Frequently

Asked

Questions

HOW VOS WORKS…

  • VOS is designed to make outsourcing support as simple and seamless as possible.

    Once you decide to move forward, our management team reviews your firm’s needs, service requirements, working style, and the type of Client Service Specialist who is likely to be the best fit. We then schedule a meet-and-greet with a potential CSS and their direct manager so everyone has an opportunity to ask questions and make sure the relationship feels right.

    If everyone agrees it is a good fit, we complete the Client Agreement and begin onboarding immediately. Onboarding happens in two phases: first, we obtain the access your CSS needs, including your branded email, CRM, custodian platforms, and document management system. Second, we learn how your firm actually operates: your workflows, communication preferences, priorities, recurring responsibilities, and client-service expectations. We do not rush this process; it takes as long as it takes to set the relationship up correctly.

    From there, your CSS becomes your primary VOS contact and works directly within the systems your firm already uses. They monitor your core systems each business day, manage service requests, document activity and follow-up in your CRM, and keep work moving according to agreed priorities and turnaround standards. Your CSS’s manager remains involved and available for additional support, continuity, or problem-solving whenever needed.

    Your monthly retainer reserves a set amount of VOS service capacity. Time is tracked in Ruddr by service level and activity and billed by the minute, so you pay only for the actual service time used. Each week, you receive a retainer update with a detailed Ruddr time report showing exactly how your time has been used and how much capacity remains.

    The goal is simple: you should always know what we did, what we are doing next, and when we expect to do it, while spending far less of your own time managing the administrative side of your practice.

  • VOS primarily partners with Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) and other fiduciary advisory firms. That is where our systems, service model, and experience are most deeply rooted.

    We may also work with firms that have a broker-dealer affiliation or offer certain commission-based products, provided the advisory side of the business operates under a fiduciary model and the relationship is consistent with VOS’ compliance standards and values.

    We emphasize fee-only firms on our website because it helps us screen out business models that are not aligned with the type of advisory relationships we want to support. We learned early on that not every firm operating in the financial services space follows the same standards, and we are intentional about avoiding relationships that involve questionable sales practices or conflicts that do not fit our values.

    That said, many fiduciary Advisors also maintain insurance licenses or offer certain commission-based products. If that describes your firm, we are happy to have a conversation about your business model and the services you provide.

    For us, the key question is not simply “Are you fee-only?” It is “Do you operate as a fiduciary and put your clients’ interests first?” If the answer is yes, we may still be a very good fit.

  • Absolutely. One of the advantages of the VOS model is that your support can evolve as your practice does.

    You may start with a relatively small retainer focused on a few administrative priorities and then expand your service capacity as your client base, workload, or operational complexity increases. As your needs change, VOS can help you add more service hours, incorporate additional service levels, take on new recurring responsibilities, and bring in specialized support when appropriate.

    Because you are partnering with VOS rather than relying on a single individual, growth does not necessarily mean starting over with recruiting, hiring, and building a new support structure. We can adjust the resources around your firm as your needs change while maintaining continuity in the systems, workflows, and relationships we have already built with you.

    Our goal is to support where your practice is today while giving you room to grow into what comes next.

  • VOS was built to operate virtually. Our Client Service Specialists provide services from secure home offices and work directly within the systems you already use, including your CRM, custodian platforms, email, document storage, financial planning software, and other technology. While the hub of communication is always your CRM, day-to-day communication can take place through email, CRM, phone, or whatever method works best for your firm. Meetings are typically held by video conference. Because our model is fully remote, geography does not limit the talent, expertise, or support available to you.

  • Because VOS is 100% remote and our Client Service Specialists manage their own schedules, we do not operate within a traditional 9-to-5 workday. Your CSS may perform Services at different times throughout the day, provided client commitments, deadlines, meetings, and other business-hour requirements are met.

    VOS is closed when the markets are closed, and weekend or holiday service is not part of our standard service model. Some Service Providers may choose to work during those times, but it should never be assumed or expected.

    If you know in advance that something will require attention outside normal business days, let us know as early as possible. We can discuss available capacity and determine whether special arrangements can be made.

  • It has far less to do with the size, structure, or AUM of the firm than it does with the firm’s willingness to collaborate.

    The strongest VOS relationships are with Advisors who communicate openly, are willing to share how their practice operates, and view us as a true operational partner rather than simply a place to send isolated tasks. We work best when we can understand the bigger picture, ask questions, suggest improvements, and build processes together.

    A solo Advisor, a growing ensemble practice, or a larger RIA can all be a great fit. What matters most is a collaborative mindset, mutual respect, clear communication, and a shared commitment to creating an efficient, well-run practice that serves clients well.

SERVICES…

  • Yes. VOS can help manage your inbox so important messages do not get buried and routine administrative items keep moving.

    Depending on your preferences, your Client Service Specialist can review incoming email, organize and categorize messages, flag items that require your personal attention, respond to routine administrative inquiries, create follow-up tasks in your CRM, and help make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

    We can also work with you to establish clear guidelines around what your CSS may handle directly, what should be escalated to you, and how quickly different types of messages should be addressed.

    The goal is not simply to keep your inbox cleaner. It is to turn your email into a more manageable workflow so you spend less time sorting through messages and more time focused on your clients and your business.

  • Yes. VOS offers trading support as part of our Paraplanning & Trading service level.

    Our team can assist with executing Advisor-approved trades, preparing trade memoranda, rebalancing-related tasks, cost-basis research, investment research and reporting, and other portfolio-administration functions.

    What we do not do is make discretionary investment decisions or provide investment advice. The Advisor determines what should be bought, sold, or rebalanced, and VOS handles the administrative execution of those instructions.

    In short: you make the investment decision; we can help carry it out.

  • Yes. VOS offers paraplanning support as part of our Paraplanning & Trading service level.

    Our team can assist with specialized data entry in financial planning software, building and updating financial plans, creating goals and scenarios, running planning reports, preparing analyses, researching client-specific planning questions, and supporting retirement, investment, insurance, tax, education, and estate-planning workflows.

    As with trading, VOS supports the planning process but does not replace the Advisor’s judgment. You remain responsible for the financial advice and recommendations; we help with the research, analysis, data entry, plan preparation, and administrative work that supports those decisions.

  • Yes. VOS can help with the administrative and logistical side of client events, including scheduling, invitations, RSVP tracking, vendor coordination, attendee lists, reminders, follow-up, and other event-related tasks.

    For larger or more complex events, we can also help coordinate with outside vendors and keep the moving pieces organized so deadlines, responsibilities, and follow-up are clearly documented. Your Advisor remains responsible for the event strategy, budget, and any client-facing content or recommendations, while VOS helps manage the execution behind the scenes.

  • Yes, but VOS does not create marketing content from scratch. The Advisor will always need to provide the direction, messaging, subject matter, and content they want communicated. From there, VOS can help with the execution: formatting and editing provided content, preparing newsletters, scheduling social media posts, managing mailing lists, updating blog pages, maintaining content calendars, coordinating approvals, and keeping recurring marketing tasks on track.

    In other words, you tell us what you want to say; we help you get it organized, polished, published, and delivered consistently.

    Because financial-advisory marketing is compliance-sensitive, the Advisor also remains responsible for final content approval and for ensuring materials meet the firm’s compliance requirements before publication.

  • Yes. VOS can help prepare meeting materials so you have the information you need organized and ready before you meet with a client.

    Depending on your firm’s process, that may include gathering relevant client information, updating CRM notes, pulling reports, organizing account and planning data, identifying outstanding tasks or follow-up items, and assembling the materials your Advisor wants to review.

    As with our other services, VOS works from the Advisor’s direction and established process. You tell us what you want included in your meeting prep package, and we make sure it is assembled consistently and ready when you need it.

  • Absolutely. In fact, helping Advisors build better systems is one of the areas where VOS can add the most value. We can help organize CRM data, workflows, client files, task management, document storage, calendars, recurring processes, procedures, and other operational systems so your firm runs more smoothly and consistently.

    The reason VOS exists is simple: to make Advisors’ lives easier. We want to take friction out of your day, create order where things feel scattered, and give you more time and mental space to focus on your clients, your business, and the work that truly requires your attention.

    Sometimes we are so effective at creating structure, documenting processes, and improving workflows that we actually work ourselves right out of a job. And we are completely fine with that. Our goal is not to create unnecessary dependence on VOS; it is to help set your firm up for long-term success.

    If better organization, stronger processes, and clearer workflows eventually mean you need fewer VOS hours, that is still a successful outcome. We would rather help you build an efficient, well-run practice than keep you paying for work you no longer need.

  • VOS is not an on-call receptionist service, so our Client Service Specialists do not answer incoming calls in real time. Because our Service Providers manage their own schedules and support multiple Advisor relationships, they are not expected to remain continuously available by phone throughout the business day.

    What we can do is return voicemails promptly. VOS’ standard is to return client and Advisor voicemails within one business day, unless a different service expectation has been established for a particular engagement.

    If your firm needs someone to answer every incoming call as it rings, that function is better handled in-house or through a dedicated receptionist service. Our model is designed around responsive administrative and operational support rather than continuous phone coverage.

  • You can. Your monthly retainer may include services from any of our available service levels in whatever combination your firm needs. For example, you might use Standard-level service for routine client administration, Premium service for more complex operational projects, and Paraplanning & Trading service when specialized expertise is required. Service time is billed at the applicable rate for the service being provided and counts toward your overall monthly retainer. Many of our advisors use all of our service levels every day. This is detailed and billed by the minute on your monthly invoice.

  • VOS provides administrative, operational, client-service, paraplanning, and Advisor-directed trading support, but there are some clear boundaries to our services.

    We do not provide investment advice, make discretionary investment decisions, give legal or tax advice, act as your compliance officer, or make decisions that are the responsibility of the Advisor. We can help execute, organize, research, document, and support those functions, but the Advisor remains responsible for professional judgment and final decisions.

    We also do not provide live receptionist or on-call phone coverage, create custom marketing content, or provide in-office support. For marketing projects, you provide the direction and content; we help with formatting, editing, scheduling, publishing, and ongoing administration.

    Finally, VOS requires a functioning CRM as part of our service model. We are not able to support a firm that does not have one in place.

    If you are ever unsure whether something falls within scope, ask us. Even when a request is not something we can perform directly, we can often help you identify the right next step or determine which parts of the process VOS can support.

WORKING TOGETHER…

  • VOS best practice dictates that the CRM is the hub of all communication and activity. For day-to-day communications, your CSS is happy to utilize whatever method works best for your firm. Most Advisors use a combination of CRM tasks, email, scheduled Zoom meetings, and phone communication. We strongly encourage using your CRM for tasks and service requests whenever possible because it creates a clear record of responsibilities, deadlines, status updates, and follow-up. Your CSS and Advisor can establish a communication rhythm that works well for the engagement.

  • Our best practice is to address every task as far as reasonably possible within one business day. That may mean completing it, beginning the work, requesting missing information, contacting a custodian, identifying a next step, or providing a status update so the request is actively moving forward.

    Our formal turnaround times are intentionally more conservative. We would rather underpromise and overdeliver than set unrealistic expectations. High-priority matters are generally addressed the same day or within 24 hours, normal-priority requests within 2 to 3 business days, and low-priority projects within 7 to 10 business days. Larger, recurring, or more complex projects are scheduled based on their scope and required completion date.

    In practice, many tasks are completed well ahead of those contractual timelines. The longer timeframes simply give us room for situations involving third-party dependencies, custodian processing times, missing information, or more complex work.

  • You can absolutely ask. We understand that true emergencies and unexpected situations come up.

    That said, urgent and same-day requests need to be the exception rather than the rule. Our Client Service Specialists manage multiple client engagements and are not on-call throughout the business day, so immediate availability cannot be guaranteed.

    If something is urgent, contact your CSS as soon as possible and clearly identify the request as high priority. We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate it, but depending on existing commitments and available capacity, the answer may sometimes be no or the request may need to be handled on a different timeline.

    The more advance notice you can provide, the better we can plan capacity and make sure your priorities are handled well.

  • That can work very well with VOS. In fact, a surge model can be a great fit for outsourced operational support because so much of the work surrounding client meetings can be planned and organized in advance.

    We will work with you to understand your surge calendar, anticipated meeting volume, and the work that needs to happen before, during, and after each meeting cycle. That may include preparing meeting prep packages, updating CRM records, gathering reports and client information, scheduling meetings, preparing paperwork, documenting follow-up items, creating CRM tasks, processing post-meeting requests, and keeping outstanding items moving to completion.

    The key is planning ahead for capacity. If your normal monthly retainer will not provide enough service time during a particularly heavy surge period, we can discuss temporarily increasing your reserved service capacity or using additional hours when available. Likewise, quieter periods can be used for workflow improvements, CRM cleanup, beneficiary reviews, documentation, recurring projects, and preparation for the next surge.

    Our goal is to build VOS into your surge process so your Client Service Specialist knows what is coming, what needs to be prepared, and what follow-up will be required, rather than scrambling once the meetings begin.

  • Absolutely. Many VOS Client Service Specialists communicate directly with an Advisor’s end-clients as part of the administrative services we provide. Your CSS can assist with paperwork, transfers, online access, scheduling, custodial processes, account maintenance, and other administrative needs, while the Advisor remains responsible for financial advice, recommendations, and investment decisions.

    If you would like your Client Service Specialist to have a more visible presence with your firm, their professional headshot and bio may also be added to your website, helping clients understand who they are and how they support your practice.

    That said, if you would prefer that all client communication continue to flow through you or someone on your internal team, that is completely fine too. Just keep in mind that this can make the process less efficient. For example, if your CSS is preparing paperwork and discovers that a piece of information is missing, they would need to come back to you rather than contacting the client directly. You or someone on your team would then need to stop what they are doing to reach the client, and that information would need to make its way back to VOS before the task can move forward.

    Allowing VOS to communicate directly with clients for routine administrative matters can remove those extra steps and help keep work moving. The level of client-facing interaction is entirely up to you, and we are happy to work within whatever communication structure makes the most sense for your firm.

  • Yes. VOS has workflow templates, best-practice resources, and a great deal of experience building repeatable processes for advisory firms, but we rarely use a template exactly as written.

    Every advisory practice operates differently, and we have found that the most effective workflows are the ones built around the way your firm actually works. Our preferred approach is to immerse ourselves in your existing process, understand how tasks are currently being handled, identify where things can be streamlined or clarified, and then build the workflow around that reality.

    A workflow that looks great on paper but does not reflect an actual process is worth very little. Our goal is to create practical, usable workflows that fit your team, your tech stack, your clients, and your day-to-day operations, not force your firm into a generic template.

  • Yes—as long as it is administrative in nature and performed under the direction of your firm, CCO, or compliance consultant.

    VOS can help with tasks such as organizing compliance files, maintaining logs and calendars, gathering documentation, tracking attestations, preparing materials for audits or examinations, assisting with routine compliance reporting, updating records, and helping make sure recurring compliance tasks do not fall through the cracks.

    What we do not do is act as your Chief Compliance Officer, provide legal or regulatory advice, interpret securities laws on your behalf, or make compliance decisions for your firm. Your Advisor, CCO, or compliance professional remains responsible for determining what is required and approving the final work.

    Think of us as the operational support behind your compliance program: you tell us what needs to be done, and we help make sure it gets organized, documented, tracked, and completed.

GETTING STARTED…

  • Start with the work that consumes your time but does not require you personally to make the decision. If you are repeatedly completing paperwork, following up on transfers, maintaining your CRM, scheduling meetings, organizing documents, updating financial plans, preparing reports, or handling routine client-service requests, those are good candidates for outsourcing. Your Client Service Specialist can also help identify recurring tasks, bottlenecks, and processes that could be transitioned to VOS.

  • The more prepared we are at the beginning, the faster your Client Service Specialist can become productive. During onboarding, we’ll work with you to understand your workflows, preferences, recurring responsibilities, communication style, and how you want task management and client service handled.

    There are four core items your CSS will need access to as early as possible:

    •          A branded firm email address so they can communicate with clients, custodians, and other parties as an extension of your firm.

    •          Custodian access to the platforms your firm uses for account openings, transfers, distributions, maintenance, and other client-service functions.

    •          Document management access so they can securely retrieve, organize, and maintain the files needed to support your clients and workflows.

    •          CRM access so they can manage tasks, document activity, maintain client information, track follow-up, and work within your firm’s established processes.

    It is also helpful to have any existing procedures, recurring task lists, key contacts, and firm-specific instructions available at the start. If your processes are not fully documented yet, that’s okay. We can help organize and document them as we go.

    Your CSS’s direct manager will also participate in the onboarding process, giving VOS a broader understanding of your firm from the beginning and providing an additional layer of support when questions or issues arise.

    Our goal is to remove as much friction as possible at the outset so your CSS can begin adding value quickly while still learning the details that make your firm unique.

  • Our onboarding process has two phases, and we take the time needed to get both right.

    The first phase is obtaining access. We work with you to make sure your Client Service Specialist has access to the core systems needed to support your firm, including your branded email, custodian platforms, document management system, and CRM, along with any other technology or resources specific to your practice.

    The second phase is figuring out how to work together effectively. Every advisory firm operates a little differently, so we use onboarding to understand your communication preferences, workflows, priorities, recurring responsibilities, service expectations, and the way you like tasks to be handled.

    While VOS will always hit the ground running, there is no arbitrary deadline for onboarding. It takes as long as it takes to make sure the relationship is set up properly and your CSS has what they need to support your firm successfully.

    Your CSS’s direct manager is actively involved at the beginning of the relationship and remains available throughout the engagement. That creates an ongoing line of communication with the VOS management team, gives you an additional resource if questions or concerns arise, and helps make sure the relationship starts off on the right foot.

YOUR VOS TEAM…

  • Yes. VOS requires background checks as part of our vetting process before a Service Provider is approved to work with Advisor firms and access sensitive client systems and information.

    Because our Client Service Specialists may have access to confidential financial information, custodial platforms, CRMs, document-management systems, and other sensitive resources, we take the responsibility of selecting trustworthy professionals seriously. Background screening is one component of our broader due-diligence process, which also includes interviews, reference and experience review, and our proprietary skills assessment.

    Our goal is to make sure the people supporting your firm have been thoroughly vetted before they ever become part of a VOS client engagement.

  • Like any organization, VOS may occasionally experience changes in its network of Service Providers. What makes our model different is that we have built systems designed to minimize disruption when those changes occur, and to take the recruiting burden off our Advisors entirely.

    Before joining the VOS Team, every prospective Client Service Specialist must complete our proprietary skills assessment, which requires them to onboard a fictional, multigenerational household from start to finish. The assessment includes CRM data entry and management, preparation of multiple account-opening forms, transfers of assets, IRA distributions, spousal rollovers, beneficiary updates, and other common financial-advisory operations. Candidates must score at least 85% before VOS will offer them an opportunity to provide services.

    That means every Client Service Specialist begins with a demonstrated baseline of operational ability, regardless of the titles on their resume or the number of years they have worked in the industry. They have already shown us that they can think through detailed financial-services processes, recognize how the pieces fit together, and perform the kind of work our Advisors rely on every day.

    We also maintain documented workflows, detailed CRM records, secure shared access to necessary systems, and cross-coverage practices to support continuity. If a transition becomes necessary, VOS handles the sourcing, screening, assessment, orientation, knowledge transfer, and transition to another qualified professional.

    For the Advisor, that means no job postings, no stacks of resumes, no interviewing candidates, and no starting a new search when someone leaves. Building and maintaining our network of qualified professionals is our responsibility. You get to focus on running your advisory firm while we handle the work of finding and vetting the people who support it.

  • We plan for it. VOS is structured so that your support does not depend entirely on one person.

    For shorter absences (and especially with smaller retainers such as 10 hours per month), it is often possible for your Client Service Specialist to meet the full monthly retainer even if they take vacation time, simply by planning ahead and managing service time around the absence.

    When coverage is needed, VOS can coordinate support from another qualified Service Provider. We maintain documented workflows, detailed CRM notes, and shared access to the systems and information necessary to support continuity, so your CSS is not the only person who can step in when needed.

    For planned time away, we try to anticipate deadlines, complete as much as possible in advance, and make sure anything time-sensitive is covered. For unexpected illness or emergencies, your CSS’s manager and the broader VOS team can help coordinate next steps.

    Our goal is to give you the consistency of a primary CSS without creating a single point of failure. Regardless, we will always communicate with you so you know what to expect.

  • Yes. VOS will designate a primary Client Service Specialist who will serve as your main point of contact and become familiar with your firm, systems, preferences, workflows, and ongoing service needs.

    At the same time, we do not build your support around a single point of contact. Other qualified VOS Service Providers may step in for coverage, specialty work, or continuity when needed. Our goal is for you to have the consistency and relationship of one primary person, while still benefiting from the broader resources, knowledge, and backup support of the VOS team.

    Your Client Service Specialist’s direct manager will also be involved in the onboarding process so they understand your firm, expectations, and service structure from the beginning. That manager remains available to step in, provide support, help resolve issues, and assist with continuity whenever needed.

  • Tell us. Sometimes the issue can be resolved by clarifying expectations, communication preferences, workflows, or service needs. If the relationship simply is not the right fit, VOS can evaluate other Client Service Specialists based on your firm’s needs, working style, required expertise, and available capacity.

    We also recognize that, while VOS is a great fit for many advisory firms, we are not the right solution for everyone. Some Advisors prefer to have support physically in the office, while others want an internal employee who is available exclusively to their firm throughout the business day. Some firms also expect end-clients to receive immediate, on-demand service at any moment, which may be better suited to a dedicated in-house service model.

    Our model is designed for firms that value experienced, specialized support, flexibility, and clearly defined service standards without having to build and manage the same operational infrastructure internally. We would rather be transparent about that fit upfront than try to force a relationship that does not serve either party well.

  • We understand why you might want to, and we consider it a compliment when an Advisor values their Client Service Specialist that highly.

    That said, VOS invests significant time and resources into sourcing, vetting, assessing, onboarding, supporting, and developing our Service Providers, so our Client Agreement includes a non-solicitation provision that prevents Advisors from hiring or engaging VOS team members outside of their relationship with VOS without following the terms of the Agreement.

    If you are seriously interested in bringing your CSS in-house, please talk with us first. We can discuss the situation, required notice, and the applicable conversion fee outlined in your Client Agreement. Our goal is to handle the transition professionally and fairly while protecting the investment VOS has made in building and maintaining its service-provider network.

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE…

  • A lot, and the list keeps growing. VOS has experience across a wide range of CRMs, custodians, financial-planning platforms, portfolio-management systems, document-management tools, communication platforms, cybersecurity tools, and other #AdvisorTech used throughout the financial advisory industry.

    Rather than trying to maintain an abbreviated list here, we keep a dedicated #AdvisorTech We Know page with the platforms and software our team has worked with.

    And if you do not see your technology listed, that does not necessarily mean we cannot work with it. Our team is accustomed to learning new platforms, and our collective experience continues to expand as we work across different advisory firms and tech stacks.

  • That’s usually not a problem. One of the advantages of working with VOS is access to the collective experience of our broader team.

    If your Client Service Specialist has not used a particular platform but someone else at VOS is familiar with it, we will provide your CSS with the necessary orientation and knowledge transfer at no cost to you.

    If the software is unfamiliar to everyone at VOS and is not a commonly used financial-industry platform, we are still happy to learn it. In that situation, however, the time required to become familiar with the system will be billed to your firm at the applicable service rate.

    Our goal is to make sure your CSS has the tools and knowledge needed to support your practice effectively while being transparent about when learning a highly specialized or firm-specific platform requires additional service time.

  • No. A CRM is a required part of the VOS service model.

    We rely on the CRM as the central source for client information, tasks, workflows, notes, deadlines, follow-up, and documentation. It allows your Client Service Specialist to work efficiently, keeps everyone accountable, and creates a clear record of what has been completed and what still needs attention.

    A well-maintained CRM is also important from a compliance and audit-readiness standpoint. It helps create a documented history of client service activity, follow-up, decisions, outstanding items, and completed tasks, making it much easier to demonstrate consistent processes and respond to examiner or audit requests when needed.

    Because so much of our service model depends on having that centralized system in place, we are not able to take on firms that do not use a CRM.

    If you are in the process of selecting or implementing one, we would be happy to begin the conversation and discuss what needs to be in place before onboarding can start.

  • We treat your CRM as the central record of the work we perform for your firm.

    At any time, an Advisor should be able to log into the CRM, open a household or task, and quickly understand the Big Three: what we’ve done, what we’re going to do, and when we’re going to do it.

    Our Client Service Specialists use the CRM to document activity, track follow-up, manage deadlines, maintain workflows, record notes, and keep outstanding items moving. That creates transparency for both VOS and the Advisor and helps make sure important details do not live only in someone’s inbox or memory.

    A well-maintained CRM also supports continuity, accountability, compliance, and audit readiness by creating a clear history of the work performed and the status of each client-service item.

COMPLIANCE & SECURITY…

  • Protecting client information is a core part of the VOS operating model. Service Providers work from secure private environments, use password-protected devices and secure internet connections, and are required to follow VOS cybersecurity and confidentiality standards. VOS utilizes tools such as multi-factor authentication, secure credential management, and approved document-sharing platforms, and client information is handled within authorized systems rather than stored locally whenever possible. We also maintain cybersecurity policies and work with an outside IT provider to help support our security infrastructure.

  • Yes. VOS maintains professional liability/errors and omissions insurance as well as cybersecurity coverage appropriate to our business and the services we provide. Certificates of insurance can be provided when needed for your compliance or vendor due-diligence process.

  • The SEC does not certify third-party service providers as “SEC compliant,” so we prefer to describe our role more precisely: VOS is built specifically to support RIAs operating in a regulated environment. We maintain policies and procedures around confidentiality, cybersecurity, handling of client information, access controls, and other operational safeguards designed to work within an Advisor’s compliance framework.

  • Definitely not. VOS Client Service Specialists provide administrative and operational services. They do not formulate investment advice, make investment recommendations, exercise investment discretion, or make advisory decisions on behalf of the Advisor. The SEC’s Form ADV instructions require Part 2B brochure supplements for supervised persons who formulate investment advice and have direct client contact, or who exercise discretionary authority over client assets.

    Because VOS personnel are outside service providers performing administrative functions rather than providing investment advice on the Advisor’s behalf, they do not need to be individually added to the Advisor’s Form ADV simply because they support the firm or communicate with its clients. The SEC defines a “supervised person,” in relevant part, as a person who provides investment advice on behalf of the adviser and is subject to the adviser’s supervision or control.

    That distinction is important to our service model: you make the advisory decisions; we help execute the administrative work surrounding them. Your firm remains responsible for its regulatory obligations and for determining, with its compliance professional, whether any particular outsourcing arrangement requires disclosure based on the specific services being provided.

  • Access-person requirements depend in part on whether an advisory firm is registered with the SEC or with a state securities regulator. SEC-registered investment advisers are generally governed by the federal Code of Ethics requirements of SEC Rule 204A-1, while state-registered advisers may be subject to broader definitions under their individual state rules.

    Under the federal rule, an individual must first qualify as a “supervised person” before they can be considered an access person. VOS Service Providers are independent administrative and operational professionals; they do not provide investment advice on behalf of our Advisor clients or make investment decisions for their clients.

    Some states apply broader standards to state-registered investment advisers, so we encourage Advisors to review their particular requirements with their CCO or compliance professional. VOS does not provide Service Providers’ personal brokerage statements, securities holdings, or personal transaction reports to Advisor clients. Because our Service Providers may support multiple independent advisory firms, doing so would create significant personal privacy and information-security concerns. If your firm’s compliance program requires outside administrative service providers to submit personal securities holdings or transaction reports, VOS may not be the appropriate service model for your firm.

PRICING & BILLING…

  • VOS invoices monthly for Services provided during the previous billing period. Your invoice will reflect the service time used at the applicable service level and hourly rate, billed by the minute, so you are only charged for the actual time spent providing Services. Any applicable supplies, postage, mileage, or other approved additional expenses will also be itemized on the invoice.

    Your monthly retainer represents the minimum amount of VOS service capacity reserved for your firm each month. If you use Services above your retainer and additional capacity is available, those additional service hours will be billed at the applicable rate.

    Invoices are issued at the end of each month and are due net 15. You may also enroll in autopay using ACH or credit card. ACH payments do not carry an additional fee; credit card payments are subject to a 3.5% service fee, which simply covers our processing cost. If you would like to enroll in autopay, just let us know and we can provide the information needed to get it set up.

  • For many firms, 10 hours is a great starting point because VOS bills by the minute, not in fixed time blocks. That means you only pay for the actual time spent providing services. There is no rounding up to 15-minute increments, no billing for idle time, and no “filler” work just to use up an hour.

    Because our Client Service Specialists specialize in financial-advisory operations and work directly within the systems and processes your firm already uses, even a relatively small monthly retainer can cover a surprising amount of administrative work. And if your needs grow, you can always increase your monthly retainer or use additional service capacity when available.

  • No. VOS does not offer discounted pricing in exchange for an annual commitment or a certain number of retainer hours.

    Our pricing is already structured to be as transparent and efficient as possible: we bill by the minute for the actual Services provided, rather than rounding up, charging in blocks of time, or building unused capacity into our rates.

    Your monthly retainer reserves a set amount of VOS service capacity, and you can adjust that retainer as your needs change. We would rather keep the relationship flexible and charge fairly for the time you actually use than lock Advisors into long-term commitments in exchange for a discount.

  • Your monthly retainer reserves a specific amount of VOS service capacity for your firm and represents the minimum amount billed each month. Because that capacity has been reserved for you, unused service time does not automatically carry forward to a future month unless VOS agrees otherwise in writing.

    That said, we are very good at finding productive ways to use available time. If your immediate workload is lighter than expected, your Client Service Specialist can turn to lower-priority or proactive projects such as filing and document organization, beneficiary reviews and updates, CRM cleanup, workflow writing and implementation, procedure documentation, project work, account maintenance, and other operational tasks that often get pushed aside during busier periods.

    We also provide a weekly retainer update so you always know exactly how much service time has been used toward your monthly retainer. That visibility makes it easier to identify available capacity early in the month and decide where that time can add the most value before the month ends.

  • We understand that your needs may change over time, and your retainer does not have to remain static forever. If your workload increases or you decide you would benefit from additional VOS support, just let us know. We can discuss increasing your monthly retainer based on your needs and available service capacity.

    Likewise, if your firm becomes more efficient, your workload decreases, or you simply no longer need the same level of support, we can discuss reducing your retainer to better reflect your current needs.

    Our goal is to make sure your retainer continues to make sense for your firm, not to keep you committed to more service capacity than you actually need.

  • There is no long-term contract requirement under our standard Client Agreement. Either party may terminate the relationship in accordance with the termination provisions of the Agreement. We want Advisors to continue working with VOS because the relationship provides value, not because they are locked into a lengthy contract.

  • VOS uses Ruddr, a professional time-tracking and services-management platform, to record the time spent providing Services to your firm.

    Your Client Service Specialist tracks time by service level and activity as Services are performed, so each entry reflects both the amount of time used and the type of service provided. Because VOS bills by the minute, Ruddr allows us to capture actual service time rather than rounding up or billing in fixed blocks.

    Each week, you will receive a retainer update showing how much time has been used toward your monthly retainer and how much capacity remains. That update also includes a detailed Ruddr time report, giving you clear visibility into the services performed, the applicable service level, and how your retainer time is being used.

WHY VOS?

  • Outsourcing allows Advisors and internal professionals to spend more time on activities that require their expertise while experienced operational professionals handle repeatable administrative work. A specialized virtual support partner can give your firm additional operational capacity without requiring you to build every administrative function internally. The right provider can help with client onboarding, paperwork, CRM management, scheduling, money movement, transfer follow-up, document management, reporting, rebalancing and trading, planning support, and other recurring operational responsibilities.

    Outsourcing can also reduce bottlenecks, improve follow-up, create greater consistency, strengthen documentation, and give the firm access to specialized knowledge without having to develop every capability internally. It can provide additional capacity during periods of growth without requiring the firm to immediately expand its internal workforce.

    For many Advisors, the biggest benefit is simple: less time spent managing administrative work and more time available for clients, growth, and strategic decision-making.

  • Specialization matters. Look for a provider with direct financial services experience, strong security practices, familiarity with the systems your firm uses, documented service standards, and an understanding of the difference between administrative support and activities that require investment-advisory authority.

    Industry knowledge should be near the top of the list. You should also evaluate cybersecurity practices, confidentiality requirements, insurance coverage, service continuity, communication standards, experience with custodians and advisory technology, and whether the provider understands the regulatory environment in which RIAs operate. Ask how the provider handles client information, continuity of service, documentation, turnaround times, and communication.

    Just as importantly, determine whether the service can grow with your firm and provide access to different levels of expertise as your needs become more complex. VOS was built specifically to support fiduciary financial advisors. Rather than operating as a general virtual-assistant service, our Client Service Specialists work within the financial-advisory environment and are already familiar with custodians, CRM platforms, account paperwork, transfers, distributions, financial-planning systems, client service, compliance-sensitive processes, and other operational needs common to RIAs.

  • Absolutely. We’re happy to connect prospective Advisors with current VOS clients who can speak candidly about their experience working with us.

    Because we value our clients’ time and privacy, we coordinate references individually rather than publishing client contact information. When appropriate, we’ll introduce you to an Advisor whose firm, service needs, or VOS relationship is reasonably similar to what you’re considering.

    We want you to feel comfortable doing your due diligence before partnering with VOS, and sometimes the best way to understand what working with us is really like is to hear directly from someone who already does.

  • The financial advisory space is constantly evolving, so staying current is built into the way VOS operates. We monitor changes across custodians, technology platforms, workflows, cybersecurity practices, operational procedures, and other developments that affect the day-to-day work of advisory firms.

    We also maintain a formal Continuing Education Initiative designed to keep our Service Providers informed and continually expanding their knowledge. That may include internal educational sessions, resource sharing, platform updates, process reviews, and guidance around new tools or changing industry practices.

    One of our greatest resources is also our own network of experienced professionals. We actively use our internal Microsoft Teams chat to crowdsource knowledge across VOS, allowing Service Providers to ask questions, share updates, compare experiences, and tap into the collective expertise of people working across different advisory firms, custodians, platforms, and operational environments. That shared knowledge helps us solve problems faster and continually expand our internal knowledge base. And by proxy, our advisors always benefit from that shared knowledge as well.

    Our goal is not simply to react when something changes. We want to build the systems, resources, and knowledge base that help our team recognize changes early, understand how they affect our Advisors, and adapt our services accordingly.

  • Two things about VOS consistently surprise Advisors, and both are worth asking about when you compare us with any outsourced service provider.

    First, VOS carries its own cybersecurity and Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance. That matters when you are giving an outside provider access to sensitive client information, custodial platforms, your CRM, and other critical systems. Our insurance provides an additional layer of protection for VOS, your practice, your clients, and your reputation. When evaluating any outsourced provider, we strongly recommend asking whether they carry their own coverage rather than assuming they do.

    Second, our billing model is unusually straightforward. VOS bills in arrears and by the minute. Your monthly retainer reserves your service capacity, and you pay for that retainer plus any additional Services you actually use above it. You are not required to prepay for future work, we do not round time into artificial billing blocks, and there are no overage penalties simply because you needed more support in a particular month.

    Those details may not seem like the first questions to ask when choosing an outsourcing partner, but they can make a significant difference. When comparing providers, ask two simple questions:

    “Do you carry your own cybersecurity and E&O insurance?”

    and

    “Exactly how, and when, will I be billed?”

    The answers can tell you a great deal about the protection, transparency, and flexibility built into the relationship.

  • Because VOS was built specifically for the financial advisory space. We are not a general virtual-assistant company trying to learn your industry as we go. Our Client Service Specialists already understand the systems, custodians, paperwork, workflows, client-service expectations, and operational details that are part of running an advisory firm.

    We also take much of the burden of building an operations team off your plate. VOS handles the recruiting, screening, skills assessment, orientation, continuing education, service standards, coverage, and continuity behind the scenes. You do not have to post jobs, sort through resumes, conduct rounds of interviews, or start from the beginning every time your support needs change.

    Our model also gives you access to more than just one person. Your primary CSS becomes deeply familiar with your firm, while still having the broader VOS network, management team, and collective knowledge base available for support. We regularly crowdsource experience across our internal Teams community, so the knowledge gained from working with many different advisors, custodians, platforms, and situations ultimately benefits every VOS client.

    We are also intentionally transparent. We bill by the minute, provide detailed time reporting and weekly retainer updates, document our work in your CRM, and make sure you can see what has been done, what comes next, and when it will happen.

    Most importantly, the reason VOS exists is to make Advisors’ lives easier. We want to remove administrative friction, help you build better processes, and give you more time to focus on your clients and your business. We are not the right fit for every firm, and we are comfortable saying so, but when the relationship is collaborative and the model fits, VOS can become a true extension of your practice.

    Are there learning curves? Of course. Every advisory firm operates differently, and it takes time to learn each firm’s systems, preferences, workflows, and client-service approach.

    What sets VOS apart is the baseline our Service Providers bring to the table. Because of our screening process, operational structure, shared resources, continuing education, and collective knowledge base, VOS team members begin each engagement with a level of financial-services knowledge, functionality, and practical experience that is well above what Advisors typically encounter when starting fresh with new support.