Key features include what Wolfsen called “intuitive and transparent” visualization capabilities that help distill complex estate planning information into easier-to-understand formats, including both estate planning flowcharts and a comprehensive table view. This approach, Wolfsen said, allows advisors and investors to clearly see who inherits which assets — and when — without the need to navigate confusing legal documents.
Also key is the advisor-driven workflow, Wolfsen said, which has been added to the platform in order to allow advisors to collect relevant estate planning data within their existing platform processes. The tool also facilitates estate planning “what ifs,” including the capability to model and compare hypothetical scenarios.
In the firm’s announcement, Orion’s financial planning product director Brian Morgan pointed out that this launch represents the most significant enhancement to the platform since the acquisition of Advizr in 2019.
PulseCheck Tool Focuses on Behavioral Insights
Another big announcement from the firm, Wolfsen said, is the launch of PulseCheck, which she billed as a sophisticated behavioral finance tool developed under the guidance of Orion’s chief behavioral officer, Daniel Crosby, and his team.
As Wolfsen explained it, PulseCheck is a tool that helps advisors consider investors’ personal well-being and fulfillment as part of the financial planning process. She said it “embodies Orion’s commitment to empowering advisors” and align clients’ personal planning goals with investment strategies.
As a workflow within Orion Planning, PulseCheck guides users through a reflective and actionable journey, Wolfsen said. The process starts with the identification and prioritization of six wellness categories that represent the pillars of a fulfilling life. These are happiness, engagement, advancement, relationships, truth and strength.
“This may sound very ‘California’ to some people, but I’m OK with that, because I’m from California,” Wolfsen joked. “The tool facilitates an individualized and introspective planning experience. Investors rank these categories and gauge their current level of satisfaction in each. The advisor can then focus on the category with the largest gap between importance and fulfillment.”
According to Wolfsen, this data-driven insight enables the setting of meaningful goals — be they financial or personal — which are then incorporated into a comprehensive financial plan.
Pictured: Natalie Wolfsen
