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Who are robo-advisor users?

Author

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  • Kim, Seongsu David
  • Cotwright, Marty
  • Chatterjee, Swarn

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the demand for robo-advising services by analyzing the participants’ behavioral characteristics and investment patterns. With the 2015 Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor data, we found that robo-advisor users were younger investors with high risk tolerance, whose self-assessment of financial knowledge is comparatively higher than their actual knowledge, and were independent decision-makers. By controlling for those behavioral attributes of robo-advisor users, we also found that robo-advisor users were reluctant to invest in individual stocks, while they showed the largest preference for investing in pooled investment products such as Exchange Traded Funds. Implications of this study’s findings can be beneficial to financial planning practitioners, academics, and regulators.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Seongsu David & Cotwright, Marty & Chatterjee, Swarn, 2019. "Who are robo-advisor users?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 18(2), pages 33-50.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:228864
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    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/228864/1/Kim_et_al_Robo.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2014. "The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(1), pages 5-44, March.
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    7. Xusen Cheng & Fei Guo & Jin Chen & Kejiang Li & Yihui Zhang & Peng Gao, 2019. "Exploring the Trust Influencing Mechanism of Robo-Advisor Service: A Mixed Method Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-20, September.
    8. Laibson, David I. & Agarwal, Sumit & Driscoll, John C. & Gabaix, Xavier, 2009. "The Age of Reason: Financial Decisions over the Life-Cycle with Implications for Regulation," Scholarly Articles 4554335, Harvard University Department of Economics.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Brunen, Ann-Christine & Laubach, Oliver, 2022. "Do sustainable consumers prefer socially responsible investments? A study among the users of robo advisors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    2. Isaia, Eleonora & Oggero, Noemi, 2022. "The potential use of robo-advisors among the young generation: Evidence from Italy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Robo-advisors; Fintech; Financial Planning; Financial Literacy; Investing; Risk Tolerance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • G53 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Financial Literacy

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