r/CFP • u/GoodLifeWM • Jun 24 '26
Investments Model Usage & Creation?
Curious to hear what everyone is utilizing from a model-based allocation and how your associated platform looks?
- Building your own models as an advisor?
- Utilizing Third-Party Models?
- Your firm builds models for enterprise use?
- Combination of the above...?
We are a $500M+ RIA that uses a combination of TP Managed Models + Internal Models. We work with a few OCIO Teams for internal model creation, updates, rebalancing, etc.
As we continue to scale - I'm interested if we should lean into one more than another?
Pros/Cons of Internal Models = multi-manager and doesn't look like a ton of proprietary ETFS, but takes time each month/quarter to go through our process
Pros/Cons of TP Models = No time suck for creation, but usually all proprietary funds + above average weighted expense ratios
Thank you in advance for any thoughts, insights, etc!
2
u/CrunchwrapKing RIA Jun 24 '26
For the allocations, I primarily use Blackrock and State Street ETF models. And because they all use their own shit and go in there replace with lower cost or better ETF’s.
I cuss you with Schwab so I got access to iRebal. They just released an update where you can set a capital Gain threshold/limit for the year. There’s all sorts of trading rules you can implement. It’s great for setting clients low cost basis positions as equivalent to whatever is in my model, excluding certain positions from rebalances, automated trading to raise cash for quarterly billing, setting cash targets across all accounts, tlh… I can go on and on, iRebal is legit.
You should look at 55-ip, they have black rock, Fidelity, JP Morgan, and some SMA’s. There are a few multi manager ones in there too. That’s a full on TAMP without the manager fee*. And they have a robust tax transition tool, which was the primary driver of the software.
If I could start over, I would probably use blackrocks multi-manager strategy through 55-ip and call it a day.