When considering the application of AI in finance, many jump straight to high-frequency trading. Computer algorithms, armed with reams of the latest financial data, rapidly trade securities at fractions of a second. Investment firms have long adopted technology to trade at a dizzying pace where a millisecond can equate to millions of dollars.
However, the relationship between AI and finance has potential beyond just trading. AI applications provide a massive opportunity to transform the financial advisory/wealth management industry. Like any organization, a financial advisory firm is made up of people, processes, and technology. By leveraging AI in wealth management, one can integrate these elements to provide the best client experience. By automating routine tasks, AI makes firms more agile and responsive to client needs.
Here are five ways of using AI in wealth management that can ultimately help financial advisory firms better manage themselves and their clients’ money:
1. Faster Client On-boarding
AI in finance can provide the required impetus to intelligently automate certain processes and speed client onboarding. AI is best applied in small steps, with small wins before going for enterprise-wide adoption. For investment services, this exercise can start with automating and streamlining clearly defined manual onboarding processes, such as initial communications, document verification, anti-money laundering checks, risk profiling, and all the legal documentation in between. With AI, all forms of documentation become easier. This way of using Artificial Intelligence in finance improves productivity and enables staff to find and access information across their systems much faster so they can build stronger relationships with their clients at the start.
2. Progressive Transparency & Accountability
In order to retain and gain the loyalty of top clients, wealth managers/financial advisors must reevaluate their internal operations and provide relevant messaging to give clients more insight and control over their finances and portfolio. In addition to clearer messaging, advisory firms should consider making their entire organization more transparent, including how fees are structured. This is an area where using Artificial Intelligence in finance proves very useful. Prioritizing communication with clients and incorporating their feedback through AI-enabled systems like chatbots can enhance the development of products that are tailored to meet the evolving needs of clients.
3. Augmented Advisory Services
With AI finance, firms can use AI systems to support advisory services, enabling a higher quality of advice at a significantly lower cost to the firm. Routine tasks can be handled by AI systems, freeing up wealth managers to focus on higher-level investment strategies. AI systems can also analyze client data to better create packages geared to specific financial and social demographics. Utilising AI in finance broadens service offerings while also making them more customizable. With a variety of AI tools at their disposal, wealth managers are armed with the research and data insights necessary to make quicker, more informed decisions for more diverse clients.
4. Automated Portfolio Optimization
There are many ways companies can get started with implementing AIin portfolio management. Previously, portfolio optimization depended on wealth managers themselves, who can’t possibly perform an exhaustive evaluation of all data sources even with an infinite timeline. With digital information now in great supply, algorithms can analyze every conceivable trend and optimize portfolios accordingly without needing to be micromanaged by staff. Intelligent money management systems that track contextual indicators and automatically adjust portfolios offer more responsive and timely service to clients. With portfolios more actively managed and optimized with a data-centric approach, clients don’t have to worry about sudden changes or unresponsive money managers limiting their returns.
5. Portfolio Rebalancing Recommendations
A portfolio’s performance is subject to a variety of market factors. The permutations and combinations are too enormous to be evaluated by humans. Using AI in portfolio management equips one with tools that can proactively produce insights that guide and recommend strategies to financial advisors. They can then take those insights to clients and rebalance their portfolios as necessary. Proactive rebalancing recommendations take into account multiple economic indicators and even demographic data. The result allows financial advisors to tweak their larger investment strategy and further personalize their services.
Final Thoughts
By using AI in finance, financial advisory firms can automate internal processes, be more responsive to clients, and optimize portfolios in ways that traditionally required lots of time and manual resources. With AI, financial advisors and clients both win with better outcomes, stronger long term relationships and cost savings that can be shared. It should be kept in mind that Artificial Intelligence in finance isn’t replacing financial advisors. It’s only taking away the heavy lifting tasks that can be automated and enabling a greater focus on higher-level strategy and client service.
