Every week at Tradestreaming, we’re tracking and analyzing the top trends impacting the finance industry. The following is a list of important things going on we think are worth paying attention to. For more in depth trendfollowing, subscribe to Tradestreaming’s weekly newsletter (published every Sunday).
1. What’s Goldman Sachs doing in online consumer lending? (Tradestreaming)
Tradestreaming Tearsheet: Watching fintech startups gain traction in lending and investing products, incumbent financial services giants like Goldman Sachs and Blackstone have decided to compete with the startups. Goldman Sachs has quietly been putting together a rather formidable offering in consumer lending. What’s the firm up to?
2. Financial Engines’ acquisition of The Mutual Fund Store a turning point in robo debate (InvestmentNews)
Tradestreaming Tearsheet: There’s ongoing discussion on whether online advisors can weather the client storm long term without real humans helping their clients. This deal is proof positive that online advice platforms may need human advisers to offer a full menu of financial planning services.
3. Bank of America working on own robo-advisor (Fortune)
Tradestreaming Tearsheet: Bank of America is joining the ever-increasing club of robo-advisors by building its own automated investment platform. Why partner with a robo-advisor like Betterment when you can just build one yourself and bring in billions a la Schwab?
4. Citi Creates Division Dedicated to Fintech (paymentweek)
Tradestreaming Tearsheet: Traditional banks are feeling pressured by all the new activity in lending/investing online (even if the startups are tiny relatively). New York banking giant Citi announced late last month that it would create a new division solely dedicated to financial technology.
5. The New Source of Innovation in Advisory Firms (ThinkAdvisor)
Tradestreaming Tearsheet: It’s getting harder and harder to grow an advisory firm. Here’s a hint: to succeed, it can’t just be the firm owner’s job.. Here are 7 steps to encourage employee engagement to get everyone in on the growth game. Growing an advisory business is definitely a team sport.