IT for Financial Advisors & Insurance Agencies

Clients hand you their financial lives. The systems have to earn that.

Financial advisors, wealth managers, bookkeepers, tax preparers, and insurance agencies work with the most sensitive information a client has, often across email, portals, custodian and carrier platforms, and a few spreadsheets that should not exist. Regulators and clients increasingly expect a written plan for protecting that data and evidence that it is followed. WOLFTRAXX SYSTEMS can help an office put practical safeguards in place, document them, and keep the day-to-day technology dependable.

What a financial or insurance office usually needs to sort out

• Written information security plan. A plain-language plan that says what is protected, how, and by whom, kept current as the office changes.
• Sign-in and email protection. Multi-factor sign-in everywhere it is available, email filtering, and a habit of verifying payment or account-change requests by a second channel.
• Client document exchange. A secure portal or encrypted method for statements, applications, and tax documents, instead of plain email attachments.
• Devices and remote access. Encrypted laptops, managed updates, lost-device protection, and secure access for advisors who work from home or on the road.
• Vendor platforms. Custodian, carrier, CRM, and planning platforms each have their own sign-in and security settings; keep them documented and reviewed.
• Backup and recovery. Know what is backed up, where, and how quickly work could resume after a failure.
• Phones and recording. Business phones with the call handling and any recording or retention the office needs; see VoIP Phone Services.

Security responsibilities

Financial institutions as defined by the FTC Safeguards Rule, which can include advisors, tax preparers, and certain insurance businesses, are typically required to maintain a written information security program with elements such as risk assessment, access controls, encryption, multi-factor authentication, monitoring, and staff training. Investment advisers and insurance agencies may also have state or federal regulator expectations. WOLFTRAXX SYSTEMS provides technology support and planning; it does not provide legal advice or compliance certification, and it does not state that any office or setup meets a particular requirement. Which rules apply to a particular practice depends on its work, and the practice’s own advisor or counsel is the right source for that. Planning can help document what is in place so those conversations are easier. See Compliance Readiness for a plain-language overview of the rules small businesses ask about most.

Software you may already use

Platforms commonly seen in these offices include Redtail, Wealthbox, eMoney, Applied Epic, HawkSoft, EZLynx, Lacerte, ProSeries, Drake, and QuickBooks. WOLFTRAXX SYSTEMS supports the computers, network, accounts, and devices those platforms run on; platform-specific work is confirmed as agreed scope, and the vendor remains the source for its own product.

Questions worth asking

• Does the office have a written security plan, and when was it last reviewed?
• How would staff verify a client’s emailed request to move money or change an address?
• Which platforms hold client data, and who has access to each?
• Is every laptop encrypted, and can a lost one be wiped?
• Has a restore from backup ever been tested?

How WOLFTRAXX SYSTEMS can help

WOLFTRAXX SYSTEMS can discuss support for workstations and accounts, Microsoft 365 security settings, network planning, backup and recovery readiness, phones, printing and scanning, and the vendor platforms your office runs on. Start a conversation about your office. Support scope, responsibilities, and any pricing are confirmed in writing.

Other industries

Do not see your type of organization? Describe the systems you depend on and we can talk through what a sensible scope looks like. Scope, responsibilities, and any pricing are confirmed in writing.