Financial advisors probably make more notes than many professionals. During client interviews, you have to record detailed information about clients’ financial goals, family situation and other important issues. All clients have their own particular requirements, which can be complex and nuanced.

Keeping track is important. So, you must keep detailed notes that are manageable, organized and readily accessible. And your notes must be secure, because much of this information can be sensitive in nature.

Sure, pen and paper have worked for hundreds of years, but this column is about using technology to make things easier. Thankfully, various high-tech solutions exist to make note-taking easier – and to make those notes easier to find and navigate through afterward.

– PEN TO PAPER

Bibliophiles need not dismay. Using technology doesn’t necessarily mean doing away with pen and paper; it can just make them more effective.

Oakland, Calif.-based Livescribe (www.livescribe.com) manufactures a range of “smartpens,” designed not only to remember what is being written but also record what is being said in the room. The technology uses an infrared camera near the tip of the pen, which scans a series of microdots printed onto special paper designed for use with the pen.

One of the nicest things about this technology is that the audio from the recording is directly linked to what was being written at the time.

So, you can go back over your notes and tap the pen on any piece of writing to hear what was being said when you wrote the note. This makes it far easier to concentrate on what your client is telling you during a meeting, because you won’t be furiously scribbling down notes.

The Livescribe comes in various versions. The Sky model features a Wi-Fi connection that automatically beams your notes to an associated account with the cloud-based service Evernote. However, be careful here. Client notes are sensitive and, while Evernote can be set up with encryption, that protection is relatively weak.

A better option might be the Livescribe Echo, a lower-end version of the smartpen, which must be connected directly to software running on your computer. The advantage is that the information stays local, and you can encrypt it using your own, stronger technology if you do decide to synchronize with a cloud-based service.

Another option is the IRISnotes digital pen (www.irislink.com) from Delray Beach, Fla.-based IRIS Inc. Instead of co-ordinating the smartpen with microdots, this unit uses a clip-on monitor that attaches to whatever you’re writing on, which co-ordinates with the pen.

This device has both drawbacks and advantages when compared with the Livescribe model. On the downside, The IRISnotes model won’t record the audio from your conversation; instead, it only records the handwritten notes from your conversation. On the other hand, this unit doesn’t require special paper, as the Livescribe smartpens do, making the IRISnotes smartpen a more convenient and less expensive option in the long term. As with the Livescribe, IRISnotes’ software will recognize your handwriting. However, the IRISnotes software, unlike that of its competitor, also will convert your notes into editable plain text, making it useful for producing notes that can then be used in a word processor.

Another advantage of the IRISnotes model is that this smartpen has a built-in Bluetooth connection, making it possible to send notes to your Android or BlackBerry smartphone. You also can connect the smartpen to your iPhone or iPad with an adapter.

– ONSCREEN

If you prefer to take notes on a digital screen, Bamboo (www.wacom.com) is useful software in some scenarios. This software – produced by Japan-based Wacom Co. Ltd., the same company that makes digitizer tablets for graphic artists – is designed to run on a tablet or smartphone. Bamboo enables you to write directly on the screen using a stylus. You can select different “paper” backgrounds and organize different notebooks into a library. You then can forward an entire notebook or a single page as a PDF via email.

New York-based Fifty Three Inc.‘s Paper (www.fiftythree.com/paper) is another iPad app that offers similar functionality. This is a nice product if you have the right screen. For example, some Samsung mobile phones, such as the Galaxy Note 2 or Windows Surface Pro, come with their own styli, which write accurately on those devices’ screens. On the other hand, tablets such as the iPad use an inductive screen sensing technology that makes them great for drawing but less suitable for the precision stylus work needed for handwriting.

The best note-taking applications for the iPad are, therefore, probably those that combine typing (either using the on-screen keyboard or a separate attachment), and drawing using your finger or a stylus.

A useful app in this category is NoteSuite from Minneapolis-based Theory IO Corp. (www.notesuite.io), a note-taking application that allows you to type, draw, highlight and even annotate PDF files and photographs. This application also allows you to record linked audio as you type, making it possible to save your notes along with the recording of an audio conversation. And it’s a to-do list manager, to boot.

One of the perks of NoteSuite is that it has an accompanying OS X application, so that you can run it on your Mac and synchronize files between that and your iPad.

However, not everyone uses the OS X platform. For those who don’t, Microsoft Corp.’s OneNote (http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/onenote/) is a useful alternative. As part of the Microsoft Office suite, OneNote runs on Windows but not the Mac. Versions for iOS and Android are available, although their functionality is limited.

OneNote organizes notes into notebooks and tabs to mimic the way paper notes are arranged traditionally. If using the full version installed with Office (as opposed to the mobile versions), you will be able to record both audio and video, which is linked directly to the notes that you have taken. You also can clip web pages and insert other files, such as PDFs – just as you can with NoteSuite.

The tricky thing about note-taking is that everyone has his or her own particular style and way of thinking. Some people like to make mind maps, with lots of branches and visual aids; others like dense, text-heavy notes; while still others prefer to record everything and take minimal notes so they can concentrate during the meeting.

No matter what your note-taking style, at least one of these technologies will be suitable for your needs.

© 2013 Investment Executive. All rights reserved.