Our new client portal

Technology is increasingly playing a role in how we do business here at Fortitude Financial Planning. Not so long ago, everything we did involved reams of paper. All of our documents had to be printed and physically signed.

Things move on and if you look at what we do today, it’s very different. With our new Personal Finance Portal (PFP) we’re able to store many of our files digitally. It’s safer and more secure than paperwork – and takes up a lot less space!

Our new Client Portal

When we started working on our Personal Finance Portal (PFP), we had no idea that Covid-19 was going to change the way we do everything. As we’re having fewer face-to-face meetings with our clients at the moment, the extra layer of security that it’s going to give us is a real bonus. Of course, we’ve always been extra careful about sending anything out via post or email. But now, we’ll know all information really is as safe as houses.

Accessing the portal

You can log in via your smartphone, tablet or from your desktop at any time, day or night. PFP will enable you to:

• Share and store important documents securely

• Use secure messaging (which is more secure than standard email)

• Update your personal information

• View your investment and pension portfolio

• See your total net wealth in one place

Safe and secure

The beauty of the PFP is that it’s as good at taking care of your personal information as we are. We can both upload sensitive documents to share with each other, safe in the knowledge that everything is fully encrypted and secure. That’s much better than trusting them to the post. And while we’re talking about security, if you haven’t read our earlier blog, Could you spot a scam? you might want to check it out!

Electronic Signatures

At the same time as launching our Portal we are introducing the use of electronic signatures where possible. The sector as a whole has advanced significantly in the last few months due to Covid-19 and electronic signatures are becoming the norm rather than the exception. We are using a product called DocuSign, a leading provider in this field, and its use should lead to greater efficiencies for all.

DocuSign

We’ve had our eye on this technology for a while and we’re really excited to start using it. It’s a safe and secure way for our clients to sign documents electronically. And it can be done from wherever they are. Then we have access to the signed document immediately – no couriers, faxing or waiting for it to arrive in the post. Even better, all documents are encrypted so it’s even safer than trusting a signed document to the post or email.

Catching up

We’re not the only ones getting to grips with the wonders of this new technology. Many of the providers we work with are already going digital, but there are plenty of others who are still transitioning from the old ways of doing things. It may take a while for everyone to catch up, but eventually we’ll all work in this way. We’re just glad we’re doing it sooner rather than later. Not only will it make life better for us and our clients – but the environment will thank us too.

Tech won’t replace us

Don’t worry, there’s never going to be a time when we become obsolete! Your Fortitude adviser will always be here to deal with on a human level – this technology will just give us more time to dedicate to you. And it will give us all peace of mind that any documents we share are safe and secure.

If you’d like to know more about any of the changes we’re making at Fortitude or the technology we’re using, just ask.