Can this be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are enforceable under federal ESIGN principles and state UETA rules when the signer demonstrates intent, consents to electronic records, and the record is retained.

Is a notarization required?

Not always. Only include notarization when state law or the specific transaction requires it; when needed, confirm whether in-person or remote online notarization is acceptable in your jurisdiction.

What if the client provides a wrong TIN?

Incorrect or missing TINs can trigger backup withholding and delay reporting; obtain a corrected W-9 promptly to avoid tax penalties.

How long should I keep the signed engagement?

Retain onboarding and tax-related records at least three years under federal rules; hold HIPAA-protected records six years and follow longer state-specific retention where required.

What authentication level is appropriate?

Match authentication strength to risk: email-only for low-risk consents, SMS or multi-factor for account changes, and stronger KBA or certified digital signatures for high-assurance regulatory records.

Who can sign on behalf of an entity?

Ensure the signer has express authority (officer, trustee, or designated agent) and retain evidence of that authority; rely on corporate resolution or POA where applicable.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Finance
Financial Initial Client Engagement

Financial Initial Client Engagement

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

FINANCIAL INITIAL CLIENT ENGAGEMENT

This Financial Initial Client Engagement (the Engagement) is entered into between Firm Name: and Client Name: on Engagement Date:

1. Contact and Identification

Firm Contact Client Contact

2. Scope of Services

The Firm will provide the financial services described below. Services shall be performed in a professional manner consistent with industry standards. Any services outside this scope require written amendment and additional fees.

Select primary services to be provided

Bookkeeping & financial record maintenance
Financial planning and advisory
Tax planning and coordination
Interim CFO / financial management
Audit and compliance support
Other (see description below)

If Other, describe the additional services

3. Fees, Billing and Payment Terms

Fees for services will be billed as set forth in the fee schedule below. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, invoices are due net 30 days from invoice date. Client is responsible for all applicable taxes and for costs reasonably incurred by the Firm in performing services.

Fee Schedule (itemize expected fees)

Description	Quantity / Hours	Unit Rate	Amount



Subtotal
Tax
Other (e.g. expenses)
Total Due

Payment Methods Accepted: ACH Credit/Debit Card Check Wire Transfer

Late Payment: Unpaid balances shall bear interest at the rate of on the outstanding balance, and the Firm may suspend services if invoices are more than days overdue.

4. Retainer and Expenses

The Client shall provide a retainer in the amount of which will be applied against fees and expenses. The Client is responsible for third‑party expenses incurred on the Client's behalf, including but not limited to filing fees, courier charges, and data access fees.

5. Client Responsibilities

Client will furnish complete and accurate information necessary for the Firm to perform the services and will respond promptly to requests. Client certifies that all information provided to the Firm is true and complete to the best of Client's knowledge.

Additional client obligations or instructions

6. Confidentiality and Data Security

The Firm shall maintain the confidentiality of Client information and shall use reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect such information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Firm may disclose information as required by law or professional standards.

7. Records, Deliverables, and Ownership

Deliverables shall be provided in the format specified in writing. The Firm retains ownership of working papers and methodologies; the Client may retain copies of final deliverables upon payment in full.

8. Limitation of Liability; Indemnification

The Firm's liability for any loss related to this Engagement shall be limited to direct damages and capped at the total fees paid by the Client for the services giving rise to the claim. The Firm shall not be liable for incidental, consequential, or punitive damages. Client agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Firm from liabilities arising from Client's misuse of deliverables or from inaccurate Client-provided information.

9. Term, Termination and Notice

The Engagement commences on the Engagement Date and continues until services are completed or until terminated by either party on days' written notice. On termination, Client will pay for services rendered and expenses incurred through the effective date of termination.

10. Conflicts of Interest

The Firm has made reasonable inquiry regarding potential conflicts. Client agrees to notify the Firm of matters that could create conflicts. The Firm will disclose any actual or potential conflict discovered during the Engagement.

11. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of . Disputes will be resolved by arbitration or litigation as selected in writing by the Firm, and each party shall bear its own costs unless otherwise awarded by the arbitrator or court.

12. Client Authorization and Acknowledgment

By signing below, Client acknowledges that Client has read and accepts the terms of this Engagement, authorizes the Firm to proceed, and certifies that the information provided to the Firm is accurate to the best of Client's knowledge.

Client authorizes the Firm to obtain and exchange such information as reasonably necessary to provide the services described in this Engagement.

Additional Terms or Special Instructions

Firm Name:

By:

Date:

Client Name:

By:

Date:

What the Financial Initial Client Engagement Is

The Financial Initial Client Engagement is a standardized onboarding document used by financial services firms to collect client identity, contact, underwriting, and authorization information at the start of a relationship. It combines client data fields, disclosures (privacy, electronic consent), document authorizations, and signature blocks so firms capture intent, consent, and attribution before providing advisory, custodial, or transactional services. Used for KYC, account setup, and engagement terms, the form reduces back-and-forth, centralizes required supporting documents, and creates an auditable record for compliance and recordkeeping purposes.

Why a Formal Initial Engagement Matters

A clear Financial Initial Client Engagement establishes the scope of services, the parties’ responsibilities, consent for electronic records, and required disclosures. It helps meet regulatory obligations, documents client intent, and reduces onboarding time while creating a durable audit trail for dispute resolution and compliance reviews.

Who completes and relies on this engagement form

The document serves both frontline staff for intake and back-office teams for regulatory retention and audit readiness.

Financial advisors and planners who collect KYC and service-level consents during account openings.
Compliance officers who require a retained record demonstrating client consent and disclosures.
Operations teams that use the form to trigger account setup, ACH authorization, and custodial relationships.

Step-by-step: complete the engagement with minimal friction

Follow this sequence to collect accurate client data and obtain enforceable consent.

01

Collect ID: Request government ID and verify name and DOB match.
02

Capture Contact: Enter full mailing address, email, and phone number.
03

Disclose Terms: Provide engagement scope and electronic consent disclosure.
04

Sign: Have client sign and date using an accepted eSignature method.

Configure an online workflow for the engagement form

Define fields, authentication, and routing so the form moves automatically from intake to compliance review.

Field	Configuration
Name Field	Required; read-only after signer confirms
TIN Field	Masked input; exact-match validation
Authentication	Email + optional SMS code or KBA
Routing	Client → Advisor → Compliance

Where the completed engagement goes next

After signing, route the completed form to the appropriate systems and people for action and retention.

Client Records: Store signed copy in client file or CRM.
Compliance: Send to compliance inbox for review and acceptance.
Custodian: Transmit required account-opening details to the custodian.
Accounting: Trigger billing or funding workflows where applicable.

Distribution and eSubmission considerations

Integrate the chosen delivery path with record storage and audit-trail retention to meet regulatory and operational requirements.

Email Link: Simple delivery with optional password protection
Signed Portal: Requires account; supports stronger authentication
In-Person Tablet: Local signing with device capture and offline support

Key deadlines and timing to keep in mind

Certain reporting and retention timelines matter for tax, banking, and onboarding obligations; plan accordingly.

W-9 Provision Timing:

Provide W-9 upon payer request; keep updated to avoid backup withholding

1099-NEC Reporting:

Recipient and IRS deadlines generally fall on January 31

Individual Tax Return:

April 15 is the typical filing deadline for Form 1040

FBAR Reporting:

April 15 initial deadline with automatic extension to October 15

I-9 Recordkeeping:

Retain I-9 per hire/termination rules when relevant

Onboarding milestones from engagement to active account

Track these sequential milestones to measure progress and identify bottlenecks during client onboarding.

01

Intake Completed

Client submits form and supporting ID documents for verification

02

Identity Verified

Compliance completes KYC checks and resolves mismatches

03

Contracts Signed

All required agreements and consents are executed

04

Account Activated

Custody, billing, or advisory services are enabled

Common mistakes that slow onboarding

Entering informal or nickname versions of names that do not match government ID, causing verification failures.
Using inconsistent addresses or P.O. boxes when a residential address is required for identity or tax purposes.
Failing to collect a valid TIN, which can trigger backup withholding and delay tax reporting.
Omitting electronic consent disclosures for consumer-facing financial services, which may invalidate e-signature acceptance.

Potential penalties and legal risks

1099 Penalties: $60–$330 per form depending on lateness

Intentional Disregard: $660+ per form, no cap

I-9 Violations: $281–$2,789 per violation

Backup Withholding: 24% withholding rate if TIN missing

Privacy Breach: HIPAA or state fines if PHI exposed

Contract Risk: Unenforceable terms if consent not documented

Required security and retention details

Encryption: TLS in transit

Encryption At Rest: AES-256

Audit Trail: IP and timestamp

BAA Availability: HIPAA-covered workflows

Access Controls: Role-based permissions

Retention Policy: Configurable per record type

Essential components of a professional engagement form

A complete Financial Initial Client Engagement combines identity, authorization, disclosures, and routing fields to support compliance and operations.

Client Identity

Full legal name, date of birth, and government ID details for accurate KYC and identity-proofing processes used by compliance teams to verify a client’s identity.

Tax Information

Tax identification number and tax status selections required for correct 1099/W-9 handling and to determine backup withholding obligations when necessary.

Service Scope

Clear description of the services to be provided, fees, and limits to set expectations and reduce later disputes about deliverables or responsibilities.

Authorizations

ACH, wire, or custodial transfer authorizations plus consent language to permit account setup and funding in accordance with institutional policies.

Privacy & Consent

Electronic consent disclosure and privacy statements that inform the client of record formats, rights to paper, and methods for withdrawing consent.

Signature & Audit

Signature block supporting eSignature with date and an embedded audit trail to capture signer identity, timestamp, and evidence of intent.

Supporting documents and export formats

Collect and store companion records and make exports available in common formats for downstream systems and audits.

Supporting Documents

Government ID copies, proof of address, and banking authorization forms appended to the engagement record to support identity and funding verification.

Export Formats

Save completed records as PDF/A for archival, native DOCX for edits, and structured data (XML/CSV) for ingestion into CRM or accounting systems.

Signed Package

Include the signed document, certificate of completion, and any attachments in one archived package for audit and regulatory review.

Integration Targets

Push signed records to CRM, document management, or custodian APIs to eliminate manual entry and accelerate account setup.

Electronic signature versus digital (cryptographic) signature

Understand the legal and technical differences so you can choose the correct signing method for risk, auditability, and industry rules.

Criteria	Electronic Signature	Digital Signature
Definition	broad legal method	pki-based cryptographic method
Legal Acceptance	esign/ueta accepted	esign/ueta accepted
Non-repudiation	audit trail evidence	certificate-based proof
Typical Use	general contracts and consents	high-assurance regulatory records

eSignature vendor pricing and capability snapshot

Compare basic starting prices and a few capability markers across common eSignature vendors; signNow appears first per vendor ordering rules.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Frequently asked questions about the Financial Initial Client Engagement

Answers to common questions on signatures, validity, and document handling to help avoid delays and compliance issues.

Need help? Contact support

Can this be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures are enforceable under federal ESIGN principles and state UETA rules when the signer demonstrates intent, consents to electronic records, and the record is retained.
Is a notarization required?
Not always. Only include notarization when state law or the specific transaction requires it; when needed, confirm whether in-person or remote online notarization is acceptable in your jurisdiction.
What if the client provides a wrong TIN?
Incorrect or missing TINs can trigger backup withholding and delay reporting; obtain a corrected W-9 promptly to avoid tax penalties.
How long should I keep the signed engagement?
Retain onboarding and tax-related records at least three years under federal rules; hold HIPAA-protected records six years and follow longer state-specific retention where required.
What authentication level is appropriate?
Match authentication strength to risk: email-only for low-risk consents, SMS or multi-factor for account changes, and stronger KBA or certified digital signatures for high-assurance regulatory records.
Who can sign on behalf of an entity?
Ensure the signer has express authority (officer, trustee, or designated agent) and retain evidence of that authority; rely on corporate resolution or POA where applicable.

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now