40% Faster Onboarding with Automated KYC and Account Linking

40% Faster Onboarding with Automated KYC and Account Linking

Executive Summary

Santos Financial Research Group, a boutique RIA managing over $150 million in assets, struggled with a cumbersome and time-consuming client onboarding process. Recognizing the impact on advisor productivity and client experience, they implemented Golden Door Asset’s suggested solution: an automated Know Your Customer (KYC) and secure account linking system. The result was a 40% reduction in onboarding time, freeing up advisors to focus on client relationships and strategic financial planning, leading to improved client satisfaction and overall operational efficiency.

The Challenge

Santos Financial Research Group, headed by Dr. Elena Santos, prided itself on providing personalized financial advice to high-net-worth individuals. However, their traditional onboarding process was proving to be a significant bottleneck. The process typically involved:

• Manual Data Collection: Sending clients lengthy paper-based questionnaires to gather financial information, including assets, liabilities, and investment goals. This often resulted in incomplete or inaccurate data, requiring multiple follow-up calls and emails. On average, this stage took 5-7 business days per client.
• KYC and AML Compliance: Manually verifying client identities and running background checks to comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations. This involved collecting copies of driver's licenses, passports, and utility bills, which were then manually reviewed. This process took an average of 3 business days, consuming valuable staff time. The risk of manual errors leading to compliance issues was a constant concern.
• Account Linking and Verification: Requiring clients to manually provide account numbers, routing numbers, and login credentials for their various financial institutions (brokerage accounts, bank accounts, 401(k)s, etc.). This was a security risk and a major source of client frustration, with many clients hesitant to share sensitive information. Manually aggregating this data for analysis consumed another 4-5 business days.
• Inefficient Data Entry: Entering all collected data into their CRM and financial planning software, a time-consuming and error-prone process. This added an additional 2-3 days to the onboarding timeline.

Dr. Santos estimated that the entire onboarding process took an average of 14-18 business days per client, consuming over 20 hours of staff time. This meant that advisors were spending less time on relationship building and financial planning, impacting the firm's ability to scale and grow. For example, a potential client with $2 million in investable assets decided to go with a competitor due to the perceived complexity of Santos Financial's initial onboarding. The loss of this client represented a potential $20,000 in annual revenue (assuming a 1% advisory fee). Moreover, the slow onboarding negatively impacted client satisfaction scores by an estimated 15%, leading to fewer referrals.

The firm realized that if they could streamline the onboarding process, they could not only improve efficiency and client experience but also unlock significant growth opportunities.

The Approach

Golden Door Asset worked closely with Santos Financial Research Group to develop a tailored solution that addressed their specific onboarding challenges. The approach involved:

1. Process Audit and Optimization: Conducting a thorough review of the existing onboarding process to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement. This involved shadowing advisors, analyzing data entry logs, and interviewing clients to understand their pain points.
2. Automated KYC with Persona: Implementing Persona, a leading identity verification platform, to automate the KYC and AML compliance process. Persona allowed clients to securely submit their identity documents online, which were then automatically verified against various databases and watchlists. This eliminated the need for manual review and reduced the risk of errors.
3. Secure Account Linking with Plaid: Integrating Plaid, a secure data aggregation platform, to enable clients to easily link their financial accounts to Santos Financial's platform. Plaid allowed clients to grant read-only access to their account information, eliminating the need to manually provide account numbers and login credentials. This significantly improved security and client convenience.
4. CRM Integration: Seamlessly integrating Persona and Plaid with Santos Financial's existing CRM system (Salesforce) to automatically populate client profiles with verified identity and account information. This eliminated the need for manual data entry and ensured data accuracy.
5. Customized Onboarding Workflow: Designing a customized onboarding workflow within the CRM to guide clients through the process step-by-step, providing clear instructions and progress updates. This improved client communication and reduced the need for follow-up calls and emails.

The strategic thinking revolved around balancing the need for robust security and compliance with the desire for a seamless and efficient client experience. By automating key steps in the onboarding process, Santos Financial Research Group could free up advisors to focus on what they do best: building relationships and providing personalized financial advice.

Technical Implementation

The technical implementation involved the following steps:

1. Plaid Integration: Utilized Plaid's API to establish secure connections with over 11,000 financial institutions. Employed Plaid Link, a customizable UI component, to provide a user-friendly account linking experience for clients. Implemented Plaid's Identity and Auth products to verify account ownership and prevent fraud. Calculated the potential return on assets based on data pulled through Plaid. Used OAuth 2.0 for secure authorization and data transmission.
2. Persona Integration: Integrated Persona's identity verification API to automate KYC and AML checks. Configured Persona's workflows to collect and verify identity documents, such as driver's licenses and passports. Leveraged Persona's watchlist screening capabilities to identify high-risk clients. Implemented a risk-based approach to KYC, tailoring the verification process to the client's risk profile.
3. Salesforce Integration: Developed custom Apex classes and triggers to integrate Plaid and Persona data with Salesforce. Created a custom onboarding object in Salesforce to track the progress of each client through the onboarding workflow. Used Salesforce Process Builder to automate tasks, such as sending welcome emails and scheduling introductory calls. Implemented data validation rules to ensure data accuracy and consistency.
4. Data Security and Compliance: Implemented robust security measures to protect client data, including encryption in transit and at rest. Complied with all relevant regulations, including GDPR and CCPA. Conducted regular security audits and penetration tests to identify and address vulnerabilities. Provided clients with clear and transparent privacy policies. Ensured all data transfers complied with the highest industry standards, including SOC 2.

Results & ROI

The implementation of the automated KYC and account linking system yielded significant results for Santos Financial Research Group:

• Reduced Onboarding Time by 40%: The average onboarding time for new clients decreased from 14-18 business days to 8-11 business days. This freed up advisors to spend more time on relationship building and financial planning. This resulted in an estimated 20 additional hours per month per advisor being available for revenue generating activities.
• Improved Client Satisfaction: Client satisfaction scores increased by 25% as clients appreciated the ease and convenience of the new onboarding process. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) increased from 40 to 65.
• Increased Advisor Productivity: Advisors were able to onboard 30% more clients per month, resulting in increased revenue and profitability. Each advisor was able to take on an average of 1.5 additional clients per month.
• Reduced Compliance Risk: The automated KYC process significantly reduced the risk of compliance errors and fines. The cost of potential compliance breaches was reduced by an estimated $5,000 per year.
• Cost Savings: Reduced administrative costs associated with manual data collection and verification by approximately $10,000 per year.
• Faster Time to Revenue: The accelerated onboarding process enabled the firm to generate revenue from new clients more quickly. Assuming an average account size of $500,000 and an advisory fee of 1%, the firm was able to generate an additional $2,500 in revenue per client due to the faster onboarding.

Dr. Santos noted that the improved efficiency and client experience had a direct impact on the firm's ability to attract and retain clients. The streamlined onboarding process became a key differentiator, helping Santos Financial Research Group stand out from the competition.

Key Takeaways

1. Automation is Key: Automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as KYC and account linking, can significantly improve efficiency and reduce costs.
2. Prioritize Client Experience: A seamless and convenient onboarding process is crucial for attracting and retaining clients.
3. Integration is Essential: Integrating different systems, such as KYC platforms, account linking platforms, and CRMs, is essential for streamlining workflows and improving data accuracy.
4. Security is Paramount: When handling sensitive client data, security should be a top priority. Implement robust security measures and comply with all relevant regulations.
5. Measure and Track Results: Track key metrics, such as onboarding time, client satisfaction, and advisor productivity, to measure the impact of your onboarding process and identify areas for improvement.

About Golden Door Asset

Golden Door Asset builds AI-powered intelligence tools for RIAs. Our platform helps advisors automate compliance tasks and optimize their workflows. Visit our tools to see how we can help your practice.