Interview with AdviceTech.LIVE Speaker Lisa Graham of eMoney Advisor

Lisa Graham
Director of Product Management at eMoney Advisor
AdviceTech.LIVE Panel: Financial Planning

How did you get your start in financial services?

I started in Financial Services about 20 years ago right out of college (yes, I’m giving away my age) when I began working for SEI, an asset management and technology company. 

I’ve worked in financial services and technology ever since, spending 13 years at SEI and then moving onto eMoney about 7 years ago.

What’s something that you know now that you wish you’d known when you started your career?

I really love all aspects of Product Management, but I had no idea it existed or what it was when I first started in the industry. 

I wouldn’t change anything about how my career finally led me to Product Management because it’s those experiences that help me be well-rounded in my role today, but I wish I knew early on what I was working toward.

What excites you most about the financial advice profession right now?

I’m excited about how much focus there is on helping people talk about money, which is eMoney’s mission and something I really support. There are so many exciting resources out there today and so many more to come through innovative fintech.

There’s still so much room for technology to better serve financial advisors and end-investors in their quest to plan for the future. and I’m excited to be a part of that mission.

Tech companies often add so many features and tools that advisors can lose track of everything available to them. Is there something your company does that you don’t think advisors know about that they should be aware of?

We’ve made some really cool enhancements to our Decision Center planning tool this year that may have been missed given all that’s been going on in the world. 

New modern views, such as the Asset Spread Chart and Cash Flow drill down views as well as time savers like embedded Advanced Technique modifications, help with real-time planning conversations. 

And there’s more to come within Decision Center, which is exciting.

Any words of advice for advisors looking to update their tech stack?

Well, first, choose eMoney for Financial Planning! There are so many wonderful reasons why so if you’re interested, visit our website or contact me!

Second, if you’re interested in updating your tech stack, get organized before you begin this journey. Make sure you have a good understanding of the software you have and why you have it. Then identify the problems that need to be solved by investing in new technology or expanding your use of your existing technology. 

Sometimes it’s useful to diagram your workflows to make sure your technology is supporting your workflows and potentially eliminating steps rather than adding more steps. 

Lastly, engage technology providers in the problems you are trying to solve. True partners will help you feel confident about how the product, solutions, and services they provide can help you.

What are you looking forward to most about attending AdviceTech.LIVE? 

I’m looking forward to connecting with others in the industry, not only to talk shop and see what new products and services are out there but also to interact with real people who are passionate about the same things I am! 

The sense of community in our industry is really unique, and I miss interacting with my peers.