Embark Investor Confidence Barometer

Robo-advice could open a new – and unexpected – revenue stream for firms, according to the Embark Investor Confidence Barometer.

Touted as a solution to the UK advice gap by enticing less-wealthy investors, robo-advice also offers a gateway to advice to affluent investors, our results suggest.

In fact, the more assets an investor has, the greater their comfort with robo-advice, according to the Barometer.

While more than half of investors – advised or not – said the current advice model would continue to be most suitable for them in the future, almost a third (30%) of advised and more than a quarter (26%) of non-advised investors favoured a hybrid model incorporating robo-advice.

Almost half (44%) of people with investable assets of £1m or more said they expected a hybrid model (robo-advice with human advice on request) would be most suitable for them in the future, compared to a third with between £500k and £1m and less than a quarter of those in the £100-£250k bracket.

As investor interest stirs, advisers are gearing up to add robo-advice to their offering, but are split on whether to partner with a provider or build their own tech.

According to the latest Barometer, only a fifth of firms do not see robo-advice as part of their proposition inside the next decade.

However, firms were almost equally split on whether they would add robo capabilities by partnering with a provider, or by building their own capability.

Meanwhile, a tenth of advisers indicated they already offered robo-advice as part of their proposition.

Meanwhile, almost a third of investors say they either do not know or are unsure about the distinction between regulated financial advice and unregulated financial guidance.

While more than a third of non-advised investors (35%) admitted being uncertain on the distinction, the same was true of almost a quarter (24%) of advised investors.

“It’s little surprise that 80% of advisers are planning on offering a robo solution – they’ve been on the receiving end of a message telling them they should do so for years. I would argue most are doing it to open the doors to less wealthy clients (who may grow into more traditional clients in the future) and to reduce overhead costs of dealing with simpler client requirements.

However, interesting among the Barometer’s findings, is the implication that offering robo-advice opens the door to affluent investors who do not currently access advice. This represents a huge opportunity for firms and may be another compelling reason to consider adding robo-advice.

Another view could be that it may reduce the income they make from wealthier clients who elect to use the (presumably) cheaper robo option on a more frequent basis.

Would this surprise anyone? Typically, wealthier clients are more engaged in the protection and growth of their wealth so, if they remain at the forefront of the market as it evolves, we should expect them to show a stronger interest in new advice styles as they emerge.

The market is going to fundamentally change, but it will be slow, and each firm needs to choose how it is going to evolve alongside it.”

Toby Larkman
Former Chief Commercial Officer, Embark Platform

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