October 21, 2025
Executive Summary
Bison Wealth is a multi-billion-dollar RIA with offices nationwide and a Sarasota-based private family office that manages 45 families. The firm combines the scale of an institutional RIA with the high-touch service of a boutique, supporting dozens of advisor groups and hundreds of advisors. At the center of this effort is Mike Murray, Director of Financial Planning and Analytics, who oversees planning and analytics for a significant portion of affiliated advisor assets while also serving as a financial advisor himself.
Before adopting VRGL, preparing portfolio analyses and proposals took 3 to 4 business days, slowing prospecting and client service. With VRGL, turnaround now averages about 1 business day, often just hours. The impact has been felt across two core areas: faster proposal delivery has equipped advisors to win more new business, while improved reallocation workflows have helped the firm deepen relationships with existing clients and reinforce long-term retention. Together, these outcomes have contributed to one of Bison Wealth's strongest performance periods in recent years.
VRGL also eliminated the need for an additional planner at roughly 25 percent of the cost of a full-time hire, allowing the firm to scale without adding headcount.
"It was very apparent in the first six months that VRGL would be a game changer for our advisors' ability to win business." - Mike Murray
Faster Turnaround Fuels Growth
Before VRGL, proposal preparation required 3 to 4 days, limiting how quickly advisors could respond to opportunities. That delay often meant prospects cooled off before an advisor could deliver insights.
"I can do three to four analyses in a single day because of VRGL." - Mike Murray
With statement extraction and automated workflows, a single planner can now complete up to 12 analyses per week. That speed gives advisors the ability to follow up within hours instead of days, which is a critical edge in competitive situations. Just as important, VRGL surfaces the insights that win clients, from exposing fee inefficiencies to showing whether a retiree's portfolio is positioned for sufficient income. Advisors use these details to demonstrate immediate value and contrast Bison's strategies with a prospect's current portfolio.
"Income is a huge deal. When VRGL can surface exactly how much income a portfolio is positioned to generate, that is how we win prospects. And because it gives us the freedom of time to prepare faster, we can get in front of more opportunities and convert them." - Mike Murray
Reallocation Strengthens Retention
Growth at Bison Wealth is not just about winning new clients. A major driver of success has been the ability to deepen existing relationships through more efficient reallocation.
Shortly after adopting VRGL, Murray's team was able to proactively reassess and reallocate hundreds of client accounts, an initiative that would have otherwise taken months. By acting quickly, advisors demonstrated attentiveness and reinforced client confidence in the firm's oversight and strategy alignment.
"Clients feel like we're always on top of things now. We can act quickly, and that shows them we're paying attention." - Mike Murray
Scaling Without Hiring
As Bison Wealth evaluated its growth trajectory, the firm faced a choice: hire more staff or scale smarter. VRGL delivered a clear solution. By automating workflows, the platform replaced the need for an additional full-time planner at roughly 25 percent of the cost.
Beyond direct cost efficiency, the time saved was reinvested into higher-value work such as client service, marketing, and prospecting, which had previously been constrained by manual data preparation.
"Yes, we pay for software, but it's about a quarter of a full-time hire." - Mike Murray
Return on Investment
Over the past year, the combination of faster proposal delivery, proactive reallocation, and scalable capacity has helped Bison Wealth strengthen both new business development and client retention without expanding headcount.
"Over the past 12 months, our financial planning process and outcomes have been the strongest they've been in years, and VRGL has played a major role in that." - Mike Murray
With an estimated $84 trillion in wealth expected to transfer by 2045, the largest in U.S. history, firms that can deliver speed, scale, and trust will be best positioned to compete and win. VRGL has helped Bison Wealth do just that. For clients, the benefits are clear: faster answers, more transparent analysis, and confidence that their advisor is always one step ahead.
If you are interested in learning more about how VRGL can help your firm streamline the investment proposal process and accelerate client acquisitions, please reach out to sales@vrglwealth.com or connect with us by visiting www.vrglwealth.com/contact.
