A TPA's address book can include no shortage of people, from HR and payroll contacts, to financial advisors, accountants, brokers, and more. PensionPro stores information about these individuals in Contact records, which are used to save contact details and past interactions and enable firms to easily identify which Plans and Communication Lists they've been added to. This article explains how to open and navigate Contact records while also linking to additional articles that cover Contact-related features in greater depth.
Article Contents
- Overview of Contacts
- Opening a Contact
- The Contact Tab Header
- Contact Views and Data
- Other Views on the Contact Tab
- Editing Multiple Contacts via Power Tools
- Additional Contact Actions & Features
Overview of Contacts
At its most basic, a Contact record in PensionPro function similarly to an entry in an address book: it stores the name and contact information of an individual of interest. However, the Contact record has many other uses as well; in addition to having their own Notes and Interactions, a Contact can be assigned to a Plan Role, is eligible for Blast Email, and can use PlanSponsorLink.
When opened, a Contact is displayed in its own tab (the Contact tab), which is divided into a number of different views, accessible via the list on the left side. These views contain data and functionality applicable to the current Contact .
Expand the following items for additional information on Contacts.
Contacts and Plans
In many cases, a TPA is interested in tracking an individual because they have some connection to a retirement plan. In PensionPro, these individuals are not simply added to a Plan record as a name and email address. Instead, they are first added to PensionPro as a Contact, storing their contact details in a dedicated record; then, they are assigned to a Plan Contact Role for a given Plan. This carries the following benefits:
- Plan Contact Roles help define what responsibilities the Contact has in regards to managing the Plan.
- The Contact can be assigned to multiple Plans (with different Roles, if needed).
- In the event the Contact is associated with multiple Plans, an update to their information only needs to be made once.
- A Contact can be stored for any situation; they do not necessarily need to be associated with a Plan at all.
Contacts and Employees
When a new Employee account is added to PensionPro, a corresponding Contact record is created and linked to their Employee record. The Contact record is used to store the individual's contact details and is accessible to all PensionPro users. On the other hand, the Employee record stores information regarding the individual's employment with the firm which is generally limited to a select number of users.
Contacts and PlanSponsorLink
Once a Contact is added to PensionPro with an email address, if they are given the firm's PlanSponsorLink URL, they have the ability to use their email to complete the first-time user step on PSL and sign in to that application. However, unless they are added to a Plan as a Contact Role, they won't have access to Plan data, and can only use Secure File Exchange and Bulletins.
Customizing Contact dropdowns
Many of the dropdown values seen when creating and editing Contact information (such as Prefixes/Suffixes and Professions) can be customized to suit the firm's data standards via List Values.
Opening a Contact
There are many ways to open a Contact record in PensionPro. The following list, though not exhaustive, represents the most common methods of finding a given Contact:
- Use the search field at the top of the page to search by the Contact's name.
- With a Company record open, double-click to open an individual listed in the Contacts view.
- With a Plan record open, double-click to open an individual listed in the Plan Contact Roles view.
The Contact Tab Header
The tab header is displayed at the top of the tab, above any selected view. The header of the Contact tab contains the following items, presented from left to right:
- The Contact's name.
- The Help
option, which opens this article in a new browser window.
- The More
menu, which contains the Create Merge Documents option.
Contact Views and Data
The following sections detail the views and functions unique to the Contact tab, such as address and phone number management, entering personal details, and viewing the records the Contact is linked to.
General
The General Information grid on the Contact tab contains details about the individual, such as their name, company, and email address. Use Edit at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.
⤷ Show/hide General Contact fields
|
Name (First Name, Last Name) |
The name of the Contact. |
| Prefix |
The Contact's honorific, such as Mr., Ms., or Dr.
|
| Middle Initial |
Any middle initials/names used by the Contact.
|
| Suffix |
The Contact's honorific, such as Sr. or Jr.
|
| Employee |
If this Contact record belongs to an Employee, this field shows the name of the linked Employee record. This field cannot be edited. Selecting this item opens the corresponding Employee tab. For all other Contacts, this field will not be available. |
| Salutation |
The preferred method of addressing a Contact in correspondence. This could be their first name, a nickname, or other moniker. Using this field consistently—even when a Contact goes by their legal first name—can make it easy to insert the preferred name when sending mass communications via Blast Email. |
| Company |
The Contact's employer or other associated organization. Selecting the name opens the corresponding Company record. When editing, use this field to search for and select an existing Company record, or select Add Aside from being used for reference, a Company's addresses and phone numbers can be added to any linked Contacts. |
| Title | The Contact's job title/position. |
| Designations | Professional credentials used by the Contact, such as M.D., QKA, or CPC. |
| Last Interaction | The title of the most recent Interaction with this Contact. Selecting this item opens the Interaction in a new tab. |
| Email Address |
The Contact's email address. Must be unique. Selecting the email will open a new draft in the user's default email application. An email address is required if the Contact will use PlanSponsorLink. |
| Receive Bulk Email |
Designates whether the Contact is willing to receive mass email communications, such as those sent via Blast Email.
|
| OK to Email | Designates whether the Contact is open to receiving communications via email. |
| OK to Call | Designates whether the Contact is open to phone conversation. |
| Profession | A generalized description of the Contact's expertise, such as Attorney or Investment Advisor. |
| Contact Preference | The Contact's preferred method of communication. |
| Category | A generic option for categorizing Contacts that the firm can use as needed. |
| Group | A generic option for grouping Contacts that the firm can use as needed. |
| Status | The current status of the Contact. Has no impact on whether PensionPro considers the record active or inactive; use the Active field instead. |
| Active | When enabled, the Contact record is active. If disabled, the Contact will be made inactive, hiding them by default from some functions such as search results and reports. |
| Password |
The status of the Contact's PSL password:
This field is not available if the Contact is also an Employee. |
| PSL Data Display Type |
Determines the layout of data on PlanSponsorLink; see Available Display Types. This can be set by the TPA in PensionPro or the Contact in PSL. This field is not available if the Contact has not yet completed the First-Time User process on PSL. |
| PSL Last Login | The date and time the Contact last signed in to PlanSponsorLink. |
| Last Modified By | The name of the Employee who last updated the Contact, along with date and time. |
| Created By | The name of the Employee who created the Contact, along with date and time. |
| Marked for Deletion |
When enabled, the Contact is added to the Data Deletion Manager for review and possible removal.
|
The More menu at the top-right of a Contact's General Information grid may contain the following options, depending on circumstance:
Functionality |
Available if |
|---|---|
|
Linking or unlinking the Contact to/from an ftwilliam.com Portal User. See ftwilliam.com - Creating and Linking Records from PensionPro. |
The ftwilliam.com integration is active. |
|
Resetting the Contact's MFA settings. |
The Contact is not an Employee and has previously signed in to PSL. |
|
Setting a new password for the Contact. |
The Contact is not an Employee and has previously signed in to PSL. |
Addresses / Numbers
The Addresses and Numbers views are used for storing Contact address and phone number information. One address and one number can be designated as the primary means of reaching this Contact. Addresses and numbers can be copied to the Contact from their linked Company, if applicable, or they can be marked as personal, indicating that they are a non-professional means of contact.
For more information on working with the Addresses and Numbers grids, refer to the article Addresses and Numbers for Companies, Clients & Contacts.
Relationship
The Relationship Information grid can be used to record personal details about the Contact, such as their birth date, spouse's name, or favorite sports teams. This can be helpful in recalling prior conversations or adding personalization to communications. Use Edit at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.
This grid contains the following fields:
- Last Contacted Date
- Nickname
- Birthdate
- Spouse Name
- Anniversary
- Children
- Pets
- Sports Teams
- Activities
- Contact Source
The Relationship Information grid also contains the following two fields, which can be populated by searching for and selecting the Contact record for the desired individual:
- Referred By
- Assistant
Activity
All of the Contact's assigned Plan Contact Roles are displayed in the Activities grid, providing an easy way to view all records that this individual is associated with. If the firm is using the SalesPitch add-on, this grid will also include and Prospects and/or Proposals that the Contact is assigned to.
⤷ Show/hide Contact Activity fields
| Name | The name of the linked record. |
| Role | The Role held by this Contact on the above record. |
| Status | The status of the linked record. |
| Type | The type of linked record, such as Plan or Proposal. |
| Started On | The creation date of the linked record. |
| Closed/Deactivated On | If the linked record is no longer active, the deactivation date. |
Double-click a record in the Activities grid to open it in a new tab. Information on this grid cannot be edited directly; instead, update the linked record as needed.
Communication Lists
In PensionPro, Communication Lists are used to create and manage lists of Contacts for mailing purposes. The Communications Lists grid on the Contact tab displays all lists that the individual has been added to, providing an alternative to reviewing each list individually when searching for a specific Contact.
For information on adding or removing the Contact to or from Communication Lists via this view, refer to Communication Lists on the Contact Tab.
Sales
Requires Security Rights: Access SalesPitch
The Sales Information grid is used to record information about Contacts who are involved in the sales process. These are often investment advisors or representatives from financial institutions. Use Edit at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.
⤷ Show/hide Contact Sales fields
| Sales Territory\Team | The sales group responsible for managing this Contact relationship. |
| Investment Advisor | Indicates whether this Contact serves as an investment advisor or retirement plan advisor. |
| Broker Dealer | The broker-dealer through which this Contact conducts securities business. Only available if Investment Advisor is Yes. |
| Platform Preference | The recordkeeping or retirement plan platforms most commonly recommended or used by this Contact. Only available if Investment Advisor is Yes. |
| Investment Platform Preference | The investment platforms, managed account programs, or investment product platforms most commonly recommended or used by this Contact. Multiple items may be selected. Only available if Investment Advisor is Yes. |
| RIA | Indicates whether this Contact is affiliated with a Registered Investment Adviser firm. |
| Wholesaler | Indicates whether this contact serves in a wholesaler role. |
| Plan Provider | If the Contact is a wholesaler, the plan provider, recordkeeper, or investment organization they represent. Only available if Wholesaler is Yes. |
Other Views on the Contact Tab
Contacts also use the following views/features which are common to multiple record types. Refer to the linked articles for more information on working with these views:
Editing Multiple Contacts via Power Tools
Requires Security Rights: Access Power Tools
The Contacts Power Tool can be used to update a single field across one or more Contact records. This is a good option for simple but otherwise repetitive changes.
To get started, navigate to Power Tools > Field Update > Contacts; the Contacts Power Tool opens to Step 1. For assistance in completing the Power Tool, expand the instructions below.
Step 1: Options
PensionPro first asks which field should be updated. This Power Tool can be used for the following fields from the General and Sales views:
- Active
- Contact Category
- Contact Grouping
- Contact Preference
- Contact Status
- Is RIA
- Is Wholesaler
- Marked for Deletion
- Ok to Bulk Email
- Ok to Call
- Ok to Email
- Profession
- Referral Source
Enter or select the new value. All Contacts selected in later steps will be updated to this value.
Select Next to continue to Step 2.
Step 2: Filters
To limit a potentially large dataset, filters can be applied in Step 2 that will reduce the number of Contacts returned in Step 3.
By default, the data grid will include Contact's first and last names and the field chosen in Step 1; additional columns can be added using the Column Selections pane on the left. A column needs to be added before it can used for a filter.
For more information, refer to Applying Columns & Filters. When satisfied, select Next.
Step 3: Selections
The grid on this page displays the Contacts that meet the filter criteria applied in the previous step. For more information on working with this grid, refer to Selecting Records.
Choose the Contacts to update, then select Next.
Step 4: Review
PensionPro displays a summary of the changes to be made. Review the information provided; when ready, select Execute. The Contacts chosen in Step 3 will be updated immediately.
Step 5: Finish
When this step is reached, the Power Tool is complete. Use Start Over to restart the Power Tool from Step 1.
Additional Contact Actions & Features
The following is a list of additional articles that discuss managing Contacts and other associated functionality:
Article |
Includes |
|---|---|
| Adding, Deactivating, or Deleting a Contact | Adding a single Contact record, marking a Contact as active or inactive, and deleting a Contact. |
| Data Import - Contacts | Adding one or more new Contact records via spreadsheet import. |
| Plan Contact Roles | Associating a Contact with one or more Plan records. |
| Managing PlanSponsorLink Users | Signing in to PSL for the first time, resetting a Contact's password, removing the Contact's access to PSL. |