Households in Advice Ally
Households keep client information, meetings and follow-up work connected in one place. A household can include a client and their partner, along with their contact information, financial details and goals.
Find a household
You can open a household from the home screen, the Households page, global Search or a linked meeting.
From the home screen
Select the Households tab.
Select a household card to open its record.
Use Filters to narrow the list, or select + to create a household.
Recent households are based on your activity. If a household does not appear here, use Search or the full Households list.
Using Search
Select Search, or press Ctrl + K.
Choose Households.
Search for the client and select the matching result.
Search includes households across your practice, including those associated with another adviser.
From the Households page
Select the house icon in the left navigation to open the Households page.
Use Quick filter anything to find a household by client name, email address or phone number. Select a household name to open its record.
The list shows the household name, ID, client, partner, contact details and client adviser. You can open and edit household details across your practice.
Create a household
Search for the client first to check whether their household already exists.
Select Add Household on the Households page, or + on the home screen’s Households tab.
Enter the client’s first name and last name.
Provide at least one contact method: a mobile phone number or email address.
Add the partner’s details if required.
Check any highlighted fields, then select Save details.
The household name is generated from the clients’ names. For example, a couple with the same surname appears as Smith, John and Jane.
Note: Remove partner on this creation form removes the unsaved partner fields. It does not remove a partner from an existing saved household.
View a household’s meetings
Open a household to see its linked meetings. Select a meeting to open it, or select Details at the top right to maintain the household’s information.
Link a meeting to a household
Find the meeting and select its household linking control, such as Not linked or Add household.
Search for and select the existing household.
If the household does not exist, select Add new to create it.
Check that the correct household name appears against the meeting.
Household selectors can search across your practice, even when the household does not appear in their initial recent list.
Correct a meeting linked to the wrong household
On the Meetings list, right-click the linked household name and select Change linked household. Search for and select the correct household.
You can change the link without deleting the meeting.
Maintain household details
Update client or partner information
Open the household and select Details.
Update the relevant fields, such as names, birthday, gender, marital status or Australian residency.
Select Save.
For a couple, client and partner details appear side by side. First and last names must remain populated.
Add or edit a record
Find the relevant section in Details and expand it if needed.
Select the section’s + button to add a record, or select an existing row to edit it.
Complete the fields in the panel.
Where an owner is required, choose the Client, Partner, or the applicable Both or Joint option.
Select Save.
After a successful save, the panel closes and the table updates. Correct any highlighted validation errors before saving.
Income and Expenses sit under Cashflow. Assets, Liabilities and Insurance sit under Wealth. The available fields and tabs depend on the record you are adding.
What you can record
Contacts and addresses
Contact methods, addresses and who they belong to. Use Primary or Current indicators where available.
Dependants
Dependants and their relationship to household members.
Employment
Employment information for the client and partner.
Income and expenses
Income sources and household expenditure.
Assets and liabilities
Assets, outstanding debts and ownership details.
Investments and insurance
Investment records, insurance policies and associated cover details.
Goals
What the client or couple wants to achieve, their timeframe and progress.
Health & Lifestyle
Relevant personal circumstances.
Estate Planning
Estate planning information, including powers of attorney and beneficiaries.
Keep household details current: Generating a meeting file note does not automatically populate the household’s structured details. Review and update these records as circumstances change.
Add a partner to an existing household
Open Details for a household that currently has one client.
Select Add partner.
Complete the partner’s first and last names and other relevant information.
Select Save.
The household name updates, and the partner becomes available in the ownership fields for household records.
You can cancel before saving. Removing a partner after they have been saved is not currently supported.
Record a goal
Expand Goals in the household details and select +.
Choose who the goal is for: Client, Partner or Joint.
Select a category and enter a Goal Summary.
Add supporting details and a timeframe if useful.
Save the goal.
Update its status as it progresses:
- Not started
- In Progress
- Achieved
- No Longer Relevant
Find related meetings and tasks
On the Meetings page, use the Household filter to show meetings linked to a selected household.
On the Tasks page, use the Household filter to find follow-up work for the client. Open a task to review or update its details.
Household filters work alongside other filters. If an expected result is missing, check whether another active filter is excluding it.
Delete a household
Deleting a household is permanent. Check the household name and linked-meeting option before confirming.
Open the household’s three-dot menu from the household list or household page.
Select the delete option.
Choose whether to delete linked meetings as well.
Review your selection and confirm.
Delete linked meetings left unticked
The household is deleted. Linked meetings are retained and become unlinked.
Delete linked meetings ticked
The household and its linked meetings are deleted.
Common questions
Why can’t I find a household?
Use global Search or the full Households list. Recent households only reflect your activity. Try the client’s name, email address or phone number in the list’s quick search, and clear active filters.
Why can’t I save a new household?
Check the required names and provide at least one contact method. If you have added a partner, check their required fields too. Correct any highlighted errors and try again.
Why haven’t my changes appeared?
Check that you selected Save. When saving a record in a panel, a successful save closes the panel and updates the table. If an error appears, review the message and retry when the connection is available.
Why are some meetings missing?
Check that each meeting is linked to the correct household. On the Meetings page, clear any additional filters that may be excluding results.
After each client meeting
- Check that the meeting is linked to the correct household.
- Review and update the client’s structured details.
- Update relevant goals.
- Review tasks that need follow-up.