How financial advisors can build personalized client proposals from PDF statements
October 30, 2025
TL;DR: Many prospects and clients share their portfolio data with their advisor via PDFs instead of linking their accounts online. For advisors, manually rebuilding portfolios from those documents is slow, error-prone, and hard to scale. Koyfin solves that by letting advisors upload client statements in PDF format, extract holdings and values, analyze portfolios, and create personalized proposals.
Why advisors use Koyfin for PDF-based proposals:
- Uploads brokerage statements directly and extracts key data for faster account setup.
- Organizes portfolios using a Household → Portfolio → Account structure.
- Enables full portfolio and benchmark comparisons with risk, fee, and exposure breakdowns.
- Generates branded, client-ready reports with firm logos, team bios, and custom sections.
- Eliminates manual data entry while keeping proposals accurate and professional.
Recognition: In the 2025 Kitces AdvisorTech Study, financial advisors rated Koyfin 9/10 for satisfaction and value, ranking it as the highest-rated platform in the Investment Research & Analytics category ahead of YCharts, Kwanti, FactSet, Morningstar, and Bloomberg Terminal.
Introduction
Many prospective clients do not grant custodian account access right away, but they can easily share their most recent portfolio statement in PDF format.
Instead of rebuilding portfolios manually from these documents, financial advisors can now use modern platforms that extract holdings and values directly from PDFs and help turn them into professional, client-ready proposals.
This guide outlines how financial advisors can build personalized proposals from PDFs efficiently and accurately, all within a single workflow.
Tools That Support Proposal Creation from PDFs: Why Koyfin Stands Out
Financial advisors have several options for creating personalized client proposals from portfolio statement PDFs. The tools differ in how much they automate, how well they handle financial data, and how complete their workflows are. Below is a clear breakdown of each category.
- Manual PDF Extraction and DIY Proposals
- Legacy Portfolio Platforms (Morningstar, Envestnet, eMoney)
- Research and Portfolio Analytics Platforms with Proposal Capabilities (Koyfin)
Some advisors use PDF readers or OCR tools (like Adobe Acrobat or ABBYY) to extract portfolio data, then rebuild proposals manually in Excel, PowerPoint, or Word. This approach works for a single client but doesn’t scale. It’s time-consuming, prone to data errors, and offers no built-in analytics or tracking.
These platforms can handle performance data and reports but are often complex, costly, and slow to set up. PDF upload is limited or requires manual formatting, and proposal generation is often rigid or disconnected from the rest of the workflow. They’re powerful for research and ongoing portfolio management, but overkill for advisors who just need to turn PDFs into clean, client-ready proposals.
These combine comprehensive research and portfolio analysis tools with proposal generation. They’re built for advisors who want deep analytics alongside proposal capabilities. Koyfin integrates PDF ingestion, portfolio analysis, side-by-side comparisons, and proposal generation in one platform.
Why Koyfin Is the Best Choice for PDF-Based Proposals
Koyfin is a modern platform that helps financial advisors create personalized client proposals directly from portfolio statement PDFs. It combines data extraction, portfolio analysis, and proposal generation in one integrated workflow.
- Upload PDFs to create portfolios: Advisors can upload client brokerage statements in PDF format, and Koyfin automatically extracts positions and values to build complete portfolios.
- Organize clients clearly: Koyfin allows advisors to organize client accounts using a Household → Portfolio → Account structure.
- Analyze the portfolio: Review allocations by sector, asset class, and geography. Assess risk through volatility, beta, and drawdown charts. Benchmark performance to a relevant index or ETF.
- Build and compare proposals: Create a proposed allocation using Koyfin’s Model Portfolios, and instantly see the difference in fees, risk, and diversification.
- Generate branded, client-ready proposals: Advisors can create polished proposals that clearly communicate changes in allocation, exposure, and risk. Each proposal can include firm branding, team bios, and custom pages with visuals, charts, or explanations of the firm’s approach.
- Research and analyze in the same platform: Koyfin combines market research, security analysis, and portfolio analytics in one workspace. Advisors can evaluate holdings, benchmark portfolios, and apply those insights directly in their proposals
- Recognized by the industry: In the 2025 Kitces AdvisorTech Study, financial advisors rated Koyfin 9/10 for satisfaction and value, ranking it as the highest-rated platform in the Investment Research & Analytics category ahead of YCharts, Kwanti, FactSet, Morningstar, and Bloomberg Terminal.
Example Workflow: Using Koyfin to Build a Client Proposal
- Receive the Statement
- Upload to Koyfin
- Organize the Household
- Analyze the Current Portfolio
- Allocation: Review asset class, instrument type, sector, country, and bond credit quality.
- Risk: Check volatility, beta, concentration, and the Drawdown chart.
- Performance vs. Benchmark: See how the portfolio performs relative to selected benchmarks, helping illustrate long-term return differences.
- Build the Proposed Portfolio
- Generate the Proposal
- Cover page: Firm name, logo, advisor, client, date.
- Our firm: Team intro, credentials, values, and optional headshots.
- Current portfolio analysis: Allocation, fees, and performance with commentary.
- Side-by-side comparison: Current vs. proposed allocation, fees, and performance.
- Fee transparency: Breakdown of current vs. proposed fees.
- Disclosures: Required regulatory language and risk statements.
- Deliver
The prospect or client sends their portfolio statement PDF.
Log in, open Client Portfolios, and upload the PDF. Koyfin automatically extracts holdings and values.
If there are multiple accounts, group them using the Household → Portfolio → Account structure for a consolidated view.
With the portfolio loaded, Koyfin gives you instant visibility into key metrics:
Create your recommended allocation using Koyfin’s Model Portfolios. Add a benchmark ETF or mutual fund if helpful, and compare proposed vs. current allocations.
Click Create Report in Client Portfolios. Koyfin opens a proposal builder with customizable sections:
Export the proposal as a PDF and share it with the prospect or client.
Integrations vs. PDF Uploads: When to Use Each
Use custodian integrations when:
- You work primarily with one or a few custodians
- You need frequent data refreshes
- You manage multi-account households
Use PDF uploads when:
- The client holds accounts at custodians you don’t integrate with
- The client prefers not to grant system access
- You’re preparing a one-time proposal or analysis
Hybrid Approach: Many advisors use both. Integrate accounts from your primary custodians and use PDF uploads for smaller or specialty accounts. Koyfin supports both workflows seamlessly within one platform.
FAQ
- How does Koyfin extract data from PDF statements?
Koyfin uses a statement-reading engine that identifies tickers, quantities, prices, and values directly from brokerage PDFs. The data is cross-checked with market feeds for accuracy before the portfolio is created. You can review or edit any holding before saving.
- Can I combine multiple PDF statements for one household?
Yes. Upload several statements and organize them under a Household → Portfolio → Account structure in Koyfin. This gives you a complete view of all accounts, holdings, and exposures in one place.
- What kind of analysis can I do once the PDF is uploaded?
Koyfin automatically provides allocation, instrument type, sector, and exposure breakdowns, fee and expense analysis, performance vs. benchmark comparisons, and key risk metrics such as volatility and drawdown. You can also compare the client’s portfolio directly against a proposed model.
- How customizable are the proposals in Koyfin?
Koyfin’s Proposals include editable sections for your firm’s logo, colors, team bio, and disclosures. You can add commentary, charts, and personalized notes, keeping the structure consistent while tailoring the message to each client.
- How does this workflow fit into ongoing client management?
After a proposal is created, the same portfolios remain active in Koyfin. You can monitor performance, update comparisons, or generate follow-up reports during annual review.
Editorial note
Our insights are derived solely from historical information and analyst predictions, employing an impartial approach. Please note that our articles do not serve as financial guidance.
