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Robo-Advisors: A Closer Look

Authors: Melanie L. Fein;

Robo-Advisors: A Closer Look

Abstract

Robo-advisors have been touted by the Department of Labor as a source of investment advice that can benefit retirement investors by minimizing costs and avoiding conflicts of interest. On the other hand, they have been labelled as gimmicky and overly simplistic by some critics who have used them. The Securities and Exchange Commission has cautioned that robo-advisors may result in investment recommendations that are based on incorrect assumptions, incomplete information, or circumstances not relevant to an individual investor. This paper examines whether robo-advisors in fact provide personal investment advice, minimize costs, and are free from conflicts of interest. It also evaluates whether robo-advisors meet a high fiduciary standard of care and act in the client’s best interest. Based on a detailed review of user agreements for three leading robo-advisors, this paper concludes that robo-advisors do not live up to the DOL’s acclaim. They are not designed for retirement accounts subject to ERISA and should be approached with caution by retail and retirement investors looking for personal investment advice.

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    popularity
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    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
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Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
47
Top 10%
Top 10%
Top 10%
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