Eugene Sefanov

Depending on where investors are located in the world, investor behavior is vastly different; therefore, robo-advising may play a different role depending on the region. Some counties are more conservative and prefer traditional forms of wealth management services, while others are much more comfortable with investing on their own. The World Economic Forum conducted research […]

Now that October is here, I thought it would be neat to look back at what our readers found most interesting last month. Below are the top five blog posts Perficient’s life sciences practice wrote in September – they’re ranked in order of popularity, with number one being the most viewed piece. An Insider’s Look At If And When […]

Robo-advising will likely never take over wealth management, but there are certain elements it could replace. For example, tax-loss harvesting and digital account opening can be streamlined through technology and automation. Any tasks that serve as barriers to receiving services should be accomplished by machine. Financial advisors should instead do more of what they do […]

Several months ago, I mentioned how Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan believes that the need to be omni-channel is one of the keys to success for a bank that operates today. He said, “Despite people saying ‘I never go into a branch,’ they all do.” While there’s a lot of talk about […]

The new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) fiduciary rule is quickly revealing itself to be the most impactful regulation in the financial services industry in a long time. The investments that companies are needing to make in order to comply with the rule, which focuses on conflict of interest, are making the impact painfully clear. […]

Many robo-advisors are thriving with growing customer bases. Not only are they flourishing, they’re partnering with – and in some cases being acquired by – traditional institutions that offer wealth management services. Take UBS, for example. The company’s wealth management division recently formed a strategic alliance with SigFig, a robo-advisor that will help develop solutions […]

I love headlines like this: J.P. Morgan Creates Executive Role to Lead Cloud Services. It helps me understand what’s important to a company and tells me that a company’s focus area is real. As financial services companies continue their efforts to become more efficient in a time in which regulatory demands and low interest rates […]

If you work in financial services, you may have noticed that your executives aren’t getting enough sleep. They’re most likely tossing and turning at night, thinking about the shift to digital, stringent regulations, and, as The Financial Times recently said: “Bank bosses perhaps are worried most about not being publically humiliated by a failing grade.” […]

As much as they are disruptors of sorts, traditional banks view robo-advisors as healthy. They represent a challenge for incumbents, one that will ultimately result in better customer experiences. Financial institutions believe that the foundation of what they do is not going to go away; however, it puts pressure on them to focus on the […]

“To stay relevant, financial advisors are recognizing that technology has to be a big piece of their pitch to this generation.” That statement came from a CNBC article that discussed the critical role technology plays in the financial services industry. The author, Ilana Polyak, points to a recent report from Fidelity, which indicates that financial […]

Gartner recently put out a press release that is quite memorable. It begins with: “By 2020, a corporate “no-cloud” policy will be as rare as a “no-internet” policy is today.” While I personally have never encountered a company that has such a success-hindering policy, I’m sure there are companies out there who are ultra-slow adopters, […]

The benefits of robo-advisors are clear: trustworthy and affordable financial advice for everyone, regardless of net worth. Although some may debate what role robo-advising will play in wealth management, we’ve reached a point where it’s hard to imagine a world without it. Ever since the evolution of the internet and the widespread adoption of digital […]