The custodial space is notoriously difficult to break into, but Betterment wasn’t afraid to take the leap. While larger custodians are locked in a battle for scale, Betterment saw an opportunity to better serve smaller RIAs by helping them leverage the platform to support their growth and operational efficiency.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Thomas Moore, Head of Betterment for Advisors, about why custodial competition is reshaping wealth management.
Thomas Moore has spent his career working with top wealth management firms across the country. He is passionate about helping financial advisors to find the best possible solutions for their clients and businesses. Prior to this role, he held lead sales roles for Affiliated Managers Group, SEI and The Vanguard Group.
The future of the wealth management industry isn’t going to be dominated by robots. Instead, it will be an evolving hybrid market in which human advisors use digital techniques to gather data and generate thoughtful, and more precise recommendations faster and more objectively than they do today. When it comes to artificial intelligence, the challenge is not fending off extinction, it is shifting skills. Can CTO’s be the changemakers that help advisors adapt?
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Nick Graham, Chief Technology Officer at Cambridge, about the opportunities AI creates when it comes to financial advice, and how Cambridge is staying ahead of the curve.
Nick Graham joined Cambridge in 2017 and currently serves as a member of Cambridge’s Executive Council. Graham has more than 25 years of experience in product development, consulting services, and business development across a variety of markets, including the financial services industry. In his current role, he leads one of the most innovative financial professional workstations in the industry, featuring financial professional-friendly technology that is customizable for the broadest range of independent business models across financial professional business channels. Graham was named Chief Technology Officer of the Year by WealthManagement.com1 at the 2021 Industry Awards. He is a member of the Fairfield Economic Development Association Board of Directors and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Clemson University.
The fastest-growing, most resilient RIAs are relying on modern technology to deliver a differentiated experience and keep up with client expectations. Given the significant amount of market turmoil over the past year, having the right technology, data, tools and perspective are more important than ever to navigate volatility and a dynamic risk landscape. Fortunately, Addepar has been at the forefront of these trends by developing the industry standard for data management and aggregation, analysis and reporting.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Don Nilsson, Chief Product Officer at Addepar, about how they’re supporting advisors in a more tech-enabled and data-driven way.
Shannon and Don discuss:
Why adoption rates of sophisticated portfolio management systems has increased
The implications of the great wealth transfer
How Addepar is helping create a more transparent ecosystem
Don is the Chief Product Officer at Addepar, focused on driving the development of the company’s platform which specializes in data aggregation, analytics, and portfolio reporting to provide insights and clarity into investment portfolios. Highly adept at user-centric solutions, Don brings a design-centered approach to development.
Prior to joining Addepar, he spent more than two decades at FactSet, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Product Development, responsible for running their global product development function and overseeing development across the entire platform.
Don received a BS in finance at Villanova University and an MBA from New York University.
Is the perfect tech stack a unicorn…does it even exist? The battle between all-in-one versus best-of-breed wages on. But, Practifi, a performance optimization platform, is on a mission to help wealth management firms create the perfect tech stack. Can a firm get an idealized tech stack for their needs? Absolutely. Would it be perfect for the next firm? Almost certainly not. There is an importance of setting up a tech stack to mirror and support how advisors want to spend their time, which is why it’s so critical for technology to be flexible.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Adrian Johnstone, CEO of Practifi, about why the “perfect” tech stack will depend on a firm’s unique needs and priorities.
Shannon and Adrian discuss:
Why tech adoption still remains a challenge for many advisors
The role of tech in improving client experience
What he has learned from the Australian and U.S. wealthtech markets
Adrian has over 20 years experience helping advice businesses of all sizes leverage technology for growth.
A regular presenter at industry events in Australia and United States, Adrian offers deep insight into the technology needs of advisors. Adrian owns Practifi’s go-to-market strategy and direction globally.
Nebo, which stands for needs based optimization, was born after nearly a decade of GMO research focused on solving for optimal portfolio construction that seeks to minimize shortfall risk. Nebo has already passed $1B in platform assets, after launching in 2022, and the brilliant minds at the firm are on a mission to bridge the gap between asset management and financial planning. Spoiler alert: Advisors are using Nebo to construct institutional quality, dynamic, real-time model portfolios that are personalized to each client, in a fraction of the time previously required.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Martin Tarlie, Nebo’s product lead, about how Nebo is not just a portfolio construction engine, it is a paradigm shift in risk assessment, redefining risk as ‘not having what you need, when you need it.’
Shannon and Martin discuss:
Why advisors are lacking confidence that their clients are in the right portfolios
How Nebo has alleviated complications that come with the portfolio optimization process
The next frontier in customized portfolio construction
Dr. Tarlie is a member of GMO’s Asset Allocation team and serves as the Nebo product lead. Prior to re-joining GMO in 2018, he was a managing director at QMA. He previously worked on GMO’s Global Equity team from 2007 to 2014. Prior to that he worked at Breakwater Trading and at Marlin Capital Corp as a fundamental equity analyst and the director of research. Dr. Tarlie earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Michigan, his PhD in theoretical condensed matter physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his MBA from the University of Chicago. He was also a postdoctoral research fellow at the James Franck Institute at the University of Chicago and is a CFA charterholder.
AI continues to dominate headlines in the wealth management space. But, will it eventually end up replacing everything outside of actual conversations between an advisor and a client? Possibly. Generative AI may still seem intimidating to many, but the reality is the future belongs to those who are willing to learn and implement it correctly. As the world’s first AI-powered GPT assistant [for financial advisors], SIFA is on a mission to automate ongoing communications between advisors and their clients.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Alan Gurung, CEO and co-founder of SIFA, about how the platform enables advisors to harness data, improve efficiency, and derive insightful analytics from it.
Shannon and Alan discuss:
The three ways financial advisors can use SIFA
Where AI will be able to replace human tasks
How AI makes financial advice more human
What regulation and government oversight means for AI initiatives
Alan Gurung, CEO and co-founder of SIFA, a generative AI startup based in London. Gurung started SIFA, which stands for super independent financial advisor, along with a small team of two other machine learning engineers and two student interns.
Gurung worked as an advisor and partner for the large U.K. advisory firm St. James’s Place and sold his book of business to start SIFA, which was built specifically to automate ongoing communications between advisors and their clients.
Is a picture worth a thousand words? In the case of visiWealth, the answer is yes. Financial planning is complicated and often full of jargon that is complex. As advisors know, when complexity increases, understanding can often decrease, and it can be a challenge to get clients to trust what they don’t understand. This is why the power of engaging visuals has become a game changer in wealth management.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Dr. Ross Riskin, founder and chief creative officer at visiWealth, about the effectiveness of visuals to create more trust and positive outcomes for clients.
Shannon and Ross discuss:
The psychological impact of visuals and the importance of emotional connection
Myths and misconceptions around advice engagement
Why advisors need to understand the “learning style” and preferences of their clients
The 3 C’s” that advisors should focus on for success in the future
Dr. Riskin serves as Chief Learning Officer for the Investments & Wealth Institute and his research and professional expertise focus on advice engagement, education planning, and tax and wealth transfer planning for high-income and high-net-worth individuals. He is also the Managing Member of Riskin Wealth Management, LLC, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at visiWealth, and sits on the Advisory Board for the American Institute of Certified College Financial Consultants (AICCFC).
Ross is recognized as a thought leader and expert in the areas of tax planning, college planning, student loan advising, and advice engagement, and he is the author of The Adviser’s Guide to Education Planning: 1st and 2nd Editions, which are published by the AICPA. Ross has presented to over 25,000 individuals through webinars, conferences, and in the classroom. He has been quoted in media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, US News, The New York Times, and Investment News, and has also been published in journals such as the Journal of Wealth Management, Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Accountancy, Tax Notes, and the Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives.
In addition to being a CPA/PFS and Certified College Financial Consultant (CCFC), Ross received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Fairfield University, a Master of Science in Taxation degree from Bentley University, and a Doctorate of Business Administration in Finance degree from Sacred Heart University.
A powerful CRM is crucial for financial advisors if they ultimately want to grow their business. As firms gain access to more and more data, the CRM has become the centralized hub to capture, organize and manage data through the entire client lifecycle. With more information available than ever before, advisors can use this technology to continuously enhance the client experience.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Craig Ramsey, COO of AdvisorEngine, about why having up-to-date allows for better and faster decision making.
Shannon and Craig discuss:
Why firms need to invest in talent around handling data
Grading the average RIA around how they’re using technology to drive value
The core components of the the ‘platform mentality’
Craig is a business builder with a background in corporate strategy, investment banking and consulting. He joined AdvisorEngine from WisdomTree where he led strategy, helped establish an international presence and pushed the company beyond ETFs into technology solutions. Craig has prior experience at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Accenture and UBS.
The role of the CTO has morphed into a complex, evolving set of responsibilities. Historically, technology was seen as an expense to reduce, but as firms redefine themselves in this digital era, we’re seeing the technology strategy become intertwined with business strategy. Yet, very few RIAs have a CTO. As technology and data become central to the value companies offer their customers, spearheading transformational change is increasingly a top priority for CTOs. But, how should they prioritize and manage it all?
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Vib Arya, COO/CTO of Shufro Rose, about the constantly changing role of the CTO and how to stay ahead of the technology curve.
Shannon and Vib discuss:
Tips that can help RIAs evolve their practice with technology
The biggest concerns that keep CTOs up at night
How to create a company culture that embraces technology
How technology can help deepen the client/advisor relationship
Vib is Shufro Rose’s Chief Operating Officer and previously served as the firm’s Head of Operations and Information Technology. Vib has spent over 25 years within the investment management industry, having held increasing levels of responsibility for technology and operations management, project management, strategy & transformational change, and business administration.
Vib received his B.A. in Computer Science from New York University’s College of Art & Sciences and his M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Organizational Management from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
Vib is frequently requested to participate as a thought leader on operations, technology, and practice management topics for industry conferences and periodicals. Vib is currently on the Advisory Board for the 2023 TSAM (The Summit of Asset Management) NYC Conference.
The emergence of WealthTech-as-a-Service is redefining the wealth management industry. Now, APIs are shaping the future of financial services by providing access to valuable data, enhancing integration and automation, enabling personalization, supporting scalability, and reducing costs. With the increased availability of data, wealthtech firms can quickly develop new products and connect with different financial systems and tools to improve their products and client satisfaction.
In this episode, Shannon Rosic, Director of WealthStack Content and Solutions, speaks with Joe Stensland, CEO of BridgeFT, about how they’re helping firms power their next generation of digital experiences.
Shannon and Joe discuss:
The state of the API economy
Why BridgeFT wants to retire the tech-stack mentality
What the next generation of wealth management applications look like
Why having access to better data points leads to better decision-making
Joe Stensland is the CEO at BridgeFT. Prior to this, he was the Head of Digital Investor at LSEG, and before that, he held positions at Refinitiv and Scivantage.
Mr. Stendland attended Colorado State University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He later attended Georgetown University McDonough School of Business to complete his MBA. He also holds a certification from the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA).
