Suleman Din

Robos can give ETF providers brand new channels to distribute products and access new investors, says Dodd Kittsley, head of ETF strategy and national accounts at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management.

Fidelity has a new digital plan to work with advisors and is also developing a direct-to-consumer robo platform.

Robos don't have to be based on ETFs, says Naureen Hassan, head of Schwab's Intelligent Portfolios. "It can be mutual funds, individual securities -- whatever we want it to be, because it is a technology platform."

The hefty penalty is one result of an SEC investigation into performance claims of the AlphaSector ETF-linked strategy.

Officials should ask "whether these new robo advisors can be neatly placed within our existing laws," SEC commissioner says.

The decision to create rather than buy an existing digital platform spurred an emotional response from competitors, Schwab Chief Walt Bettinger tells attendees at its annual Impact conference.

The deal should be a signal to robo platforms they need to pair their technology with traditional advisors to remain competitive, analysts say.

To harness the full potential of new digital tools advisors have to train themselves in technology and avoid viewing it as just a bolt-on to their practice, says practice management expert Ray Sclafani.

First Round Capital has raised a half-billion in funds and invested in almost 500 companies, including Uber and Warby Parker. Co-founder Howard Morgan explains why it hasn't made any investments in robo advisors.

The automated investment trend is not a fad, says U.S. Trust President Keith Banks. But being firm in values and delivering value is still paramount, he says.

As business models converge in the industry, firms risk diluting advice with sales pitches and product promotion, says John Taft, head of RBC Wealth Management-U.S.

Mary Mack says that Wells Fargo Advisors is still thinking through which route to take toward implementing an automated advice offering.

Wealthfront's CEO predicted automation will soon dominate financial advice; the head of Betterment had advice for regulators.

HD Vest will marry its data mining capabilities and lineup of advisors to Blucora's free online tax preparation platform, but CEO Roger Ochs won’t call it a robo.

Automated wealth tools and platforms are gaining traction. But expensive ad fights for what still is a sliver of the overall investment market has observers wondering which digital-first firms can survive and become profitable.

Dan Draper, managing director of global ETFs at Invesco PowerShares, acknowledges there is a synergy between the popularity of ETFs and the rise of robo advisors.

The Canadian-owned firm won't rule out a potential acquisition of a digital advice provider. "Everything you can imagine is on the table and actively being explored," John Taft, head of the firm's U.S. brokerage operations, tells On Wall Street exclusively.

By claiming robos may be unregistered investment companies, new report raises the stakes in fight for dominance.

Following the most recent hacking incident in the financial industry, technology experts weigh in on what this means for wealth managers.

Low-cost competition will force fee-based advisors to restructure how they are compensated, said Brian Leitner, senior vice president of practice management at Mariner Wealth Advisors.