RIABiz

News, Vision & Voice for the Advisory Community

RIABiz

Wealthfront busts through $20 billion mark with its 'break things but make it happen' approach, but it's bedeviled by details when it comes to customers

CEO Andy Rachleff near doubles assets with high-interest paying robo-bank as new tailwind, but with brand risk as customer service may not be keeping pace, according to one cautionary tale.

Author Oisin Breen September 15, 2019 at 2:42 AM
2 Comments
no description available
Michael Cohan: No information can be revealed at any point, lest laundering proliferate unchecked and unabated around the cosmos.

Robo-Advisors


Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy

September 16, 2019 — 7:32 PM
Wealthfront is a company that never really found economically viable product/market fit with their wealth management offering. Instead they continue to look for lower cost acquisition strategies to continue driving AUM, that can bring their average revenue per client up. Unfortunately I can't see much in the way of margins on the money market fund - just a lot of likely future churn. Good luck to the team in pulling off a turnaround however.
Greg B

Greg B

September 16, 2019 — 9:07 PM
ACH fraud is becoming a growing problem and this, not AML concerns, is likely the reason for the restrictions they have in place.

Related Moves

June 29, 2024 at 3:00 AM

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

Envestnet quietly cleans up a mess behind take-private veil • Michael Kim is now a two-TAMP CEO • Bill Ackman scolds Trump, Lutnick for tariff overkill, alleged conflicts •

Kim is now head of 'RIA' TAMP • In broad daylight, AssetMark edges closer to swallowing Adhesion • Ackman irked over ‘massive, disproportionate’ tariffs • Fisher sees market upside, if and when tariffs fail.

April 8, 2025 at 1:49 AM

RIABlitz: Vanguard technology • Pontera rebounds • Ex-HiddenLever's exec success • BlackRock rocked • Vivek's crypto • WF dunks SF? • Betterment dry option• Vestwell poached

The RIA firehose of news is rife with tactical moves to shore up voids, play catchup and react to a new concept of political tailwinds

January 11, 2025 at 3:01 AM

See more related moves

Mentioned in this article:

Wealthfront
Portfolio Management System
Top Executive: Andy Rachleff

Betterment, LLC
Financial Planning Software
Top Executive: Jon Stein



RIABiz Directory

The Industry Sourcebook for RIAs

   |    LISTING


RIABiz Directory sponsored by:

Directory Sponsor Logo

White Paper Postings


Common Tags


Recent Articles


Popular Writers


RIABiz logo

RIABiz

About Us

Directory

Archives

Connect

RIABiz, Mill Valley, California
Copyright © 2009-2025 RIABiz Inc. All rights reserved.