Wells Fargo Gives More Details on Robo Service

March 27, 2017 at 11:48 AM
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Wells Fargo shared a second round of details about its Intuitive Investment robo-advisor on Monday.

The program, which can be linked with bank accounts, will have a minimum investment of $10,000 and a yearly cost of 50 basis points, which includes phone-based financial advisor support.

It will give investors access to asset-allocation models, and both index and smart-beta ETFs designed and selected by the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. On a day-to-day basis, the portfolios will be managed by the bank's tech partner SigFig, which creates algorithms to do automatic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting.

"Intuitive Investor supports Wealth and Investment Management's overall strategy to serve the evolving needs of clients and harness technology to address a long-time challenge faced by the industry: delivering high-quality advice primarily designed for next generation investors," the company said in a statement.

Its broad launch is set for the second half of 2017, though some employees will be part of a pilot launch earlier in the year; a client pilot "is scheduled for the summer," Wells Fargo told advisors last month in a memo.

Wells Fargo is positioning Intuitive Investor to "live between" its WellsTrade online platform and its full-service model, "acting as an important stepping stone for individuals who want to invest in their future using a convenient method that blends technology with access to human advice," the bank explains.

It also aims for next-generation investors to have easy access and integration with banking services.

SigFig

Last year, Wells Fargo Advisors announced plans to partner with the tech firm SigFig to develop a robo offering. This news came several months after UBS' wealth management group in the Americas formed a deal with SigFig to work on different digital tools for its reps and advisory business.

At the time of the announcement, Wells Fargo said the partnership should help it offer "tailored portfolios" online and a service for "emerging investors who want trusted investment advice and a holistic financial experience in the digital space," it says.

(Wells Fargo's roughly 15,000 advisors and 3,900 licensed bankers have some $1.5 trillion in client assets.)

"Given the scale of Wells Fargo, this partnership will help SigFig continue to significantly expand our mission of providing high-quality investment advice to investors of all wealth and income levels," explained SigFig CEO Mike Sha, in a statement at the time.

— Check out Humans to Robos: You Can't Touch This on ThinkAdvisor.

 

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