Sora releases new paper on liability management shows financial advisors how to optimize client wealth
Sora Finance, an easy-to-use decision-support software that helps wealth managers and financial advisors visualize, analyze, and act to optimize the liabilities side of their clients’ balance sheets, today announced a new white paper that shows advisors how liability management provides significant benefits when added to a professional suite of comprehensive wealth management and financial advisory services. According to the paper, today’s clients need and expect financial advisors to look beyond the assets side of their balance sheet to help them optimize their liabilities. Historically, advisors have been hindered by a lack of access to timely and reliable liability data for their clients.
Written by John O’Connell, Founder of The Oasis Group, a leading provider of hands-on consulting and advisory services for wealth management and financial technology firms, and Joel Bruckenstein, president of Technology Tools for Today (T3), the industry’s leading conference on technology as it directly relates to practice management and building a profitable business, the new paper – “Unlocking Growth Opportunities: The Case for Liability Management in High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth Client Portfolios” – is hot off the press and available now.
“Liability optimization is the practice of making sure that your client’s liabilities are always deployed in the most efficient and effective way,” said Bruckenstein, who is also a CFP® and formerly practiced as a financial advisor. “It is not about helping to get people out of debt. Virtually all wealthy people have debt. It’s one of the ways they structure their finances.”
“THE WHY” BEHIND LIABILITY MANAGEMENT
The new paper, being released today, explores the “why” behind liability management, while also taking a more detailed look at essential elements of the practice which ensures current debt is always optimized and new debt is taken out on the most favorable terms to the client. Other core elements include the complexities of accessing and managing liability data, debt assessments, use of SBLs (securities-based-lending) and SBLOCs (securities-based-lines-of-credit), as well as how wealth management firms can leverage liability management to drive growth.
“High net worth individuals expect their wealth management team to offer liability management capabilities,’ said O’Connell. “This is particularly important for entrepreneurial clients who understand the value of liabilities on their balance sheet. Wealth managers have a huge opportunity to grow their HNW client base by engaging in liability management conversations.”
“Almost 100% of my HNW and UHNW clients have debt. They use debt to optimally structure their financial lives. It’s a core component of how they grow their net worth over time,” said Tushar Kumar of Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors, a wealth management firm based in California that specializes in serving clients working in the tech sector. “The Sora platform gives us great information and strong lending options, fueling meaningful conversations as we work to ensure that the client’s liability situation is always optimized for their unique situation and goals.”
Financial services for HNW clients typically include investment management and tax advice as well as help with trusts and estates and access to hedge funds and private equity firms. Liability management – a practice that looks at what clients currently owe (mortgages, college loans, credit cards, business and auto loans, for example) – has not, however, been as widely adopted by advisors.
“Liability planning is an essential tool in wealth management, especially for high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients,” said Chip Roame, Founder and Managing Partner of Tiburon Strategic Advisors and the Tiburon CEO Summits. “The innovative approaches taken by startups like Sora are leading the way in transforming how financial advisors approach liabilities. Its cutting-edge technology and insightful strategies are empowering financial advisors to offer more comprehensive and effective financial solutions.”
TECHNOLOGY CHANGES THE GAME
“Innovative tech that drives better client conversations is table stakes,” added fintech veteran Bruckenstein. “Clients expect their advisors to have the best tech stack available, including technology that helps them assess and strategically manage their liabilities.”
“Advancements in technology, like Sora’s platform, enable independent financial advisors and registered investment advisors (RIAs) to compete with the big Wall Street brokerage firms and wirehouses more effectively by providing RIAs and supporting financial services firms such as national wealth management firms and independent broker/dealer groups with superior data, analytics, recommendations, and robust lending options,” noted Rohit Agarwal, Co-CEO of Sora.
“Managing liabilities effectively is an essential part of a good financial plan. Debt must be managed carefully and responsibly. Knowing the interest rate you’re paying, the terms, and the duration of any loans is required to properly manage the liabilities side of one’s balance sheet,” said Siddhartha Oza, Co-CEO of Sora.
Bruckenstein, O’Connell, Agarwal, and Oza will all be present at the upcoming T3 Conference, being held January 22-25, 2024 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas.
