Digital advice to be norm in 2017
Financial advice businesses that do not offer a digital advice service will be the "exception rather than the rule", according to Ignition Wealth.
The robo-advice provider also noted that financial advice businesses will not have to refund fees due to non-service under digital advice.
Chief executive, Mark Fordree, said he had seen early adopters and increasingly integrating digital financial advice into their businesses.
"Across all technology and disruption products and services, adoption curves are becoming steeper," Fordree said.
"In 2017 digital financial advice will become a mainstream solution, provided as a core offering by professional financial businesses."
Fordree added that digital financial advice could follow the trend of the ATM, which progressed from being a novelty service to one that had become an essential service of everyday life.
"Digital financial advice will become an assumed offering for all good operators. By the close of 2017 good financial businesses which do not have a digital advice component will be the exception rather than the rule," Fordree said.
Ignition Wealth investor and mentor, and Count Financial founder, Barry Lambert, said financial planning, which was labour intensive, was due for a business makeover by integrating digital financial advice.
"Digitalised servicing of the 80 per cent of clients that represent only 20 per cent of profits is the obvious first step. The percentage of clients serviced by digital financial advice will soon become the industry benchmark and you will never have to refund fees due to non-service," Lambert said.
"Everyone is talking about the cloud revolution and many are looking to change their technology because they want to look smarter. Changing technology is very expensive if it does not revolutionise your business."
AUTHOR
Malavika Santhebennur
Recommended for you
The Reserve Bank of Australia has delivered its first rate decision since the introduction of a new board structure last month.
ASIC was active in the first quarter of 2025 with several financial adviser bannings and court action, while the FSCP also handed down outcomes to advisers.
With a joint venture announced between WT Financial and Merchant Wealth Partners, the firm may have a US background, but partner David Haintz has a long history with Australian financial advice.
The big four bank is set to see $40 million per annum in cost savings as it continues to migrate customers from its Asgard wealth platform to BT Panorama by FY26.
