Looking more like Windhaven after a revamp, Wealthfront names a noted academic CIO and boosts its assets 15-fold
Andy Rachleff's new strategy omits RIAs-as-managers in favor of a centralized ETF-manager approach with Burton Malkiel calling the big shots
B
Not sure how an online RIA startup can out-market or out-gun the likes of Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, TDA, Scottrade, Sharebuilder, E-trade, etc. There are simply too many options online now, with big brand awareness, low costs, and infrastructure that is already in place.
If you look at their numbers, how are they ever going to be profitable? It’s going to take years and hundreds of millions of dollars of AUM (realistically billions, if they are really supporting 20 employees and only charging 25 Bips and have thousands of accounts).
Maybe the idea is to build it to a point and then hope to get bought by an existing RIA or fund firm, that is looking to establish an online presence to compete with the big boys mentioned above. Or maybe a company that could sell ancillary products to the young client base (ie. term insurance, mortgages, etc.)
Elmer Rich III
We are marketers so always love to here new marketing stories – successes of failures. The more data and information we have on what people will buy in money management the better. Especially since we are an industry that, effectively, does zero market research.
It’s really hard to know what the business model is as described above – aka: what market demand they are serving. Time will tell – or not.
We all have to laugh out loud when them mention “advertising” and “$300.” This industry has decades of hard work to go thru to even start to understanding the basics of marketing and advertising.
We would never, ever work with a client who had ever called $300 “advertising” “spend.” lol Too funny.
Michael
3, 2, 1…. that is the countdown starting until another 'pivot’ is coming. Would love to see the marketing pitch to Venture Investors willing to absorb lots of losses and no payday…. ever. The more accounts you gather, the lower the quality of the experience. There is no leverage in this model for a very long time unless there is some secret big stealth strategy in place nobody knows about —- probably not even the management!
Related Moves
Wealthfront's unlikely tapping of Sheila Bair and Tom Curry signals likely push to gain a bank charter, analysts say
The Redwood City robo-advisor's addition of two renowned former chief banking regulators brings legitimacy and guidance that could lead to a margin-fattening bank charter and help solve the robo-advisor's problem of high client acquisition costs.
December 31, 2020 at 4:37 AM
Betterment whistleblowers net $2.5 million • Wealthfront's big pivot leads to profits • Altruist launches tax service • CMOs in at Ascensus, Wealthspire & Joe Duran's Rise • Savvy bags four advisors as Mariner sues it for poaching • Jim Dickson launches RIA stake buyer
Betterment is also bending to RIA needs • Wealthfront is in the black, thanks to cash • Altruist reveals where it makes its money • Rise, Wealthspire and Ascensus each add two executives • Compound hits $2 billion of AUM • CAIS slashes alts prices • BlackRock ups private debt sales to RIAs, through GeoWealth.
June 29, 2024 at 3:00 AM
Altruist is CTO-less, for now, quasi-intentionally, it says • Ex-rival exec hired to jumpstart cross-selling Orion products to enterprise clients • BlackRock tops Grayscale • Facet outsources estate plans • Advyzon profits off Goldman exodus • Dan Wiener's RIA has new CEO • CFP count tops 100k
Shiralker out at Altruist • Orion gives Trevor Noble his cause • Bitcoin has a new fund king • Software maker benefits from Goldman custody exec. churn • Carson Group denies lawsuit • Merge of Wiener's old shop complete • 100,000th CFP named.
June 7, 2024 at 1:44 AM
Wealthfront cedes to four years of investors clamoring for crypto by taking on expensive third-party vendor that Betterment rules out
The Redwood City, Calif., robo-advisor turned a hard 'no' into a soft 'yes' by dealing with Grayscale and its 200 basis-point-plus fees, which its robo rival in NYC -- also without a crypto path -- finds ludicrous.
August 14, 2021 at 2:20 AM
See more related moves
Wealthfront
Portfolio Management System
Top Executive: Andy Rachleff