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How to Merge or Combine Households in Asset-Map

Options for making one map from two households

Michael Schwabe avatar
Written by Michael Schwabe
Updated this week

Overview

Financial planners may occasionally find themselves with two separate household entries for the same client. This often happens for two reasons:

  1. Integration Splits: An import from an integration partner accidentally creates two separate households (e.g., one for each spouse) instead of one combined household.

  2. Legacy vs. New Data: A planner has an older, manually created household and recently imported a new version of the same client via an integration.

Currently, there is no single automated "Merge" button in Asset-Map. However, you can effectively combine them using one of the methods below. Choose the method that best fits your situation.

Method 1: The Stencil Method (Best for preserving complex data)

This method involves converting one household into a "Stencil" (template) and overlaying it onto the other.

Important Note: You cannot convert a household to a Stencil if it is currently connected to an integration. You must disconnect the integration from the household details page before proceeding, or choose the non-integrated household to convert.

  1. Decide which household to keep (Target) and which to discard (Source).

  2. Prepare the Source Household:

    • Open the household you intend to discard.

    • Change the Household Type to "Stencil" (this is found in the household details).

    • Tip: If you cannot change the type, ensure the household is unlinked from any integrations first.

  3. Apply to the Target Household:

    • Open the Target household (the one you are keeping).

    • Ensure all necessary members (spouses/dependents) are created in this household.

    • Use the Apply Stencil tool to search for and apply the Stencil you just created.

    • Option: You can choose to apply data for specific members only during this step.

  4. Finalize:

    • The imported assets will appear as gray tiles. Click each one and press "Update" to colorize and save them to the map.

    • Once the data is safe, you may delete the Source (Stencil) household.

Method 2: Member-Level Linking (Best for fixing integration errors)

If an integration imported a spouse as a separate household instead of adding them to the existing one, use this method to "re-link" them correctly.

  1. Delete the duplicate/incorrect household created by the integration (assuming you haven't done significant work on it yet).

  2. Open the Target Household (the one you are keeping).

  3. Navigate to the Household Details page and click the Integrations tab.

  4. Search for the client/spouse name within the integration search bar.

  5. Select Import, but choose the option to link to an existing member (or create a new member within this household) rather than creating a new household.

  6. The system will pull the data directly into the correct household.

Method 3: Manual Combination (Best for simple maps)

If the duplicate household has only a few assets (4-5 tiles), it may be faster to recreate them manually.

  1. Open the Target Household and ensure all members are present.

  2. Open the Source Household in a separate tab for reference.

  3. Manually create the missing tiles on the Target Household.

  4. Once verified, delete the Source Household.

Method 4: Data Loader (Best for bulk data transfer)

If you are comfortable with spreadsheets, you can move data using the Data Loader tool.

  1. Open the Source Household and use the Data Loader to Export the financials to a CSV file.

  2. Open the Target Household and ensure the members exist.

  3. Use the Data Loader to Import the CSV file, mapping the assets to the correct members.

  4. Reassign or edit financials as needed, then delete the Source Household.

Note: Due to compliance restrictions this option may not be available for all firms.

Other Options

  • Restart with Discovery: If both households are outdated or incorrect, it may be cleaner to delete both and send a new Discovery link to the client to capture fresh data.

  • Client Verification: If you are unsure which data is accurate, generate a PDF report or use Suggesting Mode in the Client Portal. Allow the client to mark up the map, then manually update the primary household based on their feedback.

Tags: combine, combination, stencil, merging, merge

1/2026

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