Paraplanning Request Form: Training Guide
1. Introduction
The Paraplanning Request Form (PRF) is a new feature in Meeting Ally that uses AI to generate a structured, high-quality paraplanning request directly from your meeting file notes. It captures your strategy, investment recommendations, scope of advice, goals, fees, and projections — producing a ready-to-use request document for your paraplanner.
The PRF is now available to all advisors on Meeting Ally — not just Direct Wealth. While Direct Wealth-specific configuration (rate cards, model portfolios, SMAs, and risk profiles) has been set up first, the tool is designed for as many users as possible and broader configuration will follow.
ℹ Note Direct Wealth advisors: your specific models, SMAs, rate cards, and risk profiles have already been entered. Desiree is your point of contact for the PRF and any setup questions — she is also new to the tool, so please be patient as she gets across it.
2. Understanding V2 File Notes
The PRF can only be generated from V2 file notes. If you try to use the PRF on an older (V1) file note, you will need to convert it first — see Section 3.
What's new in V2
V2 file notes have a significantly different structure to V1. If you are familiar with V1 you will notice several changes — this is important to understand before assuming information is "missing".
Key differences in V2:
- The file note now includes a Prepare Advice section with Scope of Advice and Goals captured directly from your meeting recording.
- Scope of advice is no longer a separate step — it is inferred from the meeting and embedded in the file note. You will see it there, not as a standalone field in the PRF.
- Tasks are now a first-class feature — click the Tasks tab within any file note to see and manage tasks linked to that meeting.
- The Generate button now offers multiple output options: Generate PRF ROA, Generate PRF SOA, and Follow-up email.
⚠ Important Do not assume information is missing just because it looks different to V1. The scope of advice, goals, and strategy are now captured in the file note itself. The PRF reads directly from this — you will not be asked to re-enter it.
3. Converting a V1 File Note to V2
If you open a file note and see a blue banner at the top saying "This file note is on an older version. Update it to unlock our newest features." — that is a V1 file note and it needs to be converted before you can run the PRF.
How to convert
1
Open the file note
Navigate to the relevant meeting file note in Meeting Ally.
2
Click the blue banner
"This file note is on an older version. Update it to unlock our newest features." — click this banner.
The blue banner appears at the top of any V1 file note.
3
Review the warning
An "Update meeting" modal will appear explaining that updating re-runs the meeting on the latest AI model.
The Update meeting modal — note the warning that manual edits will be lost.
4
Click Update
Confirm by clicking the Update button. The system will reprocess the meeting and notify you when it is ready to review.
⚠ Important This action cannot be undone. Any manual edits you have made to the V1 file note or fact find will be lost when converting. Ensure you have noted any important manual changes before proceeding.
4. How the PRF Agent Works
The PRF is a true AI agent system — it is not a static form. It reads your file note, determines what it already knows, and only asks for information it genuinely needs. This keeps the process fast and avoids asking obvious questions.
Question types
The agent uses three types of questions:
Don't ask
Where the agent is certain of the answer from the file note or context — it will state the answer and move on without asking.
Confirmation question
Where the agent thinks it knows the answer but wants to verify — it will offer a pre-filled option you can confirm or override.
Free text field
Where the agent does not have enough context — you will see a text field to type your response.
Where context comes from
The agent draws context from two sources:
- Your meeting file note — the primary source. The richer and more complete your file note, the fewer questions you will be asked.
- Your messages during the PRF session — anything you type in the chat window is used as additional context throughout the session.
✓ Tip The initial message — the very first question the agent asks after summarising scope — is the best place to add any extra context, corrections, or instructions before the session begins. Use it. The more you provide here, the smoother the rest of the PRF will run.
ℹ Note "Something else" is available at every single question in the PRF. If none of the pre-filled options match your situation, select Something else and type your answer freely.
5. Running the PRF — Step by Step
Step 1: Open a V2 File Note and Launch the PRF
Navigate to the meeting file note for the client you want to generate a PRF for. Ensure it is a V2 file note (no blue update banner). Click the Generate button in the top right, then select either Generate PRF ROA or Generate PRF SOA depending on the document type required.
Click Generate → Generate PRF ROA or Generate PRF SOA to launch the PRF.
ℹ Note Risk profile warning: when the PRF launches, you may see a warning indicating whether the risk profile being used is your licensee's configured profile or the default one loaded in Meeting Ally. Check this before proceeding — if you are seeing the default, confirm with Desiree that your licensee's risk profile has been set up.
Step 2: Review Scope and Send Your Initial Message
The PRF panel opens on the right-hand side, titled "Paraplanning request — SOA" (or ROA). The agent will immediately read your file note and present a summary of what it has identified as In Scope and Out of Scope for the advice.
It will then ask: "Is there anything you wanted to update about this or any additional information you wanted to provide me with before we get started?"
The PRF opens with a scope summary — In Scope and Out of Scope — before asking for your initial message.
✓ Tip This is your most important input point. Use this initial message to correct any scope errors, add strategy context the file note may not have captured, or flag anything unusual about the case. The agent will carry this context through every subsequent question.
Step 3: Current Position — Upload Portfolio Reports
The agent will ask you to upload the client's account statements. These are used solely for investment modelling in the PRF — specifically to extract current holdings and run the investment comparison.
Accepted file formats: PDF, Word, CSV, or text files. You can upload multiple files at once (one per account). After uploading, the agent will extract the portfolio details and display them in a panel on the right. It will then ask you to confirm the holdings are correct.
ℹ Note This is not a full current position data capture — it is portfolio statements only, for investment modelling purposes. A comprehensive current position module (covering all assets and liabilities) has been built for the Advice Builder that follows the PRF. Do not skip this step if you need investment comparison modelling.
Upload one portfolio statement per account — the agent extracts current holdings automatically.
If you do not need investment modelling, you can click "Skip — enter manually" to proceed without uploading.
Step 4: Current Position Questions
After confirming the holdings, the agent will work through the Current Position section. This typically includes confirming current adviser fees, fee method (direct debit or invoice), and any ongoing commissions. Answers will be pre-filled where the agent can extract them from the uploaded statements — you simply confirm or correct.
Step 5: Strategy Questions
Strategy sections are generated based on what was discussed in the meeting. For example, if a re-contribution strategy was discussed, the agent will ask where the re-contribution should go and confirm the destination account. These questions are case-specific and will vary.
Step 6: Scope Confirmation
The agent presents a Scope section with tabs for each area of advice identified. For each tab, it will ask a confirmation question — for example, if insurance is in scope but no needs analysis was found, it will ask how to treat it. Select the appropriate option or use Something else to provide your own answer.
Scope tabs — each area of advice gets its own confirmation question.
Step 7: Goals
The agent presents the goals it has captured from the file note — these are written in client-friendly language directly from the meeting recording. You will be asked: "Would you like to keep these as-is, change any wording, add new goals, or remove any?" You can respond Keep, request edits, or type specific changes.
Step 8: Product Recommendations
This section covers the investment strategy. It contains four sub-sections:
- Model portfolio — the agent identifies the target risk profile from the file note and presents the configured models for that platform. Select the appropriate model (e.g., Thrive Growth 70/30, Index Growth 70/30).
- Other platform portfolios — for accounts on platforms outside the primary recommendation (e.g., insurance-only super accounts retained for cover), the agent asks how to handle the investments in those accounts.
- Proposed scope — confirmation of which accounts are being restructured, including any that span multiple financial years (e.g., a re-contribution staged over two FY).
- Alternatives — a multi-select list of alternative platforms to model for comparison. The agent will automatically identify alternatives where the recommended model portfolio is available. Select all you want compared, or select Skip alternatives if not required.
ℹ Note Fee and product data is pulled directly from the Chant West database to ensure accurate and current fee comparisons across platforms and model portfolios. Rate cards configured by Desiree are applied automatically.
Step 9: The Investment Comparison Widget
After Product Recommendations are confirmed, the Investment Comparison widget is generated and displayed in the right-hand panel. This is one of the most powerful parts of the PRF.
The widget shows:
- A fee comparison table — current position vs. recommended position vs. each alternative platform, broken down by ongoing fees, admin fee, ICR, portfolio rebate, implementation costs, and asset allocation.
- A flow diagram — showing how each account moves from current to proposed (the blue/purple nodes represent current accounts on the left and proposed accounts on the right, with transaction descriptions in the middle).
The Investment Comparison widget — fee table (top) and account flow diagram (bottom).
ℹ Note The investment comparison widget contains everything your paraplanner needs for investment modelling. The one thing it does not yet show inline is the specific investment options within each model — however, a feature is being built that will allow you to click on the blue/purple flow chart nodes to view the investment options in a modal. This will eliminate the need to reference the context window for fund details.
You can click on any fee line item (e.g., ICR) to open a breakdown modal showing the individual fund holdings, their balances, rates, and costs. A more detailed view is also available for those who want to drill further into the underlying investment options and their fee rates — this is currently accessible from within the widget.
Clicking a fee line (e.g. ICR) opens a breakdown showing each fund holding, its balance and rate.
ℹ Note Coming soon: clicking directly on the blue/purple flow chart nodes will show the investment options for that account in a modal. This will make it even easier to verify fund details without leaving the widget.
Once you are happy with the proposed and alternative scenarios shown, confirm to proceed.
Step 10: Projections
The agent will ask whether you want projections included and, if so, for which scenarios (proposed only, proposed vs. current, or alternative scenarios). The Projection section has seven sub-sections covering retirement age assumptions, one-off events, income changes, expense changes, pension drawdown, cashflow deficit handling, and surplus handling.
Most sub-sections use free text fields — type your instructions for the paraplanner directly. For example: "Assume Jessica retires at 65" or "Include the $50,000 car replacement in FY29." The agent will also extract relevant detail from the file note where it can — for example, flagging events mentioned in the meeting that may need further confirmation from the paraplanner before modelling.
The Projection section has 7 sub-sections — most use free-text fields for your instructions to the paraplanner.
Chart and table selections (e.g., cashflow consolidated table, CALM table, assets table, net assets chart) follow the standard Xplan/X Tools Plus outputs. These selections will be saved as advisor preferences in a future release, so you won't need to re-select them each time.
✓ Tip Coming soon: advisor preferences will be built into the PRF so that default options (modelling time frames, chart types, standard assumptions) are pre-loaded for you. Until then, set these manually each session.
Step 11: Fees
The Fee section asks for the upfront fee type (Advice Fee, Implementation Fee, both, or nil) and the amount and source account. Confirm or enter these details.
Step 12: Review and Download
Once all sections are complete, the agent will say "Your request form is ready — let me know if you need any changes." The right-hand panel now shows the complete PRF document including:
- Scope of Advice (In Scope and Out of Scope)
- Goals in client-friendly language
- Product recommendations with account flow details
- Standing investment instructions (pension payments, distributions, contributions, withdrawals)
- Projection requirements and assumptions
- Fee schedule (upfront and ongoing)
- Insurance commissions (where applicable)
Click Copy to clipboard to copy the PRF text, or click Download to save it as a file. The complete PRF is structured as a paraplanning-ready document covering:
- Scope of Advice — In Scope and Out of Scope items with reasons
- Goals — written in client-friendly language from the meeting
- Strategies and reasons — the recommended strategies with rationale
- Alternative strategies considered — automatically generated
- Product recommendations — model portfolios applied to each account
- Investment alternatives — comparison platforms modelled
- Asset allocation — with reasoning for any positions outside the target balance
- Investment recommendation instructions — implementation sequencing with correct account numbers
- Projection requirements — assumptions and instructions ready for Xplan
- Fee schedule — upfront and ongoing fees
- Insurance commissions — where applicable
When complete, the SOA Request Form populates the right panel — ready to copy or download.
✓ Tip Need to make a change after the PRF is complete? Simply type your change request into the chat (e.g., "I want to change the investment recommendation for John's pension"). Odin will return you to the relevant section to update it. You do not need to Start Over for post-completion edits.
6. Current Limitations & Workarounds
Investment Bonds and TTR Platforms
Investment bonds and Transition to Retirement (TTR) platforms — including CFS TTR Pension — are not yet available for modelling in the investment comparison widget. If your client has a TTR, model it as a regular pension account in the meantime. This is actively being worked on.
Making Changes During a Session
If you have completed the PRF and want to make a change, simply type your request into the chat. Odin will take you back to the relevant section — for example, typing "I want to change the investment model" will return you to the product recommendations section to update it. You do not need to restart for post-completion edits.
However, going back to amend an answer mid-session (before completion) is not yet fully supported. If you need to change an earlier answer while still working through the PRF, you will need to use the Start Over button in the top right corner to begin again.
✓ Tip Before clicking Start Over, copy your initial message from the current session. When you restart, paste it into the initial message field and tweak as needed — this saves you from retyping all the context you provided at the start.
A fix for mid-session regeneration is expected in the coming days.
All Configured Models and SMAs
All model portfolios and SMAs provided by Desiree have been entered into the system. If you believe a model is missing or incorrectly configured, contact Desiree.
Quick Reference
PRF Checklist
- File note is V2 (no blue update banner)
- File note is complete and includes meeting discussion of strategy, scope, and goals
- Portfolio statements ready to upload (PDF, Word, CSV, or text — one per account)
- Know which model you are recommending and which alternatives to compare
- Know the upfront fee amount and source account
- Know whether projections are required and what scenarios to include
Key Things to Remember
- Use the initial message — it is your best chance to set context before the agent starts asking questions.
- "Something else" is always available — you are never locked into a pre-filled answer.
- Scope of advice lives in the V2 file note — it is not missing, just in a different place to V1.
- Investment modelling only needs portfolio statements — full current position is in the Advice Builder (coming next).
- Copy your initial message before clicking Start Over if you need to restart.
- Investment bonds and CFS TTR Pension — use regular pension accounts for now.
- All configured models and SMAs from Desiree are already in the system.