More than just new rules for retirement advice
With the Department of Labor’s Conflict of Interest rule likely to be issued in the next few weeks, we are approaching an important milestone for our industry. Not only will financial advisors be...
View ArticleDon’t race to the bottom—offer hybrid advice
As part of my series of blogs about robo advice, I’d like to suggest an additional solution that might finally lay to rest the “man versus machine” argument around investment advice. There’s little...
View ArticleBe ready for your future investor
As you’re the first to know, the wealth management industry is undergoing profound change. For any viable business, there are always pressures to achieve consistent bottom line growth and productivity,...
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Countdown to compliance with the uncleared margin regulation
Last month, my blog, Blowing the derivative doors off, set the scene for the forthcoming regulation around non-cleared derivatives margining, known as BCBS 261.[1] Since then the Canadian and Japanese...
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Who is the modern investor?
The rise of online banking in the late 1990s and early 2000s not only transformed how banks interact with their customers, but also opened the public’s eyes to the potential of digital technology. In...
View ArticleTechnology Vision 2016: Putting people first in the digital era
As you take a moment to look around you, it’s clear that we’re in the midst of a digital revolution. Digital technologies are having an impact on every aspect of our lives, changing how we work as...
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Meeting the needs of the modern investor
We have established that the wealth management industry is facing a new kind of client—one that’s tech-savvy, well-informed and empowered. Today, I want to examine how digital technologies are helping...
View ArticleTechnology Vision 2016: 5 digital trends that will shape capital markets
As we discussed in previous posts, the Accenture Technology Vision 2016 report emphasizes the importance of people in the digital era. Based on this idea and the results from a global survey of more...
View ArticleBusiness process redesign: Small changes could mean big savings
As an operations manager at an asset management firm, you have lots of tools at your disposal for improving how your firm operates. But today, I want to focus specifically on business process redesign:...
View ArticleState of the Union: Middle office moves front and center
Increase profits and operational efficiency. Expand product lines and markets. Asset managers strive to achieve these objectives at all times. It’s especially challenging at this time: in a low-return...
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Digital ecosystems: Friend or foe for investment banks?
Investment banking was built on a rich tradition of innovation—of products, markets and operating models—but the industry has been focused on cost reduction and regulatory compliance for too long. The...
View ArticleDOL Fiduciary Rule – Industry comes to terms with new rule
Yesterday, I attended the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Seminar in New York. This much anticipated event brought together members...
View ArticleOptimizing the Operating Model
Conditions and needs change. Over time, organic growth, acquisitions and divestitures, services and product line shifts, regulatory requirements and staff turnovers affect the asset manager’s operating...
View ArticleWealth management “on the go”
Mobile provides a more connected way of doing business that is proving highly attractive to wealth management firms. In today’s digital world, clients want to be more involved in the decision making...
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Why compete with fintech when you can collaborate?
Since 2010, venture capitalists, private equity firms and others have poured more than $50 billion into nearly 2,500 financial technology or “fintech” companies. Recently, there have been signs that...
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New ways to serve mass affluents
The landscape of how wealth is managed is changing, and one of the instruments of change can be seen in the approach to a particular group of customers known as “mass affluents”. Traditionally...
View ArticleDisrupter, innovator or none of the above?
The global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 brought the asset management industry to its knees. What followed was a period of profound transformation marked by significant regulatory reform and the...
View ArticleHow to be nimble and smart
Read any business strategy or management article and you’ll undoubtedly see references to how organizations can embrace agility. But while there is no doubt that agile has been trending, what does it...
View ArticleT+2 Settlement is on the Near Horizon for US Capital Markets
The settlement period for in-scope securities traded on the secondary market in the US is currently trade date plus three business days (T+3). The financial services industry, in coordination with...
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Virtual workforces: The next step in the automation spectrum
Virtual workers, robotics process automation (RPA), desktop automation, artificial intelligence—these are just a few of the terms being tossed around boardroom tables in capital markets firms. But what...
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