WATCH | The changing role of financial advisers and the growth of ETFs

No area of business or life goes untouched by technology. The rapid switch from office-based to remote work environments has accelerated the adoption of internet-enabled services and devices, particularly in areas where human relationships used to take preference.

This is also the case when it comes to sensitive issues like money, where consumers are embracing tech, and financial advisers are using it to deliver enhanced financial planning solutions. So how are these advisers adopting technology, and how is it further boosting the valued service they provide?

When it comes to dealing with other people’s money — particularly when it centres on future provision — there’s no doubt that trust is one of the biggest factors at play. Being able to look someone in the eye, so they know you have their best interests at heart, is vital.

“We’ve noticed, particularly globally,  a strong generational shift in the clients that financial advisers are required to deal with,” says Adéle Hattingh, business development and exchange traded products manager at the JSE, about the younger people who are actively participating in investment and retirement planning.

“They’re not only tech-savvy, but they’re also embracing different investment vehicles like exchange traded funds (ETFs), and this means that financial advisers need to adapt to accommodate the needs of these forward-thinking younger clients.”

In this regard, the benefits that technology has introduced in the form of online, easily-accessible robo advisers — with a sharp focus on fledgling investors — cannot be denied in terms of the algorithm-driven convenience they aim to achieve.

While the functionality behind robo advisers can add significant benefits for those wanting to embark on DIY investment strategies, they do remain limited in the flexibility they can offer. Investment decisions should not be taken using a one-size-fits-all approach. This is where financial advisers are undoubtedly evolving to embrace the benefits of tech, while adding the critical human touch and investment nuances that are tailored to suit a client’s priorities, and respond to financial concerns about their future.

When one considers that many people indulge in emotion-based investment decision-making, financial advisers have a huge responsibility in delivering sound, trusted, numbers-based advice.

Join the Business Day | Financial Mail Investment Dialogues, in association with the JSE, in the first of a two-part series geared towards financial advisers, where their changing role in a tech-driven era is discussed, along with the value to be derived from introducing local and globally-traded ETFs into the investment mix.

Moderated by award-winning financial journalist Fifi Peters, you’ll hear from experts, including:

• Adéle Hattingh — business development & exchange traded products manager at JSE;
• Anelisa Balfour — portfolio manager at Old Mutual Investment Group; 
• Nerina Visser — director & co-owner at etfSA; and
• Francis Marais — head of Glacier research at Glacier for Sanlam.

Event details:

Date: Tuesday, September 7 2021
Time: 9am-10am