Most consumers search for businesses online, and for wealth managers, being easily searchable on the Web can help considerably with new client acquisition. In a recent study, Hearsay Systems and Moz analyzed and ranked wealth management firms by their search engine optimization (SEO) results. The firm receiving the most traffic from users searching online for financial services-related advice, products and services was Edward Jones, based on an analysis of organic, local and paid search strategies. It was followed by Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo Advisors, Fidelity and Financial Engines. The study identified four strategies these top firms use to improve SEO, including investing in a combination of organic, local and paid search; leveraging local advisor sites and online listings; realizing that paid search alone does not guarantee attention; and tapping into organic search.
Investors with Advisors Are Adjusting Their Approaches.
The majority of investors working with financial advisors have "discussed, reevaluated and adjusted" their investment approaches with them. A study by BNY Mellon's Dreyfus showed that as the bull market is coming up on its ninth birthday, 61 percent of investors working with advisors are actually making changes, versus only 38 percent doing the same without one. The vast majority of respondents (92 percent) said they plan to "discuss, reevalutate and adjust" their investment approach with an advisor. The question is: What percentage will actually do that?
Another $1 Billion UBS Team Leaves.
Two UBS employees overseeing roughly $1 billion in client assets have left the firm and created Requisite Capital Management. It will be led by Douglas John, a former managing director at UBS, and Bryn Basiardanes Talkington, a former regional director of UBS Asset Management. The new Texas-based firm has also partnered with FallLine Securities, which provides technology, broker/dealer and other wealth management services. Last week, another prominent UBS group left the b/d to join Dynasty Financial Partners.
