News from the Home Team

Less Cardio, More Compound Lifts: Working Smarter with Our Tools

We were very happy to see many of you in person at our annual conference last week! Our half-day event, piggybacking on Ignite, was a great re-entry point. We're excited to return to our traditional, day-and-a-half-conference next year, as well as looking forward to hosting in-person workshops on succession planning and financial planning in the near future. Much of this article is somewhat redundant of last month, but given the importance, as well as recent questions and interest on these topics we are hitting on them again.

While the past two years were largely focused on the conversion, this year is about “flexing” as my kids now say.  This year is focused on learning how to best leverage the tools and resources available to help us grow revenue and work smarter. We've been digging in and learning how to harness these tools so we can deliver them to you in usable, bite-sized pieces.

We began the year by updating the Cantella story and redefining our place in the world—both within Cambridge and externally. We are still the same firm with the same goals, but now we have more muscle behind us.  We are here to support you - to help you grow and run your business efficiently.

We made 3 promises to you in connection with our move to Cambridge and we intend on delivering on those promises:

Top-Tier Service and Support

The size of Cambridge is a double-edged sword—a large firm has vast resources, but, by nature, it cannot be as nimble and responsive as Cantella, a mid-sized firm, once was. That's why our team is here; our job is to help you navigate and harness this system for peak efficiency. We want to be proactive, not reactive, in these efforts. To that end, we've reestablished some of our former formal lines of communication. The goal is proactive education and regular communication to identify pattern issues, note your wish list items and to ensure we're working smart.

Keep your eye out for:

• Webinars and roundtables
• Monthly advisor newsletters
• Memos with tips and educational content
• In-person Lunch and Learns/Workshops
• Annual conference

An Even Better Technology Experience

It's no secret that CLIC needs some major work and the Wove platform has some bugs to work out. However, these are just two tools in the available tech stack, and no system is perfect. We're immersing ourselves in this technology and learning the best ways to integrate these tools to achieve peak efficiency. We're also communicating the issues we see, as well as wish list items, directly to Cambridge. Please continue to share your feedback with us.

Given the interest in the Technology Session at our conference, we are holding a technology roundtable in late September to continue to share information and get more specific feedback on CIRStatements, CLIC Advisor, CLIC Dashboard, and CLIC.

Leveraging Resources to Grow Your Business

In addition to the areas mentioned above, the following are some other major areas of focus this year. We feel these have the broadest and biggest impact for you. We've been discussing these during various calls and meetings, as well as with many of you individually, and will continue to do so. If you have any questions on these areas, please reach out to us.

• Marketing and Recruiting: We've developed new marketing materials to help with both client-facing and recruiting efforts, including:
  • A redesigned Cantella.com to help you attract new advisors, including a page to post opportunities within your branch.
  • A high-quality, yet inexpensive, Template Advisor website that you can brand and has a fast turnaround time—available in late September.
  • A New Client Onboarding Guide to streamline your processes and create a professional look.
  • Customizable client-facing templates to create strong, regular, and efficient client communication. These include a client newsletter, a Client Factfinder Profile Form, seven client letter templates (new client welcome, account opening guidance, meeting scheduling and follow-up, financial planning engagement and more).
  • Client Guide to Accessing Your Online Account.
  • Client Guide to Understanding the Teams that Support You and Your Financial Advisor - coming soon.
• Dedicated recruiting resources, including a dedicated recruiter, new marketing materials, and recruiting campaigns to help you attract new advisors.
• Succession Planning
• Financial Planning
• Cantella’s Team Directed Managed Accounts
• Cambridge's Client Solutions Team

We are excited about what the future holds and look forward to growing together. As always, thank you for your continued partnership and for being a part of the Cantella family. Please be sure to reach out to us to delve into any of these items.

Jennie

Tech Tips 

National Financial Services Alerts: Real-Time Clearing Firm Updates

In our ongoing commitment to keep you informed and efficient, we are excited to share the latest enhancements to the National Financial Services alert system. These real-time alerts will ensure you receive critical updates directly to your inbox, streamlining your workflow and reducing the need for manual follow-ups.

Alert categories include status changes for cashiering, new account setup and maintenance, transfers of assets, corporate actions, DVP/RVP action. The alert emails from NFS provide a link directly to the Alert Manager notification in Wealthscape, getting you the account and information you need, when you need it, giving you back more time to focus on serving your clients.

Alert Subscription Steps:

1. Click the Menu button in the navigation bar in the upper right
2. Scroll down to Intelligence, Reports & Alerts and click on Alert Manager NEW

3. Verify your delivery preferences include your business email address by clicking Edit Delivery Options. Make any necessary changes and Save.

4. Click on Subscriptions >> All Subscriptions

5. Locate your desired Alert category to filter for specific alerts, or click on Subscriptions to see all available alerts.

6. After finding your desired alerts, select the checkbox next to the item and click the Subscribe button.

7. You may specify alert criteria by: account number, branch prefix or RR code to fine tune your results.
   1. If you want alerts set for all accounts in your book, click Save without adding in criteria.
   2. In the highlighted Send To: section, click the checkbox next to all applicable emails you wish alerts to be sent to.

8. Add the Fidelity Alerts email address to your safe sender list to avoid emails getting caught in the spam filter - FCCS.Alerts@fmr.com

Contact Cambridge Brokerage Tech for navigation support and the Cantella team for alert recommendations.

The Portfolio Point

Save Time, Enhance Client Conversations: Introducing Fidelity's Portfolio Quick Check^®

For those of you clearing with Fidelity, we wanted to make sure you're aware of a powerful, free tool that's been available for a while, in case you want to check it out. We know some of you are already using it, but for those who aren't, you may want to check it out.

What is Portfolio Quick Check^®?

Portfolio Quick Check^® is a cutting-edge portfolio analysis tool that provides deep, actionable insights with just a few clicks. It's designed to move beyond basic data, offering a comprehensive and customizable report that combines detailed analytics with valuable feedback from Fidelity's thought leaders.

How it Helps Your Practice:

• Saves Time and Increases Efficiency: Instead of manual analysis, quickly upload a client's portfolio to get an instant, multi-level analysis. This allows you to spend less time on data and more time on client relationships.
• Drives More Meaningful Client Conversations: The customizable, visually-engaging reports make it easier to explain complex investment concepts. You can use the report to showcase your value, justify recommendations, and build client confidence.
• Provides Actionable Insights: The tool goes beyond a simple breakdown, identifying potential gaps, risks, and opportunities within a portfolio. It evaluates everything from asset allocation and equity exposure to fixed income characteristics and historical performance in various market conditions.
• Empowers Informed Decisions: By allowing you to compare a client's portfolio to various benchmarks, the tool helps you identify areas for optimization and make more strategic recommendations aligned with their unique goals.

Ultimately, Portfolio Quick Check^® is designed to help you streamline your workflow, make more informed investment decisions, and provide a higher level of service to your clients. We encourage you to explore this powerful tool and see how it can benefit your practice.

For more info, click here: Fidelity Institutional Portfolio Quick Check

Compliance Corner

Secure Your Legacy: Succession & Continuity Planning Made Simple

As an independent financial professional, you've spent years building a business grounded in relationships, service, and trust. But have you taken the steps to protect it for the long term? At Cantella, we're here to help you take control of your business’s future, whether you’re thinking five years ahead or just starting to explore your options.

Succession vs. Continuity — Know the Difference

• Succession Planning is a planned transition of your business to a known individual or team through a structured transaction on a specific timeline.
• Continuity Planning covers unexpected events such as death or disability to ensure client service continues uninterrupted.

Both are essential to safeguard the value of your business and your client relationships.

Start Now — Even If You're Years Away

Too many advisors wait until retirement is around the corner. In reality, the best outcomes come from planning early, building relationships, and gradually transitioning responsibilities.

That’s why we’re:

• Recruiting junior advisors who are eager to learn and grow
• Helping senior advisors find like-minded partners
• Supporting continuity and succession matches within the Cantella community

Whether you want to mentor, scale, or simply protect what you’ve built now is the time to start.

Need a Continuity/Emergency Agreement?

If you don’t currently have a continuity agreement in place, we can help.

Let us know, and we’ll send you a template agreement giving you and your clients peace of mind in the event of the unexpected. You can always update this later if you find a successor or formalize your succession plan.

Looking for a Successor or a Partner?

If you're ready to:

• Set up a true succession plan
• Partner with another Cantella advisor
• Recruit a junior advisor to join your practice
• Purchase a book of business

…we’re here to support the process and help you find the right fit.

Let’s Talk

Your legacy matters. Let’s work together to make sure it’s protected — and positioned for long-term success.

Reach out today to get started.

Opportunity of the Month

Why Advising Clients to Review Beneficiary Designations is Crucial

As a financial professional, one of the simplest yet most impactful pieces of guidance you can provide your clients is the importance of regularly reviewing and updating beneficiary designations. While often overlooked, keeping these designations current is a fundamental step in comprehensive financial and estate planning, ensuring that your clients’ assets transfer smoothly and according to their wishes.

Life Changes Require Beneficiary Updates

Clients often experience significant life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of children, or the loss of a loved one. These events frequently shift their estate planning priorities. It’s vital to remind clients that failing to update beneficiaries after these milestones can lead to assets being distributed to unintended individuals, causing distress and potential legal complications.

Beneficiary Designations Take Precedence Over Wills

Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and other non-probate assets take legal precedence over the provisions outlined in a will. As contractually governed instruments, these designations determine the distribution of assets directly and are not subject to the probate process or the terms of the decedent’s will.

The Importance of Tax Planning

The tax consequences associated with beneficiary designations represent a critical consideration in effective estate and financial planning. Spousal beneficiaries generally qualify for preferential tax treatment—such as the ability to execute spousal rollovers—while non-spouse beneficiaries are often subject to mandatory distribution timelines under the SECURE Act, potentially resulting in compressed tax brackets and increased liabilities. Proactively guiding clients to review and coordinate beneficiary designations in consultation with qualified tax professionals can enhance tax efficiency and support long-term wealth preservation strategies.

Utilizing a revocable living trust can be an effective strategy to avoid probate by allowing assets titled in the name of the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries upon death, thereby reducing court involvement, administrative delays, and associated costs. However, when it comes to qualified retirement accounts such as IRAs, naming a trust as the beneficiary requires careful consideration. While in some complex estate planning situations this may be appropriate, it can trigger unintended tax consequences, including the loss of certain stretch provisions for beneficiaries and accelerated distribution requirements under the SECURE Act. In most cases, naming individual beneficiaries directly allows for more favorable tax treatment and simpler post-death administration.

A Proactive Approach for Peace of Mind

While each client’s circumstances are unique, establishing a routine to review beneficiary designations—especially after major life events or at least annually—can provide substantial benefits. This simple yet proactive step offers clients peace of mind, knowing their estate plan is aligned with their intentions and reduces potential challenges for their loved ones.

Cantella’s Expertise at Your Fingertips

Cantella’s Expertise at Your Fingertips

Your clients see the results of your work, but often the smoothest experiences happen because you’ve tapped into the resources behind the scenes. Our home office service team is here to make your job easier, save you time, and help you deliver an even better client experience.

These are some of the more common areas we see our financial advisors sinking time into.

1. Complex Account Setups
   Opening accounts can get complicated fast—especially when transferring from other institutions. We can walk you through the process step-by-step, confirm you have the correct paperwork, and flag potential compliance requirements before they cause delays. We enjoy the thrill of “first submission, only submission” almost as much as you do.
2. Escalations & Exceptions
   Sometimes a client request doesn’t fit neatly into the standard process—an urgent disbursement, a stalled transfer, or a unique account adjustment. We know the right channels to move these items forward quickly. Whether it’s looping in senior operations staff, or requesting an exception, let us be your front line.
3. Product or Platform Navigation
   Sometimes a client themself may not fit neatly into your standard process. Chances are that we have a product or platform that can satisfy their unique needs. We can help you quickly determine platform eligibility, outline the timelines and steps needed for setup, and point you toward the right forms and disclosures.

The more you use us, the more time you free up to focus on what matters most—your clients.

Save the Date

Roundtable Discussion with Cantella, the Cambridge Support Team and Your Peers

Looking for a brief introduction and overview of the resources available in CRC, Cir2.com, and the CLIC Dashboard?  

Introduction to Cambridge Resource Center (CRC)

Date: TUESDAYS (every week)

Time: 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. CDT

Registration:  https://cir2.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2YCmd0DuQhCcZpaHphmqnw#/registration

Introduction to Cir2.com

Date: THURSDAYS (every week)

Time: 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. CDT

Registration: https://cir2.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tYch9F5lS6uAOrSbfVPSOQ#/registration

Introduction to CLIC Dashboard

Date: TUESDAYS (every 2 weeks)

Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CDTRegistration:

https://cir2.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n2frisESS3qxZoBPV2mfFA#/registration

Cambridge Market Commentary

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