Headquarters
Los Altos, California
Founders
Jon Porter
Eric Patterson
Eric Patterson
Established
2011
Assets under advisement
$1.8B
Tech partner integration
eMoney Advisor®
Custodians
TD Ameritrade
Charles Schwab
PENSCO
Forge Trust
Charles Schwab
PENSCO
Forge Trust
Clients served
398
Team Members
12
Challenge
Delivering a simple, flexible platform for tech-savvy investors
Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Three Bell has demonstrated experience providing comprehensive financial advice to technology entrepreneurs and executives. “These investors experience a zero-to-sixty moment when suddenly they reach a place where they have to plan for their financial future very differently than they did the day before,” says Porter. The team at Three Bell aspires to provide clients with clean, user-friendly, comprehensive reporting that meets the client where they are and grows with them.
“Our mission is to take all the personal finance variables out of the equation for entrepreneurs so they can focus on getting their game-changing products and services to market even faster,” said Porter. To do that, the advisors at Three Bell need to feel confident in their technology suite so they can focus on cultivating meaningful relationships with their clients.
Jon Porter"It’s not just that we want things to look and feel a certain way, it’s that it actually helps clients better understand and evaluate their investments, and ultimately make better decisions."
When considering the client experience and delivering comprehensive reporting, including alternatives, Three Bell faced the challenge of finding a technology partner that could deliver customizable solutions that cater to tech-savvy and ambitious investors who are accustomed to instant access to information. It was critical for them to find a partner who is equally committed to delivering a high-touch, personalized experience.
Solution
Using customization to offer a modern digital experience
“Addepar is at the core of almost everything we do with our clients,” said Porter. “We can organize the information and serve it up in a way that makes the most sense.”
Today’s modern investors are savvy, tech-oriented, conscious about security, and accustomed to accessing information from the tips of their fingers. With this in mind, Three Bell is keen to ensure it is always investing in tools that keep it ahead of the curve.
Jon Porter"Addepar is at the core of almost everything we do with our clients."
In the past year, the firm reevaluated Addepar’s offerings against other financial technology providers. “We put together an extensive matrix detailing and comparing the features and benefits of almost every performance reporting platform on the market,” said Porter. That included price, user interface, data reporting capabilities, and many other variables. “The thing that was most important was the ability to aggregate and display the data the way that we wanted,” he added.
Regardless of the size of the client, advisors want to present information in a way that
best represents their deep understanding of client goals and priorities, as well as the performance of the underlying portfolio itself. In Three Bell’s review, they determined that other platforms have substantial limitations with customized client reporting and portal capabilities. With Addepar, Three Bell can instantly customize which asset categories are presented, what metrics are used to measure the performance of those assets, and even adjust the colors and graphics that together create a report’s visual feel. These visualizations dramatically improve clients’ understanding and assimilation of information. “Addepar is light years ahead in every category as it relates to customization,” said Porter. “The data is thoughtfully displayed, allowing us to have more productive conversations with clients.”
Jon Porter"Addepar is light years ahead in every category as it relates to customization."
Results
Leave performance to the pros so clients can focus on larger goals
“It’s not just that we want things to look and feel a certain way,” Porter said, “it’s that it actually helps clients better understand and evaluate their investments, and ultimately make better decisions.” Putting performance data within a reporting framework that emphasizes each client’s progress against their larger goals can help clients focus on the metrics that are most impactful.
Jon Porter"The Portal view allows us to transcend traditional performance conversations with clients, enabling us to elevate our relationships."
Three Bell’s clients routinely log in to the Addepar-powered portal to review their portfolios. “The Portal view allows us to transcend traditional performance conversations with clients, enabling us to elevate our relationships, and move away from things like static quarterly reporting in favor of 24/7 live updated performance,” says Porter. Four
out of five clients responded in a survey conducted by Three Bell that they’re satisfied with the data available through the portal and how that data is presented. Some requested specific changes, like the ability to see separate performance data on managed and non- managed accounts, and thanks to the customization Addepar offers, Three Bell was able to adapt the technology to give those customers what they wanted.
With Addepar’s wide-ranging customization capabilities, coupled with its clean and modern reporting aesthetic (“Apple-like”, says Porter), the Three Bell Capital team is able to spend more time engaging in meaningful conversations with its clients. “We understand that software is going to help us represent our clients better,” said Porter. “The more adept we are at utilizing the software, the better our service and performance will be – and the better the client experience will be.”