Artificial intelligence has arrived in investing but humans are still dominating
Machines are starting to take the place of the people who flip burgers, drive across town and, lately, manage stock portfolios. Artificial intelligence is taking on a bigger role in making investment decisions. AI, including an ability to analyse data and actually learn from it, is considered useful in executing certain investing models, such as high-frequency trading, and in helping fund managers with tasks that rely on gathering and interpreting reams of information. Going a step further, an exchange-traded fund introduced in October uses AI algorithms to choose long-term stock holdings. It is too early to say whether the AI Powered Equity ETF will be a trendsetter or merely a […]
Advice industry must think bigger: Netwealth
Netwealth joint managing director Matt Heine said the advice industry is not thinking big enough, putting itself at risk of being left behind.
From football to finance: Why Ted Richards wants to make investing easier
With 261 first-grade AFL games under his belt, former Sydney Swans defender Ted Richards isn’t your average financial guru – but he’s willing to bet that footy is a lot closer to money management than you think. After retiring from professional football at the end of 2016, Richards moved onto his second love of finance, becoming the Director of Business Development at Robo-advice startup Six Park. It sounds like the high-pressure world of being an Aussie rules superstar is the perfect antonym for the often-stuffy industry of finance management, but Richards says in many ways the two are the same. “Finance is a lot like footy in that while the […]
Myprosperity partners with $6.2bn platform
Myprosperity has partnered with an ASX-listed investment and superannuation platform provider to give clients whole-of-wealth solutions. Clients can now access HUB24 assets via myprosperity. HUB24 director of strategic development Jason Entwistle said by opening up the HUB24 platform and sharing data, it provides advisers and accountants the freedom to choose the technology solutions that provide the best experience for them and their clients. Former Xero Australia managing director and Myprosperity chief executive, Chris Ridd, said centralising clients’ wealth in one place creates massive opportunities for advisers. “By minimising time spent on administrative tasks, and providing their clients a bespoke wealth portal powered by live data feeds, advisers can grow their […]
SMSFs in rugby legend’s sights as licensing numbers stagnate
In light of the limited take-up of the AFSL regime for accountants, one fintech and robo-advice oriented firm is ramping up its efforts as a referral partner to accountants looking to provide investment advice, including to SMSFs. Stirling Mortlock, Wallabies captain from 2006-2009, moved from a consulting role at NAB to Stockspot in July this year, with a view to boost distribution to professional intermediaries. The ‘Partners Program’ is now in full swing, and the company is eyeing accountants to secure the business of SMSF clients in particular, in light of the accountants’ exemption phase-out and the extremely low take-up of AFSLs among accountants. “We feel as though it’s a […]
GPS robo-adviser launches
Plenty Wealth, a robo-adviser that combines human advice has officially launched. Co-founders Josh Golombick and Greg Einfeld said Plenty Wealth provides a financial roadmap and acts like a “GPS service” in terms of financial goals, covering automated advice from budgeting and cash flows, to insurance, property and investments. One of the biggest advantages of an algorithm is that the results are transparent and cannot be swayed by human bias and conflicts, said Einfeld, who helped develop the algorithms based on his 20 years of working in the superannuation and wealth management industries. “What’s more, they allow us to produce quality advice on demand and bring the cost down to nothing,” […]
ASIC licensing crackdowns see uptick in robo-advice demand
While one automated advice provider says the demand for automated advice has been relatively steady since the removal of the accountant’s exemption, there have been some small spikes in demand following various compliance crackdowns by ASIC. Speaking to SMSF Adviser, Plenty Plus founder Greg Einfeld said while there has been continued interest in automated advice since Plenty Plus was launched following the removal of the accountant’s exemption, there has been increased interest following some of the surveillance undertaken by the regulator. “Interest has been reasonably constant, certainly when accountants do see that ASIC is doing something, there is a temporary uptick and there have been a number of occasions when […]
Australia a target for international fintechs
Australia’s wealth management industry is an attractive prospect for foreign technology firms and will likely see international players enter the market in coming years, a Microsoft report has found. The Moving Past Prosperity report, which the tech giant conducted in conjunction with Harvard Business Review, said that while payments and lending dominate the Australian fintech landscape, wealth management technology is growing rapidly, according to KPMG data. “Australia hosts the world’s sixth largest pool of funds under management, substantially filled by its compulsory superannuation scheme,” the report said. “With its potential for scale and cost savings through robo-advice, wealth management is expected to attract many international entrants.” Added to this is […]
