The “White-Glove” Experience of a High-Net-Worth Client Starts at Onboarding for Plumb Family CFO

The onboarding of a high-net-worth client sets the tone of the entire relationship according to Plumb Family CFO, which provides family bill pay, consolidated personal reporting and cash flow management services exclusively to the high-net-worth.  As you can image, there is a lot of financial data and vendor information to collect upfront in order to provide these services, so Plumb Family CFO has developed a system to make the onboarding process easier.  It’s simple; it starts with a conversation and customized approach.  White-Glove: marked by special care of attention: meticulous | white-glove service.

“By taking the time to schedule a meeting and get on the phone with a new client or their designated assistant, it makes a huge difference,” said Robert Scherer, President of Plumb. “By walking them through the details and getting answers over the phone, it’s much more efficient than just sending over stacks of paperwork in hopes that it eventually gets filled out correctly,” he said.

Plumb Family CFO has been working with high-net-worth clients for many years, ranging from busy entrepreneurs and investors to even busier affluent families.  They decide to utilize the services of Plumb to make their financial life easier, so onboarding should be as painless as possible. The process for a client to be formally onboarded can happen quicker with the help of a personal assistant or their single family office team. To help answer questions upfront, here is a list of FAQ.

Before starting a new relationship with a prospective high-net-worth client, Plumb sets the expectations of the onboarding lifecycle upfront.  After the initial information is gathered, it is immediately entered into a task-specific software system, complete with a financial calendar of due dates. Within 30 – 60 days, the family bill pay service is fully automated and operates on an ongoing basis.

High-Net-Worth Client Onboarding Process for Plumb Bill Pay:

Plumb has a Client Relationship Manager that leads the efforts for a new client onboarding. With a sense of ownership over a new account, the tasks get taken care of by one dedicated team member. During the duration of the setup phase, Plumb provides weekly status updates with the client or family office team in regards of the progress and items needed to finalize the transition. By having a conversation with the prospective high-net-worth client, Plumb can identify their reporting and transactional needs.

Step 1: Request for information – Gather client details

• New client questionnaire
• Client general information
• Personal vendor list
• Bill pay checklist

Step 2: Determine invoice approval process

• Setup for invoices to be received via email or Plumb-specific PO box
• Frequency of bill pay
• Set thresholds and parameters for recurring bills
• Limits for signing authority

Step 3: Create reporting requirements

• Minimum weekly cash flow reports
• Monthly reporting requirements
• View sample of Schedule by Bill Date report

Step 4: Plumb to prepare new client schedules – Setup system map into internal task management software

• Calendar of financial due dates
• Client insurance schedule
• List of assets (properties, funds, etc.) that require bill payment/capital calls
• List of loans that require bill payment

Step 5: Plumb to prepare electronic filing procedure

• Create remote access or read-only access to documents on accounting software
• Ability to produce customized reports to download

Sample of Onboarding Reports for Bill Pay Services

Bill Pay Process

Once the onboarding phase is complete, Plumb will engage in the following tasks on a weekly/monthly basis:

• Bill payment
• Vendor management
• Bank and credit card reconciliations
• Track all bills / due dates in proprietary task management software
• Monthly cash flow reporting
• Ad hoc reporting (i.e. GL detail reports)
• Customized reporting for trusted advisors  – Read: Top Ways that Plumb Works with Trusted Advisors
• 1099/1096 filings
• Year end reconciliations and general ledger review
• Supply supporting documents for taxable deductions to the CPA

Confidently manage your monthly expenses with personal bill pay service from Plumb

Related Posts:

• Top Signs that you Should Hire a Personal Bill Payer
• Family Bill Pay Services: Organize your Financial Life
• Why Use a Personal Bill Pay Service Firm

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