Robo-advisers continue swift asset growth

Robo-advisers continue swift asset growth
LearnBonds.com expects assets managed on digital platforms to reach $1.4 trillion globally in 2020
FEB 03, 2020

Despite increasing competition from traditional financial institutions, data gathered by LearnBonds.com suggest digital advice technologies will see significant asset growth in coming years.  

The researcher expects assets managed by robo-advisers to grow 47% year-over-year to reach $1.4 trillion globally in 2020. By 2023, LearnBonds expects robo-adviser assets under management to reach $2.5 trillion.

According to the robo-adviser market outlook from Statista, AUM at robo-advisers totaled $240 billion in 2017. The market quadrupled over the last 2 years to reach $980.5 billion.

The United States, home to digital advice startups like Betterment, Wealthfront and Personal Capital, continues to lead the automated investing marketplace. Three-quarters of robo-adviser AUM is U.S.-based, and LearnBonds expects the market to reach $1 trillion this year. Second-ranked China is around $700 billion behind.

The numbers are in line with similar research from Aite Group, which found assets at U.S.-based digital advisers grew 10% over the first three quarters of 2019 and will reach $1.26 trillion in 2023.

Leading the growth are new digital platforms from traditional financial services firms. Vanguard Personal Advisor services remains the biggest robo in terms of AUM, while products from discount brokerages account for 35% of the market.

Banks see digital advice as a way to encourage customers to invest cash in checking and savings accounts. Citi became the latest bank to enter the market last week with the introduction of its Citi Wealth Builder product.

Latest News

Carson Group deepens Colorado presence with Arvada advisor deal
Carson Group deepens Colorado presence with Arvada advisor deal

The Omaha, Nebraska-based RIA's latest acquisition expands its Rocky Mountain footprint after two prior Colorado deals last year.

Slow advisor transitions are costing RIA firms money and talent, and the industry is starting to act
Slow advisor transitions are costing RIA firms money and talent, and the industry is starting to act

Operational drag between an advisor signing and accounts going live is emerging as a competitive liability for wealth management firms.

M&A on course for second-highest year ever as megadeals surge and AI complicates the deal equation
M&A on course for second-highest year ever as megadeals surge and AI complicates the deal equation

Bain says companies face a "winner's paradox" as AI transformation collides with complex integrations.

Rumor confirmed: Corient expands with European acquisition
Rumor confirmed: Corient expands with European acquisition

Deal lifts global assets to roughly $523 billion under management.

What wine culture can teach investors about decision-making
What wine culture can teach investors about decision-making

Choice anxiety, prestige bias, and the temptation to make selections based on outsourced confidence are just some of the parallels between investing and the world of wine tasting.

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income

SPONSORED Why direct indexing stopped being optional

Direct indexing is on pace to outgrow ETFs and mutual funds. Northern Trust's Ken Lassner explains why the advisors who get it wish they had started sooner.