In mid-2016, EMI partnered with Boston Research Technologies to conduct a national survey of investors aimed at understanding their attitudes towards robo-advisors. The survey captured input from over 700 respondents, distributed across age and wealth segments.
As shown in the infographic below, EMI’s analysis of the survey data paints a picture of the robo-advisor opportunity that doesn’t neatly align with the concept of it being an entry-level offering for the young mass affluent. In fact, interest in robos correlates more strongly with attitudinal segments than with age or wealth segments. This has a lot of implications for lead generation and nurturing programs, and product positioning and messaging. Moreover, the strong desire for “someone to talk to” and for a platform that is not difficult to use suggest a need for support and guidance that deviates from the “self-service” (and low-cost) vision for robos.
