FAQs
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about our software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology.
Integration
How does Clearwater provide its solution to my company?
Clients access Clearwater’s accounting, reporting, and analytics solution through any modern internet-connected web browser. With Clearwater, your company gains automated accounting and reporting, and insight into your most current investment data.
Will I need to install or update any software to use the Clearwater system?
Because Clearwater’s solution is entirely web-based, no software installations are ever necessary. Clearwater automatically releases new functionality on a regular basis. Clearwater also conducts rigorous functional and security tests before these new features and upgrades are released, so you can be confident that your work will continue uninterrupted.
Can I export the reports I build within Clearwater’s system?
Reports created within Clearwater can be downloaded at any time. Report downloads are available in both Excel and PDF formats which are suitable for archiving, merging with your company’s internal reports, or presenting in meetings.
Does Clearwater offer additional data within the reports I build in the system?
Clearwater integrates third-party market data from Thomson Reuters, S&P 500, Moody’s, and others to blend with and support your company’s specific investment data. This allows for a more comprehensive assessment of your portfolio’s risk and compliance.
How do I know the data in my reports is correct?
Clearwater’s Data Services team ensures the data in your company’s reports is accurate and up-to-date. Clearwater will work directly with your company’s custodial sources in order to validate any data point that doesn’t reconcile automatically in our system. Clearwater confirms the integrity of your data so you can be confident in the accuracy of your reports.
How does the Clearwater system gather my data?
Clearwater gathers investment data directly from your company’s custodial sources and imports it securely into our system. We work directly with custody banks to set up fully encrypted data feeds, and gather your newest data every day.
Can I access the Clearwater system on my smartphone or tablet?
Clearwater’s website is accessible from any mobile device with a web browser and an internet connection.
Confidentiality
How does Clearwater keep my company’s data secure?
Clearwater takes the security of your company’s investment data very seriously. Every data transfer coming into and going out of our system is fully encrypted. Once your data has been integrated into Clearwater’s database, it is protected by a secure network with monitored firewalls and constant vulnerability scanning. Network and host intrusion detection services, along with malware and virus scanning, protect Clearwater’s network and servers from malicious access attempts. We ensure that our security controls always meet the latest security standards. Also, a third-party security firm conducts a comprehensive penetration test every year.
Can other companies using the Clearwater system access my company’s data?
Each company’s investment data is isolated from and inaccessible to any other company using Clearwater’s system. Our technology is designed to provide each company with a unique and segregated identifier that ensures only your designated employees can access your data.
Is my Clearwater account login secure?
Clearwater utilizes strong password requirements for all of its users, and these passwords are never stored on the devices you use to access the website. Your connection to Clearwater’s website is fully encrypted and secured, and any repeated unauthorized attempts to access your user account will trigger security lockdowns to protect your data.
Can I set up Clearwater accounts and access rights for people in my company?
Clearwater will work with you to set up user accounts and designate administrators. Your administrators manage users’ specific account permissions.
Do Clearwater employees have access to my company’s data?
Every Clearwater employee is trained to keep your company’s data protected and confidential, but only key Clearwater personnel who are assigned to support your account will have access to your data.
Integrity
What if I have problems with my reports, or need help building a new one?
Help is always just a phone call or email away. Each client is supported by the Client Services team and a dedicated account manager that can help customize Clearwater for their specific needs.
Does Clearwater provide tutorials for using the system?
A Client Help Portal is available within the Clearwater website. It contains a wealth of training and support resources for new and seasoned Clearwater users. Along with videos, user guides, and an advanced search, Clearwater maintains product update documentation about recent improvements and new features to enable quick learning and utilization of Clearwater’s continuously evolving solution.
Does Clearwater track my company’s activity within its system?
We understand that historical usage and audit trails involving your company’s employees may be an important area of information for you. Clearwater employs comprehensive and detailed internal logging mechanisms in order to gather information about activity occurring within its system. Detailed logging also allows Clearwater to identify and analyze any issues that may require attention.
How do Clearwater employees handle my company’s data?
Clearwater employees are trained to handle your company’s data in a manner that preserves both its security and confidentiality. Every employee is required to go through annual security awareness training, and we maintain detailed internal information security practices and policies, which enables us to keep your company’s data protected.
How often does Clearwater upgrade its system?
Clearwater usually rolls out updates or new features for its systems monthly. Updates are tested thoroughly by Clearwater’s quality assurance teams to ensure they will function smoothly after entering production. Release notes that detail changes made with each update are stored in Clearwater’s Client Help Portal for quick reference.
What happens when Clearwater rolls out a new feature or an upgrade to its system?
Updates and changes to the Clearwater website (along with any new support resources) are communicated to users through our online Help Portal. Following an update, release notes are displayed to users during the login process, which detail the changes and new features available.
Availability
When is Clearwater’s system available for my company to use?
The Clearwater website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
What happens if Clearwater’s system has an outage or downtime? Is my company’s data safe?
Clearwater’s business continuity and disaster recovery processes are thoroughly defined, and DR testing is done on an annual basis to ensure that downtime remains as brief as possible when outages occur. Clearwater maintains a disaster recovery site that provides quick and full recovery when issues arise at its primary production site. We offer agreed upon recovery times that ensure our client always has the most current data. To take a more thorough look at Clearwater’s excellent track record for website uptime, you can visit our system history page at https://status.clearwateranalytics.com/.
Will I know ahead of time when the Clearwater system will be down?
Clearwater posts notice of any emergency issues as well as upcoming planned downtime on its status website: http://status.clearwateranalytics.com. Our regular maintenance window falls on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mountain Time.
Does Clearwater back up my company’s data?
Clearwater is continuously mirroring client data from its production site to its disaster recovery site—data is never more than 30 minutes old. Additionally, we perform full backups of our database on a weekly basis, with incremental backups occurring daily. We ensure that your company’s investment data is not only securely backed up, but that it is also quickly accessible if a backup restoration becomes necessary.
Can I depend on Clearwater’s system to perform well?
Clearwater’s System Operations and IT teams are continuously monitoring the performance of our servers, applications, and hardware infrastructure. We are a growing company and are always building our infrastructure in anticipation of an annual increase in traffic, client connections, and reporting calculations. We take the steps necessary to provide a solid and responsive solution for companies that utilize our reporting and analytics tools.