
SEC’s Gensler Confirms AI is Regulatory Priority
Chairman Gary Gensler said at a conference that he has directed the SEC to explore the regulatory implications of AI in financial advising, and also reiterated the importance of advisers vetting third-party services.

Most Young Investors Lack Understanding of Robo-Adviser Technology
Human support remains key in assisting investors using robo-advice investment management, according to experts.

BlackRock Sells Direct-to-Consumer Robo-Advisory Business to Ritholtz
BlackRock is selling FutureAdvisor’s direct-to-consumer advice and investment business after acquiring the firm in 2015 as a business-to-business platform for advisers.

401(k) Robo-Adviser Blooom Shuts Services, Sells Tech to Morgan Stanley
A 401(k) robo-adviser with more than $5 billion in assets under management stopped servicing clients in November and has sold its technology to Morgan Stanley.

Schwab’s Robo SEC Settlement Highlights Disclosure Pitfalls
In addition to a monetary settlement, three Charles Schwab investment adviser subsidiaries have agreed to retain an independent consultant to review their policies and procedures relating to their robo-adviser’s disclosures, advertising and marketing practices.

Automated Client Service and the Future of Advice
Vestwell and Bambu Team Up on Participant Advice
The partnership offers adviser managed accounts, an application programming interface (API) to provide personalized participant advice and a library of APIs to create a robo-advisory platform.
Investors Less Likely to Heed Advice from Robo Advisers
It appears, according to a survey by Dalbar, that people put more faith in the advice of a human adviser.
Robo-Adviser vs. Human Adviser
Investors Working with Advisers Want a Collaborative Relationship
They want advisers to handle their investments but also to consult on their decisions.
Investors Still Prefer Live Advisers to Robo-Advisers
However, they expect their adviser to be technologically savvy.
Americans Would Like to Automate Day-to-Day Finances
When it comes to trusting a financial services firm, consumers first want it to secure their personal information; secondly, they expect it to deliver high-quality customer service.
CFP Board Sees Expanding Role for Digital Advisers
Looking to 2018 and beyond, traditional advisers, brokerage firms and banks are widely (and aggressively) seeking to integrate digital advice into their service offerings; the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning offers a digital advice road map to help make sense of it all.
Interest Doesn’t Always Bring Adoption of Robo-Adviser Tech
Since 2015, investors' interest in using digital advice platforms has increased modestly, far outpacing actual adoption, according to Cerulli; for clients of both traditional advisers and robo platforms, knowing disclosure information is easily available is often felt to be more important than reviewing it in depth.
Invest Forward Selects Folio Institutional For Brokerage Tech
Folio Institutional’s API Service makes it easier for firms to build their own unique digital investing platform that includes custom online account opening, document management and securities trading.