# Replacing the Paper Fact-Find: Digital Client Onboarding for Financial Advisors

Source: https://wealthstack.io/advisor-guides/digital-client-onboarding-fact-find-financial-advisors-south-africa

By Vincent Heys, Founder of Wealthstack and qualified actuary. Last updated 2026-10-02.

> **In short:** Wealthstack replaces much of the manual fact-find with an adaptive digital questionnaire that takes clients about seven minutes. It creates the client's dashboard and a first-draft needs analysis automatically, and links in policies from more than 70 South African providers.

Ask most South African advisors where their admin time goes and the fact-find is near the top of the list. Long forms, missing information, follow-up emails, and then capturing it all again before any real analysis can start.

[Wealthstack](https://wealthstack.io/advisor-guides/wealthstack-platform-financial-advisors-south-africa) replaces much of that process with a guided digital questionnaire that builds the client's dashboard as it goes.

## What does digital onboarding look like in practice?

The client's part takes about seven minutes.

Questions adapt to each answer, so a young professional without children and a family with a bond and three kids see different follow-up questions. When they're done, Wealthstack creates their dashboard automatically, with a [first-draft set of goals](https://wealthstack.io/advisor-guides/financial-needs-analysis-software-south-africa) that gives them and you a consistent starting point for your needs analysis.

### Option 1: The client onboards themselves

You copy your personal onboarding link from the Advisor Console and send it to the client. They complete the questionnaire when it suits them, create a username and password, and can book a meeting in your calendar straight away.

This works well for new referrals. By the time you first meet, you already have their information in front of you.

### Option 2: You onboard the client together

Some clients prefer a conversation. You can run the same questionnaire with them in your office or during a video call.

The dashboard is created as an internal dashboard, visible to you but without a client login. You can refine the plan first, then click "Send invite" when you're ready for the client to see it. They set up their own access without redoing any of the onboarding.

## What about existing clients?

This is where a lot of time is saved.

Through Seed Analytics, Wealthstack connects to more than 70 South African product providers, so your existing clients' policies and investments come through automatically. The Advisor Console shows a "Clients with no dashboard" list, so you can see exactly which clients still need to be set up.

For each one, you can either:

- **Send an invite.** The client completes the seven-minute questionnaire and their existing portfolio [links to their dashboard](https://wealthstack.io/advisor-guides/consolidate-family-policies-investments-financial-advisors-south-africa) automatically.
- **Onboard them yourself.** Their provider data pulls straight into the new dashboard, and you can invite them to log in later.

## The practical difference

Less capturing, fewer follow-ups, and a client who sees a professional, organised process from the first interaction. For a practice trying to grow, that's time you get back for advice.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can Wealthstack replace my paper fact-find?

For many advisors, yes. The seven-minute adaptive questionnaire captures the core information and builds the client's dashboard and goals automatically.

### Will my existing clients' policies come through?

Through Seed Analytics, Wealthstack connects to more than 70 providers. Once a client is onboarded, their existing portfolio links to their dashboard.

### Can I prepare a plan before the client sees it?

Yes. Advisor-led onboarding creates an internal dashboard, and you choose when to send the client an invite.

## See how it works

If the fact-find is where your week disappears, we'd be glad to show you a different way. [Book a Demo](https://wealthstack.io/book-a-demo)