Short answer
For most wealth firms, connect Salesforce to the portfolio management or reporting system first, because it already normalizes custodian data, accounts and balances. Start one way into Salesforce, match on stable account and household IDs, and confirm vendor access before you put any integration in a statement of work.
Pick the hub
| Option | Fits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio management or reporting system (Orion, Black Diamond, Addepar and similar) | Multi-custodian firms that already reconcile there | Household and account IDs that don't match the CRM; one primary owner per household in some systems |
| Direct custodian feed | Single-custodian firms with a vendor-supported connector | Custodians usually work through approved vendor integrations, and access can take months to arrange |
| Data warehouse in the middle | Firms that also need reporting across many systems | Another system to own and monitor |
Decide the rules before the build
- Direction. Start one way: balances, positions and account details flow into Salesforce. Add writes back only where a process needs them.
- Matching. Match on the account number and a household ID that both systems store. Name matching fails on joint and trust accounts.
- Frequency. Nightly is enough for balances on most advisor screens. Intraday rarely pays for itself.
- What lands where. Financial Accounts for accounts, rollups to the household for totals, and no position-level detail unless advisors use it.
Planning, documents and e-signature
- Planning tools such as eMoney and MoneyGuidePro often have limited Salesforce integrations. Check what the vendor supports today before you promise a sync.
- Document systems are usually linked, not migrated: store a folder or vault ID on the household and open the files from there.
- E-signature needs its own app or integration; plan it as a separate item.
Clean up first
Fix duplicate households, missing household IDs and accounts with no owner before the first sync. An integration copies bad data faster than a person can fix it.
Official documentation
Frequently asked questions
Can Salesforce connect directly to Schwab?
Custodian data usually reaches Salesforce through an approved vendor integration or a portfolio management system rather than a direct custom feed. Confirm what your custodian and vendors support before scoping the work.
Should custodian data sync both ways?
Start one way into Salesforce. Most advisor screens only need to read balances and account details. Add writes back to another system only for a specific process that needs them.
Salesforce, HubSpot, Anthropic and OpenAI change their products often. Check the official documentation before you rely on a specific setting, limit or price.