Custodian as Consultant

Financial Planning, July, 2007 by Joel Bruckenstein

For all the talk by vendors of the "value-added" services they provide, precious few manage to offer something truly extra. Some vendors take the "if we build it, they will come" approach, building templates of little use to advisors. Others take their lead from customers, but either they, or their customers, get it wrong. Whatever the case, the results often disappoint one or sometimes both sides.

Fortunately, not every bold attempt at adding value goes down in flames. While it's still early in the game, TD Ameritrade's Solutions Consulting Group looks to be an outstanding example of how doing the right thing for your customers can really pay off for all parties. [As this issue went to press, TD was being urged by some shareholders to merge with E-Trade. How a possible...