The BNY Mellon | Pershing INSITE conference always brings together a fascinating mix of visionaries, innovators, and experts to discuss the latest trends and technologies shaping the future of wealth management. INSITE24 didn’t disappoint in terms of the diverse range of sessions and the opportunity to connect with financial advisors, institutions, and RIAs.
But behind the hype, the glitz, and the glamour, the people we welcomed to our Tech Central kiosk and talked to in the hallways and parties were looking for something deeper. While vision can be inspiring, many of the advisors and RIAs we spoke with who are working hard to win in competitive markets said they were looking for technology solutions that could help fuel organic growth and were ready to go now.
As this was our first conference after winning the Best as-a-Service Solution for Wealth Management at the Banking Tech Awards USA, INSITE24 was also our opportunity to showcase our leadership position in the industry and talk about how we’re delivering digital wealth solutions for some of the leading financial institutions in America.
Reflecting on the conversations we had with financial advisors, institutions, RIAs, and asset managers, I want to share three key takeaways that emerged from INSITE24.
Takeaway One: The Drive for Seamless Integration
As the wealth management industry has evolved, so too has the complexity. As Tony Robbins says, “Complexity is the enemy of execution!” Being an industry that runs on execution, the myriad of technology providers at INSITE left many of the firms we spoke with overwhelmed by the vast array of tools available. What we most frequently heard was that firms want an easy on-ramp to digital transformation with a core integration platform that can simplify the tech stack. The solution should deliver the flexibility they need to support their business model, and a white label option to grow a firm’s brand presence.
As FusionIQ is a new leader in the winners’ circle, many firms were not familiar with the work we were doing with our clients, who use Pershing to custody their assets. The all-in-one FusionIQ One platform and the easy-to-implement products it powers opened the eyes of advisors to how cloud-native technology has changed the game in wealth management. At FusionIQ, we like to say “digital wealth delivered” and our products deliver on the promise of frictionless workflows and process automation, helping firms adjust to price compression and opening up new revenue channels.
Takeaway Two: Innovation Needs To Meet Functionality
One of America’s greatest innovators, Phil McKinney said, “Practicality is essential for turning creative ideas into tangible results.” As wealth management is very much a tangible results business, the people we spoke with said that while the innovation hype was inspirational, at the end of the day they needed practical solutions that were easy to implement. The promise of the future is less important when your stakeholders want you to deliver results today.
Again, advisors appreciated the functionality of the FusionIQ platform, bringing together cutting-edge cloud-native technology with the practical functionality needed to integrate into existing systems and processes. By bringing a comprehensive suite of features into a core integration platform, FusionIQ goes beyond a concept into an easy-to-implement product that empowers wealth managers to deliver unparalleled service. FusionIQ isn’t bound by the constraints of legacy platforms. We offer customizable, white-labeled platforms that ensure a seamless experience for both advisors and their clients across multiple custodians and fund administrators.
Takeaway Three: The Democratization of Alternative Investments
INSITE this year had an expanded focus on alternative investments, with panels talking about how alternatives could be democratized, providing more access to this attractive asset class to an expanded range of investors. Speakers talked about how alternative investments could provide the potential for enhanced returns and portfolio diversification.
At FusionIQ, we’ve seen this need for some time. In the words of the legendary technologist Alan Kay, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” And that’s what we’ve done.
In March we launched FIQ Market One, a single market that enables investors and advisors to digitally onboard to a single market to find and invest in digital assets, SPV and alternative funds, private investments, and ETFs through unified advisor and client portals. Breaking down the silos between asset classes provides both the scale and flexibility investors and their advisors need to access and invest in alternatives in a single market.
This push to democratization will only get stronger and we’re excited to lead the way for financial advisors and institutions.
Looking Ahead: Navigating the Complexities of Modern Wealth Management
As I wrote in my key takeaways from the 2024 BISA Conference, there’s a paradigm shift in wealth management. And that shift is being driven by cloud-native platforms.
With an ever-growing complexity, financial advisors and institutions need flexible, scalable solutions that can easily integrate into existing systems and processes without the need for additional internal resources. Whether it’s the need for seamless integration, a desire for functionality that truly brings fin and tech together, or an ability to diversify client portfolios at scale, cloud-native platforms and integrated teams of wealth management and technology experts are the key to making the next 12 months impactful for advisors and institutions.
I’m grateful for the conversations I had at INSITE, the visionaries and innovators who have inspired us to go beyond the conventional to deliver real solutions, and our clients and partners who joined us at our kiosk to talk about how to make the future happen today.
When you’re ready to take that step, we’re here to work with you. You can start by learning more at fusioniq.io or reach out to me using my contact information below.
