The webinar was moderated by April Rudin, founder and CEO of The Rudin Group, and the speakers were: 

-- Scott Davis, a senior advisor with AdvicePeriod who has worked in the global financial services sector for almost two decades. Prior to AdvicePeriod, Davis worked at Convergent Wealth Advisors.

-- Christine Remington is the accounts payable manager with AdvicePeriod and responsible for overseeing bill pay operations for many of the firm’s ultra-HNW clients. She previously worked at Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman.

-- April Rudin, the founder and CEO of the Rudin Group, is a globally-recognized thought leader in wealth management marketing and branding. 

The sponsoring partner for the webinar was Bill.com
 

The discussion explored how the traditional wealth management model is evolving from episodic advice toward a more continuous client engagement framework, with operational services such as bill pay increasingly viewed as central to the client experience.

“Bill pay is no longer just an administrative function,” Rudin said during the session. “It creates ongoing touchpoints and allows advisors to become more deeply embedded in clients’ financial lives.”

Joining Rudin were Davis and Remington, who outlined how AdvicePeriod has integrated bill pay into its broader wealth management offering and why the service has become an important source of both client engagement and revenue generation.

Growing demand for integrated services
AdvicePeriod introduced bill pay services in response to growing client demand for more holistic financial oversight, Davis explained. The firm initially adopted a technology solution to complement existing reporting and accounting capabilities before gradually integrating bill pay into its wider service model.

“What started as a complementary offering has evolved into a meaningful part of the business,” Davis said.

According to a poll conducted during the webinar, approximately 60 per cent of participants said their firms do not offer bill pay services, underscoring what speakers described as a significant opportunity for advisory firms seeking to differentiate themselves.

Davis said the appeal of bill pay lies partly in its flexibility and ease of use for clients across varying levels of financial sophistication. He added that integrating payment management with accounting and reporting systems provides advisors with a more comprehensive view of a client's finances.

The service also enables firms to systematize financial processes, improve governance and generate more detailed analytics on spending patterns and cost variances.

Advisors acting as “mini CFOs”
Speakers emphasized that bill pay services can elevate the advisor’s role beyond investment management.

Davis noted that firms offering bill pay must be prepared to analyze large amounts of financial data and provide actionable insights, effectively positioning advisors as “mini-CFOs” for clients.

He cited one case in which bill pay analytics helped uncover a significant financial anomaly that ultimately saved a client money.

Christine Remington, who oversees bill pay operations for ultra-high net worth clients at AdvicePeriod, said her background working with entertainment industry clients helped prepare her for handling complex financial arrangements and high transaction volumes.

The operational demands can be substantial, she noted, particularly when managing multiple entities, recurring payments and detailed reporting requirements.

Flexible pricing and positioning
AdvicePeriod positions bill pay services differently depending on the client relationship. In some cases, the offering is introduced during the onboarding process as part of a broader family office-style relationship, while in others it is added later to address specific client pain points.

Davis said the firm takes a flexible approach designed to “fill gaps” in a client’s financial life.

Pricing structures also vary. Some clients are billed hourly, while others bundle bill pay into broader advisory or family office service packages. Complexity, transaction volume and customization needs often determine the fee structure.

Speakers agreed that the key to success lies in demonstrating value beyond basic transaction processing.

“It’s about simplifying the client’s life,” Davis said. “When done well, bill pay becomes another layer of trust and integration within the overall advisory relationship.”