For growth-minded Financial Advisors, the real question isn’t if you should invest in financial planning tools. It’s which tools will help you reclaim time, deepen client relationships, and grow your business (without adding complexity or dragging down your budget).
Fifty-nine percent of Advisors identify technology as the primary catalyst for industry innovation. But with so many tools flooding the market, how do you cut through the noise to find the ones that actually move the needle?
In this article, we unpack six game-changing solutions designed to empower Advisors and accelerate growth, from compliance and operational support to prospecting tools and beyond.
Why Financial Advisors Need Right-Fit Financial Planning Tools and Technology
For Financial Advisors committed to building long-term value, technology isn’t just a support system; it’s a strategic asset. The right financial planning tools for Advisors can influence everything from client satisfaction to your daily workflow.
You Can Meet Evolving Client Expectations
Clients often expect more than phone calls and paper statements. They may want digital account access, transparency, and communication on their terms. With the right tools, you can offer secure portals, real-time financial visibility, and personalized communication that meets modern expectations—, without adding more work to your plate.
You Can Spend Your Time Where It Counts
A recent Fidelity study found that lack of time is the number one barrier to Advisor growth, with the average Advisor spending only 41% of their time each week supporting their clients and prospects.*
It’s easy to lose hours every week to operational tasks: paperwork, follow-ups, onboarding, and compliance. But technology can help minimize those distractions. Automating low-value work creates more space to focus on strategic conversations, planning sessions, and growth initiatives.
You Can Build for the Long Game
Your technology stack plays a key role whether you’re scaling your business, preparing for succession, or simply trying to work more intentionally. The systems you put in place today can support consistency, structure, and value as your business evolves.
Related: Click here to read, “RFG Advisor Spotlight: Chris Wedell From Volare Wealth Advisors”
6 Financial Advisor Tools Designed to Help You Work Smarter
These categories of tools can play a central role in how you deliver value, manage operations, and plan for growth. When selected thoughtfully (and supported with training and strategy), they become the foundation of a more efficient, intentional business.
1. Investment Management Platforms
These tools help you oversee client portfolios from a single dashboard. Rather than working across multiple systems or custodians, investment platforms consolidate key tasks (such as trading, rebalancing, and performance tracking) into one environment. This can reduce operational delays and help maintain consistency in your review process.
Tip: Look for platforms that integrate well with your custodians and CRM to avoid double entry and system disconnects.
2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems
A CRM serves as the foundation for organizing client data and interactions. With a well-configured CRM, you can log meeting notes, schedule follow-ups, track milestones, and segment communications based on client preferences. These systems are also useful for preparing ahead of client conversations and coordinating tasks across your team.
Tip: Choose a CRM that aligns with how you naturally manage your client relationships—over-customized systems often go underutilized.
3. Operations and Compliance Technology
Operational tools help with document management, workflow automation, and compliance tracking. Common examples include digital forms, e-signature platforms, and systems for managing disclosures or audit documentation. These tools are designed to support consistency and reduce time spent on manual processes.
Tip: When interviewing vendors, ask about onboarding support and training, especially if the tool will be used by administrative staff or multiple team members.
4. Marketing and Sales
Marketing software can help streamline communication with clients and prospects. Many platforms offer features like scheduled email campaigns, social media publishing, and access to pre-approved content. This category can be especially useful if you want to stay engaged without writing or designing each piece from scratch.
Tip: Look for marketing platforms that are built for compliance integration or that include a workflow for content approval.
5. Performance Reporting and Client Portals
Performance reporting tools allow clients to view their accounts and portfolio activity in an easier-to-understand format. These systems often include client-accessible dashboards, report customization, and secure document sharing. A good reporting setup can support transparency and help reduce client confusion during reviews.
Tip: Check that the user experience matches your client demographic. For example, some portals are better suited for mobile, others for desktop.
6. Communication and Meeting Tools
Video conferencing, secure messaging, and integrated calling tools make it easier to stay connected with clients regardless of location. These systems often include screen sharing, meeting scheduling, call recording, and CRM integrations, helping you manage remote and in-person conversations more effectively.
Tip: Check whether the tool offers secure archiving and/or integrates with your compliance monitoring systems.
What Might Be Holding You Back: 3 Challenges Advisors Face When Choosing the Best Tools for Growth
- Too Many Options, Not Enough Time: Every tool category has a long list of vendors competing for your attention. Sorting through them takes time, time you probably don’t have. This can lead to decision fatigue and “good enough” solutions that don’t actually support your goals.
- Team Adoption and Training: Even the best tools won’t make an impact if your team doesn’t know how to use them. You risk low adoption, wasted money, and extra frustration without proper onboarding and training.
- Lack of Support: When technology issues pop up, who’s helping you fix them? If you’re stuck dealing with long wait times or one-size-fits-all service, even minor problems can disrupt your workflow.
Find Your Strategic Advantage With RFG Advisory’s Tools and Technology
At RFG Advisory, we’ve designed our platform around the daily realities you face. We don’t just hand you tools; we help you integrate them, use them, and build a strategy around them. Our Advisor partners have access to a fully integrated suite of technology tools designed to enhance efficiency and improve daily workflows:
- You Get Access to Vetted Solutions
We’ve already done the due diligence, so you can spend less time researching and more time focused on your clients.
- You Get Real Training from Real People
Our practice consulting team works with you and your staff to help your team understand your tools and how to apply them to your business.
- You Get a Dedicated IT Support Team
When something breaks or stalls, you don’t have to troubleshoot alone. Our internal technology support team is ready to step in and help.
If you’re ready to explore how the right tools and the right support could help you operate more efficiently and stay focused on what you do best, we’d love to connect. Let’s Talk About What’s Possible.
*Fidelity Investments, The Time-Value Equation: Optimizing Time to Unlock Growth, 2025 Executive Forum.