Automated investing

Little can keep the search engine giant from entering wealth management. But advisors still have weapons at their disposal. They just need to use them.

The technology is poised to upend the industry. Advisors are still waiting.

The Wall Street giant has built an automated advice platform and is considering how to release it to the mass affluent market.

While technology has expanded the toolkit for advisors, some still struggle to differentiate their offerings.

Personal Capital is the latest digital-first firm to spend on TV and magazine ads, acknowledging it is “challenging the legacy players in wealth management.”

SigFig reportedly lays off a percentage of its workforce, while a former Fidelity marketing chief joins Personal Capital.

Independent investment platforms are projected to lose market share to larger entrants, according to industry data.

The market information giant provides financial data and infrastructure to more than 40,000 institutions in over 190 countries.

Even though it now claims six million accounts, the free trading platform may still need to expand its offerings to stay competitive, experts say.

An online war is underway for deposits, as a wide range of players — traditional wealth managers, big banks, digital-only platforms and fintechs — offer high-interest savings and checking through apps and websites.