Wealthfront

The announcement is part of an ongoing mashup of financial services. The target audience? The customers of traditional banks.

The mutual fund giant’s automated advice plan could price independents out of the market — and commoditize advice even further.

In addition to launching an automated investing app, the bank created a dedicated advisor unit to provide personal service to customers when they need it.

The deal will accelerate the firm’s digital-heavy client strategy, CEO Andy Rachleff said.

The sector may be edging into dangerous territory, analysts say.

If approved, the fund would be the first in the U.S. to follow a quantitative approach that allocates across asset classes based on risk.

Acquiring clients can be expensive. Some digital investing platforms have turned to a marketing strategy they say may present “conflicts of interest.”

Several wealth management firms, including Marcus by Goldman Sachs and Wealthfront, have launched banking products to complement their investment services.

Just like in the early robo days, sustainability is a real concern for digital platforms.

Among other changes, the bank lowered its minimum investment.

The barriers for firms to enter into multiple financial services has dropped significantly and digital advisory firms are taking advantage.

Executives say the race to zero in fund fees and improvements in data and analytics are among the top issues impacting asset management.

The robo strikes a deal to offer direct deposit service and debit cards.

Although the firm sees risk parity as a way to compliment holdings of its biggest customers, critics see a volatile fund that has underperformed.

The robo advisor rolled out a new partnership with a handful of banks to give clients a fully insured place to keep their cash.

The leading independent robos are offering new investment options to attract new assets.

Firms fined for misleading statements about products and performance — a possible sign that the commission is increasing its surveillance of digital investment platforms.

The new strategy may reflect downward pressure around planning fees.

The partnership with Intuit allows clients to autofill information from TurboTax filings.

Feeding a constant flow of launches are predictions that digital-first advice firms will manage over $4 trillion in the next two years.