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Posts Tagged ‘investing’

Can A Fiduciary Determine If A Fund Is TOO Cheap?

What happens when the unstoppable force of retirement services recordkeeping faces the immovable object of low-fee funds? We’ll probably have to wait for the courts to decide. Recently, Fidelity Investments, TD Ameritrade, and Morgan Stanley all announced that they will be charging additional fees to customers who invest in The Vanguard Group’s funds. While this […]

[Guide] Conquering Selection Analysis Paralysis In Financial Services

In the interest of reducing cost and liability, financial services companies have started withdrawing from the advice market and are requiring non-high net worth individuals to bear responsibility for their own financial decisions. This trend is similar to a trend in healthcare called “patient empowerment,” where doctors no longer make a recommendation for a course […]

Helping Clients Understand The Impact Of Their Investment Decisions

Clients are more empowered than ever to make their own informed decisions, which has led to a dramatic shift in their expectations of financial services companies. Clients expect to be provided with the kind of personalized advice, support, and tools they used to only get from their financial advisors. While offering choices is an important […]

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5 Ways To Improve The Decision-Making Process For Investors

Financial services institutions have several options when it comes to improving the decision-making process for investors. Reduce options Probably the least-attractive idea for many providers is the notion of limiting the number of options available to clients. Though there are many examples in the manufacturing industry where decreasing the total number of different products in […]

The Emotional Impact Of Too Much Choice

In his book Paradox of Choice, Dr. Barry Schwartz identifies several key reactions people have when confronted with too much choice. Escalation of expectations – Expectations can be significantly detrimental to one’s ability to be happy with a situation. If you are given only two options, your expectations are going to be fairly low. Regardless […]

More Choice Isn’t Always Better

When 401(k) plans were introduced in the early 1980s, most had only one-to-three funds available. Typically, participants would find a low-income/low-risk fund (often called a “guaranteed” investment vehicle) and an employer stock fund. As the plans became more popular, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) determined that plan sponsors had to offer more options that […]

Robo-advisors [Trend To Watch]

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, it’s hard to imagine a world without it. Ever since the evolution of the internet and the widespread adoption of digital devices, customer expectations have changed […]

Financial Education [Trend To Watch]

Results from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) were released in July, 2016 by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation). The findings, which include data from more than 27,000 U.S. adults, reiterate the importance of providing people with financial education to help them better manage their money. According to an infographic that depicts the study’s results, “Absolute levels […]

100+ Examples Of Digital Transformation In Financial Services

Similar to the way digital transformation means different things to different people, there are myriad types of projects and initiatives that fall under the concept of digital transformation, including: Implementing methods that enable changes to be made quickly on digital platforms, such as websites, mobile, social, and portals Developing websites and portals that are mobile-friendly […]

How Digital Transformation Begins In Financial Services

Most digital transformation initiatives begin with customer journey mapping, a process that helps one fully understand the dynamics of the target customer and their behavior. Journey mapping connects the dots from a customer’s initial interaction with a brand, through their entire experience with that brand via multiple channels (e.g., website, mobile app, phone call, direct […]

Why Digital Transformation Matters In Financial Services

In today’s digital age, consumers have evolved to become far more independent and self-sufficient. They expect access to information, services, and products to be quick, easy, useful, engaging, and even entertaining. Businesses that are not yet meeting these new expectations are falling behind the curve. But this particular curve is not just the trend of […]

Digital Transformation In Financial Services Defined

While it means different things to different people, digital transformation is a movement. According to the research firm Altimeter, the definition of digital transformation boils down to this: “The realignment of, or new investment in, technology and business models to more effectively engage digital customers at every touchpoint in the customer experience lifecycle.” Digital transformation […]

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