Pewaukee financial advisory firm Ellenbecker Investment Group has launched a Money Sense Smartphone app, making it one of the first financial planning and consulting firms to do so.
President Karen Ellenbecker came up with the idea for the app when a man said he never misses an episode of her longstanding WISN AM 1130 weekend radio show, “Money Sense,” but isn’t her customer.
“What happens is basically people listen to my radio show, they love my show, and by Monday they get busy,” Ellenbecker said. “This way, what they can do is they could listen to your show or on the app they can download and it says, basically, call me.”
It took about four months to move the app from the idea to creation phase because of the compliance rules that apply to EIG, like FINRA and disclosures, she said. The company also made a mobile website to go along with the app.
The app will include access to past broadcasts of Money Sense, information about past and future guests on the show and access to contact information for EIG.
Money Sense listeners can then get financial advice from the program on their own time, whenever they’re available and connect more easily with its host.
Ellenbecker also hopes the app will target a younger, more technologically inclined customer base.
“We’ve asked our clients to send it to their children,” she said. “One of the things we’d like to do is when our clients pass away and the children inherit the money, they know who we are.”
iPhone and Android users can download the app by texting MSAPP to 69302.