FAQs for Financial Advisors

TradePMR is a custodial services and technology provider 100% focused on supporting growth-minded Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs). TradePMR was founded by Robb Baldwin, a former RIA, who set out to build a platform that serves RIAs the way he felt they needed to be served, with professionalism, efficiency, and care. Since 1998, TradePMR has successfully delivered high-touch service and advanced technology that helps RIAs grow and service their clients.

TradePMR serves growth-oriented Registered Investment Advisors that work with individual investors. The firm exclusively works with RIAs, no other types of advisors. RIAs that can benefit most from TradePMR’s offering are advisory firms that value strong service and can leverage that streamlined support with advanced technology to help their practice grow. TradePMR has experience working with established RIAs as well as breakaway brokers – the firm does not typically work with startup RIAs but is open to discuss options on an ad-hoc basis.

TradePMR currently serves approximately 400 RIA firms. Over the last several years, the average size of RIAs onboarded to the TradePMR platform has been around $350 million in client assets under management, however firms range significantly in size and assets. TradePMR has set out to achieve sustainable growth, meaning the firm doesn't accept every RIA that expresses interest in working with the provider. The firm has maintained a disciplined approach to growth that ensures the TradePMR team can continue delivering high-touch, white-glove service to RIAs at scale. As a private company, TradePMR does not publish the total amount of assets on the firm's platform. 

No, TradePMR does not have a set minimum AUM for RIAs to leverage the firm for custodial services and technology. Instead, TradePMR evaluates each individual advisory firm to determine if it would be a good fit. The provider looks to work with growth-minded advisors who can truly benefit from its offering – if TradePMR does not feel like the relationship would be mutually beneficial it will not proceed with an engagement.

We evaluate each RIA individually and develop a personalized pricing structure designed to work for both parties. If you’d be interested in learning more, please contact sales@tradepmr.com.

TradePMR is led by an executive team comprised of Robb Baldwin, founder and CEO, Rob Dilbone, Managing Director, Scott Victoria, Chief Operating Officer, Charles Christensen, Chief Financial Officer, and James Halvosa, Chief Compliance Officer.

TradePMR is 100% focused on serving RIA businesses and is committed to offering no retail channel to fulfill that mission. When a custodial service provider works directly with individual investors, there is an opportunity for that provider to compete with RIAs for client accounts. TradePMR exists to facilitate the work advisors do for their clients, not compete with those RIAs for clients.

At TradePMR, pricing begins with a conversation, not a rate sheet. An internal committee consisting of leadership, sales, compliance, and finance reviews each RIA’s unique profile to better understand that firm’s operations, structure, and goals. The committee then develops a customized pricing proposal designed to fit the needs of the unique RIA.

Audited financial data on Trade-PMR Inc. can be viewed on EDGAR.

Fusion is TradePMR’s central technology hub. It is a unified platform wherein advisors can manage and review client information, open new accounts, submit requests for service, and execute trades. The platform offers customizable widgets and an intuitive dashboard to enable easy navigation from one task to the next – advisors and service team members who are new to Fusion typically require minimal training to get up-and-running. In addition to its broad capabilities, Fusion also integrates with a wide variety of industry-leading vendors.

Account Management: A clear view of account details, history, and account demographics, as well as seamless digital account opening.

Trading: A variety of trading tools, including Model Trading, Model Sleeve Trading, Position Trading, Basket Trading, and Trailing Stops.

Fee Calculation: A robust fee system that makes it simple to process fees in a timely manner. 

Client Relationship Management: CRM capabilities which enable advisors to easily find client accounts, enter notes, and review account demographics. 

Insight Advisor Portal: A 24/7 support platform with videos and step-by-step instructions on virtually every offering available in Fusion.

TradePMR offers a client portal via the provider’s clearing firm. The portal, named Access Online, offers clients the ability to view account information at any point. Through Access Online, clients can also set electronic delivery preferences for their account statements, trade confirmations, tax documents and shareholder communications.

For a list of TradePMR’s most popular integrations, download the Integrations Guide.

While TradePMR offers a broad range of API integrations with third-party providers, the firm can also establish data feed integrations with nearly any vendor in the industry.

TradePMR updates Fusion according to a robust technology roadmap and ongoing feedback from advisors. The provider looks to stay on the cutting edge of industry technology while delivering solutions that RIAs want and need. Fusion is updated every two weeks with new features and enhancements. The releases are conducted outside of market hours and after business hours. These updates are communicated to advisors via the Insight Advisor Portal and email communications.

TradePMR’s proprietary platform, Fusion, is available in a web-based environment and is accessible from nearly any device, including Windows and Apple computers, tablets, and mobile devices.

RIAs working with TradePMR have a dedicated relationship manager from TradePMR's Advisor Services Group. This individual acts as an advocate for the RIA within TradePMR and across the various departments. Operations representatives for RIAs are also introduced to key team members at TradePMR in each department (Trading desk, Cashiering, New Accounts, etc.) who will build strong, first-name-basis relationships with the full RIA team.  TradePMR does not offer a tiered support system because our dedication to service dictates that all firms, regardless of size, should expect nothing less than white-glove service.  For larger and more complex firms, we may assign more than one primary associate to ensure that all needs are met or exceeded.

Advisors can submit service requests across a broad range of business activities within Fusion. Once submitted, advisors can easily track where those requests stand, which TradePMR department is tackling those requests, and who to contact for an update if needed. Advisors can personalize alert settings to ensure they are up-to-date on each service request, with notifications available within Fusion, via text and/or email.

TradePMR turnover is minimal within both our Transitions team and Advisor Services team. These positions are coveted by staff and generally only well-tenured employees are considered for these positions. Our average team member across these groups has been with TradePMR for 4.2 years.

When transitioning to TradePMR, RIAs will have frequent meetings with the TradePMR Transitions team to determine required actions, develop a plan, and set specific goals to meet the RIA’s desired timeline. The Transitions team leverages high-touch service alongside advanced technology to get advisors and their clients onboarded to TradePMR quickly and accurately.

RIAs can contact the TradePMR Transitions team at any point during the move. For afterhours communications, RIAs are provided with the transition project coordinator's cell phone number.

The TradePMR Transitions team uses an account transfer tool to help move hundreds of accounts to the Fusion platform at once. The tool identifies missing information and documentation to help streamline advisor-client communications and requests.

Yes, TradePMR offers services for the following account types:

Individual, Joint, JTWROS, Joint Tenants in Common, Tenants by Entirety, Joint Tenants - Community, Property/Guardian/Conservatorship, Custodian - UTMA/UGMA, Traditional IRA, Rollover IRA, Roth IRA, SEP, Simple IRAs, Custodian IRA, Custodian Roth IRA, Beneficiary IRA, Beneficiary Roth IRA, Coverdell Education Savings, Business Accounts (LLC, Partnership, Corp.), and Non-Profit/Estate/Trusts.

1. Fully digital onboarding through Docusign.

2. Partially completed applications available through Docusign allow advisors to send incomplete applications to clients for both completion and signature.

3. Upload signed documents – allows for an external Docusign or e-signature product to be used then uploaded to Fusion for verification and processing.

Yes, advisors can open trusts under agreement (living trusts, family trusts, marital trusts, special needs trusts, etc.) and testamentary trusts within Fusion. RIAs can also leverage select third-party trust service providers.

TradePMR offers banking services via the provider’s clearing firm, including debit cards, check writing, checking accounts, online & mobile bill pay, Certificates of Deposit (CD’s) and securities-based lending.

TradePMR offers securities-based lending and priority credit lines via the provider’s clearing firm.

TradePMR provides RIAs with client account statements and offers integrated reporting options with Orion and Black Diamond.

Yes, TradePMR can service international clients.

For a complete list of allowable and limited countries and territories, contact sales@tradepmr.com.

The Fusion platform provides advisors with a wide range of trading options, including Model Trading, Model Sleeve Trading, Position Trading, Basket Trading, and Trailing Stops.

RIA team members can connect directly with TradePMR’s Trading department to discuss Fusion’s capabilities, navigate potential issues, and share feedback on the offering. The Trading department has extensive experience helping RIAs leverage TradePMR’s expansive trading options.

TradePMR and its clearing firm can custody a number of alternative investments, including hedge funds, REITs, Business Development Companies (BDCs), managed futures, direct participation programs (DPPs), Limited Partnerships (LPs), promissory notes, and private stock. Advisors can also leverage third-party providers to take advantage of alternative assets not available on the platform. TradePMR does not currently offer cryptocurrency or marijuana stocks within the Fusion platform.

TradePMR has FIX connections with a range of leading third-party vendors. For a full list of TradePMR’s integrations and FIX connection, download the Integrations Guide.

TradePMR provides a wide array of cash processing options including standing instructions and sweeps to interest-bearing accounts.  Deposit holds are typically 7 business days on all physical checks, with the funds available for withdrawal on the 8th business day. However, all funds deposited are available for trading immediately.

Yes, TradePMR offers advisors the ability to set up Periodic Standing Letters of Authorization for all money movement service requests, including IRA and Non-IRA accounts.

Yes, TradePMR can accept checks for deposit via check scanner. The TradePMR team can provide RIAs with the appropriate scanner, cost depending on the RIA’s assets maintained on the Fusion platform.