How financial advisors request a bank statement from clients
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Ask for the last three months of statements for every checking and savings account the client uses, the full PDF from the bank rather than a balance screenshot. You use them to see real cash flow: what comes in, what leaves on autopay, and how much cash sits idle, which frames the emergency fund conversation.
Why financial advisors need a bank statement
Clients estimate their spending; statements show it. Paychecks, mortgage or rent, insurance premiums and recurring transfers all appear in a few months of activity. The balances show how much cash is set aside and whether it is spread across accounts the client did not mention. A regular transfer to an unfamiliar institution usually points to an account still to collect.
What exactly to ask for
Three consecutive monthly statements per account, all pages, for checking, savings and money market accounts at each bank, including a spouse’s accounts and online banks. Statements rather than transaction exports keep the account holder’s name and the opening and closing balances on the page.
What to check when it arrives
- Three consecutive months for each account, with no month missing in between.
- Recurring outflows (insurance, loans, transfers to other institutions) are listed for the cash flow worksheet.
- Every institution receiving regular transfers is already on the client’s account list, or gets added to it.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Recent bank statements for your plan
Hi [Client name],
To get a real picture of your monthly cash flow, I would like your last three monthly statements for each checking and savings account you use, including online banks and any accounts in your spouse’s name.
The PDF statements from your bank’s website are ideal, all pages. A screenshot of the balance does not show the transactions I need.
Could you send them by [date]? If one bank only lets you export a list of transactions, send that and I will tell you whether it is enough.
Thank you, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a bank statement, an unreadable or blurry scan or a copy where one of these is missing or cut off: the account holder, the statement period. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.