Final Ops Newsletter June 16
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>June</strong> 20<strong>16</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Inside This Issue:<br />
What’s new in Desktop Integration<br />
Did You Know?<br />
Registration Changes<br />
Money Market Reform<br />
American Funds Fees<br />
New Branch Openings<br />
Trust Certifications<br />
eQuest Improvements<br />
T+1 Update<br />
Address Changes and Households<br />
New Stifel EMV Chip Cards<br />
Mutual Fund 529 Updates<br />
Have You Met?<br />
Advisory Account Info<br />
Traveling this summer?<br />
Don’t forget to let<br />
Money Funds know so<br />
they can code<br />
your account!<br />
A Message from Miranda Miller…<br />
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” (Helen<br />
Keller) is one of my favorite quotes. Through my last 18 years at<br />
Stifel, this quote has proven time and time again to be true. As<br />
Stifel continues to grow, teamwork is one of the most important<br />
secrets to the sauce that makes us the “Firm of<br />
Choice”. Continuously working to improve the platforms our<br />
branch personnel and clients utilize is one of our top priorities, but<br />
we realize this is not something that one can do alone. It takes<br />
the coordination, communication, and teamwork of many to<br />
accomplish. When working towards an enhancement, we focus<br />
on communicating closely with branch personnel to review, pilot,<br />
and provide important feedback. We also talk to many different<br />
advisors, support personnel, friends, and clients that have diverse<br />
backgrounds to stay competitive and knowledgeable. This best<br />
practice has allowed Stifel to deliver great platforms and<br />
enhancements. As you scan through the <strong>Ops</strong> newsletter, look for<br />
some helpful guides on how to utilize our current platforms as well<br />
as announcements of new features coming your way soon.<br />
Miranda Miller<br />
Director<br />
Stifel Desktop Integration<br />
and Entitlements &<br />
Access Control<br />
Operations <strong>Newsletter</strong> – Issue 9
Hot on the heels of the new Thomson One Advisor Workstation rollout which was recently<br />
completed, Desktop Integration has already begun to rollout the next new version of Thomson<br />
One. No need to be concerned. The changes are not as significant as the previous upgrade.<br />
This upgrade’s new features include a heat map “Winners/Losers” button which will organize your<br />
flex monitor into the 10 highest winners and losers so that you can very quickly see your securities<br />
with the most significant change.<br />
Page 11<br />
Page 3<br />
In addition to this upgrade, there are minor usability improvements and additional compatibility<br />
which will allow the firm to upgrade to Internet Explorer 11. The upgrade is going very smoothly<br />
with over 1500 users upgraded and should be completed by mid-<strong>June</strong>.<br />
The Stifel Access team is also working on several new projects to enhance usability to Stifel clients.<br />
In addition to features such as group level holdings views, we are also working on projects to<br />
increase the number of accounts visible to clients and also the ability to “tag” multiple Client IDs<br />
on the same machine. We look forward to rolling these new features out over the next several<br />
months.<br />
You can find an associate’s email address from their first or last name? When you open a<br />
new email, just type the name into the ‘To…’ field. On your keyboard press (Ctrl and K at the<br />
same time) and the email addresses associated with that name will come up. If the first or last<br />
name is not unique, all names matching that criteria will be displayed to choose from.<br />
Volume 2, Issue 1 ● Operations <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />
Volume 1, Issue 4 ● Operations <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />
2
What does the term “Registration Change” mean in the advisory world? Advisory Operations uses the<br />
term when ownership has continued from one account to another, but the account number needed to<br />
change. A Registration Change, in our world, is offered for the sole purpose of continuing<br />
performance. Below are a few examples. These examples are for illustration purposes only and are not<br />
an exhaustive list of possible scenarios!<br />
· Single-name account moves to a single-name trust<br />
· IRA is re-characterized to a Roth IRA<br />
When it has been determined that a Registration Change can be processed, Advisory Account<br />
Processing will:<br />
· Look for the Registration Form: Portal > Operations > Advisory Operations > Forms > Changes and<br />
Maintenance > Registration Change Form OR by clicking:<br />
http://portal.stifel.com/Operations/advisoryoperations/Pages/Changes-and-Maintenance.aspx<br />
· Watch for ALL assets to move from the old account to the new account – Note that performance<br />
can only be continued if all assets move from the old account into the one new account<br />
· Verify that no changes have taken place, i.e., program change, manager change or portfolio<br />
change – the features must be identical from the old account to the new account<br />
· Apply the paperwork from the old account to the new account, assuming all of the same<br />
signatories are in place OR new paperwork is not needed<br />
. If new paperwork is needed (which may be the case, depending on the scenario), the FA and<br />
Branch Manager will need to approve, as the paperwork will come directly into Advisory Account<br />
Processing with the Registration Form, and be processed outside of eQuest<br />
· Continue performance – historical performance from the old account will be carried over to the<br />
new account<br />
· Terminate management in the old account, and set up the new account in the same program,<br />
notifying the third-party, if applicable<br />
· IMPORTANT: All of the above needs to be ready to go for the registration change to be processed,<br />
i.e., within 24 hours. If not ready, then regular processes will be followed – terminate old account,<br />
set up new account upon receipt of applicable forms/paperwork through eQuest, performance<br />
will not continue<br />
Here are a few examples of changes that would NOT qualify as a Registration Change:<br />
· Deceased IRA moving to the beneficiary IRA<br />
· Business account moving to a single-name account<br />
If a Registration Change cannot take place, Advisory Account Processing will:<br />
· Terminate the old advisory account immediately. If the client wishes the new account to become<br />
advisory, an eQuest work request will need to be processed. The new account’s performance will<br />
have a new performance start date.<br />
For questions, contact Advisory Account Processing at CSAccountProcessing@stifel.com, or by phone at<br />
extension 8456.<br />
3
In our last Operations <strong>Newsletter</strong>,<br />
we outlined the recent regulatory<br />
changes that could impact<br />
money market funds. If you<br />
missed it, please see page 11 of<br />
the March newsletter found here.<br />
We are working diligently to<br />
ensure our money market<br />
offerings are compliant with<br />
these regulations and to minimize<br />
the impact to you and your<br />
clients. Be on the lookout over<br />
the next few months for<br />
important announcements and<br />
client communications explaining<br />
these changes.<br />
Please call the Cash<br />
Management Products team at<br />
(314)342-7443 if you have any<br />
questions regarding money<br />
market reform, money market<br />
funds, or industry news.<br />
The last quarterly cycle will end in May payable in<br />
<strong>June</strong>. For FA’s still interested in receiving the<br />
American Funds Advisor Asset Statements they will<br />
be available on DST Vision by clicking the 12b-1<br />
Advisor Statement link on the Management<br />
Company Assets page. The statements provide<br />
on-going compensation details for eligible assets<br />
held directly with the American Funds.<br />
WELCOME TO STIFEL:<br />
Sioux Falls, SD – March 30 th<br />
Stockton, CA – May 12 th<br />
Jacksonville, FL – May 19 th<br />
Operations would like to give special recognition to two associates<br />
celebrating a milestone anniversary with Stifel.<br />
Please join us in congratulating<br />
Vicki Brinker, Managing Director of Operations, and<br />
Kim Ray, Director of Margins, Money Funds and Risk Management<br />
on their 40 th anniversary with Stifel Operations.<br />
4
Why is this document so<br />
important for Advisory<br />
Accounts?<br />
Advisory paperwork needs to be signed by the applicable authority, i.e., account owners, appointed<br />
corporate officer(s), ERISA plan representative(s) and trust Trustees. For Trusts, Advisory Account Processors will<br />
be looking for the Trust Certification (TRCT) on OnBase. This document shows not only who is authorized to sign<br />
for the Trust (and if the Trustees may or may not act alone), but also shows IF the Trust allows for third-party<br />
management. That is important! If the account is giving discretion to a third-party manager (either internal or<br />
external), the Trust Certification must indicate that the trust allows a third-party to act. The reason for rejection<br />
will be in the AUDIT field, stating that the Trust Certification indicated that third-party management is not<br />
allowed.<br />
Many of you have come to Stifel’s shores from other firms, and the accounts were “grandfathered” into<br />
advisory without Trust Certifications. Your former firm may have only required the Trust to be on file, but NOT a<br />
Trust Certification. However, Stifel Advisory Operations requires Trust Certifications to be on file! Going forward,<br />
if this “grandfathered” account now needs to go through a change, i.e., portfolio, manager or program<br />
change, the Trust Certification will need to be on file. If no Trust Certification is on file, the work request will be<br />
rejected. The reason for rejection will be in the AUDIT field, indicating that no Trust Certification is on file.<br />
Points to remember:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Advisory trust accounts should have a Trust Certification on file – DOCA code, TRCT<br />
The Trust Certification shows a summary of the powers of the trust, including the important issue of<br />
whether or not the Trust allows third-party management.<br />
The Trust Certification shows WHO is authorized to sign paperwork, and if the Trustees may or may not<br />
act alone.<br />
For those advisory trust accounts that do not have a Trust Certification on file, please obtain one to<br />
prevent the account from being rejected for advisory set-up!<br />
For questions, contact Advisory Account Processing by phone at 314-342-8456, or by e-mail at<br />
CSAccountProcessing@stifel.com.<br />
Watch for important email announcements coming this summer<br />
eQuest<br />
Enhanced Look and Feel, coming soon! (ETA July 20<strong>16</strong>)<br />
• Significant improvements are being made to the<br />
look, feel and responsiveness of the application.<br />
o<br />
o<br />
o<br />
Grid display and<br />
buttons have been<br />
redesigned<br />
Warnings, errors,<br />
messages will be<br />
easier to read.<br />
Audit, document, and<br />
workflow information<br />
is being repositioned<br />
to the top of the<br />
page.<br />
5
Mutual Funds have moved to a standard T+1 settlement. For almost 2 months over 250<br />
Mutual Fund companies’ transactions have been processed with an automatic T+1<br />
settlement and the results have been fantastic. The process of having to mark trades with T+1<br />
notes and Special Instructions has all but vanished.<br />
Page<br />
Unfortunately there are still a small number of Mutual Fund transactions which will require the<br />
override if T+1 is needed. These will include all transactions for First Investors and some<br />
Alliance Bernstein, Invesco, and Janus Funds. There are also a few Funds that will not allow T<br />
+1 and will always settle T+3. These include CGM and some of the Integrity Funds. See the<br />
Trading Exceptions List on Stifelnet at http://portal.stifel.com/Operations/MutualFund<strong>Ops</strong>/<br />
Pages/Funds-Family-Trade-Settlements.aspx for continued exceptions.<br />
6
7
Mutual Fund <strong>Ops</strong> 529 Plan Account Opening Reminders<br />
If Stifel is broker dealer on the 529 plan and a shell account is needed to network,<br />
please choose yes to “Does this Plan Exist at the Fund?”<br />
The yes choice also determines which required Stifel documents are generated<br />
through eQuest.<br />
Once the account is approved by the FA and Branch Manager and the client has<br />
signed where applicable, submit all paperwork including the original 529 plan<br />
application (or applicable fund paperwork) to the MF <strong>Ops</strong> 529 Team.<br />
Always choose “held away” for Account Type.<br />
Retain the original Stifel documents in the branch client file along with a copy of the<br />
529 Plan application and check (remember, the originals should be sent to 529 <strong>Ops</strong>).<br />
Step by Step eQuest Instructions can also be found on Stifel Portal at http://<br />
portal.stifel.com/Operations/MutualFund<strong>Ops</strong>/Pages/Step-by-Step-eQuest-Instructions.aspx<br />
Mutual Fund <strong>Ops</strong> 529 Plan Changes Reminders<br />
The Missouri MOST 529 Advisor College Savings Plan no longer exists as of May 6, 20<strong>16</strong>. If you<br />
had the MOST Advisor 529 Plan and did not roll it to another Advisor 529 plan prior to May 6,<br />
20<strong>16</strong>, the accounts are now direct only. Clients should have received packets from MOST<br />
with their new direct account number(s) and new account information.<br />
Alliance Bernstein will no longer manage and administer the Rhode Island College Bound<br />
Fund 529 Advisor Plan and the plan will no longer be using the DST Vision platform. Invesco<br />
will be taking over as plan manager in July and Ascensus will be the record keeper on the<br />
529 Quickview platform.<br />
The Dashboard Reports offer the ability to include Goal Based Return for a client? To include this<br />
you will need to set up a Custom Benchmark. For help setting up a custom benchmark you can<br />
get step by step instructions here:<br />
http://portal.stifel.com/Operations/clientservices/Pages/Dashboard.aspx and select Dashboard<br />
How To – Set a Custom Benchmark.<br />
8
Carl Wessling, Security Transfer Sr. Team Lead, will be celebrating<br />
his 10 year anniversary with Stifel this year. The Security Transfer<br />
department transfers certificates into street name, makes them<br />
eligible for sale, corrects registrations and removes<br />
restrictions. For TODs, they process the paperwork completed by<br />
the client to convert an account into a TOD account and<br />
ultimately process distribution paperwork upon the TOD account<br />
holder’s death.<br />
Although Carl likes the unique aspects and opportunities of his<br />
day to day job, what he likes the most is the work<br />
environment because the people are friendly and helpful. If<br />
asked, he would share with a new employee that they should<br />
be willing to learn as many new things as possible.<br />
Carl Wessling<br />
Senior Team Lead<br />
Security Transfer<br />
Carl is a huge Cardinals fan and enjoys attending their<br />
games. He has attended each Cardinal home opener since<br />
1997. He also enjoys traveling and says that Key West is his<br />
favorite destination as he has vacationed there every<br />
November for the last 10 years.<br />
Have you met…<br />
Shelley Kertz, New Accounts Sr. Team Lead, joined the Stifel<br />
team almost 8 years ago. The New Accounts department<br />
assists the branches in account opening, account changes,<br />
customer verification, document review, returned mail issues,<br />
new recruit account processing, and ensuring that accounts<br />
are set up accurately to comply with the various regulatory<br />
rules and Stifel policies.<br />
Although Shelley likes the variety of functions and challenges<br />
her job brings daily, what she likes best is the camaraderie. She<br />
feels that the people she works with are not just co-workers but<br />
friends as well. The advice she would give to a new associate is<br />
to always understand what you are doing and why it’s needed.<br />
The more you expand your knowledge base, the further you<br />
can go.<br />
During Shelley’s time away from Stifel, she enjoys spending time<br />
with her husband and 3 kids. They spend a lot of time outdoors<br />
attending sporting events, such as soccer, cheer, and t-ball, as<br />
well as taking hikes or relaxing on the beach. They also serve in<br />
their community doing outreach and special projects with their<br />
church.<br />
Shelley Kertz<br />
Senior Team Lead<br />
New Accounts<br />
9
ERISA accounts, Profit Sharing Plans (PSP), 401(k) accounts now need more<br />
documentation on file before the account may be coded as advisory!<br />
These account types must have the QPCT, Qualified Plan Certification, document on file:<br />
To indicate who the Plan’s Trustees are, and how many signatures are needed for<br />
authorizations on the plan’s behalf<br />
To indicate if a plan participant (for segregated FBO accounts only) is able to direct<br />
the investments within the account<br />
Submit this form to New Accounts for imaging to the account, under DOCA code,<br />
QPCT<br />
These account types must also have the ERAD, FA Application to Conduct ERISA Advisory<br />
Business, on file:<br />
ERISA standards say that FAs must provide advisory clients comprehensive, continuous<br />
and prudent investment advice<br />
FAs must meet certain requirements prior to conducting fee-based advisory business<br />
This form shows what qualifications the FA has in place in order to conduct ERISA<br />
advisory business<br />
Submit this form to Tina Morales, Consulting Services Marketing. Tina will then obtain<br />
the sign-offs by Consulting Services, Retirement Plans and Compliance, and then she<br />
will image to the account, under DOCA code, ERAD<br />
If BOTH of these forms are not on file at the time the advisory work request comes through,<br />
Advisory Account Processing must reject the work request back to the branch. The request<br />
can then be resubmitted for processing once both forms are in good order, and on file.<br />
For questions regarding these two forms and what they mean for advisory business can be<br />
directed to the Advisory Product Groups!<br />
10