Learn about how digital brokerages are changing and what's going on in the robo-advisor space. "In Other News," we discuss how banks should address personalization and how digital engagement with wealth management is changing. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Michael Tattersall.

Despite app satisfaction growth, wealth managers trail banks’ and insurers’ satisfaction scores—but access to advisors and education could help them make up ground.

The news: Investors are struggling to find the advice and services they need, regardless of how they access wealth management services, per two new surveys by J.D. Power. The surveys ran from November 2021 through January 2022.

US digital brokerages’ new user growth ticked up from 2019 to 2021. But growth will nosedive in 2022 and 2023, forcing digital brokerages to find new revenue growth strategies.

Our take: Surging client demand will continue driving ESG growth, with total assets under management (AUM) forecast to exceed $50 trillion by 2025, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. But a lack of quality, public ESG data threatens investment managers’ ability to offer accurate products and might see them run into hot water with regulators.

Trend: Hyper-Personalization Catches on in Banking and Wealth Management. One-size-fits-all financial services exclude too many customers. By delivering highly targeted experiences, providers can benefit from higher customer satisfaction, growth, and loyalty. Segment-specific financial providers, such as Daylight, which targets LGBT consumers, will proliferate next year.

A survey from management consultancy Kearney shows that 18- to 24-year-olds are almost twice as likely to switch banks based on ESG credentials than those aged 55 and older.

The majority of US consumers are shouldering loan debt, with 61.1% holding one or more loan accounts with an outstanding balance. The most common types of accounts to have an outstanding balance are mortgages (33.3%) and auto loans (31.0%).

Chainalysis recommended steps for fighting sanctions evasion and long-term measures to revamp how the government addresses crypto-related crime.

After posting strong year-end results, the crypto exchange warned that 2022 is off to a lackluster start amid drops in crypto market cap.

Tightly integrating more nascent robo-advisory businesses with traditional financial advisory divisions will help convert younger investors into profitable wealth management clients. Introduction. Competition among US robo-advisors is intensifying as customer growth trails off. This leaves investors spoiled for choice.

According to a November 2020 survey from FactSet in association with global professional services firm Aon, 54% of HNW clients’ wealth management activities worldwide took place online during the height of the pandemic. And 50% of respondents said that digital wealth management is a better use of their time. But too much digital can alienate HNW clients.

Article: Will neobank disruptors face the same fate as their predecessors in wealth management? Article: Neobanks need a longer-term strategy for monetization to survive and attain profitability.

Why this could succeed: The inclusion of alternative assets, coupled with human portfolio management, could help Neo gain traction with investors. The launch is timely, per a 2021 EY study that found that a sizable portion of Canadian investors are up for grabs. One in five intend to change their wealth management firms over the coming three years.

Banks also need to address what Nilesh Vaidya, global industry head, retail banking and wealth management at Capgemini Financial Services, called “the disparity and striking inconsistency between a customer’s digital and physical banking experiences.”.

Trend: Hyper-Personalization Catches on in Banking and Wealth Management. One-size-fits-all financial services exclude too many customers. By delivering highly targeted experiences, providers stand to benefit from higher customer satisfaction, growth, and loyalty. Segment-specific financial providers, such as Daylight, which targets LGBTQ+ consumers, are expected to proliferate next year.

AI’s potential to augment the client experience is particularly relevant in wealth management: Wealth managers can arm their advisors with AI-powered solutions and insights to personalize advisor-client interactions.