A “robo-adviser” joined MoneyGuidePro founder and chief executive Bob Curtis on stage at this week’s T3 Enterprise conference and proceeded to melt down when Mr. Curtis asked it qualitative questions like “I’m worried I won’t be able to retire when I planned, can you help me with that?” During his opening keynote, Mr. Curtis was […]
Wealth Management Advice
Can FinTech Improve Investor Behavior?
In my last post Personalized Service in the Digital World, I discussed the so-called “Robo-advisors”—the new breed of technology-driven online investment advisors—and how they are changing the competitive landscape, whether or not traditional advisors like it or even realize it. I recently attended Money2020 in Las Vegas to hear directly from some of the “Robo-advisors” themselves. […]
Scaling Financial Advice and Collaboration in a GPS World
We live in a real-time traffic, turn-by-turn directions, GPS world. Why do financial institutions still hand out the equivalent of gas station maps? I hear from many financial institutions that creating financial plans for their clients is an important goal, in fact some have goals to provide financial plans to all or a significant percentage […]
What About the Overbanked?
I spent a great couple of days in San Francisco this week hearing from 72 FinTech companies at Finovate, stay tuned for my unique recap and thoughts from the largest Finovate ever. As usual, there were several companies focused on improving access and service to the so-called underbanked– those who are priced out of traditional […]
A Moneyball Approach to Wealth Management
Smaller and midsized banks can play in the wealth management big leagues, but they have to use some Moneyball type tactics to compete and win against the big budget competition. Before the financial crisis, a “Field of Dreams” approach worked– if you built it, they would come. An environment of deregulation, falling interest rates, a rising stock market […]
Reimagining Bank Product Design in the Experience Economy
When B. Joseph Pine II and James Gilmore wrote a book called “The Experience Economy,” they built on the work of Alvin Toffler (“Future Shock”) and others on the value of creating experiences. They cited Disney, Starbucks, Nordstrom and other leading brands as examples. Pine and Gilmore argue– and I agree– that our economy has […]
Honors for Innovative Wealth Management Companies
My friends and former colleagues at U.S. Bank’s Ascent Private Capital Management recently won “Best Newcomer- Private Wealth Manager” and was highly commended for “Best Multi-Family Office- Client Service- Over $2.5 Billion” in the 2013 Private Asset Management (PAM) Awards in New York. Congratulations to the entire team! ___________________________ Separately, Fast Company listed “The World’s Top […]
Clients Do Not Want Help. Until They Do.
(This was originally published as a guest post for my friends at the management consulting and strategic communications firm Beyond the Arc: Understanding how customers really want help.) On the same day I published a post about the sometimes disappointing allure of technology (Technology is Not a Silver Bullet), the always insightful Discerning Technologist Brad […]