Fidelity will be unveiling its own robo-advisor, according to sources with knowledge of the program who spoke to Bank Innovation. While details remain murky, it looks like this service will be focused on adding new, younger, clients, say sources close to Fidelity.
Fidelity declined to comment.
This comes just after Reuters reported that brokerage firm Charles Schwab would be first conventional brokerage firm to add automated wealth management services for its customers. Reuters reported that the Schwab would be releasing this new robe-advisory service for free. Sources who spoke to Bank Innovation on the condition of anonymity, since Fidelity’s plans are not yet public, did not indicate whether Fidelity’s service will be free or not. It should be noted that Fidelity Investments has a number of low-cost options on the retail side, though, so the need for Fidelity to enter this market immediately may not be as pressing.
But, early plans estimate a release by 1Q 2015 for Fidelity — a slightly longer timetable than Schwab. Sources also indicated that Fidelity’s rollout will be two-tiered: The service will initially be targeted towards clients only, and then later will be offered more broadly.
Robo-advising has become extremely popular among younger investors, especially those in the millennial generation, but ven with lower-cost automated services, these old school brokerage firms will have a tough time competing with Wealthfront and Betterment, two of the biggest startups in wealth management in terms of volume. These companies already dominate the youth marketplace and users are reportedly satisfied. Sources have indicated to Bank Innovation that the moves by both Fidelity and Schwab to start their own robo-broker are part of an effort to combat the growing hype and momentum around Wealthfront and Betterment.
Whether that is possible remains to be seen. Wealthfront is the biggest robo-broker in the industry, and Betterment isn’t far behind. While Fidelity and Schwab have the brand-name recognition for those 35 and older, younger investors still gravitate to these trendy startups. Why? These startups focus on utilizing technology, particularly smartphones, and developing services and features around those devices. Its unclear whether a brokerage firm like Fidelity or Schwab would be able to put such a strong focus on technology and engineering over technical financial analysis. For millennials interested in investing, sometimes having access to your investments at all times is just as important as the ROI.