Financial Advisor How To: Linking Related Client Accounts
Account linkage provides account holders who maintain multiple accounts under a single advisor, the ability to group the accounts together under a single user name. The benefits of account linking include the following:
- The ability to log into all accounts via a single user name and password;
- Account accessed using a common security device;
- Activity fee minimums, when applicable, are determined based on commissions consolidated across the linked accounts;
- Consolidated reporting of accounts.
While linking may be performed by the client, this article outlines the steps by which an advisor may link accounts on behalf of the client
Steps:
1. Linkage begins by logging into Account Management at the master account level and selecting the Manage Clients, Accounts and then Link Client Accounts menu options.
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2. You will then be provided with a drop down list of client which are eligible to be linked. While multiple clients may be linked in a given session, the linkage steps must be completed for a given client before proceeding to another.
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3. After selecting the client to be linked, a list of all of the client's accounts that are eligible to be linked will be presented. Here, you will be prompted to specify which of the user names is to be retained for future account access. Once the linkage process has been completed, all other user names will be deactivated.
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4. Next you will be presented with the Account Information page where confirmation of the client's personal information will be performed. In the event the client maintains information which differs among accounts (e.g., residential address), you will be prompted to select that which is accurate and is to be retained following completion of linkage.
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5. Next, select any or all of the standing banking instructions which will be retained.
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6. Confirmation of the linkage request is then provided.
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IMPORTANT NOTES:
- You must select the client account with the highest level security device.
- Once the accounts are linked, the unique usernames and passwords for the accounts to be linked with this account will no longer function. The surviving username and password associated with the account will function for all linked accounts.
- Interactive Brokers will link these accounts on Fridays.
- Once the accounts are linked, the security devices for the accounts to be linked with this account will no longer function and the device associated with this account will function for all linked accounts. Those device do not need to be returned to IB, as per KB975