating marketing collateral. Your business cards, your letterhead, your email signature, bios and descriptions for community events and sponsorships, your Google My Business description—all the little bits of text you may need to write to describe your business become easier to create when you’ve already articulated what you do. Crafting your social profiles. Your LinkedIn profile, Facebook page, Instagram account—all the places where you describe yourself can benefit from already having articulated your value proposition. Onboarding clients. When you bring a new client in for that first meeting, your value proposition can function as an outline for the ground you need to cover. This will help you set expectations for your client and make sure they are aware of all the services you provide. Organizing your website. If you have articulated what you do, then deciding what pages and content you need on your website becomes much easier. A comprehensive value proposition can be a good starting point for mapping out the content and navigation for your website. Onboarding employees. If you’re ready to hire new talent, your value proposition can be a vital tool for giving new employees an idea of your firm’s goals and what they will be helping your clients accomplish. (Plus, it will help them answer the question, “What do you do?” when it comes up—amplifying your word-of-mouth marketing efforts.) Articulating a unique selling proposition. You’re not the only financial advisor in your market, and knowing what you do is the starting point for explaining why someone should choose to hire you instead of the competition. This last part is important, because a value proposition is just a start when it comes to communicating your value as a financial advisor. Once you have your value proposition articulated, you will want to move on to writing your unique selling proposition. Unique selling propositions for financial advisors While a value proposition describes how your practice creates value, the unique selling proposition makes the case for why you’re the right advisor for your target market. Value propositions are descriptive; unique selling propositions are persuasive. The unique selling proposition (which marketers usually shorten to “USP”) is typically a one-or two-sentence statement that should accomplish the following: Resonate with your target market’s emotions. The USP should involve an emotional appeal: you want to tap into how your most satisfied clients feel (or how you want your future clients to feel). Differentiate you from “the rest” of the financial advisors. This doesn’t need to be a unique product offering. But your unique flavor should be evident when people read or hear your USP. If you focus on helping… people in a certain profession (e.g., medical professionals), or people from a certain background (e.g., first- and second-generation immigrants), or people with certain like-minded values or practices (e.g., homeschooling families), or people facing certain challenges (e.g., newly divorced parents) … … then this should be evident in your USP. It could even come down to a different tone or energy that you bring to your client meetings (e.g., you might be the humorous, nerdy, and/or outdoorsy FA in your city). Plainly state how you help your clients. Your USP should highlight the value you bring to your target audience. This is much easier to do after you have developed your general value proposition. How to use your unique selling proposition Developing your USP can be beneficial for fleshing out your marketing strategy. It bridges the gap between what you do and why people choose to work with you. Once your USP is written, you can use it in various ways: Website homepage copy. It can be tough to figure out exactly what to say on the homepage of your website—but if you have already articulated your unique selling proposition, most of the work is done. Your website homepage is the perfect place for your USP to live: it immediately tells your website visitors who you serve, what they can expect, and why they should choose you. Networking with competitors. Unless you are the only financial advisor in your community, you will likely find yourself at networking events with other advisors. If you know what separates you from the rest of the pack, then networking becomes a bit easier. Not only can you naturally differentiate yourself from the other advisors, but you can also differentiate yourself to the other advisors. It’s easier to converse with and learn from other people in your field if they know you’re not chasing their target audience. Advertising copy. Should you start spending money on ads, your USP will help you target your spending on the right audience. It can also increase your return on ad spend, as you won’t be advertising generic services—you’ll be promoting something uniquely appealing. Grow your advisory business with Betterment Your value proposition and USP are two key tools you can use to grow your business. By articulating what you do and why people should choose you, you give yourself an advantage in both your everyday conversations and your marketing efforts. But this degree of intentionality can take time. And processing the demand that comes with effective communication takes even more time. One way to optimize your time as you grow your advisory practice is to invest in tools that reduce hours spent on investment management and back-office admin. If you’re looking for a better way to grow your business, Betterment for Advisors can help. Our platform helps you deliver personalized model portfolios to your clients and manage your entire practice—which means you can spend more time crafting your message, building relationships, and bringing in new clients.

5 Tips to Give to Inexperienced Investors During A Market Dip Jul 18, 2022 2:20:00 PM If your clients are first-time investors, helping them make that initial deposit and setting up their portfolios can be difficult. During a market dip? Even more so. Here are 5 talking points to help you communicate with inexperienced investors in times of volatility. Investing money for the first time may make your clients feel like they're diving into the deep end of the pool. It can be even more nerve-wracking when market conditions are choppy. If they ultimately decide they're ready, here are 5 tips for helping new investors get started during a market downturn. 1. "Have an emergency fund." Talking about emergency planning can be a great way to get new investors comfortable with the idea of investing. Help your client set about 3 to 6 months worth of expenses and recurring payments aside to build an emergency fund held in a cash account or a low-risk investment portfolio. Having this safety net will give your client the confidence to invest the rest of their money more aggressively—and with less worry. 2. "Invest at your own pace." Lump sum investing allows clients to optimize their money immediately in an appropriate portfolio strategy based on their specific goals and time horizon. Although this approach may generate a better investment outcome over the long term, inexperienced investors can be hesitant. Your more risk averse clients may prefer to dollar-cost average, spreading out risk during volatile market periods. Another approach that may make clients feel more comfortable is to invest a little bit at a time. One of the best ways to do this is by helping your clients set up an auto-deposit schedule where they choose the investment amount (i.e., $300) and frequency (i.e., monthly). By setting their own pace, your client can feel more secure moving forward. 3. "Focus on your time horizon." Remind your clients that not all of their investments need to have the same risk level.  Your clients are likely investing for multiple financial goals at the same time, such as a home down payment, future college expenses, or retirement. Each of these financial goals likely has a different time horizon and should be invested accordingly. Breaking your clients’ investments into goals allows you to better control their risk and build a personalized investing plan. It can also make less experienced investors feel more comfortable with the level of risk they are taking on in proportion to how soon they’ll need to access a particular bucket of money. Betterment for Advisors' powerful portfolio-building tools enable you to serve your clients' needs and investing preferences. Our tooling automates rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, deposits, and more, so you can more efficiently manage your clients' plans. 4. "Pay attention to historical context." As a new investor, your client may not have much context or know what to expect in terms of performance.  It can be helpful to let clients know that many others before them have felt nervous about markets. From 1942 to 2022, the U.S. has been through 15 bear markets. On average, bear markets last for about 11.3 months, which tend to be significantly shorter than bull markets which last 4.4 years on average. Remind them that, after each of the past downturns, the stock market often recovers. You should make sure clients understand that there have been many market dips in the past, and they will likely see many more in the future. They are an inescapable part of investing and all investors, new and old, should learn to cope with volatility.  Though your clients may be tempted to make major withdrawals or even halt their auto-deposits when the market dives, remind them that now is the time to stay the course. History shows us that the market, and their portfolio, can recover. 5. "Focus on what you can control." Your clients can't control the stock market. They also can't control the news, inflation, GDP growth, or unemployment rates.  However, they can control how much they save, how much risk they take, how diversified they are, and how they react when markets get scary. In the long run, push your clients to focus on what they can control, and encourage them to do their best to ignore what they can't. New investors should not be discouraged by market dips. At Betterment, our passive investing model is derived from the idea that taking action solely based on market movement can be detrimental—contrary to what your clients might think. Ultimately, being thoughtful about your clients' finances and overall risk in their portfolios during market uncertainty can help them weather the storm, no matter how long the downturn lasts. When volatility hits, rest assured that we are working for your clients. Our automatic allocation adjustments, portfolio rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting can help your clients ride out a choppy market.  

Tax-Aware Migration Strategies Mar 10, 2021 12:00:00 AM Betterment for Advisors allows advisors to specify trading migration strategies to easily transition their clients’ portfolios or investment allocations. Betterment for Advisors allows advisors to specify trading migration strategies to easily transition their clients’ portfolios or investment allocations. Advisors have three options when migrating a client to a different portfolio or changing their allocation -- each with its own tax-optimization strategy. Advisors can preview the tax-impact effects of their elections before submitting the change.  Three options are available, each with its own approach to managing the transition. Minimize short-term capital gains and wash sales When this strategy is selected, the client’s goal will be migrated in a tax-optimized way. For taxable accounts, we’ll seek to sell tax lots that are at a loss or have experienced long-term capital gains, but will continue to hold, when possible, tax lots with short-term gains until they either become long-term gains or become losses. For tax-deferred accounts, we will migrate without regard to embedded capital gains. Regardless of account type, we will prioritize avoiding wash sales that could lead to permanently disallowed losses for securities held at Betterment. For this strategy, it is important to remember that the account may weather high drift in the short run, but Betterment’s algorithms will typically rebalance available losses or long-term gains as they arise, as long as the security sales involved will not cause any permanently disallowed losses. Drift goal to target portfolio For this migration strategy, the client’s goal will be gradually drifted to the target portfolio by buying underweight securities with inflows / deposits through dividend reinvestments, and selling overweight securities to fund withdrawals. No securities will be sold as a result of this change.  This election will often result in high drift, especially if the portfolio or allocation change involves a significant change in composition of the portfolio’s holdings. When “Drift goal to target portfolio” is selected, an additional election must be made to choose whether or not to turn off automated rebalancing. This is necessary because Betterment’s standard rebalancing algorithms operate independently of the migration strategy election. Choosing to disable automated rebalancing for the goals will ensure that a rebalance will not be triggered due to high drift that can be caused by selecting “Drift goal to target portfolio.” If the advisor elects to leave rebalancing on, Betterment’s automated rebalancing algorithm may take the opportunity to rebalance the goal shortly after the portfolio or allocation change is complete. The rebalancing algorithm avoids sales that realize short-term capital gains or would result in permanently disallowed losses for securities held at Betterment. Rebalance with no tax-impact constraints For this migration strategy, the client’s goal will be rebalanced as soon as possible to the target portfolio. Betterment will perform this rebalance in a tax-optimized way to the extent possible, but we will not delay selling shares even if doing so could lead to a more optimal tax outcome. Choosing this option could lead to the realization of wash sales for securities that have been recently sold. After trading is complete on the change, the account will typically be 100% in balance with the target portfolio. After any of these changes are applied, the strategy election remains active until a subsequent change is made. For each of these migration strategy options, Betterment’s Tax-Impact Preview feature is available so that the advisor may see an estimation of the effects of the selection.

Webinar Recording: Financial Planning for Clients Who Are on the Mat Aug 12, 2020 12:00:00 AM " Catch our latest on-demand webinar recording on financial planning for clients who on the mat. <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>

Training Video: Sync External Accounts Sep 18, 2019 12:00:00 AM Watch our product training video on how to assist your clients in connecting external accounts to the Betterment experience.  

Training Video: Link a Bank Account Sep 18, 2019 12:00:00 AM Watch our product training video on how to connect a funding account to help your clients transfer cash into Betterment.