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Robo advisors and access to wealth management

Author

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  • Reher, Michael
  • Sokolinski, Stanislav

Abstract

We investigate how access to robo-advisors impacts the financial investment and welfare of less-wealthy investors. We leverage a quasi-experiment where a major U.S. robo-advisor significantly expands access by reducing its account minimum, increasing participation by middle-class investors but not the poor. A benchmark model calibrated to portfolio-level data rationalizes this increase: middle-class investors want sophisticated investing but cannot achieve it themselves. Their welfare rises moderately, driven by advanced features like multi-dimensional glide-paths and additional priced risk factors. Middle-age investors gain three times more than millennials. Our results reveal novel margins of demand for robo-advisors, helping explain their sustained growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Reher, Michael & Sokolinski, Stanislav, 2024. "Robo advisors and access to wealth management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:155:y:2024:i:c:s0304405x24000527
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2024.103829
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    FinTech; Financial advice; Portfolio delegation; Inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights

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